Monday, January 17, 2022

Queensland eyes off quarantine-free travel, 90% double dose milestone

 Queensland will likely reach the critical 90 per cent double vaccination rate this week, the trigger point to open up international travel to and from the Sunshine State.
Flight Centre CEO Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner said it was great news.

“I think it’s great for Queenslanders to be able to travel overseas, there are still some questions of the availability of flights out of here because the airlines become quite wary of governments not necessarily delivering or changing their minds, but I think that has changed now,” he told Scott Emerson.

He said it was a “mixed bag” in terms of the international carriers coming into Brisbane.

“We think the fares, as soon as capacity comes back, will be pretty reasonable, similar to pre-COVID levels.”

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Mumbai revises SOP for people travelling from Dubai as Covid cases drop

 The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has withdrawn the additional restrictions that it mandated for passengers flying to the city from the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai. The new rules will be applicable from January 17, the civic body said. In its earlier order, the civic body had mandated compulsory 7-day quarantine and RT-PCR test on arrival for passengers arriving from the UAE. "No special SOP henceforth will be applicable for passengers coming from UAE, including Dubai. Guidelines applicable to international travellers arriving from countries other than countries at-risk will be made applicable to travellers arriving from UAE," the notice said.
However, according to the latest guidelines issued by the civil aviation ministry, which came into effect from January 11, all international travellers have to undergo a seven-day home quarantine.

The daily cases of Mumbai reached the peak of over 20,000 in January and since then, cases have been coming down. On Sunday, Mumbai reported 7,895 infections.

The decision to remove the additional surveillance on people coming from Dubai was taken in a virtual meeting of the civic officials where it was discussed that Mumbai seems to have reached its peak of the third wave.

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday said the state government will be considering reopening schools after the next 10-15 days if the declining trend continues. "Demands are rising from certain quarters for reopening of schools as children are suffering the education loss. We will consider it after 10-15 days as there is a low (rate of) infection among children. The chief minister will take the final call in this regard," the minister said.

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India’s tourism gets a huge push at Expo 2020 Dubai

 Dubai: India’s Tourism Fortnight at EXPO2020 Dubai concluded yesterday with the sector highlighting the country’s core strengths across different areas of tourism including medical, luxury, adventure, sustainability and MICE.
Inaugurated on January 3 by Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, the inaugural session highlighted the new policy framework by the Ministry of Tourism and unveiled five missions that will boost growth in the sector. The Tourism Sector Floor at the India Pavilion showcased the various facets highlighting India as a tourism destination and the growth potential across different kinds of tourism.

The five missions included were National Green Tourism Mission, to mainstream sustainability in the tourism sector; National Digital Tourism Mission, to digitalise the sector; Sectoral Mission on skill development to ensure that the country has the best trained and qualified manpower to maintain high standards of service; National Mission on Destination Management to focus on ensuring synergy and coordination amongst public and private stakeholders and National Mission on Tourism MSMEs to support and facilitate the start-ups, micro, small and medium enterprises.

The inaugural session was also attended by Hoor Al Khaja, Associate Vice President, International Operations – Department of Economy and Tourism of Dubai, where she talked about India’s importance as a global tourist destination.

The Tourism Fortnight comprised various sessions which were presided over by representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and various Indian states including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir among others.


Medical tourism
The session on medical tourism was crucial in highlighting India’s strengths and the ability of the country to offer both modern and traditional systems of medicines, thereby, providing a holistic healing destination across the world.

The session on luxury tourism focused on showcasing the changing face of luxury tourism in India, luxury tourist destinations across the country and initiatives taken by the Government to make travel safe and secure.

The session on spiritual tourism highlighted the opportunities and potential for India to become a hub for spiritual and religious tourism, as the country offers vast cultural and religious diversity.

The session on As a part of World MaMICE tourism was also pivotal in showcasing India’s impressive combination of accommodation and conference support facilities that make the country a successful MICE destination globally.

jlis event, Off the Beaten Path - Travel in the 21st Century, held on January 13, Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, talked about the ways in which the tourism sector in India is evolving.


Given the growing importance of sustainable tourism, the session on sustainable tourism was crucial to address key challenges for the tourism sector and the ways in which the future of tourism can be shaped by sustainable and responsible policies and action by the governments and private sector.

The sessions held during the ‘Tourism Fortnight’ were crucial in showcasing India’s geographical diversity, potential as a tourist destination and highlighting India’s roadmap for the sector.

