Page 6 - New Year

Crowds surge at key streets as India steps in New Year sans Covid curbs

Large crowds thronged popular boulevards, tourist hubs and entertainment centres across India and many joined special prayers at places of worship on Sunday as people stepped out to celebrate the New Year without COVID restrictions. With no major pandemic-related curbs by authorities except advisories to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, revellers marked the beginning of 2023 with gusto, while police kept a tight vigil and hundreds of people faced action for traffic violations like drunk driving. There were massive traffic snarls across the national capital, especially near the India Gate and Connaught Place, while metro stations were teeming with people as many preferred to enjoy outdoors on a sunny Sunday after muted New Year celebrations for two years due to COVID-19. In Jammu and Kashmir, devotees lined up to pay obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in the Reasi district. Similar scenes were seen elsewhere including the ghats of Varanasi and the shores of Kanyakumari a

Tamil Nadu CM announces 4% DA hike as New Year gift for govt employees

The Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees including teachers, pensioners and family pensioners would be increased from 34 per cent to 38 per cent with immediate effect, Chief Minister M K Stalin said here on Sunday. The increase, effective January 1, 2023, would benefit about 16 lakh staff and the decision was taken after considering the representation of government employees, he said. Though the move would entail an additional annual expenditure of Rs 2,359 crore, the government has taken up the financial burden considering the welfare of state employees. On the protest of government teachers seeking 'equal pay for equal work', he said a committee of three top officials, headed by Finance Secretary-Expenditure, would be set up. The government has decided to take steps based on the recommendations of the panel, he said. Terming the DA hike a 'New Year gift,' he appealed to the staff to cooperate with the government in its efforts aimed at people's welfare and prosperity.

Top headlines: Revellers celebrate New Year, China Covid fight in new phase

Business Standard brings you the top headlines at this hour

North Korea opens New Year with short-range ballistic missile launch

North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters Sunday, entering 2023 with another weapons test after a record number of missile firings last year. South Korea's military detected the launch from the North's capital region around 2:50 a.m. Sunday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It said the missile travelled about 400 kilometers (250 miles) before falling into the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The Joint Chiefs of Staff called the launch a grave provocation that hurts peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and around the world. It said South Korea closely monitors North Korean moves in coordination with the United States and maintains a readiness to deal with any provocations. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the launch highlights the destabilising impact of North Korea's unlawful weapons programs. It said U.S. commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan remain ironclad. North Korea test-fi

Revellers throng to New Year's parties across world after Covid hiatus

Revellers in major city centers across Europe and the Middle East were ushering in 2023 with countdowns and fireworks, as many cities around the globe celebrated New Year's Eve without restrictions for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Children crowded a metro station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, to meet with St. Nicholas and enjoy a special performance ahead of the new year. Meanwhile, some soldiers who said they usually celebrate the holiday with family decided to stay in the trenches as they sought to defend their country. Others in Ukraine returned to the capital, Kyiv, to spend New Year's Eve with their loved ones. As Russian attacks continue to target power supplies, leaving millions without electricity, no big celebrations were planned. A curfew was to be in place as the clock struck midnight. French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a message of unity and trust in a televised address Saturday. Referencing the war in Ukraine several times, Macron also sent

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar sends greetings to nation on New Year eve

Let us usher in the new year with a resolve to take India to greater heights of progress and prosperity

Heavy security deployment in central Delhi for New Year celebrations

Traffic congestion was witnessed in parts of central Delhi, including Connaught Place and India Gate, on New Year's eve, officials said on Saturday. The Delhi Police has deployed over 18,000 personnel from district and traffic units across the national capital to keep a strict vigil on any kind of violation and ensure security during New Year celebrations, they said. A total of 125 spots in the city have been identified to check drunk driving, the officials said. Kartavya Path resembled a picnic spot as hundreds thronged the national capital landmark with family and friends to celebrate New Year's eve after a two-year Covid-induced gap. Visitors, including some children who arrived as part of a school trip, rushed to the venue from distant parts of the capital city to spend some time with their friends and families. Traffic movement remains restricted at Connaught Place from 8 pm on Saturday, the police said, adding that alcometers will be used to check drunk driving. Special ...

Only 80% occupancy in Shimla on New Year, lowest in past four decades

The state capital was abuzz with activity as thousands of tourists made a beeline to Shimla to welcome the New Year but the occupancy in hotels was about 80 per cent, the lowest in the past four decades. Snowfall in Manali, craze to see Atal Tunnel, the new gateway to Lahaul and Spiti, has increased the footfall to the Kullu district that registered over 90 per cent occupancy, office bearers of the hotel industry said. Whereas no entry to tourist vehicles without a booking in Shimla city and apprehensions after last year's bomb hoax at New Year has hit the footfall in Shimla, they said. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had a stroll on the Mall Road on New Year's eve on Saturday evening. He interacted with the local residents and the tourists and wished them a happy and prosperous year ahead. A large number of tourists were seen roaming on the Mall Road and the Ridge to celebrate New Year and police have been deployed in strength to ensure that no untoward ...

