MELBOURNE, Australia — The new year swept closer for the Middle East and parts of Europe and Africa after drummers in Asia pounded in 2026 and fireworks lit the skies. Russians celebrated in snowy Moscow, and a light show with somersaulting jet skis twinkled in Dubai. In Japan, temple bells rang and some climbed mountains to see the year’s first sunrise. Other events were more subdued. Hong Kong held limited celebrations following a recent fire at an apartment complex that killed 161 people. Australia saluted the new year with defiance less than a month after its worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. A heavy police presence monitored crowds watching fireworks in Sydney. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the event, after two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15. An hour before midnight, victims were commemorated with a minute of silence, and the crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns had urged residents not to stay away from festivities, saying extrem
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