Azmar Mountains attract tourists to Al-Sulaymaniyah

Travel

2025-01-20T12:19:48+00:00

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Shafaq News/ The Azmar Mountains in Al-Sulaymaniyah have
been transformed into a stunning white canvas after heavy snowfall, attracting
citizens and tourists from various regions to enjoy the unique winter scenery.

Ali Hassan, a visitor from Kirkuk, shared with Shafaq News,
“Visiting the snow-covered Azmar Mountains was an extraordinary experience for
my family and me. My children had a great time playing in the snow, and I was
captivated by the breath-taking scenery.”

Similarly, Salma Karim, a tourist from Baghdad, described
her visit as unforgettable, “The beauty of the Azmar Mountains in this weather
is indescribable. I’ve taken dozens of photos to capture these magical moments.
The atmosphere here is truly special, and I’m already planning to return with
my friends.”

Resident Ahmed Latif expressed pride in the area’s natural
beauty. “The snow has added a unique charm to the Azmar Mountains,” he said. “I
hope additional services are provided to encourage more visitors to come.”

Tourists have also highlighted the importance of enhancing
facilities, such as restaurants and cafes, to make the area even more appealing
for winter tourism.

Brevard will reconsider tourism tax cultural grant eligibility

Travel

After going back and forth on the issue for the past year, Brevard County could again begin funding smaller cultural groups with tourism tax money.At a workshop discussion Thursday afternoon at the Brevard County Government Center in Viera, representatives of those groups implored the county commissioners to reconsider rule changes that rendered many groups ineligible for grant money last year.Thursday’s workshop was held after the previous Board in November delayed allotting $805,000 to eligible cultural groups to allow newly elected Board members to make the decision. That came after a decision to give the grants only to events that draw large numbers of out-of-county visitors.Funding for cultural grants comes from money generated by Brevard County’s 5% tourist development tax on hotel room rentals, vacation rentals and other short-term rentals.Smaller groups cut outWhile 27 cultural groups are eligible for grant money under current rules, there are many more who have been excluded that would have been eligible in the past.In total, there is approximately $100,000 remaining of cultural grant money left over as a result of many groups being deemed ineligible due to size requirements.That money could be divided evenly between the five county commissioners to disburse to cultural events in their respective districts as a way to compensate smaller groups who missed out on grants for the current fiscal year.Thursday’s decision will need to come before the Board of County Commissioners at its Jan. 28 meeting.At that meeting, the Board will decide if eligible groups whose events have already taken place will receive reimbursement.At that point, the Board will determine if events that have already taken place will be eligible for reimbursement and if smaller events will again be eligible for grant money.Rule changes that said grant money could only be used for marketing may also change again to allow groups to use money for more specific needs.The commission also signaled that, pending a discussion of the Tourism Development Council, the rules could be changed once again to include some smaller groups attracting fewer than 5,000 visitors.Dave Hudson, president of the Melbourne Municipal Band, said groups like his are “invaluable cultural assets” for the community. “With the abrupt loss of state and county funding, our income has dropped dramatically whereas our expenses have only increased,” Hudson told the Board at Thursday’s workshop.Hudson’s group was one of many who easily met the criteria of attracting 1,000 out-of-county attendees under past iterations of the grant program. The new criteria, he said, was “somewhat arbitrary” and overly onerous for groups such has his.Annita Full, treasurer for the Green Gables, the historic home and museum dating back to 1896, backed organizations like hers that have previously used marketing money to draw tourists to Brevard but have since become ineligible.”Just because our visitor demographics are not large enough to qualify for the current grant does not mean we’re not an important part of Brevard County’s tourism economy,” Full said.”All we’re asking is to let us share in promoting Brevard County,” she added.Commissioner Thad Altman, who previously served on the Board when the grant program was created over three decades ago, said his desire was to “follow the intent of the program” which is to use a portion of tourism tax dollars to generate even more tourism for Brevard County businesses.Commission chair and District 4 commissioner Rob Feltner said the county does have leeway to address the needs of those smaller groups. “We have time as a TDC to address some of these smaller groups and figure out how to fill that hole,” Feltner said.Feltner committed that the Tourism Development Council, on which he serves as the Commission chair, would address whether cultural groups would be eligible for reimbursement for marketing and other expenses from TDC funds.”When people come here, one of the first things they ask is, what kind of stuff is there to do here,” District 1 commissioner Katie Delaney said.Last year, guidelines for which events could receive tourism tax dollars for marketing changesd pushing many smaller groups out of contention for money many claimed was necessary to promote their events.In previous years, smaller events with a minimum of 1,000 out-of-county attendees could receive $10,000 in grant money from the county. The Board of County Commissioners last year voted to award grant money only to larger events drawing over 5,000 out-of-county visitors, making them eligible for $50,000 in grant money.Space Coast Office of Tourism executive director Peter Cranis said it would ultimately be up to the commissioners to determine how grant money could be used.Commission Chair Feltner said now that the Board had new membership, it was time to review best practices again for the grant money, signaling that things could open up again depending on future votes. “The prior board didn’t award that money… that may be behind us. I’m looking at what’s ahead of us,” Feltner said. “I think that’s something the TDC could work on and discuss this spring.”Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County and North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or [email protected]

