New Year’s Eve 2019 – live: Revellers descend on London to welcome new decade, as Sydney fireworks display prompts fury amid wildfires
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Your support makes all the difference.The world is set to mark the end of the year, and the decade, as 2019 comes to a close – and while spectacular firework displays are expected to herald in the 2020s across the globe, some threaten to be overshadowed by ongoing events.
In Australia, New Year’s Eve celebrations have been marred by wildfires which have threatened to cause mass evacuations in population hubs including Victoria in the east of the country.
Meanwhile Hong Kong has braced for fresh protests over Chinese influence in the region to interrupt festivities.
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Waitress left 'happy New Year' $2020 tip
The restaurant bill was $23. But the tip at a small-town restaurant in Michigan was much larger: $2,020.
"Things like this don't happen to people like me," server Danielle Franzoni told The Alpena News.
Franzoni, 31, got the tip while working Sunday at Thunder Bay River Restaurant in Alpena. The credit card receipt said "Happy New Year. 2020 Tip Challenge."
Franzoni, a single mother, couldn't believe the number, but her manager assured her the tip was legitimate.
She said she was living in a homeless shelter a year ago. Franzoni plans to use the money to reinstate her driver's license and build savings.
"They don't know nothing about my story. They don't know where I've come from. They don't know how hard it's been," Franzoni said of the couple who left the tip. "They're really just doing this out of the kindness of their heart."
Franzoni later went to a restaurant and left a $20.20 tip.
"That was my pay-it-forward," she said, smiling. "I couldn't do the other one."
Waitress left 'happy New Year' $2020 tip
The restaurant bill was $23. But the tip at a small-town restaurant in Michigan was much larger: $2,020.
"Things like this don't happen to people like me," server Danielle Franzoni told The Alpena News.
Franzoni, 31, got the tip while working Sunday at Thunder Bay River Restaurant in Alpena. The credit card receipt said "Happy New Year. 2020 Tip Challenge."
Franzoni, a single mother, couldn't believe the number, but her manager assured her the tip was legitimate.
She said she was living in a homeless shelter a year ago. Franzoni plans to use the money to reinstate her driver's license and build savings.
"They don't know nothing about my story. They don't know where I've come from. They don't know how hard it's been," Franzoni said of the couple who left the tip. "They're really just doing this out of the kindness of their heart."
Franzoni later went to a restaurant and left a $20.20 tip.
"That was my pay-it-forward," she said, smiling. "I couldn't do the other one."
Waitress left 'happy New Year' $2020 tip
The restaurant bill was $23. But the tip at a small-town restaurant in Michigan was much larger: $2,020.
"Things like this don't happen to people like me," server Danielle Franzoni told The Alpena News.
Franzoni, 31, got the tip while working Sunday at Thunder Bay River Restaurant in Alpena. The credit card receipt said "Happy New Year. 2020 Tip Challenge."
Franzoni, a single mother, couldn't believe the number, but her manager assured her the tip was legitimate.
She said she was living in a homeless shelter a year ago. Franzoni plans to use the money to reinstate her driver's license and build savings.
"They don't know nothing about my story. They don't know where I've come from. They don't know how hard it's been," Franzoni said of the couple who left the tip. "They're really just doing this out of the kindness of their heart."
Franzoni later went to a restaurant and left a $20.20 tip.
"That was my pay-it-forward," she said, smiling. "I couldn't do the other one."
Somber celebrations in Samoa
In Samoa, New Year's Eve was more somber than usual. While fireworks erupted at midnight from Mount Vaea, overlooking the capital, Apia, the end of the year was a time of sadness and remembrance.
A measles epidemic in late 2019 claimed 81 lives, mostly children under 5.
More than 5,600 measles cases were recorded in the nation of just under 200,000. With the epidemic now contained, the Samoa Observer newspaper named as its Person of the Year health workers who fought the outbreak.
Macron asks for a 'solid relationship' with post-Brexit Britain in New Year's address
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he wanted a strong relationship with post-Brexit Britain.
Speaking in his traditional televised New Year's eve address to the nation, Macron said: "The United Kingdom's departure from the European Union is a test for our country. I will strive to maintain a solid relationship between our two countries."
