Peruvians welcome New Year with fighting festival

<p>Myanmar's new president said on Tuesday over 8,000 prisoners will be freed in an amnesty, a move the government said would bring about humanitarian support amid the country's political reforms after decades of military rule.</p>

<p>The presidential pardon, signed by newly-elected President Win Myint, said the move was aimed to bring peace as part of celebrations of the Myanmar new year. It did not specify when the amnesty would take place.</p>

<p>"To bring peace and pleasure to people's heart, and for the sake of humanitarian support, 8,490 prisoners from respective prisons will be given the pardon," the Presidential Office said in a statement.</p>

<p>Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made ending near-perpetual civil war to bring national reconciliation her top priority. Her ruling National League for Democracy took office in 2016 amid sky-high expectations of greater freedoms after nearly half a century of military rule.</p>

<p>Two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar were not included in the amnesty, according to Min Tun Soe, spokesman of Myanmar Prisons Department, citing ongoing legal proceedings.</p>

<p>A court in Yangon has been holding preliminary hearings since January to decide whether the pair will be charged under the colonial-era Officials Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.</p>

<p>Over 6,000 prisoners who were sentenced under drug-related charges would be included in the pardon, according to a Facebook post by government spokesman Zaw Htay.</p>

<p>Nearly 2,000 members of Myanmar's military and police force, who were jailed under the Military Act or Police Disciplinary Act, would be freed, Zaw Htay wrote. He did not elaborate.</p>

<p>He said a total of 36 prisoners on a rights watchdog list, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners' (AAPP), were also included in the amnesty.</p>

<p>Hundreds of political prisoners have been released from Myanmar's jails in amnesties in recent years, including dozens freed in April 2016, days after Nobel laureate Suu Kyi's party took power following nearly 50 years of military rule.</p>

<p>Myanmar's constitution obliges Suu Kyi's civilian government to share power with the powerful military, which controls key cabinet posts including law and order and security.</p>

<p>"We submitted a list of 44 political prisoners and now 36 are released...This amnesty is very good news and we welcome and support it," said AAPP's Myanmar representative Aung Myo Kyaw.</p>

<p>"But there should not be a single political prisoner in a democratic country," he said. "It will be better if remaining political prisoners and also those who are still facing charges were pardoned."</p>

<p>Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest, has said that releasing the remaining political prisoners was a top priority.</p>

<p>Prior to Tuesday's pardon, there were 240 political activists jailed or awaiting trial in Myanmar, according to AAPP.</p>

<p>Suu Kyi has struggled to rebut criticism over slower economic growth and the stuttering peace process. Her government also faces mounting international condemnation for a military operation against Rohingya Muslims that has sent nearly 700,000 members of the minority community fleeing to Bangladesh.</p>


The government said the move would bring about humanitarian support amid the country's political reforms after decades of military rule

Myanmar's new president said on Tuesday over 8,000 prisoners will be freed in an amnesty, a move the government said would bring about humanitarian support amid the country's political reforms after decades of military rule. The presidential pardon, signed by newly-elected President Win Myint, said the move was aimed to bring peace as part of celebrations of the Myanmar new year. It did not specify when the amnesty would take place. "To bring peace and pleasure to people's heart, and for the sake of humanitarian support, 8,490 prisoners from respective prisons will be given the pardon," the Presidential Office said in a statement. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made ending near-perpetual civil war to bring national reconciliation her top priority. Her ruling National League for Democracy took office in 2016 amid sky-high expectations of greater freedoms after nearly half a century of military rule. Two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar were not included in the amnesty, according to Min Tun Soe, spokesman of Myanmar Prisons Department, citing ongoing legal proceedings. A court in Yangon has been holding preliminary hearings since January to decide whether the pair will be charged under the colonial-era Officials Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. Over 6,000 prisoners who were sentenced under drug-related charges would be included in the pardon, according to a Facebook post by government spokesman Zaw Htay. Nearly 2,000 members of Myanmar's military and police force, who were jailed under the Military Act or Police Disciplinary Act, would be freed, Zaw Htay wrote. He did not elaborate. He said a total of 36 prisoners on a rights watchdog list, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners' (AAPP), were also included in the amnesty. Hundreds of political prisoners have been released from Myanmar's jails in amnesties in recent years, including dozens freed in April 2016, days after Nobel laureate Suu Kyi's party took power following nearly 50 years of military rule. Myanmar's constitution obliges Suu Kyi's civilian government to share power with the powerful military, which controls key cabinet posts including law and order and security. "We submitted a list of 44 political prisoners and now 36 are released...This amnesty is very good news and we welcome and support it," said AAPP's Myanmar representative Aung Myo Kyaw. "But there should not be a single political prisoner in a democratic country," he said. "It will be better if remaining political prisoners and also those who are still facing charges were pardoned." Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest, has said that releasing the remaining political prisoners was a top priority. Prior to Tuesday's pardon, there were 240 political activists jailed or awaiting trial in Myanmar, according to AAPP. Suu Kyi has struggled to rebut criticism over slower economic growth and the stuttering peace process. Her government also faces mounting international condemnation for a military operation against Rohingya Muslims that has sent nearly 700,000 members of the minority community fleeing to Bangladesh.

Myanmar to free over 8,000 prisoners in new-year amnesty

<p>As the country celebrates the spring festival of Gudi Padwa, Mumbai witnessed a colourful parade of women bikers clad in traditional Marathi attire to commemorate the new year for Marathi Hindus.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Women ride two wheelers wearing traditional Maharashtrian sarees in Mumbai&#39;s Girgaon during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GudiPadwa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GudiPadwa</a> celebrations. <a href="https://t.co/V8o4ng927Q">pic.twitter.com/V8o4ng927Q</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975275116249649152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Women in Mumbai&#39;s Girgaon area took to the streets, riding two-wheelers in traditional Maharashtrian sarees. Some pinions carried elaborate parasols to save themselves from the scorching heat and add more drama to their grand avatar.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Women ride two wheelers wearing traditional Maharashtrian sarees in Mumbai&#39;s Girgaon during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GudiPadwa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GudiPadwa</a> celebrations. <a href="https://t.co/jUVk0lSXhP">pic.twitter.com/jUVk0lSXhP</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975277345090293761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Every year, Gudi Padwa is celebrated in Maharashtra and adjoining regions on the first day of the Chaitra month of the Hindu calender.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The day marks the onset of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar.&nbsp;</p>


The day marks the onset of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar

As the country celebrates the spring festival of Gudi Padwa, Mumbai witnessed a colourful parade of women bikers clad in traditional Marathi attire to commemorate the new year for Marathi Hindus. Women ride two wheelers wearing traditional Maharashtrian sarees in Mumbai's Girgaon during #GudiPadwa celebrations. pic.twitter.com/V8o4ng927Q — ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2018 × Women in Mumbai's Girgaon area took to the streets, riding two-wheelers in traditional Maharashtrian sarees. Some pinions carried elaborate parasols to save themselves from the scorching heat and add more drama to their grand avatar. #WATCH: Women ride two wheelers wearing traditional Maharashtrian sarees in Mumbai's Girgaon during #GudiPadwa celebrations. pic.twitter.com/jUVk0lSXhP — ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2018 × Every year, Gudi Padwa is celebrated in Maharashtra and adjoining regions on the first day of the Chaitra month of the Hindu calender. The day marks the onset of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar.

Mumbai: Saree-clad biker women take to streets to celebrate Gudi Padwa

<p>As technology revolutionises everything how can our love life remain untouched.</p>

<p>Today as millennials celebrating Valentine&#39;s Day are mostly single and without a&nbsp;date, several dating apps have come to their rescue.</p>

<p>Earlier, finding a&nbsp;date in cafes and parties was a natural thing, however, not it has now been replaced with the advent of apps.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2017, Dating app Tinder saw 20% rise in its&nbsp;usage on Valentine&#39;s day and the trend is expected to continue this year as well, though it should not come as surprise as markets, restaurants, malls are busy promoting couples and the Valentine&#39;s Day &quot;magic&quot;.</p>

<p>The age group of people turning to dating apps on these days reportedly is&nbsp;reportedly&nbsp;between of 18 to 30 years.</p>

<p>In fact, in America, reports show&nbsp;that from Thanksgiving,&nbsp;New Years to Valentine week the app usage spikes as high as 30 to 50%.</p>

<p>In India Tinder has also become a major hit. In&nbsp;2016, Tinder&nbsp;had&nbsp;said India is their third largest market in Asia with the app getting over 14 million swipes each day.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


In fact, in America, there were reports that showed that from Thanksgiving to New Year to Valentine week the usage spikes as high as 30 to 50%

As technology revolutionises everything how can our love life remain untouched. Today as millennials celebrating Valentine's Day are mostly single and without a date, several dating apps have come to their rescue. Earlier, finding a date in cafes and parties was a natural thing, however, not it has now been replaced with the advent of apps. In 2017, Dating app Tinder saw 20% rise in its usage on Valentine's day and the trend is expected to continue this year as well, though it should not come as surprise as markets, restaurants, malls are busy promoting couples and the Valentine's Day "magic". The age group of people turning to dating apps on these days reportedly is reportedly between of 18 to 30 years. In fact, in America, reports show that from Thanksgiving, New Years to Valentine week the app usage spikes as high as 30 to 50%. In India Tinder has also become a major hit. In 2016, Tinder had said India is their third largest market in Asia with the app getting over 14 million swipes each day.

Valentine's Day: Now, Indians find a date through apps

<p>Another shocking incident of harassment emerged from the IT hub of the country, Bengaluru, after a video showing a group of drunk revellers beating a biker went viral.</p>

<p>&nbsp;A close look at the video shows a group of drunk men stop a biker and hurl punches at him.</p>

<p>The biker was accompanying a girl who tried getting away from the situation but was hit by a couple of men from the mob.</p>

<p>The incident took place in Bengaluru&#39;s plush Indiranagar locality.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Additional Commissioner Police, Seemanthkumar Singh, confirmed the arrest of two people.</p>

<p>Karnataka government tightened security measures to avoid any mishap from taking place during this year&#39;s new year celebrations in Bengaluru.</p>

<p>Last year, media reported incidents of sexual harassment and molestation during New Year celebrations in Bengaluru&#39;s Brigade Road and MG Road areas.</p>


A close look at the video shows a group of drunk men stop a biker and hurl punches at him

Another shocking incident of harassment emerged from the IT hub of the country, Bengaluru, after a video showing a group of drunk revellers beating a biker went viral. A close look at the video shows a group of drunk men stop a biker and hurl punches at him. The biker was accompanying a girl who tried getting away from the situation but was hit by a couple of men from the mob. The incident took place in Bengaluru's plush Indiranagar locality. Additional Commissioner Police, Seemanthkumar Singh, confirmed the arrest of two people. Karnataka government tightened security measures to avoid any mishap from taking place during this year's new year celebrations in Bengaluru. Last year, media reported incidents of sexual harassment and molestation during New Year celebrations in Bengaluru's Brigade Road and MG Road areas.

