All eyes would be on Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton and husband, former President Bill Clinton, on Wednesday when they join Mayor Michael Bloomberg in pressing the button that lowers the traditional New Year's Eve ball at Times square here.

The Clintons will join Bloomberg in pressing the ceremonial button and lead one million revellers in the final 60 second countdown ringing in New Year, a tradition which started in 1907 when the city banned traditional fireworks in the historic Times Square.

Around 1,000 balloons will go up and more than a ton of confetti will float down on the crowd below as the ball, 12 feet in diameter and weighing 12,000 pounds, makes its slow journey to the ground.

Strict security measures have been taken and once a person joins the crowd behind barricades, he or she has no way of coming out. Unlike previous years, the weathermen are predicting a very cold night with mercury expected to plunge several points below zero. PTI