In Middle of May the new rooms and suites will be handed over by the contractors to the Kampala Serena Hotel's management, will Kampala be in for a surprise.
The 36 Suites and Executive Rooms, include a yet to be named second senior Presidential Suite, which will be larger, more luxurious and provide new levels of comfort to Serena's top rated VVIP clientele.
The 'Royal Suite' in the main hotel, named after H.M. The Queen Elizabeth II following her stay in Kampala during the Commonwealth Summit of 2007, will on opening of the new facility become the hotel's number two as the latest trends in technology, equipment, security and furnishings have been incorporated in the country's largest such suite. This new showcase will no doubt become Uganda's top hospitality offering.
Be it Heads of State, Heads of Fortune 500 companies, the who is who of high finance, movers and shakers and of course the stars of the entertainment industry from Hollywood to Nollywood to Bollywood, this will be their place to be as there simply will is no better anywhere in the country - and I say that after a sneak preview a few days ago during which the taking of pictures was not quite yet on the cards.
All other rooms in the new wing will also be larger and again include the latest technologies and layouts, for sitting rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.
Overall will the number of rooms rise from the present 152 to 188, also reflecting the growth in demand the hotel has experienced over the past 11 years since it opened under this leading East African brand.
The upgrading and expansion of the Kampala Serena is in line with what is happening in other city hotels of the group, which is generally seen as East Africa's market leader, in terms of service, market standing but also the sheer number of properties in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Mozambique and of course Uganda.
Kigali's expansion was completed some time ago already and now it is the Dar es Salaam Serena where only last week the new restaurants and public areas were unveiled, reflecting much of the coastal architecture and designs for which this part of East Africa is so famous for.
In Nairobi too is a major refurbishment and expansion underway and again is Serena upping the game in the face of all the new competition which has sprung up over the past years and is still pushing into the Kenyan capital.
In Kampala is Carlson Rezidor set to open a Quorvus Collection branded hotel - which took its owners over 11 years of construction and then some, the same time the Serena has been in operation by the way - before CR came onboard with their expertise to put finishing touches to it and move it to the verge of opening.
Yet, the Kampala Serena Hotel will be ready for the new kid on the block, not just in terms of room offerings but also vis a vis a very refined food and service concept which can be experienced in the various F&B outlets.
Only a few days ago was the Pearl of Africa restaurant, a repeated award winner as Kampala's best fine dining venue, chosen to host the 'Gout de France' dinner which was celebrated around the world in 2.000 venues with 2.000 menus.
Chef Raphael, seen above proudly displaying the certificates awarded to the hotel and restaurant, and his team, including Sommelier Celestine, were suitably acknowledged by their French and other guests who received a culinary firework paired with great wines.
Add to all that the hospitality extended by Restaurant Manager Faussy and her team and you truly have a winning combination.
But excellence in cuisine does not end here. The Kampala Serena partakes in national and regional food competitions, stages regular international food festivals and is often host to guest chefs who come to Uganda from their home 5 star hotels and even Michelin rated restaurants.
When at the Kampala Serena they orchestrate the high art of culinary perfection, train the local chefs in the process and delight patrons with taste bud busting creations, be it at the Pearl of Africa, the Lakes or the Explorer.
I will in due course narrate my dining experiences at the Kampala Serena Hotel, one being a superb meal at the Pearl of Africa venue where Chef Raphael offered me a choice of a la carte or else their regular workday table d'hote menu.
I settled for the latter, which proved to be an excellent three course meal served in the space of one hour and a bit, perfect for top executives who are looking for a lunch venue of this kind where food excellence and service speed are a match.
My other meal was breakfast at the Lakes and indulging again by having an Egg Benedict, expertly prepared but here too, more about it in a few days or weeks, as I catch up with my writing and finish other assignments.
Meanwhile though will my eyes be glued to the calendar when sometime towards mid May the new Kampala Serena extension will open up and the attention of the contractor can then shift towards the completion of a new champagne bar and a new Executive Lounge on the 6th floor of the hotel.
Guests with a sudden craving for a Kir Royale or a glass of pink or golden bubbly will not be disappointed as Sommelier Celestine is already preparing a new section in his cellar just for that outlet.
The new lounge according to usually well informed sources, will add another dimension of hospitality for Serena's loyal clientele.
Regular Serena guests with loyalty cards, or those who are booked into the various suites, will experience an oasis of serene tranquility, in spacious and contemporary surroundings where across the day snacks and light meals will be on complimentary offer.
From breakfast to lunch to high tea and pre dinner hors d' oeuvres will those using the facility be able to still a sudden peckish feeling and a lounge concierge will be at the service of the guests with almost no task considered impossible.
There may even be a daily happy hour for guests, perhaps with the General Manager or key members of his team making an appearance to interact with guests, or maybe there will be a once a week GM's cocktail for his premium guests ... time will tell so stay tuned to this site.
All of it again shows that Serena not only maintains high service standards but is constantly pushing the envelope further, incorporating the latest trends in the hospitality industry and giving value for money to their loyal guests because service is at the very heart of Serena's corporate philosophy.
Serena's Uganda flagship, the Kampala Serena Hotel is an inspirational blend of 5-star polish, pan-African panache, social style and business reliability.
Ideally located at the very heart of Kampala, our luxury business hotel stands amidst 7.2 acres of landscaped grounds and water gardens. An oasis of cool and green, encircled by the seven hills of Kampala, this 152-room world-class hotel is the focal point of national, regional, business, political and social life.
Drawing its architectural inspiration from the abundance of Uganda's lakes and rivers, the hotel has been created around a central water theme, which manifests itself both in the extensive water gardens and in the hand-carved panels and shimmering mosaics with which it is decorated.
Inspirationally styled as a Kampala showcase for Ugandan art, this unique 5-star hotel offers; an international conference centre, a garden auditorium, a roof-top terrace, a rock-sculptured pool terrace, three restaurants, two bars and the Moorish palace of the ‘Maisha Mind Body and Spirit Spa'.
GETTING THERE
The hotel is situated in central Kampala, 40 kilometres from Entebbe International Airport.
FACILITIES
- Wide selection of rooms and suites: all with AC, satellite TV, Wi-Fi and voice-mail
- Bambara Residents' Lounge with Bedouin Terrace
- The Lakes, all-day brasserie
- The Mist, cocktail bar
- The Explorer, Italian bistro
- The Pearl of Africa, fine-dining experience
- The Sesse Pool Terrace bar and café
- Panoramic roof terrace for private cocktails and social events
- Garden auditorium
- Extensive swimming pool area with rock-built waterfall
- The Maisha Mind Body and Spirit Spa
- Running track in the grounds and golf course (nearby)
- Hair and beauty salon
- International Conference Centre to seat 1,500
- VIP entrance, helipad, dedicated car park, full security
-Wide range of incentives options
- Business Centre, travel desk, taxi and limousine service
- Wedding planning service
- Gift Shop, news-stand and travel requisites kiosks
Tourism, Travel, Hospitality, Conservation: News,Stories And Experiences From Allover The World
Sunday, 26 March 2017
Saturday, 25 March 2017
PHILIPPINES: Ask Duterte To Stop Killings, Journalists Tell Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) on Friday responded to the statement of Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo asking the media to “tone down” reports on extrajudicial killings in the country.
Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo on Wednesday urged the media to “tone down” their coverage of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, saying it was making it hard to sell the Philippines as a tourist destination
She addressed the same plea to Vice President Leni Robredo, who sent a video message last week to a UN gathering in Vienna denouncing the alleged summary execution of over 7,000 Filipinos in the antinarcotics campaign.
In a statement, the NUJP said Teo was right, and asked, “how, indeed, do you sell a tropical paradise when you have more than 7,000 deaths and counting and a leader who almost gleefully predicts even more as he wages his ‘war on drugs’?”
“Sadly, Ms. Teo, while we do wish for more tourists to visit and boost our economy, our job is to report what is happening, not sweep this under the rug as part of a PR campaign,” the NUJP said.
“It would be better if, instead of asking us to “tone down” the killings, you ask the President to order an end to them.
That way, we could truthfully report that the killing season is over and the Philippines is, well, “more fun,”” it added.
Critics have blamed Duterte for more than 7,000 deaths since he assumed office in July last year. However, the police said only about 2,500 of these were from antidrug operations after suspects allegedly violently resisted arrest.
They added about 40 were policemen or soldiers killed by drug suspects.
Most of the other deaths have been classified as Deaths Under Investigation, or DUI, which may include deaths not related to drugs or the war on drugs.
Amid the war on drugs, over one-million drug personalities have either surrendered or been arrested alive in thousands of anti-narcotics operations nationwide.
Meanwhile, Tourism Assistant Secretary Ricky Alegre on Friday defended Teo, saying that the department chief’s remarks was only a “candid” response, and urged the people to look more on the whole context of her statement.
“I think naging candid lang siya, so to speak, noong tinanong siya (I think she was just candid, so to speak, when she was asked). Natural, every negative report affects tourism directly,” Alegre said.
“Ang importante, we are aware of the criticisms at mga reports. Hindi tumitigil ang DOT na magpromote na safe pumunta sa Pilipinas,” he added. (What’s important is that we are aware of the criticisms and the reports. The DOT isn’t stopping its promotion of the Philippines as a safe destination.)
Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo on Wednesday urged the media to “tone down” their coverage of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, saying it was making it hard to sell the Philippines as a tourist destination
She addressed the same plea to Vice President Leni Robredo, who sent a video message last week to a UN gathering in Vienna denouncing the alleged summary execution of over 7,000 Filipinos in the antinarcotics campaign.
In a statement, the NUJP said Teo was right, and asked, “how, indeed, do you sell a tropical paradise when you have more than 7,000 deaths and counting and a leader who almost gleefully predicts even more as he wages his ‘war on drugs’?”
“Sadly, Ms. Teo, while we do wish for more tourists to visit and boost our economy, our job is to report what is happening, not sweep this under the rug as part of a PR campaign,” the NUJP said.
