Category: Life & Style

A team of European carbon removal specialists has launched an initiative to help Indian businesses develop projects that extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) initiatives around Europe have raised more than 220 million euros ($238 million) in donations from the Amsterdam-based organisation “Remove.”

Now that the organisation is accepting applications, Indian start-ups will have access to Remove’s network of professionals and foreign buyers and possible future funding.

Reforestation and air filters that remove carbon straight from the atmosphere are examples of CDR initiatives.

It is anticipated that Indian efforts will concentrate on “enhanced weathering,” which involves spreading rocks like basalt across the land to absorb CO2 and biochar, charcoal made from burning organic matter.

The amount of CO2 that must be removed annually to keep temperature increases below the crucial 1.5-degree Celsius barrier has increased from two billion to seven to nine billion metric tonnes. If growth restrictions are removed, the CDR market might reach a valuation of approximately $100 billion by 2030, up from $2.27 billion in 2023.

The U.S. federal government, Microsoft, and Google are among the very few altruistic customers with limited demand for CDR credits.

New visa regulations implemented by Kuwait enable foreign nationals employed in the public sector to transfer their visas to positions in the private sector. The announcement was made by Sheikh Fahad Al Yousuf Al Sabah, Minister of Defence and Interior and Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister. Its goal is to expedite the transfer procedure while adhering to the laws governing labour mobility.

Starting July 14, domestic workers can transfer to the private sector if they meet specific conditions: obtaining approval from their current employer, having a minimum residency of one year with the employer, and paying a transfer fee of 50 dinars (about Dh600). There will be an extra fee of 10 dinars for every year that the employee has worked for the present employer.

A three-month amnesty period that permitted foreigners living there illegally to change their status by paying fines, applying for new residency, or leaving the nation without being penalised has ended in Kuwait.

The government has recently imposed strict regulations on illegal housing following a devastating building fire that resulted in the deaths of fifty people. In the most recent raid, several foreigners were forced from their houses in Kuwait.

July 4, 2024, Dubai –  The 7th Burj CEO Awards, trademarked and pioneered by one of the largest networking organizations in the world, CEO Clubs Network, is set to make a grand return, celebrating the outstanding achievements of CEOs and organizations from around the world. Under the theme “Bridging Continents, Celebrating Excellence,” this prestigious event will take place over five days and four nights in the vibrant city of Istanbul, Turkey, from October 22-26, 2024.

The Burj CEO Awards, known as the “Oscars” of the business world, is an esteemed annual global business award ceremony hosted in different countries that acknowledges outstanding business leaders and organizations for their remarkable achievements and contributions to the economy. The Business Award Gala was first launched in 2016 in Washington, D.C., and since then, it has been held in London, Shenzhen, Mauritius, Dubai, and Mediterranean Cruise. Over the years, the Burj CEO Awards have recognized and awarded more than 300 business leaders and organizations for their business success. In addition to the awards ceremony, the BURJ CEO Summit is designed for awardees and delegates to share knowledge and best practices, and engage in discussions on future trends and challenges. It positively impacts on the opportunities for networking and collaborations.

Highlighting the Growing Interest in Key Award Categories: 

– Best Global CEO: Recognizing exceptional leadership and global impact.

– Emerging CEO of the Year: Honoring dynamic leaders demonstrating significant potential.

– Most Innovative Leader: Celebrating breakthrough innovations and visionary thinking.

– Excellence in Sustainability: Awarding leaders championing sustainable practices and initiatives.

– Outstanding Contribution to Global Trade: Acknowledging efforts to foster international trade and cooperation.

– Leadership in Corporate Social Responsibility: Highlighting impactful CSR initiatives.

– Lifetime Achievement Award: Honoring long-term contributions and legacy in the business world.

Participation Options:

In addition to attending as nominees, there are multiple ways to be part of this prestigious event. Delegates can attend to gain insights and network with global leaders, while organizations can explore sponsorship opportunities to enhance their brand presence and support this significant event. 

