Crowds gather in big cities like Sydney, London, Paris and New York as corona quarantine regulations are lifted
China, ‘thin ice’ in the late spread of Corona 19… Ukraine, we “endure” the past war
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(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporters Jeon Myung-hoon and Lim Hwa-seop = The whole world has left behind the pain and regret of 2022 and enthusiastically welcomed the new year 2023.
Unlike the last two years where we were unable to properly enjoy the new year due to the quarantine regulations caused by Corona 19, this year as the pandemic restrictions are being lifted in places like Europe and the US , more crowds gather to celebrate the more lively New Year greeted
On the other hand, as the war in Ukraine went on in the year, New Year celebrations in Ukraine and Russia, which were warring parties, were forced to be severely restricted.
In China, where the Corona 19 is spreading rapidly, many people are said to have found it difficult to create a New Year’s atmosphere.
The new year has begun in East Asia and Oceania, which protect the eastern part of the global village.
In Sydney, Australia, where a New Year’s Eve event was held for the first time in three years without quarantine rules, a stunning fireworks display went on as around 1 million people gathered at tourist attractions such as the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge.
Due to the severe COVID-19 lockdown in Australia at the end of 2020, the New Year’s Eve celebrations were not held at the end of 2021 due to the large-scale Omicron rollout.
Sydney Mayor Clover Moore told Reuters: ‘This year, Sydney is back. When we greeted the New Year with the sound of fireworks, it marked the start of New Year celebrations around the world. “.
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China also recently significantly eased its quarantine-intensive, “Zero Corona” policy, but the New Year’s mood was very different from normal years before the pandemic.
Reuters reported that in China, where hospitals and crematoria are on the verge of bursting with Corona 19 patients and deaths, many people are having a hard time creating a New Year’s atmosphere.
A social media user from China’s Shandong province wrote: “I hope the virus goes out and dies. I can’t believe I can’t find a single friend in good shape to celebrate the new year with.”
In Wuhan, Hubei Province, where Corona 19 was first reported, a New Year celebration was held with tens of thousands of people. However, the New Year’s celebration took place under strict police control. Authorities appear concerned that large-scale protests criticizing Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be repeated.
In the traditional Wuhan New Year celebration site, the police dispersed the crowd.
There was also a loudspeaker broadcast saying, “We avoid gatherings for health and safety reasons,” but residents paid no attention to these broadcasts and gathered in other places to celebrate the New Year, Reuters reported.
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A grand New Year’s Eve party was also held in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, followed by a countdown followed by colorful fireworks that adorned skyscrapers.
This year’s New Year celebrations in Hong Kong were the biggest in years. In 2019, the event was completely canceled due to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests, and in 2020 and 2021, the scale was drastically reduced due to the Corona 19 pandemic.
Malaysia has canceled this year’s New Year celebrations in Kuala Lumpur due to recent flooding. Recently, heavy rains have poured into Malaysia, killing 31 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless due to landslides.
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The Ukrainian people, who must have had the worst year of all due to the sudden invasion of the Russian army, were severely barred from celebrating the New Year.
The curfew continues from 7pm to midnight, making large-scale New Year celebrations impossible. Some governors have taken to social media to be careful not to violate a New Year’s curfew.
There was no sign of the New Year in Kieu, except for a few residents shouting “Happy New Year!” and “Glory to Ukraine” from their balconies, according to a local Associated Press article.
From 0:30 that day, an air raid siren sounded in Kiiu, followed by an explosion. The remains of an intercepted Russian missile landed in an urban area, damaging a car.
The governor of Kyiv, Oleksi Kuleva, said firmly regarding Russia’s recent missile attack: “It seems that we wish each other a Happy New Year. We will make it through.”
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In Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, resident children held a New Year’s Eve party at a subway station, the Associated Press reported. The parents of one boy said, “Above all, we need to create a festive atmosphere for our children. That’s why we decorated the Christmas tree.”
Ukrainian soldiers at the front exchanged Christmas blessings with their comrades in the trenches.
One soldier decided, “We have to defend it. There is no one else. We are the only ones.”
Reuters reported that plans for New Year’s celebrations in Moscow’s Red Square have also been drastically curtailed. The authorities have decided not to hold the usual fireworks or celebrations due to the COVID-19.
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According to the AP, the New Year celebrations took place in Times Square, New York, USA, under thick fog and rain. BTS members J-Hope and others gave a congratulatory performance on a special stage. Following a tradition that began in 1908, an annual ceremony was held in which a large crystal ball was dropped from the top of the “One Times Square” building in time for the New Year’s countdown.
Phoenix-area Tina Wright told the Associated Press following the Times Square countdown, “I wish everyone prosperity, peace and love. We make the world work.”
Two police officers were injured and taken to the hospital as they subdued and arrested a man brandishing a weapon one block from busy Times Square.
Thousands of people gathered on the Champs-Élysées in Paris to celebrate the new year. French President Emmanuel Macron said in his New Year’s televised speech that he would continue to support Ukraine, saying: “We will help you until you win. We will work together to build a just and lasting peace. Trust France and Europe.” .
On the banks of the River Thames in London, England, where 100,000 people gathered, the ‘famous’ bell of the Elizabethan Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, ‘Big Ben’ rang, heralding the new year. People gathered here watched a drone show that painted the image of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September last year, in the night sky along with a stunning fireworks display.
In Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil, ahead of the inauguration ceremony of President Luis Inacio Lula Dasiouba (77), thousands of relatively small crowds gathered on Copacabana beach to watch the fireworks for a short time new year celebration. Before the COVID-19 crisis, the beach attracted 2 million people every year on New Year’s Eve, but many of the celebrations have been canceled due to COVID-19.
id@yna.co.kr, limhwasop@yna.co.kr
Report via KakaoTalk okjebo
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2023/01/01 17:19 Sent