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ONEPLUS 9RT SALE IN INDIA STARTS TODAY, AVAIL OF UNMISSABLE OFFERS

 The OnePlus 9RT is slated to go on sale in India today, January 17, allowing OnePlus fans to finally get their hands on the newly launched smartphone. After floating around the rumor mill and making multiple appearances online in the form of leaks, the OnePlus 9RT recently went official in India. The OnePlus 9RT boasts an impressive array of features and top-end specifications. For instance, it packs the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor under the hood.



The front panel houses a 6.62-inch Fluid AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Aside from that, the 9RT houses a 50MP primary camera and is backed by a 4,500mAh battery. The huge OnePlus fanbase in India has been waiting with bated breath to purchase the handset. With the first OnePlus 9RT sale in India kicking off today, they will not have to wait any longer. In the meantime, let’s check out the OnePlus 9RT India price, full specifications, and where to buy the phone.

ONEPLUS 9RT FIRST SALE IN INDIA

The OnePlus 9RT smartphone’s maiden sale in India has started. Interested buyers can head straight to Amazon India or the company’s official online store to purchase the phone. The 9RT is available in two memory and storage variants including one that ships with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and carries a price tag of INR 42,999. Alternatively, those who are willing to shell out INR 46,999 can go for the slightly larger 12GB RAM+256GB storage model. Those who place their order via Amazon can avail of up to INR 4,000 bank discounts. This brings the original asking price of the handset down to INR 38,999.

Aside from that, you can take advantage of Jio benefits worth INR 7,200. Furthermore, interested buyers can choose between the Hacker Black and Nano Silver color options of the OnePlus 9RT phone.


SPECIFICATIONS

Upfront, the OnePlus 9RT sports a 6.62-inch Fluid AMOLED display that delivers a Full HD+ (1,080 x 2,400 pixel) resolution. Aside from that, the screen offers a 120Hz refresh rate and a Display P3 color gamut. Furthermore, the HDR10+ certified display has a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on top for additional protection. The phone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. Moreover, this processor is paired with up to 12GB of RAM. The device offers up to 256GB of built-in storage.


In the photography department, the 9RT houses a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 16MP wide-angle sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. The front panel features a single punch-hole cutout that accommodates a 16MP selfie camera. The phone’s dimensions are 162.2 x 74.6 x 8.29mm, and it weighs 198.5g. Moreover, the OnePlus 9RT comes with dual stereo speakers and offers Dolby Atmos support. Also, a robust 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging support keeps the entire system powered up. The device has a USB Type-C charging port.

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ALL IPHONE 14 MODELS WILL HAVE A 120HZ REFRESH RATE DISPLAY

 


Analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities has shared a new piece of information about the next-generation iPhone smartphones that Apple will announce this year.



Projected devices are expected to be included in the iPhone 14 series. According to rumors, four models will be presented – iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 mini, as well as iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max.

ALL IPHONE 14 MODELS WILL HAVE A 120HZ REFRESH RATE DISPLAY

According to Pu, all upcoming smartphones will be equipped with a display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Of course, the diagonal of the screens will vary. In addition, all new devices will receive 6 GB of RAM.

It is noted that the capacity of the flash drive for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 mini will be from 64 GB, and for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max – from 256 GB. In addition, Pro versions will be equipped with a main camera with a 48-megapixel sensor.

However, it should be emphasized that the published information is unofficial. Apple does not give any comments about the new generation of smartphones.

HOW THE PRICE OF THE IPHONE 14 SERIES WILL CHANGE COMPARED TO THE IPHONE 13

One of the tricks made by Apple is the unreasonably high prices for products. It is the large margin that allows the company to make excellent money on iPhone sales and collect the lion’s share of the profits in this market. Fans of the Cupertino company should be prepared for an increase in prices in the iPhone 14 series.

There was a message that Apple will increase the price for a number of models of the upcoming iPhone 14 series. This was announced by a network insider with the nickname LeaksApplePro. According to him, the price increase will affect only Pro versions. In September, the company is expected to present four models; where, in addition to the base model; it will offer the iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The price of the iPhone 14 will remain the same as the iPhone 13 at $ 799.

The iPhone 14 Max will cost $ 100 more ($ 899) than the base version of the series and will debut the company’s lineup. The increase in prices will affect exactly the Pro versions. So, the iPhone 14 Pro can be priced at $ 1099, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max at $ 1190. Against the background of the cost of its predecessors, the rise in price will be $100.

