New York (Jan. 1) AP   A throng of 1 million revelers in Times Square rang in the New Year with raucous cheers and a blizzard of confetti, striking an optimistic, even defiant, tone amid jitters over extremist attacks and heavy security.

About 6,000 police officers are there for security.

Thick crowds of revelers packed Times Square in the hours before the midnight ball drop, resolving to celebrate New Year's Eve with gusto and optimism, despite a year filled with headlines of extremist attacks and a heavy security presence.

People cheer as the Times Square Waterford Crystal ball, the largest crystal ball in the world, is lifted.

Happy New Year 2016...