By KANIS LEUNG

HONG KONG (AP) — Fireworks are typically a celebratory centerpiece of Hong Kong’s New Year celebrations. Not this year.

Related Articles

Palestinians watch as Israeli bulldozers claw down their West Bank homes

A rough year for journalists in 2025, with a little hope for things to turn around

Thieves drill into a German bank vault and steal tens of millions of euros’ worth of property

What to know about the mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 as the search resumes

Drummers pound in the new year as others mark 2026 with defiance or hope

The territory greeted 2026 without spectacular and colorful explosions in the sky over its iconic Victoria Harbor after a massive fire in November that killed at least 161 people.

The city’s tourism board instead hosted a music show Wednesday night featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other singers in Central, a business district that also is home to the famous nightlife hub Lan Kwai Fong. The facades of eight landmarks turned into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight.

Fireworks have long been part of the city’s celebrations for the New Year, Lunar New Year and National Day. The pyrotechnic displays against Hong Kong’s world-famous skyline of skyscrapers typically draw hundreds of thousands of people including many tourists to both sides of the promenade.

Hotels and restaurants likely affected

Rosanna Law, the territory’s secretary for culture, sports and tourism, acknowledged Tuesday that having no fireworks would affect some hotel and restaurant businesses.

FILE – Fireworks explode over Victoria Harbour to celebrate the start of 2025 at Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei, File)

Annie Wang, a tourist from Shanghai, said that although she had planned to watch the fireworks show, she understood the city’s decision because she found news of the blaze heart-wrenching.

“It’s quite regretful. But there’s no way around it after the fire,” said Wang, a university student.

Wang Miao, a teacher from the neighboring economic hub of Guangzhou, planned to join the official countdown activities in Central despite the absence of fireworks. She said it was a pity that she could not see pyrotechnics, but she could understand why.

“It doesn’t affect our experience in Hong Kong,” Wang said.

By early Wednesday evening, crowds of revelers had already gathered near the performance stage in Central, hoping to secure the best views of the musical performance.

Worst fire since the 1940s for Hong Kong

The financial hub’s worst blaze since 1948 broke out at Wang Fuk Court, in the northern suburban district of Tai Po, in late November. The apartment complex was undergoing a monthslong renovation project with buildings covered by bamboo scaffolding and green netting.

Authorities have pointed to the substandard netting and foam boards installed on windows as contributing factors in the fire’s rapid spread. Thousands of affected residents have moved to transitional homes, hotels and youth hostels, struggling to recover from the loss of lives and homes that took them years to buy. The casualties pained many residents across the city.

People look at flames engulfing a building after a fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong’s New Territories, Wednesday, Nov. 26 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei, File)

Past tragedies in Hong Kong have forced similar cancellations of fireworks. They include the 2013 National Day festivities following a vessel collision that killed 39 people on Oct. 1, 2012, and the 2018 Lunar New Year celebration after a bus crash that left 19 dead. During the 2019 anti-government protests and the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple displays also were scrapped.

The origin of fireworks is believed to date to China in the second century B.C., when someone discovered bamboo stalks exploded with loud bangs when thrown into fire, creating the first natural “firecrackers,” according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, a U.S. trade group.

The Guinness World Records organization says the first accurately documented firework, the Chinese firecracker, was created by Li Tian, a monk from China’s Tang dynasty dating to around 618 to 907 C.E. Li discovered that putting gunpowder in enclosed hollow bamboo stems created loud explosions and bound crackers together to create the traditional New Year firecrackers to drive out evil spirits, Guinness said.

You better not tell head coach Kevin O’Connell that the Vikings have nothing to play for this weekend.

Though the Green Bay Packers are locked into their playoff spot and will likely rest their starters on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings are still invested in ending this season on a high note.

A win this weekend would ensure the Vikings finish with a 9-8 record in the highly competitive the NFC North. That looked nearly impossible roughly a month ago when the Vikings were floundering with a 4-8 record.

“We set out on this journey when we were in some pretty dark times a few weeks back, and I laid out the challenge to our team,” O’Connell said. “To their credit, they’ve answered the challenge, and we’ve found a way to stack some wins together.”

Here are five young players that would do themselves good by shining for the Vikings this weekend:

J.J. McCarthy

It sounds like quarterback J.J. McCarthy might be able to give it a go. He was able to participate in practice on Wednesday afternoon at TCO Performance Center despite the fact that he’s still dealing with a hairline fracture in his right hand.

That’s a step in the right direction.

If McCarthy is able to turn over in time to play, he needs to continue to show growth. It has been a roller coaster for him this season as he has struggled to adapt to NFL speed.

