UK police probe Manchester knifings as 'terrorist' attack

MANCHESTER - A British police probe into a triple stabbing at a Manchester railway station on New Year's Eve which injured 3 people is now being treated as "a terrorist investigation", the city's top officer said on Tuesday.

Counter-terrorism police have arrested a 25-year-old man who remains in custody, and are searching an address where he recently lived in the northwestern English city, Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said.

The suspect reportedly shouted "Allah" during what Hopkins called a "horrific attack" on three people, including a police officer, at Manchester Victoria station on Monday evening.

A man and a woman, both in their 50s, are still being treated in hospital after sustaining "serious" injuries, while the officer was stabbed in the shoulder, Hopkins added.

"We are treating this as a terrorist investigation which is being led by counter-terrorism officers with support from Greater Manchester police," he told a briefing.

"They were working through the night to piece together the details of what happened and to identify the man who was arrested."

Hopkins said counter-terrorism officers were searching an address near the city center "which is believed to be where the man had most recently been living".

Prime Minister Theresa May thanked emergency services for their "courageous response" in swiftly tackling the suspect.

She wrote on Twitter: "My thoughts are with those who were injured in the suspected terrorist attack in Manchester last night."

'PURE FEAR' 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which happened at around 8:50 pm when many revelers in the city would have been enjoying New Year's Eve celebrations.

Witness Sam Clack, 38, a BBC radio producer, said the suspect shouted "Allah" before and during the attack.

He also quoted the perpetrator as saying: "As long as you keep bombing other countries, this sort of shit is going to keep happening."

The witness added he heard the "most blood-curdling scream" and looked down the platform to see the attack unfolding.

"He came towards me," he added. "I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good 12 inch (30-centimeter) blade.

"It was just fear, pure fear."

Clack said police used a stun gun and pepper spray before "six or seven" officers jumped on the man.

Video footage of the incident shows him being overpowered by the officers.

The police said he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and officers had recovered two knives from the scene.

The woman suffered injuries to her face and abdomen and the man was wounded in the abdomen, while a British Transport Police officer sustained a stab wound to the shoulder.

Their injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening.

'DREADFUL' 

The city's New Year celebrations went ahead in Albert Square despite the incident, with a firework display taking place as planned, though increased security was brought in.

British Transport Police said Tuesday its officers would be "highly visible through the national rail network".

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham paid tribute to the emergency services' response.

He added the "vile attack" had "all the hallmarks... of an isolated incident".

Manchester police Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson said they were still trying to establish whether the suspect is a British national and how he came to be at the station.

"We are obviously considering his mental health given how frenzied the attack was, its random nature," he added. 

"There is wide reporting... about what the attacker allegedly said during the incident.

"However it's really important to stress we are retaining an open mind in relation to the motivation for this attack."

Police said investigators were considering its closeness to the Manchester Arena, where a suicide bomber struck in May 2017, as potentially significant.

The attack at a concert by the US singer Ariana Grande killed 22 people and wounded 139.

The perpetrator, Salman Abedi, 22, was born and raised in Manchester.

"That the incident happened so close to the scene of the terrorist attack on May 22, 2017 makes it even more dreadful," chief constable Hopkins said.

"Our work will continue to ensure we get to the full facts of what happened and why it took place."

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Times Square ball drop in New York pays tribute to press freedom

NEW YORK -- Thousands of hardy merrymakers, many in plastic ponchos, watched on Monday as the shimmering New Year's Eve ball was raised high above a rainy Times Square, hours ahead of its annual midnight descent, a New York City tradition for more than a century.

This year, the Times Square Alliance, the business association that organizes the event, is paying a special tribute to press freedom as part of the festivities, after a year in which journalists have come under attack around the world, including in the United States.

A minute before midnight, journalists, including from ABC News, NBC News, the Washington Post, Reuters and other outlets, will join Mayor Bill de Blasio in pushing the button to initiate the ball drop.

Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, whose news website has drawn the ire of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, will be among the select group of journalists, according to a Time Magazine report which she posted on her Twitter feed. Ressa is among the publication's "Persons of the Year."

Christina Aguilera, New Kids on the Block and Sting were among the musical performers slated to entertain the throngs filling the plaza formed by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

A steady rain, forecast to last for the rest of the evening, failed to dampen the spirits of the assembled multitudes, many of whom donned colorful, oversized top hats handed out by organizers.

"It was a bucket-list thing," said Daniela Ramous, a 34-year-old sales manager from McAllen, Texas. "You grow up watching it on TV, you see all the excitement. There's something magical about New York during this time of year."

Visitors began gathering inside penned-off enclosures in the morning, starting an hours-long marathon of standing in one place, with no access to public restrooms.

Belying the idea that New Yorkers themselves eschew the Times Square festivities, Eskie Garcia, a 59-year-old city worker living in Brooklyn, said she has come every year for about a decade.

"You have to come here in person," she said before applying lipstick and asking a stranger to take her picture on her cellphone. "Especially when you live by yourself. You come, you meet people."

Janette Masson, 29, said she preferred this year's rain to last year's bone-chilling cold. Masson, who works in retail in Boston, had been in her pen since 9:30 a.m., eating granola bars for lunch and dinner.

"I can deal with it," said Masson's 61-year-old mother, Judy Masson, as she stood in the rain with many hours of waiting still to come. "You make the best of a bad thing."

Umbrellas were banned as part of the tight security plan, police said, reflecting concern over the possibility of random attacks. That did not faze the huddled masses in Times Square.

"My boyfriend's coming and he's bringing us garbage bags, so we'll put those over ourselves," said 21-year-old Annika Clary, a dancer from Vancouver, Canada, who was counting down to 2019 with her sister. Plastic ponchos were allowed, with street vendors selling them for $5 on nearby avenues.

The tradition of watching a giant ball drop from a pole on top of the narrow building at the head of Times Square in midtown Manhattan began in 1907.

The current ball, in use since 2008, is a glittering, LED-studded sphere made by Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting. Weighing 11,875 pounds (5,386 kg) and measuring 12 feet (3.7 meters) in diameter, it sits year-round on the roof of One Times Square, the one-time headquarters of the New York Times.


SHARPSHOOTERS AND DETECTORS

The New York Police Department screened people entering the corrals, deployed sharpshooters on rooftops and used radiation detectors throughout the event.

It also had planned to use an aerial drone for the first time to monitor the crowds, but canceled the effort on Monday evening given the wind and rain.

The organizers chose to honor press freedom and the contribution of journalists partly because of the deadly hostility that some reporters have faced this year.

Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for the Washington Post and US resident, was killed inside a Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey. In June, a gunman shot dead five employees of The Capital, a newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.

This month also marked the first anniversary of the imprisonment in Myanmar of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo for investigating how the country's security forces killed members of its Muslim Rohingya minority.

