As the clock ticks toward midnight, cities worldwide prepare for New Year celebrations highlighting their cultures and traditions, after a year roiled by ongoing conflict and political instability.
In Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, thousands are expected to flock to the city centre or hike up the volcanic hills for a prime view of the fireworks with a light display honouring the city's Indigenous Māori tribes.
In Australia, more than 1 million people are expected at Sydney Harbor for the traditional fireworks, with Indigenous ceremonies acknowledging the land's first people.
The upcoming Year of the Snake, which starts on 1 January in Japan's zodiac, is seen as a time for renewal, symbolised by the snake shedding its skin.
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