The new year was welcomed across the world with mostly muted celebrations, as coronavirus lockdowns and curfews quashed large gatherings. Sydney's famed fireworks display played out to a largely empty harbour, while Vietnam's success tackling Covid-19 saw large crowds meet in Hanoi. In Europe, Paris's streets were empty as the clock struck midnight, while Berlin's ban on fireworks was ignored by some. In London, Big Ben chimed at the start of 2021, just one hour after the same bells marked the UK's final exit from the EU

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World takes in muted New Year's Eve under Covid shadow ► https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/31/world-prepares-for-muted-new-years-eve-under-covid-shadow

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