no comment Dutch courage: Thousands plunge into North Sea for New Year's Day dip What a way to begin the new decade. 01/01/2020
no comment North and South Korea welcome in the new decade There were fireworks in Pyongyang and bell-ringing in Seoul. 31/12/2019
no comment Happy New Year Australia! Sydney welcomes 2020 with fireworks More than a million people descended onto a hazy Sydney Harbour and surrounding areas to greet 2020 despite the ongoing wildfire crisis. 31/12/2019
no comment New Zealand says goodbye to 2019 with huge fireworks display Crowds cheered as the sky over Auckland was lit up by fireworks to herald the arrival of 2020. 31/12/2019
World Watch: Hawaii fireworks mark final global New Year's Eve celebrations As 2020 arrives across the globe, watch the major cities bid farewell to 2019. 31/12/2019
no comment A huge rat statue has been placed in a shrine as an offering On Sunday, members of a volunteer group and local children put the three-meter-tall rat statue at the entrance of Tatsumizu Shrine in the town of Misato in Mie Prefecture 30/12/2019
no comment Giant rice cakes offered to shrine in Japanese tradition The huge rice cakes are supposed to ensure good health and an abundant harvest in the coming year. 30/12/2019
no comment Indigenous Bolivians celebrate winter solstice As dawn broke over the archaeological site of Tiwanaku indigenous Aymara raised their hands towards the first rays of the morning sun to welcome the Aymara New Year, 5527. 22/06/2019
no comment Chinese worshippers pray to God of Wealth People in China paid homage to the God of Wealth on Saturday, praying for good fortune. 09/02/2019
no comment Beijing marks third day of Lunar New Year Chinese communities around the world are welcoming the Year of the Pig. 07/02/2019
no comment North Koreans celebrate first day of Lunar New Year Family members exchanged gifts and dressed in traditional attire. 07/02/2019
no comment Tibetans celebrate New Year with a horse parade Tibetans of southwest China's Sichuan Province held a ceremony and a horse parade on Tuesday to celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year. 06/02/2019
no comment Japanese plunge into ice bath at Tokyo's shrine in purification ritual for New Year Nearly one hundred people gathered at a Tokyo shrine to wash themselves in an icy bath on Sunday (January 13) to purify their souls and wish for good health in the new year. 13/01/2019
musica Christian Thielemann and Daniel Froschauer headline the Musikverein in Vienna The New Year's concert in Vienna is the most watched classic event in the world. Only the greatest maestros get to conduct this legendary concert 10/01/2019
no comment Thousands take part in New Year calligraphy contest in Tokyo Thousands of people gathered and competed in a New Year calligraphy contest in Tokyo on Saturday (November 5), hoping to get a good start to 2019 06/01/2019
no comment No Comment of the Week Revellers across the world rang in the New Year this week. Fireworks lit up the skies over Auckland as New Zealand became one of the first countries to enter 2019. 04/01/2019
no comment Clement weather a relief for NYC New Year bathers Clement weather a relief for NYC New Year bathers 02/01/2019
no comment 'London welcomes the world' for New Year's Day parade Miniature steam trains, puppet tennis players and a convincing Darth Vader paraded through London on Tuesday (January 1) to celebrate New Year. 02/01/2019
no comment New Year revellers trapped for hours on fair ride in France Eight people were rescued after being stuck on a fair ride for several hours on New Year's Eve in France, local media reported on Tuesday (January 1) 02/01/2019
world news Watch: The traditions Europeans follow to welcome the New Year From swimming in chilly waters, to a parade and a religious ceremony, take a look at how people across Europe spent New Year's Day. 01/01/2019
no comment Dutch swimmers join traditional North Sea plunge on New Year's Day Thousands of Dutch revellers braved cold water and chilling winds on Tuesday to take a New Year's Day plunge in the North Sea in a tradition thought to date back to the 1960s. 01/01/2019
no comment Masked demons visit homes in Japan People wearing demonic masks and straw garments visited homes in Japan on NewYear's Eve to ward off evil spirits, bring good luck and make children behave. 01/01/2019
no comment New Year revellers wowed by lasers instead of fireworks New Year's Eve revellers were treated to a spectacular laser show in Mexico City instead of the traditional fireworks to cut down on air pollution. 01/01/2019
Netherlands New Year 'firenado' threatens Dutch seaside resort Firefighters in the Netherlands spent New Year’s Eve battling a beach bonfire burning out of control, threatening the seaside resort of Scheveningen. 01/01/2019
World In pictures: New Year's Eve celebrations around the world Take a look at our selection of some of the best photos of the New Year 2019 celebrations. 01/01/2019
no comment New Year fireworks light up skies over Auckland Fireworks lit up the skies over Auckland as New Zealand became one of the first countries to welcome the New Year. 31/12/2018
