Category: Life & Style

African rhino populations are on a rise despite poaching and habitat loss, according to the new figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The new figures, released on September %%, highlight that protection and biological management initiatives across the continent have resulted in black rhino populations rising by 4.2% to a population of 6,487, and white rhino populations rising by 5.6% to a population of 16,803.

It is the first time since 2012 that there has been an increase in the white rhino population, the species classified as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN’s Red List of threatened species.

There were 5,00,000 rhinos in Africa and Asia at the start of the 20th century, says the World Wildlife Fund. By the end of 2022, the African rhino population stood at just 23,290, according to IUCN’s latest figures.

The rebounding rhino populations are not just a win for rhinos, but for the many wildlife species that share their ecosystems and the people who steward these lands, said Nina Fascione, Executive Director at the International Rhino Foundation, in an interview.

Climate change also poses a growing risk to Africa’s rhino population, as its devastating impacts on human communities have a ripple effect on wildlife and increases the risk of human-wildlife conflict.

Starting in 2024, Singapore’s Changi Airport will introduce automated immigration clearance, which will allow passengers to depart the city-state without passports, using only biometric data, say officials.

Biometric technology, along with facial recognition software, is already in use to some extent at the famous airport’s automated lanes at immigration checkpoints. The upcoming changes will “reduce the need for passengers to repeatedly present their travel documents at touch points and allow for more seamless and convenient processing,” Communications Minister Josephine Teo said a parliament session on September 18, during which several changes to the country’s Immigration Act were passed.

Biometrics will be used to create a “single token of authentication” to be employed at many automated touch points, such as bag drops to immigration clearance and boarding. This will eliminate the need for physical travel documents, including boarding passes and passports. However, passports will still be required for many countries outside of Singapore that do not offer passport-free clearance, the minister stressed.

Changi Airport serves more than 100 airlines that fly to 400 cities in about 100 countries and territories globally. It handled 5.12 million passenger movements in June, surpassing the 5 million mark for the first time since January 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Haryana’s Sunil Kumar, a 32-year-old banker by profession, successfully scaled Mt Manaslu in Nepal on September 21, achieving the feat of being the first Indian climber to summit the world’s eighth highest mountain peak in this season.

Kumar reached the peak of Mt Manaslu, with the height of 8,163 metres above sea level, at 5.25 am local time.

He was accompanied by a Nepalese climber Sangita Kumari Rokaya and two mountain guides, Lakpa Gyaljen Sherpa and Chhangba Sherpa.

The team climbed the mountain situated on the northern side of central Nepal in Gorkha district.

Thailand’s Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, is setting his sights on Indian tourists to boost tourism in the country. He said that he would make a trip to India this year with plans to meet his counterpart Narendra Modi and discuss increasing flight frequency between the two countries, including more services by flag carrier Thai Airways International Pcl.

In a media interview on September 18, Srettha Thavisin pointed out that there are not that many incoming flights from India yet due to internal politics, and he hopes to visit India before the end of the year to negotiate on the issue.

Thailand may also mull other measures to boost Indian tourist arrivals, such as offering tax exemptions on jewellery imported for Indian weddings held in Thailand. As Indian tourists already can easily obtain Thai visas, a visa waiver may not be necessary, the Thai PM said.

The Thai cabinet had recently approved temporary visa exemptions for Chinese and Kazakh tourists ahead of the busy tourism season. Tourists from the two countries can enter Thailand without a visa between September 25 and February 29, and can stay for a maximum of 30 days at a time. The visa waiver program is expected to bring in 35 billion baht ($980 million) from Chinese tourists, Srettha said during the forum.

Norway Climate Minister Espen Barth Eide said that there is ingenuity which is being seen in Indian science, business and academics, which is really important for the country to partner with. The minister was speaking at the 3rd International Climate Summit 2023 organised on September 14 and 15, 2023 in New Delhi.

“There’s simply no way that we can solve the climate crisis…without a strong engagement from India,” he said, adding, “It is important for the rest of us because of India’s size and population.”

The 3rd International Climate Summit 2023 built on the momentum created by the 2023 G20 New Delhi Summit. The event organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) focused on India’s vision to become the third largest economy in the world while prioritising green hydrogen, biofuels, and renewables.

Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind was the chief guest of the two-day event. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Jitender Singh, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, and ONGC Chairman and CEO Arun Kumar Singh were the other prominent guests attending the event.

The 3rd ICS summit also had delegates from across the globe, including academicians, researchers, and scholars, bureaucrats and government officials. Representatives of civil societies, diplomats, missions, and trade bodies will also participate in the two-day summit.

Dubai’s real estate market experienced a staggering surge in apartment prices in August 2023, marking the most significant increase in nearly ten years. This surge continues to fuel the city’s transformation into one of the world’s most dynamic and competitive housing markets.

