Global celebrations greet New Year

And it was not the only city to provide a spectacular fireworks display, with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia following soon after [AFP]

Thousands of people gathered to celebrate with performers in China's Hong Kong [AFP]

In Hyderabad in Pakistan, a nation wracked by violence in 2009, people came together to pray for peace [EPA]

Russians gathered at the Red Square as Dmitry Medvedev, the president, thanked the nation for bearing with the economic crisis [AFP]

Brass bands came out and marches were held in Kyrgyzstan, as here in the capital Bishkek [AFP]

Vienna, in Austria, was also preparing to welcome the new decade in a cold Europe [EPA]

Supporters of Manuel Zelaya, the ousted Honduran president, held a vigil near the Brazilian Embassy where Zelaya has taken refuge [AFP]

Lebanese people celebrated the arrival of 2010 in downtown Beirut after a year of political turmoil [AFP]

The illumination of the Eiffel tower in France's capital marked New Year and the end of the 120th anniversary of the monument [AFP]

Japan's Mount Fuji is seen as a symbol of good luck, especially during the New Year period [Reuters]

Some Filipinos believe that displaying 12 different round-shaped fruits at home before New Year''s Day welcomes prosperity [AFP]