The world ushered in 2025 on Tuesday, with huge crowds waving goodbye to the old year that brought Olympic glory, a dramatic Donald Trump return and turmoil in the Middle East and Ukraine. It is all but certain that 2024 will go down as the hottest year on record, with climate-fuelled disasters wreaking havoc from the plains of Europe to the Kathmandu Valley.
In Britain, thousands of people lined the banks of London's River Thames for a firework extravaganza, though bad weather saw events cancelled in other cities, including Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party.
Pro-European Georgians meanwhile rang in the New Year by setting off fireworks at ongoing month-long rallies against a ruling party they accuse of being under Russia's influence.
And Serbian students marched in Belgrade and two other cities demanding accountability over the fatal collapse of a train station roof in November which killed 15 people.
Before that, a spectacular pyrotechnics display lit up Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour as Asia joined in popping champagne corks and launching New Year's Eve parties.
Thousands thronged the streets of Taipei to watch Taiwan's tallest skyscraper erupt in a dazzling display of fireworks.
And Sydney sprayed nine tonnes of fireworks from its famed Opera House and Harbour Bridge to begin the year's farewell.
In 2024, Taylor Swift brought the curtain down on her Eras tour, pygmy hippo Moo Deng went viral and teenage football prodigy Lamine Yamal helped Spain conquer the Euros.
The Paris Olympics united the world for a brief few weeks in July and August. Athletes swam in the Seine, raced in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower and rode horses across the manicured lawns outside the Palace of Versailles.
It was a global year of elections, with countless millions going to the polls across more than 60 countries. Vladimir Putin prevailed in a Russian ballot widely dismissed as a sham, while a student uprising toppled Bangladesh's reigning prime minister. However, no vote was as closely watched as the Nov 5 contest that will soon see Trump back in the White House.
A change of government is likewise afoot in Ghana, where John Mahama will be sworn in on Jan 7.
Turmoil rippled across the Middle East as Bashar al-Assad fled Syria, Israel marched into southern Lebanon and doctored electronics exploded in a wave of Israeli assassinations targeting Hezbollah.
Civilians grew weary of the grinding war in Gaza, where dwindling stocks of food, shelter and medicine made a humanitarian crisis even bleaker.
With AI advances on the horizon and rampant inflation tipped to slow, there is plenty to look forward to in 2025.
Britpop bad boys Oasis will make a long-awaited reunion, while K-pop megastars BTS return to the stage after military service in South Korea.
Football aficionados will discover a revamped 32-team Club World Cup hosted by the United States in an already crowded calendar.
And about 400 million pilgrims are expected at the spectacular Kumbh Mela festival on India's sacred riverbanks – billed as the largest gathering of humanity on the planet.
The U.K. weather service has already forecast sweltering global temperatures for 2025, suggesting it is likely to rank among the hottest years recorded.
On the stock front, Wall Street and Europe's major indexes rang out the year with solid gains, as investors' eyes turned to the impact Trump's policies will have on the world economy.
Muhammad Yunus greets countrymen
Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has extended his greetings to the countrymen and expatriate Bengalis as well as the people across the world on the occasion of the New Year-2025. In a message on the eve of the New Year, he said, "The message of the arrival of the new excites us, inspires us to walk the path of a beautiful future with new enthusiasm."
On this auspicious occasion of the New Year, the incumbent interim government is committed to confronting all challenges and utilizing new possibilities to scale new heights to progress, he said.
The Chief Adviser said the interim government formed through the mass uprising of students, workers, and the people is committed to always uphold the country's independence achieved through the blood of millions of martyrs and independence achieved against fascism in the last July-August months. "We will love the country, use all our strength for the overall welfare of the people of the country and resist any terrorism," he said.
He wished the bond of harmony, friendship and brotherhood among people may further strengthen in the New Year. "May the New Year 2025 bring unending happiness, peace and prosperity to everyone's life," said Muhammad Yunus.