Alok Sharma, Partha Sarthi Dasgupta on King Charles' New Year honours list

Alok Sharma, a former Cabinet-level minister in the UK and Cambridge Professor Partha Sarathi Dasgupta are among prominent Indian-origin people honoured by King Charles III on his first New Year

Luxury shopping gets a festive sparkle, basks in celebratory spirit

As the year draws to a close and people slip into celebratory spirit, shopping for luxury has been on the rise

Delhi traders' body claims 30% decline in New Year business amid Covid fear

A traders' body in the national capital has claimed that there had been a 30 per cent decline in business ahead of the New Year amid a spurt in Covid-19 cases in some countries. While the COVID-19 pandemic hit New Year celebrations during the past two years, this time, traders were busy preparing to begin 2023 on a grand scale, the Chamber of Trade and Industry said. There was a boom in all sectors -- restaurants, banquet hall and hotel bookings, clothing, jewellery and automobile sales, the traders' body said. However, with Covid-affected people not getting hospital beds in China and Japan, panic levels have gone up in India as well. Along with the fear of Covid, the winter chill has also forced people to stay home, it added. It is estimated that usually there is business of Rs 500 crore in the New Year but it will only be Rs 350 crore this time. The number of customers in the markets has also dropped by 30 to 40 per cent, said organisation member Brijesh Goyal. Vishnu Bhargava a

Additional police personnel, parking at Kartaviya Path to manage footfall

Anticipating a surge in footfall at Kartvaya Path here in view of the New Year celebrations, the local authorities will deploy additional police personnel and have created multiple parking sites to manage the crowd. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Friday said all the arrangements have been made ahead of time to ensure that people can enjoy the New Year safely and the crowd does not pose any security problems. According to officials, Delhi Traffic Police has made elaborate arrangements at and around India Gate to regulate traffic -- both vehicular and pedestrian. In case of heavy pedestrian movement, vehicles may not be allowed to enter the C-Hexagon and India Gate area and diverted, the traffic police said in an advisory. Visitors are advised to use public transport as there is a shortage of parking space at India Gate, it said. "The number of people visiting Kartavya Path has increased. We have increased the deployment of officials from the health department, enforcemen

No exit from Rajiv Chowk metro station post 9 pm on New Year's eve

'To ease overcrowding on New Year's eve (December 31, 2022), exit from Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be allowed from 9 pm onwards'

Financial resolutions for 2023: 6 ways to get your finances in shape

These tips can help you make and stick to your financial resolutions in 2023

Madhya Pradesh govt issues security alert to ensure peace, communal harmony

After receiving inputs from the central agencies that communal harmony may be disrupted in the state around the New Year, the Madhya Pradesh government has issued a statewide security alert

Delhi to ring in New Year in chilly weather as IMD predicts cold wave

Cold wave and cold day conditions are predicted to wallop parts of Delhi on New Year's eve and the winter chill would intensify further in early January, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. Cold conditions have abated in north India, including Delhi, for now under the influence of a western disturbance, characterised by warm moist winds from the Middle East. However, the minimum will start dropping again from December 31, meteorologists said. The minimum will drop to 6 degrees Celsius on Saturday and further to 4 degrees Celsius by Monday (January 2), the IMD forecast. On Thursday, the Safdarjung observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius against 6.3 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, 5.6 degrees on Tuesday and 5 degrees on Monday. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 23 degrees Celsius. Fourteen trains to Delhi were reported to be running late due to dense to very dense fog in other areas, a Railways

Karnataka makes masks mandatory in public places, increases Covid testing

State govt tells revellers to end New Year celebrations before 1 am; Centre readies for mock drills today

Himachal Police directs SPs, district police to manage tourists' rush

In view of festival season of Christmas and New Year, Himachal police authorities have issued necessary guidelines and directed SPs and other district police officials to make adequate arrangements

Noida cops tell mall, bar operators to step up security for X-mas, New Year

The Noida Police on Friday held a meeting with operators of shopping malls and bars to review security arrangements ahead of Christmas and New Year and asked them to ramp up preparations during the festive season. The police warned that they would take strict action in cases of drunk driving but also said this time in a novel initiative they would be arranging hired cabs with verified drivers to help tipplers reach home safe. According to industry estimates, nearly two lakh revellers are expected on New Year's eve and January 1 at shopping malls in Sector 18, the biggest market and revenue generator of Noida. The review meeting was held at the NEA Bhawan in Sector 6 in the presence of DCP Noida Harish Chander, Additional DCP Ashutosh Dwivedi and ACP Rajneesh Verma with representatives of malls like Gardens Galleria, DLF Mall of India, Radisson Blu, and bar operators in attendance. The meeting came a day after Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh visited the busy markets and malls in the

What does economic research tell us about festival gifting and alcohol?

The Chinese managed to wrest a large part of the $200 bn Christmas gift market but failed to make a dent in the biggest gift segment, alcohol