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New Year revellers in Paris held fireworks and cheered
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From New York to Baghdad to Sydney, New Year's revelers welcomed 2008 with parties, fireworks and hopes for peace and prosperity.
Baghdad witnessed something Iraq had not seen since the 2003 invasion — people publicly partying to welcome in a new year. The ballrooms of several hotels were full of people for New Year's Eve celebrations.
Several European countries rang in the new year in new ways.
The smoke-filled cafe became a thing of memory in France. Cigarettes were prohibited in all indoor locations such as dance clubs, restaurants, hotels, casinos and cafes from Jan 1, 2008.
President Nicolas Sarkozy gave the first traditional New Year's greeting of his presidency, with a "message of hope, faith in life and in the future."
In Russia, Vladimir Putin delivered the last New Year's Eve address of his eight-year presidency, boasting of economic improvements and claiming to have restored a sense of unity among Russians, who are likely to see him stay in power as prime minister after he steps down in a few months.
In Moscow, thousands gathered in Red Square, watching a concert beneath the onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, and fireworks above.
Along with the innovations, old traditions were maintained.
More than a million revelers in New York's Times Square cheered at the 100th drop of a giant ball. A century ago the tradition began with a 700-pound ball of wood and iron, lit with 100 25-watt incandescent bulbs. This year's event featured an energy-efficient sphere clad in Waterford crystals, with 9,576 light-emitting diodes that generated a kaleidoscope of colors.
In London, people gathered in Trafalgar Square and along the banks of the River Thames to watch a fireworks display and hear Big Ben welcome the New Year with 12 resounding bongs.
China started its Olympic year with a New Year party including fireworks, singing and dancing put on by the organizer of the Summer Olympics.
In Sydney — one of the first cities to celebrate the New Year — one million revelers cheered as fireworks sprayed from the iconic Harbor Bridge on the New Year's Eve.
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(Agencies)
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從紐約到巴格達，再到悉尼，世界各地的人們開起了party、燃起了焰火，滿懷著和平與繁榮的希望，迎接2008年的到來。
在伊拉克首都巴格達，幾家酒店的俱樂部聚滿了慶祝新年的人們，這是自2003年美國入侵伊拉克以來巴格達人首次舉行公開聚會迎接新年。
歐洲的幾個國家則以新的方式迎接新年。
在法國，煙霧繚繞的酒吧已成往事。從今年1月1日起，法國在舞廳俱樂部、餐館、酒店、賭場和咖啡廳等所有室內場所實行禁煙。
法國總統尼古拉斯?薩科奇發表了就任總統以來的首次新年致辭，表達了“對生活與未來的希望與信念”。總統向全國民眾致以新年問候是法國的一大傳統。
俄羅斯總統普京則是最后一次以總統的身份向全國發表新年祝詞。普京執政八年以來，俄羅斯的經濟狀況明顯改善，民眾團結得以恢復。普京將于幾個月后卸任總統一職，并可能出任下屆國家總理。
在俄羅斯首都莫斯科，數千人聚集在紅場，觀看在圣華西里大教堂的洋蔥式圓頂下舉行的新年演唱會，還欣賞了教堂上空的焰火表演。
除了這些新鮮的慶祝方式外，一些舊傳統也被沿襲。
在紐約時代廣場，一百多萬新年狂歡者為水晶球降落儀式舉行一百周年而歡呼喝彩。該傳統始于一世紀前，當時的大球由木頭和鐵打造而成，重達700磅，裝有100個25瓦的白熾燈泡。而今年的水晶球則采用了節能技術，球體外表覆蓋著一層沃特福德水晶，內置9576個發光二極管，發出五彩的光芒。
在英國倫敦，人們聚集在特拉法爾加廣場和泰晤士河畔觀看焰火表演，聆聽“大本鐘”敲響新年鐘聲，“大本鐘”那12下渾厚的鐘聲回蕩在夜空。
在中國，2008年夏季奧運會主辦城市北京舉辦了喜迎“奧運年”的大型主題活動，其中包括焰火表演和歌舞類節目。
悉尼是最早迎來新年的城市之一。新年前夜，悉尼的標志性建筑海港大橋上空綻放出美麗的煙花，100多萬狂歡者歡呼躍雀。
（英語點津姍姍編輯）
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