A massive chunk of cliff came crashing onto a busy promenade at a holiday hotspot – forcing the seaside council to close off the area completely. There are fears that another landslide is imminent after a large part of the 120ft cliff on Bournemouth’s West Cliff slid down to the promenade on October 19. The…
Thursday, October 31st 2024 – 10:22 UTC
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UTA leader Roberto Fernández took heavy flak for not staging the drivers’ strike on Wednesday, together with the other groups
It will be business as usual for Argentines on Thursday after the bus drivers’ Unión Tranviarios Automotor (UTA) lifted the strike following an understanding with the Labor Ministry and the companies represented by the Asociación Argentina de Empresarios del Transporte Automotor.
Representing the Libertarian Government of President Javier Milei at Wednesday’s virtual meeting was Labor Regulation Director Mara Mentoro, who took over as Minister Julio Cordero was out of town. On behalf of the private bus companies were dignitaries from the Argentine Association of Automotive Transport Entrepreneurs (AAETA), the Chamber of Passenger Transport Entrepreneurs (CEAP), the Chamber of Transport of the Province of Buenos Aires (CTPBA), and the Chamber of United Entrepreneurs of Urban Passenger Transport of Buenos Aires (CEUTUPBA).
After deciding to cancel the strike, labor union leaders insisted it had been the first step of the struggle as workers were warming up for what lay ahead. They also underlined the measure’s high rate of support and did not rule out additional strikes in the coming months given Milei’s chainsaw policies whereby salaries keep dwindling and prices going up, sinking the population into despair.
They made those remarks at a time when railroads, subways, air, and maritime services were paralyzed for more than 15 hours.
It is the first step of the struggle plan. Next week with the comrades of the Board we will decide what we are going to do from now on, said railroad workers union La Fraternidad leader Omar Maturano. If they attack us, we will defend ourselves, he added.
We put differences aside because unity is necessary. We are just warming up, we want to resist this policy, airline pilot leader Pablo Biró pointed out. The Government does not know what it is getting into, he also warned.
Pablo Moyano, who represents lorry drivers and is also one of the heads of the General Labor Confederation (CGT) questioned the unions that did not join their protest as well as the Peronist lawmakers who gave their nod to Milei’s Bases Law. The ones who ended up shitting on us were the Peronist deputies. The political class betrayed the workers, Moyano underlined.
UTA leader Roberto Fernández took heavy flak for not staging the drivers’ strike on Wednesday, together with the other groups. According to Buenos Aires media, his decision was linked to profound differences with the CGT and particularly with the Moyano family. The UTA demands a 24.7% wage adjustment to cope with inflation.
Governor Hochul Announces New York Has Landed the First National Semiconductor Technology Center Facility in the Nation – Technology Today – EIN Presswire
—Christchurch, known for its English heritage and gateway to New Zealand’s South Island, offers an eclectic mix of historic elegance and contemporary culture. For travelers looking to explore this vibrant city and the surrounding Canterbury region, securing a reliable car rental in Christchurch, NZ, can significantly enhance the travel experience. A trusted provider, NZ Rent A Car, offers a friendly, straightforward service that promises to make your journey as smooth as possible.
Navigating Christchurch with a rented vehicle is not just about convenience; it’s about crafting a personalized adventure. The city, rebuilding and revitalizing since the 2011 earthquakes, offers numerous attractions such as the Canterbury Museum, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, and the transitional Cardboard Cathedral. Each site tells a part of Christchurch’s ongoing story of resilience and rebirth.
For those drawn to the scenic routes, driving offers an intimate way to encounter the region’s breathtaking landscapes. From the comfort of their rental car, travelers can head to the Banks Peninsula, where the charming town of Akaroa and dramatic coastal views await. Further afield, the Southern Alps beckon with opportunities for skiing, hiking, and soaking in natural hot pools at Hanmer Springs, all within a drive’s reach.
Car rental services in Christchurch cater to a broad spectrum of needs, from the solo adventurer seeking a compact car to families needing spacious SUVs or minibusses. NZ Rent A Car, for instance, prides itself on a fleet that accommodates all, including budget-friendly options and vehicles equipped with essential touristic conveniences like GPS navigation systems.
What sets apart the best car rental experiences is not just the quality of the vehicles but also the customer service. Local firms like NZ Rent A Car understand the nuances of their locales and can provide invaluable insights into driving in New Zealand, such as local driving regulations and tips on weather conditions. Moreover, services like free shuttle pickups from the airport and 24/7 roadside assistance ensure that travelers have a seamless and secure experience.
In summary, whether you’re visiting Christchurch to delve into its rich cultural tapestry or explore the wider Canterbury landscape, a trustworthy car rental service can provide the freedom and flexibility to curate a trip that goes beyond the conventional tourist path. As the city continues to evolve, so does the opportunity to explore it in new and exciting ways, with each journey tailored to personal tastes and preferences.
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This content is brought to you by Andrea Mario
iStockPhoto
—Christchurch, known for its English heritage and gateway to New Zealand’s South Island, offers an eclectic mix of historic elegance and contemporary culture. For travelers looking to explore this vibrant city and the surrounding Canterbury region, securing a reliable car rental in Christchurch, NZ, can significantly enhance the travel experience. A trusted provider, NZ Rent A Car, offers a friendly, straightforward service that promises to make your journey as smooth as possible.
