World News

The Gulf and the Middle East are becoming a centre for climate change. The Sharm El Sheikh Green initiative by Saudi Arabia in Egypt set the tone this year, and Abu Dhabi in the UAE will continue in 2023.

Climate change also got top coverage at the just concluded WTTC Summit in Riyadh.

Fellow Statians,

The atrocities committed against enslaved people and Africans in the Caribbean, including the Dutch Caribbean, are too many to count.

We know of the long hours our ancestors were forced to work in unforgiving sunshine to enrich their enslavers. We shall never forget the many revolting and abominable acts of cruelty inflicted on our people.

The annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) just recently concluded in Lucknow, India.

The just concluded 37th annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) held in the ancient-modern city of Lucknow generated much interest and information as 1,000 delegates heard from the Chief Minister Yogi.

Qatar Airways, the Official Airline Partner of FIFA, concluded its FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 journey in style, presenting the medals and individual awards to Argentina after their historic 4-2 victory on penalties over 2018 champions, France. Following a thrilling month of non-stop action and entertainment, the airline operated nearly 14,000 flights, uniting the world in Qatar for the greatest sporting show on Earth.

Africa is a major geopolitical player and boasts some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

From December 13 to December 15, President Biden will host the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. The three-day Washington event will bring together leaders from across the African continent to discuss bold, practical ways to strengthen ties and advance shared priorities.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Grenada Chocolate Festival, the event will celebrate the twin delights of chocolate and rum produced on the island.

The Festival will run from 17-21 May and is a great way of exploring Grenada with visits to cocoa plantations, chocolate factories and rum distilleries as well as waterfalls and beaches.

In India, innovative producers have adopted a range of approaches, from flipping the grape-growing season, to using kiwi fruit instead of grapes, to packaging wine in cans.

"When we started in 1997 no one knew what wine was," remembers Rajeev Samant, the founder of India's Sula Vineyards. "All liquor shops in India were called wine shops, so people thought wine meant liquor," he says.

For several years, Mykerline Stéphane Brice had her heart set on pursuing studies in tourism management, but at every turn, a lack of funding got in the way. Having already completed a bachelor’s degree in business management and public administration in 2016, Mykerline, who discovered her passion for tourism at the age of 20, had been wanting to do an advanced diploma programme in hospitality and tourism management, but had been unable to afford the tuition.

The first national edition of the UNWTO Students League concluded with a celebration of Swiss tourism talent with Team SHL from SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern, winning this edition.

The competition for undergraduates, organized with the support of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), attracted students from leading educational institutions from across Switzerland.

The world's only nonuplets - nine babies born at the same time - have safely returned home to Mali after spending the first 19 months of their lives in Morocco.

The babies broke the Guinness World Record for the most children delivered in a single birth to survive. Ahead of the birth in May 2021, the mother Halima Cissé, now 27, was flown to Morocco for specialist care.

People in Bangladesh need a consistent source of safe, drinkable water at an affordable price. Drinkwell, a U.S.-based company, developed a long-term solution.

Instead of purchasing water in bottles that often end up in landfills, customers purchase cards to use at water kiosks, or Water ATMs, akin to a bank’s automated teller machine. The water is filtered to ensure safety and is sold at a fixed price of just 8 cents per 20 liters.

A White House Christmas tradition — with lights, decorations, music and an appearance from the sitting president — turns 100 this year.

President Biden lit the National Christmas Tree this week (November 30) on the Ellipse near the White House, and the centennial event included hip-hop icon LL Cool J, country singer Shania Twain and “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band.

Students in Costa Rica are learning the science, technology and English language skills needed to excel at international companies.

U.S. tech firm Intel’s cooperation with the Skills 4 Life program helped train more than 160 students from Costa Rica’s Limón province in 2021. Approximately 170 kilometers east of San José on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Limón is home to many people of Indigenous and African descent who are underrepresented in higher education.

A study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has found that women in the Caribbean and Latin America still hold a limited share of senior decision-making positions in national governments and most of the leadership posts they do hold are in just a few specific areas like health and education.

The United States encourages American businesses with employees around the world to protect their workers’ rights and decrease their negative effects on the environment. Gap Inc., the largest U.S. specialty retail company, has heeded the call and implemented policies to improve business performance, protect human rights and reduce environmental impacts.

Christmas at the White House holds traditions special to members of the first family who live there and to the tens of thousands of guests who visit the Executive Mansion during the holiday season.

The first lady plays a critical role in the behind-the-scenes Christmas preparations, including selecting that year’s overall theme and decorations.