New Delhi, Jan. 1 -- As 2025 drew to a close, people worldwide bid farewell to a challenging year and welcomed 2026 with hopes for peace, prosperity, and renewal. Celebrations began first in the Pacific islands closest to the International Date Line, including Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Tonga, and New Zealand.

In Australia, Sydney rang in the new year with its traditional fireworks display along the harbour. Some 40,000 pyrotechnic effects stretched over 7 km (4 miles) across buildings and barges, including a waterfall effect from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

In Seoul, thousands gathered at the Bosingak bell pavilion, where a bronze bell was struck 33 times at midnight. The ceremony, rooted in Buddhist cosmology, symbolizes the 33 hea...