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  • Fireworks explode over the Opera House and Harbour Bridge during New Year's Eve fireworks display in Sydney, Australian, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016.(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
  • Indonesian children in costumes gather during a parade for this year's last sundown in Bali island, Indonesia Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
  • Fireworks explode in front of Malaysia's landmark building, Petronas Twin Towers, during the New Year's Eve celebration in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Joshua Paul)
  • Peoples release balloons to celebrate the New Year with Tokyo Tower in the background in Tokyo, early Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. Japan celebrated the start of 2016, the Year of the Monkey in the Japanese Zodiac. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
  • Palestinian women shop on the last day of 2015 in Gaza city, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)
  • A fireworks display is set off from the Taipei 101 skyscraper during the New Year's Eve celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
  • Pope Francis kisses a statue of Baby Jesus as he arrives to celebrate a new year's eve vespers Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
  • Revellers photograph a 5-minute video performance displayed on the Arc de Triomphe as part of New Year's Eve celebrations on the Champs Elysees Avenue in Paris, France, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
  • Police officers photograph fireworks as they guard Red Square in Moscow, Russia, in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. Putin is using his New Year’s message to commemorate both the country’s current fight in Syria and the battles of World War II seven decades ago. The recorded message was being televised just before midnight Thursday in each of Russia’s nine time zones. (AP Photo/Denis Tyrin)
  • Two Egyptian men and a camel stand on a hill overlooking one of the Giza Pyramids during a New Year's Eve fireworks display near Cairo, Egypt at midnight on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
  • Buddhists light candles during New Year celebrations at Jogye Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea, early Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
  • Revellers smile during the New Year's Eve celebrations in Hong Kong's Lan Kwai Fong, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
  • New York's Times Square glows during New Year's Eve celebrations seen from a New York Police helicopter patrolling the city, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
  • Fireworks explode over the temple of the Parthenon at the Acropolis hill during the New Year celebrations in Athens, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/ Yorgos Karahalis)
  • A worker wears mock spectacles in the shape of 2016 during a countdown event in Beijing, China, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
As 2015 came to an end, cities around the world were celebrating the start of a new year and bidding goodbye to one marred by terrorist attacks that left people on edge. Despite the rattled nerves, most places were pressing on with their holiday revels. In Dubai, a massive fireworks display kicked off New Year’s at the world’s tallest building, while a raging fire sent smoke billowing into the air from nearby tower. In France, Parisians still recovering from deadly attacks in November held scaled-down celebrations. And in Brussels, Belgium’s capital, a holiday terror plot led to the cancellation of festivities altogether. Tokyo was on a special security alert during Japan’s biggest holiday, as millions crammed into trains to leave cities for their hometowns.