Kerala’s Kozhikode and Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior have been declared as City of Literature and City of Music by UNESCO. On the occasion of World Cities Day, observed on October 31, UNESCO unveiled a prestigious list of 55 new creative cities, and Kozhikode and Gwalior made it to the list for their commitment to culture, creativity, and innovative urban planning. Kozhikode met the stringent criteria, boasting a multitude of literary institutions, extensive experience in organising literary events, and a high level of literary education. The city’s literary activities, characterised by b
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Singapore Airlines on October 29 unveiled plans to expand its services with five additional flights between Hyderabad and Singapore. The event was attended by senior officials from GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), key representatives from Singapore Airlines, and various airport stakeholders, who gathered at the terminal to celebrate the airline’s two decades of operation in the region. These new flights aim to meet the growing demand for comfortable long-haul travel to Singapore, which serves as a convenient transit point for travell
Kenya plans to end visa requirements for all Africans visiting the East African nation by the end of the year, said President William Ruto at the Three Basins Climate Change Conference in Brazzaville, Congo, held from October 26 to 28. “By the end of this year, no African will be required to have a visa to come to Kenya,” said Ruto in his speech, which was met with resounding applause. President Ruto underscored the potential benefits of eliminating visa requirements for citizens of African countries, emphasising the positive impact it could have on trade and opportunities. Accor
In a move to boost tourism, Thailand has waived off visa requirements for travellers coming in from India and Taiwan from November 2023 to May 2024, said a government official in a statement on October 31. Arrivals from India and Taiwan will be permitted to stay in Thailand for duration of 30 days. India has emerged as Thailand’s fourth-largest source market for tourism this year, after Malaysia, China, and South Korea, with approximately 1.2 million arrivals. In September, Thailand had eliminated visa requirements for Chinese tourists. The country had 11 million arrivals from Chin
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation has honoured Gujarat’s Dhordo as the ‘best tourism village.’ Located in the Great Rann of Kutch, Dhordo is well-known for hosting the annual Rann Utsav, a vibrant cultural festival that showcases the traditional art, music and crafts of the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared pictures of his visits to the village in 2009 and 2015 in his congratulatory message on the achievement on X. “Absolutely thrilled” at the development, PM Modi wished a bright future for Dhordo and said that the honour not only showcases the potential of
India's Chief Justice, Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, has received the prestigious Award for Global Leadership from Harvard Law School, adding a remarkable feather to his illustrious cap. This award recognizes his exceptional contributions to law and his unwavering commitment to upholding justice. Justice Chandrachud, an alumnus of Harvard Law School, has made significant impacts in the legal arena, championing human rights, and fostering judicial accountability. His groundbreaking judgments and progressive legal interpretations have redefined the Indian judiciary’s role, solidifying his
Researchers have developed a method that could one day be used to build roads on the moon. Their experiment involved melting lunar soil with focused sunlight to turn it into a more solid substance. The approach, based on proof-of-concept experiments involving lasers and a substance resembling Moon dust and outlined in Scientific Reports on October 12, could be used to build other infrastructure such as landing pads. Engineer Juan-Carlos Ginés-Palomares and his colleagues, based at the Technical University of Berlin, conducted experiments that involved manufacturing tiles by heating and me
On October 16, Madame Tussauds Singapore unveiled a lifelike wax figure of cricket superstar Virat Kohli. Dressed in his official Indian cricket kit, generously donated by the sportsman himself, the figure is showcased in the Sports Zone, alongside figures of legends such as Ronaldo, Yao Ming, and fellow cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Widely regarded as one of the greatest contemporary batsmen in international cricket, Kohli is known for his exceptional batting skills, masterful leadership, and fiery on-field personality. He made his debut for the Indian cricket team in 2008 and has since bee
Ferrari has begun to accept payment in cryptocurrency for its luxury sports cars in the US, and will extend the scheme to Europe after receiving requests from its wealthy customers. Many leading corporations have avoided crypto due to the unpredictable nature of Bitcoin and similar tokens, making them unsuitable for business transactions. Inconsistent regulations and significant energy consumption further hinder crypto’s adoption as a payment method. Although Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, started accepting Bitcoin in 2021, it later suspended this option because of environment
Actors Allu Arjun, Alia Bhatt, and Kriti Sanon, and the teams of the films RRR, Sardar Udham, Gangubai Kathiawadi and The Kashmir Files received theirNational Film AwardsfromPresident Droupadi Murmu atthe 69th National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on October 17. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest film honour, went to legendary actress Waheeda Rehman. The winners of the National Awards for the year 2021, announced in August, include Rocketry: The Nambi Effect won Best Feature Film. Alia Bhatt received the Best Actress award for her performance in and as