Video: Drunk revellers assault Northeast biker, girl on New Year's eve in Bengaluru

<p>The new year started on a positive note for Bollywood as Salman starrer&nbsp;&quot;Tiger Zinda Hai&quot;&nbsp;crossed the Rs 250 crore mark on December&nbsp;31, 2017.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The action-thriller gave a much-needed relief to the Hindi film industry after the previous year saw some&nbsp;major, big-budget films flop at the box office.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Tiger Zinda Hai&quot;&nbsp;completed two successful weekends as director Ali Abbas Zafar&#39;s venture made its way past the Rs 250 cr milestone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Film-trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the news on his Twitter profile on the first day of the new year compiling the box-office figures of the film.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">31 Dec - the last day of 2017 - closes with a BIG BANG... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TigerZindaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TigerZindaHai</a> has a ROCKING second Sun... Biz witnesses TREMENDOUS GROWTH... [Week 2] Fri 11.56 cr, Sat 14.92 cr, Sun 22.23 cr. Total: ? 254.75 cr. India biz. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TZH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TZH</a></p>
&mdash; taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/947744246932545536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Taran also tweeted the major commercial feats that &quot;Tiger Zinda Hai&quot;&nbsp;achieved during the course of its run in theatres.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TigerZindaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TigerZindaHai</a>&nbsp;biz at a glance...<br />
Week 1: ? 206.04 cr<br />
Weekend 2: ? 48.71 cr<br />
Total: ? 254.75 cr<br />
India biz. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TZH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TZH</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TigerZindaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TigerZindaHai</a>&nbsp;benchmarks...<br />
Crossed ? 50 cr: Day 2<br />
Crossed ? 100 cr: Day 3<br />
Crossed ? 150 cr: Day 4<br />
Crossed ? 200 cr: Day 7<br />
Crossed ? 250 cr: Day 10<br />
India biz.</p>
&mdash; taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/947744727184547840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TigerZindaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TigerZindaHai</a> nears ? 100 cr mark Overseas... Total after Weekend 2: $ 15.15 mn [? 96.68 cr]...<br />
USA-Canada: $ 4.573 mn<br />
UAE-GCC: $ 5.186 mn<br />
UK: $ 1.675 mn<br />
RoW: $ 3.716 mn<br />
Few cinemas yet to report. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TZH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TZH</a></p>
&mdash; taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/947802203594440709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Tiger Zinda Hai&quot;&nbsp;is the sequel to the 2012 Kabir Khan directorial &quot;Ek Tha Tiger&quot;&nbsp;with the same lead cast, Salman and Katrina. The currently-running film has been produced by Yash Raj Films.</p>


Salman starrer 'Tiger Zinda Hai' completed two successful weekends as posted by noted film-trade analyst Taran Adarsh

The new year started on a positive note for Bollywood as Salman starrer "Tiger Zinda Hai" crossed the Rs 250 crore mark on December 31, 2017. The action-thriller gave a much-needed relief to the Hindi film industry after the previous year saw some major, big-budget films flop at the box office. "Tiger Zinda Hai" completed two successful weekends as director Ali Abbas Zafar's venture made its way past the Rs 250 cr milestone. Film-trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the news on his Twitter profile on the first day of the new year compiling the box-office figures of the film. 31 Dec - the last day of 2017 - closes with a BIG BANG... #TigerZindaHai has a ROCKING second Sun... Biz witnesses TREMENDOUS GROWTH... [Week 2] Fri 11.56 cr, Sat 14.92 cr, Sun 22.23 cr. Total: ? 254.75 cr. India biz. #TZH — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 1, 2018 × Taran also tweeted the major commercial feats that "Tiger Zinda Hai" achieved during the course of its run in theatres. #TigerZindaHai biz at a glance... Week 1: ? 206.04 cr Weekend 2: ? 48.71 cr Total: ? 254.75 cr India biz. #TZH#TigerZindaHai benchmarks... Crossed ? 50 cr: Day 2 Crossed ? 100 cr: Day 3 Crossed ? 150 cr: Day 4 Crossed ? 200 cr: Day 7 Crossed ? 250 cr: Day 10 India biz. — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 1, 2018 × #TigerZindaHai nears ? 100 cr mark Overseas... Total after Weekend 2: $ 15.15 mn [? 96.68 cr]... USA-Canada: $ 4.573 mn UAE-GCC: $ 5.186 mn UK: $ 1.675 mn RoW: $ 3.716 mn Few cinemas yet to report. #TZH — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 1, 2018 × "Tiger Zinda Hai" is the sequel to the 2012 Kabir Khan directorial "Ek Tha Tiger" with the same lead cast, Salman and Katrina. The currently-running film has been produced by Yash Raj Films.

It's a happy new year for Salman, Katrina as 'Tiger Zinda Hai' crosses Rs 250 crore mark

<p>As the nation welcomed the New Year, app-based cab aggregator Uber on Tuesday noted that Delhi, NCR was the most active city, as it clocked the highest number of trips taken on a single night.</p>

<p>In a report on highlights of services on New Year&#39;s Eve released by the company, Uber noted that over 90,000 riders used UberPOOL to cut down on congestion during this busy night, with over 22,000 riders reported to be from Delhi, NCR, followed by Hyderabad and Bengaluru.</p>

<p>Further, a driver partner from Delhi, NCR completed 18 trips on this one night, making it the highest across the country, followed by one in India&#39;s IT hub, who completed 14 trips.</p>

<p>The highlights also revealed that at the stroke of midnight, close to 15,000 riders were in an Uber across India.</p>

<p>&quot;New Year&#39;s Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for Uber across the globe. Our goal was to ensure riders can get a reliable ride at the tap of a button and avoid getting behind the wheel. From training driver partners to partnering with traffic police and restaurants across many cities, we wanted to make a difference and reduce cases of driving under the influence in India,&quot; said Sanjay Gupta, Head of Marketing, Uber India and SA.</p>

<p>He also opined that the popularity of ride-sharing portrays a significant change in commuting behavior of riders, which is hinting towards attempting to decongest India&#39;s roads</p>


In a report on highlights of services on New Year's Eve released by the company, Uber noted that over 90,000 riders used UberPOOL to cut down on congestion during this busy night, with over 22,000 riders reported to be from Delhi, NCR, followed by Hyderabad and Bengaluru

As the nation welcomed the New Year, app-based cab aggregator Uber on Tuesday noted that Delhi, NCR was the most active city, as it clocked the highest number of trips taken on a single night. In a report on highlights of services on New Year's Eve released by the company, Uber noted that over 90,000 riders used UberPOOL to cut down on congestion during this busy night, with over 22,000 riders reported to be from Delhi, NCR, followed by Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Further, a driver partner from Delhi, NCR completed 18 trips on this one night, making it the highest across the country, followed by one in India's IT hub, who completed 14 trips. The highlights also revealed that at the stroke of midnight, close to 15,000 riders were in an Uber across India. "New Year's Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for Uber across the globe. Our goal was to ensure riders can get a reliable ride at the tap of a button and avoid getting behind the wheel. From training driver partners to partnering with traffic police and restaurants across many cities, we wanted to make a difference and reduce cases of driving under the influence in India," said Sanjay Gupta, Head of Marketing, Uber India and SA. He also opined that the popularity of ride-sharing portrays a significant change in commuting behavior of riders, which is hinting towards attempting to decongest India's roads

Uber records maximum trips from Delhi-NCR on New Year's Eve

<p>Intrepid revelers from around the world endured hours of waiting in a frigid Times Square on Sunday to witness the glittering New Year`s Eve ball make its annual descent at midnight, undeterred and perhaps reassured by a massive police presence.</p>

<p>With New York City in the grip of a bitterly cold Arctic air mass, the experience was made particularly memorable this year for hundreds of thousands of people who braved the bone-chilling conditions to witness a century-old tradition.</p>

<p>In the waning hours of 2017, the mercury had plunged to 10 Fahrenheit, with a &quot;Real Feel&quot; of 7F, according to AccuWeather.com. That made it the city&#39;s second-coldest New Year&#39;s Eve on record after 1917, when the mercury in Times Square dropped to 1F (-17C).</p>

<p>Jaden Hunter, a 13-year-old from southern New Jersey, arrived at around 6 pm, protected by a face mask and geared up for a good time.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,&rdquo; Hunter said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s pretty chilly, but we&rsquo;ve got hand-warmers and all kinds of thermal technology.&rdquo;</p>

<p>About 2 million people were expected in the vicinity of Times Square, the bow-tie-shaped plaza formed by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan. That was roughly same number as last year, when the temperature at midnight was a comfortable 44F (7C).</p>

<p>Still, the weather was severe enough to test the mettle of even the hardiest of partygoers.</p>

<p>Alejandro Garcia, 32, of Barcelona, Spain, said the only thing that stood between him and leaving early for a warm hotel room was his girlfriend, graduate student Gamma Elias, 28.</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;m freezing to death out here!&quot; Garcia said, a few hours before midnight, wrapping his arms around Elias. &quot;But she wants to stay.&quot;</p>

<p>Like tens of thousands of others, the couple stood in one of dozens of fenced-in enclosures set up for blocks along the square. After hours of waiting, they were rewarded with a spectacular view of the giant ball as it made its annual, one-minute descent on the southern end of the plaza.</p>

<p>Greg Packer, 54, a retired highway maintenance manager from Huntington, New York, had a prime spot on West 43rd Street after arriving at 7 am.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It feels more like Antarctica than New York. But everybody in the world is here,&rdquo; he marveled, glancing around at the crowds in nearly every direction. &ldquo;And I&rsquo;m here.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The crowds counted down the final hours of 2017 with a lineup of live musical acts including Nick Jonas, Neil Diamond and Andy Grammer.</p>

<p>Mariah Carey returned to the Times Square stage as well, pulling off a smooth performance after the embarrassment of last year`s technical difficulties.</p>

<p>Then came the long-awaited ball drop, a tradition that dates to 1907, three years after New Yorkers started gathering en masse in Times Square to usher in the new year.</p>

<p><strong>SHOW OF FORCE</strong></p>

<p>Thousands of police were on hand, some heavily armed, others undercover. The show of force is part of a beefed-up security plan that follows a spate of attacks in the city and around the world that authorities have labeled as terrorist.</p>

<p>The NYPD provided officers with specialized training to stop any suicide bombers in response to an attempted bombing in a Times Square subway station walkway on Dec. 11.</p>

<p>Police deployed observation teams trained to spot snipers. There were also more explosive-detecting dogs and more officers positioned throughout the area this year.</p>

<p>People hoping to see musical acts and other entertainment up close in Times Square had to pass by heavily armed officers and dogs. They went through a magnetometer to check for weapons, had their bags inspected, then repeated all those steps a second time.</p>

<p>Police cars, dump trucks filled with sand and cement blocks were used to close streets, starting Sunday morning. About 125 parking garages in the area were emptied of all cars and sealed.</p>

<p>Brynn Hansen, 14, from Longmont, Colorado, appeared unfazed by the heightened security and the trying conditions. She said she was living a dream.</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s been on my bucket list, and now I can cross it off. It&#39;s exciting to be here.&quot;</p>


In the waning hours of 2017, the mercury had plunged to 10 Fahrenheit.

Intrepid revelers from around the world endured hours of waiting in a frigid Times Square on Sunday to witness the glittering New Year`s Eve ball make its annual descent at midnight, undeterred and perhaps reassured by a massive police presence. With New York City in the grip of a bitterly cold Arctic air mass, the experience was made particularly memorable this year for hundreds of thousands of people who braved the bone-chilling conditions to witness a century-old tradition. In the waning hours of 2017, the mercury had plunged to 10 Fahrenheit, with a "Real Feel" of 7F, according to AccuWeather.com. That made it the city's second-coldest New Year's Eve on record after 1917, when the mercury in Times Square dropped to 1F (-17C). Jaden Hunter, a 13-year-old from southern New Jersey, arrived at around 6 pm, protected by a face mask and geared up for a good time. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Hunter said. “It’s pretty chilly, but we’ve got hand-warmers and all kinds of thermal technology.” About 2 million people were expected in the vicinity of Times Square, the bow-tie-shaped plaza formed by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan. That was roughly same number as last year, when the temperature at midnight was a comfortable 44F (7C). Still, the weather was severe enough to test the mettle of even the hardiest of partygoers. Alejandro Garcia, 32, of Barcelona, Spain, said the only thing that stood between him and leaving early for a warm hotel room was his girlfriend, graduate student Gamma Elias, 28. "I'm freezing to death out here!" Garcia said, a few hours before midnight, wrapping his arms around Elias. "But she wants to stay." Like tens of thousands of others, the couple stood in one of dozens of fenced-in enclosures set up for blocks along the square. After hours of waiting, they were rewarded with a spectacular view of the giant ball as it made its annual, one-minute descent on the southern end of the plaza. Greg Packer, 54, a retired highway maintenance manager from Huntington, New York, had a prime spot on West 43rd Street after arriving at 7 am. “It feels more like Antarctica than New York. But everybody in the world is here,” he marveled, glancing around at the crowds in nearly every direction. “And I’m here.” The crowds counted down the final hours of 2017 with a lineup of live musical acts including Nick Jonas, Neil Diamond and Andy Grammer. Mariah Carey returned to the Times Square stage as well, pulling off a smooth performance after the embarrassment of last year`s technical difficulties. Then came the long-awaited ball drop, a tradition that dates to 1907, three years after New Yorkers started gathering en masse in Times Square to usher in the new year. SHOW OF FORCE Thousands of police were on hand, some heavily armed, others undercover. The show of force is part of a beefed-up security plan that follows a spate of attacks in the city and around the world that authorities have labeled as terrorist. The NYPD provided officers with specialized training to stop any suicide bombers in response to an attempted bombing in a Times Square subway station walkway on Dec. 11. Police deployed observation teams trained to spot snipers. There were also more explosive-detecting dogs and more officers positioned throughout the area this year. People hoping to see musical acts and other entertainment up close in Times Square had to pass by heavily armed officers and dogs. They went through a magnetometer to check for weapons, had their bags inspected, then repeated all those steps a second time. Police cars, dump trucks filled with sand and cement blocks were used to close streets, starting Sunday morning. About 125 parking garages in the area were emptied of all cars and sealed. Brynn Hansen, 14, from Longmont, Colorado, appeared unfazed by the heightened security and the trying conditions. She said she was living a dream. "It's been on my bucket list, and now I can cross it off. It's exciting to be here."