According to rumors, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro will receive a 6.1-inch display. For the iPhone 14 Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max, a 6.7-inch panel is prepared. The smartphones are credited with the A16 Bionic chip, 6 GB of RAM, a 128/256/512/1024 GB flash drive, Touch ID return, a 12 megapixel selfie camera and a 48 megapixel sensor as the key in the main camera.


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Goa floor inaugurated at EXPO2020; all set to show its tourism prowess

 Indian state of Goa is all set to showcase its tourism prowess and business opportunities to the global investors at the India pavilion in the ongoing EXPO2020 Dubai. Inaugurating the state's floor on Friday, J Ashok Kumar, Secretary to Chief Minister, Sports & Youth Affairs, Tourism, Industries Trade & Commerce, Handicrafts Textile & Coir, said: "The state of Goa is proud to be a part of the EXPO2020. The state looks forward to this opportunity to showcase its vibrant culture and invite investors to explore our major focus sectors such as Agro & Food Processing, IT & Knowledge-based Industry, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology, and Tourism."




Goa will be making a strong pitch to the global investors by showcasing its business capabilities along with its tradition and culture through a series of events exhibiting opportunities across key focus sectors including Education, Tourism, Financial Services, Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology, Agro-based and Food Processing Industries and Aviation, Aerospace and Defence among others.

Swetika Sachan, CEO, Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board said, "I look forward to connecting with the Goan diaspora of the region and discuss the investment potential of the state. IPB is the single window agency of Goa, and we are here to offer the desired support to those looking to Goa for their next investment."

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Sunday, January 16, 2022

Caravan tourism gets rolling in Kerala; big response to govt project

 




Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government’s plan to promote caravan tourism in the state is attracting a good response. As many as 226 caravans and 85 caravan parks have registered under the Caravan Tourism Project launched by the Tourism Department.



Applications have been received for opening the parks in all districts and leading the list are Idukki (18 parks), Wayanad (16) and Palakkad (14). Meanwhile, a caravan service has already started functioning in Kochi. Operated by a tour agency in the city, the caravan takes pilgrims from the Cochin International Airport to Sabarimala.

According to officials, among those who have applied to launch caravans are individuals, societies and tour operators. All caravans would be inspected by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) before they are cleared for service. At the same time, permission to set up the caravan parks will be given by the respective panchayats.

As part of its caravan policy, the government is also offering subsidy to buy new caravans. “Subsidy will be given for 300 caravans. In case the operators withdraw from service within five years after registration, the subsidy has to be returned,” said an official.

Meanwhile, subsidy will not be available for caravan parks as no major expenses are involved in setting up the facility, the official pointed out. As part of the project, the Tourism Department has issued instructions to all District Tourism Promotion Councils (DTPCs) to examine the potential of caravan tourism in their respective area and prepare tourism programmes related to the caravan parks.


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REDMI NOTE 11S DESIGN REVEALED VIA LEAKED RENDER BEFORE LAUNCH

 The upcoming Redmi Note 11S smartphone’s awe-inspiring design has surfaced online via alleged renders before the phone’s India launch. The suggests that phone is headed to the Indian market soon. Moreover, the company shared a teaser on the Redmi India Twitter handle on January 13, hinting at the arrival of a “New Note.” This will be the second entrant in Xiaomi’s well received Note 11 series smartphones. The lineup currently includes the Redmi Note 11T 5G, which went official in 2021.


To recall, noted leaker Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) had previously confirmed to 91mobiles that the Redmi Note 11S would launch globally at the end of February. Furthermore, the handset passed through the FCC certification website earlier this month. These are major signs that Redmi is indeed prepping to launch the Redmi Note 11S in India in the coming days. Regrettably, the company is still mum on its plan to bring the phone into the Indian market. However, a lot of details about the upcoming handset have been floating around the internet lately, giving us an idea of what the handset has in store for Redmi fans.



REDMI NOTE 11S LEAKED RENDER REVEAL DESIGN

The Chinese tech behemoth had shared a teaser featuring an image of the Redmi Note 11S smartphone’s camera module. Aside from that, the image showed that the phone will be available in a Purple color option. Likewise, the recently surfaced Redmi Note 11S render (via XiaomiUI), reveals the phone’s design. The Redmi Note 11S smartphone’s alleged render gives us a glimpse of a quad-camera setup. Moreover, the rear mounted camera island appears to house a LED flashlight. The front panel houses a display with a centrally aligned punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera.