Call for Nominations:

By recognizing and honoring global visionary leaders and organizations, the 7th Burj CEO Awards will not only celebrate global business excellence but also contribute to the growth and development of the global business community. This event underscores the importance of inclusivity and diversity in leadership, inspiring global leaders to achieve excellence through collaboration and innovation.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Submit Nominations: https://www.burjceoawards.com/content/nomination-form

ABOUT CEO CLUBS NETWORK:

The Burj CEO Awards is trademarked and pioneered by CEO Clubs Network, an award-winning, membership-based international organization with members from various industries and chapters across the globe. CEO Clubs Network connects CEOs, C-level executives, business owners, and government officials and enables them to share experiences, establish business connections, explore business collaboration, investment opportunities, and build long-lasting business relationships. CEO Clubs Network Worldwide has decades of member engagement experience. CEO Clubs Network is a trusted business networking organization and a driving force for global business with a Head Office in the USA and a strong regional office in Dubai, UAE.

Visit: www.ceoclubsnetwork.org

NPCI International Payments Ltd. and Network International have formed a partnership to facilitate UPI payments in the United Arab Emirates using QR codes at the network’s point-of-sale (POS) terminals. Through this programme, all transactions made by Indian tourists and non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be safe and easy.

More than sixty thousand businesses in industries like grocery stores, transportation, hotels, and retail use Network International’s 200,000 point-of-sale terminals. With time, UPI acceptance will spread to many different types of businesses, including restaurants, shops, and even popular tourist spots like the Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall. Through this collaboration, we will be able to offer a secure QR-based solution for international money transfers.

Now, UPI can be used at the network’s point-of-sale terminals in the UAE by Indian visitors and non-resident Indians (NRIs) with Indian bank accounts. Promoting digital commerce and further developing economic connections between India and the UAE, this achievement signifies a substantial step towards improving the convenience and security of transactions for Indian visitors in the UAE.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched a checklist of India’s fauna, identifying 1,04,561 species, on the 109th foundation day of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).

Bhupender Yadav, India’s minister of environment, announced that India has become the first nation to reach this landmark. There are 121 checklists totaling all taxa from 36 different phyla available on the Fauna of India checklist page.

All species, including those that are endemic, endangered, or on a schedule, are included in this list. Out of India’s 455 mammal species, 59 call Telangana home; five of those are endemic. There are 439 bird species in the state, with 11 of those being endemic. Birds play an important part in ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and pest control, in addition to pollinating and dispersing seeds. They also hunt animals and are predators.

Among India’s 778 reptile species, 426 are considered endemic, according to the ZSI. There are 66 species of reptiles in Telangana, with four of them being unique to the state. Out of all the reptile species, one is listed as endangered, three as vulnerable, and six as near-threatened.

On Tuesday, the joint secretary of the Indian Ministry of Mines, Veena Kumari Dermal, announced at an industry event that India is negotiating government-to-government agreements with Latin American and African countries to acquire strategic mineral blocks. Given the current state of the global supply chain, the initiative’s stated goal is to increase India’s strategic reserves. Dermal emphasised the ongoing discussions with Australia regarding similar mineral resources.

Dermal, the joint secretary of the Ministry of Mines, announced that India is in deep talks with several resource-rich Latin American and African nations to buy blocks either through direct government arrangements or on a priority basis.

Initiatives like the founding of Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) in Argentina, which aims to start exploratory activities, support the efforts. A $24 million lithium exploration transaction encompassing five blocks in Argentina was finalised earlier this year by KABIL, indicating that India is taking a proactive approach to securing vital resources.

The secretary of mines for India, V.L. Kantha Rao, highlighted the country’s mining strategy as a whole, with a focus on copper, cobalt, and lithium. Rao brought attention to India’s exploratory efforts in Africa while also looking for lithium extraction potential in Australia.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty sought blessings at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London in the lead-up to the UK elections. As a devoted Hindu, Sunak was honest about his faith and how it helped him cope with difficult times. He stressed the significance of Dharma, the Hindu notion of responsibility, in directing his strategy for doing public service.

