Britain's world famous Big Ben chimed in Brexit as the EU marked the first departure from the bloc that was built in the ruins of the Second World War.
As EU nations such as France and Germany celebrated a subdued new year and marked Brexit at 11pm, the UK honoured the moment by letting Big Ben, from behind the scaffolding of a multimillion-pound makeover, to ring out.
For Britain, 2021 was still an hour away but like the rest of the continent, the coronavirus seemed to take precedent over new starts and new years.
In the squares and riverside paths below Big Ben, there were no cheers from jubilant Brexit crowds, or any crowds.
Westminster Bridge, the nearest River Thames crossing to Parliament, was nearly deserted with just a handful of people walking across, rather than the tens of thousands who usually cram on to the bridge to watch fireworks.
London was largely quiet under a coronavirus-enforced lockdown that includes closing all restaurants except for takeaways and orders to work from home.
The new UK-EU trade deal brings its own restrictions and red tape, but for British Brexit supporters, it means reclaiming national independence from the EU and its web of rules.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose support for Brexit helped to push the country out of the EU, said it was "an amazing moment for this country".
"We have our freedom in our hands and it is up to us to make the most of it," he said in a New Year video message.
The break came 11 months after a political Brexit that left the two sides in the limbo of a transition period.
It was a day some had been longing for and others had been dreading since Britain voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, but it turned out to be something of an anti-climax.
In the June 23 referendum, 17.4 million voters, or 52 per cent, backed Brexit while 16.1 million, or 48 per cent, backed staying in the bloc.
The vote showed a UK divided about much more than the EU, and fuelled soul searching about matters ranging from secession and immigration to capitalism, the legacy of empire and what it now means to be British.
Leaving the EU was once the far-fetched dream of a motley crew of eurosceptics on the fringes of British politics.
But the turmoil of the eurozone crisis, attempts to integrate the EU further, fears about mass immigration and discontent with leaders in London helped Brexiteers to win the referendum with a message of patriotic, if vague, hope.
In Berlin, Germany, there was music and fireworks at the Brandenburg Gate but no people watching.
“There is a ban on gatherings throughout the city this year, both on New Year’s Eve and on New Year’s Day, and we are on site with sufficient forces to monitor compliance with the ban,” said Berlin police spokeswoman Undine Schmidt.
"Of course, there is also a special focus on infection control."
Germany also congratulated Portugal for taking over the rotating presidency of the EU.
Parisian streets were also near empty as 2021 began. French police manned checkpoints in the capital, as the country's coronavirus restrictions continued into the new year.
The country has not instituted a national lockdown but rising case numbers prompted a national curfew of 8pm to 6am, while venues in the capital are closed.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Biography
Her family: She has four sons, aged 29, 27, 25 and 24 and is a grandmother-of-nine
Favourite book: Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Favourite drink: Water
Her hobbies: Reading and volunteer work
Favourite music: Classical music
Her motto: I don't wait, I initiate
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
The specs: 2018 Honda City
Price, base: From Dh57,000
Engine: 1.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 118hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 146Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
THREE
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