Chinese scientists have reportedly developed a new radar technology that can track and detect the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, one of the world’s most advanced stealth fighter jets. This innovation reportedly leverages signals from China’s BeiDou navigation satellite system, Chinese media reported. The new radar method is described as a cost-effective solution that relies…
When it comes to military equipment being sent to Ukraine, big-ticket items like Patriot missiles and F-16 fighter jets come to mind. But for many Ukrainian soldiers, the U.S.-made 60-millimeter M224 mortars, also used by the U.S. Marine Corps, have been highly effective against Russian forces. Anna Kosstutschenko has the story. Video: Pavel SuhodolskiyThis post…
National and international tourists on Pub Street in Siem Reap province on October 1. Tourism ministry
The extension of certain tax exemptions for tourism enterprises in Siem Reap province is seen as a cost reduction and a contribution to the gradual recovery of the province’s tourism sector, albeit to varying degrees, according to analysts.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance issued a proclamation providing tax incentives for tourism enterprises in Siem Reap, specifically for the years 2024 and 2025. This was announced in a statement dated October 10 and recently made public.
Eligible enterprises, including hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and travel agencies, will be exempt from paying monthly taxes of all types until the end of June 2025. However, these exemptions do not apply to value-added tax (VAT) and accommodation tax.
Another exemption is the annual income tax for the year 2024. Enterprises that have already paid their income tax will be allowed a tax credit to offset their 2025 annual income tax.
Additionally, these enterprises will not be subject to audits for fiscal year 2024.
The ministry explained that the goal of providing these incentives is to aid the recovery of the province’s tourism sector. However, the ministry requires all medium and large taxpayers to electronically submit monthly tax declarations and to file their annual income tax returns through the Tol E-filing platform.
Anheng Sokpheak, president of the Cambodia Chinese Tour Guide Association (CCTGA), stated that the announcement of these exemptions is “good news” and will help reduce the burden on enterprises, providing opportunities for the recovery of the country’s tourism industry.
“I believe the government should continue supporting the tourism sector to help it develop even further,” he said.
Chhort Bunthang, a cultural relations, tourism and education research officer at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, agreed that, regardless of the scale, the government’s encouragement through tax exemptions will ease the burden on these enterprises.
“We all know that despite the efforts of the private sector and the government, the tourism sector has not yet recovered to the desired level, and these enterprises are still affected. If the government continues to impose the same taxes as before, it would certainly impact the tourism industry,” he said.
“I believe these tax exemptions, even if not substantial, still play a role because the government is doing what it can. This is in addition to efforts to attract tourists, formulate policies, open flight routes and introduce measures to draw international visitors,” he added.
According to Angkor Enterprise (AE), which manages ticket sales for the Angkor Archaeological Park, Koh Ker Temple and the Chong Khneas floating village, a total of 699,850 international travellers purchased tickets to visit these sites in the first nine months of 2024, reflecting an increase of nearly 30 per cent compared to the same period last year.
As of October 18, the number of tickets purchased by international visitors rose to 738,770. Total revenue for the nine-month period reached $32.523 million, also marking a year-on-year increase of over 30 per cent.
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flydubai launched its new Business Class check-in at Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB). The dedicated space offers flydubai’s Business Class passengers a unique and smooth check-in experience with a personalised Meet and Assist service, seated check-in and a Fast Track service through passport control and security lanes. This is the carrier’s first dedicated check-in facility for Business Class passengers and it is located at the Departures area at Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) near Entrance 3. The new space is designed to elevate the Business Class preflight experience and further underscores flydubai’s commitment to investing in enhancing the overall customer experience both on the ground and in the air.
Commenting on the new Business Class check-in, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “we are excited to be extending to our Business Class customers the personalised service we offer them in our cabin on the ground as well. The new service will ensure our customers’ journey is efficient, hassle-free and enjoyable from the minute they arrive at Terminal 2 until they reach their destination. We continue to listen to our customers’ needs and invest in enhancing our products and services and we hope this is the first of many.”The new Business Class check-in area features design elements that draw inspiration from the serene and timeless beauty of desert dunes. The sweeping arches, warm tones and minimalist aesthetics reflect the undulating landscape of the desert, creating an inviting space for customers seeking efficiency and comfort.