In frigid Times Square, relief arrives with New Year

<p>Telangana is all set to become the first state to provide round-the-clock electricity supply to its farmers from December 31.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to a government release, close to 23 lakh&nbsp;agricultural pump sets will help in&nbsp;boosting the overall power demand to 11,000 MW by March 2018.</p>

<p>Nearly 12610 crore rupees have been invested by the state to set-up&nbsp;new power lines, transformers and sub-stations to amplify the power supply.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Telangana is going to create history by becoming the first state in the country offering free power to farmers 24 hours a day,&quot; noted the&nbsp;release.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


The Delhi Traffic Police was forced to issue an advisory on Monday after people thronged the India Gate lawns in large numbers to celebrate the first day of the new year

Telangana is all set to become the first state to provide round-the-clock electricity supply to its farmers from December 31. According to a government release, close to 23 lakh agricultural pump sets will help in boosting the overall power demand to 11,000 MW by March 2018. Nearly 12610 crore rupees have been invested by the state to set-up new power lines, transformers and sub-stations to amplify the power supply. "Telangana is going to create history by becoming the first state in the country offering free power to farmers 24 hours a day," noted the release. (With inputs from PTI)

People in lakhs throng India Gate, cripple traffic

<p>There is still some time left for the New Year celebrations to begin, but it seems that the legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has already settled into a celebratory mode with run machine Yuvraj Singh.</p>

<p>The two along with former fast bowler Ajit Agarkar can be seen in a jovial mood and having fun in a pre-New Year&rsquo;s party.</p>

<p>Yuvraj took to Instagram account to share the photo from the party.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Thanks @sachintendulkar for the lovely night was great fun #monster Agarkar,&rdquo; read the caption of the image.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdVAMD6hohc/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Thanks @sachintendulkar for the lovely night was great fun &lsquo; ???#monster Agarkar ??</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/yuvisofficial/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Yuvraj Singh</a> (@yuvisofficial) on <time datetime="2017-12-30T13:32:22+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Dec 30, 2017 at 5:32am PST</time></p>
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<p>The trio was earlier seen together at skipper Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma&rsquo;s wedding reception in Mumbai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier this year, Yuvraj Singh cleared the Yo-Yo fitness test and insisted that he won&rsquo;t give up on his cricketing career till 2019.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The two along with Ajit Agarkar can be seen in a jovial mood and having fun in a pre-New Year?s party

There is still some time left for the New Year celebrations to begin, but it seems that the legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has already settled into a celebratory mode with run machine Yuvraj Singh. The two along with former fast bowler Ajit Agarkar can be seen in a jovial mood and having fun in a pre-New Year’s party. Yuvraj took to Instagram account to share the photo from the party. “Thanks @sachintendulkar for the lovely night was great fun #monster Agarkar,” read the caption of the image. Thanks @sachintendulkar for the lovely night was great fun ‘ ???#monster Agarkar ?? A post shared by Yuvraj Singh (@yuvisofficial) on Dec 30, 2017 at 5:32am PST × The trio was earlier seen together at skipper Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s wedding reception in Mumbai. Earlier this year, Yuvraj Singh cleared the Yo-Yo fitness test and insisted that he won’t give up on his cricketing career till 2019.

Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar celebrate New Year in style

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin called for &quot;pragmatic cooperation&quot; in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement on the Russian president&#39;s New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that &quot;a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the statement, Putin said that &quot;mutual respect&quot; should be &quot;a base to develop relations&quot; between the two countries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;This would allow us to move towards building pragmatic cooperation, orientated on the long term,&quot; the statement quoted Putin as saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Russian president also sent messages to other heads of state, including the leaders of former Soviet countries, France&#39;s Emmanuel Macron, Germany&#39;s Angela Merkel and Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In his wishes to the Syrian leader, with whom he met with during a surprise visit to Russia&#39;s Syrian air base Hmeimim earlier this month, Putin &quot;expressed sincere hope that key changes for the better will continue in Syria in the new year&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The statement added that Putin told Assad &quot;Russia will continue to show all kind of support to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to protect its state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russia became involved in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, when it began an aerial campaign in support of Assad&#39;s military. Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of the Russian army from Syria earlier this month.&nbsp;</p>


The Kremlin said Putin told Trump that 'a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world'

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for "pragmatic cooperation" in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday. In a statement on the Russian president's New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that "a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world". According to the statement, Putin said that "mutual respect" should be "a base to develop relations" between the two countries. "This would allow us to move towards building pragmatic cooperation, orientated on the long term," the statement quoted Putin as saying. The Russian president also sent messages to other heads of state, including the leaders of former Soviet countries, France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Angela Merkel and Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad. In his wishes to the Syrian leader, with whom he met with during a surprise visit to Russia's Syrian air base Hmeimim earlier this month, Putin "expressed sincere hope that key changes for the better will continue in Syria in the new year". The statement added that Putin told Assad "Russia will continue to show all kind of support to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to protect its state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity". Russia became involved in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, when it began an aerial campaign in support of Assad's military. Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of the Russian army from Syria earlier this month.

Putin calls for 'pragmatic cooperation' in New Year wishes to Trump

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolition drive against the illegal structures in Kamala Mills areas ended for today in Mumbai on Saturday evening.</p>

<p>It will resume tomorrow.</p>

<p>The drive was initiated just a day after the devastating blaze at two upscale restrobars claimed lives of 14 people.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Front reception/entrance of restaurant 1Above and Mojo&#39;s being demolished by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in its drive against illegal structures in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalaMills?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalaMills</a> area of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a> <a href="https://t.co/hA8lAGst9k">pic.twitter.com/hA8lAGst9k</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/947083343568318464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) continues with its demolition drive against illegal structures in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalaMills?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalaMills</a> area of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a>; entrance porch of Trade House building also demolished <a href="https://t.co/ffhh5G4aNH">pic.twitter.com/ffhh5G4aNH</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/947082401896849409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LatestVisuals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LatestVisuals</a> of demolition drive by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) against illegal structures in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalaMills?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalaMills</a> area of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a>, a fire that broke out here late Thursday night, claimed 14 lives. <a href="https://t.co/ZsdFMXY1Ng">pic.twitter.com/ZsdFMXY1Ng</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/947077601452892162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) continues with its demolition drive against illegal structures in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalaMills?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalaMills</a> area of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mumbai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mumbai</a>; entrance porch of Trade House building also demolished <a href="https://t.co/m1LDwxMGrM">pic.twitter.com/m1LDwxMGrM</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/947079007836581888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Shiv Sena-led Mumbai civic body ordered fire safety audits of all restaurants in the city.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Several illegal structures have been demolished at six places in Mumbai since morning.</p>

<p>As New Year is also approaching, all concerned departments have been directed by Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta to form teams which should include fire staff to inspect all restaurants.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The teams have been directed to ensure that restaurants are fire compliant and all the fire escape routes, staircases, and open spaces should be encroachment-free.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per media reports, the fire had broken out from the &#39;1 Above&#39; rooftop restaurant and later spread to the entire area, on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.</p>

<p>Earlier, the police issued a lookout notice against all the accused in the case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Airports across the country have also been put on high-alert and five teams of the Mumbai Police have been formed to search for the accused.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Shiv Sena-led Mumbai civic body ordered fire safety audits of all restaurants in the city

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolition drive against the illegal structures in Kamala Mills areas ended for today in Mumbai on Saturday evening. It will resume tomorrow. The drive was initiated just a day after the devastating blaze at two upscale restrobars claimed lives of 14 people. Front reception/entrance of restaurant 1Above and Mojo's being demolished by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in its drive against illegal structures in #KamalaMills area of #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/hA8lAGst9k — ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2017 × Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) continues with its demolition drive against illegal structures in #KamalaMills area of #Mumbai; entrance porch of Trade House building also demolished pic.twitter.com/ffhh5G4aNH — ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2017 × #LatestVisuals of demolition drive by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) against illegal structures in #KamalaMills area of #Mumbai, a fire that broke out here late Thursday night, claimed 14 lives. pic.twitter.com/ZsdFMXY1Ng — ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2017 × Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) continues with its demolition drive against illegal structures in #KamalaMills area of #Mumbai; entrance porch of Trade House building also demolished pic.twitter.com/m1LDwxMGrM — ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2017 × The Shiv Sena-led Mumbai civic body ordered fire safety audits of all restaurants in the city. Several illegal structures have been demolished at six places in Mumbai since morning. As New Year is also approaching, all concerned departments have been directed by Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta to form teams which should include fire staff to inspect all restaurants. The teams have been directed to ensure that restaurants are fire compliant and all the fire escape routes, staircases, and open spaces should be encroachment-free. As per media reports, the fire had broken out from the '1 Above' rooftop restaurant and later spread to the entire area, on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. Earlier, the police issued a lookout notice against all the accused in the case. Airports across the country have also been put on high-alert and five teams of the Mumbai Police have been formed to search for the accused.

BMC's demolition drive against illegal structures ends, will resume tomorrow

<p>Many of us will start out the New Year by making a list of resolutions &ndash; changes we want to make to be happier such as eating better, volunteering more often, being a more attentive spouse and so on. But, as we know, we will often fail. After a few failures we will typically give up and go back to our old habits.</p>

<p>Why is it so hard to stick to resolutions that require us to make effective or lasting changes?</p>

<p>I would argue the problem isn&rsquo;t that we try and we fail &ndash; the problem is how we treat ourselves when we fail. I study self-compassion, and my research and that of others show that how we relate to personal failure &ndash; with kindness or harsh self-judgment &ndash; is incredibly important for building resilience.</p>

<p>From early childhood, we are taught that we must succeed at all costs. What most of us aren&rsquo;t taught is how to fail successfully so we can change and grow.</p>

<p>One of the best ways to deal with failure is to have self-compassion.</p>

<p><strong>What exactly is self-compassion?</strong></p>

<p>I define self-compassion as having three main components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Self-kindness refers to the tendency to be caring, understanding and supportive toward ourselves when we fail or make mistakes rather than being harshly critical or judgmental.</p>

<p>Common humanity involves recognizing that all humans are imperfect, and connecting our own flawed condition to the shared human condition so we can have greater perspective on our shortcomings.</p>

<p>Mindfulness involves being aware of the pain associated with failure in a clear and balanced manner so that we neither ignore nor obsess about our faults. The three together combine to create a self-compassionate frame of mind.</p>

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151498/original/image-20161231-29246-rwrrhx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>
<p><span class="caption">Mindfulness is one component of self-compassion.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jackzen/368160371/in/photolist-ywVfB-e28yzn-c5c6FW-ccsu83-5crMK-5j9BJT-dp2q7o-9jZzuY-AYegr-kpAtjV-5j9BzH-dp8MNZ-dp2gm6-druSnN-5jdWAS-5jdSuN-uDUDEk-AMef5-d9vwC1-5j9AMX-5j9PGB-evfNpt-umcD4S-ae9yhR-aoMcTM-efD9wC-5jdTZJ-5je1gm-5j9EJF-5jdScE-e1nXu2-9f6zd3-5j9Kg4-dtEhGo-dGwYY1-akmT2t-5j9GG2-5jdZyf-ssugWe-5j9yfR-5je4As-5j9E6P-umcY21-k4iqVR-5jdYtL-5jdTss-5jdWpu-5jdZQN-uAtex5-ccgppG">Jack Ricchiuto</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
</figcaption>
</figure>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://self-compassion.org/the-research/#areaofstudy">A large body of research</a> shows that self-compassion results in greater emotional well-being. One of the most consistent findings in this research is that greater self-compassion is linked to less depression, anxiety and stress.</p>

<p>In addition to reducing such negative mind states, self-compassion appears to enhance positive mind states such as optimism, gratitude and curiosity. By meeting one&rsquo;s suffering with the warm embrace of self-compassion, positive feelings such as happiness are generated at the same time that negative emotions are alleviated.</p>