McCarthy has only completed 57.3% of his passes for 1,450 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. It would be a major boost for him to put together a good game, even if he’s going up against a backups.

Tai Felton

It’s basically been a redshirt campaign for receiver Tai Felton as he has been able to learn the intricacies of the NFL without having to play a big role on offense. He has logged only 37 snaps on offense this season while carving out a niche as a key contributor on special teams.

It’s still unclear if Felton will see an uptick in his playing time Sunday. If he get more of a runway on offense, he needs to showcase some of the speed and playmaking ability that convinced the Vikings to draft him.

There’s a chance Felton has to step into a larger role on offense in the near future if Jalen Nailor signs elsewhere as a free agent. A solid effort in the finale would go a long way in Felton earning the trust of his teammates.

Michael Jurgens

It feels safe to say center Michael Jurgens has already played more this season than he originally expected. The assumption was that Jurgens would get to learn the ropes of the position while playing behind Ryan Kelly on the depth chart.

Those plans changed as Kelly has navigated a series of concussions that could end up forcing him into retirement. The ripple effect has been Jurgens being thrust into the spotlight as a potential replacement.

It would go a long way for Jurgens and his confidence if he’s able to confidently anchor the middle of the offensive line Sunday. He has had some ups and down spot minutes this season with room for improvement in pass protection and run blocking.

Dallas Turner

There have been flashes of brilliance from edge rusher Dallas Turner this season, as well as some growing pains here and there. He has shown the most promise as a pass rusher while filling in for injured edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.

The explosiveness that Turner possesses is evident when he can pin his ears back and do what he does best. The biggest challenge for him has been developing into somebody that can do it all.

It looks like Turner might get to go up against some backups Sunday. He has to dominate whoever lines up across from him. That should be the expectation as he continues to ascend.

Jay Ward

It looked like safety Jay Ward might be heading down a path that ended with him being nothing more than a star on special teams. He has since been given a chance on defense with Josh Metellus out for the rest of this season due to shoulder injury.

The physicality with which Ward plays the position has been palpable since stepping in as a starter. He’s an extremely violent tackler that makes his presence felt every time he brings a ballcarrier to the ground.

If Ward can have a good game Sunday, he could put himself in the conversation to garner more reps on defense. He needs to make the most of his opportunity.

Related Articles

Vikings safety Harrison Smith is NFC Defensive Player of the Week

What’s next for Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores?

Former Vikings WR Stefon Diggs facing strangulation, assault charges

Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams is a Hall of Fame finalist

J.J. McCarthy is progressing for the Vikings. Will he play against the Packers?

Sprinkles Cupcakes, a chain of scratch-made gourmet cupcakes, cookies and cakes that got its start in Beverly Hills and was later bought by a private equity giant, is closing all stores on Wednesday, Dec. 31.

“A few days ago, I learned that Sprinkles Cupcakes, the company I started in 2005, and then sold to private equity in 2012, will be closing its bakery doors today,” founder Candace Nelson — an investment banker turned baker — said Wednesday in an Instagram video post.

Nelson opened the first Sprinkles in 2005 in Beverly Hills.

The chain, which was bought by investment firm KarpReilly LLC, operated 21 stores and 25 ATMs that dispensed fresh cupcakes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in California, Florida, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Washington, D.C.

Spokespersons with Sprinkles Cupcakes and Greenwich, Connecticut-based KarpReilly were not immediately available for comment. However, an employee at Sprinkles’ Scottsdale store said that orders were no longer being accepted.

“After careful and thoughtful consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to transition away from an operating company owned by Sprinkles Bakeries,” the worker read from a statement. “As a result, our company owned locations will be closing, with the final day of service scheduled for today.”

The worker, who declined to provide their name, would not comment further.

On opening day 20 years ago, Nelson sold 200 cupcakes in two hours, attracting celebrity devotees including Tyra Banks and Barbra Streisand. Nelson’s concept pioneered an explosion of specialty dessert and haute cupcake shops in Southern California.

The news of the chain’s closure hit the founder hard.

“Just to say that out loud is completely surreal. Even though I sold the company over a decade ago, I still have such a personal connection to it, and this isn’t how I thought the story would go. I thought Sprinkles would keep growing and be around forever,” Nelson said. “I thought it was a going to be my legacy. It’s hard to describe how I’m feeling right now. But one thing is for sure, I’m incredibly grateful for all of the joy our cupcakes brought to millions of people over the years.”

