Britain sees in 2016 with massive London police presence

Earlier, other global cities beckoned in the New Year, including Dubai, where celebrations were tempered by a blaze in one of its tallest buildings.

A police spokeswoman said a search for possible suspects had been launched and a tweet from German police said “we take the threat very seriously”.

Dpa reported massive delays in the city’s public transportation system after both train stations were quickly evacuated and trains were no longer stopped there.

Meanwhile in Edinburgh, 75,000 people saw in the New Year at the Scottish capital’s Hogmanay street party, which draws revellers from around the world.

A woman prays in front of lanterns to celebrate the New Year at Chogye Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015.

The Sydney Harbour provided a spectacular location for fireworks spiralling off the Sydney Harbour Bridge, followed by fireworks across Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. They said they hoped no one was injured.

New Zealand counted down the seconds to midnight with a giant digital clock on Auckland’s Sky Tower as it become the first nation with a sizeable population to welcome in the new year.

Another man was also arrested for allegedly throwing a bottle at a police officer’s head during an incident at a Shalvey service station in the city’s west around 1am.

In Bangkok, thousands of police were present as revelers rang in 2016 at the site of a deadly bombing that occurred in October.

The fireworks display is to help children in danger around the world like those affected by the conflict in Syria, according to the Mayor of London.

More than a million people lined the streets to watch what some described as “the best fireworks in the world”.

As in previous years, the London Eye was the focal point of the pyrotechnic extravaganza, which could be seen for miles around. However, Belgian authorities canceled the tradition in the capital city of Brussels on Wednesday based on fears of an attack.

London is also trying to control the crowds by again charging for access to central riverside areas to see the fireworks, with more than 113,000 10-pound (US$15) tickets already sold.

For safety reasons, Shanghai closed subways near the scenic waterfront Bund, mindful of a stampede last New Year’s Eve that killed 36 people and blemished the image of China’s most prosperous metropolis.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman lamented the prospect that fear might keep people from celebrating New Year’s Eve.

France’s interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, said there was no specific threat but added “the terrorist threat is a constant threat”.

In Germany, which has received many of the refugees seeking asylum in Europe this year, numerous shelters banned firecrackers and other pyrotechnics to avoid causing trauma to people fleeing war zones in the Middle East, Asia and beyond. Brazil’s most popular New Year’s Eve show was illuminated by 24 tons of fireworks fired for almost 16 minutes.

Here is how the world welcomed the New Year.

Some in the crowd admitted to being nervous to gather in such a famous location in the weeks after the Paris and San Bernardino attacks.