Isfahan seeks to expand tourism ties with African nations

Travel

TEHRAN – The Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Isfahan province announced plans to enhance tourism cooperation between Isfahan and several countries in the African continent.Amir Karamzadeh on Monday met with ambassadors and diplomats from Ivory Coast, Niger, and Guinea on the sidelines of the 2025 Kish Expo, which is currently underway in the touristic Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, Mehr reported.During the meeting, Karamzadeh highlighted the historic and cultural significance of Iran’s central plateau, which boasts over 10,000 years of written history and more than 6,000 years of civilizational heritage. He further emphasized the potential for cultural and tourism collaborations between Isfahan and the African continent.
Karamzadeh explained that Iran’s ancient plateaus and African countries have long-standing trade and cultural ties through the Persian Gulf, the Oman Sea, and the Indian Ocean. He also pointed out the rich historical exchanges between Iranians and North African countries during antiquity and especially in the Islamic era.
He further noted that both Iran and African nations share a history of resistance against colonialism, and these cultural and economic commonalities create great opportunities for expanding cultural and tourism relations, especially between Isfahan and Africa.
“Currently, there is a public commitment not only in Isfahan but also across the country to foster tourism connections,” Karamzadeh added. “We see this exhibition as an excellent opportunity to invite officials from countries like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Guinea to visit Isfahan, explore its tourism attractions, and help pave the way for increased tourist exchanges.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, an agreement was made for the ambassadors of the three countries to visit Isfahan soon, as per Kermzadeh’s invitation.
The ancient city of Isfahan, which serves as the provincial capital as well, is situated at the crossroads of Iran’s north-south and east-west trade routes. It reached its zenith between the 9th and 18th centuries. During the Safavid era, it became Iran’s capital under Shah Abbas the Great.
Isfahan was once a crossroads of international trade and diplomacy in Iran and now it is one of Iran’s top tourist destinations for good reasons. It is filled with many architectural wonders, such as unmatched Islamic buildings, bazaars, museums, Persian gardens, and tree-lined boulevards. It’s a city for walking, getting lost in its mazing bazaars, dozing in beautiful gardens, and meeting people.
The Persian proverb “Isfahan nesf-e-jahan ast” (Isfahan is half the world) reflects the city’s cultural and historical prominence.
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Donate Books For Library Fundraiser

Arts & Culture, Books

The Friends of the Verona Public Library are collecting gently-used books for its year-round book sales. Proceeds directly support the library’s children, teen, and adult programing throughout the year.Please note: The Friends do not accept textbooks, VHS and cassettes tapes, or DVDs. Check out the guide below to see what’s perfect for donation and what’s better for recycling.Drop-Off Location:Verona Public Library (Gould St. entrance, lower level)17 Gould St., Verona, NJ 07044Questions or to volunteer? Email [email protected]