“It would be better if, instead of asking us to “tone down” the killings, you ask the President to order an end to them.
That way, we could truthfully report that the killing season is over and the Philippines is, well, “more fun,”” it added.
Critics have blamed Duterte for more than 7,000 deaths since he assumed office in July last year. However, the police said only about 2,500 of these were from antidrug operations after suspects allegedly violently resisted arrest.
They added about 40 were policemen or soldiers killed by drug suspects.
Most of the other deaths have been classified as Deaths Under Investigation, or DUI, which may include deaths not related to drugs or the war on drugs.
Amid the war on drugs, over one-million drug personalities have either surrendered or been arrested alive in thousands of anti-narcotics operations nationwide.
Meanwhile, Tourism Assistant Secretary Ricky Alegre on Friday defended Teo, saying that the department chief’s remarks was only a “candid” response, and urged the people to look more on the whole context of her statement.
“I think naging candid lang siya, so to speak, noong tinanong siya (I think she was just candid, so to speak, when she was asked). Natural, every negative report affects tourism directly,” Alegre said.
“Ang importante, we are aware of the criticisms at mga reports. Hindi tumitigil ang DOT na magpromote na safe pumunta sa Pilipinas,” he added. (What’s important is that we are aware of the criticisms and the reports. The DOT isn’t stopping its promotion of the Philippines as a safe destination.)
BULGARIA: No To Electoral Tourism Say Bulgarians To Turkey
Bulgarian nationalists blocked border checkpoints with Turkey on Friday to stop buses bringing Bulgarian ethnic Turks to vote in Sunday's election amid growing tension between the two neighbours.
Sofia has accused Ankara of interference in its election on behalf of the DOST party that represents Bulgarian Turks, the country's largest ethnic minority. Polls suggest DOST will fall short of the four-percent vote needed to enter parliament.
With slogans reading "Hands off Bulgaria" and "No to electoral tourism", about 100 supporters of the nationalist coalition United Patriots blocked the main checkpoint at Kapitan Andreevo-Kapikule and vowed to stay until the end of the vote.
Tensions have risen also between Ankara and the broader European Union since Germany and the Netherlands blocked Turkish ministers campaigning among expatriate Turks in their countries for a referendum that would give Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan broader executive powers.
The United Patriots said more than 1,000 buses with voters from Turkey were expected to cross the border - a movement they say is organised and paid for by the Turkish state to increase support for the DOST party.
"It is not normal for a foreign country to interfere in the election of another sovereign state," Krasimir Karakachanov, co-leader of the United Patriots, told Reuters. "Turkey is now trying to provide voters for DOST, a pro-Turkish party, because it knows that the support for this party in Bulgaria is very low."
Erdogan accused Bulgaria on Thursday of putting pressure on Bulgarian ethnic Turks living and working in Turkey and flouting democratic principles.
Bulgarian security services have expelled two Turkish citizens and banned another three from entering the country, saying they were inciting anti-Bulgarian sentiment in areas of mixed population.
The nationalists, whose support has increased with the inflow of mainly Muslin migrants to Europe, are seen coming third in the snap polls this Sunday and are expected to play a kingmaker role in forming a new government.
European Union member Bulgaria stands out in the Balkans for its significant Muslim minority, some 12 percent among 7.2 million mainly Orthodox Christians - a legacy of almost 500 years of Ottoman Turkish rule that ended in the late 19th century.
The resistance to the Muslim Ottomans is a core element of Bulgarian national identity. About 400,000 Bulgarian nationals live in Turkey, most of them Bulgarian Turks descended from Ottoman-era Turkish settlers in the Balkans.
Sofia has accused Ankara of interference in its election on behalf of the DOST party that represents Bulgarian Turks, the country's largest ethnic minority. Polls suggest DOST will fall short of the four-percent vote needed to enter parliament.
With slogans reading "Hands off Bulgaria" and "No to electoral tourism", about 100 supporters of the nationalist coalition United Patriots blocked the main checkpoint at Kapitan Andreevo-Kapikule and vowed to stay until the end of the vote.
Tensions have risen also between Ankara and the broader European Union since Germany and the Netherlands blocked Turkish ministers campaigning among expatriate Turks in their countries for a referendum that would give Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan broader executive powers.
The United Patriots said more than 1,000 buses with voters from Turkey were expected to cross the border - a movement they say is organised and paid for by the Turkish state to increase support for the DOST party.
"It is not normal for a foreign country to interfere in the election of another sovereign state," Krasimir Karakachanov, co-leader of the United Patriots, told Reuters. "Turkey is now trying to provide voters for DOST, a pro-Turkish party, because it knows that the support for this party in Bulgaria is very low."
Erdogan accused Bulgaria on Thursday of putting pressure on Bulgarian ethnic Turks living and working in Turkey and flouting democratic principles.
Bulgarian security services have expelled two Turkish citizens and banned another three from entering the country, saying they were inciting anti-Bulgarian sentiment in areas of mixed population.
The nationalists, whose support has increased with the inflow of mainly Muslin migrants to Europe, are seen coming third in the snap polls this Sunday and are expected to play a kingmaker role in forming a new government.
European Union member Bulgaria stands out in the Balkans for its significant Muslim minority, some 12 percent among 7.2 million mainly Orthodox Christians - a legacy of almost 500 years of Ottoman Turkish rule that ended in the late 19th century.
The resistance to the Muslim Ottomans is a core element of Bulgarian national identity. About 400,000 Bulgarian nationals live in Turkey, most of them Bulgarian Turks descended from Ottoman-era Turkish settlers in the Balkans.
USA: Harder To Find A US Visa Now With New Screening Applicants
Trump administration is making it tougher for millions of visitors to enter the United States by demanding new security checks before giving visas to tourists, business travelers and relatives of American residents.
Diplomatic cables sent last week from Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson to all American embassies instructed consular officials to broadly increase scrutiny.
It was the first evidence of the “extreme vetting” Mr. Trump promised during the presidential campaign.
The new rules generally do not apply to citizens of 38 countries — including most of Europe and longstanding allies like Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea — who can be speedily admitted into the United States under the visa waiver program.
That program does not cover citizens from any country in the Middle East or Africa.
Even stricter security checks for people from six predominantly Muslim nations remain on hold because federal courts have temporarily blocked President Trump’s travel ban.
But Mr. Trump and his national security team are not waiting to toughen the rules to decide who can enter the United States. Embassy officials must now scrutinize a broader pool of visa applicants to determine if they pose security risks to the United States, according to four cables sent between March 10 and March 17.
That extra scrutiny will include asking applicants detailed questions about their background and making mandatory checks of social media history if a person has ever been in territory controlled by the Islamic State.
Mr. Trump has spoken regularly of his concern about the threat of “radical Islamic terrorism” from immigrants. But it is unclear who, exactly, will be targeted for the extra scrutiny since Mr. Tillerson’s cables leave that decision up to security officers at each embassy.
Still, taken together, consular officials and immigration advocates said the administration’s moves will increase the likelihood of denial for those seeking to come to America, and will further slow down a bureaucratic approval process that can already take months or even years for those flagged for extra investigation.
In 2016, the United States issued more than 10 million visas.
There are legitimate reasons someone might be targeted, such as evidence of a connection to terrorism or crime. But advocates also said they worry about people being profiled for extra scrutiny because of their name or nationality.
“This will certainly slow down the screening process and impose a substantial burden on these applicants,” said Greg Chen, the director of advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “It will make it much harder and create substantial delays.”
The cables from Mr. Tillerson make clear that the Trump administration wants a more intense focus on the potential for a serious threat when making decisions about who should receive a visa.
“Consular officers should not hesitate to refuse any case presenting security concerns,” Mr. Tillerson wrote in the cables, titled “Implementing Immediate Heightened Screening and Vetting of Visa Applications.”
“All visa decisions are national security decisions,” the secretary of state added.
During his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump accused the Obama administration of failing to properly screen people coming into the United States, a claim former officials in that administration reject.
As a candidate, Mr. Trump vowed to ban all incoming Muslims until leaders could “figure out what the hell is going on.” Later, he backed away from a total ban on Muslims but promised “extreme vetting” of those trying to come to the United States.
The president’s first attempt to put tougher screening in place was the executive order aimed at temporarily blocking refugees and people whom Mr. Trump called “bad dudes” from predominantly Muslim countries.
Courts blocked the first version of the president’s order after a chaotic rollout just days into his term. A second order was blocked this month.
But on March 6, the same day that Mr. Trump issued his revised travel ban, he also wrote a presidential memorandum ordering the secretary of state, the attorney general and the secretary of homeland security to “implement protocols and procedures” to enhance visa screening.
Administration officials said the cables from Mr. Tillerson are among the actions being taken to carry out that memorandum. Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, said the steps aim “to more effectively identify individuals who could pose a threat to the United States.”
Most people seeking entry to the United States, for family, business or tourism reasons, must apply for a visa. Embassy officials can deny a visa for anyone suspected of being a threat, conducting fraud or planning to stay longer than allowed.
The seven-page unclassified cable that Mr. Tillerson sent on March 15, which was provided to The New York Times, makes clear that the process of securing an entry visa is about to get harder and longer at diplomatic posts around the globe.
“Consular chiefs must immediately convene post’s law enforcement and intelligence community partners” to develop what Mr. Tillerson described in the cable as “sets of post-applicant populations warranting increased scrutiny.”
People targeted for increased scrutiny, Mr. Tillerson said in his cable, may be subject to a decision made only after more rigorous screening.
The March 15 cable suggests areas of inquiry during a required interview, including: the applicant’s travel history, addresses and work history for 15 years; and all phone numbers, email addresses and social media handles used by the applicant in the past five years.
Another cable, sent two days later, indicated that consular officers should not begin asking for the 15-year travel and work histories until the State Department received authorization for those questions from the Office of Management and Budget.
It is unclear why that permission had not been granted.
