New York swears in new mayor for NY

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City mayor in the first minutes of the New Year at the historic City Hall subway station, with his wife, Rama Duwaji, standing by his side.

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The oath, in which he pledged to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the laws of New York, was administered by New York State Attorney General Letitia James.

"Happy New Year to New Yorkers, both inside this tunnel and above," Mr Mamdani said, standing beneath a vaulted ceiling marked with the words City Hall. "This is truly an honour and a privilege of a lifetime."

Mr Mamdani was a trailblazing candidate and is expected by many in his city of eight million - some with hope, others with trepidation - to be a disruptive mayor.

The democratic socialist's plans for his first day in office yesterday reflected his politics and priorities, while largely following tradition, with a sober midnight oath-taking followed by a more celebratory ceremony in the afternoon.

New York law stipulates that four-year mayoral terms begin on Jan 1 following elections. To avoid any ambiguity over leadership of the United States' most populous city, it has become customary to hold a small swearing-in shortly after midnight.