Christians Around the World Welcome New Year 2006

|PIC1|Christians joined the millions of other revellers around the world who saw in the new year with festive celebrations amid calls for peace from the United States and Iraqi presidents.

Thousands braved the freezing temperatures to countdown the last seconds of 2005 in New York’s Time Square, with special tributes also paid to relief workers who were involved in the huge rescue and clean up operation in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Police reported a surprising number of tourists had joined with the residents of New Orleans in the city’s famous French Quarter to bid farewell to a difficult year. A concert and fireworks over the Mississippi River were accompanied this year by more sombre tradition jazz funeral processions in memory of the victims.

The New Year celebrations came saw tight security in major cities worldwide, with France putting out 25,000 police and paramilitary gendarmes on duty across the country in an effort to avoid a repeat of the recent urban violence in many French towns and cities in recent months.

London was particularly keen to celebrate the coming of the New Year following the July 7 terror attacks, with a 10-minute firework display over the London Eye.

"We will not let our resolve slip to tackle the dangers we face, both at home, as so tragically illustrated on July 7, and abroad," Prime Minister Tony Blair said in his New Year message.

|AD|The famous London landmark was lit up in the colours of the five Olympic rings to celebrate London’s successful Olympic host bid.

US President George Bush announced his resolutions for the year ahead, which included working for peace and prosperity, whilst in Baghdad, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said he hoped a new government of national unity would help improve public services and bring an end to the insurgency in the coming year.

"Problems of lack of security, electricity and water persist and I hope they will be areas of priority for the new government, which we hope will be one of national unity," Talabani said on Iraqi television.

Scotland also saw in the New Year in true high-spirited style, with around 250,000 revellers cramming the country’s capital for Edinburgh’s world-famous Hogmanay celebration. The massive event was headlined by Scots stars Texas and KT Tunstall, with crowds in Glasgow dancing until the bells to Scottish headliners Hue and Cry and Athlete.

Scotland’s First Minister Jack McConnell praised the efforts of Scotland’s young people and called for the nation to embrace new talent.

“Our aim must be a Scotland where everyone's talents are nurtured and encouraged, and no young Scot is written off as a failure,” he said.

The New Year cheer was marred in the Middle East, however, by a nationwide alert after a truce by Palestinian militant groups expired, with Israeli television and radio reporting 50 security alerts.

New Year celebrations were also dampened in Indonesia after suspected Islamic militants detonated a bomb in a Christian market.

However, despite these incidents, the world's Christian leaders have overwhelmingly given messages of hope for the new year.