<p>Self-compassion has been found to be an important source of coping and resilience in the face of various life stressors such as divorce, chronic health conditions or military combat. It also reduces body dissatisfaction and even leads to healthier eating behavior (relevant to many New Year&rsquo;s resolutions!).</p>

<p><strong>Misgivings about self-compassion</strong></p>

<p>If self-compassion is so good for us, why aren&rsquo;t we kinder to ourselves?</p>

<p>Perhaps the biggest block to self-compassion is the belief that it will undermine our motivation. In parenting circles we no longer hold to the adage &ldquo;spare the rod spoil the child.&rdquo; When it comes to our own selves, however, many of us think that sparing the rod of harsh self-criticism will turn us into lazy, self-indulgent ne&#39;er-do-wells. This theme constantly comes up in the workshops I teach.</p>

<p>Of course, the dynamics that go into motivating our children and motivating ourselves are quite similar. Let&rsquo;s say your teenage son were to come home with a failing English grade. You have two ways to motivate him to try harder and do better next time.</p>

<p>You could admonish him and tell him how stupid he is and that you are ashamed of him. The other option is, knowing how upset he is, you could give him a hug and gently ask him how you could support him in doing better next time. This type of caring, encouraging response would help your son maintain his self-confidence and feel emotionally supported. The same goes for how we respond to ourselves when we fail.</p>

<p><strong>How does self-compassion increase motivation?</strong></p>

<p>A growing body of research indicates that self-compassion is linked to greater motivation. Self-compassion has been associated with increased personal initiative &ndash; the desire to reach one&rsquo;s full potential.</p>

<p>Self-compassionate people are also more likely to adopt &ldquo;mastery goals,&rdquo; which focus on learning and mastering material to increase competence, and less likely to adopt &ldquo;performance goals,&rdquo; which are primarily concerned with succeeding to make a favorable impression on others.</p>

<p>While self-compassionate people have performance standards that are as high as those who are harshly self-critical, <a href="http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Mehr_Adams_2016.pdf">they don&rsquo;t get as upset</a> when they don&rsquo;t reach their goals. As a result, self-compassionate people have less performance anxiety and engage in fewer self-defeating behaviors such as procrastination.</p>

<p>Not only are self-compassionate people less likely to fear failure, but when they do fail they&rsquo;re more likely to pick themselves up and try again.</p>

<p>A series of experiments by psychologists Juliana Breines and Serena Chen from the University of California at Berkeley examined whether helping undergraduate students to be more self-compassionate <a href="http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/selfimp.motivation.pdf">would impact their motivation</a> to change.</p>

<p>In one study, participants were asked to recall a recent action they felt guilty about &ndash; cheating on an exam, lying to a romantic partner, saying something harmful, etc. &ndash; something that still made them feel bad when they thought about it.</p>

<p>Next, they were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. In the self-compassion condition, participants were instructed to write to themselves for three minutes from the perspective of a compassionate and understanding friend.</p>

<p>The second condition had people write about all their positive qualities, and the third about a hobby they enjoyed. These two control conditions helped to differentiate self-compassion from positive self-talk and positive mood in general.</p>

<p>The researchers found that participants who were helped to be self-compassionate about their recent transgressions reported being more motivated to apologize for the harm done and more committed to not repeating the behavior than those in the control conditions.</p>

<p><strong>Sustaining motivation through kindness</strong></p>

<p>Another study in this <a href="http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/selfimp.motivation.pdf">same series of experiments</a> explored whether self-compassion would directly translate into greater efforts to learn after failure. Students were given a difficult vocabulary test they all did poorly on.</p>

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/151500/original/image-20161231-29222-1f39j3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption><span class="caption">This new year, try being kind to yourself.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gexydaf/7957516168/in/photolist-d8bmjC-2SpxD-4bmY73-6KbWKj-5JQUTq-3Vv5tu-AXAuq-4C6fqB-3ynia1-9mN6o6-dS8gu-3bk6WX-oLdZ6j-5nt9W6-2UrNxF-8wSCsW-7UenJQ-24x9KC-6yttRj-2s5Wk9-2TnzKs-aLUWJ2-7ApEBu-2XQdq6-5W2aH8-81vo46-661oUQ-fUEemf-3jciFw-5frhem-kEZd-52z3Ah-dbs6oG-niRHkb-nxwooC-6j3ABx-iuH931-6j3AdM-5S8ek1-6mA1Sc-dw4VWL-en9K8V-pF6ZQT-7Fjbo5-5tqkPU-82yuVg-iuH9YE-ss17g2-5BHM3b-axvxST">Gexydaf</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption>
</figure>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>One group of students was given an instruction to be self-compassionate about their failure. The instruction said,</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If you had difficulty with the test you just took, you&rsquo;re not alone. It&rsquo;s common for students to have difficulty with tests like this. If you feel bad about how you did, try not to be too hard on yourself.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Another group was given a self-esteem boost, which said,</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If you had difficulty with the test you just took, try not to feel bad about yourself &ndash; you must be intelligent if you got into Berkeley!&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>A third group of participants was given no additional instructions.</p>

<p>The students were next told that they would receive a second vocabulary test, and were given a list of words and definitions they could study for as long as they wanted before taking it. Study time was used as a measure of improvement motivation.</p>

<p>The students who were told to be self-compassionate after failing the first test spent more time studying than those in the other two conditions. Study time was linked to how well participants actually performed on the test. These findings suggest that being kind to yourself when you fail or make mistakes gives you the emotional support needed to try your best, and to keep trying even when discouraged.</p>

<p><img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/70698/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />Kindness is the engine that drives us to keep trying even after we fall flat on our face. So this New Year, when you make and inevitably break your resolutions, instead of beating yourself up and then giving up, try being kind to yourself. In the long run you&rsquo;ll be more likely to succeed.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The </a>Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-keep-your-new-years-resolutions-try-being-kind-to-yourself-70698">original</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-keep-your-new-years-resolutions-try-being-kind-to-yourself-70698">article</a>.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


So this New Year, when you make and inevitably break your resolutions, instead of beating yourself up and then giving up, try being kind to yourself.

Many of us will start out the New Year by making a list of resolutions – changes we want to make to be happier such as eating better, volunteering more often, being a more attentive spouse and so on. But, as we know, we will often fail. After a few failures we will typically give up and go back to our old habits. Why is it so hard to stick to resolutions that require us to make effective or lasting changes? I would argue the problem isn’t that we try and we fail – the problem is how we treat ourselves when we fail. I study self-compassion, and my research and that of others show that how we relate to personal failure – with kindness or harsh self-judgment – is incredibly important for building resilience. From early childhood, we are taught that we must succeed at all costs. What most of us aren’t taught is how to fail successfully so we can change and grow. One of the best ways to deal with failure is to have self-compassion. What exactly is self-compassion? I define self-compassion as having three main components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Self-kindness refers to the tendency to be caring, understanding and supportive toward ourselves when we fail or make mistakes rather than being harshly critical or judgmental. Common humanity involves recognizing that all humans are imperfect, and connecting our own flawed condition to the shared human condition so we can have greater perspective on our shortcomings. Mindfulness involves being aware of the pain associated with failure in a clear and balanced manner so that we neither ignore nor obsess about our faults. The three together combine to create a self-compassionate frame of mind. Mindfulness is one component of self-compassion. Jack Ricchiuto, CC BY A large body of research shows that self-compassion results in greater emotional well-being. One of the most consistent findings in this research is that greater self-compassion is linked to less depression, anxiety and stress. In addition to reducing such negative mind states, self-compassion appears to enhance positive mind states such as optimism, gratitude and curiosity. By meeting one’s suffering with the warm embrace of self-compassion, positive feelings such as happiness are generated at the same time that negative emotions are alleviated. Self-compassion has been found to be an important source of coping and resilience in the face of various life stressors such as divorce, chronic health conditions or military combat. It also reduces body dissatisfaction and even leads to healthier eating behavior (relevant to many New Year’s resolutions!). Misgivings about self-compassion If self-compassion is so good for us, why aren’t we kinder to ourselves? Perhaps the biggest block to self-compassion is the belief that it will undermine our motivation. In parenting circles we no longer hold to the adage “spare the rod spoil the child.” When it comes to our own selves, however, many of us think that sparing the rod of harsh self-criticism will turn us into lazy, self-indulgent ne'er-do-wells. This theme constantly comes up in the workshops I teach. Of course, the dynamics that go into motivating our children and motivating ourselves are quite similar. Let’s say your teenage son were to come home with a failing English grade. You have two ways to motivate him to try harder and do better next time. You could admonish him and tell him how stupid he is and that you are ashamed of him. The other option is, knowing how upset he is, you could give him a hug and gently ask him how you could support him in doing better next time. This type of caring, encouraging response would help your son maintain his self-confidence and feel emotionally supported. The same goes for how we respond to ourselves when we fail. How does self-compassion increase motivation? A growing body of research indicates that self-compassion is linked to greater motivation. Self-compassion has been associated with increased personal initiative – the desire to reach one’s full potential. Self-compassionate people are also more likely to adopt “mastery goals,” which focus on learning and mastering material to increase competence, and less likely to adopt “performance goals,” which are primarily concerned with succeeding to make a favorable impression on others. While self-compassionate people have performance standards that are as high as those who are harshly self-critical, they don’t get as upset when they don’t reach their goals. As a result, self-compassionate people have less performance anxiety and engage in fewer self-defeating behaviors such as procrastination. Not only are self-compassionate people less likely to fear failure, but when they do fail they’re more likely to pick themselves up and try again. A series of experiments by psychologists Juliana Breines and Serena Chen from the University of California at Berkeley examined whether helping undergraduate students to be more self-compassionate would impact their motivation to change. In one study, participants were asked to recall a recent action they felt guilty about – cheating on an exam, lying to a romantic partner, saying something harmful, etc. – something that still made them feel bad when they thought about it. Next, they were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. In the self-compassion condition, participants were instructed to write to themselves for three minutes from the perspective of a compassionate and understanding friend. The second condition had people write about all their positive qualities, and the third about a hobby they enjoyed. These two control conditions helped to differentiate self-compassion from positive self-talk and positive mood in general. The researchers found that participants who were helped to be self-compassionate about their recent transgressions reported being more motivated to apologize for the harm done and more committed to not repeating the behavior than those in the control conditions. Sustaining motivation through kindness Another study in this same series of experiments explored whether self-compassion would directly translate into greater efforts to learn after failure. Students were given a difficult vocabulary test they all did poorly on. This new year, try being kind to yourself. Gexydaf, CC BY-NC One group of students was given an instruction to be self-compassionate about their failure. The instruction said, “If you had difficulty with the test you just took, you’re not alone. It’s common for students to have difficulty with tests like this. If you feel bad about how you did, try not to be too hard on yourself.” Another group was given a self-esteem boost, which said, “If you had difficulty with the test you just took, try not to feel bad about yourself – you must be intelligent if you got into Berkeley!” A third group of participants was given no additional instructions. The students were next told that they would receive a second vocabulary test, and were given a list of words and definitions they could study for as long as they wanted before taking it. Study time was used as a measure of improvement motivation. The students who were told to be self-compassionate after failing the first test spent more time studying than those in the other two conditions. Study time was linked to how well participants actually performed on the test. These findings suggest that being kind to yourself when you fail or make mistakes gives you the emotional support needed to try your best, and to keep trying even when discouraged. Kindness is the engine that drives us to keep trying even after we fall flat on our face. So this New Year, when you make and inevitably break your resolutions, instead of beating yourself up and then giving up, try being kind to yourself. In the long run you’ll be more likely to succeed. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Can't keep your New Year's resolutions? Try being kind to yourself

<p>If you need an alarm to get up in the morning, you&rsquo;re probably not getting enough sleep.</p>

<p>More than 40% of Australians get too little sleep to feel rested and able to function at their best. The average amount for an adult is around seven hours, while only 8% are lucky enough to get more than nine hours. Some 12% of Australians get less than 5.5 hours, and three-quarters of those struggle to get through their day.</p>

<p>These holidays, ditch the alarm clock and make getting enough sleep one of your New Year&rsquo;s resolutions. Your memory, waistline and even your employer may thank you for it.</p>

<p><strong>Why getting enough sleep should be a priority</strong></p>

<p>Our brains use sleep time to sort through our experiences. We &ldquo;clean up&rdquo; and get rid of information connections we don&rsquo;t need from the day just gone. Without adequate sleep, we may not be making enough space for new learning and memories.</p>

