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World Says Goodbye to 2009

   VOA News 31 December 2009
   Fireworks  flash  over  Sydney Harbor during New Year celebrations, in
   Australia, 01 Jan 2010

Photo: AP

   Fireworks  flash  over  Sydney Harbor during New Year celebrations, in
   Australia, 01 Jan 2010

   Bursts  of  vibrant  fireworks  lit the skies above Australia's Sydney
   Harbour  Bridge  at  midnight, as more than a million revelers rang in
   the New Year.
   Asia  Pacific  nations  were  the first in the world to say goodbye to
   2009, a year marked by wars, terrorism, natural disasters and economic
   turmoil.
   In  Hong  Kong, hundreds of thousands of people crowded along Victoria
   Harbour for an elaborate fireworks display.
   China  will  celebrate  the dawn of 2010 in February because it uses a
   different  calendar, but President Hu Jintao still marked the occasion
   with   a   televised   address   reflecting   on   the   past   year's
   accomplishments.
   In  Italy,  hundreds  of  Catholic  faithful  crowded into St. Peter's
   Basilica in the Vatican to join Pope Benedict's year-end service.
   The  threat of terrorism dampened the mood in Indonesia, where Western
   embassies warned of a possible attack on Bali.
   Security  is  also tight in Paris, London and New York, where revelers
   will celebrate with confetti, music and fireworks.
   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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