Category: Life & Style

India’s rich culture is reflected in its 1,500+ mango varieties. Indian farmers cultivate Japan’s Miyazaki mangoes, among the world’s most expensive fruits. These red or purple mangoes sell for roughly ₹2.5 lakh per kg, significantly higher than the average ₹100-₹200 per kg for regular mangoes.

Miyazaki mangoes originated in Japan during the Meiji Period (1868-1912), with widespread cultivation beginning in the 1970s. Their creamy texture, aromatic smell, and juicy flesh provide a unique, rich sweetness that distinguishes them from traditional mangoes. These mangoes thrive in sunny areas such as Miyazaki City, which is known for its warm temperature and long daylight hours.

In addition to Miyazaki mangoes, the city produces Hyuganatsu, Kinkan (kumquat), and lychee. The first Miyazaki mangoes were planted in 1984 on a small 8-unit farm. Over time, cultivation techniques for this uncommon fruit have been refined, ensuring their remarkable quality and rarity, which contributes to their high price.

Miyazaki mangoes were featured at a mango festival in Siliguri and Raipur, demonstrating their growing appeal in India. This superb kind remains a luxury because of its distinct flavour and strict growing conditions.

On May 31, a 12-year-old Indian-American, Bruhat Soma, from Tampa, Florida, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in a thrilling tiebreaker. Soma, whose parents are from Telangana, India, properly spelt 29 words in the tiebreaker, outscoring Faizan Zaki by nine words. The winning word was “abseil.” Soma won a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.

The seventh-grader had previously won three straight spelling bees. Thursday’s competition began with eight finalists and featured lengthy commercial breaks in which contestants connected with their fans. During the tiebreaker, Soma’s steady pace helped him win by correctly spelling 30 words. Zaki, who had spelt 25 words but missed four, was unable to catch up.

Soma shared his excitement and said, “It didn’t matter if I won all the other bees. This is what I aimed for. So I’m absolutely thrilled that I won.” Soma previously won the Words of Wisdom bee, the SpellPundit bee, and the first online bee hosted by last year’s Scripps champion, Dev.

According to the Associated Press, Soma’s most recent loss occurred in September 2023 at the WishWin senior spelling bee, where he misspelt “Gloucester.” Since then, he has had a winning streak.

Santosh Sivan, a renowned Indian cinematographer, has been awarded the prestigious Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Asian to earn this honour. Actor Preity Zinta presented him with a prize at the Palais de Festivals, recognising his ‘career and excellent quality of work.

Santosh, an FTII Pune graduate and founding member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers, has worked on over 55 films and 50 documentaries. His famous works include “Roja,” “Dil Se,” “Iruvar,” and “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.” He has also directed over 15 films, including “Asoka” and “The Terrorist.”

Santosh joins a remarkable group of previous honorees, which includes Edward Lachman and Roger Deakins. Actor Mohanlal congratulated him, expressing his delight at witnessing this historic event. Santosh is now working on Mohanlal’s forthcoming film, “Barroz.”

Previously, he also won 17 National Awards and six Filmfare Awards and is the only Indian member of the American Society of Cinematographers. His overseas efforts include “Bride and Prejudice” and “Meenaxi,” and he has been awarded the Padma Shri.

Celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan and directors Shekhar Kapur and Mira Nair paid tribute to Santosh. Aditi Rao Hydari, from Mani Ratnam’s “Chekka Chivantha Vaanam,” was a special guest at the occasion.

Nearly a year after the catastrophic implosion of the OceanGate Titan submersible, a new expedition aims to safely examine the Titanic ruins in the North Atlantic. Larry Connor, a billionaire from Ohio, is spearheading this effort, which aims to demonstrate that such dives can be safely completed with competent engineering.

Connor, a 74-year-old seasoned explorer, revealed his ideas to The Wall Street Journal, emphasising the importance of strict safety precautions. The tragic Titan catastrophe in June 2023, which resulted in the immediate deaths of everyone onboard, piqued his interest in this industry.

In pursuit of his aim, Connor contacted Patrick Lahey, the CEO of Triton Submarines. Lahey, who previously criticised OceanGate for its weak safety precautions, is now working with Connor on this project.

The expedition will use Triton Submarines’ advanced Triton 4000/2 “Abyss Explorer.” This modern two-person submersible, priced at $20 million, is known as the world’s deepest diving acrylic sub, capable of descending beyond 13,000 feet.

Lahey, a co-founder of Triton with Bruce Jones, will accompany Connor on this risky dive. While the exact date of this mission has not been announced, Connor and Triton Submarines hope to set new benchmarks for deep-sea exploration and safety.

The White House announced over $900 million in grants to 530 school districts to replace ageing, gas-powered school buses with cleaner, primarily electric alternatives. This financing is part of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) $5 billion clean school bus programme, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.

This current batch of money will go towards the acquisition of 3,400 school buses, with 92% being electric. Approximately 67% of the cash will go to school districts in low-income, indigenous, and rural communities.