He also said he would push through an overhaul of the pension system, after weeks of nationwide strikes by trade unions.
In the same speech, he said he expected his government to quickly find a compromise with unions on the reform, but without departing from the principles laid out by ministers.
Unions are trying to force the former investment banker to abandon his overhaul of France's pension system with nationwide strikes since 5 December that have crippled public transport.
Hogmonay celebrations begin in Edinburgh
Hogmanay celebrations have begun in Edinburgh, as crowds gathered to witness the New Year's Eve fireworks set to illuminate the skies above the city's street party.
The streets of Edinburgh are filling up as Hogmanay revellers prepare to welcome in the start of a new decade and enjoy the UK's biggest street party.
Performances from Idlewild, Rudimental and Marc Almond will take place on stages throughout the city centre, while DJ Mark Ronson will usher in the new year, creating a new soundtrack ahead of the clock striking 12.
Approximately 100,000 visitors are expected to attend the event, according to organisers who billed the Hogmanay celebrations as the UK's biggest New Year's Eve street party.
TV stars Ant and Dec took to the stage in Princes Street Gardens early on Tuesday evening as crowds gathered, playing music and introducing the first firework display of the night.
Street theatre, circus acts and musical performances also took place up across more than a dozen streets, including the city's main throughfare Princes Street and its adjacent gardens, while ceilidhs danced their way into the night in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.
There had been criticism of the event's organisation, amid uncertainty around how many passes residents were allowed, with Underbelly - which also runs the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - accused of creating "unnecessary confusion" by the council leader.
India hit by protests as New Year arrives
Thousands of Indians ushered in the New Year by demonstrating against a citizenship law despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempts to dampen protests that have run for nearly three weeks.
The protests have rocked India since 12 December, when the government passed legislation easing the way for non-Muslim minorities from neighbouring Muslim-majority nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to gain Indian citizenship.
Combined with opposition to a proposed national register of citizens, many Indians fear the law will discriminate against minority Muslims and chip away at India's secular constitution.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Citizens' Register (NRC), which were part of the election manifesto of Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist party.
Protesters had planned at least three demonstrations in New Delhi, the capital, including the area of Shaheen Bagh, where hundreds of residents have blocked a major highway for 18 days.
Irshad Alam, a 25-year-old resident of Shaheen Bagh, stood with his one-year-old in his arm and his wife by his side. He said heâd been participating in the protest every day.
"It's freezing here," he said, "But we are still here because we care about this movement."
Dubai celebrates 2020 with huge fireworks display
With the arrival of 8pm in the UK, 2020 has got to Dubai – and with it the Burj Khalifa, the tallest structure in the world. Each year, it gets a firework display befitting its massive size, and this year hasn't disappointed.
You can watch live here:
Sadiq Khan promises 'best London fireworks ever'
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has promised the "best fireworks London has ever seen" to ring in the new decade.
Mr Khan said the capital will "project confidence" on the world stage through an impressive display at the New Year's Eve celebrations.
Speaking in the city centre ahead of the celebrations on Tuesday night, Mr Khan told the PA news agency: "Hand on heart, these are going to be the best fireworks London has ever seen."
He added the "world" will be watching the display and he hoped it would show London was a "global city".
He said: "Fairly or unfairly, people around the world saw the Brexit referendum vote as the UK somehow turning its back on the rest of the world, including Europe.
"The fear was, we would become insular, inward-looking, and what I'm keen to show is the opposite.
"Yes we may be leaving the EU, but very much as a city we are still a European global city. We will continue to be open to people's trade and ideas.
"What tonight's fireworks are about is demonstrating our confidence.
"And it's really important that we show the world who will be watching our fireworks that we are a confident, global, outward-looking European city."
The theme of this year's display will look ahead to the capital hosting several key games in the Euro 2020 football tournament.
The pyrotechnics show will feature more than 12,000 fireworks, with the display being set to a soundtrack "inspired by London and Europe", according to a spokeswoman for the mayor.
Big Ben's chimes will sound the start of the display despite them being silent this year while renovation work is completed.
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