Hundreds of thousands of people crowded on to the Champs Elysees in Paris to see out the old year and usher in the new.

There was high security along some two and half kilometres of the street, but as the clock struck 12 partygoers appeared to have nothing but having a good time on their minds. The night did not passed off completely peacefully, however. Less than two months after several suburbs in the capital and other cities saw sustained rioting, cars were again set on fire and youths threw stones at firefighters. Police say 343 vehicles were burnt before 4am, 20 more than the previous year, and more than 260 people were arrested.

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