Navigating Christchurch with a rented vehicle is not just about convenience; it’s about crafting a personalized adventure. The city, rebuilding and revitalizing since the 2011 earthquakes, offers numerous attractions such as the Canterbury Museum, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, and the transitional Cardboard Cathedral. Each site tells a part of Christchurch’s ongoing story of resilience and rebirth.
For those drawn to the scenic routes, driving offers an intimate way to encounter the region’s breathtaking landscapes. From the comfort of their rental car, travelers can head to the Banks Peninsula, where the charming town of Akaroa and dramatic coastal views await. Further afield, the Southern Alps beckon with opportunities for skiing, hiking, and soaking in natural hot pools at Hanmer Springs, all within a drive’s reach.
Car rental services in Christchurch cater to a broad spectrum of needs, from the solo adventurer seeking a compact car to families needing spacious SUVs or minibusses. NZ Rent A Car, for instance, prides itself on a fleet that accommodates all, including budget-friendly options and vehicles equipped with essential touristic conveniences like GPS navigation systems.
What sets apart the best car rental experiences is not just the quality of the vehicles but also the customer service. Local firms like NZ Rent A Car understand the nuances of their locales and can provide invaluable insights into driving in New Zealand, such as local driving regulations and tips on weather conditions. Moreover, services like free shuttle pickups from the airport and 24/7 roadside assistance ensure that travelers have a seamless and secure experience.
In summary, whether you’re visiting Christchurch to delve into its rich cultural tapestry or explore the wider Canterbury landscape, a trustworthy car rental service can provide the freedom and flexibility to curate a trip that goes beyond the conventional tourist path. As the city continues to evolve, so does the opportunity to explore it in new and exciting ways, with each journey tailored to personal tastes and preferences.
—
This content is brought to you by Andrea Mario
iStockPhoto
AMSTERDAM – Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel platforms, is expanding its AI-powered features to deliver more tailored and time-saving solutions for travelers. With Smart Filter, Property Q&A, and Review Summaries, Booking.com continues to harness Generative AI (GenAI) to simplify key steps in the trip planning process, making it easier for travelers to find the perfect place to stay, analyze guest reviews and book with confidence.
Search Made Simple
Travelers can use the Smart Filter tool to describe their ideal property in their own words. For instance, a couple traveling to Amsterdam for their honeymoon might type, “Hotels in Amsterdam with a great gym, a rooftop bar, and canal views from the room.” GenAI then scans Booking.com’s entire inventory to automatically apply the most relevant filters, saving time and effort while delivering a tailored list of properties that match their preferences. This feature removes the need for manual filtering, making it easier for travelers to find the perfect stay.
Answers at Your Fingertips
With Property Q&A*,travelers can ask specific questions about a property, like “Are there charging stations for electric vehicles onsite?” or “Does the hotel’s pet policy accept large dogs?” GenAI instantly retrieves relevant information from the property listing, traveler reviews, and photos. By gathering curated, concise, answers in one place, this feature empowers customers to quickly evaluate if a property meets their needs, enabling confident booking decisions.
GenAI Reviews
To help travelers make even more informed decisions, Booking.com is testing Review Summaries, designed to provide key insights about a property without the need to browse through numerous reviews. After further optimization, the tool will further distill reviews into tailored summaries to highlight what matters most to them, whether that is parking availability or wheelchair accessibility.
The Smart Filter and Property Q&A features are currently live and available to customers in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore via mobile app, while Review Summaries will be rolled out following further experimentation.
“Our journey with AI for over a decade has always been about leveraging technology to make travel more intuitive and personalized, helping us fulfill our mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world,” said Joe Futty, VP of Product Marketplace at Booking.com. “With GenAI, we’re not just enhancing the trip planning process—we’re facilitating more tailored experiences that adapt and respond to travelers’ needs faster than ever before. Looking ahead, we’re excited about our future plans, where GenAI will play a proactive role in managing trips, helping travelers navigate disruptions like flight cancellations with real-time solutions, making the entire travel experience smoother and more seamless.”
Booking.com’s AI Trip Planner sees Expanded Reach
Since the launch of the AI Trip Planner in the United States in June 2023, the tool is now available to customers, via the mobile app, in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and most recently, Singapore. In the coming months, it will roll out across Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Poland, and the Netherlands in the countries’ local languages. A desktop version of the tool will also follow soon.
The continued extension of the AI Trip Planner reflects the rising demand for AI tools in travel planning with 41% of all travelers stating they would be interested in using a personalized, curated itinerary driven by AI**. Travelers can ask the AI Trip Planner both general and specific travel-related questions to support any stage of their trip planning process. This includes scoping out potential destination or accommodation options, creating itineraries for a particular city, country or region, or even identifying the best attractions options while being in-trip.
*Currently available through the AI Trip Planner with roll-out to property pages in the near term.
