DHAKA: Celebrations are taking place around the world to mark the start of 2014.

People in Auckland, New Zealand, were among the first to celebrate. In Australia, hundreds of thousands gathered for a spectacular firework display around Sydney`s Harbour Bridge.

East Asian cities were next to ring in the new year, with Beijing, Jakarta and Singapore all hosting celebrations, reports BBC.

Moscow also celebrated with a spectacular fireworks display over the Kremlin.

However, there was intense security in Red Square following recent suicide bombings in the southern Russian city of Volgograd.

Dubai - in the same time zone as Moscow - aimed for a world record with a fireworks extravaganza stretching along 30 miles (50km) of seafront.

Adjudicators from Guinness World Records were on hand to check proceedings, but it was not clear immediately whether the attempt was successful.

The world`s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, was the centrepiece of the display.

In Hong Kong, tens of thousands of spectators watched the fireworks over Victoria Harbour.

The Chinese city of Wuhan earlier called off its display in order to avoid worsening a smog problem.

In Japan, Shinto priests gathered at shrines. Japanese people traditionally visit shrines and temples to pray for their families at this time.

In the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, an estimated 100,000 people sang the national anthem in the city`s Independence Square in support of further integration with Europe.

The square has been the focus of pro-European protests for more than a month after President Viktor Yanukovych ditched a key deal with the EU.

As midnight struck across western Europe, Berlin and Paris were among the capitals staging spectacular displays.

In London - an hour behind - the chimes of Big Ben signalled a "multi-sensory" firework show with peach-flavoured snow and edible banana confetti for crowds packing the banks of the River Thames.

In Scotland, where new year festivities are known as Hogmanay, crowds thronging the streets of Edinburgh were dazzled by a more traditional firework display over the ramparts of Edinburgh castle.

Cape Town in South Africa planned a free concert with lasers, fireworks and a special 3D tribute to former President Nelson Mandela, who died on 5 December.

New York will mark the new year with the traditional New Year`s Eve countdown and ball drop over Times Square, while Rio de Janeiro was expecting more than two million people to pack its Copacabana beach for midnight.

BDST: 0948 HRS, JAN 01 , 2014
RS