The recent housing boom in Dubai, primarily driven by larger single-family homes until now, is now extending its influence to apartment prices. Apartments constitute approximately 85% of the available housing supply in this bustling Middle East hub for business and tourism.

Prices for apartments rose 20% on average in the year through August, marking the best performance since November 2014, according to real estate adviser CBRE Group Inc. The gains outpaced price increases of 17.3% for single family homes, known locally as villas, said CBRE.

Dubai’s real estate revival comes after enduring a seven-year downturn. This resurgence can be attributed to several factors, including an influx of newcomers. Dubai has become an attractive destination for crypto millionaires, banking professionals relocating from Asia, and wealthy Russians seeking to safeguard their assets. Furthermore, the government has introduced a series of reforms, such as relaxing visa regulations and introducing visas tailored for job seekers and freelancers.

While single-family home prices rebounded strongly from pandemic-induced lows, the recovery for apartment prices had been somewhat slower. On average, apartment prices remain 9.6% below their peak in 2014, whereas larger house prices have surged by 8.7%, as reported by CBRE.

Delhi Metro has increased the operational speed of Metro trains on the Airport Express Line to 120 kmph starting September 18. With this, the total journey from New Delhi station to newly-built Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 station will take about 21 minutes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a metro ride to reach the new station at Dwarka Sector-25. The train he travelled in moved at 120 kmph, leading to the formal start of services with enhanced speed on the Airport Express Line. PM Modi on September 18 also inaugurated the first phase of YashoBhoomi, the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) in Dwarka.

Earlier, the travel time between New Delhi and Dwarka Sector 21 was approximately 22 minutes, which now has been reduced to around 19 minutes between these two stations. The approximate travel time between New Delhi and Terminal 3 of the Delhi Airport will be about 15 minutes and 30 seconds. Earlier, it was a little more than 18 minutes.

Delhi Metro had increased the operational speed of its trains on the Airport Express Line from 90 kmph to 100 kmph on March 22 this year, the officials said. The speed of the trains was further increased to 110 kmph on June 22, which was in turn increased to 120 kmph on Sunday.

OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman has become the first person to get Indonesia’s Golden Visa. The ChatGPT creator would now enjoy priority security screening at Indonesian airports, longer stay periods in the country, and easier entry and exit processes, among other perks.

Indonesiahas launched the golden visa program to attract foreign investment. The 10-year visa has been issued to Altman as he has an international reputation and may bring benefits to the country, said the country’s immigration office.

Introduced on September 2 to boost economic development, the new visa allows foreigners who make substantial investments in the country to remain for between five and 10 years. As an individual investor looking to get an Indonesia Golden Visa, one has to start a business in Indonesia by investing US$ 2,500,000 (about Rp. 38 billion) in order to be permitted to stay for 5 years. Meanwhile, a 10-year stay permit requires an investment of US$ 5,000,000 (or roughly Rp 76 billion).

There is also the option of obtaining an Indonesia Golden Visa without starting a business. For foreign investors who do not intend to open a business in Indonesia, there are different requirements.

As wildfires raged across the state of Louisiana in August, a remarkable meteorological phenomenon was captured on camera in Sabine Parish, a firenado. This event occurred amidst the ongoing wildfires in Northwest Louisiana on August 25.

A firenado is short for fire tornado. It is a rare weather occurrence caused by the combination of scorching air from a wildfire and swirling wind gusts moving in different directions.

As statewide fires continued to burn Louisiana, the video footage of Sabine Parish’s wildfires showing a rare weather phenomenon surfaced. Officials of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Department expressed grave concerns about the continuous wildfires and the risks they pose to people. A primary concern of the officials was the rising trend of residents trying to view the fires up close, including sending drones into the affected areas to capture images.

Louisiana, which has been contending with extreme summer heat and drought, saw an unprecedented 441 wildfires in August, officials said. Most of southwest Louisiana has been classified by the US Drought Monitor as being in “exceptional drought.” Though wildfires take place in the state annually, these aren’t typically as frequent or as big as they have been this year.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has set up the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) as a federal authority to introduce a world-leading regulatory framework for a national lottery and commercial gaming. Globally respected regulator Kevin Mullally has been appointed as CEO. He has over 30 years of experience in national and international gaming regulation to the GCGRA.

The GCGRA is led by a team of internationally credentialed leaders, all with proven track records and a deep understanding of global best practices in regulating and maintaining an effective, safe, and responsible gaming industry.

The GCGRA will create a socially responsible and well-regulated gaming environment, ensuring that all participants adhere to strict guidelines and comply with the highest standards. It will coordinate regulatory activities, manage licensing nationally and facilitate unlocking the economic potential of commercial gaming responsibly.

In 2022, the UAE’s northern-most emirate Ras al-Khaimah announced a multibillion-dollar deal with Las Vegas-based casino giant Wynn Resorts. Wynn has described the project as involving the subsequent management of an integrated resort. A term born in Singapore, integrated resort refers to a hotel that includes a casino and other amenities.