Singapore has resumed the Free Singapore Tour for layover travellers, offering four daily guided tours of less than three hours each. For the first time, visits to local community spaces and residences will be among the itinerary options for transit and transfer visitors who are here for 5.5 hours to 24 hours. The latest addition is a 2.5-hour-long Changi Precinct Tour, which includes stops at Tampines New Town to see local housing, and at Tampines Central Park to catch uniquely designed playgrounds. Singapore’s first integrated community and lifestyle hub, Our Tampines Hub; Changi Chape
The United Nations General Assembly on 29 March adopted a resolution by the tiny Pacific nation of Vanuatu to ask the world’s top court for an opinion on the legal obligations of countries to protect current and future generations from climate change. The resolution should make it easier to hold polluting countries legally accountable for failing to tackle the climate emergency. In a vote which was hailed as a historic victory for climate justice, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus the resolution spearheaded by Vanuatu, a tiny Pacific island nation vulnerable to extreme climate
Singapore is the smartest Asian city and the seventh smartest in the world, says the 2023 Smart City Index. The smartest cities in the world in 2023 are Zurich in the No. 1 spot, followed by Oslo and Canberra. The index, published by Swiss business school Institute for Management Development (IMD) on April 4, ranked 141 cities by how they use technology to address the challenges they face to achieve a higher quality of life. It takes into account input from the cities’ residents of how technology has improved their lives. About 20,000 people were surveyed on 15 aspects of living in their
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