Baghdad: The anti-government protests that have erupted in Iraq went aggressive. At least 44 people were killed when troops fired on the protesters. The incident took place in the town of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq.
Eleven people were killed in Najaf’s military firing last week. The firing followed the burning of Iranian consulate protesters. Iranian officials at the consulate had already evacuated before the fire. Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks on the embassy.The people’s agitation is demanding basic amenities and an end to corruption. US Vice President Mike Pence recently visited Iraq. The US stands, not to use the military against peaceful protests.
Thiruvananthapuram: Giving a formidable push to its East Asia initiatives, Kerala Tourism showcased a wide spectrum of its alluring products and services in thriving markets of China, Singapore and Japan this month, in renewed efforts to raise the profile of the state as a must-visit destination and ensure its brand visibility.
As part of its strategy to aggressively promote the state in the China market, a high-profile delegation of Tourism Department, which included leading trade partners from the state, participated in China International Travel Mart (CITM) 2019 at Kunming and also organised two roadshows in Shanghai and Beijing.
Tourism Secretary Smt. Rani George, who led the delegation, made a presentation on the tourism products and potential of Kerala at the trade meets in Shanghai and Beijing.
Dr. Acquino Vimal, Deputy Chief of Mission, was the Chief Guest at the Beijing show, where India Tourism also participated. The Kerala event was attended by 84 buyers and representatives of prominent media establishments.
As for the roadshow in Shanghai, business sessions were held between tour operators from the Chinese city and members of the Kerala trade. Shri Anil Kumar Rai, Consul General, was the Chief Guest at this event, which included 80 buyers.
At CITM, Kerala had set up a 36 sq.mt stand at the trade fair, attracting a steady stream of visitors and business stakeholders.
“We are trying to ensure brand visibility in East Asian markets using innovative strategies. China is an important emerging market for Kerala Tourism. In just two decades, it has become the world’s largest outbound travel market, with some 145 million Chinese travellers visiting abroad in 2017,” Tourism Minister Shri Kadakampally Surendran said.
“We need to make Kerala hospitable to China’s outbound tourists as the world’s most populous country has the potential to give a fillip to the tourism economy of the state. We need to pique their interest in Kerala through a multi-pronged strategy. We are looking into the issues like paucity of guides well-versed in Chinese language. Additionally, we have to rustle up new products, especially in the adventure segment, promote MICE tourism and latch on to martial arts Kalaripayattu and wellness product Ayurveda in a big way,” he added.
A total of 9,630 tourists from China visited Kerala in 2018 as compared to 7,113 in 2017, registering a 35 per cent increase.
“We are determined to put Kerala firmly on the radar of globe-trotting Chinese travellers and create awareness among them about God’s Own Country. By organising the roadshows, we were able to whip up a lot of excitement among the stakeholders of China’s tourism and hospitality industry,” Smt. George said.
“Besides developing B2B contacts, we also sent a strong message to the Chinese travellers that Kerala is a safe, attractive and affordable tourist destination. We need to be ready with package and customised tours to attract them,” she added.
Kerala has become the first Indian state to be partnered with the ‘China Ready’ programme, which has already been conducted in 48 countries, to increase footfalls from China. A destination audit from Chinese tourist’s perspective to ascertain the attractiveness of the destination has also commenced in Alappuzha, Thekkady, Munnar and Kochi.
In Singapore, Kerala Tourism participated in ITB Asia 2019, Asia’s leading travel trade show’ held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. The Kerala pavilion, set up on a 24 sq.mt area, was splashed with the theme of “Human by Nature”, a three-minute new campaign film launched to appeal to high spenders and backpackers. Large backlit wall of the theme attracted a lot of visitors while brochures were distributed to potential tour operators.
A string of meetings were scheduled in the Kerala Stand between leading outbound tour operators and travel publications in the stand. Alongside, B2B meetings with the trade partners from Kerala were also held, opening doors for Kerala as a renowned destination in the product catalogue of Singapore-based operators.
Singapore, a leading market for Kerala in terms of tourist arrivals, sent 9,460 tourists to the state in 2018.
Kerala Tourism also participated in Tourism Expo Japan, which was organised for the first time in Osaka. The event attracted more than 225,000 visitors and representatives of over 1,000 businesses from 130 countries. The co-exhibitors from Kerala held meetings with tour operators and media from Japan to create awareness about the state. As part of the promotional activities, a roadshow was organized in Tokyo.
In 2018, Kerala’s backwaters and Ayurveda had attracted 15,665 tourists from Japan, which was a 17% increase over the previous year.
New Delhi: The visuals of actress attacking will not give to Dileep, Supreme Court said. The court said the decision was based on the actress’s privacy. Meanwhile, Dileep has been granted permission by the court to watch the footage. Dileep or lawyers can check the footage. The apex court’s order had dismissed Dileep’s plea seeking his views.
