The World Celebrates New Year In Style

“The people of Paris and France need this symbolic passage into the New Year”, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo told the weekly Journal du Dimanche.

And just half an hour before the celebrations began in Germany, police evacuated two stations in the southern city of Munich after receiving “reliable information” about a plot to carry out a suicide attack at midnight by Islamic State jihadists. Police spokesman Ayman Batniji said hotels and restaurants were allowed to hold parties a day earlier or a day later.

Sydney will kick-start the global New Year’s Eve party with its biggest fireworks display ever, but fear of jihadist attacks has cast a pall with Brussels scrapping celebrations and many cities tightening security.

Police officials took extraordinary measures to ensure the security of the city’s visitors and residents.

Filipino Catholic devotees jostle to get closer to the image of the Black Nazarene during a thanksgiving procession on New Year’s eve in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.

Everyone welcomed 2016 with various celebrations around the globe on New Year’s Eve. This was the first time they rand in the New Year in Times Square, though they had previously been in NY.

Tens of thousands lined banks and bridges along the Thames, braving intermittent spells of rain ahead of a midnight display featuring around 12,000 fireworks which produced 50,000 projectiles.

London ushered in the New Year with an impressive display of fireworks over its iconic Big Ben clock tower and the London Eye.

French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that there was no specific threat but that “the terrorist threat is a constant threat”.

People around the globe are celebrating. “I don’t care if I lose a leg or my life”.

In Brazil, an estimated two million people watched fireworks over the sea at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, which later this year is due to host the Olympics. Most people returned to their hometowns to eat noodles which symbolize longevity.

Pope Francis encouraged humanity to hang on to recollections of good deeds so that gestures of goodness can be seen triumphing over evil.

Francis said that “these signs of love can’t and mustn’t be obscured by the tyranny of evil”, and that good always triumphs. The celebrations took place as police in Munich warned of a planned terror attack and asked people to avoid crowds.

North Korea was expected to mark the New Year with a speech by leader Kim Jong-Un.

The revelers were protected by an unprecedented number of police officers – some in civilian clothes, many heavily armed – as well as strict security screenings.

Soldiers were on the streets of Paris and police forces in London, Madrid, Berlin and Istanbul increased their presence as Europeans turned out to celebrate.

‘We’re linked into the intelligence services, but there is no specific intelligence about the event in London tonight.

In Turkey, police have detained two Islamic State suspects allegedly planning to stage attacks in the centre of Ankara which is expected to be packed on New Year’s Eve. Lutchman had no money, so the informant paid $40 for the items, according to a complaint filed in federal court. Andrae said so far there hadn’t been any arrests.