Europe and US mark VE Day anniversary

[Anthea]

BBC News

0]Events have been held across Europe to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two on the continent.[/size][/b]

Ceremonies were held in Paris, London and Berlin. Moscow will hold its event on Saturday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry joined the commemoration in Paris, laying a wreath at the Arc de Triomphe.

One of the first events was held in the Polish port of Gdansk, at the site where the first shots of the war were fired.

Attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and a number of leaders from eastern European countries, the commemoration began with a 21-gun salute in the city's Westerplatte on the stroke of midnight.

Poland had organised the event as an alternative for those leaders who are boycotting Moscow's Victory Parade because of ongoing tensions over Russia's role in Ukraine's conflict.

But most European leaders attended events in their own country.

Link to Full Article - Photos - Video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32619704