In New York City, revelers have gathered in Times Square as the United States prepares for the arrival of the new year.

Big-name entertainers such as Toni Braxton and Christine Aguilera will perform for the crowd as midnight approaches.

Celebrations of the new year began across Asia.

In China, President Hu Jintao extended New Year wishes and called for social harmony in a speech broadcast to China and around the world.

In Sydney, Australia, as many as a million Australians gathered for a spectacular fireworks display centered around the city’s harbor bridge.

But in the Philippines, police began a crackdown on illegal firecrackers in an attempt to minimize the casualties and injuries that they cause.

In Europe, Romania and Bulgaria celebrated their new status as members of the European Union.

But in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Glasgow, Scotland, and other cities in northern England, fireworks and outdoor concerts were canceled because of dangerous winds.