PVR INOX’s SCREENIT hands over film curation to movie enthusiasts

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

PVR INOX unveils SCREENIT—a new platform, available only on PVR INOX app that redefines the way audiences experience cinema. With SCREENIT, movie enthusiasts can create or join customised shows at their preferred cinemas, bringing a whole new level of personalisation and excitement to the big screen. 
AdvertismentInspired by the success of re-releases, expanding to over 120 cinemas nationwide SCREENIT takes the cinema experience to the next level by giving audiences the unique opportunity to relive cherished classics and fan favorites. This platform puts the power of curation directly into the hands of moviegoers, enabling them to choose from a diverse library of more than 500 titles and create unforgettable, community-driven screenings.
 “SCREENIT is more than just a platform—it’s a transformative step toward redefining the cinematic experience, said Renaud Palliere, CEO of Luxury Collection and Innovation, PVR INOX.
SCREENIT empowers audiences to curate their movie experience—choosing what, when and where to watch—all while offering exciting rewards. By turning movie screenings into personalised and rewarding events, SCREENIT enhances the joy of cinema and encourages deeper connections within communities”, he further added.
Kamal Gianchandani, chief business planning and strategy, PVR INOX, added, “The overwhelming success of re-releases has shown us that audiences still crave the unmatched experience of watching iconic films on the big screen. SCREENIT is our way of celebrating this nostalgia while providing a modern, flexible, and highly personalized way to enjoy films. It’s an innovation that brings timeless cinema back to life on your terms.”
PVR INOX has also launched a new feature called ‘Promote & Earn’, designed to reward movie enthusiasts for their passion. Available exclusively on the PVR INOX app, this feature allows users to create unique promotional links for any “Now Showing” movie and share them via social media, WhatsApp, or messages.
Every ticket booked through these links—whether for a show in your city or anywhere else in India—earns you 2% of the ticket amount as a cash incentive.

The mental health disorder you’re most likely to have could depend on your job, say scientists