.The front panel has thick bezels. This design seems to bear a striking resemblance to the outward appearance of several previously launched Xiaomi/ Redmi smartphones. Nevertheless, there are some noteworthy tweaks. According to an earlier report by the publication, Xiaomi is working on the Redmi Note 11S with the codename “miel.” Aside from that, the Xiaomiui claimed that the phone is linked to model numbers 2201117SG and 2201117SI.

KEY SPECIFICATIONS (RUMORED)

The Redmi Note 11S smartphone’s specifications has been floating around the rumor mill lately. According to past leaks, the handset will be using a MediaTek 5G processor to deliver a power-packed performance. Moreover, the phone will ship with up to 8GB RAM and offer 128GB of onboard storage capacity. The phone’s display could offer a refresh rate of 90Hz. Furthermore, it will run Android 11 OS with MIUI 12.5 skin on top.

In the photography department, the Redmi Note 11S is likely to house four rear-mounted cameras. These include a 108MP Samsung HM2 camera, an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide sensor, a 2MP OV2A OmniVision macro lens, and a 2MP bokeh lens. The front panel will accommodate the phone’s 13MP selfie camera. Redmi is likely to shed more light on the Redmi Note 11S smartphone’s specifications in the coming days.



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India proposed air bubble to South Korea in July 2021; waiting for its response: Scindia





 The Indian government had proposed an air bubble to the South Korean government in July last year and the Centre has been waiting for its response, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday. Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020 in view of the Covid pandemic.



However, special flights have been operating between India and around 40 countries since July 2020 on the basis of air bubble arrangements formed with them.

Congress Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said on Twitter that some 8,000 Indians living in South Korea are protesting the absence of an air bubble between the two countries. "Since March 2020 India has suspended direct flights to and from South Korea, doubling travel costs for NRIs there. Not clear why since Covid-19 is well controlled there," he mentioned.

In response, Scindia said on Twitter that an air bubble was proposed to the government of South Korea in July 2021. "The response is still awaited," the Minister added.

The Indian government is actively watching, engaging with countries and calibrating its approach in accordance with the global Covid-19 situation, he mentioned. "Needless to say, safety is our top priority," he noted.



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Sustainable Practices And MICE To Boost Tourism In India: Rakesh Verma

 





The India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai which is currently hosting ‘Tourism Fortnight’, organized two special sessions to promote sustainable tourism and MICE segment in the country. Key officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India along with industry representatives, participated in the sessions titled, ‘Tourism at Crossroads – Mainstreaming sustainability for future of tourism’ and ‘Meet in India: Emerging Hub for Business and Social Events’.
The session on MICE tourism was important in highlighting India’s impressive combination of accommodation and conference support facilities that make the country a successful MICE destination globally. The session was addressed by Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Chairman, India Convention Promotion Bureau virtually.

Addressing the session, ‘Meet in India: Emerging Hub for Business and Social Events’, Verma said, “MICE industry is an important contributor to national economies as it contributes to income generation and creates huge employment opportunities, provides an impetus to hospitality services including sectors like accommodation, food and beverages, convention services, transportation, tourism, and entertainment. India possesses excellent convention and hospitality infrastructure, unparalleled cultural, natural attractions and a rapidly growing economy all of which act as catalysts to India emerging as a hub of business and social events.”

He added that India is also a very attractive market for exhibitions keeping in view the rapid economic growth and rising demand from consumers and industry destinations. Another crucial sector that Shri Verma highlighted is that of Wedding Tourism. He said, “Wedding is another important niche area which is growing rapidly, many destinations in the country are emerging as wedding destinations and industry is getting more organized.”

Talking about the roadmap of MICE Tourism in India, Verma said, “Ministry of Tourism is working on the strategy to position India as a MICE destination in the world and a hub of mega conferences and exhibitions. It is working towards creating enabling conditions and institutional framework at the central, state and city level for the growth of MICE industry. The short-term goal of the Ministry is to enhance India’s share in MICE business to 2% from the current share of approximately 1% to promote the growth of MICE industry in the country.”

The session on Sustainable Tourism, held on 9th January, was also crucial to address key challenges for tourism sector and the ways in which future of tourism could be shaped by sustainable and responsible policies and action by the Governments and Private Sector. The session was facilitated by G Kamala Vardhana Rao, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, virtually where he highlighted strengths of India to work towards ensuring sustainably responsible tourism practices.

Addressing the session, ‘Tourism at Crossroads – Mainstreaming sustainability for future of tourism’, Rao said, “Tourism is one of the important sectors globally as it provides almost 11-13% of employment globally, and ranges between 7-9% of the GDP of many countries. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has clearly defined guidelines for Sustainable Tourism which are to conserve government resources, protect biodiversity while respecting resources of the cultures, benefiting the local communities and to address the needs and benefits of the tourism industry.”

