Law enforcement agencies around the world are on heightened alert on New Year's Eve, trying to balance vigilance against terrorist attacks with assurances to the public that it is safe to ring in the New Year in public spaces. Turkey arrested two alleged Islamic State plotters on Wednesday, and Belgium arrested two alleged ISIS-inspired attack planners on Tuesday, but officials in Brussels still decided to err on the side of safety and canceled fireworks and other festivities in the Belgian capital's equivalent of Times Square.
Last year, 100,000 turned out for the New Year's Eve celebration in central Brussels, Mayor Yvane Mayeur told television station RTBF, and this year "we can't guarantee that we can check everyone." Paris, site of the Nov. 13 ISIS-linked attack carried out largely by Belgian nationals, has also canceled a planned New Year's Eve fireworks display, but is still putting on a 10-minute video and light show at the Arc de Triomphe. In New York City, 6,000 police will be deployed around Times Square. "Come on down," New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton said on MSNBC's Morning Joe. "We're going to have the best party in the world." You can learn more in the CNN report below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 winsspeed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughterspeed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
