• Fireworks illuminate the sky above the iconic Opera House in Sydney on December 31, 2016, ahead of the New Year. Saeed Khan / AFP
    Fireworks illuminate the sky above the iconic Opera House in Sydney on December 31, 2016, ahead of the New Year. Saeed Khan / AFP
  • Palestine artist Yazed Abu Jarad holds a Palestine flag after making a sand sculpture that reads “Welcome 2017” at a beach in the northern Gaza Strip on December 31, 2016. Suhaib Salem / Reuters
    Palestine artist Yazed Abu Jarad holds a Palestine flag after making a sand sculpture that reads “Welcome 2017” at a beach in the northern Gaza Strip on December 31, 2016. Suhaib Salem / Reuters
  • A street vendor offers a bunch of colourful balloons for sale on New Year’s Eve in a public garden in Amritsar, India. Raminder Pal Singh / EPA
    A street vendor offers a bunch of colourful balloons for sale on New Year’s Eve in a public garden in Amritsar, India. Raminder Pal Singh / EPA
  • The SkyTower firework display during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Auckland, New Zealand. The pyrotechnic display included 500kg of fireworks, 1 tonne of equipment and 10 kilometres of wire. Dave Rowland / Getty Images
    The SkyTower firework display during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Auckland, New Zealand. The pyrotechnic display included 500kg of fireworks, 1 tonne of equipment and 10 kilometres of wire. Dave Rowland / Getty Images
  • A woman prays in front of lanterns to celebrate the new year at Chogye Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea. Ahn Young-joon / AP Photo
    A woman prays in front of lanterns to celebrate the new year at Chogye Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea. Ahn Young-joon / AP Photo
  • Fireworks explode above Singapore’s financial district at the stroke of midnight to mark the New Year’s celebrations. Wong Maye-E / AP Photo
    Fireworks explode above Singapore’s financial district at the stroke of midnight to mark the New Year’s celebrations. Wong Maye-E / AP Photo
  • Fireworks illuminate the city’s skyline during BOCHK Hong Kong New Year countdown celebrations. Lam Yik Fei / Getty Images
    Fireworks illuminate the city’s skyline during BOCHK Hong Kong New Year countdown celebrations. Lam Yik Fei / Getty Images
  • A clown performs during a New Year’s celebration for internally displaced children at the Hassan Sham camp, east of Mosul, Iraq. Khalid Mohammed / AP Photo
    A clown performs during a New Year’s celebration for internally displaced children at the Hassan Sham camp, east of Mosul, Iraq. Khalid Mohammed / AP Photo
  • A young woman writes ‘2017’ using a sparkler during the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Nyiregyhaza, 245km east of Budapest, Hungary. EPA
    A young woman writes ‘2017’ using a sparkler during the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Nyiregyhaza, 245km east of Budapest, Hungary. EPA

Hello 2017: New Year celebrations around the world – in pictures


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From India to South Korea, take a look at how nations around the world welcomed 2017.