-- with ABS-CBN News

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World welcomes 2019 with fireworks and festivities

PARIS -- Revelers welcomed 2019 with fireworks displays and festivities as a celebratory wave swept westward across the globe from Asia to Europe and the Americas at the conclusion of a tumultuous year.

Monday's celebrations kicked off with Sydney hosting its biggest-ever pyrotechnics display and lighting up its harbour-front skyline for a full 12 minutes. 

More than 1.5 million spectators gathered to enjoy the spectacle that also featured a ceremony to celebrate Australia's indigenous culture.

In Hong Kong, hundreds of thousands of party-goers packed the streets on either side of Victoria Harbor for a spectacular 10-minute show that burnt through $1.8 million worth of fireworks.

In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, more than 500 couples tied the knot in a free, mass wedding organized by the government to mark the arrival of a new year. 

Fireworks shows, however, were cancelled out of respect for victims of a December 22 tsunami that killed more than 400 people.

In Japan, locals flocked to temples to ring in 2019, as US boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather came out of retirement to beat Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a multi-million-dollar "exhibition" bout outside Tokyo.

SECURITY CONCERNS

In Dubai, fireworks lit up the sky over the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, to the delight of onlookers, while nearby Ras al-Khaima sought to enter the Guinness Book of Records with the world's longest fireworks show.

Russia saw in the new year progressively over several time zones starting in the far east, with concerts and light shows planned for Moscow city parks, and more than 1,000 ice rinks opened for merrymakers. 

But a tower block gas explosion that killed at least 4 people and left dozens missing cast a shadow over New Year's celebrations.

In his New Year's address to the nation, President Vladimir Putin urged people to work together to "increase well-being and quality of life so that all citizens of Russia... feel changes for the better in the coming year."

In Paris, fireworks and a light show with the theme "fraternity" were scheduled for the Champs-Elysees despite persistent "yellow vest" anti-government protests.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in a televised address, acknowledged the French government "can do better" by citizens complaining of shrinking spending power.

In Berlin, music lovers partied at a concert at the Brandenburg Gate, while Britain's capital London opted to usher in the new year by celebrating its relationship with Europe, despite Britain's impending departure from the European Union.

London's fireworks display would seek to show Europe that the British capital would remain "open-minded" and "outward-looking" post-Brexit, said the city's mayor Sadiq Khan.

LOOKING AHEAD

In Portugal, dozens of people, some in costume, will brave the winter for a traditional New Year's ocean dip near Lisbon, while in the Democratic Republic of Congo, election officials will be counting votes after a presidential election Sunday.

In Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari used his New Year's address to promise a free and fair election in 2019, while Ivory Coast leader Alassane Ouattara vowed the creation of a new, independent, electoral commission for polls planned for 2020.

When the celebrations reach the Americas, Rio de Janeiro's famous hilltop Christ the Redeemer statue will be brought to 3D life with special light projections before fireworks illuminate the city's Copacabana beach where around two million people are expected to party till dawn.

As the world celebrates, many are wondering whether the turmoil witnessed in 2018 will spill over into the next.

The political wrangling in Westminster over Brexit was one of the key stories of this year, with a resolution yet to be reached ahead of Britain's scheduled March 29 departure.

US President Donald Trump dominated headlines in 2018, ramping up a trade war with China, quitting the Iran nuclear deal, moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, and meeting his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un.

North Korea's commitment to denuclearization will remain a major political and security issue into next year, as will Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's reassertion of control after Trump's shock announcement of a US troop withdrawal from the country.

The war in Yemen, which has killed about 10,000 people since 2014 and some 20 million at risk of starvation, could take a crucial turn in 2019 after a ceasefire went into effect in mid-December.

Numerous countries go to the polls in the coming year, including India, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, Argentina, and Australia.

Major sporting events on the calendar include the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the cricket one-day international World Cup in England, and the athletics World Championships in Qatar.

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Sydney kicks off global 2019 parties with dazzling spectacle

Australia's largest city Sydney put on its biggest-ever fireworks display in a spectacular welcome to the New Year, kicking off a wave of celebrations for billions around the world.

A record amount of pyrotechnics as well as new fireworks effects and colors lit up the city's skyline for 12 minutes and dazzled the more than 1.5 million spectators who packed the harbor front and parks.

An earlier thunderstorm did not dampen the spirits of revelers who camped out at vantage points, some since the early hours of the morning.

To mark the international year of indigenous languages in 2019, the harbor also hosted a ceremony celebrating Aboriginal heritage that included animations projected onto the bridge's pylons.


- Around the world -


The party atmosphere will sweep across major cities in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas as the clock ticks past midnight.

A strong police presence has become a key element of the festivities, to protect crowds that could be targeted in terror and vehicle attacks.

Hong Kong: Glittering fireworks will be sent skyward from five barges floating in Victoria Harbour in a 10-minute display watched by 300,000 people on the shore.

Jakarta: Hundreds of couples will tie the knot in a free mass wedding, as those in the tsunami-hit Banten province, where affected towns were popular holiday destinations, have been told to cancel party plans to show respect for the victims.

Tokyo: Japanese will flock to temples to ring in the New Year, while US boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. took on local kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a bout staged outside Tokyo.

Moscow: Concerts and light shows will be held across the city's parks and more than 1,000 ice rinks have been opened for merrymakers.

Paris: A fireworks display and sound and light show under the theme "fraternity" is set to go ahead on the Champs-Elysees despite plans for further "yellow vest" anti-government protests at the famed avenue.

Berlin: Music lovers will party at a concert at the Brandenburg Gate, but a popular German tradition of setting off fireworks to mark the occasion has been banned in some other cities over safety concerns.

London: Britain's capital will usher in the New Year by celebrating its relationship with Europe amid turmoil over the Brexit referendum vote to leave the EU, with the fireworks display at the London Eye to feature music from the continent's artists.

Edinburgh: The Scottish capital's traditional Hogmanay celebrations will also take on a pro-European theme ahead of the year in which Britain is due to exit the union.


- Looking ahead to 2019 -


As the world parties, many will also look forward to 2019 and wonder whether the turmoil witnessed during the previous year will spill over into the next.

The political wrangling in Westminster over Brexit was one of the key stories of this year, with a resolution yet to be reached ahead of the scheduled March 29 departure.

US President Donald Trump dominated headlines in 2018 as he ramped up his trade war with China, quit the Iran nuclear deal, moved the American embassy to Jerusalem and met his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un in Singapore for a historic summit.

North Korea's commitment to denuclearization will remain a major political and security issue into next year, as will Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's reassertion of control after Trump's shock military withdrawal announcement.

The war in Yemen, which started in 2014 and has already killed about 10,000 people and left some 20 million at risk of starvation, could take a crucial turn after a ceasefire went into effect in mid-December.

