Beach parties, fireworks: World rings in new year

After a turbulent year marred by terror woes, Ebola outbreaks and a horrific series of airline disasters, many could be forgiven for saying good riddance to 2014 and gratefully ringing in a new year.
Across the globe, revelers looking for a respite from the gloom will converge on the beaches of Brazil, the shores of Sydney harbor and New York City to welcome 2015. Here’s a look at how the world is celebrating:
FIRST UP: DOWN UNDER
Sydney takes pride in being one of the first major cities in the world to welcome each new year, and it greeted 2015 in its trademark glittery fashion — with a tropical-style fireworks display featuring shimmering gold and silver palm tree pyrotechnic effects.
More than 1.5 million revelers crowded along the shores of the city’s famed harbor in warm summer weather to watch the vivid eruption of light over the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and other points along the water.
At midnight, the crowd cheered as a 12-minute firework display was launched, the third and final light show for the night.
The festivities, however, come just two weeks after an Iranian-born self-styled cleric took 18 people hostage inside a downtown cafe. A tribute to two hostages killed in the siege was to be displayed on the pylons of the Harbour Bridge during the main fireworks display, and an extra 3,000 police officers were patrolling the city. Still, Sydneysiders were encouraged to celebrate as usual.
In New Zealand, a giant clock on Auckland’s landmark Sky Tower structure counted down the minutes until the New Year, with a huge fireworks display launching from the tower at midnight.
PRAYERS IN INDONESIA
The loss of AirAsia Flight 8501 and a deadly landslide in Central Java are recent tragedies that have muted celebration plans in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. City Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said the city would conduct prayers for the victims of the tragedies as well as host the annual Jakarta Night Festival.
Other Indonesian cities have opted to cancel or tone down their celebrations. Surabaya’s Mayor Tri Rismaharini banned any kind of New Year entertainment in Indonesia’s second-largest city, where most of the 162 people on the AirAsia flight that crashed Sunday were from. Hundreds of Surabaya residents, including young children, lit candles and braved a drizzle at a park to observe a minute of silence for victims of the crash.
“Let us pray for the grieving families of those on board the plane. Let us pray this will be the last tragedy for Surabaya,”