photos of fireworks 2013! Sydney is first major world city to celebrate as New Year spreads across the globe
By
Leon Watson
Sydney's skyline erupted with
tons of exploding fireworks as revellers cheered in the New Year from
the city's crammed harbour in the world's first major celebration for
2013.
The welcome to
2013 was continuing on a grand scale across Asia. Increasingly
democratic Myanmar is having a public countdown for the first time.
Jakarta plans a huge street party befitting Indonesia's powering
economy.
The buoyant
economies of the Asia-Pacific are prepared to party with renewed
optimism despite the so-called fiscal cliff threatening to reverberate
globally from the U.S. and the tattered economies of Europe.
Fireworks explode over and around the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year celebrations on January 1
People watch fireworks under The Sydney Harbour Bridge during New Years Eve celebrations
Celebrations were planned around the
world, with hundreds of thousands expected to fill Times Square in New
York City to watch the drop of a Waterford crystal-studded ball.
Major cities across austerity-hit
Europe were to burn off part of their battered budgets in spectacular
fireworks displays, although some municipalities - including the Cypriot
capital, Nicosia - canceled their celebrations in light of the economic
crisis. Nicosia said 16,000 euros ($21,000) saved from the canceled
event will be given to some 320 needy schoolchildren.
Sydney's balmy summer night was split
by 7 tons of fireworks fired from roof tops and barges, many cascading
from the Sydney Harbor Bridge, in a 6.6 million Australian dollar ($6.9
million) pyrotechnic extravaganza billed by organisers as the world's
largest.
Eager revellers camped Sunday night to get the best vantage points.
In Hong Kong, this year's 12.5
million Hong Kong dollar ($1.6 million) fireworks display is said to be
the biggest ever in the southern Chinese city. Police expected as many
as 100,000 people to watch.
One day after dancing in the snow to
celebrate the first anniversary of leader Kim Jong Un's ascension to
supreme commander, North Koreans were preparing to mark the arrival of
the new year, marked as 'Juche 102' on North Korean calendars. Juche
means self-reliance, the North Korean ideology of independence promoted
by national founder Kim Il Sung, who was born 102 years ago. His
grandson now rules North Korea.
Fireworks light up the sky during the New Year celebrations for children at Sydney Harbour before the main event kicks off
More than 1.5 million people were expected to line the foreshores of the harbour to watch the annual fireworks show
Spectator boats in Sydney Harbour (below) look
on as the 9pm family-based New Year's Eve fireworks erupt over the
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Fireworks explode around the Opera House during the pre-New Years Eve celebrations in Sydney
Sydney will be the first major world city to see
in 2013 at 1pm GMT, with some 1.5 million people expected to attend the
city's events
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