Planet-wide party to mark the New Year

The arrival of 2007 has been celebrated across the world. Berlin hosted Germany’s biggest outdoor party on one of the warmest New Year’s Eves in the city on record. Amid the festivities, Germany takes on two key responsibilities from today – the EU’s rotating presidency and the reins of the G8. On the Champs-Elysées, the French greeted the New Year although security fears meant fireworks were forbidden in Paris.

This was not the case in Madrid where the night-sky was lit up to the delight of the crowd, who were determined to celebrate despite Saturday’s car bombing by ETA. Mayor Walter Veltroni kicked off proceedings in the Italian capital, in front of enthusiastic partygoers. Elsewhere in Rome, fireworks left at least 20 people injured. London staged one of Europe’s most spectacular New Year’s Eve shows although bad weather meant the cancellation of many outdoor events further north in the United Kingdom.

The famous gleaming ball dropped to mark the start of 2007 in New York. As many as a million people gathered at Times Square to see in the New Year. Security measures were tightened amid fears of a terrorist attack following the execution of Saddam Hussein. But that did not prevent a typically glittering party in the city that never sleeps.

Copyright © 2010 euronews