:00:21. > :00:23.Hello, good evening - New Year celebrations are underway
:00:24. > :00:25.across the world with New Zealand and Australia amongst
:00:26. > :00:33.Many cities have stepped up security with concrete barriers blocking off
:00:34. > :00:36.central squares to prevent attacks like the recent ones
:00:37. > :00:42.In cities including London thousands of extra police will be on duty
:00:43. > :00:52.as our correspondent Helena Lee reports.
:00:53. > :01:04.Sydney, Australia, one of the first cities to welcome in 2017.
:01:05. > :01:06.The Harbour Bridge the focus of their spectacular display.
:01:07. > :01:16.Soon after, it was Hong Kong's turn and this was their party.
:01:17. > :01:20.In London, they're preparing for tonight's celebrations.
:01:21. > :01:23.The Met Police says it is not had any specific intelligence
:01:24. > :01:25.to point to an attack, but they've looked at
:01:26. > :01:29.what happened in Berlin and Nice and adjusted their plans.
:01:30. > :01:33.There'll be more than 3000 visible police officers present tonight.
:01:34. > :01:38.As in the past, there will be officers with firearms,
:01:39. > :01:41.but the key thing is to strike the balance, and none of us wants
:01:42. > :01:45.to disrupt the enjoyment all of us want to have on New Year's Eve.
:01:46. > :01:48.We can't allow the bad guys to spoil our way of life.
:01:49. > :01:50.In other European cities, including Berlin, security
:01:51. > :01:59.In her New Year's Eve address, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel
:02:00. > :02:01.acknowledged the threat her country faces.
:02:02. > :02:04.TRANSLATION: The biggest test, without a doubt,
:02:05. > :02:06.is Islamist terrorism, which has had Germany
:02:07. > :02:17.In 2016 it attacked us in Wurzburg, Asbach and just a few days ago
:02:18. > :02:20.in the Christmas market here in Berlin.
:02:21. > :02:22.Other political leaders sending New Year messages
:02:23. > :02:35.Around the world millions of people are getting ready
:02:36. > :02:46.to celebrate their New Year's Eve, welcoming in 2017 in style.
:02:47. > :02:48.Our correspondent Jonathan Blake is in central London now,
:02:49. > :02:57.no signs of the crowds staying away tonight?
:02:58. > :03:03.Just in the last half an hour, the first of the hundred thousand of
:03:04. > :03:09.people who have tickets to watch the display have started filling the
:03:10. > :03:15.viewing area is here on the embankment and across at the River
:03:16. > :03:19.Thames. That heavy police presence is really a reassuring to the people
:03:20. > :03:23.watching the display but also a reminder of the security threat. As
:03:24. > :03:29.for the display itself, 12 minutes carefully synchronised to a
:03:30. > :03:39.carefully chosen soundtrack which will pay tribute to some of the
:03:40. > :03:42.artists we have lost. There will be 50,000 individual explosions and it
:03:43. > :03:44.all kicks off as Big Ben chimes midnight.
:03:45. > :03:47.The New Year's honours list has been dominated by Britain's
:03:48. > :03:50.There are knighthoods for Andy Murray and Mo Farah.
:03:51. > :03:52.And from the world of entertainment there's a knighthood
:03:53. > :04:03.Our entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba has the details.
:04:04. > :04:07.Ending the year with a win on the court and with a knighthood
:04:08. > :04:10.to his name, the title Sir Andy, though, could take
:04:11. > :04:15.It feels, obviously, more normal to me, but it's
:04:16. > :04:18.obviously a big honour and I'm happy with that, a nice way to finish
:04:19. > :04:27.Olympic champion Mo Farah says his knighthood is a dream come true.
:04:28. > :04:30.London 2012 gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill has become
:04:31. > :04:32.a Dame, as has rower Katherine Grainger, after five
:04:33. > :04:44.In the world of entertainment, one of Britain's's favourite
:04:45. > :04:47.performers Ken Dodd has received a knighthood.
:04:48. > :04:50.I said to the fella I said, excuse me, can you help me out?
:04:51. > :04:52.He said certainly, which way did you come in?
:04:53. > :04:55.The best day ever, you can't get better than this.
:04:56. > :04:57.I've played lots of big theatres, but this is it,
:04:58. > :05:04.The Bucket Residencs, lady of the house speaking.
:05:05. > :05:15.Actress Patricia Routledge, she's been made a dame.
