New Year Live

continuation of the same weather, I am afraid, and that means some

turbulent conditions, and that means some turbulent conditions, not just

for new year's day, also looking into the weekend as well. No change

in the weather and pattern just yet. -- weather pattern just yet.

Celebrations are well under way around the country ahead of the

countdown to the new year. We can go over to central London and our

correspondent Jonathan Blake, who's on the Embankment. The weather is

holding off until about a half an hour ago. It is quite chilly in here

and a little bit damp, but the crowds, who have been gathered here

for several hours into the night, it has not put them off their dancing.

They are doing anything they can to keep her all stop the fireworks

display as Chicago keep warm. We have heard that the -- the fireworks

display, we have heard it will be one of the best we have seen. There

will be tastes and smells as well. This will be the first 73 fireworks

display, and with me are the creators -- sensory fireworks

display, and with me are the creators of the display. Tonight,

the first multi sensory display. The fireworks will go into the sky and

he will smell strawberries. There will be been an attempt at becoming

out of the sky. It will look a bit like this. -- banana confetti. We

have heard this will go to the next level. It must be daunting to create

something on this scale with the world watching. This is one of the

world's largest flavour experiences ever to happen, and we are grateful

for Vodafone for allowing it to happen tonight. We have been working

on it for a year. Vodafone asked us what we would like to do for a world

first and this is it. We're going to experience it with tens of thousands

of people. We know you have been working hard, so fingers crossed it

all goes according to plan. Enjoy the show. It will be the added

elements. It is the fireworks that everyone is here to see. And just a

few minutes, Big Bend will chime midnight. 11 minutes of fireworks.

Pyrotechnics fired into the sky. Then I will once again be the

centrepiece of that display -- the lens and I will once again be the

centrepiece of that display which will bring in the new year in style.

We may not have reached 2014 just yet here in the UK, but other parts

of the world have already welcomed in the New.Year. First to see 2014

were Samoa and Christmas Island in the Pacific and there it's already

lunchtime on January first. Nick Beake looks at the best of the

celebrations so far. Tonight, at the world's tallest

holding, a stunning world record attempt. You buy hopes it half a

million fireworks will go down as the biggest ever new year's display.

The highest rockets were said to reach one km high. On the ground,

they captured the start of 2014 in a spectacle which stretched over 30

miles of the front. But as ever, Sydney's efforts were spectacular.

