The world is ushering in 2025 with huge crowds waving goodbye to the year that brought Olympic glory, a dramatic Donald Trump return, and turmoil in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Sydney — the self-proclaimed "New Year's capital of the world" — sprayed nine tonnes of fireworks from the Opera House and Harbour Bridge to begin the year's farewell.
Those who snagged a harbour view were treated to a stunning front-row experience of the glittering display that, for the first time, dazzled the city from both the east and west sides of the bridge.
Composer Luna Pan debuted her 12-minute underwater-themed fireworks soundtrack at midnight, which rang out alongside skyward explosions and artificial intelligence projections.
While Sydney's fireworks display might have been the highlight, there was no shortage of pyrotechnics to ring in 2025 across the rest of Australia — and the world.
A spectacular pyrotechnics display lit up Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour as Asia joined in popping champagne corks and launching New Year's Eve parties.
Thousands thronged the streets of Taipei to watch Taiwan's tallest skyscraper erupt in a dazzling display of fireworks.
Thailand welcomed 2025 with eco-friendly fireworks crafted from sticky rice, spanning 1,400 meters across the Chao Phraya River in the heart of Bangkok.
There was hope and trepidation as the new year arrived in Syria, which is still reeling after rebels toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
"We were hesitant to go out this year because of the security situation, but we decided to overcome our fears," lawyer Maram Ayoub, 34, told AFP from the capital, Damascus.
Dubai brought in 2025 with a stunning fireworks display at the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa.
As Gaza continues to be ravaged by war, residents say their greatest hope for the new year is to see an end to the conflict and to return to their homes — a simple dream that remains an immense challenge to achieve.
"I once had big dreams and ambitions ... this war has destroyed everything, " Deir al-Balah resident Mohammed Masri said.
"I hope we can see the light of hope for the future, to once again pursue all the good things in life, like education and research, and to break free from the devastation brought by the war."
Many in Sudan also voiced their hopes for peace, as the nation marked its second new year under the shadow of war between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
In Ukraine, Kyiv's landmark Maidan Square (Independence Square) remained empty due to a curfew that was introduced after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnkyy remained defiant in his New Year's Eve address, acknowledging that "peace will not be given to us as a gift, but we will do everything to stop Russia and end the war".
Pro-European Georgians rang in 2025 by setting off fireworks at ongoing month-long protests against a ruling party they accuse of being under Russia's influence.
Greece's ancient Parthenon Temple on the Acropolis had a quiet New Year's Eve with limited fireworks and a small drone display.
The mayor of Athens said this year's celebration took into account the distress that loud fireworks cause pets and animals.
In Paris, thousands gathered on the Champs-Élysées to kick off 2025 with massive fireworks that momentarily engulfed the Arc de Triomphe monument in a fiery display.
As London's iconic Big Ben struck midnight, a firework extravaganza lit up the River Thames.
The festivities went ahead despite much of the United Kingdom being subjected to severe weather warnings for the coming week.
Edinburgh's New Year Hogmanay celebrations, where tens of thousands of revellers gather in the Scottish capital for street parties and fireworks, were cancelled due to bad weather.
Around a million people are expected to descend on New York's Times Square to watch the famous ball drop in person at midnight.
Kiribati was the first part of the world to enter 2025, while Baker Island and Howland Island — two uninhabited territories of the United States in the Pacific Ocean — will be the last.
