New Zealand and Australia end a whimper of a year with a bang

Fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as New Year celebrations begin in Australia. One million people would usually crowd the Sydney Harbour to watch the annual fireworks. But this year authorities advised revelers to watch the fireworks on television amid COVID-19. (AP)

Kiwis around the country are partying to bid farewell to 2020 and welcome in the new year. In pic: Fireworks are launched from the Sky Tower in Auckland to mark New Year 2021. (AP)

New Zealand is one of the first countries in the world to welcome in the New Year. In pic: Fireworks are launched from the Sky Tower in Auckland. (AP)

After a year of the pandemic, which brought with it deaths, lockdowns, economic insecurities and anxiety, the world is set for a new beginning in 2021. In pic: Visitors wearing face masks walk near New Year banner at a department store in Seoul, South Korea. (AP)

People ride scooters in front of a banner welcoming the New Year 2021 in Vung Tau city, Vietnam. (AP)

Tourists celebrate New Year's Eve in snow-covered Gulmarg. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

Fireworks explode over Hagley Park in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, during New Year celebrations. (AP)

Chennai: Napier bridge gets dynamic lighting system to mark new yer celebrations. (PTI)

Young women along with children prepare to welcome the New Year 2021 in Thane, Maharashtra. (PTI Photo)

A boy makes heart sign while the last sunset of 2020 hangs over the Sindh's provincial capital of Karachi, Pakistan. (AP)