“In my life, Dharma guides me,” Sunak said, recalling the principles taught to him by his parents. He casually brought up his professional choices while joking with devotees, drawing a contrast to the usual expectations within the Hindu community.

Before Sunak visited the temple, he had criticised a racial slur during his campaign. Sunak is in for a tough election, as surveys show that his Conservative party is well behind Labour. This didn’t dampen his optimism, though; he continued to communicate with devotees about cricket and communal expectations.

In his remarks to the crowd, Sunak took great delight in being sworn in on the sacred text of the Bhagavad Gita and emphasised the significance of faith in directing both private and public choices.

Saudi Arabia has reached the midpoint of its Vision 2030 journey, announced Faisal Al Ibrahim, the Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning, during the New Champions Dalian 2024 meeting in China. He emphasised the non-oil industries’ strong growth, which currently accounts for 51% of the actual GDP of the nation.

Saudi Arabia’s economy has grown at a noteworthy rate of 8.7% in 2022 with the implementation of Vision 2030, with non-oil activity rising by 5.6%. The scale of the non-oil economy now exceeds that of the oil sector.

Vision 2030, which was introduced in 2016, seeks to wean Saudi Arabia’s economy off of its reliance on oil. It is centred around three key pillars: an ambitious country, a successful economy, and a lively society. Al Ibrahim, who marked the beginning of a new economic age for Saudi Arabia, looked back on the accomplishments and highlighted important turning points as well as initiatives to diversify the economy and build human capital.

The minister also spoke on the nation’s role in addressing climate change and energy security, highlighting its leadership in developing the cleanest hydrocarbon energy and its innovative work in renewable energy, such as green hydrogen, solar, and wind power.

NASA has released a composite image showcasing impressive high-atmosphere lightning strikes, known as gigantic jets, occurring over the Himalayan mountains around the Bhutan-China border.

Photographer Li Xuanhua captured a remarkable and unusual natural occurrence in the form of four jets shooting into space. NASA clarified that these jets are a specific form of lightning discharge that takes place between thunderstorms and the Earth’s ionosphere, different from typical cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning.

Gigantic jets can ascend to 80 kilometres into the ionosphere with a force that is 50 times greater than that of a typical lightning strike. These entities have only been detected in the 21st century. NASA frequently provides updates on cosmic events, including the latest dissemination of information about these luminous jets observed in the skies above China and Bhutan.

These jets have a substantial influence on technology that is based in space. The energy transmission they enable could have an impact on satellites, communication systems, and radar operations. Scientists are currently studying this phenomenon in great detail.

Scientists are captivated by many upper-atmosphere phenomena, such as Red Sprites, blue jets, and elves, which are classified as Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), in addition to gigantic jets.

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli’s popularity extends beyond India, as evidenced by a lifesize statue of him unveiled at Times Square, New York. This tribute highlights Kohli’s influence on the cricket globe in the last ten years and his significant contribution to India’s lineup for the T20 World Cup in 2024.

The statue showcases Kohli’s worldwide reach and is part of a commercial effort by Duroflex, a mattress company, for which Kohli serves as a brand ambassador. “Just Unveiled: A larger-than-life statue of Virat Kohli at the iconic Times Square,” Duroflex said on social media. “We are going global and creating history with this King’s Duty!” With resounding support, fans dubbed Kohli the “GOAT.”

Amidst India’s ongoing Super 8 match against Australia in St. Lucia, Kohli is maintaining his impressive form. The game started on schedule despite rain-related worries. Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first. They have not played each other since Australia defeated India in the ODI World Cup Final. After this World Cup, there is a lot of speculation that current captain Rohit Sharma and captain Virat Kohli may decide to retire from international T20 cricket, which might spell the end of an era for Indian cricket.