Organisers in New York have successfully completed a test run of the Times Square New Year’s Eve crystal ball, less than 48 hours before the annual countdown celebration.
A test of New York City’s iconic New Year’s Eve ball drop was carried out successfully in Times Square on Tuesday, 30 December, organisers said.
Standing on a platform above Times Square, representatives from Countdown Entertainment and partner organisations activated the switch to illuminate and raise the crystal ball up the flagpole before lowering it again.
“It went up, it came down, and we are ready for tomorrow,” said Jeffrey Strauss, president of Countdown Entertainment.
The new ball, known as the Constellation Ball, is the ninth version of the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball and the largest ever used. It weighs 12,350 pounds and features 5,280 Waterford crystal circles, replacing the triangular design used in previous versions.
Strauss said the circular crystals are designed to resemble stars, giving the ball its constellation theme.
Organisers also announced plans for a record-breaking amount of confetti during the celebrations, with nearly three tonnes set to be released in stages throughout the night. The display will include purple and yellow confetti during the countdown, multicoloured confetti at midnight, and red, white and blue confetti to mark the start of America’s 250th anniversary year shortly after midnight.
Strauss said hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather in Times Square, while more than one billion viewers worldwide are expected to watch the countdown.
The crystal ball will remain unlit until the final seconds before midnight on 31 December 2025, when it will descend to mark the arrival of the New Year.
Thieves exploited the Christmas holiday closure to drill into a German bank vault, stealing at least €10 million in cash and valuables from customer...
Turkmen authorities announced that the next summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will take place in Turkmenbashi’s Avaza National ...
A court hearing scheduled for 30 December in the criminal case against Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan has been postponed for an indefinite period, A...
The withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemen after a Saudi-led airstrike has eased immediate tensions but exposed deeper divisions between the two Gulf...
Train services through the Channel Tunnel were suspended for much of Tuesday after a power supply failure, causing long delays and leaving thousands s...
Thieves exploited the Christmas holiday closure to drill into a German bank vault, stealing at least €10 million in cash and valuables from customers’ deposit boxes, police said.
The withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemen after a Saudi-led airstrike has eased immediate tensions but exposed deeper divisions between the two Gulf allies over Yemen, Sudan and regional influence.
Iran will seek dialogue with protest leaders after demonstrations in Tehran and other cities over a plunge in the currency's value that has accelerated inflation, with the central bank chief resigning, the government said on Tuesday.
Turkish police have detained 357 suspects in a nationwide operation targeting Islamic State, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday, following a deadly clash with suspected militants a day earlier.
Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire and former Chelsea Football Club owner, has assembled a “top tier” legal team, including a former White House advisor, as he prepares for a legal battle in Jersey.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday praised the country’s armed forces as “invincible warriors” during a year-end ceremony honouring the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, held in the coastal city of La Guaira.
Iran successfully launched three satellites on Sunday using a Russian Soyuz rocket from Russia’s Far East, marking the latest stage in growing Iran-Russia space cooperation.
Torrential rainfall across southern and eastern Spain over the weekend has left one person dead and two others missing, authorities said on Sunday evening, as overflowing riverbeds swept away vehicles and officials urged residents to stay indoors.
Max Verstappen has been voted Formula 1’s driver of the year for a fifth straight season by team principals, despite narrowly missing out on the championship.
Bulgaria is preparing to replace its national currency, the lev, with the euro on 1 January, a long-awaited move welcomed by businesses but viewed with scepticism and anger by some citizens.
European leaders held talks on Ukraine after Russia said it would revise its negotiating position, citing an alleged Ukrainian drone attack that Kyiv has firmly denied.
Thieves exploited the Christmas holiday closure to drill into a German bank vault, stealing at least €10 million in cash and valuables from customers’ deposit boxes, police said.
The withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemen after a Saudi-led airstrike has eased immediate tensions but exposed deeper divisions between the two Gulf allies over Yemen, Sudan and regional influence.
Train services through the Channel Tunnel were suspended for much of Tuesday after a power supply failure, causing long delays and leaving thousands stranded during peak New Year holiday travel.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment