Webb Fontaine awarded contract with Bangladesh National Board of Revenue for Single Window and Risk Management Solutions

Webb Fontaine, one of the leading providers of AI-powered trade technology and Customs facilitation solutions to governments and trade administrations around the world, is pleased to announce that its Single Window and Risk Management solution has been selected by the Bangladesh National Board of Revenue to enhance trade facilitation processes.

The contract, spanning three years, encompasses the implementation, maintenance, and support of the project. Webb Fontaine's expertise in trade facilitation, combined with its cutting-edge technology solutions, will play a pivotal role in streamlining trade operations in Bangladesh.

Welcome Corps empowering everyday Americans to sponsor refugees

Building on its long tradition of helping refugees, the United States has launched Welcome Corps, a program to allow everyday Americans to sponsor refugees for resettlement. Volunteers will help refugees to obtain housing, buy clothes, secure employment for adults, and get children enrolled in school.

Wemade joins the UN Global Compact, affirming ESG commitment

Leading Korean gaming company Wemade has joined the UN Global Compact, affirming its commitment to good environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices and policies. Founded in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative with more than 15,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 162 countries, and 69 Local Networks. UN Global Compact participants are encouraged to internalize the 10 Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption into their operations and management strategies.

Wenchang, Hainan takes flight as the visionary "City of the Future" igniting a thriving aerospace industry

On January 17th 2024, the Long March-7 Y8, carrying the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft, was successfully launched.

Wenchang, Hainan takes flight as the visionary "City of the Future" igniting a thriving aerospace industry

On January 17^th. 2024, the Long March-7 Y8, carrying the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft, was successfully launched.

West Maui tourism reopening ‘too much, too soon’ say Lahaina legislators

Senator Angus McKelvey (Senate District 6, West Maui, Mā‘alaea, Waikapū, South Maui) and Representative Elle Cochran (House District 14, Kahakuloa, Waihe‘e, portions of Wai‘ehu and Mā‘alaea, Olowalu, Lahaina, Lahainaluna, Kā‘anapali, Māhinahina Camp, Kahana, Honokahua) sent a letter to Governor Josh Green urging him to abandon the hard date of October 8th for the reopening of tourism to West Maui.

Western Air makes inaugural Nassau-Fort Lauderdale flights

Bahamian-owned and operated commercial airline, Western Air, took a long runway into the international friendly skies when it made its first flight between Nassau and Fort Lauderdale, Florida as another airline alternative for travellers. The 50-seater Embraer ERJ145 Jet took off from Lynden Pindling International Airport at 11 a.m. en route to Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, a first in the airline's almost 21-year existence.

What hijab verdict means for religious freedom in India

The hijab, according to a recent landmark Indian court ruling, has something to do with culture but certainly not with religion. A three-judge bench in the southern state of Karnataka upheld a government ban on the headscarf in schools and colleges on the grounds that wearing it was not essential to Islam.

What's drawing so many Indians to Australia?

Rohit Singh is a second-generation Indian immigrant living in Mornington Peninsula, a beachy cape that's about an hour's drive from Melbourne. Over the past two years, he has been helping his parents run Avani, a boutique winery they founded after migrating to Australia in the 1990s.

Mr Singh says that in the past decade, the South Asian community in Melbourne has burgeoned, so Avani has started hosting wine pairing events that spotlight Indian dishes - meen pollichathu (a baked fish recipe from southern India) is served with Pinot Gris; dal makhani (a slow-cooked, creamy black lentil dish) is paired with a Pinot Noir.

What's happening with the Pakistan floods?

This summer, Pakistan has seen some of the heaviest monsoon rains in years, resulting in severe floods in the country's south.  

Around 1,200 people have died so far due to the floods and thousands of homes have been destroyed in mainly south Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and KPK. Record monsoon rains were causing a "catastrophe of epic scale", Pakistan's climate change minister Sherry Rehman said, as she made an international appeal for help in dealing with floods.

What’s New In The Bahamas For August

The Islands Of The Bahamas have once again proved to be a favorite destination for all types of travelers. The Bahamas was included in Travel + Leisure’sWorld’s Best Awards, featured in Bloomberg as the most visited destination by private jet and named the Top Meeting Destination in the Caribbean by CVENT. With exciting events in the pipeline, it’s no surprise The Bahamas continues to see visitor growth month-over-month.

NEWS

The Bahamas’ Impressive Start to 2019 –The July ForwardKeys survey showed international arrivals to The Bahamas increased 13.9% in June with arrivals up 9.4% in the first half of 2019. The forward booking situation for July to September remains positive, with bookings 9.8% ahead for international arrivals.

Bahamian Islands Recognized in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards –The Exumas, Harbour Island and The Abacos were named some of the top islands in the Caribbean, Bermuda and The Bahamas in Travel + Leisure’s 2019 World’s Best Awards. The World’s Best Awards are among the most prestigious in the travel industry and are selected by the publication’s readers.

The Bahamas Is The Leading Destination For High Flyers –In a study published by Bloomberg, The Bahamas was the top destination for travelers arriving by private jets. More than two-thirds private jet arrivals to The Bahamas originated in the U.S. or Canada.

Nassau, Bahamas Takes Top Spot in CVENT’s Top Caribbean Meeting Destinations –Nassau, Bahamas was named the top meeting destination in the Caribbean and Latin America by CVENT. The list was compiled by analyzing meeting and event booking activity through CVENT.

Atlantis, Paradise Island Welcomes The P1 AquaX Bahamas World Championship– November 8 – 10, 2019, Atlantis, Paradise Island will play host to the top 40 professional watercraft competitors, representing 12 countries for the P1 AquaX Bahamas World Championship. Additional festivities include a nearby Race Village with live music, local bands, food and activities for all ages.

