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New Year's Eve 2017: Celebrations get under way around the world New Year's Eve 2017: Celebrations get under way around the world
(about 7 hours later)
As the world prepares to usher in 2018, thousands of people are starting the countdown.  As the UK prepares to usher in 2018, thousands of people around the world are already celebrating.
In New Zealand, the clock will strike midnight at 11am GMT as half a tonne of fireworks is set off from Auckland’s Sky Tower. Preparations for the display reportedly began six months ago to guarantee the coordination of the 3,000 fireworks.  In New Zealand, tens of thousands of people took to the streets and beaches as the clock struck midnight at 11am GMT. 
In Australia, 2018 will arrive at 1pm GMT. As many as one million people are expected to watch the world famous fireworks display around Sydney harbour. Police in the city have tightened security measures ahead of the festivities, including implementing road blocks.  Half a tonne of fireworks were set off from Auckland’s Sky Tower, with revellers gazing at the nonstop pyrotechnics that lasted more than five minutes. Preparations for the display reportedly began six months ago to guarantee the coordination of the 3,000 fireworks. 
In Australia, a massive fireworks display included a rainbow firework to celebrate recently passed legislation legalizing same sex marriage.
Over a million people watched the festivities from Sydney Harbour as the chimes tolled at 1pm GMT. Police in the city tightened security measures ahead of the festivities, including implementing road blocks,  but officials said there was no particular alert.
Arctic temperatures in parts of the US have caused some celebrations to falter. In Omaha, Nebraska, temperatures are forecast to dip to minus 22 degrees on New Year’s Eve, causing organisers to postpone their planned fireworks display. Arctic temperatures in parts of the US have caused some celebrations to falter. In Omaha, Nebraska, temperatures are forecast to dip to minus 22 degrees on New Year’s Eve, causing organisers to postpone their planned fireworks display. 
The hundreds of thousands of people heading to New York’s Times Square for the annual celebration may witness the giant ball drop on the second-coldest evening on record for the night, forecasters said. Temperatures are expected to hover around -12 C or colder in midtown Manhattan.The hundreds of thousands of people heading to New York’s Times Square for the annual celebration may witness the giant ball drop on the second-coldest evening on record for the night, forecasters said. Temperatures are expected to hover around -12 C or colder in midtown Manhattan.
Las Vegas is expecting more than 330,000 people to flock to the city for this evening's celebrations, less than three months after the worst mass shooting in US history. 
An eight-minute fireworks display and acts including Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, Celine Dion and the Foo Fighters will keep partiers entertained before and after midnight at properties across Sin City. 
 
Revellers in Edinburgh will come together for one of the world’s biggest street parties later, despite the stormy weather and travel disruption facing parts of Scotland.Revellers in Edinburgh will come together for one of the world’s biggest street parties later, despite the stormy weather and travel disruption facing parts of Scotland.
Organisers have said that the Hogmanay celebrations will go ahead in full as gusts of up to 80mph are expected to batter parts of the country in the first half of December 31.Organisers have said that the Hogmanay celebrations will go ahead in full as gusts of up to 80mph are expected to batter parts of the country in the first half of December 31.
Underbelly, which is producing the event for the first time, is promising the “best party ever”, with live music, DJs, street entertainment and the “ultimate fireworks display” from Edinburgh Castle. The celebrations run for three days, drawing in an estimated 150,000 people from elsewhere in the UK and around the world.
Rag’n’Bone Man will headline Concert in the Gardens, with Declan McKenna and Nina Nesbitt as support acts, while those performing on the three Street Party stages include The Human League, Sacred Paws, Treacherous Orchestra and Huey Morgan.  
Fireworks will be launched from Edinburgh Castle at 9pm, 10pm and 11pm in a countdown to midnight, when a soundscaped fireworks display will entertain the audience for the first nine minutes of 2018. Hours before midnight, authorities had already reported that scores of people had been injured by celebratory firecrackers in the Philippines, which has some of the most raucous New Year's celebrations in Asia. 
Police said they will be using local and specialist resources including armed officers to protect the public and act as a deterrent. Although the number of injuries has tapered off in recent years, largely due to hard economic times and government scare campaigns, the figures remain alarming. President Rodrigo Duterte signed an order in June confining the use of firecrackers to community-designated areas, such as near shopping malls and parks. 
Chief Superintendent Kenny MacDonald, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, said: “Please do not be alarmed by the presence of these professional and highly-trained officers. They are being deployed purely as a precaution. I would again reiterate that there is no specific intelligence relating to a potential threat for either event. Many Filipinos, largely influenced by Chinese tradition, believe that noisy New Year's celebrations drive away evil and misfortune. But they have carried that superstition to extremes, exploding dangerously large firecrackers and firing guns to welcome the new year despite threats of arrest. 
“In addition to the police officers and stewards present on the evening a range of barriers and bollards will also be utilised, which prevent vehicles accessing the event arena. Again, this is purely a precautionary measure.”
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations run for three days, drawing in an estimated 150,000 people from elsewhere in the UK and around the world.
The Met Office has issued a yellow “be aware” warning for Edinburgh and parts of the Central, Tayside and Fife regions, which is in place from 2am to 3pm on Sunday. However it is not expected to affect the celebrations.
Additional reporting by agenciesAdditional reporting by agencies