<p>Getting enough sleep also ensures we are safe to drive on the roads and less likely to make costly mistakes at work and home. Being awake for longer than 17 hours impairs your ability to think clearly as much as having a blood alcohol concentration above 0.05. After 24 hours awake, your ability to perform cognitive tasks is as poor as if you had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10.</p>

<p>Last year&rsquo;s Australian sleep survey found 29% of Australian workers reported making errors at work in the previous three months specifically because they hadn&rsquo;t got enough sleep. One in five respondents reported having nodded off while driving.</p>

<p>Getting enough sleep may also be helpful for managing our food intake. When people are only allowed to sleep for short periods of time, they are more likely to choose to snack food, particularly sweet snacks.</p>

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199613/original/file-20171218-17884-t47oe0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>
<p><span class="caption">It&rsquo;s natural to reach for sweet snacks when we don&rsquo;t get enough sleep.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/_yB6kWwSDAs">Sarah Swinton</a></span></p>

<p>The body&rsquo;s response to eating food changes when sleep is restricted; as little as one week of restricted sleep is associated with glucose (sugar) levels approaching pre-diabetic levels.</p>

<p>The benefit is not limited to individual well-being. Australian workers who feel they get inadequate sleep are more likely to take a sick day than those who feel they get enough.</p>

<p><strong>So, how much sleep do we need?</strong></p>
</figcaption>
</figure>

<p>The <a href="https://sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundation-recommends-new-sleep-times">American Sleep Foundation recommends</a> adults aged between 18 and 64 get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, while older adults should aim for seven to eight hours.</p>

<p>Your ideal sleep duration will be unique to you and fall somewhere within the recommended range. To find out how much sleep <em>you</em> need, try a week-long experiment and modified sleep regime. Think of it as your holiday homework:</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>Cut back on how much you are doing during the week, particularly in the evening, to give yourself time to wind down</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Put away the technology. A tech ban in the bedroom might be the best start</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Create a dark sleeping space</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Get rid of the alarm clock so your body has the chance to tell you how much sleep you need</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Keep a week-long diary of your sleep times and daytime energy levels to get a feel for how much sleep feels good the next day.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199624/original/file-20171218-17857-u9140r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>
<p><span class="caption">Over a week, see how much sleep you actually need to feel fresh.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/WukitUSJRgY">Warren Wong</a></span></p>

<p>You might find you need to sleep longer than usual for the first couple of nights. But remember, this is an exercise to work out how sleep can help you feel good rather than a test to see how much sleep you &ldquo;must&rdquo; or &ldquo;can&rdquo; get as this pressure may not help with sleeping well.</p>
</figcaption>
</figure>

<p>You might feel a little groggy the next morning which is normal, but you should wake up &ndash; and get up &ndash; when you feel well-rested.</p>

<p>By seeing where you sit on the sleep spectrum, you can work out the bed and wake times that best suit your needs.</p>

<p><strong>How to get more sleep</strong></p>

<p>Here are some starting points to make sleep more of a priority.</p>

<p><strong>1) Reduce your exposure to bright lights in the evening</strong></p>

<p>Allowing your body to naturally respond to the light and dark cycle each day can lead to earlier bed times.</p>

<p>Ditching distractors that delay our bedtimes <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)31522-6">can help shift the increase</a> in the hormone melatonin, which makes us sleepy, to earlier in the evening.</p>

<p>As little as one weekend of camping away from electrical lighting, including blue light in our devices, can help us become early risers.</p>

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199614/original/file-20171218-17878-1idg2q6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>
<p><span class="caption">Camping is a good way to reset the body clock.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/eDgUyGu93Yw">Patrick Hendry</a></span></p>

<p>If there&rsquo;s no time for camping this Christmas, try a &ldquo;camp at home&rdquo; approach by reducing your light exposure throughout the house at night; dim and fewer lights in the evening is ideal.</p>
</figcaption>
</figure>

<p><strong>2) Establish a routine</strong></p>

<p>While some find falling asleep a breeze, this can be a slow process for many. Consistent activities &ndash; such as brushing your teeth, reading a book &ndash; at a regular time each evening can help your body recognise and prepare for heading to bed.</p>

<p>Make sure this time is in addition to the time you set aside for sleep, so you have enough time to wind down before bed.</p>

<p>This routine extends to consistent wake times. A regular bed and wake time schedule should be complimentary.</p>

<p><strong>3) Talk to your doctor about your sleep</strong></p>

<p>If you&rsquo;re told you snore, or you never feel refreshed even after what seems to be a long sleep, talk to your GP about whether you might have an underlying disorder that makes getting enough sleep harder.</p>

<p>According to last<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28346149"> </a>year&rsquo;s national<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28346149"> </a>sleep<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28346149"> survey</a>, 8% of Australians have diagnosed <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-sleep-apnoea-26402">sleep apnoea</a>, 18% have restless<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-restless-leg-syndrome-56140"> leg</a> syndrome and 20% have insomnia. Getting help for these conditions will impact your physical and mental health.</p>

<p><img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88007/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />While time spent sleeping may feel akin to &ldquo;doing nothing&rdquo; for your health, the benefits of regular, refreshing sleep for your brain and body mean that it should be on your New Year&rsquo;s resolution list right next to healthy eating and exercise.</p>

<p><span>Doug<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-mcevoy-425224"> </a>McEvoy, Chief investigator, National Centre for Sleep Health Services Research, <em>Flinders<a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972"> </a>University</em>; Robert<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-adams-130622"> </a>Adams, Professor of Medicine, <em>University<a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119"> </a>of<a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119"> Adelaide</a></em>, and Sally<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sally-ferguson-64"> </a>Ferguson, Research professor, <em>CQUniversity<a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140"> Australia</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The </a>Conversation. Read the original<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-getting-enough-sleep-should-be-on-your-list-of-new-years-resolutions-88007"> </a>article.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</em></p>


While time spent sleeping may feel akin to ?doing nothing? for your health, the benefits of regular, refreshing sleep for your brain and body mean that it should be on your New Year?s resolution list right next to healthy eating and exercise.

If you need an alarm to get up in the morning, you’re probably not getting enough sleep. More than 40% of Australians get too little sleep to feel rested and able to function at their best. The average amount for an adult is around seven hours, while only 8% are lucky enough to get more than nine hours. Some 12% of Australians get less than 5.5 hours, and three-quarters of those struggle to get through their day. These holidays, ditch the alarm clock and make getting enough sleep one of your New Year’s resolutions. Your memory, waistline and even your employer may thank you for it. Why getting enough sleep should be a priority Our brains use sleep time to sort through our experiences. We “clean up” and get rid of information connections we don’t need from the day just gone. Without adequate sleep, we may not be making enough space for new learning and memories. Getting enough sleep also ensures we are safe to drive on the roads and less likely to make costly mistakes at work and home. Being awake for longer than 17 hours impairs your ability to think clearly as much as having a blood alcohol concentration above 0.05. After 24 hours awake, your ability to perform cognitive tasks is as poor as if you had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10. Last year’s Australian sleep survey found 29% of Australian workers reported making errors at work in the previous three months specifically because they hadn’t got enough sleep. One in five respondents reported having nodded off while driving. Getting enough sleep may also be helpful for managing our food intake. When people are only allowed to sleep for short periods of time, they are more likely to choose to snack food, particularly sweet snacks. It’s natural to reach for sweet snacks when we don’t get enough sleep. Sarah Swinton The body’s response to eating food changes when sleep is restricted; as little as one week of restricted sleep is associated with glucose (sugar) levels approaching pre-diabetic levels. The benefit is not limited to individual well-being. Australian workers who feel they get inadequate sleep are more likely to take a sick day than those who feel they get enough. So, how much sleep do we need? The American Sleep Foundation recommends adults aged between 18 and 64 get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, while older adults should aim for seven to eight hours. Your ideal sleep duration will be unique to you and fall somewhere within the recommended range. To find out how much sleep you need, try a week-long experiment and modified sleep regime. Think of it as your holiday homework: Cut back on how much you are doing during the week, particularly in the evening, to give yourself time to wind down Put away the technology. A tech ban in the bedroom might be the best start Create a dark sleeping space Get rid of the alarm clock so your body has the chance to tell you how much sleep you need Keep a week-long diary of your sleep times and daytime energy levels to get a feel for how much sleep feels good the next day. Over a week, see how much sleep you actually need to feel fresh. Warren Wong You might find you need to sleep longer than usual for the first couple of nights. But remember, this is an exercise to work out how sleep can help you feel good rather than a test to see how much sleep you “must” or “can” get as this pressure may not help with sleeping well. You might feel a little groggy the next morning which is normal, but you should wake up – and get up – when you feel well-rested. By seeing where you sit on the sleep spectrum, you can work out the bed and wake times that best suit your needs. How to get more sleep Here are some starting points to make sleep more of a priority. 1) Reduce your exposure to bright lights in the evening Allowing your body to naturally respond to the light and dark cycle each day can lead to earlier bed times. Ditching distractors that delay our bedtimes can help shift the increase in the hormone melatonin, which makes us sleepy, to earlier in the evening. As little as one weekend of camping away from electrical lighting, including blue light in our devices, can help us become early risers. Camping is a good way to reset the body clock. Patrick Hendry If there’s no time for camping this Christmas, try a “camp at home” approach by reducing your light exposure throughout the house at night; dim and fewer lights in the evening is ideal. 2) Establish a routine While some find falling asleep a breeze, this can be a slow process for many. Consistent activities – such as brushing your teeth, reading a book – at a regular time each evening can help your body recognise and prepare for heading to bed. Make sure this time is in addition to the time you set aside for sleep, so you have enough time to wind down before bed. This routine extends to consistent wake times. A regular bed and wake time schedule should be complimentary. 3) Talk to your doctor about your sleep If you’re told you snore, or you never feel refreshed even after what seems to be a long sleep, talk to your GP about whether you might have an underlying disorder that makes getting enough sleep harder. According to last year’s national sleep survey, 8% of Australians have diagnosed sleep apnoea, 18% have restless leg syndrome and 20% have insomnia. Getting help for these conditions will impact your physical and mental health. While time spent sleeping may feel akin to “doing nothing” for your health, the benefits of regular, refreshing sleep for your brain and body mean that it should be on your New Year’s resolution list right next to healthy eating and exercise. Doug McEvoy, Chief investigator, National Centre for Sleep Health Services Research, Flinders University; Robert Adams, Professor of Medicine, University of Adelaide, and Sally Ferguson, Research professor, CQUniversity Australia This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Why getting enough sleep should be on your list of New Year's resolutions

<p>You must think that New Year celebrations involve a massive party with drinks, food and a kiss as the clock hits 12. But did you know that many countries have their own traditions of welcoming the New Year? Do you want to explore the other side of things? Here are some strange, crazy traditions from around the world to celebrate the coming of a new year and a new beginning:</p>

<p><strong>Australia</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/1-20171225060030.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Australians have had an age old tradition of mutually showing their delight by banging utensils (Others)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>New Year party isn&#39;t the only think Australians do to welcome the year. They have had an age old tradition of mutually showing their delight by banging utensils, drums, trumpets, horns and other musicals to remove the bad &#39;juju&#39; like bad omen, evil spirits and negativity and welcoming the new ones.</p>

<p><strong>Colombia</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/2-20171225060223.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Strange traditions in Colombia include eating 12 grapes as soon as the clock turns 12 on the New Year&#39;s Eve (Agencies)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Colombians have their own traditions for New Year&#39;s Eve and New Year&#39;s Day - called ag&uuml;eros - the word ag&uuml;eros literally translates to &quot;omen&quot;. In terms of New Year it means bringing good things to everyone close to you. Some of these include eating 12 grapes as soon as the clock turns 12, wearing a pair of new yellow underwear, carrying lentils in your pocket on 31st December and taking an empty suitcase around the block after 12 o&#39;clock.</p>

<p><strong>Switzerland</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/3-20171225060341.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>The Swiss throw ice creams on the floor on New Year&#39;s Eve (Others)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The land of chocolates, watches and all good things believe in throwing ice cream on the floor on new year&rsquo;s eve as it is said to bring overflowing abundance in the New Year.</p>

<p><strong>Brazil</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/4-20171225060423.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Brazilians have some New Year traditions that may seem rather bizarre (Others)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Brazilians have some New Year traditions that may seem rather bizarre but people claim that they still follow it to bring them good luck, peace and happiness. These include &ndash; wearing white clothes with colorful underwear to welcome the New Year and jump seven waves, one for each day of the week, to bring good luck in the next year.</p>

