New Year 2016 as it happened: Fire, fireworks and terror alert

That's it! Happy New Year to all our readers from IBTimes UK.

For our readers ringing in the New Year in New York City, you can read up everything you need to know about the Times Square Ball drop here.

Happy New Year to all of our readers in the UK!

After a traumatic year which saw terror attacks and violence, Paris and the rest of France saw in the New Year in a sombre but optimistic mood.

With its second city Munich facing warnings of a terror threat, Germany's capital city Berlin sees in the New Year with fireworks lighting up the sky by Brandenburg Gate.

Police in Munich, Germany have warned that there is a "serious, imminent threat" of a terror threat. Germany news agency dpa reported that one train station had been evacuated and trains will not be stopping there tonight.

The city's main train station and a second train station in the city's Pasing neighborhood were the sites of a ''serious, imminent threat'' of a terror attack, Associated Press report.

Fireworks in the Russian capital Moscow went off, although they were several minutes late.

The display took place after the annual New Year's address by the president Vladimir Putin and cameras showed the display over the Kremlin palace.

Russia was accused of a bizarre attempt to cover up terrorism threats after claiming that a decision to close off Moscow's Red Square on New Year's Eve was because a film crew would be working there.

The National Post reported how the city's security chiefs shocked declared that the traditional spot for seeing in the New Year would be off-limits because of filming commitments.

New Year's Eve celebration fireworks went ahead in Dubai at midnight despite flames consuming the side of neighbouring The Address Hotel.

Social media commented on the surreal sight of a fireworks display taking place next to a burning building.

It's officially 2016 in Dubai, which decided to continue with the fireworks display despite the fire at Address Hotel in Downtown Dubai.

Officials are reporting 16 injuries, including 14 "light injuries," 1 midlevel injury and 1 heart attack at Dubai's Address Hotel following a massive fire.

Meanwhile, India and Sri Lanka have officially welcomed 2016!

The Dubai Media Office has announced that the Dubai fire department managed to control 90% of the fire at the Address Hotel in Downtown Dubai.

Our colleague Tom Porter has put together a full report and updates on the ongoing situation in Dubai. Dubai Police Chief Colonel Saif al Mazroui said there were no casualties reported as of yet and that Dubai's Address Hotel has been evacuated.

There are no reported injuries at the fire in Address Hotel in Dubai. Fireworks are expected to continue.

We're seeing reports that the fireworks in Dubai may be back on. But we're working on confirming those reports.

For an idea of scale, this skyline view of Dubai reveals just how bad the fire is.

Reports emerging that the fireworks in Dubai have been cancelled - little surprise really given what has happened in the city's Marina district.

The Dubai fireworks are a major event every year, attracting hundreds of thousands of locals and tourists to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

Terrible news from Dubai where a huge fire appears to have engulfed the Address Hotel in Downtown Dubai.

Not a lot of information out there yet but in pictures one side of the 63-storey building appears to be ablaze.

More to follow.

Our colleague Sean Martin has been a real champ and compiled a list of tips for beating that hangover tomorrow morning.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has also put out his New Year's Eve message.

Remember this guy? Of course you do.

That's it: It is 2016 in Myanmar.

As for the Cocos Islands, I am reliably informed that they are a small group of islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between Sri Lanka and Australia.

The islands have a combined population of just under 600, so don't expect huge fireworks displays.

Momentum growing now as we move towards 5.30pm GMT when Myanmar will be marking the New Year. Any idea how they celebrate NYE in Myanmar? Let us know at @IBTimesUK.

In the meantime, people appear to be getting ready for a boozy night ahead.

A few 2016 cartoons going around tonight including this rather baffling one from Arab News, the Saudi Arabia newspaper based in Jeddah.

Tweet us at @IBTimesUK if you have any thoughts.

It has been a packed a year in terms of news and IBTimes UK has summed up the best and worst of it in pictures.

Also worth looking at what 2016 has in store in the financial world. Shane Croucher crunched the numbers and highlighted the major talking points ahead of next year.

Things to look out for? Well, interest rates firstly - will governments continue to keep them low and, if not, how high will they let them rise? And what does that mean for those of us who took out mortgages in 2015?

