Indian philanthropist and art collector Kiran Nadar was recently conferred Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain in recognition of her outstanding contribution in the field of art. Nadar, Chairperson, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) – a philanthropic initiative in art – and a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation has been recognised for her commitment to providing greater access to culture both nationally and internationally, and playing a vital role in advancing Indo-French cultural ties, and artistic cooperati
US’ Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced that it will return 15 sculptures that were illegally taken away from India. All of the works were sold by Subhash Kapoor, a convicted Indian-American antiquities smuggler who is currently imprisoned in India. The sculptures include an 11th-century sandstone celestial dancer (Apsara) from Madhya Pradesh and 1st century BCE Yakshi Terracotta from West Bengal, copper and stone, a ceramic pot from Chandraketugarh, a stone bust of Kamadeva from the second half of the 8th century C.E, and a Svetambara enthroned Jina. The museum added that it will s
The family of industrialist JP Taparia has bought a sea-view luxury triplex apartment worth around Rs 369 crore in south Mumbai in likely the most expensive residential property deal in the country. The sale deed was registered on March 29, 2023, and signed from listed real-estate developer Macrotech Developers. The triplex is in the super-luxury residential tower Lodha Malabar, located on Walkeshwar Road, Malabar Hill. The total area of the residential units, located on the 26th, 27th and 28th floors, is 27,160.6 sq ft. The consideration amount was Rs 369.55 crore, and a stamp duty of Rs
About 14 storeys beneath the bustling city of Tokyo, or 42 m underground, lies a cavern of tunnels and vaults that temporarily stores swelling rainwater to prevent flooding above ground. Under a 6.6 trillion yen (S$66 billion) plan, the capital of Japan is planning to strengthen its resilience against flooding, alongside plans to raise coastal sea walls and river embankments. The city started out building conventional in-ground reservoirs after land scarcity and sky-high land prices drove urban planners to dig deep. The current system of 28 so-called “regulating reservoirs”, with a cap
Teenage cyclist Liam Garner, over the course of nearly one and a half years, rode through 14 countries, covering more than 32,000 km in the journey of a lifetime. Hailing from Long Beach, California, Garner believes he is the youngest person to have completed the feat of cycling through the Americas from Alaska to Argentina. “I always felt pretty much my entire life that I wanted to do or needed to do some big adventure,” he said in an interview. Garner set off on his journey on August 1, 2021, from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, the northernmost point in the United States accessible by road.
Vienna's Leopold Museum, under an initiative called A Few Degrees More has tilted 15 paintings by the number of degrees unchecked climate change could affect the landscapes depicted. Developed together with the research network Climate Change Center Austria, the action runs until late June. The initiative comes after climate activists poured black liquid over a glass screen protecting a Klimt piece at the museum. “We want to contribute to raise awareness of the dramatic consequences of the climate crisis,” said Leopold Museum Director Hans-Peter Wipplinger. Paintings by Klimt, Schie
The Director of Aviation in the United Kingdom’s department of transport has lauded India on the number of female pilots and the implementation of Digi Yatra. Rannia Leontaridi, the Director of Aviation and Director General of Civil Aviation (UK), was sharing her views on March 22 on ‘designing a future-proof aviation & airports system’ at the CAPA India Aviation Summit 2023 in New Delhi. Digi Yatra app links a traveller’s boarding pass to a facial recognition system that confirms their identification. It was developed by the Digi Yatra Foundation and the Ministry of Civil A
A geologist of Federal University of Parana, Fernanda Avelar Santos and her team have discovered rocks made from plastic debris on Brazil’s Trindade island. Melted plastic has become intertwined with rocks on the island. “This is new and terrifying at the same time, because pollution has reached geology,” Santos said. Trindade Island, a remote volcanic outcrop a three to four-day boat trip off the coast of Brazil, is best known as a nesting site for green turtles. On the island, the researchers have discovered a new kind of igneous rock, plastistone, formed almost completely from pla
Hyderabad’s L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) has been ranked 8th globally in the area of Ophthalmology (Health category) for 2023 by Scimago agency, a Spanish global ranking organisation. The ranking is based on research, technology innovation and social impact of the research output. The institute has been listed with reputed institutions such as Johns Hopkins, Harvard University, Moorfields of London in the top 10 list. The LVPEI is the first Indian medical institute to find a place in the top rankings in the field of research productivity. Scimago Agency analysed data for the past
Participants of an international donor conference in Brussels raised €7 billion ($7.5 billion) for the victims of the earthquakes on February 6 in Turkey and Syria. The massive earthquakes killed more than 57,300 people. The “Together for the people of Turkey and Syria” conference was hosted by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson on March 20. Over 60 delegations met in Brussels to mobilise support for the people affected by the massive earthquakes. A total of 6.05 billion euros will be provided in the form of gr