The new elevated experience starts prior to Business Class passengers arriving at the terminal with a dedicated Business Team available to assist with enquiries. A Dedicated Kerbside Drop-off Area and a separate Entrance for Business Class check-in have been allocated at Terminal 2, Dubai International.
Business Class customers can enjoy a personalised Meet and Assist service from a member of the Business Team and a dedicated complimentary porter service. The welcoming space offers a variety of personalised experiences, including a quiet space for relaxation with a traditional Arabic welcome offering refreshing towels followed by coffee, dates or refreshments. Inside the check-in area, customers can look forward to a smooth check-in process while a porter attends to their baggage, minimising waiting time and queues at the terminal.
A member of the Business Team accompanies Business Class passengers to the flydubai Business Lounge while benefiting from a Fast Track service through e-gates or passport control and security lanes.
The new Business Class check-in is now available to all flydubai Business Class customers travelling from Terminal 2, Dubai International. Customers who upgrade to Business Class prior to check-in can also use the new facility.
Today flydubai has built a growing network of more than 125 destinations in 55 countries across Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and Southeast Europe, the GCC and the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent as well as Southeast Asia. The carrier has opened more than 90 new routes that did not previously have direct air links to Dubai and is served by a young and efficient fleet of 88 Boeing 737 aircraft.
DAR ES SALAAM: THE government has stated that improving the business environment for Iranian and Tanzanian business communities is a vital step towards enhancing international cooperation and economic integration.
“By fostering a more favourable landscape for trade and investment, this initiative not only paves the way for increased foreign direct investment but also signals to other nations that Tanzania is an attractive destination for business,” said Dr Selemani Jafo, the Minister for Industry and Trade.
Dr Jafo made these remarks recently at the Tanzania-Iran Economic Forum, which brought together the Iranian business community and Tanzanian business people.
According to the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), 15 Iranian companies have invested in various sectors, including agriculture, mining and fisheries.
Furthermore, the Minister urged business people to collaborate with Iranian enterprises to achieve the necessary productivity. He also encouraged Tanzanian business people to participate in the forums to exchange skills, emphasising that Iran possesses significant technology that could benefit Tanzanian businesses.
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“Business people should cooperate with our colleagues from Iran to bring the necessary productivity to develop the economy of our country. Iran has the greatest technology, so let’s collaborate with them to enhance skills and learn the technologies they use so that we can apply them here,” stated Dr Jafo.
He assured Iranian investors that Tanzania has a sufficient market, including opportunities within the East African Community, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Deputy Minister for Livestock Production in Iran, Mr Mohammed Hassannjed remarked that Tanzania is a strong contender for development and investment within the East African Community.
He highlighted that the improvements in growth present a good opportunity for both countries to establish strong relationships.
“Tanzania is a good potential market for local and foreign investments. I can see many opportunities for the two countries to engage in business,” said Mr Hassannjed.
He noted that the forum aimed to explore how Iran and Tanzania could do business and support each other.
“We can see how our countries can cooperate to do business while exchanging skills and knowledge,” he added.
The Director General of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA), Mr Osca Kisanga, urged business people to leverage the forums for networking and acquiring new skills and technologies.
He explained that TCCIA’s responsibility is to connect traders and various stakeholders, particularly markets and other traders, to learn different methods that can help their products enter the competitive market.
The 1980s were a peak decade for horror. My favorite 1980s horror movie transcends the genre and has influenced it profoundly. It’s also one of the few horror movies that routinely appears on lists of the greatest movies of all time.
My favorite horror movie from the 1980s was by the best director of all time
Perhaps the most acclaimed film director of all time was Stanley Kubrick. His most famous films include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Spartacus, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Lolita, and Eyes Wide Shut. Each of these films was a mainstream release that felt more like an arthouse film. These days, the Kubrick film that’s the most popular might be The Shining.
Considering it’s based on a novel by Stephen King and stars Jack Nicholson, The Shining sounds like it should be a good but conventional Hollywood movie. After all, most King adaptations are pretty straightforward. However, The Shining stands apart from most horror films by combining slasher shocks with an intriguing pop surrealism. This masterful genre fusion makes The Shining a few cuts above the rest.
King’s novel is written like every other piece of commercial fiction: it’s a decently paced sequence of build-up and pay-off. Kubrick’s film intentionally twists the original narrative, removing many of the story’s answers, leaving only uncertainty and dread. The film’s bizarre pacing and detours make it feel like a genuinely terrifying haunted house where you cannot begin to guess what’s behind each new door.