As for oil prices, will they continue their free fall or will Saudi Arabia decide to turn off the taps? What will Iranian capacity do for prices and can the US shale boom continue forever?

In case you're still looking to stock up tonight, our colleague Alice Cuff has a round up of all the best champagne deals ahead of New Year's Eve, which is now in just over seven hours.

It's now midnight in...

Jakarta, Indonesia
Hanoi, Vietnam
Bangkok, Thailand
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

We know what you're thinking: what does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Good question - and it's answered here.

Auld Lang Syne translates as "Old Long Since" or "Long, Long Ago" and can be traced back to a poem written in 1788 by the Scottish poet Robert Burns.

New year hits Hong Kong, Beijing (sort of), Manila and Singapore!

We're spending most of today looking forward. So let's indulge in a little backwards looking. Our entertainment editor Toyin Owoseje goes back through some of the biggest celebrity stories of the year.

France steps up its security for New Year's Eve.

And now it's midnight in Pyongyang, North Korea. The website of the North Korean state news agency is down, so it's unlikely we'll get any images soon from the secretive totalitarian state. But the regime does go big on New Year's Eve -- here is a video of what they did last year.

AFP reports on how the world's cities are navigating the New Year celebrations and a heightened terror threat from Isis.

Jakarta remains on high alert after anti-terror police foiled detailed plans for an alleged New Year suicide attack in the Indonesian capital.

Turkish police have detained two Islamic State suspects allegedly planning to stage attacks in the centre of the capital Ankara which is expected to be packed on New Year's Eve.

Meanwhile, in Moscow police will for the first time close off Red Square where tens of thousands of revellers traditionally gather.

Read it in full.

By Harry Leslie Smith for IBTimes UK: "I'm 92 and I've lived through 16 prime ministers – here are five things David Cameron must do in 2016."

As I will be 93 in February 2016 I must accept that David Cameron's Conservatives may be the last government I will live under. But over my lifetime I have seen politicians transformed by national emergencies and become true leaders to our nation embattled by war or economic crisis. So with humility I offer some suggestions that I believe would be noble resolutions to start the new year and a new beginning for our nation.

So what's coming up this year? Rio Olympics, US presidential elections and other dates for your diary in 2016...

It's now midnight in Tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea!

Here are some highlights from the firework display in Sydney to mark 2016.

The public New Year 's Eve celebrations in Brussels, Belgium, were cancelled amid security concerns after the Paris attacks in November by Islamist militants inspired by Islamic State (Isis). Several alleged terror plotters were arrested in Belgium in relation to a New Year's Eve attack they are said to have planned.

Want to stick to your goals of spending less, eating healthier or adjusting your work/life balance? Try these five simple tips to help keep your New Year resolutions beyond the first week of January.

It's midnight in Sydney! And the fireworks have started over the city's iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Just under ten minutes to go until it's New Year in Australia...

Struggling to come up with some resolutions for New Year 2016? Here are five easy-to-achieve anti-resolutions you should commit to.

The midnight moment in Auckland, New Zealand, among the first to celebrate 2016's arrival.

Using public transport in London on NYE? Find out which services are running with our handy guide.

And don't worry if you missed tickets to see London's famous NYE fireworks. It's possible to view them for free - check out our guide to the best spots across the capital for a glimpse of the action.

You want even more ideas? Here is a selection of the best events, parties and fireworks in the capital where tickets are still available.

Organised fighting in the Peruvian Andes? Mass grape-eating in Spain? Celebrations aren't just fireworks and fizz. Ahead of the New Year, we look at some of the most unusual festivities around the world.

In the UK tonight? Find the most spectacular firework displays across the UK, from Hogmanay in Edinburgh and London's river display to fantastic fireworks in Birmingham and Newcastle, with this helpful guide.

Want to know where you can watch the incredible fireworks display in Sydney when Australia hits midnight? Our own Amy West has what you need here. It'll be midnight in Sydney at 1pm GMT. Here's a taster of what to expect.

Those in the furthest reaches of the world's time zones -- Kiribati and Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean, both 14 hours ahead of UTC -- have already begun celebrating the dawning of New Year 2016. New Zealand followed and Australia is next. Join IBTimes UK for the pictures, events and news stories across the world as New Year's Eve becomes New Year's Day. And happy New Year to you all.