He added that planning is a pivotal element of urbanization, and it needs to be addressed meticulously, for the future generations to thrive.


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Delhi weekend curfew: Catching metro tomorrow? Know timings, rules and other details

 



Over the next two days, owing to the weekend curfew, Metro trains on the Yellow Line and Blue Line will be available at a frequency of 15 minutes, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) informed. Meanwhile, on the other lines, trains will be available at a frequency of 20 minutes during the weekend curfew. DMRC also said though 100% seating is allowed inside the train, standing is not recommended.




The move is in compliance with the guidelines issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) last week amid COVID surge.



Timings:



At a frequency of 15 minutes on the Yellow Line (i.e HUDA City Centre to Samaypur Badli) and Blue Line (i.e Dwarka Sector-21 to Noida Electronic City/Vaishali).

On the other lines, trains will be available at a frequency of 20 minutes

For rest of the weekdays i.e. from Monday to Friday, Metro services will continue to remain available as usual as per the extant guidelines

Metro COVID rules



100% sitting is allowed in metro trains. However, no standing passengers are allowed in the trains. "Therefore, entry to the trains and stations shall continue to remain highly restrictive as only limited number of passengers (50 only) per coach are allowed," the statement added.

DMRC also advised the travellers that if absolutely essential, they should keep extra time during commuting by Metro as entry shall still continue to be regulated to ensure compliance with the guidelines which may result in queues/ waiting outside stations.

The weekend curfew has been imposed from 10 pm of Friday till 5 am of Monday by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) through its order on January 1.
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Friday, January 14, 2022

Covid-19: UAE will not go back to full lockdown, says minister

 




The UAE will not go back to complete lockdown due to the Omicron or any other variant of the coronavirus, a minister said on Thursday.




"Omicron is way less impactful than Delta. Even during Delta, we hadn't locked down the country (because) balance has been there (between economy and health sectors). Even with futurist variants when it comes to coronavirus, we will not go back to a full lockdown of the country," said Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade.



The UAE had announced lockdowns and travel restrictions after the pandemic broke out in early 2020. But it was also the first country to reopen by applying strict safety and precautionary measures throughout the country.



The minister said 2021 was critical, encouraging, and positive for the economy, and 2022 has also started with a robust forecast.



"We celebrated our Golden Jubilee in 2021 and welcomed the world to Expo 2020. We showed the world that it can't continue with the lockdowns. We have to come back to norms ASAP, and balance between health and economy has to be ensured," Al Zeyoudi told Bloomberg in an interview on Thursday.



He said the communities could come back to norms quickly and cope with global challenges such as the pandemic.



"Thus, we made significant changes in our regulatory system and the way we are running the businesses. During the last few months, we announced 100 per cent foreign ownership, changed the workweek to match with the rest of the world, upgraded the employment laws to create more flexibility and showed our commitments that we are welcoming the world to the UAE," he said.



The minister said that in 2022, the UAE is standing on a solid foundation, and it will maintain a balance between economic and health aspects. "We are continuing Covid-19 testing on a daily basis and encourage people to take the vaccine booster."



The benefit of new workweek

Replying to a query about the new workweek introduced by the UAE this year, Al Zeyoudi assured that this would benefit the economy and give communities more time, which means more consumption over the long weekends.



Starting January 1, 2022, the UAE changed its working week from Sunday-Thursday to Monday to mid-Friday in line with the other markets around the world.



"We've started seeing positive feedback from the businesses because consumption has been picking up throughout the end of the week. We started opening up and relaxing things based on the best global practices, and the changing weekend is no different. It ensures that our system is linked to the global system."



Deals with India, Israel soon

The minister stated that e-commerce and real estate are among the top sectors attracting huge foreign direct investment from Europe, Australia and other countries.



Al Zeyoudi revealed that the government is also working on comprehensive partnership agreements with some countries.



"India deal is almost done and we are going to announce it soon. It is going to have a huge impact – more than 1.7per cent on the GDP over the coming 10 years, boosting trade and creating more jobs. Israel deal is going to be finalised in two months," he said, adding that since the signing of the Abraham Accord, trade has reached more than $1 billion and it's going to exceed $5 billion in three years.



The minister expects trade with Turkey will also triple as the two countries' economic committees met recently to chart out closer cooperation.
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