Explore Business Standard
Christmas
Mizoram witnessed an increase in tourists visiting the northeastern state this year to take part in the Christmas celebrations involving traditional feasts at different local churches, a minister said. The tourist footfall in this year-end festivities has surged more than ever before, most apparently due to the railway link, which made travel more affordable, and several tourism promotional initiatives collectively taken by the government and the people, Mizoram Tourism minister Lalnghinglova Hmar said. He said that, unlike before, more foreign and domestic tourists were seen participating in several church services, zaikhawm (congregational singing services) and community feasts organised by local churches to witness the rich culture of Mizos in celebrating Christmas, which is a blend of religious and traditional fervour. He said that hotels and homestays were packed with tourists since November, which indicated the surge in tourists during these festivities. State Tourism Directo
Istanbul police launched scores of simultaneous raids on Thursday, detaining over a hundred suspected members of the militant Islamic State group who were allegedly planning attacks against Christmas and New Year's celebrations, authorities said. A statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said police were tipped off that the extremist group had called for action -- particularly against non-Muslims -- during the celebrations. The office had issued warrants for 137 suspects, of whom 115 were detained. Officers also seized many firearms, cartridges and documents during the raids. It said 124 locations were raided. The arrests come days after the Trump administration launched widespread military strikes in neighbouring Syria to "eliminate" Islamic State fighters and weapons' sites in retaliation for an ambush blamed on the group that killed two US troops and an American civilian interpreter. Syrian security forces have also launched operations against IS in recent .
Pope Leo XIV during his first Christmas Day homily on Thursday remembered the people of Gaza exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold and said the world's many conflicts can only be silenced through dialogue. Leo led the Christmas Day Mass from the central altar beneath the balustrade of St Peter's Basilica, adorned with floral garlands and clusters of red poinsettias. White flowers were set at the feet of a statue of Mary, mother of Jesus, whose birth is celebrated on Christmas Day. Recalling that God was made flesh through Jesus's birth in a manger in Bethlehem, Leo likened God's word to a fragile tent among us. How then can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold; and of those so many other refugees and displaced persons on every continent, or of the makeshift shelters of thousands of homeless people in our own cities,' Leo said. The pontiff also recalled the fragility of defenceless populations, tried by so many wars,' and of young people for
The Justice Department said Wednesday that finishing the release of all of the Jeffrey Epstein files could take a few more weeks, further delaying compliance with a December 19 deadline set by Congress. The department said the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York, as well as the FBI, found more than a million more documents that could be relevant to the Epstein case. DOJ did not say in its statement when they were informed of those new files. DOJ insisted in its statement that its lawyers are working around the clock to review those documents and make the redactions required under the law, passed nearly unanimously by Congress last month. We will release the documents as soon as possible, the department said. Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attended a Christmas morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption here along with a large congregation of Christians of Delhi and north India. The service included prayers, carols, hymns and a special prayer for the prime minister by Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Swarup, the Bishop of Delhi. "Attended the Christmas morning service at The Cathedral Church of the Redemption in Delhi. The service reflected the timeless message of love, peace and compassion. May the spirit of Christmas inspire harmony and goodwill in our society," Modi said in a post on X. Earlier, the prime minister greeted citizens on Christmas. "Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas filled with peace, compassion and hope. May the teachings of Jesus Christ strengthen harmony in our society," he said in another post on X. Over the last few years, PM Modi has been regularly attending programmes connected with the Christian community. During Easter in 2023, he attended a program
Delhi Police has intensified security arrangements across the national capital, deploying nearly 20,000 personnel to ensure law and order on Christmas and the upcoming New Year celebrations, an official said. Security has also been tightened along Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, and in areas adjoining Rajasthan, as a large influx of people is expected from neighbouring states for Christmas and year-end festivities, the official said. "Nearly 20,000 police personnel, including traffic police and paramilitary forces, have been deployed across the city to prevent hooliganism, ensure public safety and curb traffic violations," the official said. Additional pickets, barricades and deployment of paramilitary forces have been put in place at major entry points to check nuisance and unlawful activities by people entering the city, he added. The police said security will also be reinforced at 15 major entry points to Delhi, where vehicles from adjoining states are expected t
Thousands of people flocked to Bethlehem's Manger Square on Christmas Eve as families there and at other sites across the Holy Land heralded a much-needed boost of holiday spirit, after two years of subdued celebrations because of the war in Gaza. At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV presided over his first Midnight Mass in St Peter's Basilica. In his homily, he marvelled at the "wisdom" of the Christmas story an infant Jesus born to save mankind. "In the face of the suffering of the poor, (God) sends one who is defenceless to be the strength to rise again," the first US pope told a packed basilica. Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born, had cancelled Christmas celebrations during the war. But on Wednesday, the giant Christmas tree returned to Manger Square, temporarily replacing the wartime nativity scene of baby Jesus surrounded by rubble and barbed wire in a homage to Gaza's suffering. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic leader in the Holy Land, kicked off t
President Donald Trump marked Christmas Eve by quizzing children calling in about what presents they were excited about receiving, while promising not to let a "bad Santa" infiltrate the country and even suggesting that a stocking full of coal may not be so bad. Vacationing at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the president and first lady Melania Trump, participated in the tradition of talking to youngsters dialling into the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which playfully tracks Santa's progress around the globe. "We want to make sure that Santa is being good. Santa's a very good person," Trump said while speaking to kids ages 4 and 10 in Oklahoma. "We want to make sure that he's not infiltrated, that we're not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa." He didn't elaborate. Trump has often marked Christmases past with criticisms of his political enemies, including in 2024, when he posted, "Merry Christmas to the Radical Left Lunatics." During his first term, Trump wrote