World Rings in 2012

Revelers around the world said hello to a new year Sunday starting in Samoa, where a move across the international date line has made the Pacific island nation the first in the world to celebrate. Many were relieved to say goodbye to a year marked by economic turmoil and natural disasters and expressed hope for a better 2012. A recent AP poll found that 62% of Americans believe 2012 will be a better year for the country, and 78% believe it will be better for their own families. "I married a farmer. 'Wait until next year. Next year will be better.' That's what I've been hearing for 30 years," said one poll respondent, a 50-year-old woman in Georgia who described herself as a perpetual optimist. "I have faith." (More 2012 stories.)