The EPA’s clean school bus effort is an important part of President Joe Biden’s overall strategy to improve public school facilities and minimise pollution from outdated buses. It is consistent with Biden’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, divert government climate investments to underprivileged regions, and increase demand for American-made electric vehicles.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan emphasised the initiative’s broader implications, saying, “This news is more than just clean school buses. It is about improving air quality for our children, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthening our country’s leadership in the development of clean automobiles.” He also stated that the increasing demand for electric school buses will result in the establishment of new manufacturing jobs and investments in local firms.

On Tuesday, Thailand announced an extended visa stay period for tourists, postgraduate students, and remote workers to improve the country’s key tourism industry in the face of economic challenges.

According to government spokesman Chai Wacharonke, travellers from 93 countries would be able to remain for 60 days beginning in June, up from 57 nations, with more eligible for visas on arrival. Postgraduate students can stay for an extra year after graduation, and retirees’ insurance requirements will be reduced.

Tourism, a major contributor to Thailand’s economy and employment, is being targeted for expansion by increasing on-arrival visa limits from 30 to 60 days. The “digital nomad” visa for remote workers will be valid for five years, with each stay limited to 180 days, up from the current 60.

Thailand hopes to attract more visitors from its primary and fastest-growing markets, with 14.3 million expected from January to May 26, 2024, and a record 40 million arrivals and 3.5 trillion baht ($95.73 billion) in revenue for the year. Thailand received 39.9 million visitors in 2019, bringing in 1.91 trillion baht before the outbreak.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated director Payal Kapadia on her historic achievement at the Cannes Film Festival, where her film “All We Imagine as Light” received the prestigious Grand Prix prize. Kapadia’s achievement is notable because she is the first Indian director to receive this honour. Modi commended her great talent and stated that her achievement would encourage the next generation of Indian filmmakers.

The film won the festival’s second-most prestigious honour. It came after the Palme d’Or, which was presented to American director Sean Baker for “Anora” during the closing ceremony on Saturday night.

Kapadia’s film, which tackles the concept of friendship through the eyes of three different women, made history as the first Indian entry for the Cannes main competition in three decades. In her acceptance speech, Kapadia praised the Cannes Film Festival for the opportunity and emphasised the importance of women supporting one another. She advocated for more representation of Indian cinema at Cannes, as well as better societal inclusivity and empathy.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also complimented Kapadia and the team behind “All We Imagine as Light” on their extraordinary achievement. He emphasised the importance of their victory in promoting Indian talent on a worldwide scale.

On June 3, a rare planetary alignment will occur, allowing you to see six planets in a line in the sky. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are all involved in this amazing occurrence. This is your next opportunity to see a rare celestial show if you were unable to see the northern lights recently.

When multiple planets approach the same side of the sun along their orbits, this is known as a planetary alignment. As per Kate Pattle, a lecturer at the Physics & Astronomy Department at University College London, “This implies that their appearance in the sky is in a line when observed from Earth. In this case, Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune, and Saturn will form a line.

Even though this event isn’t a true orbital alignment or syzygy, it’s still quite amazing to see. The alignment is best seen an hour before sunrise on June 3 (and a few days before and after). To locate it, choose a position with little light pollution and a clear view of the eastern horizon.

Seeing all six planets—including the dim Uranus, Neptune, and maybe Mercury—requires binoculars. The brightest planet, Jupiter, will be the easiest to see.

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is all set for her third space mission and is ready to write another chapter in her illustrious career. The much-awaited launch, which was supposed to test Boeing’s Starliner and was originally scheduled for earlier this month, was pushed back because of technical difficulties. But now that the problems have been resolved, the mission is scheduled for sometime between June 1 and June 5.

58-year-old Williams brings an extensive amount of experience to the project. She has already completed two space trips and is familiar with the complexities and requirements of space travel.

The mission, which is a component of NASA’s expansive Commercial Crew Programme, demonstrates the agency’s dedication to promoting cooperation with companies in the private sector. If successful, the project will increase the capacity for crew transport to and from the International Space Station, representing a significant milestone in human spaceflight.

Williams is an inspiration to many because of her incredible journey from Euclid, Ohio, to space. Her commitment, together with her training in engineering management and physical science, perfectly captures the spirit of invention and discovery that motivates humanity’s search for knowledge beyond Earth’s boundaries.

German author Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofmann won the International Booker Prize for the novel “Kairos,” a turbulent love story set in the final years of communist East Germany. They will split the £50,000 ($64,000, €59,000) award that was chosen from 149 entries.

“Kairos” portrays a young woman’s damaging relationship with an elderly man in East Berlin during the 1980s. The work has been described as “a richly textured evocation of a tormented love affair, interwoven with the personal and national transformations of East Germany” by Eleanor Wachtel, chair of the prize panel. Her compliment to Hofmann’s translation was that it retained Erpenbeck’s “eloquence and eccentricities” in the text.

Erpenbeck stated that she wanted to highlight parts of East Germany in the book that went beyond governmental persecution and monitoring. She underlined that the Berlin Wall and the Stasi are only two parts of East Germany’s past. Erpenbeck, who was born and reared in East Berlin, emphasised the need to understand the period before and following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Last year, the International Booker Prize went to the Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov, whose book “Time Shelter” Angela Rodel translated. In the autumn, the English-language fiction Booker Prize will be revealed.