**Travel Predictions 2025 research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who plan to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months. In total,27,713respondents across 33 countries and territories were polled (including 1,016 from Argentina, 1,002 from Australia, 502 from Austria, 1,003 from Belgium, 1002 from Brazil, 1,006 from Canada, 1,007 from China, 1,005 from Colombia, 501 from Croatia, 501 from Denmark, 1,011 from France, 1,009 from Germany, 1,004 from Hong Kong, 1,002 from India, 506 from Ireland, 501 from Israel, 1,014 from Italy, 1008 from Japan, 1,013 from Mexico, 1011 from The Netherlands, 1003 from New Zealand, 504 from Portugal, 508 from Singapore, 1004 from South Korea, 1,008 from Spain, 509 from Sweden, 500 from Switzerland, 507 from Taiwan, 1,009 from Thailand, 503 from the UAE, 1,012 from the UK, 1,006 from the US and 1,016 from Vietnam). Respondents completed an online survey in July-August 2024.
Parliament has passed three bills to raise tourism related taxes, including the Tourism Goods and Services Tax (TGST), the green tax, and passenger departure taxes from Maldives.
The amendments passed today include changes to the Goods and Services Tax Amendment Act, increasing TGST on tourism, as well as government led adjustments to the green tax, airport development charges, and departure tax.
All three bills received 71 votes in favor, with eight members voting against.
Under the amendment to the TGST bill, the TGST rate will remain at 16 percent until May next year, then increase to 17 percent in June. This adjustment is expected to generate an additional MVR 200 million in revenue for the state.
The government’s approved increase to the green tax will see it rise from USD 3 to USD 6, and from USD 6 to USD 12, effective from July next year.
The amendment to the Airport Development Charge and Departure Tax also introduces significant hikes. Economy class departure fees will rise from USD 30 to USD 50 which is a 65 percent increase.
Business class passengers will see their fee double to USD 120, while first class travelers will face a 165 percent hike, bringing their charge to USD 240. Private jets will also face a significant hike, with charges rising by 300 percent to USD 480.
The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured from a window on the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft in a photograph taken by NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flght Engineer Nick Hague. 258 miles below the International Space Station is the Sunflower State of Kansas. Credit: NASA
The Expedition 72 crew is preparing for a key port relocation maneuver this weekend as they count down to the launch of a new cargo mission to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) next week. Meanwhile, the crew kept busy on Wednesday with essential tasks, including stem cell research, spacesuit checks, and a range of lab maintenance.
Dragon Spacecraft Relocation
NASA Flight Engineer Nick Hague will lead the upcoming maneuver, commanding the SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft as it undocks from the Harmony module’s forward port at 6:35 a.m. EST on Sunday. He will be joined by NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, as they take a brief ride in Freedom to reposition and redock it at Harmony’s space-facing port at 7:18 a.m. This maneuver will free up Harmony’s forward port to receive the incoming Dragon cargo mission.
The vibrant night lights of coastal cities on the Mediterranean Sea, from Spain to Italy in Europe and Algeria to Lybia in Africa, are pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above Barcelona. Peeking in at the bottom of the image is Mallorca Island, next to it Minorca. The Italian islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily are also visible. Above Earth, stars glitter in the night sky. Credit: NASA
Hague and Wilmore took turns on Wednesday preparing for the Dragon cargo mission arriving soon after Sunday’s Dragon Freedom relocation. The duo trained on cargo operations then reviewed rendezvous procedures and monitoring tools for the approaching SpaceX Dragon cargo craft. Hague also downloaded his health data collected from electrodes and the Ultrasound 2 device for analysis by researchers.
Lab Maintenance and Spacewalk Preparations
Science and maintenance rounded out the schedule on Wednesday as Commander Suni Williams serviced stem cells and checked out a spacesuit. She worked with Wilmore inside the Kibo laboratory module inserting stem cell samples into a microscope to image for a blood disease and cancer study. Following that, Williams entered the Quest airlock and resized and configured a spacesuit ahead of spacewalks planned for 2025.
Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko (foreground) and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub, both Roscosmos cosmonauts, are pictured inside the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module monitoring the automated rendevous and docking of the Progress 88 cargo craft to the Poisk module. The duo was at the controls of Zvezda’s TORU, or telerobotically-operated rendezvous unit, ready to take remote control of the Progress 88, packed with about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 71 crew, in the unlikely event the spacecraft would be unable to dock on its own. Credit: NASA
Ongoing Maintenance and Earth Observation Experiments
NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit, on his fourth spaceflight, spent his morning removing the small satellite deployer from Kibo’s airlock that had earlier deployed several CubeSats into Earth orbit for a series of technology studies. Afterward, Pettit worked on orbital plumbing tasks flushing resupply tanks and transferring water to life support components.
Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner continued maintenance and inspection activities in the aft end of the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov completed an experiment run and deactivated hardware that imaged the Earth’s nighttime atmosphere in near-ultraviolet wavelengths.
Tourism Source Market is Probable to Influence the Value of $1.1 Trillion by 2032, Size, Share, Trends and Growth – Travel Industry Today – EIN Presswire
Tourism Source Market is Probable to Influence the Value of $1.1 Trillion by 2032, Size, Share, Trends and Growth – Travel Industry Today – EIN Presswire