New Year’s Eve - live: LA and US west coast ring in 2023 as celebrations continue
For many countries around the world this was the first New Year’s Eve without any Covid restrictions since 2019
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Billions of people around the world have been welcoming in 2023 with new year’s celebrations.
Los Angeles, Las Vegas and the west coast of the US greeted the new year with dazzling light shows and fireworks displays.
On the east coast, the ball dropped on New York City’s iconic Times Square as huge crowds counted down the seconds into 2023.
Last night, partygoers in the UK defied wet weather to welcome in 2023 after the Met Office issued yellow warnings for rain in England’s South West and southern Wales, and warnings for ice and snow across the Scottish Highlands.
For many, this is the first New Year’s Eve in three years where parties and festivities are fully free from Covid restrictions.
In London, more than 100,000 people lined the Thames to watch 12,000 fireworks as a moving tribute was paid to the late Queen.
Baker Island will be among the last places to arrive in 2023, at around midday GMT.
Firework explosions welcome arrival of 2023 in Iraq
Mosul and Baghdad saw spectacular firework displays to welcome the arrival of 2023.
UAE attempts to break two Guinness Records with lavish fireworks display
The UAE attempted to break two Guinness World Records by featuring 452 pyro drones and 15,000 nano lights, colours and shapes in their fireworks display in Abu Dhabi.
Fireworks explode from the Burj Khalifa
The UAE has brought in the new year with spectacular scenes.
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, saw a stunning fireworks display to welcome 2023.
Crowds in Wuhan hold balloons as they celebrate the start of a new year
Crowds in Wuhan, China held balloons as they gathered to celebrate the start of a new year.
Zelenksy and First Lady of Ukraine say 2023 will be the ‘year of our victory'
Ukraine’s president Volodymr Zelensky and his wife the First Lady of Ukraine posted a new year’s message as they called 2023 the “year of our victory”.
People in Moscow mark muted New Year without fireworks as they hope for peace
People in the centre of Moscow prepared late on Saturday to mark a somewhat muted New Year‘s Eve without the usual fireworks and celebrations on Red Square, with many saying they wanted peace in 2023.
Authorities closed off the famous cobbled square in the heart of Moscow, citing restrictions to fight COVID-19, and increased the number of police in nearby side streets.
New Year‘s Day is Russia’s main seasonal holiday, while Orthodox believers also celebrate Christmas on January 7.
“We hope that there will be a predictable year, we hope there will be world peace, as strange as it may sound in such a situation,” said Moscow resident Alexander Tsvetov.
“We hope that people will be happy, on each side of this conflict, and there will be peace,” he continued, in a reference to what President Vladimir Putin calls the 10-month “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Deprived of the chance to gather on Red Square and watch a traditional New Year‘s Eve firework display, people walked along the wet streets, looking at Christmas markets, brightly lit storefront displays and trees set up with baubles.
New laws adopted in March prescribe fines and jail terms for discrediting or spreading “deliberately false information” about the armed forces.
“I am sure that those very - to put it mildly - unexpected, harsh, aggressive events, will surely moderate. Next year there will be a turn for the better, for sure,” predicted 68-year-old Yelena Popova.
The canceled fireworks display, she said, was an act of solidarity with what was happening in Ukraine.
“One should not pretend that nothing is happening - our people are dying there. A holiday is being celebrated, but there must be limits,” she said.
Tatyana, a woman who did not give her full name, said she hoped for “world peace, clear skies, happiness and health for everyone.” Russian troops were undoubtedly having a hard time “so spiritually we are supporting them”, she said.
India says hello to 2023
New year’s celebrations are in full swing in New Delhi, India where crowds welcome 2023.
Malaysia welcomes the new year as joyful crowd celebrates
New year revellers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia brought in 2023 with smiles all around.
Fireworks light up the sky in Singapore as new year begins
Singapore welcomes the new year with a dazzling firework display outside the iconic Marina Bay Hotel.
Watch: Cities around the world bring in the New Year
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