New Orleans' annual Carnival season entered its ebullient crescendo on Tuesday, with thousands of revellers gathering in the French Quarter and lining long parade routes in citywide Mardi Gras celebrations underpinned this year by worries about violent crime and political turmoil.
Celebrations began before dawn in some parts of the city, and TV crews captured images of The North Side Skull and Bones gang — skeleton-costumed revellers — spreading out through the Treme area to awaken people for Mardi Gras.
Revellers were undeterred by violence that marred a glitzy weekend parade. Gunfire broke out during a parade on Sunday, killing a teenager and injuring four, including a four-year-old girl.
Police quickly arrested Mansour Mbodj for illegally carrying a weapon, then upgraded the charge to second-degree murder. Officials stressed on Monday that the shooting was an isolated event.
“It's discouraging but it's not going to stop me from coming,” said Roz Walker.
Ms Walker and her friend Tracy Dunbar are Baton Rouge residents who were among the crowd awaiting the parades of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club and the Rex Organisation.
They have been visiting New Orleans on Mardi Gras for decades.
“In our 40-plus years of coming to Mardi Gras, we've never been involved in a situation at all,” Ms Walker said.
Crime has contributed to dissatisfaction with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
Ms Cantrell won re-election easily in 2021, but has suffered political problems since and she is facing a possible recall attempt.
“Mardi Gras is a time where satire and jest are on full display,” spokesman Gregory Joseph said in a prepared statement. “The city has been enjoying a safe and healthy Carnival."
Mr Joseph said the mayor was looking forward to continuing the celebration.
Mardi Gras makes return after pandemic hiatus in 2022 - in pictures
It was a costume party along French Quarter streets.
Jerome FitzGibbons wore a phoney nose, moustache and glasses and carried binoculars as he strolled Chartres Street with a large white sphere strapped to the top of his head — he was a Chinese spy balloon.
Mr FitzGibbons and his similarly clad wife, Jennifer, moved to New Orleans from New Jersey.
“This is our kind of crazy,” she said.
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the culmination of Carnival season, which officially begins each year on January 6, the 12th day after Christmas, and closes with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
New Orleans’ raucous celebration is the nation’s most well-known, but the holiday is also celebrated throughout much of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.
Mobile, Alabama, lays claim to the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the country.
Associated Press contributed to this report
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Movie
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The biog
Name: Gul Raziq
From: Charsadda, Pakistan
Family: Wife and six children
Favourite holes at Al Ghazal: 15 and 8
Golf Handicap: 6
Childhood sport: cricket
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