The State Department also urged its embassy officials to delay or reschedule interviews if an applicant was unable to provide all of the information demanded.
And Mr. Tillerson acknowledged in the cables that the extra scrutiny would cause “backlogs to rise,” even as he recommended that officials should each interview no more than 120 visa applicants each day.
Mr. Chen, of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, questioned how a single interviewer who conducts 120 interviews per day — at about five minutes per interview — could improve security for the visa process.
“It’s highly unlikely they could obtain information that demonstrates whether someone is a national security threat in such a brief interview process,” he said.
In addition to the new security protocols for embassies, the four diplomatic cables sent last week offer a view into how the administration hopes to enact the travel ban if the president ever gets the chance.
The March 15 cable, which was sent before federal courts blocked the revised travel ban, increases scrutiny on people from the six countries in the president’s executive order: Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Somalia and Libya. It also includes a section calling for increased scrutiny for Iraqi nationals.
For those from the six countries covered in the ban, the cable envisions a process for potentially granting a limited number of exemptions from the ban by issuing a waiver, but only after vigorous screening.
Those people would be questioned about their past 15 years of travel and occupational history, as well as whether they have visited territory controlled by the Islamic State.
A March 16 cable suspended “all enforcement” regarding the tougher scrutiny on the countries from Mr. Trump’s executive order.
Diplomatic cables sent last week from Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson to all American embassies instructed consular officials to broadly increase scrutiny.
It was the first evidence of the “extreme vetting” Mr. Trump promised during the presidential campaign.
The new rules generally do not apply to citizens of 38 countries — including most of Europe and longstanding allies like Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea — who can be speedily admitted into the United States under the visa waiver program.
That program does not cover citizens from any country in the Middle East or Africa.
Even stricter security checks for people from six predominantly Muslim nations remain on hold because federal courts have temporarily blocked President Trump’s travel ban.
But Mr. Trump and his national security team are not waiting to toughen the rules to decide who can enter the United States. Embassy officials must now scrutinize a broader pool of visa applicants to determine if they pose security risks to the United States, according to four cables sent between March 10 and March 17.
That extra scrutiny will include asking applicants detailed questions about their background and making mandatory checks of social media history if a person has ever been in territory controlled by the Islamic State.
Mr. Trump has spoken regularly of his concern about the threat of “radical Islamic terrorism” from immigrants. But it is unclear who, exactly, will be targeted for the extra scrutiny since Mr. Tillerson’s cables leave that decision up to security officers at each embassy.
Still, taken together, consular officials and immigration advocates said the administration’s moves will increase the likelihood of denial for those seeking to come to America, and will further slow down a bureaucratic approval process that can already take months or even years for those flagged for extra investigation.
In 2016, the United States issued more than 10 million visas.
There are legitimate reasons someone might be targeted, such as evidence of a connection to terrorism or crime. But advocates also said they worry about people being profiled for extra scrutiny because of their name or nationality.
“This will certainly slow down the screening process and impose a substantial burden on these applicants,” said Greg Chen, the director of advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “It will make it much harder and create substantial delays.”
The cables from Mr. Tillerson make clear that the Trump administration wants a more intense focus on the potential for a serious threat when making decisions about who should receive a visa.
“Consular officers should not hesitate to refuse any case presenting security concerns,” Mr. Tillerson wrote in the cables, titled “Implementing Immediate Heightened Screening and Vetting of Visa Applications.”
“All visa decisions are national security decisions,” the secretary of state added.
During his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump accused the Obama administration of failing to properly screen people coming into the United States, a claim former officials in that administration reject.
As a candidate, Mr. Trump vowed to ban all incoming Muslims until leaders could “figure out what the hell is going on.” Later, he backed away from a total ban on Muslims but promised “extreme vetting” of those trying to come to the United States.
The president’s first attempt to put tougher screening in place was the executive order aimed at temporarily blocking refugees and people whom Mr. Trump called “bad dudes” from predominantly Muslim countries.
Courts blocked the first version of the president’s order after a chaotic rollout just days into his term. A second order was blocked this month.
But on March 6, the same day that Mr. Trump issued his revised travel ban, he also wrote a presidential memorandum ordering the secretary of state, the attorney general and the secretary of homeland security to “implement protocols and procedures” to enhance visa screening.
Administration officials said the cables from Mr. Tillerson are among the actions being taken to carry out that memorandum. Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, said the steps aim “to more effectively identify individuals who could pose a threat to the United States.”
Most people seeking entry to the United States, for family, business or tourism reasons, must apply for a visa. Embassy officials can deny a visa for anyone suspected of being a threat, conducting fraud or planning to stay longer than allowed.
The seven-page unclassified cable that Mr. Tillerson sent on March 15, which was provided to The New York Times, makes clear that the process of securing an entry visa is about to get harder and longer at diplomatic posts around the globe.
“Consular chiefs must immediately convene post’s law enforcement and intelligence community partners” to develop what Mr. Tillerson described in the cable as “sets of post-applicant populations warranting increased scrutiny.”
People targeted for increased scrutiny, Mr. Tillerson said in his cable, may be subject to a decision made only after more rigorous screening.
The March 15 cable suggests areas of inquiry during a required interview, including: the applicant’s travel history, addresses and work history for 15 years; and all phone numbers, email addresses and social media handles used by the applicant in the past five years.
Another cable, sent two days later, indicated that consular officers should not begin asking for the 15-year travel and work histories until the State Department received authorization for those questions from the Office of Management and Budget.
It is unclear why that permission had not been granted.
The State Department also urged its embassy officials to delay or reschedule interviews if an applicant was unable to provide all of the information demanded.
And Mr. Tillerson acknowledged in the cables that the extra scrutiny would cause “backlogs to rise,” even as he recommended that officials should each interview no more than 120 visa applicants each day.
Mr. Chen, of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, questioned how a single interviewer who conducts 120 interviews per day — at about five minutes per interview — could improve security for the visa process.
“It’s highly unlikely they could obtain information that demonstrates whether someone is a national security threat in such a brief interview process,” he said.
In addition to the new security protocols for embassies, the four diplomatic cables sent last week offer a view into how the administration hopes to enact the travel ban if the president ever gets the chance.
The March 15 cable, which was sent before federal courts blocked the revised travel ban, increases scrutiny on people from the six countries in the president’s executive order: Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Somalia and Libya. It also includes a section calling for increased scrutiny for Iraqi nationals.
For those from the six countries covered in the ban, the cable envisions a process for potentially granting a limited number of exemptions from the ban by issuing a waiver, but only after vigorous screening.
Those people would be questioned about their past 15 years of travel and occupational history, as well as whether they have visited territory controlled by the Islamic State.
A March 16 cable suspended “all enforcement” regarding the tougher scrutiny on the countries from Mr. Trump’s executive order.
EVA Wins Two Gold Medals for Inflight Wines in Tasting Competition Takes top honors for Best Business Class Cellar and Sparkling Wine
Wine experts judging Business Traveller Magazine’s prestigious annual Cellars in the Sky 2016 competition awarded EVA Air two Gold Medals, one for Best Business Class Cellar and the other for Best Business Class Sparkling.
The top honors are tributes to EVA’s core commitment to quality service and to the experience its Royal Laurel Class business passengers enjoy onboard flights.
This is the second year in a row for EVA to take the highest honors in the Business Class Cellar category.
More information about the airline’s excellent services is available on its website at www.evaair.com.
EVA’s winning sparkling wine is Champagne de Castelnau blanc de blancs Millésime 2007, France. This wine is now at its prime drinking age, opening up with a delicious symphony of flavors and establishing itself as a great 2007 champagne.
Made from 100% chardonnay grapes sourced mainly from the Champagne regions of Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs, it has a delicate pale-gold color and dances through flutes with jewels of elegant bubbles when it’s poured.
Its nose flits between hints of menthol, buttery croissants, the faintest roasting coffee and a touch of honey. Its palate is a sensation of subtle cream/chocolates melting together in a delicious velvety finish.
The 2016 competition was Business Traveller’s 31st year to participate in the International Wine Challenge, a tasting that began in 1985.
The magazine kicked off the 2016 tasting competition last summer by inviting the world’s leading airlines to participate and 33 responded with wines from their inflight cellars.
The magazine’s panel of experts judged wines that entrants serve in first and business classes in Red, White, Sparkling and Fortified/Dessert categories in addition to selecting the Best-Presented Wine List and Best Cellar for each cabin.
EVA pours its fine wines to accompany meals made with fresh, seasonal ingredients on all flights and adds niceties to emphasize local luxuries on selected routes.
Ladurée Macaroons from Paris, SEASON Artisan Pâtissier from Taipei and entire dining experiences created by the acclaimed chef of three-star Michelin Restaurant Nakamura Kyoto are among the regional selections EVA offers.
The airline also makes comfort foods such as dumplings from Din Tai Fung, tasty hamburgers, Haagen Dazs ice cream and more available for meals and snacks.
The top honors are tributes to EVA’s core commitment to quality service and to the experience its Royal Laurel Class business passengers enjoy onboard flights.
This is the second year in a row for EVA to take the highest honors in the Business Class Cellar category.
More information about the airline’s excellent services is available on its website at www.evaair.com.
EVA’s winning sparkling wine is Champagne de Castelnau blanc de blancs Millésime 2007, France. This wine is now at its prime drinking age, opening up with a delicious symphony of flavors and establishing itself as a great 2007 champagne.
Made from 100% chardonnay grapes sourced mainly from the Champagne regions of Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs, it has a delicate pale-gold color and dances through flutes with jewels of elegant bubbles when it’s poured.
Its nose flits between hints of menthol, buttery croissants, the faintest roasting coffee and a touch of honey. Its palate is a sensation of subtle cream/chocolates melting together in a delicious velvety finish.
The 2016 competition was Business Traveller’s 31st year to participate in the International Wine Challenge, a tasting that began in 1985.
