BRASILIA: Huge tracts of the Amazon, which serves as the lungs of the planet by taking in carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, are ablaze. Smoke from the widespread fires has turned day into night in Sao Paulo, and intensified a controversy over the Brazilian government’s land use policies. The Brazilian Amazon has experienced 74,155 fires since January, according to data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research. That’s an 85 percent increase from last year and significantly higher than the 67,790 blazes since by this point in the year during 2016, when there were severe drought conditions in the region…
Author: holidayweekly
KUALA LUMPUR: As part of celebrations to mark the 21st anniversary of Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s Terminal 1, IT provider SITA showcased its Smart Path solution. Smart Path uses facial biometric ID management technology to automate the travel journey from check-in to boarding. Once registered, travelers have their faces scanned, meaning that they do not have to produce documents at every stage of their journey. The technology is designed to easily integrate into existing airport and airline infrastructure, including standard common-use systems, check-in kiosks, self-service gates for secure access, and boarding. SITA and Malaysia Airports have signed a Memorandum of…
SAN FRANCISCO: Boeing has delayed the entry into service of an ultra-long range version of its forthcoming 777X widebody, the US planemaker has said. The fresh delay comes as the grounding of Boeing’s money-spinning 737 MAX single-aisle entered a sixth month in August, and as the world’s largest planemaker faces engine-related delays on the 777X widebody that have pushed the first flight of the 777-9 into 2020, said a Reuters report. “We reviewed our development program schedule and the needs of our current 777X customers and decided to adjust the schedule,” Boeing spokesman Paul Bergman said by e-mail, adding that…
LAHORE: Khawaja Shiraz Nasir, famous paraglider hailing from Lahore crashed in Dolomos area in Chitral when turbulent weather made his glider collapse mid-air. He was flying from Moghlasht to Charira in his glider, a frequent flier with a lot of flying hours to his credit, when it fell from high altitude due to stormy winds. Nasir’s backbone was fractured due to the impact and was rushed to DHQ hospital but he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries on the way. Shiraz Nasir was one of the first persons in Pakistan to introduce the idea of taking groups of people on mountainous…
ISLAMABAD: Aiming to promote tourism in the country, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) is moving forward briskly on materializing creation of an endowment fund worth Rs1 billion. After the federal government leaped forward to fulfil its commitment for exploring more tourist destinations in the country, PTDC followed the suit with drafting rules for the fund and their early notification. An endowment fund titled Pakistan Tourism Development Endowment Fund (PTDEF) has been created with seed money of Rs1 billion to promote tourism across the country, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Managing Director Syed Intikhab Alam told this agency. The government has…
KARACHI: The Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) and Badar Expo Solutions have signed a partnership agreement for organising the premier Pakistan Hospitality Show 2019 at the Karachi Expo Centre in December, a statement said on Tuesday. A briefing was organised to announce the event. EFP President Majyd Aziz highlighted the significance of the Pakistan Hospitality Show for the travel and tourism industry of Pakistan, and how a successful first exhibition will gain traction on local, as well as international levels, to ensure future successes. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan has accorded top priority to the development of the tourism…
LONDON: The girlfriend of new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been denied permission to enter the United States because of her trip to East Africa’s Somaliland in 2018. Carrie Symonds, who moved into 10 Downing Street when Johnson became prime minister in July, was hoping to visit the US in the next few days as part of her adviser role for Oceana, a US-based environmental non-profit organization. However, US authorities have blocked her entry, according to the Daily Mail. The paper reports that during her 2018 trip to Somaliland, a region with severe political unrest and a country that…
MUSCAT: Oman Air Cargo has successfully launched the mobile App to all Oman Air Cargo customers including Shippers and Freight Forwarders. This is in collaboration with QuantumID Technologies, which is Oman Air’s cargo system solution provider for ‘SmartKargo’ platform. The mobile App was officially launched in the pilot station Oman (home market) back in January 2019 at the annual event of Oman Air Cargo held in Muscat to felicitate and reward the best performing Cargo clients and agents in Oman. The Mobile app will be released for rest of the markets across the world in stages this year. This Mobile…
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has approved a new law allowing adult women to travel without permission and exercise more control over family matters, a report in Arab News said. “The Passports and Civil Affairs departments and their branches in all regions of the Kingdom have started to execute the amendments stated in the Royal Order,” it said, citing another media report. The regulatory changes stipulated that a Saudi passport should be issued to any citizen who applies for it and that any person above the age of 21 does not need permission to travel. They also granted women, for the first…
HONG KONG: Mr. Rupert Hogg, the CEO of Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific has reportedly resigned on Friday, 16 August. Though no official reason has been given, many suspect it was due to his slow-to-respond and at times seemingly sympathetic treatment of the protest movement. A report about the Cathay board accepting Hogg’s resignation appeared on China state TV. No sources were given, but the story was later confirmed by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing. Paul Loo, Cathay’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer and a known Hogg deputy, has also stepped down.. Both men resigned to “take responsibility as a…