Apex court asked the lawyers to provide a copy of the apology advertisements without enlarging them, emphasising they should not need a microscope to read it
??Sound on for the answer#HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/ifgh1sDwmE
- AFP news agency (@AFP) December 31, 2018
It then moved on to Hong Kong, where hundreds of thousands packed streets along Victoria Harbour for a spectacular 10-minute show that illuminated the night.
In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, more than 500 couples tied the knot in a free, mass wedding organized by the government to mark the arrival of a new year.
Fireworks shows, however, were cancelled out of respect for victims of a December 22 tsunami that killed more than 400 people.
In Japan, locals flocked to temples to ring in 2019, as US boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather came out of retirement to beat Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a multi-million-dollar "exhibition" bout outside Tokyo.
In Dubai, fireworks lit up the sky over the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, to the delight of onlookers, while nearby Ras al-Khaima sought to enter the Guinness Book of Records with the world's longest fireworks show.
- Emaar Dubai (@emaardubai) December 31, 2018
"This is the first time we chose the Bab Touma area to go out," the 24-year-old said, referring to an area in the Old City filled with restaurants and bars.
"This area was really dangerous in previous years. A mortar round could have fallen on the area at any moment," said Haddad, alluding to possible rebel fire on the capital.
Russia saw in the new year over several time zones. Concerts and light shows featured in Moscow city parks, and more than 1,000 ice rinks opened for merrymakers.
?? Tobias Schwarz pic.twitter.com/3cHDKYOTZW
- AFP news agency (@AFP) December 31, 2018
?? @photogator96 pic.twitter.com/tDuXaUGkp3
- AFP news agency (@AFP) January 1, 2019
In some African countries, election considerations shadowed New Year revelry.
In Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari promised a free and fair election in 2019.
Ivory Coast leader Alassane Ouattara vowed to create a new, independent, electoral commission for polls planned for 2020.
As the world celebrates, many are wondering whether the turmoil witnessed in 2018 will spill over into the next year.
The political wrangling in Westminster over Brexit was one of the key stories of this year, with a resolution yet to be reached ahead of Britain's scheduled March 29 departure.
US President Donald Trump dominated headlines in 2018, ramping up a trade war with China, quitting the Iran nuclear deal, moving the US embassy to Occupied Jerusalem and meeting his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un.
North Korea's commitment to denuclearization will remain a major political and security issue into next year, as will Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's reassertion of control after Trump's shock announcement of a US troop withdrawal from the country.
Numerous countries go to the polls in the coming year, including Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and South Africa.
Major sporting events on the calendar include the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the cricket one-day international World Cup in England, and the athletics World Championships in Qatar.
Apex court asked the lawyers to provide a copy of the apology advertisements without enlarging them, emphasising they should not need a microscope to read it
The yellow metal is supported by a revival in demand from Chinese consumers and healthy purchasing activity by central banks, expert says
The Lives and Livelihoods Fund is the largest multilateral fund of its kind in the Middle East
Stock market opened with modest gain on Wednesday marking third consecutive session in the upward gain
Union warned it could order several days of strike action over a busy May holiday weekend if its demands are not met
Humidity is set to rise during the night and into Thursday morning
Text messages, social media posts, chatroom messages, altered images, and videos are just a few avenues through which cyberbullying can occur
The building in Muhaisnah 4 had suffered structural damage last week and has been sealed off as authorities conduct investigations