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‘The Shining’ is more important than other 1980s horror films
Part of the way you can tell why The Shining aged so well is that it’s had a significant impact on recent movies. The 2010s saw the rise of a subgenre called “art-horror” or “elevated horror” that combined elements of horror and art films. The Shining was a huge influence on that movement. For that reason, The Shining is more critical to modern cinema than other 1980s horror entries like Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street.
A lot of Internet horror draws from The Shining. Like Kubrick’s film, something like Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared or Too Many Cooks combined pop surrealism, terror, and a dose of dark humor. Kubrick’s techniques look like they will connect with Generation Z and beyond.
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What went into making the world’s favorite Stanley Kubrick movie
An actor from Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon named Leon Vitali worked as the director’s assistant on The Shining. During a 2001 interview with The Digital Bits, he gave fans insight into the film’s creation. “And after Barry Lyndon, we stayed in touch,” he said. “And one day, he sent me a book called The Shining, and he asked me if I wanted to work with him on it. Which I did, or course.”
Vitali revealed what it was like to work with Kubrick. “One of the things that anyone who met Stanley — one of the things that impressed you about him — was how easy it was to work with him,” he recalled. “You know, there’s a lot of stories about how demonic he was, and how he was often temperamental. But with me, he was just so patient and willing to give me a say in the process. You know, if he was concentrating on you, Stanley could just make you feel like it was just you and him. It was almost like working with a theater director. He wanted to know what you had to say, and he really listened to you. As an actor, that’s really a wonderful thing.”
Kubrick’s approach helped him to make a masterpiece.
Ósta Café and Wine Bar is one of the businesses nominated in the Ireland’s Favourite Local Business competition, backed by the Love Sligo Gift Card.
Located alongside the Garavogue River, Ósta first opened in the town 18 years ago. Industry expert Brid Torrades has over 40 years of hospitality experience under her belt and said:
“We opened Ósta in Sligo in 2006 and my goal was to make it a neighbourhood place for people to meet friends, enjoy good food and drinks, read the paper and relax. I wanted the produce to all be top quality using local, seasonal produce. And these values hold true today. We serve excellent organic, fair-trade coffee which is roasted in Ireland – the same brand we’ve used for 18 years.
“We really encourage and support local suppliers. In the beginning this was hard as local producers were in short supply but there are many, many excellent food producers in the northwest for which we are grateful.
“Our staff are our backbone. Many of the team have been with us for a long time, and that keeps us moving forward. We’re also fortunate to have loyal customers. People that used to visit Osta as kids for their pancakes now visit with their own children, and many families have been with us since the start. I think independent businesses are so important to a town and customers really appreciate that in Sligo.
“Baking starts early morning in Osta so that people can get their coffee and scone on the way to work, we also offer brunch and light lunches, maybe a warming soup or stew depending on the weather. In 2020, we also started farming our own herd of Dexter cattle so we can produce our own grass fed beef. I think food provenance matters more and more. People want to know where their food is from but also the healthiest, most nutritional option.
“Sustainability is also a big focus for us. When we started the business, compostable packing wasn’t as available as it is now. Today, we’re able to use compostable cups, and encourage customers to use their own cups too.”
Ósta Café and Wine Bar is part of the Love Sligo Gift Card led by Sligo BID, which can be spent with over 230 local businesses. Brid says the initiative benefits everyone in the town:
“The Love Sligo Gift Card is great for the town. If I give a Love Sligo Gift Card to someone, it doesn’t matter where it’s spent, we all benefit eventually. It powers the circular economy and is very easy for us as a business to accept.
“It’s an honour for Osta to be nominated as Ireland’s Favourite Local Business. I’m proud that we are part of people’s day to day lives, and that they have taken the time to nominate us means the world.”
Shops, restaurants, salons, hotels and attractions in Sligo– and right across Ireland – are all eligible to be Ireland’s Favourite Local Business 2024. People can nominate their favourite local business in the competition free at lovelocalwin.ie, giving the name of the local business they think deserves to win and a reason.
Ireland’s Favourite Local Business will be the business who has the most nominations and will win a €500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Love Sligo Gift Card, with one person who nominated the winning business receiving a €1000 Town & City Gift Card. Businesses can find out more about the competition online.