Numerous countries go to the polls in 2019, with key elections in India, Afghanistan, Indonesia, South Africa, Argentina and Australia.

Major sporting events on the calendar include the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the cricket one-day international World Cup in England and the athletics World Championships in Qatar.

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New Year's Eve party in Times Square to cheer for press freedom

NEW YORK—Reporters will be the guests of honor at the New Year's Eve party in New York's Times Square on Monday, in what organizers said was a celebration of press freedom after an unusually deadly year for journalists at U.S. news outlets.

Two attacks in particular weighed on organizers as they discussed in autumn whom to give the honor of initiating the ceremonial ball drop just before midnight, according to Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance.

One was the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for the Washington Post and U.S. resident, inside a Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey. The other was the mass shooting in June in the newsroom of The Capital, a newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, in which five employees were killed.

"Throughout the year it's been a big issue," Tompkins said in an interview. "Times Square itself is the ultimate agora and public space," noting that the area was named after the New York Times, and that it was a Times publisher, Adolf Ochs, who began the tradition of the ball drop in 1907.

Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the Times Square Alliance approached his group because of "the perception that the journalism and journalists in particular are under threat and their role is being questioned."

Simon, who said he usually spends New Year's Eve playing Scrabble with his wife in New Hampshire's White Mountains, will be in the spotlight at the Times Square festivities, joining Mayor Bill de Blasio to launch the ball drop a minute before midnight.

Simon will be joined onstage by an array of journalists from U.S. and international news outlets. The names were still being finalized on Friday, the Times Square Alliance said.

The button-pressing honor has in previous years gone to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, an Iraq War veteran, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the singer Lady Gaga.

The Times Square Alliance contacted Simon in November, Simon said, several weeks before Time magazine would devote their annual "Person of the Year" issue to several prominent journalists who have faced attacks and hostility.

Among those journalists were Khashoggi, and Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, two Reuters reporters imprisoned by Myanmar for investigating how the country's security forces killed members of the country's Muslim Rohingya minority.

U.S. President Donald Trump has become a vociferous critic of parts of the press, routinely chiding reporters and outlets he views as publishing "fake news," calling them "the enemy of the people."

Simon said this was in the background of his discussions with the Times Square Alliance.

"Unavoidably, Trump was the subtext, but not front and center," he said. "We wanted to have a unifying message." (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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Liverpool car park blaze destroys hundreds of cars on New Year's Eve

LIVERPOOL, England - Firefighters in the northern English city of Liverpool were battling a huge fire at a car park on Sunday that destroyed hundreds of vehicles and prompted the evacuation of multiple buildings in the surrounding area.

Police said all cars inside the multi-level Kings Dock car park, which has a capacity of 1,600 vehicles, had been destroyed, and owners should contact their insurance companies.

An international horse show that had been scheduled to take place at the Liverpool Echo Arena, next to the car park, was cancelled. Organisers said all people and horses involved were safe.

The Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said initial investigations indicated that an accidental fire within one vehicle had caused others to ignite.

Firefighters equipped with breathing equipment were still fighting the blaze 6 hours after they were called to the scene.

Liverpool City Council opened a reception center for people who were unable to get home because of the blaze.

The city's mayor, Joe Anderson, visited the scene, which he described on Twitter as a major incident.

"The people of Liverpool never let us down with their generosity and everyone has now been accommodated or given a lift. A big thank you to everyone who called to offer help," he said.

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After New Year's Eve debacle, Mariah Carey wishes for 'more headlines'

(Note: Strong language in second paragraph.)

Grammy Award-winning singer Mariah Carey shrugged off a botched New Year's Eve show in New York's Times Square, telling fans and critics on Sunday that life does not always go as planned.

"Shit happens," Carey, the world's million-selling female singer, wrote on Twitter. "Have a happy and healthy new year everybody! Here's to making more headlines in 2017."

Carey, named the Grammy's Best New Artist in 1991, was the final musical act on ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," taking the stage just before midnight.

In addition to the television audience, the program was watched in person by the hundreds of thousands of people who gathered in what is called the "Crossroads of the World" to mark the beginning of 2017.

Carey's opening song, a rendition of Robert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne," seemed to go as planned. But then the singer, surrounded by dancers and a sea of humanity, appeared flustered and complained of technical difficulties.

"We can't hear," she said, as the music from her 1991 hit song "Emotions" began to play. "It is what it is," she said. "Let the audience sing, OK?"

But the awkwardness persisted, prompting Carey to say: "I want a holiday, too. Can I not have one? I'm trying to be a good sport here."

The next song, "We Belong Together," Carey's 2005 hit, went awry as well. Carey dropped her hand-held microphone to her side and the song went on playing, revealing that she may have been only syncing her lips to the words.

"It just don't get any better," a frustrated Carey said after the song.

After the debacle, some fans came to Carey's defense on Twitter, while others were less than kind. Several tweets compared her to the disgraced pop duo Milli Vanilli, who lost their Grammy for Best New Artist in 1990 when it emerged they had never sung on their records.

A spokeswoman for Carey said later on Sunday that there was no lip-syncing. "It is not uncommon for artists to sing to track during certain live performances," spokeswoman Nicole Perna said in a statement.

Carey's ear piece was not working before or during the performance and technicians could not fix it, but she took the stage anyway "essentially flying blind" so she could honor a commitment, Perna said.

A spokesman for ABC declined to comment.

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Alan Crosby and Sandra Maler)

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Istanbul nightclub attack kills 39 in New Year carnage

Thirty-nine people, including many foreigners, were killed when a gunman reportedly dressed as Santa Claus stormed an Istanbul nightclub as revelers were celebrating the New Year, the latest carnage to rock Turkey after a bloody 2016.

The assailant shot dead a policeman and a civilian at the entrance to the Reina club, one of the city's most exclusive nightspots, and then went on a shooting rampage inside, Turkish officials said.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the attacker escaped and was now the target of a major manhunt, expressing hope the suspect "would be captured soon".

Soylu said in televised comments that of 21 victims who have been identified so far, 16 are foreigners and five are Turks. Another 69 people are being treated in hospital.

"The attacker -- in the most brutal and merciless way -- targeted innocent people who had only come here to celebrate the New Year and have fun," Istanbul governor Vasip Sahin said at the scene on the shores of the Bosphorus.

Many revellers threw themselves into the water in panic and efforts were under way to rescue them, NTV television said.

Dogan news agency said there were two gunmen dressed in Santa Claus outfits, although this has yet to be confirmed.

Television pictures showed party-goers -- including men in suits and women in cocktail dresses -- emerging from the nightclub in a state of shock.

