WHEN THE LIFT DOORS OPEN to the 10th-floor lobby of Park Hyatt Bangkok, the first thing I see isn’t a check-in desk. It’s a sculpture. Namely, Zhan Wang’s Scholar’s Rock, a giant stylised version of the weathered stones ancient Chinese scholars used to collect to aid meditation and provide creative inspiration. It sits at the centre of the space like a question posed in burnished steel. I set down my bag and circle it twice—until I remember I haven’t checked in yet. That instinct to stop and look happens more than once to me here, becoming the defining rhythm of…
Author: Isla
Image used for representation purpose only. | Photo Credit: The Hindu India’s forests could store nearly twice as much carbon by the end of this century as they do now if current greenhouse gas emission trends continue, according to a new modelling study published this week in the journal Environmental Research: Climate.The findings, involving researchers from multiple Indian institutes, present a granular forecast of how climate change will reshape the country’s forest carbon stocks. Significantly, they diverge in important ways from official estimates compiled by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) – the official source of tree and forest cover…
Prosper Ndlovu, [email protected] INDONESIAN Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Arief Hidayat, has signalled his country’s readiness to strengthen bilateral co-operation with Zimbabwe, targeting expanded investment and trade opportunities across key sectors to drive mutually beneficial economic growth. In an exclusive interview, Ambassador Hidayat, who is already in Bulawayo with his business delegation ahead of the commencement of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF 2026) Expo, said that although Indonesia and Zimbabwe enjoy cordial bilateral relations, more needs to be done to accelerate economic and investment milestones. Indonesia is already a key economic partner with some African states, mainly in North Africa…
In a statement carried by Petra News Agency, the Ministry rejected and condemned the plot, expressing its full solidarity with the UAE and support for all measures taken to safeguard its sovereignty, security and stability, as well as the well-being of its citizens and residents. Source link
Healix International has made a series of senior appointments in Melbourne and Malaysia as it looks to expand its Asia-Pacific operations, adding leadership capacity in travel risk advisory and medical assistance. The company has appointed Julian Heath and Grant Strudwick as Directors of Travel Risk Advisory in Melbourne, and Karen Howden as Operations Manager, Medical Assistance. Healix said the three bring more than 60 years of combined experience across medical and travel assistance, resilience consulting, medical operations and crisis response. Heath and Strudwick, both with backgrounds in the Australian Defence Force, have nearly 50 years’ combined experience in senior management…
HONG KONG— Cathay Pacific (CX) has unveiled its newly redesigned flagship First Class lounge, The Wing, First, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), marking a major upgrade to its premium ground experience. The lounge will officially reopen to passengers on April 22, 2026, following an extensive redesign. Located in Terminal 1 at Hong Kong, The Wing, First has been part of the airport’s original infrastructure since 1998. The refreshed space forms a key pillar of Cathay Pacific’s broader investment strategy, which includes over HK$100 billion allocated to fleet, cabins, lounges, and digital enhancements. Photo: Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific First Class…
Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer Takanami (R) leads the JMSDF fleet during the International Fleet Review to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the JMSDF, at Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, Japan. File. Photo by ISSEI KATO / EPA April 20 (Asia Today) — Relations between China and Japan have continued to deteriorate since late 2025, with recent military and diplomatic developments raising concerns about further escalation. Tensions intensified after remarks by Sanae Takaichi in November about possible Japanese involvement in a Taiwan contingency, which drew strong objections from China. The latest flashpoint came Thursday…
Persistence may be paying off for GoldCosmetica, a small company that makes gold leaf and other precious metal preparations for use in personal care products and cosmetics. The firm has exhibited for several years at In-Cosmetics Global, a major conference that brings chemical makers and analytical laboratories together with consumer product makers each year in Europe. Now gold facial masks are showing up in television ads for spas, hotels, and other luxury experiences in the US. And this year, gold flecks appeared in products and sample formulations at several other booths at the show, including a $46 tube of golden…
Private aviation provider Vista announced it has inducted its first Bombardier Global 8000 into its fleet. The introduction marks the beginning of upgrades to Vista’s current Global 7500 aircraft, with two per month planned — leading to the full fleet of 18 being operational as Global 8000 jets by year end. The schedule will introduce performance enhancements through advanced engineering and software upgrades, supporting more direct ultra-long-range routes, and building on Vista’s established global presence and extensive reach of over 200 countries and territories. This reflects growing demand for journeys connecting continents, such as Europe and Asia, along with continued…
A staff member trains a humanoid robot to replicate human behavior at a training center in Hefei, Anhui province of China, on April 13, 2026.Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images Hi, this is Evelyn, writing to you from Beijing. Welcome to the latest edition of The China Connection — a succinct snapshot of what I’m seeing and hearing from local businesses.Today, I dig into rising valuations for Chinese humanoid startups and why they still aren’t attracting the same kind of money as their U.S. rivals — despite delivering far more robots. Are U.S. VCs missing out?The big storyChinese…