HANOI: Southern Vietnam, including business hub Ho Chi Minh City and its “rice bowl” Mekong Delta region, suffered an unusually long heatwave in February, weather officials said Wednesday (Feb 28). Several areas of the delta are also suffering drought and farmers are struggling to transport their crops due to lowContinue Reading
CHIANG MAI: Ms Konkit Khanapanya has been making lanterns by hand for some 40 years.
But the 53-year-old owner of Khom Mae Bua Lai Kana Panya lantern shop in Chiang Mai is worried that such crafts will end with her generation, as young people are losing interest in them.
“The young only care for things that can give them money. They are not proud of a hand-made product anymore,” said Ms Konkit, who picked up the skills from her mother-in-law.
“All the local knowledge will be gone, like what we are seeing with the elderly using traditional methods, the young won’t know them anymore.”
The lanterns, which come in various colours and sizes, are unique to northern Thailand, especially in the Chiang Mai province, where the Yee Peng Festival is celebrated annually towards the end of the year.
This festival is meant to mark the transition from the gloomy days of the rainy season to the brighter days of the cool season.
Transport ministry figures show the regions of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, along with the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang have closed 43 sections of road and 623 toll stations, CCTV said on Monday. National weather authorities raised the warning for freezing weather conditions to its second highest level, theContinue Reading
Transport ministry figures show the regions of Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, along with the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang have closed 43 sections of road and 623 toll stations, CCTV said on Monday. National weather authorities raised the warning for freezing weather conditions to its second highest level, theContinue Reading
Areas that have shown substantial progress are eliminating poverty, and bolstering sustainable industry, innovation and infrastructure. Even so, steps taken so far are insufficient to meet the 2030 targets for both goals, the report said.
It attributed the sluggish performance to an unfavourable global environment.
Numerous economies have yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Ongoing conflicts, both within and outside the region, have also disrupted global supply chains, stoked inflation and created lingering uncertainty.
The report added that recalibrating domestic policies is crucial to meeting these challenges.
However, some success stories have emerged from the region in recent years, particularly in data collection and usage, said Ms Beaven.
“A lot of nations across the region are using much more detailed information on causes of death, such as to address maternal mortality, and looking at the specific causes to work out the best policies,” she said.
Still, she said there is a need to address data gaps that continue to hinder the comprehensive assessment of the goals’ progress.
“We don’t have enough data to be able to really identify what specific policies are needed within each individual country, which will also be very context-specific. We need much more detailed data (for better assessment),” she said.
“We want to invest in data systems because once we have that data, then we can identify which groups are being left behind most, and decide which policies are needed to help those groups.”
BEIJING: As billions of people in central and eastern China go ahead of the Spring Festival in the chilly wind that has swept through the nation over the past year, freezing weather, frost, and snow have made it difficult for many to return home. The hardest hit region is theContinue Reading
BEIJING: As billions of people in central and eastern China go ahead of the Spring Festival in windy conditions that has swept through the country over the past week, freezing weather, snow, and ice have made it difficult for many to return home. The hardest hit region is the northernContinue Reading
Mr Shouryendu said it takes four hours to get his Nexon EV, a sport utility vehicle produced by India’s iconic carmaker Tata Motors, fully charged.
Charging his EV at home is as easy as charging his phone, he added.
“The manufacturer has given us an option between a rapid charger and a slow charger. We have opted for a rapid charger. It charges quickly,” he said. “There are also charging stations located quite conveniently at malls (and) shopping complexes.”
His Nexon EV, which costs nearly US$22,000 two years ago, is among the most popular and affordable personal green vehicles on Indian roads, according to market watchers. Today, the same model has gone up in price, costing about US$1,000 more.
Currently, there are two Indian carmakers that produce EVs. Compared with foreign brands, they are a cheaper option for Indian consumers.
The shopping website Daraz has reported a spike in searches for air purifiers and face masks since last October, especially in Punjab. Pulmonologist Dr Khawar Abbas Chaudhry laments the deterioration of Lahore, which he describes as a “once beautiful” city. The hospital where he works is part of the BillContinue Reading
SRINAGAR, India : A lack of snowfall has led to empty ski resorts and holiday cancellations in the Indian Himalayas, with scientists linking the “unusual” winter to the El Nino weather phenomenon. The dry spell in Kashmir has pushed skiers to skip the popular resort of Gulmarg, one of theContinue Reading