More than 1 million people crammed into the harbour. They watched more

than seven tonnes of pyrotechnics illuminate the city skyline. For

many, this reminds -- remained head and shoulders above the rest, and

that is an accolade the Australians will be loath to relinquish. The

Great Wall of China became a canvas of colour for celebrations in and

around Beijing. And this was the party on the waterfront in

Shanghai. Meanwhile, a British cannon fired at midnight in Hong

Kong on a tradition reaching back to the end of the second world war. In

Japan, there was time for prayer and reflection before Shinto priests

rang in the new year. New Zealanders had been among the first to welcome

2014. Fireworks rocketed from a sky tower in Auckland. In the Russian

capital, the Kremlin formed the backdrop for the celebrations, but

there was intent security in Red Square in response to the suicide

bombings in the south of the country in recent days. Meanwhile, this was

new year on board a ship stranded in Antarctica. You wouldn't think they

would be stuck in the ice for nearly a week. The Russian search SL is

carrying 74 scientists, tourists and crew. Attempt to reach the ship has

failed but the ship is stocked with food and is said to not be in

danger. Closer to home, in the past hour, it has been the turn of Berlin

to party. It has been 25 years since the wall which divided the city came

crashing down. Here in the UK, with less than half an hour to go,

Edinburgh is electric. 80,000 people are thought to be in the city centre

or the Hogmanay street party. And in central London, an estimated quarter

of a million have descended on Big Bang, whose chimes surely will

herald the start of 2014. What are the Scottish up to as the

count down to the new year? Our Scotland correspondent is in

Edinburgh now for the Hogmanay celebrations. Edinburgh Castle, as

usual, will be the centrepiece of Evans? You can hear the Pet Shop

Boys playing behind me, and in front of me, the street is packed with

revelers, pipes and drums. 80,000 people are packed into the street

here and thousands more in places) the city centre and right across

Scotland. With the art -- in places right around the city centre. With

me now are some people who have been celebrating. It has been great to be

playing in Edinburgh with so many friendly faces in the crowd. It is a

great atmosphere. Wire a local lad coming to play on a local -- you are

a local lad coming to play for local people on a local stage. Yes. The

first track that was played, the guitar was cut out and all I could

hear was the voices, but everyone was clapping along. It worked out to

be a good gig. What is the atmosphere like when you are up on

the stage and playing for so many people? Brilliant, especially this

gig in particular. Nothing can go wrong. Everyone is very happy and it

is a fantastic place to be. Thank you very much. You look at the

number of people here this evening. This is Edinburgh at its best.

Absolutely. It is a fantastic crowd. We are very proud of the capital

city and Hogmanay is very special to us. It is a special time for us.

Everyone is having a fantastic time and it is going really well. You

have only got ten minutes to go. I will be back there watching the

fantastic fireworks display and I would not miss it for the world. It

is three days of Evans, said there is plenty going on tomorrow as

well. There was -- events, so there is plenty going on tomorrow as well.

This has been the centrepiece. I have met people from all over the

world to have come here because the hear this is the capital of

Hogmanay. As someone who is part of the city, how is it to welcome all

of these people? It is fantastic. It is such a great city. We are all

very proud of it. It is a very international city. Everywhere you

look, people are enjoying themselves with all different languages and

cultures. It is a tremendous atmosphere and everybody is really

excited. What can we expect from the fireworks? Can you give us any

hints? Very complicated and very well-planned. We are very lucky with

the weather. I am sure it will all go really well. It is going to be

big. We have seven Hills in Edinburgh, so it would not all be in

one place. Wherever you are in the city it will look fantastic. Right

along princes Street, we got big screens with live music stages, and

it will be some party. World-class party. Thank you both very much. I

can tell you, this marks the start of a momentous year for Scotland.

When those bells ring in just a few moments, we have the Commonwealth

games, the Ryder Cup, and of course, the independence referendum. For

now, for the 80,000 people that have packed into the street, the moment

is soon to arrive. There are manual press buttons on their laptops.

65,000 fireworks will light up the castles from 52 separate locations.

That is what we can expect in just a few moments. Many thanks. What a

momentous year it will be for the Scots in 2014. The clock is ticking

closer to midnight. For more on how things are going on in Central

London, let's go to Jonathan, who is on the embankment. He is waiting for

us. 80,000 people will be in the centre of Emperor to celebrate. How

many are you expecting where you are?

The organisers are saying there is room for 250,000 people in the

viewing areas for tonight's IRIX display. -- fireworks display. It is

30 or so deep in front of me. People have been waiting very patiently all

afternoon. And the last half an hour or so, the wind has whipped up a bit

and people's umbrellas have gone up, but everyone is in good spirits

and they will not let a little bit of bad weather brewing 2014's

firework display. It is set to last 15 minutes -- 11 minutes, 12,000

pyrotechnics shooting into the night's sky. The London eye will be

the centrepiece of tonight's display for this now world-famous

celebration, with the eyes of the world and London. There are three

barges lined up and the River Thames, which have pyrotechnic

equipment on them, and they will add to the display. We have heard about

the added elements, the extrasensory element, that organisers say will

make this a world first. There will be peach flavoured snow and orange

bubbles, which will add to the experience. It is of course the

fireworks which people are here to see, and organisers are promising

that, although 2013 was not perhaps the iconic year that's 2012 was,

this will be the best fireworks display that London has ever seen.

The music has stopped, the countdown is now on, and there is very little

time to go before the corridor of a million people here packing the

embankment ridges across the Thames and other roads in central London

are waiting to see, the fireworks display which promises to welcome in

2014 here in London in style. Jonathan lies in central London on

the waiting for -- Jonathan lies in the en banc met in central London.

We will show you the scene as we wait for Big Bend to reach midnight

to usher in 2014. The London eye there, lit up in blue, hovering

above embankment there. 50,000 people gathered and there are

viewing areas rather -- viewing areas along the Thames for another

100,000 people to see all of the action. As we have been hearing, 36

seconds to go, a century experience as well -- a sensory experience as

well. Fruit flavoured bubbles will descend from the skies as a people

can actually taste the atmosphere as 2014 is ushered in.