KarpReilly has a portfolio of 44 companies listed on its website and invests in small to mid-size consumer growth companies. Some of those businesses include Newport Beach-based California Fish Grill, San Diego-based Burger Lounge and downtown-Los Angeles-based women’s clothing brand Christy Dawn. Sprinkle Cupcakes was no longer listed as a current investment.

In 2007, the private equity firm acquired a majority position of Irvine-based Habit Burger Grill before taking it public in 2014, later selling in 2020 to Yum! Brands, the parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

KarpReilly manages funds and affiliates with capital commitments in excess of $800 million.

“I have so many amazing Sprinkles memories, which I plan to share over the next few weeks as I process this news,” Nelson said. “I built this company as a point of joy and connection.”

Over the years, Sprinkles was sold out of a cupcake truck and its proprietary mixes from more than 250 Williams-Sonoma stores throughout the United States and Canada. In 2012, the company debuted its cupcake ATM, dubbed as the world’s first such device.

Sprinkles also sold its bakery goods at Disneyland in Anaheim and through ATMs, such as those on the campus of the USC and the Little Italy neighborhood in San Diego. In Southern California, Sprinkles had stores in Beverly Hills, downtown Los Angeles, Irvine, La Jolla, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach and The Grove shopping complex in the Beverly Grove area of Los Angeles.

The cupcakes were made fresh in small batches throughout the day and contained no preservatives, trans fats or artificial flavors, according to the company.

As of Wednesday morning, Nelson’s announcement on Instagram had received more than 360 comments on her post and nearly 2,100 likes.

“I’m so sorry. Damn PE (private equity) really does know how to f… up a good thing,” wrote one commenter under the handle of codiesanchez.

“Wow! Candace!!! That must be very tough. I’m happy you sold the company when you did, but truly sorry the new team was not able to grow and thrive with your strong foundation: Truly the end of an important chapter for you,” wrote another poster, faith_wheeler7.  “May one door close so another may open.”

Another poster, tayywalkerr of San Diego, wrote that she was speechless over the news. “This is so hard to hear. These cupcakes were my obsession for years. Still my favorite cupcake ever. You built something so amazing & always brought joy to anyone I bought cupcakes for.”

Related Articles

Average US long-term mortgage rate falls to the lowest level of the year at 6.15%

New Year’s Day: What’s open? Retailers. What’s closed? Government and banks

Wall Street falls in light trading on the final day of 2025, another banner year for markets

How to build an emergency fund, pay off debt and make a plan for your money in 2026

US applications for jobless benefits fell below 200,000 last week with layoffs historically low

St. Paul Public Works will begin the second year of its even/odd parking pilot program, alternating parking on either side of the street on a weekly basis beginning Sunday in the Snelling-University and Selby-Western neighborhoods.

The parking restrictions will take effect west of Snelling Avenue and north and south of University Avenue, within the area bounded by Thomas Avenue, Snelling Avenue, St. Anthony Avenue/Interstate 94 and Aldine Street. In the intersection of Selby and Western avenues, the same program will take effect within the area bounded by Selby Avenue, Western Avenue, Summit Avenue and Dale Street.

The goal is to make room for emergency vehicles and plows and prevent the roads from becoming packed with ice and snow. The parking rules in these areas remain the same, regardless of the amount of snow or whether a Snow Emergency is declared.

Drivers will be expected to park on the side of the street with even-numbered addresses on these Sundays: Jan. 4, Jan. 18, Feb. 1, Feb. 15, March 1, March 15 and March 29. They will be expected to park on the side of the street with odd-numbered addresses on these Sundays: Jan. 11, Jan. 25, Feb. 8, Feb. 22, March 8, March 22 and April 5.

There is a grace period on Sundays from 3 to 9 p.m. to allow drivers time to move their cars.

During the education phase, from Jan. 4 to Jan. 17, the city will place flyers on cars parked on the wrong side to inform drivers about the pilot program. The city will begin ticketing and towing cars not parked according to the weekly alternating parking cycle rules Jan. 18 to April 11.

Virtual and in-person community meetings were held in December to discuss the two pilot areas.

The program will be in effect until April 11. The city plans to do further testing in additional pilot areas next winter.

For more information, go to stpaul.gov/NewSnow

Related Articles

In town for World Juniors? Here are some things to do besides watching hockey

Photos of the year: Pioneer Press photographer John Autey reflects on 2025

Assistant St. Paul fire chief tapped to serve as interim after Butch Inks retirement

Bitcoin Depot ATM network sues St. Paul for banning cryptocurrency kiosks

Bicyclist, 26, dies after he’s struck by driver in St. Paul