The magazine kicked off the 2016 tasting competition last summer by inviting the world’s leading airlines to participate and 33 responded with wines from their inflight cellars.
The magazine’s panel of experts judged wines that entrants serve in first and business classes in Red, White, Sparkling and Fortified/Dessert categories in addition to selecting the Best-Presented Wine List and Best Cellar for each cabin.
EVA pours its fine wines to accompany meals made with fresh, seasonal ingredients on all flights and adds niceties to emphasize local luxuries on selected routes.
Ladurée Macaroons from Paris, SEASON Artisan Pâtissier from Taipei and entire dining experiences created by the acclaimed chef of three-star Michelin Restaurant Nakamura Kyoto are among the regional selections EVA offers.
The airline also makes comfort foods such as dumplings from Din Tai Fung, tasty hamburgers, Haagen Dazs ice cream and more available for meals and snacks.
Air India Joins Fellow Star Alliance Carriers at Heathrow Terminal 2 | The Queen’s Terminal
Star Alliance member carrier Air India has successfully moved all its operations at London Heathrow’s Airport from Terminal 4 to Terminal 2, the home of Star Alliance.
The national airline of India operates up to eight daily flights in and out of Heathrow with either Boeing 777 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and has been serving London for nearly 70 years.
At present it offers two daily flights to Delhi, one daily flight to Mumbai, four weekly flights to Ahmedabad and three weekly flights to Newark (New York).
“With 24 of our member airlines flying to Heathrow, the airport is served by more Star Alliance member carriers than any other airport in our worldwide network.
Therefore our long term strategy for Heathrow has always been to locate all our members under the same roof. With Air India’s successful move to the Queen’s Terminal we have now accomplished this”, said Jeffrey Goh, CEO Star Alliance.
Compared to Terminal 4, the check-in layout and concept in Terminal 2 allows customers to take greater control of their journey. This has been made possible through a combination of increased automation and common check-in.
Travellers who have not checked in online can use any of 81 multi-airline check-in kiosks available throughout Terminal 2. These also print boarding passes and bag tags.
Once checked in, Air India passengers can drop off their bags at the shared counters in Zone D. Customers requiring additional support and assistance or travelling in First Class, Business Class or holding Star Alliance Gold status will also find the respective counters in Zone D.
Air India customers travelling in either First or Business Class or holding Star Alliance Gold status can make use of any of the four lounges in Terminal 2 operated by fellow Star Alliance member airlines Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and United.
The national airline of India operates up to eight daily flights in and out of Heathrow with either Boeing 777 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and has been serving London for nearly 70 years.
At present it offers two daily flights to Delhi, one daily flight to Mumbai, four weekly flights to Ahmedabad and three weekly flights to Newark (New York).
“With 24 of our member airlines flying to Heathrow, the airport is served by more Star Alliance member carriers than any other airport in our worldwide network.
Therefore our long term strategy for Heathrow has always been to locate all our members under the same roof. With Air India’s successful move to the Queen’s Terminal we have now accomplished this”, said Jeffrey Goh, CEO Star Alliance.
Compared to Terminal 4, the check-in layout and concept in Terminal 2 allows customers to take greater control of their journey. This has been made possible through a combination of increased automation and common check-in.
Travellers who have not checked in online can use any of 81 multi-airline check-in kiosks available throughout Terminal 2. These also print boarding passes and bag tags.
Once checked in, Air India passengers can drop off their bags at the shared counters in Zone D. Customers requiring additional support and assistance or travelling in First Class, Business Class or holding Star Alliance Gold status will also find the respective counters in Zone D.
Air India customers travelling in either First or Business Class or holding Star Alliance Gold status can make use of any of the four lounges in Terminal 2 operated by fellow Star Alliance member airlines Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and United.
EVA Creates Bad Badtz-Maru Jet for More Travel Fun Specially painted plane flies Taipei-Fukuoka and Seoul
EVA Air is introducing more characters and creating a new edition of its popular Sanrio-family aircraft.
Best known for Hello Kitty jets, EVA launched a “Travel Fun” Jet today (Saturday, 4 March, 2017), starring the naughtily charming Sanrio character, Bad Badtz-Maru.
The airline is flying the latest in its collection of specially painted planes on Taipei-Fukuoka and Taipei-Seoul routes. The aircraft is the world’s first with Bad Badtz-Maru livery to be scheduled for international service. More information about this and EVA’s other Sanrio-family aircraft, in addition to flight schedules, is available at http://evakitty.evaair.com/en/.
EVA’s Badtz-Maru Travel Fun Jet is an Airbus A330-300 configured for 309 passengers, 30 in Business Class and 279 in Economy. To start, flight BR106 departs Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport at 8:10 (8:10 am) and arrives at Fukuoka Airport at 11:15 (11:15 am). Return flight BR105 leaves Fukuoka at 12:15 (12:15 pm) and gets back to Taipei at 13:50 (1:50 pm).
EVA then operates the aircraft as BR160, taking off from Taoyuan International Airport at 15:15 (3:15 pm) and arriving at Seoul’s Incheon Airport at 18:45 (6:45 pm). Return flight BR159 leaves Incheon at 19:45 (7:45 pm) and arrives back in Taipei at 21:40 (9:40 pm).
Bad Badtz-Maru is one of the Sanrio family’s most popular characters. Different from Hello Kitty’s sweet image, Badtz-Maru is naughty in a charming kind of way.
The new livery captures Bad Badtz-Maru in action, wearing his backpack and sprinting to the nose of the plane, ahead of his best friends. With hats, a camera, snacks and other holiday necessities, Bad Badtz-Maru and friends are ready for a relaxing, laughter-filled vacation aboard EVA.
Building on affiliate UNI Air’s domestic success with its launch of the world’s first Bad Badtz-Maru aircraft last year and complementing its new Sanrio-family livery, EVA has designed more than 30 inflight service items and cabin amenities, including Bad Badtz-Maru pillows, slippers, headrest covers, playing cards, meal boxes, post cards, safety cards and disposable hand towels.
All items are part of the airline’s dedicated program to make the flying experience fun for passengers.
EVA and its Sanrio family jets have been popular among passengers all over the world since it launched its first generation of Hello Kitty Jets in 2005. In 2016, the Daily Mail recognized EVA’s specially painted aircraft among the world's best liveries and Global Traveler Magazine awarded the carrier a special “Leisure Lifestyle Award for Outstanding Customized Service,” recognizing it for “going beyond what is expected” and “doing something extraordinary.”
To keep giving passengers fresh experiences and making flying fun, EVA is renewing its series of specially themed aircraft and developing new liveries during the first half of this year.
Best known for Hello Kitty jets, EVA launched a “Travel Fun” Jet today (Saturday, 4 March, 2017), starring the naughtily charming Sanrio character, Bad Badtz-Maru.
The airline is flying the latest in its collection of specially painted planes on Taipei-Fukuoka and Taipei-Seoul routes. The aircraft is the world’s first with Bad Badtz-Maru livery to be scheduled for international service. More information about this and EVA’s other Sanrio-family aircraft, in addition to flight schedules, is available at http://evakitty.evaair.com/en/.
EVA’s Badtz-Maru Travel Fun Jet is an Airbus A330-300 configured for 309 passengers, 30 in Business Class and 279 in Economy. To start, flight BR106 departs Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport at 8:10 (8:10 am) and arrives at Fukuoka Airport at 11:15 (11:15 am). Return flight BR105 leaves Fukuoka at 12:15 (12:15 pm) and gets back to Taipei at 13:50 (1:50 pm).
EVA then operates the aircraft as BR160, taking off from Taoyuan International Airport at 15:15 (3:15 pm) and arriving at Seoul’s Incheon Airport at 18:45 (6:45 pm). Return flight BR159 leaves Incheon at 19:45 (7:45 pm) and arrives back in Taipei at 21:40 (9:40 pm).
Bad Badtz-Maru is one of the Sanrio family’s most popular characters. Different from Hello Kitty’s sweet image, Badtz-Maru is naughty in a charming kind of way.
The new livery captures Bad Badtz-Maru in action, wearing his backpack and sprinting to the nose of the plane, ahead of his best friends. With hats, a camera, snacks and other holiday necessities, Bad Badtz-Maru and friends are ready for a relaxing, laughter-filled vacation aboard EVA.
Building on affiliate UNI Air’s domestic success with its launch of the world’s first Bad Badtz-Maru aircraft last year and complementing its new Sanrio-family livery, EVA has designed more than 30 inflight service items and cabin amenities, including Bad Badtz-Maru pillows, slippers, headrest covers, playing cards, meal boxes, post cards, safety cards and disposable hand towels.
All items are part of the airline’s dedicated program to make the flying experience fun for passengers.
EVA and its Sanrio family jets have been popular among passengers all over the world since it launched its first generation of Hello Kitty Jets in 2005. In 2016, the Daily Mail recognized EVA’s specially painted aircraft among the world's best liveries and Global Traveler Magazine awarded the carrier a special “Leisure Lifestyle Award for Outstanding Customized Service,” recognizing it for “going beyond what is expected” and “doing something extraordinary.”
To keep giving passengers fresh experiences and making flying fun, EVA is renewing its series of specially themed aircraft and developing new liveries during the first half of this year.
INDONESIA: All Garuda Indonesia International Flights To Use Terminal 3 Of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is set to commence full operations at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, in April.
As reported by kompas.com on Monday, the newly built Terminal 3 was currently only serving the airline's domestic flights, while its international flights were still operating from Terminal 2.
State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II director Muhammad Awaluddin said Garuda's international flights would move to Terminal 3 starting April, followed by other SkyTeam member airlines in May.
A target has also been set to move all international airlines to Terminal 3 in August.
After opening last year, Terminal 3 has yet to fully operate, as not all parts of the building have been developed.
Terminal 3 is part of Soekarno-Hatta's revitalization program. The Grand Design Soekarno-Hatta Airport program aims to expand the airport's passenger capacity by opening Terminal 3, as well as revitalizing terminals 1 and 2.