Sahin said the attack began at 1:15 am Sunday (2215 GMT), just after hundreds of revellers had seen in 2017 at the club in the Ortakoy district on the European side of the city.

"What happened today is a terror attack," he said.

Dogan reported that some witnesses claimed the assailants were "speaking Arabic" while NTV said special force police officers were still searching the club.

There has been no claim of responsibility.

The attack evoked memories of the November 2015 carnage in Paris when Islamic State jihadists went on a gun and bombing rampage on nightspots in the French capital, killing 130 people including 90 at the Bataclan concert hall.

- 'Walking on top of people' -

From Sydney to Paris, Rio to London, security had been boosted over fears that the New Year festivities could present a target for violent extremists.

In Istanbul, at least 17,000 police officers were deployed and some, as is customary in Turkey, dressed themselves as Santa Claus as cover, according to television reports.

"Just as we were settling down, by the door there was a lot of dust and smoke. Gunshots rang out. When those sounds were heard, many girls fainted," professional footballer Sefa Boydas told AFP.

"They say 35 to 40 died but it's probably more because when I was walking, people were walking on top of people."

Dogan said there were at least 700 revellers at the elite club, where getting past the bouncers who seek out only the best dressed is notoriously hard.

Turkey has been hit by a wave of attacks blamed on Kurdish militants and IS jihadists and 2016 saw more attacks than any other year in the history of the country.

On December 10, 44 people were killed in a double bombing in Istanbul after a football match hosted by top side Besiktas, an attack claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) seen as a radical offshoot of the outlawed PKK rebel group.

In June, 47 people were killed in a triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, with authorities blaming IS.

And in one of the most brazen strikes, an off-duty policeman assassinated Russia's ambassador to Turkey in an Ankara art gallery less than two weeks ago.

- 'Tragic start to 2017' -

"No terror attack will destroy our unity, or eradicate our fraternity or weaken Turkey's effective fight against terror," Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag wrote on Twitter.

Mainly Muslin Turkey's religious affairs agency Diyanet condemned the attack, saying the fact it took place in a nightclub "was no different to it being in a market or place of worship".

Turkey is still reeling from a failed July coup blamed by the government on the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen that has been followed by a relentless purge of his alleged supporters from state institutions.

"Tragic start to 2017 in Istanbul," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.

The White House condemned the "savagery" of the attack, with National Security Council spokesman Ned Price saying that Washington reaffirmed its support for its NATO ally "in our shared determination to confront and defeat all forms of terrorism".

The US embassy warned citizens that extremist groups are continuing "aggressive efforts to conduct attacks in areas where US citizens and expatriates reside or frequent."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is in Istanbul for the New Year, had been informed of the attack, local media said.

The shooting spree came as the Turkish army wages a four-month incursion in Syria to oust IS jihadists and Kurdish militants from the border area, suffering increasing casualties.

As is customary after such attacks in Turkey, the authorities slapped a broadcast ban on images from the incident.

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New York's Times Square abuzz with New Year's Eve excitement

NEW YORK - Tens of thousands of merrymakers converged on Times Square on Saturday evening, hours before the giant New Year's Eve ball makes its midnight descent, a century-old New York tradition unfolding this year under an unprecedented blanket of security.

As many as 2 million people, surrounded by a ring of 40-ton sand trucks and some 7,000 police, are expected to gather in the "Crossroads of the World" to watch the kaleidoscopic sphere complete its minute-long drop, marking the beginning of 2017.

By sunset, a veritable sea of humanity had already streamed into the V-shaped plaza and down the avenues that cross at the square. Organizers handed out purple-and-gold "2017" top hats as police herded the revelers into temporary corrals designed for crowd control, each holding about hundreds of people. Anyone who leaves, even for a bathroom break, will lose his or her spot, according to the official website.

Michelle Adkins was so excited to be at America's most celebrated New Year's fete that she left her sleepy friend behind at the hotel and headed for the bright lights long before the witching hour.

"I've waited my whole life to see Times Square," said Adkins, 51, who works in a tire manufacturing plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. "I didn't come to New York to sleep! I ain't got no time for sleep!"

Even though city and federal officials say they are not aware of any credible threats, a protective perimeter of 65 hulking sanitation trucks filled with sand, as well as about 100 other smaller vehicles, encircled the Times Square area.

Placed in strategic positions, the "blockers" are intended to prevent a repetition of the truck attacks in Berlin and Nice earlier this year, officials said.

Despite the heavy police presence, or perhaps because of it, throngs of people, many from overseas, arrived early to get a prime view of festivities, which include live musical performances by Mariah Carey, Thomas Rhett and Gloria Estefan.

John O'Leary, 57, his wife, Claire, 51, and their two children were passing through Times Square on Saturday afternoon during a visit from their native England.

"It's just amazing," O'Leary said. "I just can't believe how they can manage all this, in terms of security."

For New York in winter, temperatures were relatively comfortable at just above 40F (5C) under cloudy skies, though the city warned of intermittent wind gusts.

At 11:59 p.m. (0459 GMT), the ball, formed by nearly 2,700 crystal triangles and lit by 32,000 lights, will begin to slide down a pole that sits atop a building at the head of the plaza. When it completes its descent at midnight, a giant "2017" sign will illuminate and a shower of fireworks will light up the sky.

CIRCLE OF TRUCKS

It is not the first time that New York has set up a perimeter of heavy trucks at large gatherings. The same strategy helped protect crowds at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in November, after Islamic State militants encouraged followers to target the event, which drew about 3.5 million people.

At times since Donald Trump's election in November, blocker trucks have been positioned near Trump Tower, his Fifth Avenue headquarters and residence, a short distance from Times Square. The president-elect is spending the holidays in Florida.

For New Year's Eve, New York also deployed heavily armed police teams, snipers, bomb-sniffing dogs and helicopters. Coast Guard and police vessels patrolled waterways around Manhattan.

U.S. defense and security agencies said they believed the threat of militant attacks inside the United States was low during the New Year's holiday, though the possibility of an attack, no matter how remote, was always present, they said.

Likewise, New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill said at a briefing this week that there were "no direct concerns" related to this year's festivities in Times Square.

Even so, he said, "we are going to have one of the most-policed, best-protected events and one of the safest venues in the entire world given all the assets we deploy here."

Chicago, San Francisco and other big U.S. cities have also put heavy security in place to protect crowds expected to gather at public fireworks displays and other "first night" events.

In Washington, where federal budget cuts have done away with traditional New Year's Eve fireworks on the National Mall, no major events were planned. Police declined to comment on any special security plans, saying only that events across the world are monitored for their potential impact on the U.S. capital. (Additional reporting by Chris Francescani in New York, Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio, Steve Orlofsky and Nick Zieminski)

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Australia kicks off global New Year party defying terror threat

Global terror attacks have cast a pall over 2016 but Australia was Saturday set to defy the threats and ring in the New Year with bumper crowds gathering to watch a firework extravaganza on Sydney's glittering harbor.

