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New Year Eve
The Delhi Traffic Police issued 868 challans for drunken driving on New Year's Eve, marking an increase of about 56 per cent over last year when 558 motorists were booked for the offence, officials said on Thursday. "The rise of 56 per cent underscores intensified enforcement and wider deployment of traffic personnel across the national capital during celebrations," a senior officer of the Delhi Traffic Police said. He said that special enforcement teams were stationed on arterial roads, near nightlife hubs and in residential clusters to curb drunken driving, speeding, motorcycle stunts and other dangerous violations. Breathalyser tests were conducted at multiple checkpoints throughout the night, with teams rotating locations to prevent motorists from evading checks. Police said the enforcement drive was supported by extensive CCTV surveillance and real-time coordination among district control rooms to monitor crowd movement and respond swiftly to any incident. In addition to traf
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
Fireworks are typically a celebratory centrepiece of Hong Kong's New Year celebrations. Not this year. The territory will ring in 2026 without spectacular and colourful explosions in the sky over its iconic Victoria Harbor after a massive fire in November that killed at least 161 people. The city's tourism board will instead host a music show Wednesday night featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other singers in Central, a business district that also is home to the famous nightlife hub Lan Kwai Fong. The facades of eight landmarks will turn into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight. Fireworks have long been part of the city's celebrations for the New Year, Lunar New Year and National Day. The pyrotechnic displays against Hong Kong's world-famous skyline of skyscrapers typically draw hundreds of thousands of people including many tourists to both sides of the promenade. Rosanna Law, the territory's secretary for culture, sports and tourism, ...
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
Goa is bracing for an influx of tourists in the run-up to New Year's Eve, as at least five lakh visitors are expected to throng the beaches and party hotspots of the coastal state to usher in the festivities, an official said on Sunday. The state tourism department claimed that the December 6 nightclub fire that killed 25 people in Arpora village in North Goa didn't seem to have impacted the activities. Talking to PTI Videos, State Tourism Director Kedar Naik said Goa is a safe destination, and people will continue to enjoy their New Year celebrations here. Popular beaches are gearing up for grand firework displays, while shacks are transforming into high-energy party zones that will keep buzzing late into the night. The state was fully geared up to receive visitors from India and abroad, Naik said. "Goa is all set to welcome tourists for the New Year's Eve celebrations. We have seen a large number of tourists coming into the state this entire year," he said. While the number of
Federal authorities said Monday that they foiled a plot to bomb multiple sites of two US companies on New Year's Eve in Southern California after arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group. The four suspects were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert east of Los Angeles as they were rehearsing their plot, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference. Officials showed reporters surveillance aerial footage of the suspects moving a large black object in the desert to a table. Officials said they were able to make the arrests before the suspects assembled a functional explosive device. In the criminal complaint, the four suspects named are Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. They are all from the Los Angeles area, Essayli said. Officials did not describe a motive but said they are members of an offshoot of a pro-Palestinian group dubbed the Turtle Island Liberation Front. The
Police penalised more than 23,000 motorists for violating rules, driving drunk, and obstructing traffic, during the New Year celebrations in Mumbai, officials said on Wednesday. While traffic police penalised 17,800 vehicles and collected Rs 89,19,750 fine via e-challans, city police fined 5,670 motorists. Overall, police checked 46,143 vehicles on New Year's eve at 107 places across Mumbai and caught 333 motorists who were driving under the influence of alcohol. The action was taken for drunk driving, obstructing traffic, riding motorbikes without helmets, jumping signals, and entering one-way roads, a traffic police official said. Motorists were also fined for speed violations, driving four-wheelers without wearing the seat belt and using mobile phones while driving, he said. A large number of people assembled at prominent places in Mumbai, including the Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Bandra Bandstand, and Juhu Chowpatty, to ring in the New Year. Security was tightened at key
From Sydney to Vladivostok, communities around the world have begun welcoming 2025 with spectacular light shows, embraces and ice plunges. Auckland became the first major city to celebrate, as thousands thronged downtown or climbed the city's ring of volcanic peaks for a fireworks vantage point. A light display recognized Indigenous people. Countries in the South Pacific Ocean are the first to ring in the New Year, with midnight in New Zealand striking 18 hours before the ball drop in Times Square in New York. Conflict muted acknowledgements of the new year in places like the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine. Fireworks in Sydney Fireworks blasted off the Sydney Harbor Bridge and across the bay. More than a million Australians and others gathered at iconic Sydney Harbor for the celebration. British pop star Robbie Williams led a singalong with the crowd. The celebration also featured Indigenous ceremonies and performances that acknowledged the land's first people. Asia prepares for
More than 14,000 police personnel have been deployed in Mumbai as part of elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order on New Year's eve, officials said on Tuesday. Large gatherings are expected at prominent places in the city, including Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Girgaon Chowpatty, Bandra Bandstand, Juhu and Versova beaches. Also, celebrations at various hotels, restaurants and malls are likely to continue till the wee hours of Wednesday. Hence, police have made arrangements for a strict vigil to avoid any untoward incident in the city, an official said. More than 12,000 police constables, 2,184 officers, 53 assistant commissioners, 29 deputy commissioners and eight additional commissioner-rank officers have been deployed as part of the security arrangements, he said. Police personnel in plain clothes will keep an eye at crowded places to avoid any untoward incident, he said. The New Year celebrations at many places will also be monitored through CCTVs, the off