India shone at the 95th Academy Awards in Los Angeles with two Oscar trophies, as The Elephant Whisperers won the Best Documentary Short Subject, and “Naatu Naatu” song from Telugu film RRR won for Best Original Song, becoming the first Indian song to win an Oscar. Directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, The Elephant Whisperers is a heartwarming film on the deep bond between a pair of elephants and their humans. The 40-minute film on Netflix features, as Gonsalves said, the ‘sacred bond between us and the natural world and respect for indigenous communities’.
Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Environment, Forest & Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on March 11 inaugurated the NDMC G20 Flower Festival at Central Park, Connaught Place, New Delhi. New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had organised the two-day G20-themed flower festival to showcase the vibrant and colourful display of G20 members and guest countries. China, Japan, Singapore and the Netherlands participated in the G20 Flower Festival. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) also participated in the G20 Flower Festival, where a large variety of seasonal and exclusive flor
An 11-minute brisk walk daily could prevent one in 10 premature deaths worldwide, says the largest ever study of its kind. This equals 75 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week, half the weekly 150 minutes recommended by the NHS. The study conducted by Cambridge University experts has found that brisk walking, dancing, riding a bike, playing tennis or hiking can all substantially cut the risks of early death, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, including those of the head and neck and myeloid leukaemia. Globally, one in 10 early deaths could be avoided if everyone met ju
The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), operated by DIAL, has bagged the award for Airport Service Quality (ASQ) best airport for 2022 in the category of over 40 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA). It has also been named as the cleanest airport in the Asia Pacific region by the Airports Council International (ACI). “The ASQ programme is the world's leading airport customer experience measurement and benchmarking programme. This recognition is based on live research via surveys gathered at the airport direct from the traveller rating their satisfaction on the day of travel,” DI
Cruise company Life at Sea Cruises is now accepting bookings for its 3-year-voyage on the MV Gemini, which sets sail from Istanbul on November 1, said a CNN report. The Rs 25 lakh per person cruise will take people to as many as 135 countries, covering 375 destinations, including the Caribbean, Antarctica, Hawaii, Asia and other places. The package of the three-year World Cruise, starting from $29,999 per year (around ₹24.5 lakh), includes access to all dining venues and alcohol with dinner, a state-of-the-art wellness centre, sundeck and swimming pool, high-speed internet, entertainment
Saudi Arabia is set to introduce yoga in its universities due to its significance for mental and physical health. Several agreements will be signed with major universities in Saudi Arabia to support and promote yoga over the next few months, according to Saudi Yoga Committee President Nouf Al-Marwaai. Al-Marwaai said that the committee was striving hard to introduce yoga to universities. “Yoga gives its practitioners many health benefits (for) both physical and mental well-being… One of the most important pillars of achieving Vision 2030 is to enhance participation in sports activities
Passenger traffic at Changi Airport should return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, or possibly earlier, said Singapore’s Transport Minister S. Iswaran in the Parliament. S. Iswaran told the House that passenger traffic volumes, flights and city links at Changi are now at about 80 percent of pre-Covid-19 levels, while flights at Seletar Airport have recovered fully since January 2023. In 2019, 68.3 million passengers passed through Changi Airport, with 3,82,000 commercial flights taking off or landing at the airport. Passenger traffic fell to a low of 0.5 percent of this total during th
Dubai International Airport (DXB), a major international hub, registered a 127% jump in annual passenger traffic to 66.1 million in 2022. The DXB, the hub of airline Emirates, is forecast to welcome 78 million passengers this year, as the United Arab Emirates gets ready to host major international events, including the COP28 climate conference. Dubai Airports, the airport's operator, in November forecast DXB passenger traffic to reach 64.3 million in 2022. About 60% of people travelling through DXB are origin and destination travellers, while 40% are transfers, said Dubai Airports Chief Ex
Saudi Arabia organised Al Liwan cultural event in Riyadh on February 22 to commemorate its foundation day. The event highlighted the three centuries’ history, tradition and growth of the country. February 22 was declared a national holiday last year, following a royal decree by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Al Liwan was organised at King Abdullah Financial District in the Saudi capital, showcasing the dynamism of Saudi Arabia’s traditional markets and the originality of its traditional attire. Celebrations were held in 14 locations to mark the foundation of the country by Imam Moh
India has surpassed France to become the United Kingdom’s largest Scotch whisky market in terms of volume, with a 60% hike in imports in 2022 over the previous year, says the latest figures released by industry body Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). The data revealed that India imported 219 million bottles of Scotch compared to France’s 205 million last year, growing more than 200% in the past decade. However, despite the double-digit volume growth, Scotch whisky only comprises 2% of the Indian whisky market. SWA pointed out that the hike in volume still makes up only a fraction of the