2016 has seen repeated bloodshed, most recently a deadly truck attack at a Berlin Christmas market, a similar incident on Bastille Day in France that killed 86, and atrocities in Turkey and the Middle East.

Some 1.5 million people are packing Australia's biggest city to watch the midnight fireworks, a larger-than-usual crowd due to the weekend timing and warm weather, as the New South Wales state premier urged "business as usual".

"My encouragement to everyone is to enjoy New Year's Eve... in the knowledge that police are doing everything they can to keep us safe," Premier Mike Baird said.

Some 2,000 extra officers have been deployed after a man was arrested for allegedly making online threats against the celebrations.

There were a number of other reported threats this holiday period, in Asia-Pacific and elsewhere.

In Melbourne, police foiled a "significant" Islamic State-inspired Christmas Day terror plot.

Indonesia said it foiled plans by an IS-linked group for a Christmas-time suicide bombing, and 52 died in the Philippines in bomb attacks blamed on Islamist militants.

Israel on Friday issued a warning of imminent "terrorist attacks" to tourists and western targets in India, telling its citizens to avoid public places.

Meanwhile in Japan, shoppers filled markets to buy tuna and crabs -- seen as expensive items of indulgence and special feasts -- for New Year's Day family gatherings.

- Safety measures -

Security concerns have hit many New Year events with truck blockades a new tactic to try to prevent vehicles ploughing into crowds. Sydney is using garbage trucks as safety barriers.

The German capital has beefed up security after the December 19 carnage, deploying hundreds more police, some armed with machine-guns.

"This year, what's new is that we will place concrete blocks and position heavy armoured vehicles at the entrances" to the zone around Brandenburg Gate, a police spokesman said.

In Cologne, after a wave of sexual attacks last year, 1,800 police will be deployed -- compared to just 140 in 2015.

In neighbouring Austria police will hand out 6,000 free pocket alarms to help stop assaults on women.

In Paris, there will be a firework display again, after muted 2015 celebrations following the November 13 massacre of 130 people.

Nearly 100,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers will be deployed across France against the jihadist threat.

With more than a million people expected to turn out to watch the ball drop in Times Square, New York is deploying 165 "blocker" trucks and some 7,000 police.

Rome has deployed armoured vehicles and greater numbers of security forces around the Coliseum and at St Peter's Square where Pope Francis will celebrate midnight mass.

Moscow police will deploy more than 5,000 officers backed by thousands more from the new national guard and volunteer militia to maintain order.

Thousands traditionally gather in Red Square, but for the second year in a row, the area will be open solely to 6,000 invitees.

London will have 3,000 officers on patrol with crowds flocking to line the banks of the Thames to watch the fireworks around the London Eye Ferris wheel.

In Dubai, the gigantic pyrotechnics off the world's highest skyscraper are going ahead, despite a major tower block blaze nearby last year.

Up to two million people are expected to party at Rio's Copacabana beach.

But with Brazil mired in its worst recession in a century, the fireworks have been cut to just 12 minutes as the state government fights bankruptcy.

Normally boisterous Bangkok will see in the new year on a more sombre note, with prayers and candles replacing parties as the nation grieves for King Bhumibol Adulyadej who died in October.

And, at the stroke of midnight, the celebrations will last one second longer –- a leap second -– decreed by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service to allow astronomical time to catch up with atomic clocks that have called the hour since 1967.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Easy feng shui tips to attract prosperity in 2017

MANILA – This New Year’s Eve, make sure to do these things at home to invite prosperity and wealth in 2017, a feng shui expert said.

In his book “Feng Shui 2017” under ABS-CBN Publishing, Hanz Cua gave easy tips on how to attract good fortune and rid the home of negative energy.

These include opening all windows and doors at home at exactly 12 midnight on January 1, making loud noises using pots, pans and fireworks and sharing a meal with the family, among others.

Here are excerpts from his book:

“Sa ganap na alas-dose ng hatinggabi, buksan ang lahat ng pinto, bintana at mga ilaw upang pumasok ang swerte sa loob ng bahay.”

“Upang madagdagan ang pagtaas o maging mas matangkad, tumalon nang paulit-ulit.”

“Lumikha ng ingay upang mapaalis ang malas: kalampagin ang mga kaldero at kawali, magpatugtog nang malakas, sabayan ng tawanan at sigawan, magpailaw ng mga lusis, kwitis. Ngunit mag-ingat sa malalakas at mapanganib na mga paputok gaya ng labintador, trianggulo at iba pa upang makaiwas sa disgrasya.”

“Salu-salong kumain ng media noche at pagsaluhan ang biyaya ng Panginoon na may kasamang pasasalamat at paghingi ng patawad.”

“Sa unang araw ng Enero, isama ang pamilya sa pamamasyal.”

Although not all Filipinos believe in feng shui, many of them prefer to be on the safe side by adhering to its principles, buying trinkets and other “lucky” items for themselves and their homes.

Others, meanwhile, opt to respect the ancient Chinese system the same way that believers do not criticize their Catholic faith.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Throngs usher in 2016 at bash in New York's Times Square

NEW YORK — A throng of 1 million revelers in Times Square rang in the New Year with raucous cheers and a blizzard of confetti, striking an optimistic, even defiant, tone amid jitters over extremist attacks and heavy security that included 6,000 police officers.

"You haven't lived until you've experienced Times Square on New Year's," said Eric Robertson, 25, of Philadelphia, who kissed his girlfriend as the crowd counted down the seconds to the New Year and the ball dropped at the stroke of midnight.

Partygoers from around the world had waited hours at the famed Manhattan crossroads — some since before dawn — for the countdown. Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed the button to send a 11,875-pound Waterford crystal ball into its minute-long decent.

As the clock struck 12 o'clock, cheers erupted as fireworks shot into the sky and people shared hugs and their first kisses of the year.

The revelers were protected by an unprecedented number of police officers — some in civilian clothes, many heavily armed — as well as rigid security screenings.

"This is the iconic New Year's celebration for the world," New York Police Department Commissioner William Bratton said. "We have no threats we're aware of directed against this event tonight but nevertheless we still plan for the worst and then expect the best."

Officers from the NYPD's elite emergency services unit surveyed the scene from Times Square rooftops, peering below through binoculars and scopes as snipers stood beside them. Heavily armed officers carrying tactical rifles stood on nearly every corner for blocks as police helicopters buzzed overhead after checking in on other parts of the city, including the World Trade Center and Statue of Liberty.

