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New Year
Fire safety inspections hadn't been carried out for several years at the bar where a fire that broke out at a New Year's party left 40 people dead, and over 100 injured, local authorities said on Tuesday. Investigators have said they believe festive sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire at Le Constellation in the resort town of Crans-Montana when they came too close to the ceiling. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers. The two are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm, and involuntarily causing a fire, according to the Valais region's chief prosecutor. Regional authorities have said that safety inspections were the responsibility of the municipality. On Tuesday, the head of Crans-Montana's municipal government, Nicolas Feraud, said that there ha
From Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds rang in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks or light shows, while others took a more subdued approach. As the clock struck midnight in Japan, temple bells rang, and some climbed mountains to see the year's first sunrise, while a light show with somersaulting jet skis twinkled in Dubai. The countdown to 2026 was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, while in Moscow, people celebrated in the snow. In New York City's Times Square, revellers braved frigid temperatures to celebrate with the famed New Year's Eve ball drop. In Rio de Janeiro, revellers packed more than 4 kilometres (2 1/2 miles) of the city's Copacabana Beach for concerts and a 12-minute fireworks show, despite high tides that had both organisers and tourists worried and large waves that rocked barges carrying fireworks. Other events were more subdued. Hong Kong held limited celebrations following a recent fire at an apartment compl
The Delhi Traffic Police issued 868 challans for drunken driving on New Year's Eve, an officer said on Thursday. Special enforcement teams were deployed across arterial roads, nightlife hubs and residential clusters to curb drunk driving, speeding, motorcycle stunts and other dangerous violations, he said. Breathalyser tests were conducted at multiple checkpoints through the night, with teams rotating locations to deter motorists from evading checks. In addition to traffic enforcement, the Delhi Police mobilised a 20,000-strong force to maintain law and order during celebrations marking the turn of the year. Surveillance through CCTV cameras and real-time coordination among district control rooms were also used to monitor crowd movement and respond swiftly to any incident. Police said special attention was paid to such areas as Connaught Place, Hauz Khas, and Aerocity, which are prone to crowding. The city force said that the drive was aimed not only to penalise violations but al
In view of New Year's Eve celebrations across Maharashtra, the state government has permitted establishments like eateries, restaurants, hotels, orchestra bars and pubs to operate till 5 am on January 1, officials said on Wednesday. The home department issued a "permanent" order on Tuesday night, permitting extended hours to the entertainment and hospitality venues, an official said. This order will now remain in force for Christmas Eve (December 24 night), Christmas (December 25 night) and New Year's Eve (December 31 night) in the future, as hotel and restaurant associations make these requests every year. Many a time, approval gets delayed due to administrative paperwork, he said. While the establishments will be allowed to stay open till 5 am on the specified nights, they will also have to follow specific terms and conditions, the official said. According to the conditions, establishment owners will arrange private security guards inside and outside their premises to avoid law a
In a first, UN chief has issued his New Year's message for the year 2026 in Hindi, among other languages, calling on world leaders today to invest in development, not destruction. Antonio Guterres' New Year message has been issued in 11 languages, including in the six official UN languages of Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish as well as Hindi and Urdu. His video message on the occasion has been issued with Hindi subtitles as well. In an urgent appeal for the new year, Secretary-General Guterres called on world leaders today to get priorities straight and invest in development, not destruction. As we enter the new year, the world stands at a crossroads. Chaos and uncertainty surround us, Guterres said in his message for 2026 Monday. People everywhere are asking: Are leaders even listening? Are they ready to act? He said the scale of human suffering in the world today is staggering - over one-quarter of humanity lives in areas affected by conflict. More than 20
With New Year celebrations expected to draw heavy crowds across the capital, restaurants and clubs in Delhi are stepping up fire and crowd safety measures, including deploying extra staff and conducting frequent mock drills. The heightened vigilance comes after the Delhi Fire Service launched a citywide inspection drive of restaurants, hotels and clubs, particularly in view of the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations, officials said. The inspections focus on checking the functionality of fire-fighting equipment, accessibility of emergency exits and compliance with building by-laws, they said, adding that the exercise follows the Goa nightclub fire that claimed 25 lives. An advisory has been issued to all member establishments to tighten safety protocols, Manpreet Singh, treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said. "We have advised our members to take all necessary precautions, including checking all equipment, ensuring exit doors are clear and functional
The Delhi Police has apprehended 966 people and seized arms, drugs, illegal liquor and vehicles during a large-scale preventive crackdown in southeast Delhi ahead of New Year celebrations, an official said on Saturday. The operation, namely Operation Aaghat 3.0, was launched to curb organised crime, street offences and the activities of habitual criminals in view of heightened public movement during year-end festivities, they said. Of the total, 331 accused were arrested under the Delhi Excise Act, NDPS Act and the Public Gambling Act, while 504 people were apprehended under various preventive provisions, the police said. As part of targeted action, police apprehended 116 listed bad characters, arrested five auto-lifters and four proclaimed offenders, officials added. During the operation, police recovered 21 country-made pistols, 20 live cartridges and 27 knives under the Arms Act. They also seized 12,258 quarters of illicit liquor, 6.01 kg of ganja and Rs 2.36 lakh from gamblers.