As reported by kompas.com on Monday, the newly built Terminal 3 was currently only serving the airline's domestic flights, while its international flights were still operating from Terminal 2.
State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II director Muhammad Awaluddin said Garuda's international flights would move to Terminal 3 starting April, followed by other SkyTeam member airlines in May.
A target has also been set to move all international airlines to Terminal 3 in August.
After opening last year, Terminal 3 has yet to fully operate, as not all parts of the building have been developed.
Terminal 3 is part of Soekarno-Hatta's revitalization program. The Grand Design Soekarno-Hatta Airport program aims to expand the airport's passenger capacity by opening Terminal 3, as well as revitalizing terminals 1 and 2.
The opening of international flights to Gan airport, adjacent to Addu township in the south of the Maldives, has opened a new era for the region – providing an alternative transportation offering that can save travellers valuable vacation time.
On 1 December SriLankan Airlines started flying from Colombo to the upgraded Gan airport, formerly a UK Royal Air Force refilling base until 1976 when it became a domestic airport.
SriLankan Airlines now departs Colombo for Gan four times a week – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays — at 06.55 for the 110-minute journey, using a 150-seat Airbus 320.
"Since we consider Maldives our extended home market, we will explore every avenue to make sure that Gan receives the attention and visibility that it deserves," said Saminda Perera, General Manager – Marketing, SriLankan Airlines.
Resorts in the south of the country have responded favourably.
"Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort has added an on-demand 30-minute Trans Maldivian Airlines sea plane service between Gan and our luxurious hideaway to meet the new service and provide additional convenience to our guests," said John Allanson, General Manager of Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort.
"Whether vacationers travel here to enjoy our spacious over-water villas, varied water sport activities or Navasana Spa – we know that the journey here is part of the holiday experience, so we warmly welcome the new option," he said.
Allanson said Gan is "virtually on the doorstep" of the Outrigger and all the resorts in the southern atolls of Seenu, Gnaviyani, Gaafu Dhaalu and Gaafu Alifu.
Having international services landing directly in Gan 545 kms south of Male saves an estimated three hours on travel time to resorts in the south as it eliminates the need to connect with a scheduled commercial flight from Male to domestic airports in the south.
Hoteliers in the southern atolls now hope that airlines, especially those with big feeder hubs in the Middle East, will also introduce flights directly to Gan.
Gan international airport is currently served by domestic carriers Maldivian and Flyme, as well as SriLankan. Private jets are also able to land and park at Gan due to its new international status.
On SriLankan, round-trip tickets from Colombo to Gan start from around USD330. Outrigger is offering a limited-time New Year's Deal up to 30-percent off when booking direct on .
"For any tourist who wishes to spend a holiday in an ambience which is not overcrowded and where not many things come between you and the turquoise Indian ocean, the Gan area is an ideal destination….it is for tourists who explore deeper," said Saminda.
On 1 December SriLankan Airlines started flying from Colombo to the upgraded Gan airport, formerly a UK Royal Air Force refilling base until 1976 when it became a domestic airport.
SriLankan Airlines now departs Colombo for Gan four times a week – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays — at 06.55 for the 110-minute journey, using a 150-seat Airbus 320.
"Since we consider Maldives our extended home market, we will explore every avenue to make sure that Gan receives the attention and visibility that it deserves," said Saminda Perera, General Manager – Marketing, SriLankan Airlines.
Resorts in the south of the country have responded favourably.
"Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort has added an on-demand 30-minute Trans Maldivian Airlines sea plane service between Gan and our luxurious hideaway to meet the new service and provide additional convenience to our guests," said John Allanson, General Manager of Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort.
"Whether vacationers travel here to enjoy our spacious over-water villas, varied water sport activities or Navasana Spa – we know that the journey here is part of the holiday experience, so we warmly welcome the new option," he said.
Allanson said Gan is "virtually on the doorstep" of the Outrigger and all the resorts in the southern atolls of Seenu, Gnaviyani, Gaafu Dhaalu and Gaafu Alifu.
Having international services landing directly in Gan 545 kms south of Male saves an estimated three hours on travel time to resorts in the south as it eliminates the need to connect with a scheduled commercial flight from Male to domestic airports in the south.
Hoteliers in the southern atolls now hope that airlines, especially those with big feeder hubs in the Middle East, will also introduce flights directly to Gan.
Gan international airport is currently served by domestic carriers Maldivian and Flyme, as well as SriLankan. Private jets are also able to land and park at Gan due to its new international status.
On SriLankan, round-trip tickets from Colombo to Gan start from around USD330. Outrigger is offering a limited-time New Year's Deal up to 30-percent off when booking direct on .
"For any tourist who wishes to spend a holiday in an ambience which is not overcrowded and where not many things come between you and the turquoise Indian ocean, the Gan area is an ideal destination….it is for tourists who explore deeper," said Saminda.
MALAYSIA: Amari To Open Properties In Sri Lanka, Malaysia And China
Amari Hotel under ONYX Hospitality Group is spreading its wings by opening new properties in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and China.
Located on Sri Lanka’s southwestern coast, Galle offers a variety of historical and cultural features that allow visitors to travel back to the colonial era.
Ideal for a restful stay by Galle’s beachfront, the Amari Galle will offer guests rooms and suites with sea views, and an open design that circulates the natural ocean breeze throughout the property. The resort is set to welcome its first guests this summer.
Amari Johor Bahru is situated in the city’s commercial district, the perfect location to discover the surrounding museums, cafes, traditional bakeries and local restaurants.
The hotel is only a five-minute walk away from the customs, immigration and quarantine complex for guests arriving from or departing to Singapore. It is set to open in May.
The heart-stirring scenery of Yangshuo’s karst mountains has not only attracted visitors to this countryside town of Guilin, but also inspired traditional Chinese paintings and classical poetry.
Various cycling routes and rock climbing sites offer exciting ways to experience Yangshuo’s natural beauty for adventure enthusiasts. Amari Yangshuo is located right next to West Street, a central location with historical significance.
Filled with restaurants, shops and bars, the bustling street is a combination of local architecture and contemporary design. The property is under construction
Special pre-opening rates are being offered starting at US$160 (Bt5,550) per night including breakfast valid until July 15 at Amari Galle Sri Lanka and from MYR 320 (Bt2,500) per night including breakfast valid until July 31 at Amari Johor Bahru.
Located on Sri Lanka’s southwestern coast, Galle offers a variety of historical and cultural features that allow visitors to travel back to the colonial era.
Ideal for a restful stay by Galle’s beachfront, the Amari Galle will offer guests rooms and suites with sea views, and an open design that circulates the natural ocean breeze throughout the property. The resort is set to welcome its first guests this summer.
Amari Johor Bahru is situated in the city’s commercial district, the perfect location to discover the surrounding museums, cafes, traditional bakeries and local restaurants.
The hotel is only a five-minute walk away from the customs, immigration and quarantine complex for guests arriving from or departing to Singapore. It is set to open in May.
The heart-stirring scenery of Yangshuo’s karst mountains has not only attracted visitors to this countryside town of Guilin, but also inspired traditional Chinese paintings and classical poetry.
Various cycling routes and rock climbing sites offer exciting ways to experience Yangshuo’s natural beauty for adventure enthusiasts. Amari Yangshuo is located right next to West Street, a central location with historical significance.
Filled with restaurants, shops and bars, the bustling street is a combination of local architecture and contemporary design. The property is under construction
Special pre-opening rates are being offered starting at US$160 (Bt5,550) per night including breakfast valid until July 15 at Amari Galle Sri Lanka and from MYR 320 (Bt2,500) per night including breakfast valid until July 31 at Amari Johor Bahru.
VENEZUELA: Eating One Meal A Day
It has the biggest oil reserves on the planet. But instead of living like Middle Eastern sheiks, many Venezuelans are on the brink of famine.
The economy is in ruins, the currency is all but worthless, shops are empty and people queue for subsidised food rations to survive.
A charismatic former army colonel named Hugo Chavez launched a socialist revolution after he was elected in 1998. But under his successor, Nicolas Maduro, the oil-rich country has become a failing state.
A week in the capital Caracas revealed a city on the edge of destruction.
The first things you see are the queues. They start at about 3:00am across the city, with tens of thousands waiting in line to buy subsidised food. The reward for six hours of waiting might be two small bags of flour.
'They are fine in the government, they eat," one woman clutching a baby tells us in disgust.
People tell us they eat only once a day so there'll be something to give the children for dinner. We hear stories of people fainting from hunger in the slums.
'The whole system has to change," one man cries.
"It can't go on like this."
Word spreads through the crowd that journalists have come and others call us over to talk to them. But we can't stay long.
Police are guarding the food stores to prevent riots and if they spot us we'll be arrested.
We move on to our next location, passing people scavenging through garbage for food and socialist billboards boasting how much more people are eating since the revolution.
We catch a train to the edge of the city. The greater Caracas area has 5 million people and most of them live in slums called barrios on the surrounding hills.
As a general rule, the poorer you are, the higher you live. Taxis don't even go the higher barrios. People climb up winding pot-holed streets or catch communal buses or even motorcycle taxis called motos.
At the top of one barrio we find a crowd of people waiting for government deliveries of gas that were supposed to come days before.
Behind them is a giant mural of Hugo Chavez, the first socialist president who lavished oil money on the barrios before dying unexpectedly in 2013.
"We miss him a lot," says an old woman named Josepina Lopez.
"He used to solve all the problems we have now."
But others have only contempt for the new president, Nicolas Maduro.
"People want him out of power," says a moto driver Leon Guerrero.
"But he does not let us vote because he knows he is going to lose. Every day the situation is harder and sometimes in feel suffocated."
The only business that's booming in the barrios is crime. With close to 4,000 murders a year Caracas is getting a reputation as the most dangerous city in Latin America.
Our translator puts us in touch with a local gang who agree to meet us.
