In Pictures: Celebrations of a different kind on New Year’s Eve

Fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as New Year celebrations begin in Australia (Mark Baker/AP)

This New Year’s Eve is being celebrated like no other, with pandemic restrictions limiting crowds in many places.

From New York’s Times Square to Sydney Harbour, big public blowouts are being turned into TV-only shows and digital events. But New Zealand, Taiwan and other places with successes against the virus are celebrating like usual.