As 2016 drew to a close in the UAE, the celebrations in other parts of the world had already been underway for hours.
Australia used the festivities to pay hommage to the late David Bowie and Prince, with fireworks set to a medley of their music. .
The seven tons of fireworks launched from barges in Sydney harbour also included a “Willy Wonka moment” in tribute to the late actor Gene Wilder’s most famous role.
“This year, sadly, we saw the loss of many music and entertainment legends around the world,” said fireworks co-producer Catherine Flanagan. “Celebrating their music as part of Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks displays is an opportunity to reflect on the year that has been and what the future may hold.”,
With around 1.5 million revellers around Sydney harbour and memories of the attacks in Berlin and Nice still fresh, an extra 2,000 police were on duty and some pedestrian areas were blocked off by buses.
On Friday, a man was arrested after llegedly posting posted threats on social media related to Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. New South Wales police said he was acting in isolation and had no known links to extremist groups. “Ultimately the best way that we can respond to the threats around the world is to fight for our freedoms, enjoy our freedoms, and part of that is ensuring that we go about and celebrate New Year’s Eve,” state Premier Mike Baird said.
In Japan, temple bells rang out at midnight as families gathered together to eat soba noodles, the standard New Year’s Eve dish before driving to a shrine which, like temples all over the country, were filled with those praying for good fortune in the Year of the Rooster, according to the Chinese zodiac.
In China, however, residents of Beijing and Shanghai, the two largest cities in the country, passed New Year’s Eve in virtual lockdown after the authorities banned celebrations along the Bund waterfront in Shanghai and the sale, use and transportation of fireworks. Two years ago, more than 30 people died in a deadly stampede on Shanghai’s waterfront, where 300,000 people had gathered to watch a planned light show. This year, large buildings often used to display light shows stayed dark.
In Beijing police forbade countdowns, lightshows, lotteries and other organised activities usually held in popular shopping districts.
More than half a million South Koreans ushered in the New Year with another massive protest calling for the immediate arrest and removal of impeached President Park Geun-Hye.
Carrying candles and waving banners, they chanted “Park Geun-Hye step down. Go to prison now.”
“I came here to help usher in a new year that has no Park Geun-Hye”, said Kang Jae-Chun, who brought his two children
The traditional bell-tolling ceremony at the Bosinkgak pavilion at midnight also became a political statement. One of the guests invited by he mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon, was a man whose teenage son was among more than 300 people who died during a 2014 ferry sinking. President Park was severely criticised over the way her government handled the ferry disaster.
“So many unbelievable things happened in 2016. It felt like a movie,” said protester Lee Huymi said about the Park scandal. “So I hope 2017 brings a movie-like ending to the mess. Everything getting solved, quickly and all at once, leaving us all happy.”
New Year’s Eve in India is primarily time for family but thousands flocked to the iconic Gateway of India, a colonial-era structure on the Mumbai waterfront overlooking the Arabian Sea for a huge street party with music, dancing and fireworks.
The famous, glitzy desert city of Las Vegas pulled out all the stops with an eight-minute firework show launched from the roofs of half a dozen casinos.
More than 300,000 visitors are expected to descend on Las Vegas for an extravagant New Year’s Eve celebration.
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* Associated Press
The Specs
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Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
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SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation 2 to 5
Rating: 5/5
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
Company profile
Company name: Hayvn
Started: 2018
Founders: Christopher Flinos, Ahmed Ismail
Based: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Sector: financial
Initial investment: undisclosed
Size: 44 employees
Investment stage: series B in the second half of 2023
Investors: Hilbert Capital, Red Acre Ventures
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Eco Way
Started: December 2023
Founder: Ivan Kroshnyi
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Electric vehicles
Investors: Bootstrapped with undisclosed funding. Looking to raise funds from outside
New schools in Dubai
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000