<p><strong>Thailand</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/5-20171225060533.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Thousands of people come together in Thailand for a massive water fight (Others)</p>
</div>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thailand&rsquo;s New Year is called &ldquo;Songkran&rdquo; is celebrated in mid-April. It is celebrated in full swing over the course of three days including a national water festival that&rsquo;s grown to legendary proportions where thousands of people come together for a massive water fight. But that&rsquo;s not it, they also smear talcum powder all over each other&rsquo;s face.</p>

<p><strong>Chile</strong></p>

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<p>People in Chile celebrate New Year at a local cemetery (Others)</p>
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<p>People in Chile aren&rsquo;t focused on drawing Lady Luck to their side, but celebrate it at a local cemetery with their deceased loved ones in a chance to remember them. This tradition started about 15-16 years ago and it is known to bring peace to the loved ones they have lost.</p>

<p><strong>Panama</strong></p>

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<p>In Panama, people burn effigies of everyone and anyone famous on New Year (Others)</p>
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<p>Though the entire Panama celebrates New Year with great grandeur and vigor, they also celebrate the New Year by burning effigies of everyone and anyone famous. These life sized effigies are an old Panamanian tradition.&nbsp; These &ldquo;stuffed people&rdquo; are called many names - Mu&ntilde;ecos, Dummies, Old Year Dolls, Judas Dolls. They are stuffed with firecrackers which at lit and beaten when the clock hits 12 o&rsquo;clock. This is done so that the sins and evil spirits of the old year are destroyed, making way for good fortune in the New Year.</p>

<p><strong>South Africa</strong></p>

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<p>People throw furniture out of windows of tall buildings (Others)</p>
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<p>In the neighbourhood of Johannesburg, throwing furniture out of windows of tall buildings has been voted one of the strangest New Year traditions worldwide. The act symbolises casting away the old in favour of the new, letting go of past sorrows for a more hopeful time.</p>


You must think that New Year celebrations involve a massive party with drinks, food and a kiss as the clock hits 12. But did you know that many countries have their own traditions of welcoming the New Year?

You must think that New Year celebrations involve a massive party with drinks, food and a kiss as the clock hits 12. But did you know that many countries have their own traditions of welcoming the New Year? Do you want to explore the other side of things? Here are some strange, crazy traditions from around the world to celebrate the coming of a new year and a new beginning: Australia Australians have had an age old tradition of mutually showing their delight by banging utensils (Others) × New Year party isn't the only think Australians do to welcome the year. They have had an age old tradition of mutually showing their delight by banging utensils, drums, trumpets, horns and other musicals to remove the bad 'juju' like bad omen, evil spirits and negativity and welcoming the new ones. Colombia Strange traditions in Colombia include eating 12 grapes as soon as the clock turns 12 on the New Year's Eve (Agencies) × Colombians have their own traditions for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - called agüeros - the word agüeros literally translates to "omen". In terms of New Year it means bringing good things to everyone close to you. Some of these include eating 12 grapes as soon as the clock turns 12, wearing a pair of new yellow underwear, carrying lentils in your pocket on 31st December and taking an empty suitcase around the block after 12 o'clock. Switzerland The Swiss throw ice creams on the floor on New Year's Eve (Others) × The land of chocolates, watches and all good things believe in throwing ice cream on the floor on new year’s eve as it is said to bring overflowing abundance in the New Year. Brazil Brazilians have some New Year traditions that may seem rather bizarre (Others) × Brazilians have some New Year traditions that may seem rather bizarre but people claim that they still follow it to bring them good luck, peace and happiness. These include – wearing white clothes with colorful underwear to welcome the New Year and jump seven waves, one for each day of the week, to bring good luck in the next year. Thailand Thousands of people come together in Thailand for a massive water fight (Others) × Thailand’s New Year is called “Songkran” is celebrated in mid-April. It is celebrated in full swing over the course of three days including a national water festival that’s grown to legendary proportions where thousands of people come together for a massive water fight. But that’s not it, they also smear talcum powder all over each other’s face. Chile People in Chile celebrate New Year at a local cemetery (Others) × People in Chile aren’t focused on drawing Lady Luck to their side, but celebrate it at a local cemetery with their deceased loved ones in a chance to remember them. This tradition started about 15-16 years ago and it is known to bring peace to the loved ones they have lost. Panama In Panama, people burn effigies of everyone and anyone famous on New Year (Others) × Though the entire Panama celebrates New Year with great grandeur and vigor, they also celebrate the New Year by burning effigies of everyone and anyone famous. These life sized effigies are an old Panamanian tradition. These “stuffed people” are called many names - Muñecos, Dummies, Old Year Dolls, Judas Dolls. They are stuffed with firecrackers which at lit and beaten when the clock hits 12 o’clock. This is done so that the sins and evil spirits of the old year are destroyed, making way for good fortune in the New Year. South Africa People throw furniture out of windows of tall buildings (Others) × In the neighbourhood of Johannesburg, throwing furniture out of windows of tall buildings has been voted one of the strangest New Year traditions worldwide. The act symbolises casting away the old in favour of the new, letting go of past sorrows for a more hopeful time.

Strange New Year traditions around the world you didn't know about

<p>The endowment&nbsp;department of Andhra Pradesh has issued a notification asking temples in the state to not celebrate or have any festive atmosphere on New Year, starting from January 1, 2018.</p>

<p>The reason given by the secretary of the endowment&nbsp;department is that the&nbsp;New Year celebrations are&nbsp;not in accordance with Hindi religious practices.</p>

<p>&quot;The celebration is not appropriate and people are forgetting the Telugu tradition,&quot; Officials said in the letter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The letter also reads, &ldquo;even after 70 years of independence, our people are still following traditions of British. Ugadi, the Telugu New Year that is celebrated in Chaitra Maasam of the Telugu almanac, is in accordance with the Hindu tradition. Celebrations at temples on January 1 with the donations made by the devotees is not correct.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust (HDTP) secretary, Dr Chilakapati Vijaya Raghvacharyulu wrote a letter appealing to not celebrate the English New Year.</p>

<p>The notification was sent to the executive officers, assistant commissioners, and regional joint directors, directing them to ensure the implementation of the order.</p>

<p>The order received a lot of criticism.&nbsp; However, it is also being praised by the Hindu organisation.</p>

<p>P&nbsp;Manikyala Rao, the endowment minister of Andhra Pradesh is a BJP leader with RSS background.</p>

<p>In Karnataka also Bharata Punarutthana Trust has started an online campaign requesting Chief Minister to not celebrate the New Year in any government administrated temples.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The endowment?department believes that people are forgetting the Telugu tradition

The endowment department of Andhra Pradesh has issued a notification asking temples in the state to not celebrate or have any festive atmosphere on New Year, starting from January 1, 2018. The reason given by the secretary of the endowment department is that the New Year celebrations are not in accordance with Hindi religious practices. "The celebration is not appropriate and people are forgetting the Telugu tradition," Officials said in the letter. The letter also reads, “even after 70 years of independence, our people are still following traditions of British. Ugadi, the Telugu New Year that is celebrated in Chaitra Maasam of the Telugu almanac, is in accordance with the Hindu tradition. Celebrations at temples on January 1 with the donations made by the devotees is not correct.” Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust (HDTP) secretary, Dr Chilakapati Vijaya Raghvacharyulu wrote a letter appealing to not celebrate the English New Year. The notification was sent to the executive officers, assistant commissioners, and regional joint directors, directing them to ensure the implementation of the order. The order received a lot of criticism. However, it is also being praised by the Hindu organisation. P Manikyala Rao, the endowment minister of Andhra Pradesh is a BJP leader with RSS background. In Karnataka also Bharata Punarutthana Trust has started an online campaign requesting Chief Minister to not celebrate the New Year in any government administrated temples.

Against Hindu practices, so no New Year celebrations in Andhra temples

<p>Two more incidents of women being molested have been reported from the Southern Indian city of Bengaluru, days after the New Year&#39;s molestation incidents.</p>

<p>A 23-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted near her home early on Friday.</p>

<p>Another woman was allegedly molested by two men while on her way to the gym on January 4. A case has been registered in the city&#39;s Banaswadi Police Station, ANI reported.</p>

<p>In a CCTV footage recovered from a textile shop near the scene of the crime, the woman wearing a burkha was seen heading towards a bus stop near her residence on Friday. She was followed by a man who, after a short while, walks away nonchalantly.</p>

<p>The man then allegedly tried to molest her and fled from the scene when dogs nearby started barking, the police said. TV channels showed the woman with injuries on her body which she reportedly suffered while trying to defend herself. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police officials said they are investigating the incident.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Friday&#39;s incident makes it the fourth instance of molestation in the country&#39;s IT-hub. On Thursday police arrested four persons for allegedly groping and assaulting a woman by near her home in the city&#39;s Kammanahalli locality on New Year&#39;s Eve.</p>

<p>Late night on December 31, several women were allegedly molested and subjected to lewd remarks New Year revellers in Bengaluru&#39;s prominent areas, MG Road and Brigade Road.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The New Year&#39;s Eve incident, which took place despite the presence of 1500 police personnel, sparked outrage, after the state home minister G Parameshwara&#39;s insensitive remarks that &quot;such incidents do happen on New Year&#39;s day and Christmas.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The minister also said such incidents happened because of &quot;youngsters trying to copy the Westerners not only in the mindset, but even the dressing,&quot; drawing an angry response from activists who demanded his resignation.<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>


A woman was allegedly assaulted near her home early on Friday. Another woman was allegedly molested by two men while on her way to the gym

Two more incidents of women being molested have been reported from the Southern Indian city of Bengaluru, days after the New Year's molestation incidents. A 23-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted near her home early on Friday. Another woman was allegedly molested by two men while on her way to the gym on January 4. A case has been registered in the city's Banaswadi Police Station, ANI reported. In a CCTV footage recovered from a textile shop near the scene of the crime, the woman wearing a burkha was seen heading towards a bus stop near her residence on Friday. She was followed by a man who, after a short while, walks away nonchalantly. The man then allegedly tried to molest her and fled from the scene when dogs nearby started barking, the police said. TV channels showed the woman with injuries on her body which she reportedly suffered while trying to defend herself. She was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police officials said they are investigating the incident. Friday's incident makes it the fourth instance of molestation in the country's IT-hub. On Thursday police arrested four persons for allegedly groping and assaulting a woman by near her home in the city's Kammanahalli locality on New Year's Eve. Late night on December 31, several women were allegedly molested and subjected to lewd remarks New Year revellers in Bengaluru's prominent areas, MG Road and Brigade Road. The New Year's Eve incident, which took place despite the presence of 1500 police personnel, sparked outrage, after the state home minister G Parameshwara's insensitive remarks that "such incidents do happen on New Year's day and Christmas." The minister also said such incidents happened because of "youngsters trying to copy the Westerners not only in the mindset, but even the dressing," drawing an angry response from activists who demanded his resignation. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Two more incidents of molestation reported in Bengaluru

<p>After&nbsp;Karnataka home minister&#39;s remarks&nbsp;about women following the molestation of several women in Bengaluru, which critics called regressive,&nbsp;another Indian politician named&nbsp;Abu Azmi has made&nbsp;comments of a similar nature.</p>

<p>Asked about the incident, the Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator from Maharashtra blamed the incident on adopting Western culture, saying&nbsp;&quot;the more naked women appear, the more fashionable they are considered&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;Now-a-days, men and women&nbsp;have been given the liberty to roam around together. If we say anything, we are told we are regressive and old fashioned. I say in my time there was a propriety between men and women when they met. In modern times, the more naked a woman is more fashionable she appears. These things are increasing in the country. It is a black blot on our culture. Western culture is increasing and a stop should be put to this. We should follow culture and traditions of ancient times,&quot; &nbsp;Abu Azmi told ANI, as translated into English from Hindi by WION.</p>

<p>&quot;If my sister or daughter celebrate New Year&#39;s Eve with another man and her brother or husband are not with her, this is not correct,&quot; he later added.</p>