:05:16. > :05:17.Kinks front man Ray Davies said he felt humility
:05:18. > :05:22.A knighthood, too, for award-winning actor Mark Rylance.
:05:23. > :05:24.Victoria Beckham becomes an OBE for services
:05:25. > :05:31.The Hillsborough Independent Panel was chaired by the former
:05:32. > :05:33.Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones.
:05:34. > :05:40.Obviously great pride, but mixed with sadness
:05:41. > :05:45.because of that enduring sadness of the families, who have continued
:05:46. > :05:48.to feel the loss of their loved ones at Hillsborough.
:05:49. > :05:50.He's one of hundreds being recognised for their contributions
:05:51. > :06:03.The United Nations has unanimously approved a resolution endorsing
:06:04. > :06:06.Russia and Turkey brokered the truce.
:06:07. > :06:09.It's the third ceasefire this year as part of efforts to end nearly six
:06:10. > :06:18.So-called Islamic State has said it carried out two bombings at a busy
:06:19. > :06:21.market in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad this morning, killing
:06:22. > :06:23.More than fifty other people were wounded.
:06:24. > :06:26.A third blast happened later in east of the city.
:06:27. > :06:33.Our correspondent Jonny Dymond reports.
:06:34. > :06:41.For Iraqis, 2016 ends as it began - with bloodshed and grief.
:06:42. > :06:44.Just one of the shoppers and traders slaughtered on a Saturday morning.
:06:45. > :06:51.There were two bombs, one in a car park's shop,
:06:52. > :06:54.then another when a crowd had formed around the first.
:06:55. > :07:02.Fathers, and sisters, and mothers, and brothers.
:07:03. > :07:10.TRANSLATION: When we heard the explosion, we found many
:07:11. > :07:13.people killed and wounded, whom we rescued and sent to the hospital.
:07:14. > :07:15.Why does this happen in Iraq, why to the Iraqi people?
:07:16. > :07:21.To the north, the battle to take Mosul, Iraq's
:07:22. > :07:23.second city, from so-called Islamic State continues.
:07:24. > :07:29.It's a long slog, and for many residents the only way is out.
:07:30. > :07:31.Three more months, Iraq's government says, the action might take.
:07:32. > :07:34.Maybe next year will be better, but many Iraqis are giving up,
:07:35. > :07:54.as they flee their battered city with nothing but bags and suitcases.
:07:55. > :07:56.In today's football, Chelsea continued the remarkable run
:07:57. > :07:58.that's taken them to the top of the Premier League,
:07:59. > :08:03.Liverpool and Manchester City both had the chance to close the gap
:08:04. > :08:09.a short time ago with Liverpool winning by one goal to nil,
:08:10. > :08:11.thanks to a goal scored after just 7 minutes.
:08:12. > :08:14.It means Liverpool stay second - now 6 points behind leaders Chelsea.
:08:15. > :08:17.In Scotland it was the turn of Old Firm rivals
:08:18. > :08:20.Celtic and Rangers who met at Ibrox at lunchtime - as our sports
:08:21. > :08:32.It remains one of football's fiercest and noisiest rivalries.
:08:33. > :08:34.Amid the customary cacophony, though, a minute's silence in memory
:08:35. > :08:46.of the 66 fans who died in a crush at Ibrox in 1971.
:08:47. > :08:47.After that reflection, time for the action.
:08:48. > :08:50.Celtic, the runaway league leaders, but thanks to Kenny Miller's perfect
:08:51. > :08:52.timing, it was Rangers that seized the initiative.
:08:53. > :08:54.Celtic soon responded, though, and in thunderous fashion.
:08:55. > :08:58.Mousa Dembele's blistering volley levelling it up at the break.
:08:59. > :09:00.And just after it, Celtic should have been ahead.
:09:01. > :09:03.Dembele denied by the bar, Scott Sinclair the side netting.
:09:04. > :09:08.With barely 20 minutes left, finally their pressure paid off.
:09:09. > :09:12.For Sinclair this time unmissable, Celtic seemingly unstoppable.
:09:13. > :09:16.Rangers did nearly equalise, Miller agonisingly close,
:09:17. > :09:22.It might not even be January, but the title
:09:23. > :09:31.There's more throughout the evening on the BBC News Channel,
:09:32. > :09:35.but for now on BBC1 its time for the news where you are.