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People around the globe ring in 2012 with a variety of parades, gatherings and other celebrations

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Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during New Year's celebrations in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012.Rick Rycroft/AP

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Revellers wave during the New Year celebrations in Hong Kong's Times Square Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012.Kin Cheung/AP

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A man dressed as Father Frost, the local equivalent of Santa Claus, receives a kiss from his "granddaughter" Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) during a New Year's Day parade in Bishkek December 31, 2011.VLADIMIR PIROGOV/REUTERS

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People carry a 30-feet (9.1 m) kite to fly during New Year's Day celebrations in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad December 31, 2011.AMIT DAVE/REUTERS

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Students sit in a formation during their New Year's Day celebrations at a school in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad December 31, 2011.AMIT DAVE/REUTERS

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A monk stands in front of a fire to burn old items which have been used in temples and shrines, during a New Year's Eve ceremony at the Zojo-ji Buddhist temple in Tokyo December 31, 2011.KIM KYUNG-HOON/REUTERS

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A vendor sells effigies of Lima's Mayor Susana Villaran and others in a market in Lima, December 30, 2011. Peruvians traditionally burn effigies of unpopular figures from the past year as part of New Year's celebrations.MARIANA BAZO/REUTERS

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin delivers his New Year's address to the nation at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow December 31, 2011.RIA Novosti/Alexsey Druginyn/Reuters

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People gather with their bicycles at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei December 31, 2011. Hundreds of thousands people participated in a bike ride around Taiwan on New Year's Eve as part of an attempt to achieve a Guinness World Record of the largest bicycle parade in the world. Various groups began from 1000 starting points around the island and cycled clock-wise towards the next starting point within one hour.PICHI CHUANG/REUTERS

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NATO troops from the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) sing a song during celebrations on New Year's Eve in Kabul Dec. 31, 2011.OMAR SOBHANI

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Fireworks explode over the temple of the Parthenon atop the hill of the Acropolis during New Year's day celebrations in Athens January 1, 2012.JOHN KOLESIDIS

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Lebanese watch a firework display the New Year's celebrations in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012.Bilal Hussein

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People light fireworks during 2012 New Year's day celebrations in central Bucharest, Romania January 1, 2012.RADU SIGHETI

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Fireworks explode over the Houses of Parliament, including St Stephen's Tower which holds the bell known as Big Ben as London celebrates the arrival of New Year's Day Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012.Alastair Grant

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Women use sparklers to draw "2012" for photographers, in front of a house, as they celebrate New Years Eve in Manila, Philippines Dec. 31, 2011.ROMEO RANOCO

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Singer Lady Gaga rehearses before her performance for celebrations on New Year's Eve in Times Square in New York, December 31, 2011.EDUARDO MUNOZ

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