Science and Health

YOUR choice of job can reveal several things about you – from your interests, to your education and aspects of your personality. Now, scientists say it may also shed light on your mental health, indicating your risk for a variety of conditions. 1Having conditions like ADHD could mean you’re less likely to pursue a career in areas like architecture, tech or healthcare, scientists saidCredit: GettyScientists at the JJ Peters VA Medical Center and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found a link between conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, depression and schizophrenia, and certain jobs. They suggested that genes raising the risk of these disorders – which they described as “tiny genetic signals” – may be able to predict which field or profession someone ends up in, from tech to art, healthcare or teaching. Lead author of the study Georgios Voloudakis told Medical Xpress: “We were inspired to examine whether certain genetic variants that increase the risk of developing these disorders might also offer potential benefits in specific contexts – a “trade-off” that could help explain why these common variants persist in populations.”Analysing data from over 400,000 Brits and Americans, researchers claimed that having certain health disorders may make people more likely to pursue certain career paths. Read more on ADHDThey only used data from people aged 30 or older in order “to capture a reasonably settled career path”. Their analysis – published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour – linked ADHD to a number of different professions, with cleaners, chefs and waiters, factory workers, builders, police officers, bus and train drivers and hairdressers all at higher risk of the condition. People working with computers – such a computer technicians – were more likely to be genetically predisposed to autism and had a lower risk of being diagnosed with depression and ADHD.Meanwhile, teachers and lawyers were more likely to develop anorexia, and people in social work were more likely to have genetic traits of depression. And according to researcher’s analysis, people working in art and design had a higher genetic predisposition towards anorexia, bipolar disorder, autism and schizophrenia. Being genetically predisposed to a condition doesn’t necessarily mean you will get it in your lifetime. Do you or your child have ADHD- Here’s the NHS test as Brits waiting two years for diagnosisThough it’s thought that some mental health disorders do run in families and your genes can make you more vulnerable to developing them, they may only emerge as a result of your environment – for example, if they’re triggered by life events. Dr Vouloudakis added: “In addition to looking at potential advantages, we also wanted to explore any disadvantages or barriers that individuals with a higher genetic predisposition to neuropsychiatric traits might face.” Researchers found that people certain genetic predispositions were less likely to go into certain industries.For example, people genetically predisposed to ADHD were less likely to pursue careers in architecture, tech, business, education, law or healthcare.”We found that some ADHD-related associations are significantly mediated by educational attainment – a key driver of career pathways,” the lead author said. This might indicate that people had struggled in school rather than that they’d made a point of avoiding certain professions, he explained. Jobs upping your risk of dementiaResearch suggests that people working jobs that require high levels of physical activity could be at greater risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.People toiling at physically exhausting jobs for long periods of time could be at greater risk of the brain robbing disease, a study by the Norwegian National Centre of Ageing and Health, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and the Butler Columbia Aging Center found. Authors gave examples of physically demanding jobs, including:Salespeople – retail and otherNursing assistantsCare assistantsCrop farmersAnimal producers”Consistently working in an occupation with intermediate or high occupational physical activity was linked to an increased risk of cognitive impairment, indicating the importance of developing strategies for individuals in physically demanding occupations to prevent cognitive impairment,” the study authors wrote.Read more on the study here. “This implies that systemic biases in education can disproportionately affect individuals with a higher genetic predisposition for ADHD, even if they never receive an actual diagnosis.”While researchers were able to find weak but statistically significant links between certain professions and mental health disorders, they said the affect genetic predispositions had on people’s career choice was actually rather small.They estimated that “genetic signals” accounted for only about 0.5 per cent of what might influence someone to go into a particular industry, with factors like age, sex and education playing a larger role. Dr Vouloudakis said: “Our findings emphasise that demographic and social factors far outweigh genetic predisposition when it comes to occupational outcomes.”Even if these effects are small, because we studied so many people, we could reliably detect them.He noted: “These findings don’t mean we can predict someone’s job based on their genetics.Read more on the Scottish Sun”Rather, they highlight subtle group-level trends. On average, people with a higher (predispositions) for certain traits might be slightly more likely to end up in certain jobs.”The research team intends to continue their work by looking at how genetic variations linked to mental health conditions may influence other aspects of health and behaviour.

‘Emergency is worth a watch’: Ex-Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai praises Kangana Ranaut’s film

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on Monday praised Kangana Ranaut’s film “Emergency”, which delves into the 21 months from 1975 to 1977 under Indira Gandhi’s prime ministership. “EMERGENCY is Worth a Watch,” he wrote on X. ‘Emergency’, which also stars Anupam Kher, hit the screen on January 17. The film also stars Shreyas Talpade as young Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Milind Soman as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Mahima Choudhary as Pupul Jayakar, and the late Satish Kaushik in the role of Jagjivan Ram. 

Rishabh Jain, an entrepreneur, also praised the film, calling it a “fantastic biopic”. “I was skeptical about watching Emergency, fearing it might be another propaganda film. But to my surprise, it turned out to be a fantastic biopic. It not only captured the events of that turbulent era but also brilliantly portrayed the internal struggles of Indira Gandhi,” he said in a post. 

I was skeptical about watching Emergency, fearing it might be another propaganda film. But to my surprise, it turned out to be a fantastic biopic. It not only captured the events of that turbulent era but also brilliantly portrayed the internal struggles of Indira Gandhi.Never… pic.twitter.com/Lz7Kuox4fL
— RJ – Rishabh Jain (@rishsamjain) January 19, 2025

An elderly woman who volunteered at Kranti Maidan during the Emergency said she liked the film. “The events are depicted exactly as they happened in the movie. All the leaders were jailed…the picture is very nice, nicely acted also,” she said in a video shared on X. 