The court said that Dileep would not be given scenes of assault on the actress. Dileep’s trial court stay order is lifted. The court said can continue the trial on this case.
The films that have brought Malayalam cinema to the forefront of world recognition are few and far between. Chola, directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, has become a movie on that list. The film was selected for the Tokyo Filmex International Film Festival. “The achievement is proof that my belief in the power of cinema is beyond the bounds,” the director said. The film premiered at the red carpet world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.
Chola, who plays Nimisha Sajayan and Joju George in the lead roles, will hit the theaters on December 6. Chola’s performance won the Nimisha Sajayan Best Actress Award and Joju George Best Actor Award when the State Film Awards were announced. ‘Chola’ is directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan after the Malayalam film ‘S Durga’ which gained international attention. Sanal Kumar has penned the screenplay for the film along with novelist and short story writer KV Manikandan.
The film chronicles important events in the lives of three individuals. Chola, produced by Joju George under the banner of Appu Paathu Pappu Production House, is produced by Sijo Vadakkan and New Art Movies. The cinematography is by Ajit Acharya.
Tirana: The death to toll in the earthquake in Albania rises to 35. More than 25 people went missing. According to reports, more than 650 people are in medical treatment. The report from Redcross says the condition of the injured is critical. 6.4 magnitude scale earthquake is reported in Tirana.
Albania lies in a seismologically active region as the Mediterranean Sea is a border between the African and Eurasian plates.
The movement of the African plate to the north – where the Eurasian plate lies – sometimes cause earthquakes and have already resulted in the formation of several mountain ranges in Europe, including the Alps.
The deadliest earthquake in Albania took place on November 26, 1920, in Gjirokaster County, leaving some 200 people dead.
Thiruvananthapuram: Skill development has become a key factor in vie for honors in global competitions and the youngsters in the state should live up to the challenge by upgrading their skills, said Kerala Labour Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan on Wednesday.
“Though the state can boast of progress in most of the fields, our skill development needs to be improved with respect to the rising global demand,” the Minister said while interacting with the winners of World Skills Competitions 2019, Asia Skills Competitions, Euroskill Competitions, India Skills 2018 and Global Skills Australia.
Ramakrishnan said that keeping this in mind, the government is giving emphasis on skill development through events like India Skills Kerala 2020, which sets the stage for youngsters to compete in a wide range of vocational and non-vocational skills. “In India Skills Kerala 2020, we have included 42 skill competitions, more than doubling from 20 categories last year.”
The event is jointly organized by the Industrial Training Department and Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE), the State’s Skill Development Mission under the Labour and Skills Department.
“In order to improve their communication skills, we can give them one-month language training,” Ramakrishnan said while replying to the queries from the gathering.
Satyajeet Rajan IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Labour and Skills; and Chandrasekar S. IAS, MD, KASE, were also present.
Nidhin Prem (3D Digital Game Art), Jibin Williams (Floristry) and Mohammed Rabith. K (Wall and Floor Tiling) had represented India in the World Skills Competitions 2019 held at Kazan, Russia. Speaking on the occasion, Prem said he could showcase his talent on a global platform and bag a Medallion for Excellence.
Rabith, who also got a Medallion of Excellence, and stood fourth in global competition, said the support of the government, ITD, and KASE was remarkable in his achievement.
Meanwhile, Williams said he could perform well in the global event which had contestants from 26 countries in the fray.
The State level winners of India Skills Kerala 2020 will make it to India Skills National 2020, and the national winners will get the opportunity to participate in World Skills 2021, Shanghai, China. Popular skills like cooking and hair-dressing have found entry into the contest list of the India Skills Kerala 2020.
The District level competitions will be held from December 14 to 19. The Zonal events will be organized in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode from January 10 to 15, 2020. The State level competitions will take place at Swapna Nagari, Kozhikode, from February 15 to 17.
The total price for the event is Rs 78 lakh. The winner of India Skills Kerala will get Rs one lakh while the runner-up will be awarded Rs 50,000. Finalists will get Rs 10,000 each. The last date for registration will be December 4, 2019. For details visit www.indiaskillskerala.com. Also, contact 9496327045.
Colombo: Sri Lankan cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan has been appointed as the new Governor of Sri Lanka. Muttiah has been appointed as the Governor of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The Northern Province is the Tamil majority region of Sri Lanka. Rajapakse asked Muttiah to take the governorship. Earlier, Muttiah Muralitharan had expressed his support for President-elect Rajapaksa. In addition to Muttiah, Anuradha Yahampat was appointed as the governor of the Eastern Province and Tissa Vitarana the Northern and Central Provinces. Muralitharan was a member of the Sri Lankan team that won the 1996 World Cup. Muralitharan, also known as Doosara Master, has taken 800 Test wickets.
