Four gigantic, Chinese characters are aligned on a hill overlooking a seaside film studio complex, in a nod to the fabled Hollywood sign, the American cultural icon in Los Angeles. Except this is northern China’s port city of Qingdao, where Dalian Wanda Group, a real-estate, retail and entertainment conglomerate, is opening its doors to an audacious $7.9 billion (50 billion yuan) world-class film production hub, called the Oriental Movie Metropolis, […]

The Karnataka assembly elections is not just a hard fought battle, but a unique one as well. There are many firsts in this election and one among them is the introduction of the M3 EVMs. While there are firsts there also could be a last and that is the practise of contesting from two seats. If the Supreme Court accepts the Election Commission’s recommendation then the practise of a two […]

Devotees are all set to start their pilgrimage to the famous shrine in Garhwal Himalayas. The portals of Kedarnath are all thrown open for the devotees with several new features after six months of winter break. These features include a daily laser show on Lord Shiva for more cherishable experiences. Thousands of devotees braved early morning chill to flock to Kedarnath as portals of the Himalayan shrine were thrown open […]

Whenever I see a neon-lit sign proclaiming the Italian-sounding name Giani’s in Delhi’s shopping and residential areas, I am transported back in time. I spot hordes of people — young and old — jostling for ice cream inside, and often wonder if they know about its roots which lie in a little place in Chandni Chowk. Much before the Giani’s ice cream chain came into being, there was Giani and […]

With a single step over a weathered, cracked slab of concrete, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made history Friday by crossing over the world’s most heavily armed border to greet South Korean President Moon Jae-in for talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons. Kim then invited Moon to cross briefly back into the north with him before they returned to the southern side. Those small steps must be seen in […]

Vibrant, urbane, extraordinary – Hong Kong is all of this and more. Combining eastern and western influences, Hong Kong has a rich history that blends seamlessly with its modernistic city scapes and lifestyle. When people think of holidaying in Hong Kong, the first things that come to mind are usually Disneyland and Ocean Park. But there is so much more that this bustling city has to offer beyond theme parks […]

For years, around forests of Arunachal Pradesh’s Ziro Valley, the kiwi would grow wild. It still does, in fact. However, it was small, tangy and rather unpalatable — and only about 20 years back, when the State’s Horticulture Department introduced a domesticated variety of the fruit, did people start consuming it. “And yet 6,000 metric tonnes of kiwi is still imported into India every year,” says Tage Rita Takhe who […]

A record number of 20 Indian Americans are running for US Congressional elections this year. Collectively they have raised more than $15.5 million, as per latest official figures, with seven of them raising over a million each. With six months still to go for the November Congressional election, except for Hiral Tipirneni who is running for April 24 special elections in Arizona, the figure of more than $15.5 million raised […]

The 700-year-old tree is being given a treatment by injecting it with a diluted chemical to kill termite population that has infested the tree. Pumping the chemical into the stem has failed and hence, the forest officials are now infusing the chemical solution via a procedure similar to the saline drip given to patients in the hospital. As part of rejuvenation attempts to revive the almost dying tree, the world’s […]

What comes to your mind when you think of Iceland? For most people, it’s extremely cold weather but for the adventurous, it’s the Northern Lights. Today, Iceland as a holiday destination has gained tremendous popularity and those who are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience are busy booking trips to this country. Iceland has some of nature’s most beautiful landscapes like waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, beaches, fjords and parks. A trip here […]