Some in the crowd admitted to being nervous to gather in such a famous location in the weeks after the Paris and San Bernardino attacks. Just hours earlier Thursday, an ex-con was charged in upstate New York with planning to carry out a New Year's Eve attack at a bar to prove he was worthy of joining the Islamic State terror group. That case prompted the city to cancel its New Year's Eve fireworks celebration.

Ashley Watters, 18, a freshman at Temple University hailing from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, called the threat of terrorism "the elephant in the room."

"I talked to my dad before I left and said 'I love you and hopefully ISIS doesn't come,'" said Watters. "My dad said, 'Keep your eyes out.' He feels the same way, you can't live in fear. I'm not going to miss out on an opportunity."

Others were heartened by the massive security presence for the party to send off 2015 that featured musical acts by Carrie Underwood, Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato and temperatures that, to the relief of the bundled-up spectators, stayed well above freezing.

"I actually believe this is the safest place in the world," said Eku Kabba, 27, who has made the trip from Gaithersburg, Maryland to Times Square for the last five years.

"It could happen anywhere, but you can't start the world panicking," he said as a recording of the James Brown song "Living in America" blared from the stage. "Look around; there are men in uniform everywhere."

source: philstar.com

LOOK: Pia Wurtzbach spends New Year's Eve in Times Square

MANILA - "This is beyond exciting."

These were the words of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach after she spent New Year's Eve at the famed Times Square and celebrated the arrival of 2016 by witnessing the traditional dropping of the crystal ball.

On the official Facebook page of Miss Universe on Friday, the 26-year-old Wurtzbach posted a photo of her in New York. The caption read: "I just watched the ball drop! This is beyond exciting - New Year's [Eve] here is the best!"

In an earlier post, the Filipina-German beauty queen also recalled the year that was. She wrote: "First of all. Thank you, Lord! ...When everything seemed unreachable or impossible, You found a way."

"I trained well and despite all the challenges, everything fell into place and I finally got the crown the whole country has been waiting for for 42 years. It is true. Focus on the ordinary and God will take care of the extraordinary."



She also thanked her team and those who supported her journey to the Miss Universe crown, including her Filipino fans.

"Thank you for cheering and rooting for me. Whether you were a die hard supporter at the Axis Theater in Las Vegas or just a silent supporter watching me from TV, thank you," Wurtzbach continued.

"I've never been more proud to be a Filipina. I'll never forget it. It was a proud yet humbling experience. And now as I continue on with my journey as Miss Universe, I hope I inspired you all. Not just my fellow countrymen but all of you."

"Keep your faith, fight for what you believe in and hold on to your dreams! They do come true! I know I still have much to learn and a huge responsibility ahead of me... So thank you 2015 and bring it on, 2016!"

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

World welcomes New Year despite terror fears

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The world greeted 2016 with Champagne and cheers, but tightened security put a damper on the party in Europe and a huge fire at a hotel in Dubai scared gathering revellers.

Fireworks were cancelled in Brussels and Paris as November's terror attacks cast a pall, but Dubai put on a spectacular show as it refused to let the hotel blaze, which injured 16 people, disrupt celebrations.

Sydney, traditionally the first to host a major New Year's bash, kicked off the global festivities when it lit up the skies with pyrotechnics at the stroke of midnight (1300 GMT).

In Dubai, a huge fire ripped through a luxury 63-storey hotel, the Address Downtown, close to the world's tallest tower where people had gathered to ring in the New Year.

Despite the dramatic scenes from the inferno, the festivities went ahead as planned and crowds cheered the arrival of 2016 with bursts of light and colour in a massive fireworks show that started at the iconic Burj Khalifa skyscraper, even as smoke was still billowing from the nearby blaze.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

After Asia and the Middle East, the chimes of midnight will move across Africa, Europe and finally the Americas.

In the heart of Europe, more than 100,000 police were deployed throughout France to guard celebrations that come six weeks after the jihadist attacks in Paris.

Annual festivities and fireworks in Brussels were cancelled as the Belgian capital -- home to NATO and the European Union -- remains on high alert.

Belgian officials are battling terror on two fronts -- with police holding five people over an alleged New Year attack plot in Brussels as well as arresting a tenth suspect over the Paris attacks.

Paris, still reeling from the November 13 slaughter of 130 people, has also cancelled its main fireworks display on the Champs Elysees avenue.

But authorities agreed France's biggest public gathering since the attacks can go ahead on the famous boulevard, with bolstered security.

"The people of Paris and France need this symbolic passage into the New Year," Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo told the weekly Journal du Dimanche.

In his New Year address, President Francois Hollande said France "has not finished with terrorism yet" and that the threat of another attack "remains at its highest level".

- High security -

Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore and other Asian cities may rival Sydney's pyrotechnic splash, but Brunei will offer a sober evening after banning Christmas in a shift to hardline Islamic law.

Jakarta remains on high alert after anti-terror police foiled detailed plans for an alleged New Year suicide attack in the Indonesian capital.

Turkish police have detained two Islamic State suspects allegedly planning to stage attacks in the centre of the capital Ankara which is expected to be packed on New Year's Eve.

Meanwhile, in Moscow police will for the first time close off Red Square where tens of thousands of revellers traditionally gather.

"It's no secret that Moscow is one of the choice targets for terrorists," Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said recently.

In Britain, Scotland Yard said there will be around 3,000 officers across central London in what is reported to be an unprecedented anti-terror security effort.

"Our plans are purely precautionary and not as a result of any specific intelligence," said Superintendent Jo Edwards, spokeswoman for Scotland Yard.

Fireworks were banned in towns and cities across Italy, in some cases because of a recent spike in air pollution but also because of fears that, in the current climate, sudden loud bangs could cause panic.

In Madrid, thousands of people will flock to Puerta del Sol square, however police will limit the number allowed in to just 25,000.

Berliners will do better with about a million expected at the Brandenburg Gate for a free mega-street party.

- Party at the pyramids -
Cairo meanwhile is trying desperately to attract tourists to bolster the economy.

The government is staging celebrations in front of the pyramids near the Egyptian capital, with ambassadors, artists and intellectuals all invited.

Egypt has been in turmoil since the 2011 uprising but was further hit by the October 31 crash of a Russian airliner over the Sinai killing 224 people.

In stark contrast, Sierra Leone's capital Freetown is hoping to reclaim its mantle as host of the best beach parties in Africa after Ebola scared people away.

The city of 1.2 million was deserted 12 months ago during the worst Ebola outbreak ever recorded.

"This New Year's Eve I am going to dance and party until the cock crows," said 35-year-old Franklyn Smith.

In the United States, authorities said they had arrested and charged a 25-year-old American Muslim convert over an alleged attempt to launch a New Year's Eve attack in upstate New York in the name of the Islamic State group.

