World News

A devout Indian Muslim who considers wearing a hijab an expression of devotion to the Prophet Mohammad says a move by her college to expel hijab-wearing girls is an insult that will force her to choose between religion and education.

Student Ayesha Imthiaz, from southern Karnataka's Udupi district, where protests over the head covering ban began, said: "The humiliation of being asked to leave my classroom for wearing a head scarf by college officials has shaken my core belief.

The UK Minister for Exports and Minister for Equalities, Mike Freer, has been emphasising the significant deals the UK Pavilion has made during the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region, with about GBP 200 million of export wins, plus invaluable networking opportunities.

Speaking during a visit to Expo 2020 Dubai for the UK National Day celebrations, the Minister praised the event and explained how it has showcased the latest technologies.

Known as the most important global energy award for sustainability, the Energy Globe Award was established 20 years ago and honours the best projects addressing environmental issues. There are 5 award categories – Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Youth, and a special category which varies from year to year.

Chinese netizens have rallied around Japanese figure skating star Yuzuru Hanyu after the two-time defending Olympic champion fell on his final skate, failing to reclaim his title. The support for the star comes just two days after Chinese social media users savaged one of their own athletes.

US-born Zhu Yi also fell twice in her routine at the Beijing Games. However, Hanyu has long been a crowd favourite in China, despite its political tensions with Japan.

A new multimillion-dollar commercial and industrial park project has been set in motion as Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited (JBM) the new development gets underway in the St Ann parish in the country.

Based in Lydford, the site was chosen, by Minister of Transport and Mining Audley Shaw, and State Minister JC Hutchinson, with operations there set to take place very soon.

Over the next month, elections will be held in five Indian states, but all eyes are on the key battleground of Uttar Pradesh. The state sends the largest number of MPs to India's parliament and it is often said that the party that wins the state ends up ruling the country, with several prime ministers, including India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, having come from there.

St Kitts & Nevis Ship Registry (SKANReg) has made a sea change in its fundamental operations. Buoyed by its significant elevation to a mid-point in the Paris MoU Grey list last year, the Registry has deliberately turned away from ever increasing tonnage numbers to focus on quality of its registered vessels. Despite the Pandemic and the new policy, 2021 showed a net vessel gain of 68.

.insofar art gallery in Lisbon, in Portugal, is thrilled to announce “O Sistema”, a solo exhibition by the young and talented Angolan artist Cristiano Mangovo. The exhibition opened on the 4th of February, to coincide with Angola’s Liberation Movement Day and runs until April 30, 2022.

A bill introduced in the USA could personally fine teachers a minimum of $10,000 for teaching children anything that contradicts religion. The “Students’ Religious Belief Protection Act”, introduced by Oklahoma state senator Rob Standridge, is set to have its first reading when the new legislative session begins.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature kicked off its 14th year at a brand-new location in Al Habtoor City. The highlights include the return of children's author and comedian David Walliams to celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of his most iconic characters with a sequel -Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!. and his brilliant new book Megamonster

Labelled the best African footballer of the 20^th century, Cameroon star striker Roger Milla rose to worldwide fame when he scored four goals at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy and captured the hearts of millions with his celebratory corner-flag dancing.

After scoring the goals, which led Cameroon to the Quarter Finals stages - a first for an African nation at that time - he was also the oldest player and goal scorer at a World Cup, before the record was beaten four years later - by Mila himself!

The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay has completed its journey through Asia, meaning the Baton has toured 30 out of the 72 Commonwealth nations and territories.

The Relay began on 7 October 2021 during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, where The Queen placed her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton. It has since travelled to Cyprus and Malta, 19 Commonwealth countries and territories in Africa, and most recently Asia with visits to Pakistan, The Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam.

Twenty-four years ago, a young elephant named Shankar was plucked from the wilderness of Africa, loaded onto a plane to India, and placed in Delhi zoo. Now, a plea in the city's high court seeks to send him back home.

The petition - filed by 16-year-old Nikita Dhawan, founder of the non-profit Youth For Animals - alleges that Shankar has been living in isolation for years.

During his visit to celebrate his country’s Expo 2020 Dubai National Day His Excellency Philip Davis QC, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, said he is proud to present the stunning archipelago to the rest of the world. The delegation included the Royal Bahamas Police Force Pop Band and other Bahamian artists and performers, among them, Shaback, a choir led by Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Press Secretary Clint Watson, whose relatives also made up the delegation in other capacities.

International Day of Women and Girls In Science is set for February 11 as the United Nations recognised day, created during the inaugural World Women’s Health and Development Forum (held on 10-11^th February 2015) reflect the global inequalities in female development in the academic and industrial fields of science, and celebrate the importance and benefits of greater female participation.   

This year’s event is not just recognising the role of women and girls in science as beneficiaries, but also as agents of change – calling on women and girls to utilise their positions in business, politics and other walks of life in order to accelerate greater equality and diversity in the sciences.  

Noting the loss of over US$1 billion in 2021 because of a stagnation in travel between the region’s destinations, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) recommends a concerted effort by Caribbean government and private sector leaders to boost intra-regional travel, while fostering greater parity, clarity and consistency for travel.

While international travel to the region has rebounded to 75 percent of pre-pandemic levels, intra-regional business and leisure travel has dropped to around 30 percent, with smaller Caribbean economies and small businesses hit particularly hard, according to CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig.