Category: Top Stories

A major portion of ice, covering the sea at Antartica had been reduced for the second straight year, according to reports by Australian Scientists. A satellite report sent from the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), states that about 2.15 million sq km of surrounding ice had been recorded at the lowest point. “Since August 2016, the sea ice coverage has been tracking well below the long-term average,” said Phil Reid scientist at Bureau of Meteorology, Antarctic. The ice cover is very important for the survival of marine micro-organisms as well as great whales. It also plays a crucial role in the ... Read more

Fiji Airways and Alaska Airlines have expanded their current partnership by signing a codeshare agreement on flights from San Francisco to two popular US cities. The codeshare agreement enables Fiji Airways to place its “FJ” code on Alaska Airlines’ flights from SFO to Seattle (SEA) and Portland (PDX), offering Fiji Airways guests seamless connections to these cities via San Francisco, and vice-versa for Alaska Airlines’ guests. The codeshare flights will be available for sale from March 5th 2018. Both airlines have an existing frequent flyer partnership, where members of Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan program earn and redeem miles for travel ... Read more

Your drink on the Sounthwest Airline would cost more from March 2018 onwards. The price of alcoholic beverages on Southwest Airlines flights increased $1 and $2, depending on the drink. It’s the first time the carrier has changed alcohol prices since 2009. Beer will now be  charged $6 to $7, wine $6 and liquor $7. The good thing is that passengers with drink coupons won’t have to pay extra money. Travellers who fly business select or purchase higher-priced tickets will get a free drink coupon on the day of their flight. Complimentary drink days on Southwest are Valentine’s Day (Feb 14), St. ... Read more

French automobile manufacturers Renault has dropped the prices of their bestselling model Duster in India. The move is as part of localising the car among Indians. Over Rs 1 lakh Indian rupees is expected to be slashed by the company making it as the most affordable car in the segment. Hence the base model of the car is expected to price around ₹ 7.95 lakh to  ₹ 8.95 Lakh (ex-showroom). “Renault had one of the highest localisation done on Kwid with 98 per cent at the time of launch. We are happy to pass on the benefits to the new ... Read more

Oceanco has released their latest 115-metre superyacht concept, Tuhura, at the Dubai International Boat Show. The new design was unveiled by His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, Vice President and Chairman of Dubai International Marine Club – Mina Seyahi, and Senior Advisor to the Dubai International Boat Show. The Tuhura was conceived in collaboration with Lobanov Design Studio, BMT Nigel Gee and the interior designer Achille Salvagni. Our Tuhura is a simple idea. The thought was to take a natural shape similar to those seen in the earliest canoe-type craft and augment it multifold to a larger scale, using ... Read more

The new version of the Airbus 350-900 XWB, completely engineered for long-range flight, has been rolled out from the Airbus factory in France. The new variant of Airbus 350-900 was exclusively ordered by Singapore airlines, that would be further used for a non-stop long-haul service between Singapore and America. The new Airbus 350 XWB would undergo severe testing protocols before they are fitted with the brand new Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. The new technology predicts better fuel management for over 24,000 litres with the introduction of a modified fuel burning system on board. Airbus, on the other hand had received over 854 ... Read more

Azerbaijan National Tourism Promotion Bureau is on a new mission to attract international tourist arrival by issuing discount cards. The card exclusively named as ‘Baku Card’, would be the first-of-its-kind launched officially for the city. The discount card can be collected online, through a special kiosk, that further enhances the possibility of discounts to restaurants, cafes, shops, museums and even on public transportation. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the ‘National Tourism Promotion Bureau’ and the ‘Baku Transport’ Agency for the smooth running of the services offered. “The use of Baku card would benefit the tourists in ... Read more

The Incredible India campaign for 2018 kick starts in Italy with the majestic Taj Mahal adorning the buses in Italy. Italy stood fifteenth considering the percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during December, 2017  with a mere 1.44 per cent. The FTAs availing e-tourist visas from Italy stood at 3.1 per cent in December 2017.  

Passenger traffic at Dubai International (DXB) exceeded 7.9 million in January, according to the traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports. DXB welcomed a total of 7,960,146 passengers in January, a small reduction of 1 per cent compared to 8,037,008 recorded in January 2017 when passenger volumes were boosted due to Chinese New Year which fell in February this year. South America was the top region in terms of percentage growth* during the month (22.6%), followed by CIS (19.7%) – with a bulk of the increase resulting from the surge on routes like Moscow, Baku, and Kazan among others, and Africa ... Read more

BBC Weather has warned there is a chance that “just about anywhere” could see snow over the weekend and into next week as Arctic air spreads across Britain. Temperatures in the evenings are set to push the mercury below -10 degree Celsius in parts of the country. “There is a chance of rain, sleet and some snow throughout the day.” The Met Office along with Public Health England (PHE) has an ‘alert and readiness’ health warning in place across northern England. Elderly and vulnerable people have been urged to take extra care and to wrap up against the cold temperatures through the coming days.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley delivered his fifth budget today. Here’s a look at what’s in it for tourism… Proposal to develop 10 prominent tourist destinations as Iconic tourism destinations Govt is developing infrastructure in border areas, which is expected to help tourism in the boarder areas Proposed construction of new tunnel in Se-La Pass in Arunachal Pradesh to promote tourism and facilitate medical needs Proposal to develop 10 prominent tourist destinations as Iconic tourism destinations Airport capacity to be increased 5 times; 56 unserved airport and 31 unserved helipads in country to be connected Proposed redevelopment of 600 major railway ... Read more

Early drafts of the Doodle Search engine giant Google today honoured Kamala Das with a doodle. The Doodle by artist Manjit Thapp celebrates Kamala Das on the publication date of her autobiography, “My Story,” released in 1976. “Today we celebrate poet and author Kamala Das. “Das’s life and work had a boldness and shape-shifting quality, whether it was the many genres she wrote in or the various languages in which she expressed herself. She was determined to live life on her own terms, resisting labels such as “feminist” and choosing different names for herself over the course of her life,” ... Read more

‘Airpocalypse II,’ a report from Greenpeace India revealed that Kerala has the cleanest air among other states of India, followed by a good ambient quality air. The agency has found out that Kerala kept PM10 (particulate matter in air of 10 microns and smaller) standards, said Sunil Dahiya, senior campaigner, Greenpeace India. Kerala followed a consistency in its pollution level in 2015 and 2016 with a minor variation in number. Cities such as Kochi, Thrissur, Wayanad and Kozhikode showed an increased variation whereas Alappuzha, Kottayam, Malappuram and Palakkad got a slight decrease in variables. Photo Courtesy: Kerala Tourism The authorities ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: chinadaily China’s national observatory maintained its blue alert, the lowest level in a four-tier warning system, after a cold front hit parts of central and east China. Temperatures are expected to remain near freezing in many of the southern Chinese provinces, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said. Cities including Changsha, Hangzhou, Hefei, Guiyang, Nanchang, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Wuhan saw their temperatures drop below zero degrees Celsius. Heavy wind is expected within the nest 48 hours in parts of Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, and other north China region. The southern China will see rain and snow, said NMC The ... Read more

As part of its international expansion, Ola, India’s most popular transportation platform, has begun on-boarding private hire vehicles (PHVs) and driver-partners in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth starting today Ola, one of the world’s largest ride-sharing platforms, has today announced its plans to enter Australia, providing both driver-partners and passengers a better way to move. “We are very excited about launching Ola in Australia and see immense potential for the ride-sharing ecosystem which embraces new technology and innovation. With a strong focus on driver-partners and the community at large, we aim to create a high-quality and affordable travel experience for citizens ... Read more