Over €750,000 of Love Sligo Gift Cards have been sold to date, with the cards popular for both consumers to buy and organisations to use as staff rewards, taking advantage of the Small Benefit Exemption scheme.
Gail McGibbon, CEO at Sligo BID said: “We’re thrilled to see this nomination for a popular Sligo business in this national competition. Local businesses are the foundation of our town and community, with many part of our Love Sligo Gift Card that continues to go from strength to strength. If there is a Sligo business that makes a positive impact on your life, I encourage you to vote for them as Ireland’s Favourite Local Business.”
Mark Cunningham is the manager of the Sligo BID and business development manager for Miconex, and said: “Sligo has such strong independent businesses. It would be great to see a Sligo business win this national accolade and the ability to call themselves Ireland’s Favourite Local Business. It takes 2 minutes to nominate your Favourite Local Business in Sligo, for the chance to win a €1000 Love Sligo Gift Card for yourself, with the winning business also winning a €500 gift card alongside the honour of being Ireland’s best.”
Fintech Miconex, founders of the Town & City Gift Card concept active across Ireland, is sponsoring Ireland’s Favourite Local Business 2024. Over 20,000 local businesses are part of Miconex’s local gift card programmes around the world with over €35m spent locally through the cards.
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “Ireland’s Favourite Local Business is designed to shine a light on local businesses in the run up to the Christmas period. Congratulations to Osta for their nomination.”
Enter Ireland’s Favourite Local Business competition free at: www.lovelocalwin.ie
The competition closes on the 31st October 2024.
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Katie’s parents never told her “no” when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has an MLIS from the University of Illinois and works full time as a Circulation & Reference Manager in Illinois. She has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying and takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers. When she’s not at work, she’s at home watching the Cubs with her cats and her cardigan collection. Other hobbies include scrapbooking, introducing more readers to the Church of Tana French, and convincing her husband that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves.
Twitter: @kt_librarylady
View All posts by Katie McLain Horner
From Love Notes to Sausage Slices
I don’t know if this technically counts as news, but the Washington Post profiled an exhibit at the Vienna Central Library in Austria, where library staff have spent over 20 years collecting the items that patrons have left behind in library books. Photos, prescriptions, receipts, and even a package of birth control pills have been used as bookmarks. In case you’re curious, the article says that the person who left behind a piece of sausage in a library book was promptly fined.
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When Banned Books Week Is Banned
What happens when a library bans Banned Books Week? Well, if you’re Sierra Benjamin, a longtime staff member at the Flathead County Library (MT), you sit outside the library on your days off with a stack of banned books and a sign that says “Banned Books Week is BANNED in your public library!” The library director, Teri Dugan, said that Sierra is allowed to do what she likes in her free time, and that because the library has a number of materials that patrons can check out at any point, they “‘didn’t see a need to necessarily highlight [Banned Books Week].’” Well, maybe they should, because Flathead County has had a few issues with banned and challenged books over the last few years.
If full immersion in nature is on your client’s travel wish list, a mind-boggling number of acres of preserved land in New Mexico is ready to grant it.
Ted Turner Reserves – founded and owned by billionaire philanthropist Ted Turner – encompasses several luxury lodges set on over a million acres that welcome outdoorsy travelers of all kinds.
TMR spoke with Ted Turner Reserves President Jade McBride about the hospitality brand’s conservation mission, guest experience, and how travel advisors will factor into its continued success.
Wild bison at Vermejo. Photo: Ted Turner Reserves
Connecting with nature
For decades, Turner has funded regenerative agriculture projects, including helping to save wild bison and other endangered species. The media mogul is now 85 years old and living with dementia. In the future, the 1.1 million-acre Ted Turner Reserves will transition to a nonprofit organization, which recently built out an executive leadership team to inherit it.
On-site staffers educate guests about Turner’s work restoring natural habitats, in hopes that the clientele will feel empowered to get behind the conservation mission. They also believe that spending time in this restored ecosystem will have a net positive impact on their lives and the world.
Guests may visit Ted Turner Reserves to go fishing, horseback riding, hiking, or for outdoor teambuilding. But most of all, when they get there, they marvel at the sprawling haven of natural beauty and enjoy unplugged time with loved ones.
Through these experiences, McBride hopes they’ll “be connected to nature, see the work that we’ve done, have a fantastic family vacation, and leave a little transformed.”
