The new year clicked through the world's time zones on Saturday, setting off fireworks and popping champagne corks as people celebrated the arrival of 2012.

The first New Year's whoops were heard on the island of Samoa, then New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines and Japan as midnight slowly crawled around the globe.

Here are some highlights:

  • The South Pacific island nation of Samoa and the New Zealand territory of Tokelau, which have traditionally been the last places to celebrate the new year, skipped across the international dateline to join their key trading partners in Asia and, in so doing, became the first places on Earth to mark 2012. "Everyone is happy right now," said Mao Visita, who was celebrating in the Samoan capital, Apia. "The party is still going on with plenty of music."
  • Even though it's the height of summer in New Zealand, celebrations were subdued in the capital of Wellington where torrential rains and thunderstorms cancelled fireworks displays. But in Auckland, thousands crowded the city to watch fireworks explode atop the Sky Tower.
  • Australia bid farewell to a rough year of floods and economic woe with a massive fireworks display over Sydney's Harbour Bridge featuring explosions in the shapes of butterflies, hearts and a cascading waterfall. "I've had enough this year," said Sandra Cameron, 68, whose Queensland home was wrecked by a cyclone's floodwaters in February. "It's gotta be a better year next year."
  • New Year's celebrations raised fears in the Philippines where more than 200 people have been injured by illegal firecrackers and celebratory gunfire during the Christmas holidays. Stray bullets wounded eight while powerful firecrackers injured 197, half of them children. The injuries forced 14 amputations, mostly of fingers.
  • In Japan, there were sombre celebrations in a country where 20,000 were killed in March by an earthquake and tsunami. Many people spent Saturday offering prayers at shrines and temples. "For me, the biggest thing that defined this year was the disaster in March," said nursing student Miku Sano, 28. "The radiation levels in the city of Fukushima, where I live, are definitely not low, and we don't know how that is going to affect our health in the future."
  • In Hong Kong, a 4-minute, $1 million display of fireworks shot from 10 skyscrapers, lighting up Victoria Harbour while a crowd of 400,000 looked on.
  • At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI spoke at a New Year's Eve vespers service, offering prayers of thanks for 2011 and saying humanity awaits the new year with apprehension but also with hope for a better future.
  • In Spain, a new batch of austerity measures that include surprise income and property tax hikes put a damper on the mood before the celebrations even began. "The government has just hit us with higher taxes and says it's going to cut spending," said Madrid car mechanic Joaquin Cabina, 53. "What I see is that prices are going up and all I hope for is to keep working and for my family to enjoy good health."
  • More than 60,000 French police, firemen and other emergency personnel were on standby across the country to ensure the celebrations went off safely, according to the Interior Ministry.
  • In Edinburgh, thousands attended the Hogmanay party, where partygoers celebrated in the streets.
  • When Big Ben struck midnight in London, fireworks exploded from the London Eye, the giant wheel on the south bank of the River Thames.
  • In New York's Times Square, where thousands gathered for the traditional countdown to the new year, the mood was hopeful. "2012 is going to be a better year. It has to be," said Fred Franke, 53, who was visiting with his family even after losing his job in Florida this month.
  • In his New Year's message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who starts his second term on Jan. 1, said he wants to help the Arab Spring protesters achieve democracy in their countries.
  • German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the new year would be more difficult than last year but added that Europe's debt crisis would bring its countries closer together.
  • Despite widespread street protests against him, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin wished well being and prosperity to all Russians "regardless of their political persuasion."

With files from The Associated Press