India is now the world’s most populous country, according to the United Nations. The country has surpassed China in population, says the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report titled ‘The State of World Population Report, 2023’. The report found India's population to be 1.4286 billion, while China's population stands at 1.4257 billion, making a difference of 2.9 million. Since 1950 when the UN started to collect population data, it is the first time that India’s population has overtaken China’s population. New Delhi is the most populated city in India with 30 million in
There were a total of 1,93,230 Indian visitors to Singapore in the first three months of this year, which is about 3.5 times more than the 54,530 who arrived in 2022, according to Singapore Tourism Board (STB. Singapore arrivals are now at two-thirds pre-Covid levels as Indian visitors surge 350% from last year. The STB announced that the number of visitors to Singapore was far beyond expectations, with over 2.9 million arrivals in the first quarter of this year, which is 62 per cent of 2019’s first three months. Indians accounted for the fourth-largest source of tourist arrivals in t
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) plans to restore and carry out developmental activities at 69 lakes out of 201 lakes under its control in 2023-24. The civic body has sought ₹67 crore from Karnataka government to develop and rejuvenate these 69 lakes falling under its jurisdiction. It has already begun developmental work for rejuvenation of 25 lakes and will rejuvenate 44 more lakes this financial year. BBMP said that it has restored 63 lakes for ₹345.85 crore between 2019 and 2022, according to reports. Out of the 44 lakes, it will float tender for the development and rejuven
India is now home to at least 3,167 tigers, says the latest national tiger census summary report released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mysuru, Karnataka on April 9. The number of tigers has seen a jump of about 6.7 per cent from the last tiger census in 2018 when the census recorded 2,967 tigers. The number is increasing in comparison to other tiger-range countries, as people and wildlife have a long history of coexistence, said Prime Minister Modi while releasing the report. As per the results of the 2022 tiger census – the fifth census after tiger population monitoring efforts
One of Russia’s most active volcanoes in Kamchatka, Shiveluch erupted on April 11, spewing clouds of ash 20 kilometers into the sky and covering broad areas with ash. The ash cloud extended over 500 kilometres (more than 300 miles) northwest and engulfed several villages in grey volcanic dust. The Kamchatka Peninsula, which extends into the Pacific Ocean, is one of the world’s most concentrated areas of geothermal activity, with about 30 active volcanoes. According to the Kamchatka Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Geophysical Survey, the Shiveluch volcano erupted just after m
A titan of the field of statistics, Indian-American mathematician and statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishnan Rao will be awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, for his historical work in statistical theory, which revolutionised statistical thinking. The 102-year-old will receive the award – the industry equivalent of the Nobel Prize – in July during the International Statistical Institute’s biennial World Statistics Congress in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The recognition comes with a reward of $80,000. Born to a Telegu family in Hadagali, Karnataka, India, CR Rao complete
The UAE's Federal Authority for Identity, Nationality, Customs and Port Security (UAE ICP) has announced a new comprehensive service to obtain a Golden Residency Visa. The 'One Touch Golden Visa service' is designed to make the process of obtaining a Golden Visa easier. It will help the aspirants with their visa applications, issuance of other visas, regularisation of status, and the issuance of residency and identity – along with the possibility of renewing all of these in just one step. If a resident meets the specified requirements for the Golden Visa, one can complete the application
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