Europe set to mark 75 years since defeat of Nazis

Europe is preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis and the end of World War II on Friday despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

On 8 May 1945, war in Europe came to an end.

As word of German General Alfred Jodl's surrender in Reims spread around the globe, celebrations broke out from New York to London, to Paris and Moscow.

In towns and cities around the world, people marked victory with street parties, dancing and singing.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the nation to announce the ceasefire.

In London, thousands of revellers swarmed Buckingham Palace, the Mall and Trafalgar Square, carrying British flags and jubilant smiles.

After years of wartime restrictions and conflict - including food and clothes rationing, bombing raids and blackouts - people were keen to let loose.

Londoners celebrated in the streets and many went to Buckingham Palace, where King George VI appeared on the balcony alongside his wife Queen Elizabeth, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret and the Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

In Germany, pictures filmed in Berlin in July 1945 show that many buildings were in a state of ruin or severely damaged but one of the capital's famous landmarks, the Brandenburg Gate, remained intact.