<p>&quot;If there is petrol, it will cause fire. If there is sugar, ants will automatically come towards it.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="in">Aaj modern zamane mein jitni aurat nangi nazar aati hai utna usey fashionable kaha jata hai: Abu Azmi, SP <a href="https://t.co/0SGVxLQ3we">pic.twitter.com/0SGVxLQ3we</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/816202855098912768">January 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Agar meri behen-beti suraj dubne ke baad gair mard ke sath 31 Dec manaye aur uska bhai/pati uske sath nahi hai ye theek nahi hai: Abu Azmi <a href="https://t.co/gJVFlv1w89">pic.twitter.com/gJVFlv1w89</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/816204441334358016">January 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Agar kahin petrol hoga aur aag aaegi to aag lagegi hi. Shakkar giri hogi to cheeti wahan zarur aaegi: Abu Azmi on his earlier statement <a href="https://t.co/3xbXhDo99e">pic.twitter.com/3xbXhDo99e</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/816204872177446912">January 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He said he knew that many people will be angered by his statement but he was &quot;fine with it&quot; because that was the &quot;truth&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Isse bahut log mujhse naraz honge lekin chalega kyuki ye sachai hai: Abu Azmi on his earlier statement <a href="https://t.co/LTZL8FPPKF">pic.twitter.com/LTZL8FPPKF</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/816206129264869376">January 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Abu Azmi is the president of the Maharashtra state branch of the SP.</p>

<p>National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam on Tuesday condemned the sexist remarks made by the Karnataka home minister and&nbsp;Abu Azmi&nbsp;and said&nbsp;summons had been issued to them&nbsp;for their &quot;disgusting&quot;&nbsp;assertions.</p>

<p>&quot;Politicising any issue leads to issue being covered up and politics becomes more important. It does not matter whether Abu Azmi belongs to one particular party or other party. To be brutally frank, there are men across all parties who make such disgusting statements and they are all to be condemned equally. In this case, it is Abu Azmi and Karnataka Home Minister,&quot; said Kumaramangalam.</p>

<p>Yesterday, Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara had caused outrage with his remark that &quot;such incidents do happen on New Year&#39;s day and Christmas&quot; and happened because of &quot;youngsters trying to copy the Westerners not only in the mindset, but even the dressing&quot;.</p>

<p>New Year&#39;s eve revellers mobbed, groped and made lewd remarks to women in Bengaluru&#39;s prominent areas, MG Road and Brigade Road, in the wee hours of &nbsp;Sunday. The incident was captured by CCTV cameras installed in the area.</p>

<p>The minister&#39;s remarks drew an angry response from activists and the&nbsp;NCW&nbsp;chairperson, who demanded the home minister resign and apologise to the women of the country for making such remarks.<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from ANI)</p>


If my sister or daughter celebrate New Year's Eve with another man and her brother or husband are not with her this is not correct: Abu Azmi

After Karnataka home minister's remarks about women following the molestation of several women in Bengaluru, which critics called regressive, another Indian politician named Abu Azmi has made comments of a similar nature. Asked about the incident, the Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator from Maharashtra blamed the incident on adopting Western culture, saying "the more naked women appear, the more fashionable they are considered". "Now-a-days, men and women have been given the liberty to roam around together. If we say anything, we are told we are regressive and old fashioned. I say in my time there was a propriety between men and women when they met. In modern times, the more naked a woman is more fashionable she appears. These things are increasing in the country. It is a black blot on our culture. Western culture is increasing and a stop should be put to this. We should follow culture and traditions of ancient times," Abu Azmi told ANI, as translated into English from Hindi by WION. "If my sister or daughter celebrate New Year's Eve with another man and her brother or husband are not with her, this is not correct," he later added. "If there is petrol, it will cause fire. If there is sugar, ants will automatically come towards it." Aaj modern zamane mein jitni aurat nangi nazar aati hai utna usey fashionable kaha jata hai: Abu Azmi, SP pic.twitter.com/0SGVxLQ3we — ANI (@ANI_news) January 3, 2017 × Agar meri behen-beti suraj dubne ke baad gair mard ke sath 31 Dec manaye aur uska bhai/pati uske sath nahi hai ye theek nahi hai: Abu Azmi pic.twitter.com/gJVFlv1w89 — ANI (@ANI_news) January 3, 2017 × Agar kahin petrol hoga aur aag aaegi to aag lagegi hi. Shakkar giri hogi to cheeti wahan zarur aaegi: Abu Azmi on his earlier statement pic.twitter.com/3xbXhDo99e — ANI (@ANI_news) January 3, 2017 × He said he knew that many people will be angered by his statement but he was "fine with it" because that was the "truth". Isse bahut log mujhse naraz honge lekin chalega kyuki ye sachai hai: Abu Azmi on his earlier statement pic.twitter.com/LTZL8FPPKF — ANI (@ANI_news) January 3, 2017 × Abu Azmi is the president of the Maharashtra state branch of the SP. National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam on Tuesday condemned the sexist remarks made by the Karnataka home minister and Abu Azmi and said summons had been issued to them for their "disgusting" assertions. "Politicising any issue leads to issue being covered up and politics becomes more important. It does not matter whether Abu Azmi belongs to one particular party or other party. To be brutally frank, there are men across all parties who make such disgusting statements and they are all to be condemned equally. In this case, it is Abu Azmi and Karnataka Home Minister," said Kumaramangalam. Yesterday, Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara had caused outrage with his remark that "such incidents do happen on New Year's day and Christmas" and happened because of "youngsters trying to copy the Westerners not only in the mindset, but even the dressing". New Year's eve revellers mobbed, groped and made lewd remarks to women in Bengaluru's prominent areas, MG Road and Brigade Road, in the wee hours of Sunday. The incident was captured by CCTV cameras installed in the area. The minister's remarks drew an angry response from activists and the NCW chairperson, who demanded the home minister resign and apologise to the women of the country for making such remarks. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Bengaluru molestation: Another Indian politician blames Western culture, women

<p>Slamming Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara&#39;s remark that &quot;such incidents do happen on New Year&#39;s day and Christmas&quot;, women&#39;s activist Ranjana Kumari said on Tuesday that instead of assuring the public that such an incident would never again take place, the minister was instead blaming western culture.</p>

<p>It is disgraceful that the minister, who is supposed to take care of law and order, safety and security, is also blaming the incident on women&#39;s choice of clothes, said Kumari.</p>

<p>Parameshwara&#39;s remark came after women were assaulted on the streets of Bengaluru by gangs of men on New Year&#39;s eve,</p>

<p>&quot;He has failed in delivering the administration on the eve when he knew so many people will be there. His police didn&#39;t act and instead of punishing the police and of suspending them who were there for not acting...instead of really assuring the women of Karnataka which is a progressive state and instead of assuring that never ever such thing will happen... there he is finding excuses and covering his face by posing the curtain of the western culture. This is totally unacceptable,&quot; said Kumari.</p>

<p>Women&#39;s activist Saswati Ghosh from Kolkata told ANI it was horrifying that incidents like these were being reported from a state the nation considers &quot;civilised&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;Reports say that the police deployment was not sufficient, which is really shocking. When they know that Christmas Eve will lead to various types of hooliganism..that is quite shocking that police was not vigilant to the extent they should have been. Now, when there is enough photographic evidence the police should take serious cognizance to the fact,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>Historian Ramachandra Guha tweeted, &quot;The Karnataka home minister drags his non performing government further into the muck. His statement on dress and molestation was despicable.&quot;</p>

<p>Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the All India Progressive Women&#39;s Association, also tweeted, &quot;Shame on Karnataka Home Min who blames &#39;western culture, dress&#39; for #Bangalore #NewYear mass molestation!&quot;</p>

<p>And Kiren Rijiju, minister of state for home, told ANI: &quot;Unfortunate. How &nbsp;can such incidents happen? Strict action must be taken.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reacting to the molestations on MG Road and Brigade Road during the New Year eve celebrations, Parameshwara had said there were enough police personnel deployed in Bengaluru to ensure the&nbsp;safety of women and &quot;such incidents do happen on New Year&#39;s day and Christmas&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;We had deployed 1,500 police personnel in the area for New Year&#39;s celebrations. Such incidents do happen on New Year day and on Christmas. We take a lot of precautions,&quot; Parmeshwara told ANI.</p>

<p>The incident of mass molestation reportedly occurred on December 31 midnight at Bengaluru&#39;s MG Road and Brigade Road.</p>

<p>A group of drunk hooligans gathered at the spot to celebrate New Year&#39;s eve.</p>

<p>Upon spotting young girls out for the&nbsp;celebration, the hooligans began passing lewd remarks against them.</p>

<p>(ANI)</p>


The women were assaulted in Bengaluru on New Year's eve by gangs of men

Slamming Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara's remark that "such incidents do happen on New Year's day and Christmas", women's activist Ranjana Kumari said on Tuesday that instead of assuring the public that such an incident would never again take place, the minister was instead blaming western culture. It is disgraceful that the minister, who is supposed to take care of law and order, safety and security, is also blaming the incident on women's choice of clothes, said Kumari. Parameshwara's remark came after women were assaulted on the streets of Bengaluru by gangs of men on New Year's eve, "He has failed in delivering the administration on the eve when he knew so many people will be there. His police didn't act and instead of punishing the police and of suspending them who were there for not acting...instead of really assuring the women of Karnataka which is a progressive state and instead of assuring that never ever such thing will happen... there he is finding excuses and covering his face by posing the curtain of the western culture. This is totally unacceptable," said Kumari. Women's activist Saswati Ghosh from Kolkata told ANI it was horrifying that incidents like these were being reported from a state the nation considers "civilised". "Reports say that the police deployment was not sufficient, which is really shocking. When they know that Christmas Eve will lead to various types of hooliganism..that is quite shocking that police was not vigilant to the extent they should have been. Now, when there is enough photographic evidence the police should take serious cognizance to the fact," she said. Historian Ramachandra Guha tweeted, "The Karnataka home minister drags his non performing government further into the muck. His statement on dress and molestation was despicable." Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association, also tweeted, "Shame on Karnataka Home Min who blames 'western culture, dress' for #Bangalore #NewYear mass molestation!" And Kiren Rijiju, minister of state for home, told ANI: "Unfortunate. How can such incidents happen? Strict action must be taken." Reacting to the molestations on MG Road and Brigade Road during the New Year eve celebrations, Parameshwara had said there were enough police personnel deployed in Bengaluru to ensure the safety of women and "such incidents do happen on New Year's day and Christmas". "We had deployed 1,500 police personnel in the area for New Year's celebrations. Such incidents do happen on New Year day and on Christmas. We take a lot of precautions," Parmeshwara told ANI. The incident of mass molestation reportedly occurred on December 31 midnight at Bengaluru's MG Road and Brigade Road. A group of drunk hooligans gathered at the spot to celebrate New Year's eve. Upon spotting young girls out for the celebration, the hooligans began passing lewd remarks against them. (ANI)

India: Fury after women are assaulted & minister says 'such incidents do happen'

<p>Most of us are just back from a long weekend, having celebrated the New Year with family and friends. The Gregorian calendar is generally accepted around the world, where January 1 is the standard first day of the year. &nbsp;</p>

<p>However, there are many countries that follow different calendars to kick-start their New Year. Did you know that Greece shifted to the Gregorian calendar only in 1923, while Thailand&rsquo;s conversion was as recent as 1941, and till then, they had different dates to mark New Year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These are some of the days when New Year is celebrated around the world:</p>

<h2>Chinese New Year&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Celebrated on different dates every year, the New Year&rsquo;s date falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 21, depending on when the new moon of the first lunar month falls. The 15-day observance is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and is known as &lsquo;Spring Festival&rsquo;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Chinese New Year (Getty)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Seollal</h2>

<p>Several Southeast Asian cultures celebrate New Year&rsquo;s Day on the Lunar New Year on February 8. In South Korea, the New Year marks a three-day holiday where families give thanks to a bountiful year. Many dress up in colourful attire called hanbok, while others perform an ancient tea offering ritual called &#39;Charye&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Korean New Year (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Songkran</h2>

<p>Songkran, Thai New Year, is celebrated from April 13 to 15. People celebrate the day by throwing water on each other, as it is symbolic of hope, and a call for rain. Buddha statues and images are also cleansed for good luck and prosperity.</p>

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<p>Thai New Year (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Nyepi</h2>

<p>Balinese New Year falls on March 9, marking the first day of the lunar-based Saka Calendar, which is followed by Balinese and Javanese cultures. The day is celebrated as a day of self-reflection and rest, but there are fire rituals that are practiced. Business in the regions comes to a standstill during the New Year.</p>

