Public voting in a new poll will decide a 21st century set of Seven Wonders of the World. A shortlist of 21 global historical landmarks has been created by a Swiss organisation, the New 7 Wonders Foundation. Public phone voting will culminate in the announcement of the New Seven Wonders on January 1st, 2007.

The foundation’s aim is to highlight the plight of the world’s cultural heritage; the shortlisted monuments had to be man-made, predate the year 2000 and in a decent state of preservation. They include the Acropolis in Greece, Yucatan (Mexico), the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, New York’s Statue of Liberty and Stonehenge in the UK. The pyramids of Giza in Egypt are the only original ancient wonder included in the list.