“Holding celebrations did not seem appropriate,” said city hall spokesperson Vit Hofman, citing “the unfavourable economic situation of many Prague households” and the need for the city to save money. In France, Paris staged its first new year fireworks since 2019 with a 10-minute show, estimated to have been watched by 500,000 people who had converged on the Champs-Élysées.īut the Czech capital, Prague, was among those feeling the pinch economically and did not hold a display. “We’ve already had Covid, so now feel it’s safe to enjoy ourselves.” “We’ve all travelled in from Chengdu to celebrate in Shanghai,” said Da Dai, a 28-year-old digital media executive who was travelling with two friends. In Shanghai, which like many Chinese cities in 2022 was put under a lengthy lockdown, many thronged the historic riverside walkway, the Bund. Police used loudspeakers at a number of locations, blasting out a short message on a loop telling people not to gather, to which people appeared to take little or no notice. “I was still afraid when I came out tonight, but I just wanted to come out, because everyone has come out.”Ī Wuhan resident surnamed Chen, 24, who works in e-commerce, said: “It had been a long time since things were lively and vibrant.” “I am afraid,” said a woman surnamed Jin, referring to the possibility of being reinfected with Covid. Police in Wuhan, China, guard an area to avoid mass gatherings during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Lockdowns at the end of 2020 and a surge in Omicron cases at the end of 2021 led to crowd restrictions and reduced festivities. Last year Covid restrictions meant only 15,000 of the usual 60,000 spectators attended Times Square to watch the traditional moment.Įlsewhere, Australia marked its first restriction-free New Year’s Eve after two years of Covid disruptions, with more than a million revellers watching the traditional fireworks display in Sydney’s harbour. The ball’s surface was comprised of nearly 2,700 Waterford crystals that officials said were illuminated by a palette of more than 16m colours.Īt the stroke of midnight, a ton of confetti rained down on revellers, glittering amid the jumbo screens, neon and pulsing lights. The night culminated with a countdown as a glowing geodesic sphere 3.6 metres (12ft) in diameter and weighing almost six tons descended from its lofty perch atop One Times Square. New York City joined the glow of the new year later with a dazzling spectacle in Times Square, anchoring celebrations across the United States. Festivities in Moscow were muted, without the usual fireworks on Red Square. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, devoted his new year address to rallying the Russian people behind his troops fighting in Ukraine. KNMZ3jDMBs- Nolan Peterson January 1, 2023 This is how 2023 begins in a Kyiv bomb shelter. We hear the rumble of air defenses in the distance, the laughter of 20-somethings who want to live their lives, the sounds of a child playing a video game on a smartphone, the banter of old ladies discussing everything and nothing.
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