Revelers around the globe are bidding farewell to a decade that will be remembered for the rise of social media, the Arab Spring, the #MeToo movement and, of course, President Donald Trump.
A look at how the world is ushering in 2020:
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NEW YORK
Fireworks burst and confetti fell as throngs of revelers cheered the start of 2020 in New York CityB次元官网网址檚 Times Square.
In one of the globeB次元官网网址檚 most-watched New YearB次元官网网址檚 Eve spectacles, the crowd counted down the last seconds of 2019 as a luminescent crystal ball descended down a pole.
About 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) of confetti showered the sea of attendees, many of whom were also briefly rained on earlier in the evening as they waited in security pens for performances by stars including rap-pop star Post Malone, K-pop group BTS, country singer Sam Hunt and singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette.
The crowds packed into the heart of Manhattan mouthed lyrics and waved yellow and purple balloons in a frenzy as midnight approached.
B次元官网网址淚t was a dream, I wanted to do it so this year a lot of people helped me to get here so IB次元官网网址檓 here, and IB次元官网网址檓 thankful for that,B次元官网网址� said Mariemma Mejias, 48, who flew to New York for the festivities from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The fun was evident, but some important global issues were driven home as well.
Spotlighting efforts to combat climate change, high school science teachers and students pressed the button that begins the famous 60-second ball drop and countdown to the new year.
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RIO DE JANEIRO
About 3 million people welcomed 2020 at BrazilB次元官网网址檚 iconic Copacabana beach as almost 34,000 pounds (15,420 kilograms) of colorful fireworks went off for 14 minutes after midnight.
Rio de Janeiro holds one of the biggest New Year parties in the world, with music, drinks and religious rituals on the shores. Many dress in white in a traditional sign of their hope for peace. About 2,000 policemen are working to ensure party-goers are safe. Authorities say only minor incidents have been reported so far.
Many locals and tourists are expected to stick around Copacabana until WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 sunrise for their first dip of the year in the ocean, expecting to wash away their troubles from 2019. Summer in Rio often brings high temperatures early on.
The party in Sao Paulo, BrazilB次元官网网址檚 metropolis, took about 2 million people to Paulista Avenue, the cityB次元官网网址檚 main road. Nearly all the 6,000 pounds (2,720 kilograms) of fireworks used there were silent so pets did not get too bothered by the noise.
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ROME
Pope Francis delighted tourists and Romans in St. PeterB次元官网网址檚 Square on Tuesday night when he took a stroll to admire the Nativity scene. Shouts of B次元官网网址淧ope! Pope!B次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淗appy New Year!B次元官网网址� resounded as families rushed to catch a glimpse of him or thrust out their infant in hopes he would pat their heads or pinch their cheeks.
One woman grabbed the popeB次元官网网址檚 hand and pulled him toward her to shake it. Francis, 83, exclaimed and then struck the womanB次元官网网址檚 hand twice to free his hand.
At a New YearB次元官网网址檚 Eve Vespers service in St. PeterB次元官网网址檚 Basilica, Francis urged people to practice more solidarity and to B次元官网网址渂uild bridges, not walls.B次元官网网址� Since becoming pontiff in 2013, Francis has preached openness B次元官网网址� a reform-minded agenda that has irritated a small but vocal group of ultra-conservatives in the church.
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HONG KONG
Revelers as well as pro-democracy protesters flocked to sites across Hong Kong to usher in 2020.
The semi-autonomous Chinese city has toned down New YearB次元官网网址檚 celebrations amid the monthslong demonstrations. The protests have repeatedly sparked pitched battles with police and have taken their toll on Hong KongB次元官网网址檚 nightlife and travel industries.
A fireworks display that traditionally lights up famed Victoria Harbor was cancelled amid safety concerns, while some roads were closed and barriers set up in the Lan Kwai Fong nightlife district to control crowds.
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RUSSIA
Russians began the worldB次元官网网址檚 longest continuous New YearB次元官网网址檚 Eve with fireworks and a message from President Vladimir Putin urging them to work together in the coming year.
Putin made the call in a short speech broadcast on television just before the stroke of midnight in each of RussiaB次元官网网址檚 11 time zones. The recorded message was followed by an image of the Kremlin Clock and the sound of its chimes. State TV showed footage of extensive festive fireworks in cities of the Far East.
But one holiday tradition was missing in Moscow this year B次元官网网址� a picturesque layer of snow. The Russian capital has had an unusually warm December and temperatures in central Moscow as midnight approached were just above freezing.
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AUSTRALIA
More than a million people descended on a hazy Sydney Harbour and surrounding areas to ring in the new year despite the ongoing wildfire crisis ravaging New South Wales, AustraliaB次元官网网址檚 most populous state.
The 9 p.m. fireworks over SydneyB次元官网网址檚 iconic landmarks was briefly delayed due to strong winds, but revelers clearly enjoyed themselves in a desperately needed tonic for the state.
New South Wales has born the brunt of the wildfire damage, which has razed more than 1,000 homes nationwide and killed 12 people in the past few months.
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LONDON
Londoners watched a spectacular fireworks display from the banks of the River Thames that was launched from the London Eye and barges near Parliament.
The familiar chimes of LondonB次元官网网址檚 Big Ben clock tower rung in the new year, even though they have been silent for most of 2019 because of extensive restoration work.
To the north, the multi-day Hogmanay New YearB次元官网网址檚 celebrations in Edinburgh began Monday night with a torchlight parade through the streets of the Scottish capital.
Security was tight in both cities and elsewhere in Britain following a recent extremist attack on London Bridge that claimed two lives. Police arrested five men on suspicion of terrorism offences Monday but said the arrests were not related to the London Bridge attack or to celebrations.
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SOUTH AFRICA
Thousands of revelers gathered at Cape TownB次元官网网址檚 Waterfront area to ring in the new year with music, dancing and fireworks in front of the cityB次元官网网址檚 iconic Table Mountain.
In past years, residents of JohannesburgB次元官网网址檚 poor Hillbrow neighbourhood would celebrate the New Year by tossing furniture, appliances and even refrigerators from the balconies of high-rise apartment buildings. Police have issued stern warnings, and it appears the dangerous tradition has declined.
In a sombre statement, President Cyril Ramaphosa said B次元官网网址渨hile our economy created jobs, these have not been nearly enough to stop the rise in unemployment or the deepening of poverty.B次元官网网址�
South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka was deported from Uganda, where she was to perform at a New YearB次元官网网址檚 Eve event. Ugandan police cited visa issues, but Ugandan media reported it was because she had voiced support for Ugandan pop star Bobi Wine, the most potent opposition challenger to President Yoweri Museveni.
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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
For nearly 10 minutes, fireworks lit the sky over DubaiB次元官网网址檚 Burj Khalifa, the worldB次元官网网址檚 tallest building, as hundreds of thousands gathered downtown to watch the spectacular display.
The New YearB次元官网网址檚 Eve display at the 828-meter-tall (2,716-foot-tall) skyscraper was just one of seven different fireworks shows across the emirate. Tourists, especially from Europe and Russia, flocked to the sunny beaches of Dubai at this time of year to escape the cold, dark winter.
To keep the massive crowds safe, police created walkways around the Burj Khalifa tower for male-only groups to separate them from families and women.
Dubai this year will be hosting Expo 2020, a world fair that brings the most cutting-edge and futuristic technologies.
The Associated Press
