Germany shuts train stations amid global New Year security scares
Europe ushered in the New Year with heightened security fears on December 31 as German police evacuated two train stations in Munich, citing a tip about a planned militant attack, and Belgium arrested three people over an alleged plot.
Security forces in many capitals were on raised alert after a year of militant attacks, the biggest of which killed 130 in Paris in November and was claimed by Islamic State.
Soldiers were on the streets of Paris, and police forces in London, Madrid, Berlin and Istanbul increased their presence as Europeans turned out to celebrate the arrival of 2016.
In New York, police tightened security for the traditional New Year's Eve dropping of the crystal ball in Times Square, where more than a million people were expected.
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Celebrations in Germany took on a somber note when police warned of a possible terror attack and evacuated two train stations in Munich.
A police spokeswoman said a search for possible suspects had been launched and a tweet message from German police said "we take the threat very seriously".
In Belgium, police were holding three people for questioning on December 31 as part of an investigation into an alleged plot to carry out an attack in Brussels on New Year's Eve.
Turkish police on December 30 detained two suspected Islamic State members they believe to have been plotting New Year's Eve suicide attacks in the capital Ankara, where less than three months ago a double suicide bombing killed more than 100 people.
While many people turned out for public New Year celebrations, the year of militant attacks produced more of a mood of worry and uncertainty for others.