An elderly woman who volunteered at Kranti Maidan during the Emergency shared her heartfelt praise for the film.She said “The events are depicted exactly as they happened in the movie. All the leaders were jailed &admired Kangana’s brilliant performance “🙏 #Emergency… pic.twitter.com/8FBBHX61RG
— Rahul Chauhan (@RahulCh9290) January 20, 2025

On January 19, spiritual Guru Sadhguru attended a special screening of the film in Mumbai. In a tweet, he said Kangana has truly come of age as a director in capturing the complex situations of our recent history. “She has definitely upped the craft of movie-making a few notches. It would be very good for the youth to watch this movie.” 

“I went through the Emergency period during my university days and every one of us knew all the things that happened at that time. The newer generation may not know much about it because there is no information about it in textbooks and most wouldn’t have read any history book beyond that. This is a capsule which will be a very quick history lesson on Bharat’s recent history through some good filmmaking. A must-see for the youth of the Nation.”

Had the pleasure of watching Kangana Ranaut’s Emergency at a special screening in Mumbai. Kangana has truly come of age as a director in capturing the complex situations of our recent history. She has definitely upped the craft of movie-making a few notches. It would be very good…
— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) January 18, 2025

Kangana Ranaut’s “Emergency” has earned Rs 12.26 crore at the domestic box office in the first three days. After opening collection of Rs 3.11 crore on Friday, “Emergency” witnessed growth on Saturday as by earning Rs 4.28 crore and Rs 4.87 crore on Sunday, respectively. The total collection of the film stands at Rs 12. 26 crore.

Tourist arrivals gain 21-pct in first two-weeks of January: official data

Travel

ECONOMYNEXT – The Colombo Stock Exchange indices ended up on Monday, driven by banking sector stocks, data on its site showed.
Despite high volatility in indices Colombo All Share Price Index traded above the 16,200 mark.
“Bull run is continuing,” market participants said.
“Strong buying interest is continuing. Investment interest is driven towards the tourism sector,”  Dimantha Mathew, Chief Research and Strategy Officer at First Capital Holdings PLC, told EconomyNext.
The broader ASPI closed up 0.71 percent or 115.84 points at 16,373.15; while the more liquid S&P SL20 Index closed up 0.62 percent or 30.37 points at 4,969.01.
Turnover was 5.56 billion rupees, while the share volume fell 5.9 percent to 187,052,463.
Falling interest rates and doubled withholding tax has made the market attractive.
“The number of transactions are quite high,” Mathew said.
Most active volumes were seen in Sierra Cables at 39,128,095 (turnover 554,281,414.70 rupees), Dialog at 10,337,926 (turnover 135,483,189.80 rupees), Teejay Lanka at 6,733,606 (turnover 347,702,190.70 rupees) and LOLC Finance at 6,064,123 (turnover 39,512,390.20 rupees).
“There was continued interest in the banking sector (1.2 billion rupees)and capital goods sector (1.3 billion rupees)”
Cargills Bank was up 1.2 percent to 8.70, NDB ended 3.2 percent stronger at 119.50, Hayleys rose 0.4 percent stronger 129.50 and Aitken Spence closed up 0.5 percent 152.50
The third most turnover generator for the session was the food, beverage and tobacco sector with 737 million rupees in turnover.
Lion Brewery was up 0.9 percent to 1261.75, Sunshine Holdings ended 0.4 percent stronger 95.40 and Melstacrop rose 0.41 percent to 121.50.
Top contributors to the ASPI were NDB (ended 3.2% stronger at 119.50), Teejay Lanka (rose 6.3% to 52.60), DFCC Bank (climbed 2.5 % to 122.25), Ceylon Cold stores(rose 5.8% to 87.20) and HNB (up 0.7% to 330.00).
There was a net foreign outflow of 55 million rupees for the day, continuing the downward trend after recording an inflow of 194 million rupees on Thursday.
Samson Plc announced its non-independent, non-executive director, T K Bandaranayake, has resigned from its board with effect from January 20. (Colombo/Jan20/2025)

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