New year revellers begin welcoming 2013

Sydney in Australia celebrated with a spectacular 12-minute display

Celebrations are being held around the world to mark the new year, with the city of Auckland in New Zealand holding the first major event of 2013.

More than 1.5 million people gathered around Sydney harbour to watch the city's famous firework display.
Big shows are also planned in many other cities globally.

Celebrations will also be held for the first time in Burma, where large public gatherings were banned by its previous military rulers.
Subdued celebrations
In Auckland, the largest city closest to the International Date Line, fireworks exploded over the city's 328m (1,076ft) Sky Tower as midnight struck (11:00 GMT).
Two hours later, the huge crowds around the harbour in the Australian city of Sydney were treated to a typically extravagant fireworks display.

Seven tonnes of fireworks lit up the famous landmarks of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House to a soundtrack co-written by Australian singer Kylie Minogue.
The display is expected to pump $160m (£98.5m) into the local economy, the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney said.

Fireworks lit up the skyline in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, while South Korea ushered in the new year with the traditional ringing 33 times of the 15th century Bosingak bell in the capital Seoul.

As many as 100,000 people were expected around Hong Kong's harbour for the city's biggest ever fireworks display, costing $1.6m (£980,000), the Associated Press reports.
Meanwhile, in Burma, tens of thousands were expected to attend the celebrations in the former capital Rangoon, which will feature a fireworks display and performances by the country's entertainers.

Reports say the festivities will be broadcast live on Burmese television.
The celebration is seen as the latest sign of the country's liberalisation under its military-backed civilian government.

The Burmese city of Rangoon is gearing up for its first new year's festivities

However, there is a subdued atmosphere in the Indian capital Delhi, following the death last week of a 23-year-old victim of a brutal gang rape.

The army has cancelled its celebrations across the country, as have the governments in the states of Punjab and Haryana.
Thousands of residents and clubs have also called off new year celebrations. protests over the case continued on Monday.

Later on, festivities will be held in European cities including Moscow, Paris and London.
More than two million people are expected to be on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach.
New York will mark the new year with the traditional New Year's Eve countdown and ball drop over Times Square.