In New York City, despite a pledge of tight security for Times Square, a million people are expected to turn out to see the ball descend.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Chris Brown willing to refund talent fee: report

MANILA – R&B star Chris Brown is willing to “refund his talent fee” for failing to perform at the Philippine Arena for the New Year’s Eve countdown, according to a report.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported over the weekend that Brown initially wanted to reschedule his December 31 gig at the Philippine Arena but concert producer, Maligaya Development Corp. (MDC), is unlikely to agree with the new setup.

Citing Mike Pio Roda, the agent who negotiated the singer’s contract, the report said Brown is open to returning his talent fee.

It also noted that Brown was paid close to $1 million – or around P44 million – to perform at the Philippine Arena, according to a confidential source of the newspaper.

Brown’s camp earlier told MDC that the singer lost his passport a few hours before his supposed flight to Manila.

Despite this, the show went on at the Philippine Arena on New Year’s Eve, with performances from various local artists.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

China New Year crush victims mainly young women

SHANGHAI - China on Friday mourned the 36 dead from a New Year's Eve crush on Shanghai's famed waterfront, as the city government revealed the victims were mainly young women.

The incident was Shanghai's worst since a fire in a high-rise residential building killed 58 people in 2010 and tarnished the commercial hub's international reputation.

On Friday morning, around 100 people gathered in front of a statue of Shanghai's first communist mayor Chen Yi near the accident scene, some laying flowers in a government-approved show of mourning.

The youngest of the 32 victims identified so far was a 12-year-old boy, the oldest 37. All but four were aged 25 or under, according to a list released by the city government on Friday, and 21 were female.

University student Chen Xiaohang placed white chrysanthemums at the site in memory of the sister of a high-school classmate who died.

"I feel very sad about this and I hope the government will offer better safety controls for events like this," she told AFP.

Shanghai residents were questioning why the city government did not control the crowds, though police said a "more than normal" 700 police officers were present.

"The Shanghai government should take responsibility for the incident. Most of the young victims must be the only child of their families," taxi driver Xu Jianzhong said.

Under China's strict birth control regulations most couples are restricted to a single child.

Authorities at first removed flowers after the incident but later set up crowd barriers to allow them to be laid in a controlled area. On Thursday evening, mourners lit candles including an arrangement in the shape of a heart.

Internet postings and media reports initially blamed US dollar-like notes -- actually promotional items from M18, a glitzy Bund nightclub -- thrown from a building for setting off a scramble and causing the carnage.

But police said the "money" throwing occurred 12 minutes after and 60 metres away from the crush in a plaza.

"This happened after the stampede incident," police said in a statement that cited surveillance video, adding it did not cause crowding pressure.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

12 'lucky' fruits to ring in the New Year

MANILA – Preparing to welcome 2015 at home? Consider adding these fruits to your dining table on New Year’s Eve to attract prosperity and good luck, a feng shui practitioner said.

According to Hanz Cua, these 12 “lucky” fruits symbolize each month of the year, bringing anything from money and luxury to happiness and good health.

Here are Cua’s 12 suggested fruits and their respective meanings:

1. Pineapple – the Chinese word for pineapple is “ong-lai,” which means “fortune cones.”

2. Orange – represents gold in Chinese tradition. Its round shape signifies money.

3. Apple – the Chinese word for apple is “ping,” which means “harmony.”

4. Grapes – represents luxury as these are traditionally eaten by royalty.

5. Banana – comes in clusters, symbolizing unity. Its yellow color stands for happiness.

6. Mango – its sweetness signifies strong family ties.

7. Lemon – its fragrance and essence is known to cleanse and remove negative vibes.

8. Watermelon – symbolizes prosperity. Its many seeds stand for abundance.

9. Papaya – similar to the orange, it represents gold in Chinese tradition.

10. Lychee – its round, red body stands for happiness and good fortune.

11. Avocado – its colors – green and purple – symbolize prosperity.

12. Pomelo – its bright red or pink pulp represents good health.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Where is 'best' place to spend New Year's Eve

MANILA – A city in Southeast Asia is the best place to ring in the New Year, according to a study.

Hotel booking website Agoda.com asked more than 7,000 of its users last month to pick their favorite New Year destinations in its latest Travel Smarts study. Bangkok in Thailand topped the list with 13.60% of global votes.

At second place is Hong Kong with 10.77% of votes, followed by Bali in Indonesia (10.62%), Tokyo in Japan (9.45%), Singapore (7.97%), Taipei (7.94%), New York in United States (7.26%), Paris in France (5.35%), London in England (4.11%) and Sydney in Australia (3.99%).

The Philippines’ Boracay Island ranked 13th with 2.49% of votes.

Also included in the list are Amsterdam in The Netherlands, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Barcelona in Spain, Shanghai in China and Rome in Italy, among others.

When asked who they want to spend New Year’s Eve with, 78% of the respondents of the Agoda.com study chose family or significant other, with only 18% opting to celebrate with friends. Four percent of them said they want to be alone on New Year’s Eve.

Meanwhile, many of the respondents preferred low-key celebrations over big parties, with only 27% of respondents saying they want to spend New Year’s Eve at a public event such as Times Square’s ball drop.

Forty-two percent said they want to have a private party with loved ones, 24% said they choose to relax and watch the countdown at home, while 7% would rather be in bed before midnight.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cebu beauty wins Miss Tourism International

Angeli Dione Gomez capped a banner year for Filipina beauty queens after she won the Miss Tourism International Crown in a pageant held on New Year's Eve in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

The 20-year-old Cebu native triumphed in the last beauty pageant of the calendar year, beating Thailand’s Sunidporn Srisuwan and Malaysia’s Sarah Czarnuch, who placed second and third, respectively.

“The first thing I plan to do is to meet my family, whom I have not met for about one month, and have a nice breakfast with them tomorrow,” Gomez said.

She is the second Filipina to win the Miss Tourism International crown, after Rizzini Alexis Gomez also won the pageant last year.

Gomez will be "a traveling ambassador in promoting informal international relations between countries to spread the message of peace, goodwill, and friendship," according to pageant organizers.

Gomez’s victory is the latest in a string of victories for the Philippines in international beauty pageants.

Among the Filipina pageant victors this year are Megan Young (Miss World), Mutya Johanna Datul (Miss Supranational), and Bea Rose Santiago (Miss International).

The Miss Tourism International 2013 pageant and coronation night was held at the Putrajaya Marriott Hotel, in Sepang Utara, Malaysia. A total of 60 candidates from all over the world competed for the crown.