Lodge’s downstairs sitting room. Photo: Ted Turner Reserves
Choosing the perfect property
There are three massive pieces of land and four lodging options that comprise Ted Turner Reserves. In northern New Mexico is Vermejo, and in southern New Mexico are Sierra Grande, Ladder, and Armendaris.
At 558,000 acres, Vermejo is the largest piece of private, continuous land in the entire country. On the property is Casa Grande, a renovated mansion where visitors can stay in one of eight luxury guest rooms. There are also several cottages that groups can buy out. Overall, Vermejo offers an all-inclusive, resort-like experience.
“It’s going to feel like you had a really high-end luxury guest ranch, and you placed that guest ranch in the middle of your own private national park,” McBride said. “Nothing’s a cookie cutter, and the properties are all extremely unique.”
In southern New Mexico, there are a total of 521,000 acres to explore – Armendaris and Ladder – and three lodging properties offering a variety of accommodations. At Ladder, there’s a four-bedroom country house to buy out, while Armendaris features the large and luxurious Hacienda at Armendaris – which boasts amenities spanning gaming and fitness spaces to an outdoor terrace with a kitchen, fountain, and fire pit. Private chefs and activity guides are available at both these properties, who customize the itineraries and menus.
Sierra Grande is a lower-cost option created in order “to share these properties with as many people as possible,” McBride said. Travelers can stay in the boutique hotel, located in the quaint nearby village of Truth or Consequence, then go on day tours to Armendaris and Ladder.
Photo: Ted Turner Reserves
Exploring and experiencing the land
At both the northern and southern reserves, guests can embark on private guided safari and conservation tours to learn about the endangered species Ted Turner Reserves has protected, including bison, black bears, desert bighorn sheep, Mexican wolves, bolson tortoises, and mountain lions.
“It’s pretty special because no one in the United States is doing what we’re doing,” McBride said. “There are some really great companies that are pioneers in their own way. The African safari companies are taking hospitality operations and using that to fund their conservation work, but nobody has been as brave in this hospitality space in the United States.”
Hiking, biking, nature walks, and culinary experiences are a given at all the properties. At the same time, each reserve also has its own distinct features. Vermejo’s 19 fishable lakes are suited for fishing enthusiasts. Ladder and Armendaris offer activities such as tubing along the Rio Grande River, birdwatching, kayaking, and paddling boarding.
In southern New Mexico, one special experience is a must-see: the Armendaris Bat Flight Expedition. From June through August, guests can stand at the edge of a cavern to watch over a million Mexican free-tailed bats rush out of the cave and fly in concert over the Rio Grande.
For families with children, Turner Trailblazers offer kid-oriented wildlife tours, and activities ranging from crafting and geocaching to snow tubing and bug catching. There are also teambuilding activities available to book: think Murder Mystery parties and Survivor-like outdoor challenges.
Bat flight in southern New Mexico. Photo: Ted Turner Reserves
Working with travel advisors
From his background in the hospitality industry, McBride learned about travel advisors’ influence long before he landed at Ted Turner Reserves. He pushes most of the organization’s sales and marketing efforts on the advisor community.
“It’s even more important today than it’s ever been,” McBride said. “The travel advisor is a critical component to making sure the guest has this amazing experience when they get to us.”
After attending Virtuoso Travel Week in August, he quickly headed back to New Mexico to meet six travel advisors on a three-day FAM trip, of which they host “quite a few” throughout the year, he said.
“Travel advisors are critical to sustainability, to purposeful mission-built travel experience,” McBride added. “Without them, we will fail; and with them, we can’t fail.”
Janel Carnero, a New Mexico-based luxury travel advisor, has visited the properties on several occasions for individual FAM trips and with her husband and children. She said her visits helped her experience her home state in a whole new way.
“You’re able to see what nature can be without thousands of people walking on the trails and seeing 50 different cars and all these travelers,” she told TMR, noting a contrast from the national parks. “You feel you are there by yourself, and you’re taking in nature in a different but beautiful way.”
She adds that she can visit multiple times and still experience something new. Some other highlights of her stays: her 11- and 17-year-old children putting their phones away during long, beautiful hikes. Lakeside evening sunset tours. Drinking wine and stargazing.
Carnero has now booked clients of families and corporate groups at the reserves; she adds that commissions are paid timely, and the team on site is passionate and communicative.
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