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<p>Balinese New Year (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Nowruz&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Nowruz is celebrated by both Zoroastrian and Baha&rsquo;i communities as New Year&rsquo;s Day. Celebrated on March 20, the date marks arrival of Spring. Iranian and Persian New Year is celebrated with people engaging in cleaning their homes and exchanging sweets.</p>

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<p>Nowruz (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Ugaadhi</h2>

<p>The southern Indian states of Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh celebrate Ugaadhi according to their lunar-based calendar as their New Year&rsquo;s Day. Gudi Padwa (in Maharashtra) and Cheti Chand (for Sindhi-speaking Indian communities) New Year&rsquo;s festivities also fall on this day.</p>

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<p>Gudi Padwa (DNA)</p>
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<h2>Aluth Avurudda</h2>

<p>Aluth Avurudda is a Sinhalese festival, which coincides with Tamil New Year&rsquo;s Day and is celebrated by most people in Sri Lanka. &nbsp;Unlike other cultures, the day marks the end of the harvest season. It also coincides with one of two instances when the sun is directly above Sri Lanka. &nbsp;Locals celebrate the day by opening their front doors to encourage visits by family and friends.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Aluth Avurudda (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Puthandu</h2>

<p>Puthandu, Tamil New Year, is celebrated every year on April 14. Tamil Nadu is a southern Indian state. People dress up in new clothes, with music, sweets and rice flour kolams (street art) a staple during the celebrations. April 14 is also New Year date for some areas of Sri Lanka and members of the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia and Singapore.</p>

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<p>Rangoli made in Puthandu festival (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Enkutatash</h2>

<p>The Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash, means the &lsquo;gift of jewels&rsquo;. Celebrated on September 11, it marks the start of Spring festival. Some cities in the country have religious celebrations, although it is not exclusively a religious holiday.</p>

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<p>Enkutatash (Others)</p>
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<h2>Diwali</h2>

<p>Diwali is an important Hindu festival in India. The festival of lights marks the start of a new year. The festival is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world. Marwari and Gujarati communities in north India, celebrate the day by giving thanks to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.</p>

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<p>Diwali (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Rosh Hashanah</h2>

<p>The Jewish New Year is celebrated as Rosh Hashanah, a two-day holiday from October 2 to 4. It commemorates the end of the seven days of Creation from the Book of Genesis. Celebrated with a lot of fanfare, it is believed that in the days following the creation of the universe, God was yet to determine the fate of mankind.</p>

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<p>Annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage (Getty)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Ra's as-Sanah al-Hijriyah&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Islamic New Year is the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Calendar. It celebrates emigration of Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Medina, known as Hijra. &nbsp;According to the calendar each day begins at sunset, with the New Year itself ushered by the first sighting of the moon.</p>

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<p>Islamic New Year (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Aboriginal Murador New Year</h2>

<p>The Western Australian Aboriginal tribe of Murador celebrates New Year&rsquo;s Day on October 30, as per the Gregorian calendar. An important day in the tribe&rsquo;s calendar, this marks a time for friendship, reconciliation, and giving thanks to the year that has gone by. The Murador people are now an extinct tribe, though their culture lives on in artifacts and text.</p>

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<p>Aboriginal Murador New Year (Others)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)</p>


Different cultures follow different calendars, with the New Year even celebrated as late as on October 30

Most of us are just back from a long weekend, having celebrated the New Year with family and friends. The Gregorian calendar is generally accepted around the world, where January 1 is the standard first day of the year. However, there are many countries that follow different calendars to kick-start their New Year. Did you know that Greece shifted to the Gregorian calendar only in 1923, while Thailand’s conversion was as recent as 1941, and till then, they had different dates to mark New Year. These are some of the days when New Year is celebrated around the world: Chinese New Year Celebrated on different dates every year, the New Year’s date falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 21, depending on when the new moon of the first lunar month falls. The 15-day observance is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and is known as ‘Spring Festival’. Chinese New Year (Getty) × Seollal Several Southeast Asian cultures celebrate New Year’s Day on the Lunar New Year on February 8. In South Korea, the New Year marks a three-day holiday where families give thanks to a bountiful year. Many dress up in colourful attire called hanbok, while others perform an ancient tea offering ritual called 'Charye'. Korean New Year (Getty) × Songkran Songkran, Thai New Year, is celebrated from April 13 to 15. People celebrate the day by throwing water on each other, as it is symbolic of hope, and a call for rain. Buddha statues and images are also cleansed for good luck and prosperity. Thai New Year (Getty) × Nyepi Balinese New Year falls on March 9, marking the first day of the lunar-based Saka Calendar, which is followed by Balinese and Javanese cultures. The day is celebrated as a day of self-reflection and rest, but there are fire rituals that are practiced. Business in the regions comes to a standstill during the New Year. Balinese New Year (Getty) × Nowruz Nowruz is celebrated by both Zoroastrian and Baha’i communities as New Year’s Day. Celebrated on March 20, the date marks arrival of Spring. Iranian and Persian New Year is celebrated with people engaging in cleaning their homes and exchanging sweets. Nowruz (Getty) × Ugaadhi The southern Indian states of Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh celebrate Ugaadhi according to their lunar-based calendar as their New Year’s Day. Gudi Padwa (in Maharashtra) and Cheti Chand (for Sindhi-speaking Indian communities) New Year’s festivities also fall on this day. Gudi Padwa (DNA) × Aluth Avurudda Aluth Avurudda is a Sinhalese festival, which coincides with Tamil New Year’s Day and is celebrated by most people in Sri Lanka. Unlike other cultures, the day marks the end of the harvest season. It also coincides with one of two instances when the sun is directly above Sri Lanka. Locals celebrate the day by opening their front doors to encourage visits by family and friends. Aluth Avurudda (Getty) × Puthandu Puthandu, Tamil New Year, is celebrated every year on April 14. Tamil Nadu is a southern Indian state. People dress up in new clothes, with music, sweets and rice flour kolams (street art) a staple during the celebrations. April 14 is also New Year date for some areas of Sri Lanka and members of the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia and Singapore. Rangoli made in Puthandu festival (Getty) × Enkutatash The Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash, means the ‘gift of jewels’. Celebrated on September 11, it marks the start of Spring festival. Some cities in the country have religious celebrations, although it is not exclusively a religious holiday. Enkutatash (Others) × Diwali Diwali is an important Hindu festival in India. The festival of lights marks the start of a new year. The festival is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world. Marwari and Gujarati communities in north India, celebrate the day by giving thanks to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Diwali (Getty) × Rosh Hashanah The Jewish New Year is celebrated as Rosh Hashanah, a two-day holiday from October 2 to 4. It commemorates the end of the seven days of Creation from the Book of Genesis. Celebrated with a lot of fanfare, it is believed that in the days following the creation of the universe, God was yet to determine the fate of mankind. Annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage (Getty) × Ra's as-Sanah al-Hijriyah Islamic New Year is the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Calendar. It celebrates emigration of Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Medina, known as Hijra. According to the calendar each day begins at sunset, with the New Year itself ushered by the first sighting of the moon. Islamic New Year (Getty) × Aboriginal Murador New Year The Western Australian Aboriginal tribe of Murador celebrates New Year’s Day on October 30, as per the Gregorian calendar. An important day in the tribe’s calendar, this marks a time for friendship, reconciliation, and giving thanks to the year that has gone by. The Murador people are now an extinct tribe, though their culture lives on in artifacts and text. Aboriginal Murador New Year (Others) × (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

January 1 is not New Year's Day for everyone

<p>Israel&#39;s Counter-Terrorism Bureau has warned Israelis travelling to India to be on &quot;alert&quot;, citing an immediate threat of attack against Western and tourist targets particularly in the south-west of the country.</p>

<p>In a statement released by the Prime Minister&#39;s Office, the Counter-Terrorism Bureau singled out Western and tourist hot-spots as being at heightened risk.</p>

<p>&quot;Israeli tourists travelling in India are asked to stay alert and to pay attention to local media reports and security agencies. Furthermore, families with relatives in India&quot; are asked to update them about the travel warning and recommendation, the statement said yesterday.</p>

<p>&quot;We ask to focus on events in the coming days related to the Christian New Year&#39;s holiday, placing particular emphasis on beach parties and clubs, where there is larger concentration of tourists,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>The south-west part of the country -- which covers popular holiday destinations like Goa, Pune, Mumbai and Cochin -- are particularly at risk, according to the advisory.</p>

<p>The warning is defined a &quot;concrete basic threat,&quot; according to Israel&#39;s Channel 2 television.</p>

<p>Security sources in Tel Aviv said that the trance parties on new year&#39;s eve on the beaches of Goa are very popular among Israeli youngsters and other western tourists. Such gatherings can be easy targets of certain hostile Islamic groups.</p>

<p>Israel has in the past also issued such warning, especially for Goa, but this time security sources feel all such places frequented by large number of western tourists in south and west of India can be a target of terror attack.</p>

<p>The advisory coming out on Friday evening after the start of Jewish Sabbath has been noted by the local media as a bit &quot;unusual&quot; and by some also as sign of a &quot;serious threat.&quot;</p>

<p>An Israeli Embassy spokesman in New Delhi confirmed the warning and said, &quot;Israel has issued a travel advisory surrounding New Year&#39;s Eve celebrations events in south-west India, with specific regard to beach parties, clubs and highly-populated tourist sites. Israeli tourist are advised to avoid such events and other densely-populated areas.&quot;</p>

<p>In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas.</p>

<p>The bureau did not specify what prompted the warning, however, additional security arrangements have been made all around the world for New Year eve in view of the Berlin terror attack on a Christmas market last week that killed 12 people.</p>

<p>India remains a popular tourist destination for Israeli citizens and according to Jewish Post an estimated 20,000 former Israeli soldiers travel to India every year.</p>

<p>Israeli citizens and Jewish sites in India have been attacked in the past, the most infamous incident occurred during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack when members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group targeted the local Chabad House, among other sites, in Mumbai.</p>

<p>In 2012, Tal Yehoshua Koren, the wife of an Israeli Defense Ministry representative, was moderately wounded in an explosion in her car near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(PTI)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Popular holiday destinations in India like Goa, Pune, Mumbai and Cochin -- are particularly at risk, according to the advisory

Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau has warned Israelis travelling to India to be on "alert", citing an immediate threat of attack against Western and tourist targets particularly in the south-west of the country. In a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, the Counter-Terrorism Bureau singled out Western and tourist hot-spots as being at heightened risk. "Israeli tourists travelling in India are asked to stay alert and to pay attention to local media reports and security agencies. Furthermore, families with relatives in India" are asked to update them about the travel warning and recommendation, the statement said yesterday. "We ask to focus on events in the coming days related to the Christian New Year's holiday, placing particular emphasis on beach parties and clubs, where there is larger concentration of tourists," it said. The south-west part of the country -- which covers popular holiday destinations like Goa, Pune, Mumbai and Cochin -- are particularly at risk, according to the advisory. The warning is defined a "concrete basic threat," according to Israel's Channel 2 television. Security sources in Tel Aviv said that the trance parties on new year's eve on the beaches of Goa are very popular among Israeli youngsters and other western tourists. Such gatherings can be easy targets of certain hostile Islamic groups. Israel has in the past also issued such warning, especially for Goa, but this time security sources feel all such places frequented by large number of western tourists in south and west of India can be a target of terror attack. The advisory coming out on Friday evening after the start of Jewish Sabbath has been noted by the local media as a bit "unusual" and by some also as sign of a "serious threat." An Israeli Embassy spokesman in New Delhi confirmed the warning and said, "Israel has issued a travel advisory surrounding New Year's Eve celebrations events in south-west India, with specific regard to beach parties, clubs and highly-populated tourist sites. Israeli tourist are advised to avoid such events and other densely-populated areas." In addition, it recommended avoiding markets, festivals and crowded shopping areas. The bureau did not specify what prompted the warning, however, additional security arrangements have been made all around the world for New Year eve in view of the Berlin terror attack on a Christmas market last week that killed 12 people. India remains a popular tourist destination for Israeli citizens and according to Jewish Post an estimated 20,000 former Israeli soldiers travel to India every year. Israeli citizens and Jewish sites in India have been attacked in the past, the most infamous incident occurred during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack when members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group targeted the local Chabad House, among other sites, in Mumbai. In 2012, Tal Yehoshua Koren, the wife of an Israeli Defense Ministry representative, was moderately wounded in an explosion in her car near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. (PTI)

Israel warns citizens not to travel to India, cites terror threats

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