PROMOTIONS AND OFFERS

For a complete, up-to-date listing of deals and packages for The Bahamas, visit www.bahamas.com/deals-packages.

Bahamasair, Orlando to Freeport For $295.72 –Take advantage of Bahamasair’s Orlando to Freeport deal, visiting The Bahamas second largest city, for under $300 roundtrip.

The Exumas Day Tour –Explore the beauty of the Exuma Cays on the 5-star rated Day Trip. The excursion takes guests to Staniel Cay, Compass, Cay, Thunderball Grotto and more. Save up to 25% with the code BAHAMAS2019 at checkout.

Exuma Marathon 2019 at Grand Isle Resort –Stay at Grand Isle Resort for the Exuma Marathon on November 9, 2019 and save up to 35% on your reservation.

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

Stay up-to-date with the latest events and happenings in The Bahamas: www.bahamas.com/events

Goombay Summer Festival (August 11 – August 31)– Experience live Bahamian music, great local cuisine, authentically Bahamian Arts and Crafts, Junkanoo and lots more at the annual Goombay Summer Festival. Celebrate on Exuma on August 11 – 17, Central Andros on August 16, Long Island on August 24 and Eleuthera on August 31.

Junkanoo Summer Festival at Smith’s Point (August 3 – August 17)– For three consecutive Saturdays in August, Freeport will vibrate with the rhythms of the goatskin drums, cowbells, brass horns and whistles as six Junkanoo groups compete against each other. The Junkanoo Summer Festival will feature Bahamian music, performances, demonstrations, Arts and Crafts and a kids’ corner of entertainment.

Bahamas Hoopfest (November 27 – November 30)– Save the date: The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Thanksgiving Classic will be hosted in Nassau this year. This will be the first women’s basketball event of its kind to be hosted in The Bahamas. View fan packages here.

When Spider-Man Met The Pope

In surely what must be the most unlikely meeting of 2021 so far, Pope Francis has just met Spider-Man himself.

White House to resume full tours

Public tours of the White House will return to a full operating schedule next month, after nearly a year and a half of disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Free tours of the executive mansion were suspended when President Joe Biden took office, as officials tightened virus protocols in line with guidance from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

WHO approve Indian COVID-19 vaccine

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday approved an eighth vaccine against COVID-19, which follows a slight uptick in new cases globally. COVAXIN, made by Indian company Bharat Biotech, has received WHO emergency use listing (EUL), meaning it could soon be available to millions worldwide. 

The EUL process assesses the quality, safety and efficacy of vaccines and is a prerequisite for their inclusion in the global solidarity initiative, COVAX.

WHO team in China to probe Covid origin

A team of World Health Organisation (WHO) officials has arrived in the Chinese city of Wuhan to start its investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. It comes after months of negotiations between the WHO and Beijing. With Covid-19 first being detected in Wuhan in central China in late 2019, the group of 10 scientists is set to interview people from research institutes, hospitals and the seafood market linked to the initial outbreak.

The team's arrival coincides with a resurgence of new coronavirus cases in the north of the country, while life in Wuhan is relatively back to normal. The group will undergo two weeks of quarantine before beginning their research, which will rely upon samples and evidence provided by Chinese officials. Just before the trip team leader Peter Ben Embarek said that it "could be a very long journey before we get a full understanding of what happened. I don't think we will have clear answers after this initial mission, but we will be on the way."

The probe, which aims to investigate the animal origin of the pandemic, looks set to begin after some initial hiccups. Earlier the WHO said its investigators were denied entry into China after one member of the team was turned back and another got stuck in transit. But Beijing said it was a misunderstanding and that arrangements for the investigation were still in discussion.

China has been saying for months that although Wuhan is where the first cluster of cases was detected, it is not necessarily where the virus originated. Professor Dale Fisher, chair of the global outbreak and response unit at the WHO, said that he hoped the world would consider this a scientific visit. "It's not about politics or blame but getting to the bottom of a scientific question," he said. Prof Fisher added that most scientists believed that the virus was a "natural event."

The visit coincides with China reporting its first fatality from Covid-19 in eight months. News of the death in northern Hebei province prompted anxious chatter online and the hashtag ‘new virus death in Hebei’ trended briefly on social media platform Weibo.

The country has largely brought the virus under control through quick mass testing, stringent lockdowns and tight travel restrictions. But new cases have been resurfacing in recent weeks, mainly in Hebei province surrounding Beijing and Heilongjiang province in the northeast.

WHO worried over Covid surge throughout Europe

The World Health Organization is "very worried" about the spread of Covid-19 in Europe as the continent battles a fresh wave of infections.

Regional director Dr Hans Kluge warned that 500,000 more deaths could be recorded by March unless urgent action is taken, saying that an increase in mask wearing could immediately help.

Why Black artists have always been an essential part of American culture

Black women in the arts have long formed the backbone of America’s cultural landscape.

Why Chinese is the world's biggest exporter of students

China is the world's biggest exporter and one of its most contentious exports of late is students.

Every year it is estimated that more than 700,000 Chinese people leave their country to study abroad. And many of these end up in the UK, learning at British universities.

Why Delhi lags behind Beijing in air pollution stakes

For a long time, people living in two densely populated Asian capitals have suffered the toxic smog that blanket their cities.

Why you need to know Indian weather scientist Anna Mani

Long before climate change became a buzzword, an Indian woman was fighting the odds to make devices that would help people understand the environment better.