Gautam Adani, Chairman of Business conglomerate Adani Group, is now the world's third-richest person after overtaking Louis Vuitton chief Bernard Arnault of France, according to a report published in Bloomberg Billionaires Index. 60-year-old Adani’s total net worth stands at USD 137.4 and is now just behind business tycoon Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in the ranking, whose total worth is currently at USD 251 billion and USD 153 billion, respectively. Another Indian who is in the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index is Reliance chief Mukesh Ambani at number 11, with a net worth of USD 91.9
BEST buses, the iconic double-deckers that dominate Mumbai's streets, are reviving with an electric power source. There used to be over 800 double-decker BEST buses in India's financial capital, but only 48 are left in 2021. After undergoing an 'electrifying' makeover, the double-decker may return to the city. A subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, the maker of BEST double-deckers, is producing the new EVs through its subsidiary Switch Mobility. Mumbai was the first city in the country to unveil the Switch EV 22 bus this week. It is expected that Mumbai will receive 200 such buses by June next
Tens of thousands of Indian-origin people gathered in Toronto on Sunday to celebrate India Day and Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav after two years of forced virtual celebrations due to COVID-19 restrictions. More than 15 marching groups joined the festivities in downtown Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square, which lasted nearly 12 hours. The parade featured floats representing 25 Indian states. There were several Indian food stalls and cultural performances that attracted festival-goers. More than 15 marching groups joined the festivities in downtown Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square, which lasted n
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden signed democrat's landmark climate change and health care bill into law. As he aims to boost his party's standing with voters less than three months from the midterm elections, he called it the "final piece" of his pared-down domestic agenda. Over the next decade, the government will invest $375 billion in fighting climate change. Prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients would also be capped at $2000 per year out of pocket. By extending subsidies provided during the Coronavirus pandemic, an estimated 13 million Americans would be able to purchase h
8-year-old Ayaan Saboor Mendon created history on August 4 as he summited Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. With frozen and cramped limbs, he unfurled the flags of UAE and India from the top. He became the youngest human from the GCC to summit the mountain. The biting -10 degrees did not prove an impediment to the determined youngster who inherited his passion for adventure from his parents, Vani Mendon and Saboor Ahmed, who accompanied him on the demanding 7-day trek to the peak. “We were preparing (to summit) Mount Elbrus before Covid. He tried convincing us to take him bu
On Monday, Sierra Leone's parliament enacted two laws said to empower the rights of rural landowners and women. The Customary Land Rights Act and the Land Commission Act, both passed on the same day, give rights to local landowners to negotiate the value of their land with investors. The laws also entitle them to prevent the land from being leased out without their prior informed consent. It was reported by Ngo Action for Large-Scale Land Acquisition Transparency (ALLAT) that between 2009 and the end of 2012, foreign agribusiness investors had obtained 50-year leases with possible exten
UAE’s first used battery recycling centre will open in Ras Al Khaimah with help from an investment of a whopping Dh62.4 million by Royal Gulf Industries. Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) has welcomed the recycling company to its industrial ecosystem. The automotive battery recycling centre will be built on approximately 110,000 ft2 of land at Al Ghail Industrial Zone and more than 150 people will be employed in its facility. The centre is likely to be ready by the end of the year. The aim of the company is to recycle up to 35,000 metric tonnes of used lead acid batteries annually,
On Tuesday, The inaugural African Regional Roundtable on Climate Initiatives began in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia, and discussions are focused on developing a new, sustainable economic framework. Among the participants at the meeting are African finance and trade ministers as well as Vera Songwe, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). She said ''Africa COP is not just a COP where we go and meet and talk, but that it has to be a club that delivers. We're looking at this COP being really the clarion call, the wake-up post-COVID recover
On Tuesday, UN agencies, civil society groups, governments, and international partners announced a new Global Alliance for ending AIDS in children by 2030. An announcement was made at the landmark International AIDS Conference, which is coming to end in Montreal, Canada. Speaking at the conference, Limpho Nteko of Lesotho shared her journey from a surprise HIV diagnosis to pioneering a mothers-to-mothers program to combat gestational transmission of HIV. Despite being pregnant when diagnosed, Ms. Nteko stressed the importance of community leadership in the fight against HIV. She s
A rare pure pink diamond, believed to be the largest found in three centuries, has been excavated by miners in Angola. A 170-carat pink diamond–named the Lulo Rose — was dug out at the Lulo mine in the country's northeast, which is plentiful in diamond and is among the largest pink diamonds ever discovered the Lucapa Diamond Company remarked in a statement to investors. The "historic" discovery of the Type IIa diamond, one of the most uncommon and purest forms of natural stones, was reacted by pleasure by the Angolan government, which is also the mine’s partner. "This record an