We are taken into a concrete room and searched by young men wearing balaclavas and holding pistols.
The leader tells me nonchalantly what they do.
"A bit of everything," he says, "drugs, kidnapping, stealing cars, contract killings. Mostly drugs."
He says business is good.
"Do you worry about police?" I ask.
"No, we have good contacts."
He takes the bullets from his gun and gives it me to hold, then jokes I've left my fingerprints on it.
They line up to show us their weapons and agree to a group photograph.
We politely decline their invitation to smoke marijuana with them.
One of the gang members escorts us back down to the road with a gun "for safety".
We go back to the city centre to meet an eminent historian, Professor Margarita Lopez Maya.
She unlocks the gate to her compound and the heavy locks on her apartment where we set up the small, tourist-style cameras we've brought to interview her.
She explains that falling world oil prices are only part of the reason for the economy's collapse.
The socialist regime didn't just destroy the market economy though mass nationalisation.
It also ran down the state oil company, putting all the profits into social programs and nothing back into the ageing oil infrastructure.
"Venezuela today has the biggest reserves of oil in the world," she says.
"But the problem has been that during the Chavez era, the company has deteriorated seriously, especially in the last years.
"And we are reducing our oil production. They have killed the golden goose."
But even she is surprised by how quickly the economy fell apart when oil prices halved after Chavez's death.
"It's broken, it's absolutely broken," she says.
"Listen, it's so amazing what's going on in Venezuela and so unnecessary.
"You can't believe it!'
We need to change US dollars for the local currency, the Bolivar, named after the 19th century military leader Simon Bolivar who helped win independence from Spain.
The official exchange rate is a joke.
The currency is almost worthless, thanks partly to the government printing more money to pay its bills.
Everyone changes money on the black market where the rate is five to eight times higher.
I meet a man recommended by a barman in the hotel.
I give him four one-hundred dollar bills. He gives me a sack of bolivars. I am now a bolivar millionaire.
Every day we have to haul out huge wads of money and painstakingly count them out to pay for meals.
It's an inconvenience for foreigners, but a catastrophe for locals.
Their savings have been wiped out and hyperinflation means their wages can't cover food or medicine, even if they can find stores that stock them.
The tension of filming secretly rises each day with news of media crackdowns.
We learn two Brazilian journalists have just been arrested and deported.
An American reporter writes of being held for three days and interrogated after he was caught filming at a hospital.
The government takes CNN's Spanish broadcast off-air after it reports on food queues.
The government hasn't banned television journalists outright.
Like many authoritarian regimes, it's just stopped giving visa or filming permits.
Newspaper reporters and bloggers occasionally slip in, but some have been detained on arrival at Caracas airport and flown straight back out.
The atmosphere of surveillance is oppressive. Police are everywhere.
The streets are plastered with giant murals of Hugo Chavez's eyes, as if watching over the revolution.
Red mask-wearing 'colectivos', the government's civilian militia, monitor the barrios for 'counter-revolutionaries'.
Our translator keeps watch, telling us when to hide the camera.
Our luck finally runs out when a motorcycle patrol of the National Guard spots us filming in the street.
Fortunately we are interviewing a die-hard supporter who has tattooed the eyes of Chavez on his forehead.
We tell them we are socialist filmmakers showing the strong support for socialism in the barrios.
They let us go without checking for our permits.
We visit the heavily secured office of an opposition party called Vente to meet its leader Maria Corina Machado.
She tells us how the authorities are trying to break them. She's been accused of plotting to kill President Maduro.
At a rally she was fired on and the woman standing next to her was shot in the head.
She sent her children to grow up in the US after receiving repeated death threats. The government won't give her an exit permit to see them.
"They are the main reason for me to keep moving ahead," she tells us.
"I'm determined to see my kids as well as all Venezuelan children living in a nation full of opportunities, with solidarity, innovation and prosperity, and freedom."
But she says people are losing hope for change. Opposition parties won control of parliament last year but Maduro simply ignored its rulings.
New restrictions may stop them being able to register for next year's presidential election.
"Even though today over 80 per cent of the population is desperate for a profound change," she says, "they have realised that they no longer can have even uncompetitive elections."
We film around her crowded office. Everyone is white, educated and middle class.
They seem to confirm the government line, repeated endlessly on state-controlled television, that they are part of an out-of-touch elite.
But we learn later it's not so simple.
The regime illegally uses public money to fund its election campaigns but stops any opposition parties accessing it.
Only the middle class can afford to compete. And the regime is working hard to make sure they can never win.
The economy is in ruins, the currency is all but worthless, shops are empty and people queue for subsidised food rations to survive.
A charismatic former army colonel named Hugo Chavez launched a socialist revolution after he was elected in 1998. But under his successor, Nicolas Maduro, the oil-rich country has become a failing state.
A week in the capital Caracas revealed a city on the edge of destruction.
The first things you see are the queues. They start at about 3:00am across the city, with tens of thousands waiting in line to buy subsidised food. The reward for six hours of waiting might be two small bags of flour.
'They are fine in the government, they eat," one woman clutching a baby tells us in disgust.
People tell us they eat only once a day so there'll be something to give the children for dinner. We hear stories of people fainting from hunger in the slums.
'The whole system has to change," one man cries.
"It can't go on like this."
Word spreads through the crowd that journalists have come and others call us over to talk to them. But we can't stay long.
Police are guarding the food stores to prevent riots and if they spot us we'll be arrested.
We move on to our next location, passing people scavenging through garbage for food and socialist billboards boasting how much more people are eating since the revolution.
We catch a train to the edge of the city. The greater Caracas area has 5 million people and most of them live in slums called barrios on the surrounding hills.
As a general rule, the poorer you are, the higher you live. Taxis don't even go the higher barrios. People climb up winding pot-holed streets or catch communal buses or even motorcycle taxis called motos.
At the top of one barrio we find a crowd of people waiting for government deliveries of gas that were supposed to come days before.
Behind them is a giant mural of Hugo Chavez, the first socialist president who lavished oil money on the barrios before dying unexpectedly in 2013.
"We miss him a lot," says an old woman named Josepina Lopez.
"He used to solve all the problems we have now."
But others have only contempt for the new president, Nicolas Maduro.
"People want him out of power," says a moto driver Leon Guerrero.
"But he does not let us vote because he knows he is going to lose. Every day the situation is harder and sometimes in feel suffocated."
The only business that's booming in the barrios is crime. With close to 4,000 murders a year Caracas is getting a reputation as the most dangerous city in Latin America.
Our translator puts us in touch with a local gang who agree to meet us.
We are taken into a concrete room and searched by young men wearing balaclavas and holding pistols.
The leader tells me nonchalantly what they do.
"A bit of everything," he says, "drugs, kidnapping, stealing cars, contract killings. Mostly drugs."
He says business is good.
"Do you worry about police?" I ask.
"No, we have good contacts."
He takes the bullets from his gun and gives it me to hold, then jokes I've left my fingerprints on it.
They line up to show us their weapons and agree to a group photograph.
We politely decline their invitation to smoke marijuana with them.
One of the gang members escorts us back down to the road with a gun "for safety".
We go back to the city centre to meet an eminent historian, Professor Margarita Lopez Maya.
She unlocks the gate to her compound and the heavy locks on her apartment where we set up the small, tourist-style cameras we've brought to interview her.
She explains that falling world oil prices are only part of the reason for the economy's collapse.
The socialist regime didn't just destroy the market economy though mass nationalisation.
It also ran down the state oil company, putting all the profits into social programs and nothing back into the ageing oil infrastructure.
"Venezuela today has the biggest reserves of oil in the world," she says.
"But the problem has been that during the Chavez era, the company has deteriorated seriously, especially in the last years.
"And we are reducing our oil production. They have killed the golden goose."
But even she is surprised by how quickly the economy fell apart when oil prices halved after Chavez's death.
"It's broken, it's absolutely broken," she says.
"Listen, it's so amazing what's going on in Venezuela and so unnecessary.
"You can't believe it!'
We need to change US dollars for the local currency, the Bolivar, named after the 19th century military leader Simon Bolivar who helped win independence from Spain.
The official exchange rate is a joke.
The currency is almost worthless, thanks partly to the government printing more money to pay its bills.
Everyone changes money on the black market where the rate is five to eight times higher.
I meet a man recommended by a barman in the hotel.
I give him four one-hundred dollar bills. He gives me a sack of bolivars. I am now a bolivar millionaire.
Every day we have to haul out huge wads of money and painstakingly count them out to pay for meals.
It's an inconvenience for foreigners, but a catastrophe for locals.
Their savings have been wiped out and hyperinflation means their wages can't cover food or medicine, even if they can find stores that stock them.
The tension of filming secretly rises each day with news of media crackdowns.
We learn two Brazilian journalists have just been arrested and deported.
An American reporter writes of being held for three days and interrogated after he was caught filming at a hospital.
The government takes CNN's Spanish broadcast off-air after it reports on food queues.
The government hasn't banned television journalists outright.
Like many authoritarian regimes, it's just stopped giving visa or filming permits.
Newspaper reporters and bloggers occasionally slip in, but some have been detained on arrival at Caracas airport and flown straight back out.
The atmosphere of surveillance is oppressive. Police are everywhere.
The streets are plastered with giant murals of Hugo Chavez's eyes, as if watching over the revolution.
Red mask-wearing 'colectivos', the government's civilian militia, monitor the barrios for 'counter-revolutionaries'.
Our translator keeps watch, telling us when to hide the camera.
Our luck finally runs out when a motorcycle patrol of the National Guard spots us filming in the street.
Fortunately we are interviewing a die-hard supporter who has tattooed the eyes of Chavez on his forehead.
We tell them we are socialist filmmakers showing the strong support for socialism in the barrios.
They let us go without checking for our permits.
We visit the heavily secured office of an opposition party called Vente to meet its leader Maria Corina Machado.
She tells us how the authorities are trying to break them. She's been accused of plotting to kill President Maduro.
