As the world ushered in 2026, celebrations unfolded across time zones, with the Pacific islands of Kiribati and Samoa among the first to welcome the new year. In the UK, London's fireworks display marked the transition, while the United States saw the iconic ball drop in Times Square, New York, at midnight Eastern Standard Time.
In Australia, millions gathered for spectacular fireworks, with police praising generally good behaviour despite a few incidents. The heightened security presence followed the December 14 terror attack at Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people. Officers carried long-arm weapons in all capital cities.
New York City saw the swearing-in of Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a midnight ceremony. Mamdani, 34, took the oath surrounded by family, including his mother, film-maker Mira Nair, and father, Mahmood Mamdani. The Times Square ball drop, a tradition since 1907, featured a 12.5-foot-diameter ball weighing 12,350 pounds, adorned with 5,280 crystals and LED lights.
In China, the first sunrise of 2026 was captured in Guangdong Province. Meanwhile, Beijing criticised Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's New Year address, with a spokesman calling it 'filled with lies and nonsense' and accusing Lai of inciting cross-strait confrontation.
US President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, alongside guests including Rudy Giuliani and Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani. The party followed discussions on the Gaza ceasefire and regional geopolitics.
As the clean-up began in many cities, revellers in Rio de Janeiro enjoyed front-row views of fireworks. The west coast of the US, Alaska, and Hawaii were still awaiting midnight as the world continued its march into 2026.
