Australia rang in the new year Sunday with a spectacular
fireworks display in Sydney, sending rainbow-coloured
showers into the night sky and defying the global terror
attacks that cast a pall over 2016.
Around 1.5 million people packed Australia’s biggest city
to watch as the midnight fireworks erupted from Sydney
Harbour Bridge, with the extravaganza beamed to
television sets and phones across the world.
The visual feast paid tribute to some of the international
musical legends who died this year, including David
Bowie and Prince, with purple rain pouring off the bridge
in an early display and firework “stars” soaring high above
the harbour.
2016 has seen repeated bloodshed, most recently a
deadly truck attack at a Berlin Christmas market, a similar
incident on Bastille Day in France that killed 86, and
atrocities in Turkey and the Middle East.
But the New South Wales state premier urged “business
as usual”, as a larger-than-usual crowd gathered due to
the weekend timing and warm weather.
“My encouragement to everyone is to enjoy New Year’s
Eve… in the knowledge that police are doing everything
they can to keep us safe,” Premier Mike Baird said.
Around 2,000 extra officers have been deployed in
Sydney after a man was arrested for allegedly making
online threats against the celebrations.
There were a number of other reported threats this
holiday period, in Asia-Pacific and elsewhere.
In Melbourne, police foiled a “significant” Islamic State-
inspired Christmas Day terror plot.
Indonesia said it foiled plans by an IS-linked group for a
Christmas-time suicide bombing, and 52 died in the
Philippines in bomb attacks blamed on Islamist militants.
Israel on Friday issued a warning of imminent “terrorist
attacks” to tourists and western targets in India.
Despite the terror fears, revellers in Hong Kong and
Taipei were expected to throng city streets to watch
firework performances.
In Japan, shoppers filled markets to buy tuna and crabs —
seen as expensive items for special feasts — for New
Year’s Day family gatherings.