At a rally she was fired on and the woman standing next to her was shot in the head.
She sent her children to grow up in the US after receiving repeated death threats. The government won't give her an exit permit to see them.
"They are the main reason for me to keep moving ahead," she tells us.
"I'm determined to see my kids as well as all Venezuelan children living in a nation full of opportunities, with solidarity, innovation and prosperity, and freedom."
But she says people are losing hope for change. Opposition parties won control of parliament last year but Maduro simply ignored its rulings.
New restrictions may stop them being able to register for next year's presidential election.
"Even though today over 80 per cent of the population is desperate for a profound change," she says, "they have realised that they no longer can have even uncompetitive elections."
We film around her crowded office. Everyone is white, educated and middle class.
They seem to confirm the government line, repeated endlessly on state-controlled television, that they are part of an out-of-touch elite.
But we learn later it's not so simple.
The regime illegally uses public money to fund its election campaigns but stops any opposition parties accessing it.
Only the middle class can afford to compete. And the regime is working hard to make sure they can never win.
CAMBODIA: Laos And Cambodia Sign Aviation Cooperation Agreement
Laos and Cambodia on Monday signed a document agreeing on the need to increase flights between them to meet the growing demand for air transport.
The head of the air transport division in the Department of Civil Aviation, Viengsay Singkham, yesterday said the minute of a meeting between aviation officials from the two countries was signed in Cambodia following the meeting.
The document aims to amend the Aviation Cooperation Agreement between Laos and Cambodia to help regional airlines increase flights between both countries in a bid to promote tourism and economic development.
Officials from both sides will submit the outcomes of the meeting to their higher authorities and proceed with the next steps to amend the agreement.
The director for Air Transport at Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Vann Chanty, said that the move will push airlines in both countries to operate more flights between Cambodia and Laos due to increasing demand from tourists.
“We need to update the agreement to comply with reality and the demands of the market,” Chanty was quoted as saying.
There are three airlines offering flights between Laos and Cambodia: Cambodia Angkor Air, Lao Airlines and Vietnam Airlines; they operate 21 flights a week.
Chanty said the passenger load between the two countries increased by 5 per cent last year to 178,000 and he believed the figure would hit 200,000 in the next two years.
Director-general of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Keo Sivorn, said the new agreement would make it easier for airlines to have direct flights between Cambodia and Laos and would open up new routes, such as from Phnom Penh and Preah Sihanouk to Vientiane or Luang Prabang.
Lao and Cambodian officials say that increasing transport connectivity will boost tourism growth in both countries .
The head of the air transport division in the Department of Civil Aviation, Viengsay Singkham, yesterday said the minute of a meeting between aviation officials from the two countries was signed in Cambodia following the meeting.
The document aims to amend the Aviation Cooperation Agreement between Laos and Cambodia to help regional airlines increase flights between both countries in a bid to promote tourism and economic development.
Officials from both sides will submit the outcomes of the meeting to their higher authorities and proceed with the next steps to amend the agreement.
The director for Air Transport at Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Vann Chanty, said that the move will push airlines in both countries to operate more flights between Cambodia and Laos due to increasing demand from tourists.
“We need to update the agreement to comply with reality and the demands of the market,” Chanty was quoted as saying.
There are three airlines offering flights between Laos and Cambodia: Cambodia Angkor Air, Lao Airlines and Vietnam Airlines; they operate 21 flights a week.
Chanty said the passenger load between the two countries increased by 5 per cent last year to 178,000 and he believed the figure would hit 200,000 in the next two years.
Director-general of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, Keo Sivorn, said the new agreement would make it easier for airlines to have direct flights between Cambodia and Laos and would open up new routes, such as from Phnom Penh and Preah Sihanouk to Vientiane or Luang Prabang.
Lao and Cambodian officials say that increasing transport connectivity will boost tourism growth in both countries .
MALDIVES: Booking.com Awards Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives
Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives has won two prestigious awards, the ‘Leading All Inclusive Resort’ from South Asian Travel Awards 2016 and the ‘Guest Review Award 2016’ from Booking.com.
The South Asian Travel Awards is the first ever regional Travel Awards endorsed by Multi National Associations providing the Tourism sector of the South Asian Region with recognition towards their facilities and service excellence, according to Booking.com, one of the largest global travel websites.
The ‘South Asia Travel Awards’ special gala event was held at Mount Lavinia Hotel Sri Lanka and was notable for the high quality achieved by the award nominees. The South Asian Travel Awards were presented to leading hotels and resorts, travel agents and partners in over 30 categories on Sri Lanka, Maldives and India.
Booking.com annually awards its partners who consistently deliver great guest experiences based on over 110 million reviews, 355,535 properties in 205 countries. To be recognized with an award, properties had to have an average review score of 8 or higher based on at least 10 reviews.
From this award, Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives gained 9 out of 10 score.
Booking.com strongly considers main factors related to traveller’s experience such as resort’s ambience, overall service, quality of food and beverage and other vital elements.
Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives is surrounded by the blue ocean of the South Ari Atoll, and distinctive with its timbered walkways and colonial-style buildings.
With 112 spacious villas set over-water, and suites blending harmoniously with the natural setting, the island has a wealth of activities and superb facilities that makes this an ideal hideaway for couples and honeymooners, or a fun-filled destination for families.
“It is another year of honour for Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives to be recognised as an impressive holiday destination. Receiving these awards from prominent travel institutions has given our team a very meaningful morale boost and determination to continue delivering unforgettable experiences to our guests. With our best-in-class Ultímate All-Inclusive package, our guests can be ensured to have a carefree holiday on a stunning tropical island, with dining, rejuvenating, playing and underworld exploring, all included,” said Voytek Klasicki, General Manager of Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives and Area General Manager of Maldives, Centara Hotels & Resorts.
The South Asian Travel Awards is the first ever regional Travel Awards endorsed by Multi National Associations providing the Tourism sector of the South Asian Region with recognition towards their facilities and service excellence, according to Booking.com, one of the largest global travel websites.
The ‘South Asia Travel Awards’ special gala event was held at Mount Lavinia Hotel Sri Lanka and was notable for the high quality achieved by the award nominees. The South Asian Travel Awards were presented to leading hotels and resorts, travel agents and partners in over 30 categories on Sri Lanka, Maldives and India.
Booking.com annually awards its partners who consistently deliver great guest experiences based on over 110 million reviews, 355,535 properties in 205 countries. To be recognized with an award, properties had to have an average review score of 8 or higher based on at least 10 reviews.
From this award, Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives gained 9 out of 10 score.
Booking.com strongly considers main factors related to traveller’s experience such as resort’s ambience, overall service, quality of food and beverage and other vital elements.
Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives is surrounded by the blue ocean of the South Ari Atoll, and distinctive with its timbered walkways and colonial-style buildings.
With 112 spacious villas set over-water, and suites blending harmoniously with the natural setting, the island has a wealth of activities and superb facilities that makes this an ideal hideaway for couples and honeymooners, or a fun-filled destination for families.
“It is another year of honour for Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives to be recognised as an impressive holiday destination. Receiving these awards from prominent travel institutions has given our team a very meaningful morale boost and determination to continue delivering unforgettable experiences to our guests. With our best-in-class Ultímate All-Inclusive package, our guests can be ensured to have a carefree holiday on a stunning tropical island, with dining, rejuvenating, playing and underworld exploring, all included,” said Voytek Klasicki, General Manager of Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives and Area General Manager of Maldives, Centara Hotels & Resorts.
Friday, 24 March 2017
INDIA: Air India, IndiGo Cancel Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad's Ticket
Moments after Shiv Sena MP from Osmanabad Ravindra Gaikwad refused to apologise for thrashing an Air India staff, the airline cancelled his return ticket from Delhi to Pune.
Shiv Sena Member of Parliament, Ravindra Gaikwad, in the news for slapping an Air India employee with his slippers, may be permanently barred from flying on the country's national carrier.
The Osmanabad MP has refused to apologise for his behaviour. According to latest reports, Air India has cancelled Gaikwad's return ticket from Delhi to Pune.
Following this, IndiGo too canceled Gaikwad's ticket.
The MP was booked on a 5pm flight, but the airline, which along with other private carriers has barred Gaikwad from flying with them, had cancelled the ticket.
The Federation of Indian Airlines, an industry body representing India's scheduled airline carriers, has blacklisted Gaikwad.
The FIA counts Jet Airways, IndiGo, Go Air, SpiceJet and JetLite as its members.
"Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," FIA Director Ujjwal Dey, said in a statement.
Air India, meanwhile, has been mulling establishing a no-fly list of passengers with a history of bad behaviour while flying on the airline.
Once implemented, Gaikwad, who has remained defiant about the incident while admitting to assaulting the AI employee, would be on the list.
IndiGo and SpiceJet, meanwhile, have lent support to the idea of forming a nationwide no-fly list. "SpiceJet supports a no-fly list to bar unruly flyers who are a safety hazard for not just the crew but even the traveling public.
The government needs to act on this soon," SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh said.
"In the interest of the safety and security of our colleagues and other customers we also propose the promulgation of a "no fly" list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers," Dey said in the FIA statement.
Gaikwad, in an interview remained unapologetic about the incident, saying he is not in the wrong. "I do not regret (beating up the employee) and I will not apologise," Gaikwad said.
He went on to dare Air India to blacklist from flying on the airline, adding that if AI employees misbehaved with him again in the future, he will repeat his actions.
The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, has asked Gaikwad to explain his actions.
The incident took place Thursday at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport on Air India flight AI 852 after it reached the national capital from Pune.
Gaikwad got into an argument with the flight's staff over not being given a business class seat, despite having a ticket for the same.
The MP refused to leave the aircraft, which was on the tarmac and which had to leave for Goa, until senior airline officials met him.
Finally, after intervention from the ground staff, Gaikwad agreed to deboard the plane. He, however, got into an argument 61-year-old Surendra Kundu, an Air India customer services officer, at the arrival gate.
