In Pictures: How the world ushered in 2012

A couple kiss as fireworks light the sky during New Year celebrations in Sarajevo January 1, 2012.

Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Fireworks explode during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year in the coastal city of Vina del Mar, about 121 km northwest of Santiago.

Photograph: Eliseo Fernandez/Reuters

People look at fireworks explode above Copacabana beach during the New Year celebrations in Babilonia slum in Rio de Janeiro.

Photograph: Ricardo Moraes/Reuters

Fireworks explode beside Vienna's Giant Ferris Wheel (Wiener Riesenrad) at Prater park during New Year's celebrations in Vienna.

Photograph: Lisi Niesner/Reuters

Singer Justin Bieber (R) performs with Mexican rock guitarist Carlos Santana (L) at Times Square during a celebration to mark the start of the new year in New York.

Photograph: Gary Hershorn/Reuters

The New Year's fireworks display lights up around the London Eye in central London.

Photograph: Andrew Winning/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

A man dressed up as Jesus Christ participates in the annual San Silvestre race in Guatemala City December 31, 2011. Thousands of people, some of them in costumes, participated in the event to celebrate the coming of a new year.

Photograph: William Gularte/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Fireworks explode over downtown Beirut during New Year celebrations.

Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

New Year revellers in Princes Street during the Hogmanay street party celebrations in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Photograph: David Moir/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Fireworks explode near a bronze sculpture of Alexander the Great on his horse Bucephalus, in Skopje's central square during New Year celebrations, in Macedonia.

The statue, which measures 12.5 metres in height and stands on a 10 metre high pedestal, is part of a cultural project "Skopje 2014".

Photograph: Ognen Teofilovski/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Revellers at the Gateway of India, Mumbai, on the New Year's Eve.

Photograph: Sahil Salvi/Rediff.com

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Fireworks explode from Taiwan's tallest skyscraper Taipei 101 during New Year celebrations in Taipei.

Photograph: Shengfa Lin/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Fireworks explode during New Year celebrations in Colombo.

Photograph: Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Thousands of people watch fireworks during New Year's Day celebration on Red Square in Moscow.

Photograph: Denis Sinyakov/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Policemen stand guard during celebrations for the New Year on the Bund near the Huangpu River in Shanghai.

Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Fireworks explode over Marina Bay during New Year celebrations in Singapore.

Photograph: Tim Chong/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

People release balloons as the Tokyo Tower is illuminated to celebrate the New Year at a countdown event at the Zojo-ji Buddhist temple in Tokyo.

Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

Click NEXT to see more pictures...

Fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House during a pyrotechnic show to celebrate the New Year.

Photograph: Daniel Munoz/Reuters...

...