Defiant New Year celebrations at Sydney in wake of Bondi killings

AUCKLAND became the first major city to ring in 2026 with a fireworks display launched from New Zealand's tallest structure, the Sky Tower.

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It was followed by a defiant celebration in Australia in the aftermath of a mass shooting in the country.South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball drops in New York's Times Square. The five-minute display in Auckland involved 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 787ft Sky Tower. Smaller community events were cancelled across New Zealand's North Island due to forecasts of rain