The thriller film ‘Enter the Girl Dragon’s teaser has released. Newcomer Pooja Falekar comes in the leading role ‘Enter the Girl Dragon’. This is a Ram Gopal Verma movie. The film tells the life of a girl who falls in love with Blues Lee. The thriller category is a film that focuses on martial arts.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Postal Department issued a special cover to mark the centenary of SMSS Hindu Mahila Mandiram here on Wednesday.
The cover, carrying a special stamp on it, commemorates the pioneering services of the city-based institution and its founder K Chinnamma towards women’s education and empowerment.
Ms Viji M R, Director, Postal Accounts, Kerala Circle, released the special cover at a function at the philatelic exhibition ‘Kerapex 2019’. Smt Sreekumari M, Secretary, Mahila Mandiram, received the first cover at the ceremony held at Bhagyamala Auditorium, Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium.
Addressing the gathering, Ms Sharda Sampath, Chief Postmaster General, Kerala Circle, said Mahila Mandiram stood out as an institution that gave a hand holding to women from less privileged backgrounds since last century, without considerations of caste or religion. The institution has been able to make a deep impression for over 100 years on account of its exemplary activities to uplift women through education, she said.
Thanking the Postal Department, Smt Sreekumari said the services of Mahila Mandiram and its founder Chinnamma have come to the national attention with the release of the Special Cover.
Shri P Gopinathan Nair, freedom fighter and former chairman of Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, was the chief guest at the function. Dr Poornachandra Rao, Director, National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), and Shri Kalyan Dhan, Assistant Director Philately, were present.
The stamp carries the picture of K Chinnamma, a pioneer in women’s education and empowerment in Kerala and the postal cover depicts the images of the institution and its founder.
Kochi: Tropical Titans, winners of the inaugural edition of just-concluded Champions Boat League (CBL), earned close to a quarter of the prize monies by mustering Rs 131 lakh of the total Rs 5.9 crore that was up for grabs in the spectacular event in Kerala’s backwaters.
The champions, who had come first in all but one of the 12 rounds of the nine-team CBL that ended at Kollam on November 23, collected 22.2 percent of the purse.
The Kerala Tourism-organised event modelled on IPL cricket has its rules mandating payment of Rs 4 lakh per round for any participant. The total prizes of Rs 5.9 crore made CBL the fourth-highest paid tournament in the country.
CBL runners-up Raging Rowers got 82 lakh in total, while Mighty Oars earned 69 lakh as the second runners-up. Coast Dominators (fourth) got Rs 59 lakh, Backwater Knights (fifth) Rs 52 lakh and Pride Chasers (sixth) Rs 49 lakh.
The teams that got the minimum assured Rs 48 lakh were Backwater Warriors (seventh), Thunder Oars (eighth) and Backwater Ninjas (ninth).
The total prize thus ended up at Rs 5.86 crore, as Coast Dominators were not paid their Rs 4 lakh on October 12 at Kottapuram near Kodungallur in Thrissur district as they opted out after the heats, displeased by the imposition of a penalty. Incidentally, Coast Dominators were the only team who managed to outsmart the champions in one round: they came first at Kochi on October 5.
Kerala Tourism Minister Mr. Kadakampally Surendran said the CBL has boosted just not the state’s traditional water sport, but the travel and hospitality industry. “As an annual feature, the tournament will ensure that Kerala’s tourism begins from August,” he noted. “The places around the CBL venues, too, benefit economically from the championship.”
Kerala Tourism Secretary Ms. Rani George said the CBL has succeeded in its aim of reviving Kerala’s traditional snake-boat races with a dose of professionalism. The holding of the CBL in the half-a-dozen district has enabled a comeback of certain traditional boat races that were either losing colour or undergoing a break.
“By reviving them, CBL has become integral to Kerala’s traditional post-monsoon festivities,” she added.
Kerala Tourism Director Mr. Bala Kiran said the CBL has also brought in a new generation of boat-race fans, besides broadening the existing viewer base. “Earlier, snake-boats were largely confined to Alappuzha district. Today, we see them rowing in races farther north and south of the state,” he added.
The league’s next edition will have more venues in upstate Malabar.
To ensure annual holding of the IPL-format boat races, the Tourism Department has formed a company called CBL Limited as a self-sustaining and income-generating company, with an agency consortium, led by E-Factor Entertainment and The Social Street, as consultants.
Kansai Nerolac Paints, which was a key sponsor in the league races held in five districts of the state, said the company constantly works towards developing ideas and initiatives that can help transform lives. “The CBL has given us a beautiful opportunity to connect with the people of Kerala,” said Mr. Peeyush Bachlaus, Assistant Vice-President (Marketing), Kansai Nerolac.
The CBL was inaugurated on August 31 at Alappuzha with cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar as the chief guest.
