News

Fresh snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, several roads to Kufri, Narkanda closed

Several mountainous roads in Himachal Pradesh were closed for vehicles following overnight snowfall, officials said on Tuesday. Roads towards Kufri, Fagu, Kharapathar, Narkanda, and Khirki are blocked with snow, police said. Light vehicles are plying on the Mashobra road but drivers have been warned of slippery areas on the route, Superintendent of Police, Shimla, Omapati Jamwal, said. In case of emergency, people should call helpline numbers ‘112’ and ‘1077’, he said. Roads in Chopal, Rohru, Kotkhai and Sunni in upper Shimla are also blocked, an official said.

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Attention travellers, Thailand bans single-use plastic use

If you are traveling to Thailand this year, keep in mind that there is now a single-use plastic ban in the country. The Thailand single-use plastic ban is a step towards being eco-friendly, and it gives you a chance to practice ecotourism. The Thai government launched a campaign of banning single-use plastic at various major stores and is looking forward to a complete ban in 2021. This will help in reducing waste and debris in the sea. A campaign launched by the authorities in Thailand asked shoppers to carry their own reusable bags, which gained tremendous popularity. Public awareness even helped to reduce the use of plastic-bag by almost 5765 tonnes in 2019. Even though shoppers are still struggling with the idea of carrying their own reusable bags, 59 percent people reportedly support the ban. Shoppers are in fact adapting to the ban in creative ways, and some of these methods have gone viral on the internet. Some good examples for all to follow. Some are even using suitcases, wheelbarrows, buckets, and more. After all, where there is a will, there is always away.

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Ain Dubai in Dubai to be the largest observation wheel in the world

Ain Dubai will grace Dubai in 2020. Apparently, this will allow people coming for the Dubai Expo 2020 to get a bird’s eye view of the entire city skyline. Situated on Bluewaters Island, Ain Dubai will be another record-breaking possession of Dubai. It will also provide a good view of the Palm Jumeirah and Burj Khalifa. The base of Ain Dubai will be as an entertainment zone with a huge LED screen mounted on the wheel. Ain Dubai was supposed to open in 2020 but will now be inaugurated a day before Expo 2020 kicks-off in October 2020.

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Five new airports to become operational in Karnataka

At a recently held summit hosted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola stated that Bengaluru has the capacity to become the aviation capital of India. News has it that Bidar will be the operational airport after Gulbarga, and is expected to begin operations on January 26. The maiden flight will be from Bidar to Bengaluru. he aviation secretary further added that five more airports will become active in Karnataka in the coming two years. They are Vijayapura, Karwar, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Bidar. Although about 40 airports have been made operational in the past five years, the new target is to double the number of functional helipads and airports in the coming two to five years.

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Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2020 to start from February 7

The festival will be held from February 7-9 at Jaisalmer. News has it that even this year, the organisers will rope in Bollywood singers. Hoteliers and resort owners have also been directed to post information about the festivals in order to promote it far and wide. A heritage walk will be hosted on February 6, and deep daan programme will be organised at Gadisar Lake. Mehta has also asked the officials to host the programme and arrangements in a way that visitors enjoy it thoroughly. The highlights of Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2020 will be Ghoomar dance, turban tying competition, moustache competition, the mister and miss desert among others. Camel decoration, panihari matka race, shaan-e- marudhara, camel polo match, and camel tattoo show will be hosted. There will also be desert safari on camels or a jeep on the shifting sand dunes.

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UAE offers 5-year tourist visa for all nationalities under new scheme.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) has always fascinated travellers around the world. Now travelling to UAE would become much easier, as the country has decided to issue a multiple-entry tourist visa scheme for all nationalities. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday announced that the tourist visa in the UAE will be issued for five years from now. Previously, the tourist visas were valid for only 30 to 90 days. But now, tourist of any nationality can have the benefit of a five-year visa. This step was taken in order to boost the tourism economy in the country and to lure travellers from all around the world to gulf countries. The government is also trying to convert gulf countries into a global tourist destination.

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