CNN International will use December 31 to bring together what it describes as the "global village" with 100 hours of live coverage of the worldwide millennium celebrations. From the popping of the first corks on December 31 to the opening of the Asian money markets on January 3, CNN is utilising 4,000 staff, 850 global broadcast affiliates and 60 correspondents to broadcast across the globe.

Based in strategic and historic locations, CNN will track the first sunset of December 31 1999 and the last sunrise of January 1 2000. London’s Millennium Dome will be at the centre of CNN’s international coverage.

"This is the biggest event in the history of television, a global party for six billion people and CNN is at the heart of it," said Chris Cramer, president of CNN International. "No other news event has ever captured the imagination, will use so many technical and staff resources, or unite people from around the world like millennium night will."

Anchoring key locations will be CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer at the Mall in Washington, DC and CNN anchor Jim Moret from the Great Pyramids in Egypt. CNN anchors Carol Lin and Joie Chen will be reporting from Times Square in New York City, CNNI anchor Michael Holmes will be in Sydney and CNN Beirut bureau chief Brent Sadler will be in Rome. CNN Hong Kong bureau chief Mike Chinoy will be reporting from Gisborne, New Zealand, CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Walter Rodgers from Israel, CNNI anchor Sonia Russeler from Caracas, Venezuela, and CNN Havana bureau chief Lucia Newman from Havana, Cuba.