(COUNTDOWN). (BELL TOLLS).

# I need to know...can you love me again? # London calling... # This is

London. # London calling. # Let's dance.

# Let's dance. # We gonna let it burn, burn, burn,

burn. # It's gonna get, it's gonna get,

it's gonna get louder. Indeed, 24 team are in in

spectacular style. -- 2014. Illuminated by all of those

fireworks, on the banks of the Thames River. 60,000 people in that

area. And along the Thames, another 100,000 or so. All welcoming in the

new year. Well, of course the New Year celebrations have been going on

around the country. Let's take a look at what happened in Edinburgh.

Another spectacular show. These celebrations are going to go on for

another couple of days? This is three days worth of celebrations in

what they described as the capital of the world. It was a momentous

moment. You often think, about fireworks, about a man lighting a

match but now, 15,000 fireworks. The pet shop those are still playing

behind me. Up the hill you can hear the fiddles and pipes. Up in the

mountains there are further stages where people are enjoying

themselves. People were holding hands, singing, a moment for people

to come together. This is a momentous year for Scotland. We have

the Commonwealth games, the Ryder Cup, huge sporting events coming to

Scotland but then there is that decision for the people here on

September 18, on whether or not Scotland should be an independent

country. All of that is for the year to come. This moment is all people

to enjoy wherever you are. Had picked new year to everybody. But at

happy New Year to everybody. Now we go to central London. Have you had a

sensory experience tonight? What did the bubble taste like? The extra

sensory element did add something to the display but frankly it was at

the fireworks were catching everybody's attention. Simply

overwhelming to witness a close. Happy New Year from everyone here in

central London. I have here at two of the men responsible for putting

on the show. It all seemed to go according to plan's absolutely

fantastic. It went 100%. We got hit by a loss of rain beforehand but it

actually added to the atmosphere at the display it was a good effort and

what an experience we have given to hundreds of thousands of people who

are came down here. crowds were promised the best display, what made

it special for you's the synchronisation with the music

worked quite well. Considering the weather, and the other elements, I

am delighted with the way it has gone and hopefully that is a pat on

the back for each other. It seems like the crowd here enjoyed it. What

amount of planning went to put on a show like this? It is down to micro

second start. There is the music, what the display looks like, we put

it into animation. It is not just the two of us, there is a huge team

- around 3000 people working in our team in London. Without them and

without the masses of other people who helped, no one could do it. It

is brilliant. For someone who has witnessed it up close for the first

time, it is incredible. The last few minutes was a real crescendo, the

likes of which we have not seen before. It was a superb finale. It

impressed me as well. I thought I knew what was coming but it even

took me by supply. Congratulations again. Talk us through how it works,

when the display starts, is there someone with a finger up on the

button? It is all automated. Today there are special effects all fired

by a GPS. We are aligning to Big Ben -150 years old. We need to make sure

that the clock Tower team have got themselves a mind to make sure we

are synchronised. It is modern and older technology. You have many

years of experience but it is something you cannot practice, there

is no dress rehearsal. You must be nervous in the minutes leading up to

it? It is probably the two hours so before midnight. The anxiety, the

stress. We are relying on a lot of people to have done their jobs

properly. It went well so I am delighted and now we have the relief

that we have done a good job. For a few days and then you start planning

for next year? We hope we have the opportunity to do so. We have been

doing it for ten years and we would like to do it for more.

Congratulations. Well done and a happy New Year to you. The best that

London has seen, according to the organisers, everything went

according to plan. The crowds starting to dispose slowly but the

rain has stopped. There were a few showers before midnight but,

frankly, people who waited with not going to put -- let those put them

off. It went off with lots of banks! -- The rebel leader in South Sudan,

Riek Machar, has agreed to peace talks with the Government just hours

after his forces attacked the strategically important town

let's have a look at how the world agreed to 2014.

Wow, what a lot of fire power. Just some of the scenes as the world hush

as in 2014. Now it is time to look at the weather for