Official results:

Miss Tourism International 2013 - Angeli Dione Gomez, Philippines
1st Runner-up - Sunidporn Srisuwan, Thailand (Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International
2013)
2nd Runner up - Sarah Czarnuch, Australia (Miss Tourism Metropolitan 2013)
3rd Runner up - Michelle Alexis Torres, Dominican Republic (Miss Tourism Global 2013)
4th Runner up - Thaarah Ganesan, Malaysia (Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan)

Top 10:
Australia - Sarah Czarnuch
Vietnam - Phan Hoang Thu
Bosnia & Herzegovina - Aleksandra Kovacevic
Ukraine - Oleksandra Timonina
Thailand - Sunidporn Srisuwan
Portugal - Sara Monica Matias da Silveira
Zimbabwe - Dananai Ratiozo Chipunza
Philippines - Angeli Dione Gomez
Malaysia - Thaarah Ganesan
Dominican Republic - Michelle Alexis

Miss Tourism International 2013 Special Awards:

Miss Proton Elegance - Portugal
Miss Beautiful Skin - Singapore
Miss Friendship - Uganda
Best in Talent - Armenia
Miss Tourism International 2013
Great Ambassador Award - Hong Kong

Miss Southeast Asia - Vietnam
Best National Costume - Mexico
Miss Beverly Wilshire Gorgeous - Miss Indonesia
Miss Portrait Queen - Romania
Miss Focus Point Dazzling - Poland

Miss Charity Queen - Korea
Miss KL Sogo Trendsetter - Australia
Miss Avant Garde i-City - Malaysia
Miss Poh Kong Glamour - Australia

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Muted revelry in Tacloban as global fireworks usher in 2014

MANILA, Philippines – Tacloban was a picture of a city trying to get back to its feet as the world ushered in 2014 Tuesday night.

Residents were lining up to buy bread or cakes; some were queuing for fruits. Nearing midnight, a concert by singer Rico Blanco, whose family hails from Leyte province, is being prepared. But not all is New Year’s Eve as usual.

“Hindi rin mapigilan ang mga residente na salubungin ang Bagong Taon sa nakasanayang paraan tulad ng pagpapaputok at paghahanda,” reporter Jenette Ruedas said in her report for TV Patrol.

Ruedas likened Tacloban City streets to Divisoria, a strip bustling with food stalls and ambulant vendors with various wares in downtown Manila. But the wrath of typhoon Yolanda, which ripped through Tacloban and nearby cities November 8, is still palpable.

“Mabenta ang torotot bagamat may ilan pa ring nagbebenta ng paputok kahit hindi gaanong mabili,” Ruedas said.

Officials were preparing a midnight fireworks display to try to boost spirits, despite nearly 8,000 dead or missing.

Aid agencies are also organizing free concerts or distributing food for the traditional New Year's Eve dinner, an Agence France Press reporter said.

In the small, ruined farming village of San Isidro, residents are still grappling with the overpowering stench of death as 1,400 corpses stacked in black body bags lay in a field, more than seven weeks after the tragedy.

In any case, Taclobanons are hopeful. They are scheduled to see a fireworks display in the city hall after the concert, Ruedas said.

World welcomes 2014

Elsewhere in the world, traditional yearend fireworks that would usher in the new year began lighting up the skies of some of the world’s biggest landmarks.

Sydney kicked off a promised unprecedented spectacular to mark New Year celebrations, the first in a wave of pyrotechnics to usher in 2014 from Hong Kong to world record-chasing Dubai.

Tonnes of explosives were set to light up Australia's biggest city, with fireworks shooting off the Opera House for the first time in more than 10 years as part of the December 31 extravaganza, focused on the Harbour Bridge.

Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore said the Aus$6 million show ($5.4 million), themed "Shine", was expected to attract 1.6 million spectators.

"We are ready to host the world's best New Year's Eve on the world's most beautiful harbour," Moore told reporters earlier in the day.

The first of a record three fireworks displays took place three hours before midnight, as part of the show Moore promised would be "bigger than ever", showering color over Sydney Harbour.

Dubai’s record-breaking display

Dubai is hoping to break the Guinness World Record for the largest display, pledging to set off more than 400,000 fireworks. Kuwait set the mark in 2011 with an hour-long blast of 77,282 fireworks.

Tonga, located near the international dateline, was one of the first nations to greet 2014, holding a prayer festival that culminates with a bamboo "cannon" fired into the air.

Hong Kong’s countdown

Cities across Asia will be next to hail the New Year, with Hong Kong boasting the biggest-ever countdown show for the Chinese city.

Fireworks will soar from skyscrapers and a one-kilometer line of barges along Victoria Harbour in a "wish upon a star" tourism board show.

In Japan, shoppers were busy buying crabs, tuna sashimi and other delicacies to feast in the New Year, with noodle shops doing an especially brisk trade.

Eating noodles on New Year's Eve is regarded in Japan as a symbolic act to wish for a long life.

Millions of people were due to visit shrines and temples through to early morning in massive, yet quiet tradition, paying their first annual respects and praying for peace for relatives.

Seoul will ring in 2014 with a ritual clanging of the city's 15th-century bronze bell 33 times, reflecting the ancient practice for marking a new year.

Elsewhere in Asia…

In Singapore, people will flock to the financial district for fireworks while thousands of white spheres will be launched to bob on Marina Bay, holding residents' wishes for 2014.

Jakarta has set up 12 city center stages for performances to showcase the vast archipelago's kaleidoscope of cultures.

However, 6,500 police will be out to ensure security amid warnings that extremists in the Muslim-majority nation may target the celebrations, prompting travel warnings from countries including neighboring Australia.

In Indonesia's sharia stronghold of Banda Aceh, Islamic police seized thousands of firecrackers and cardboard trumpets after the city administration banned New Year's Eve celebrations for the first time.

"There should be no activity whatsoever to celebrate the turn of the year," senior Banda Aceh sharia police official Reza Kamilin said after the clerical Ulema Consultative Assembly said New Year's celebrations or wishing someone "Merry Christmas" was "haram" (forbidden) in the city.

In Mumbai, revelers celebrated a court victory over the local police force, which pushed back closing time in bars and restaurants to 5 a.m. instead of 1:30 a.m.

Last year India cancelled most of its official New Year's celebrations after the fatal gangrape of a student on a New Delhi bus on December 16, which sparked protests and a year of introspection about women's rights.

Revelers and a memorial

In Rio de Janeiro, authorities are predicting 2.3 million people -- a third of them tourists -- will crowd Copacabana Beach for fireworks and pop music.

Major spectaculars will also light up Moscow's Red Square, Berlin's Brandenburg Gate and central London when Big Ben chimes midnight.

An expected one million revelers will gather in New York to mark the stroke of midnight and the traditional New Year's Eve ball-drop over Times Square.

Cape Town will have a free concert with fireworks and a 3D tribute to Nelson Mandela who died on December 5.

Images from the anti-apartheid hero's life will be projected onto City Hall where he gave his first speech after release from 27 years in prison in 1990. -- with report from Agence France-Presse

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com