Queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms turns 96-year-old today. Queen Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on 21 April 1926 in Mayfair, England and took the queen's title on June 2, 1953. Gun salutes will ring and rounds will be fired from the Tower of London and Hyde Park where a military band will play “Happy Birthday”. During this year's official birthday celebration, four days of public events will be held from June 2 to 5 to commemorate the queen's 70 years on the throne. The royal family of the United Kingdom has had a difficult year, with fears about the qu
On Monday, The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its COVID-19 international travel advisory system by removing all countries from its ‘Do Not Travel’ list. The updated advisory comes a day after a federal judge in Florida recently struck down a national mask requirement for public transportation across the country. The Transportation Security Administration announced on Monday it wouldn't enforce a security directive that applies to aeroplanes, airports, taxis and other mass transit systems that were set to take effect in January 2021. Major airline
On Monday, The White House announced a global summit to put an end to the COVID-19 crisis and prepare for the future upheaval that will occur on May 12. Despite President Joe Biden's struggles to get vital pandemic funding from Congress, the virtual gathering will be co-chaired by the US with the current G7 German president, G20 president Indonesia, African Union chair Senegal, the current chair of the CARICOM Caribbean grouping and Belize. A joint statement was released by the countries stating, “The summit will redouble our collective efforts to end the acute phase of the Covid-19 p
A week-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of India's independence was started by the Indian Consulate USA, in collaboration with a city-based cultural organization and a children's museum, which featured traditional Indian paintings, music and storytelling. On Monday, The Culture Tree said in a statement that The Consulate General of India in New York, The Culture Tree and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) launched the special activities along with interactive programs that focus on celebrating the diversity of India and its people through music, dance, literature, drama, p
On Monday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) approved a new system for residence visas and entry permits. It will offer new types of residence permits for skilled employees, investors, family members, self-employed persons, and the UAE media office. The official statement from UAE said, “The new system of entry and residence aims at attracting and retaining global talents and skilled workers from all over the world, boosting the competitiveness and flexibility of the job market and fostering a high sense of stability among UAE residents and families”. In this regard, the UAE Cabinet, h
The coastal city of Abu Dhabi is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to the impact of climate change as it is threatened by rising sea levels and researchers suggested that it could be too hot to live in by the end of this century. Mangroves, which are woody, salt-tolerant trees that grow along tropical coastlines, protect coastal areas from erosion, wave surges and floods by creating buffer zones and regulating tides. These trees are helping Abu Dabhi fight the climate crisis. The head of Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency (EAD) Shaika Al Dhaheri said, “Mangroves are the fir
On Saturday, the Saudi government eased COVID curbs and allowed 1 million people to join the Hajj pilgrims this year. The government will expand the key event to allow participants outside the nation after two years of restriction. The Saudi Haj Ministry “has authorised one million pilgrims, both foreign and domestic, to perform the Haj”, which will take place in July. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said in a statement on April 9 that the pilgrims visiting Mecca must be under 65 years of age and should be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Visitors coming from different natio
On Thursday, Germany’s parliament rejected the government's proposal for mandatory Covid vaccines for people above 60. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition lost the bid, which in November touted compulsory jabs for all adults as the surest way to overcome the pandemic. Scholz has set a goal of introducing the jabs in “late February or early March”. However, his government's proposal for over-60s to get immunized failed, receiving only 296 votes in favour while 378 voted against it. On Thursday, a proposal for over-60s to receive vaccinations was put to a vote after weeks of wranglin
United Nations panel pats Kolkata for the much-maligned public transport. The city has been recognised internationally in detail in the report published on climate change. The report titled “Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change” is cited as an “illustrative case study” that showcases how integrated action can combat climate change. The report explains how several public transport modes “contribute positively in bringing down the trend of greenhouse gas emission per unit of GDP to half in one decade” in Kolkata “with potential for further reduction”. Kolka
On Sunday, Musicians Ricky Kej and Falguni Shah from India won the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas. Composer Rickey won the award for the second time along with Stewart Copeland for Best New age Album. Indian-American singer-songwriter Falguni won her first award for Best Children's Music Album at the awards ceremony for her album A Colorful World. Based in New York previously worked with AR Rahman on Slumdog Millionaire. Her early training in music took place in Mumbai, where she studied with the legendary sarangi and vocal master Ustad Sultan Khan. In her acceptance speec