Former UEFA president Michel Platini has been released after being questioned by police over the awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar.

From spectacular fireworks in Hong Kong and Australia to a huge LED light show at the world's tallest building in Dubai, here is a look at how revellers around the world have welcomed in 2018:

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have signalled they may allow some Qataris to stay in their countries amid a diplomatic rift with the Gulf nation.

A Qatari passenger plane has made an emergency landing in Turkey after its engine caught fire.

A Dutch woman held in Qatar for nearly three months after telling police she had been raped has been released after receiving a one-year suspended prison sentence for adultery for having sex out of wedlock.

Qatar World Cup organisers insist the crisis at FIFA will not affect their preparations for the tournament in 2022.

FIFA’s general secretary Jerome Valcke claimed Uefa and most of the confederations want December 23 as the date for the Qatar 2022 World Cup final — but no decision has been made and no compensation will be paid.

Qatar 2022 chiefs have claimed their right to a fair hearing by FIFA’s ethics investigator is being undermined.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter is facing calls to step down amid allegations that corrupt payments were made to help Qatar win the competition to host the 2022 World Cup.

The Qatar 2022 World Cup bid committee has denied all allegations of wrong-doing after allegations of widespread corruption during the bidding process.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar looks set to be played in November after Fifa’s secretary general stated that the tournament “will not be in June or July”.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will not be held in June and July, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has confirmed in an interview with radio station France Info.

FIFA’s chief ethics investigator says his assistant will lead the review of the Russian and American bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to avoid any conflict of interest.

One of the companies tasked with putting the infrastructure in place for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has put out a call for Irish engineers willing to travel to the Middle Eastern country to work on the project.

FIFA have moved to clarify an interview with Sepp Blatter in which the organisation’s president suggested the vote to stage the 2022 World Cup could be re-run.

SEPP BLATTER last night admitted FIFA faced “difficulties” but insisted: “Crisis? What crisis?”

Sepp Blatter tonight admitted FIFA faced “difficulties” but insisted: “Crisis? What crisis?”

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke confirmed today that an email he sent suggesting the 2022 World Cup was “bought” was genuine – but insisted he was referring to Qatar using their “financial strength” to legitimately lobby for votes.

FIFA today announced there is no certainty the 2022 World Cup will be staged in winter.

Asian Football Confederation president Mohammed Bin Hammam has ruled out holding the 2022 FIFA World Cup in winter, as well as dismissing the notion of it being shared among other Gulf nations.

FIFA have welcomed the news that the United States have pulled out of the race to stage the 2018 World Cup.

Australia have pulled out of their bid to host the 2018 World Cup to concentrate on a challenge for the tournament in 2022, it was announced today.

FIFA have strenuously denied a claim by a British MP that they are pressurising the British government to remove the World Cup from the list of sports events that must be shown on terrestrial television or risk England missing out on hosting the 2018 tournament.