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2022 is officially and evidently here.
As revellers across the globe celebrated its arrival and bid a weary adieu to 2021, some are wary of hopes that 2022 will be a more prosperous year.
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2021 will assuredly go down in history as an annus horribilis, or at best, a tumultuous and disappointing year which everyone yearns to forget.
Despite all that, revellers in every nook and cranny of the world rang in 2022 with a bang as they celebrated to their heart's content.
Revellers on a pilgrimage to the Big Apple, a city beleaguered by the pandemic, a burst of confetti and cheers as the crowds gathered at the Times Square saw the 6-ton ball descend, marking the arrival of a brand new year.
Some 15,000 spectators flocked to the scene, while others watched it live on the tube.
Seattle's Space Needle worked in harness with multimedia studios and talented pyrotechnics technicians to produce a dazzling fireworks display with AR, welcoming 2022 with a fireworks display and augmented reality. The show near the Space Needle was the biggest celebratory event in the U.S. West.
However, no spectators were allowed to watch the never-before-seen show in person due to a potential surge in Omicron-related cases.
In Sydney, the crowds were treated to an eye-catching and sparkling fireworks display...against the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House close by.
New Zealand was definitely among the first countries to usher in a hopefully less eventful new year. A light display, instead of a fireworks display, ushered in 2022 in Auckland as authorities vacillated between giving the green light to a fireworks display and banning it.
The way North Koreans celebrated the arrival of a new year somehow broke the mould, as a flag-raising ceremony, coupled with nationalism elements, was used to welcome the new year, as leader Kim Jong-un marked his 10th year since taking the helm.
The same couldn't be said for neighbouring South Korea. The annual New Year's Eve bell-ringing ceremony was called off, thanks to a surge in Omicron cases.
In Dubai, a wondrous fireworks show ushered in 2022 at Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in that region.
Here in Hong Kong, Hong Kongers arrive at Lan Kwai Fong and the Victoria Harbour in good time as the party was in full swing, with an orchestra on their a-game. Revellers were of the same mind: A concerted effort is needed to rid the world of COVID, in order for the return of normalcy.
Drones were used for a light display that lit up the night sky.
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