On being told by Kundu that Gaikwad, being an elected representative, should not behave in this manner, the MP got agitated and started slapping Kundu with his slippers.
Later in the day, when questioned by the media, the unrepentant Gaikwad boasted about how he knows how to 'fix' people's ego and said that he had hit Kundu not once, but "25 times".
Meanwhile, a new video has surfaced showing Gaikwad scolding DSP of Osmnabad, the MP's constituency, over a case involving missing Shiv Sena workers.
The MP can be heard shouting at the DSP, Chandrakant Khandvi, in Marathi, asking him to explain why the case is unsolved and questioning the need for a written complaint.
The video depicts events from March 21, just two days before Gaikwad got into the scuffle with the AI
Shiv Sena Member of Parliament, Ravindra Gaikwad, in the news for slapping an Air India employee with his slippers, may be permanently barred from flying on the country's national carrier.
The Osmanabad MP has refused to apologise for his behaviour. According to latest reports, Air India has cancelled Gaikwad's return ticket from Delhi to Pune.
Following this, IndiGo too canceled Gaikwad's ticket.
The MP was booked on a 5pm flight, but the airline, which along with other private carriers has barred Gaikwad from flying with them, had cancelled the ticket.
The Federation of Indian Airlines, an industry body representing India's scheduled airline carriers, has blacklisted Gaikwad.
The FIA counts Jet Airways, IndiGo, Go Air, SpiceJet and JetLite as its members.
"Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," FIA Director Ujjwal Dey, said in a statement.
Air India, meanwhile, has been mulling establishing a no-fly list of passengers with a history of bad behaviour while flying on the airline.
Once implemented, Gaikwad, who has remained defiant about the incident while admitting to assaulting the AI employee, would be on the list.
IndiGo and SpiceJet, meanwhile, have lent support to the idea of forming a nationwide no-fly list. "SpiceJet supports a no-fly list to bar unruly flyers who are a safety hazard for not just the crew but even the traveling public.
The government needs to act on this soon," SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh said.
"In the interest of the safety and security of our colleagues and other customers we also propose the promulgation of a "no fly" list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers," Dey said in the FIA statement.
Gaikwad, in an interview remained unapologetic about the incident, saying he is not in the wrong. "I do not regret (beating up the employee) and I will not apologise," Gaikwad said.
He went on to dare Air India to blacklist from flying on the airline, adding that if AI employees misbehaved with him again in the future, he will repeat his actions.
The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, has asked Gaikwad to explain his actions.
The incident took place Thursday at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport on Air India flight AI 852 after it reached the national capital from Pune.
Gaikwad got into an argument with the flight's staff over not being given a business class seat, despite having a ticket for the same.
The MP refused to leave the aircraft, which was on the tarmac and which had to leave for Goa, until senior airline officials met him.
Finally, after intervention from the ground staff, Gaikwad agreed to deboard the plane. He, however, got into an argument 61-year-old Surendra Kundu, an Air India customer services officer, at the arrival gate.
On being told by Kundu that Gaikwad, being an elected representative, should not behave in this manner, the MP got agitated and started slapping Kundu with his slippers.
Later in the day, when questioned by the media, the unrepentant Gaikwad boasted about how he knows how to 'fix' people's ego and said that he had hit Kundu not once, but "25 times".
Meanwhile, a new video has surfaced showing Gaikwad scolding DSP of Osmnabad, the MP's constituency, over a case involving missing Shiv Sena workers.
The MP can be heard shouting at the DSP, Chandrakant Khandvi, in Marathi, asking him to explain why the case is unsolved and questioning the need for a written complaint.
The video depicts events from March 21, just two days before Gaikwad got into the scuffle with the AI
Thursday, 23 March 2017
Enjoy Jackfruit Seeds
Most of us are unaware that these seeds have valuable benefits. We love gorging on the sweet and yummy fruit and prefer to dispose of the seeds without even knowing that they are high in proteins.
Take a seed of jackfruit and keep it dipped in cold milk for a while. Grind it well and apply softly on your wrinkles. It is believed to work on wrinkles in just about four-five weeks time. Apply regularly for best results.
These seeds have rich nutritional value.
Eating jack fruit seeds benefits people as it is a high source of carbohydrates, dietary fiber and vitamin A, C and B.
It is also packed with minerals like calcium, zinc, and phosphorous.
The top health benefits of eating jack fruit seeds is that it contains enormous amounts of phytonutrients such as lignans, isoflavones and saponins.
The isoflavones and anti oxidants help to prevent cancer. Unlike most vitamins and minerals which are considered vital for the body, phytonutrients , on the other hand may not be classified as essential, yet they provide all the benefits for overall health.
Interestingly their health benefits include anti-cancer antihypertensive and anti-ageing antioxidant. It is better to eat the powder of Jack fruit seeds for people who want to reduce the uneasiness caused by indigestion and also to prevent constipation.
Jack fruit seeds has umpteen benefits which makes it good for skin, hair and overall health. Here are some of the essentials health benefits.
If you want to lessen the wrinkles on your face, take the seed of a Jack fruit and leave it in cold milk for some time. Then grind it smoothly and apply it on your facial wrinkles. Make sure to do this regularly if you want to reduce wrinkles. This is one of the chief jack fruit seeds benefits that help to keep you looking younger.
Eating Jack Fruit seeds regularly can be beneficial for your well being. The seed which has high-fibre content helps to prevent constipation. Jack Fruit seeds are an excellent detoxifier that helps drive away toxins. Curing constipation is the foremost way for a glowing complexion.
The other interesting benefits of Jack fruit seeds is that it is frequently used to get a flawless skin. Try to soak the dry seed with some milk and honey. After some time, grind them into a fine paste. Make sure to apply the finely ground paste evenly on the face. Let it dry completely. Wash off your face after 15 minutes.
It is a known fact that Jack fruits seeds have rich benefits as they are high in proteins and other micronutrients. It is also the perfect remedy to cure skin diseases and to alleviate mental stress. Eating Jack fruit seeds keeps the skin moisture levels high. It also helps to keep your hair fall and your liver under check.
Jack Fruit seeds has high benefits to maintain blood circulation. Proper blood circulation is good for healthy hair growth. Moreover eating jack fruit seeds is also good to control blood sugar levels since it is rich in manganese.
Eating Jack fruit seeds does add up iron supplies which are essentially needed for your body. This helps to prevent inherited blood disorder called anaemia.
Jack fruit seeds contain vitamin A which helps maintains good eye sight. It also prevents eye diseases like night blindness. The vitamin A in the seed promotes healthy hair and it tries to put an end to dry and brittle hair.
Jackfruit seeds can be roasted like chestnut. These roasted seeds are considered to be an aphrodisiac which stimulates sexual pleasure. These are some of the Jack fruit seed benefits that are essential for skin and well being.
Jackfruit seeds have a lot of phytonutrients that help fight cancer.
The powdered jackfruit seeds can help get instant relief from indigestion. You may sun-dry jackfruit seeds and then grind it to get powder or use the one available in the market.
Jackfruit seeds have been proved beneficial for hair as well.
Jackfruit seeds promote healthy blood circulation. Now proper blood circulation is extremely important for good hair growth. Hence it promotes hair growth.
Jackfruit seeds are high on vitamin A, which is the one of the most important vitamins for hair health as it prevents dry and brittle hair.
Once again, healthy digestion is important for good hair. If your digestive system has a problem, it may affect your liver which in turn may give rise to hair fall. Jackfruit and its seeds promote healthy digestion and hence keep your liver and your hair fall under check.
Take a seed of jackfruit and keep it dipped in cold milk for a while. Grind it well and apply softly on your wrinkles. It is believed to work on wrinkles in just about four-five weeks time. Apply regularly for best results.
These seeds have rich nutritional value.
Eating jack fruit seeds benefits people as it is a high source of carbohydrates, dietary fiber and vitamin A, C and B.
It is also packed with minerals like calcium, zinc, and phosphorous.
The top health benefits of eating jack fruit seeds is that it contains enormous amounts of phytonutrients such as lignans, isoflavones and saponins.
The isoflavones and anti oxidants help to prevent cancer. Unlike most vitamins and minerals which are considered vital for the body, phytonutrients , on the other hand may not be classified as essential, yet they provide all the benefits for overall health.
Interestingly their health benefits include anti-cancer antihypertensive and anti-ageing antioxidant. It is better to eat the powder of Jack fruit seeds for people who want to reduce the uneasiness caused by indigestion and also to prevent constipation.
Jack fruit seeds has umpteen benefits which makes it good for skin, hair and overall health. Here are some of the essentials health benefits.
If you want to lessen the wrinkles on your face, take the seed of a Jack fruit and leave it in cold milk for some time. Then grind it smoothly and apply it on your facial wrinkles. Make sure to do this regularly if you want to reduce wrinkles. This is one of the chief jack fruit seeds benefits that help to keep you looking younger.
Eating Jack Fruit seeds regularly can be beneficial for your well being. The seed which has high-fibre content helps to prevent constipation. Jack Fruit seeds are an excellent detoxifier that helps drive away toxins. Curing constipation is the foremost way for a glowing complexion.
The other interesting benefits of Jack fruit seeds is that it is frequently used to get a flawless skin. Try to soak the dry seed with some milk and honey. After some time, grind them into a fine paste. Make sure to apply the finely ground paste evenly on the face. Let it dry completely. Wash off your face after 15 minutes.
It is a known fact that Jack fruits seeds have rich benefits as they are high in proteins and other micronutrients. It is also the perfect remedy to cure skin diseases and to alleviate mental stress. Eating Jack fruit seeds keeps the skin moisture levels high. It also helps to keep your hair fall and your liver under check.
Jack Fruit seeds has high benefits to maintain blood circulation. Proper blood circulation is good for healthy hair growth. Moreover eating jack fruit seeds is also good to control blood sugar levels since it is rich in manganese.
Eating Jack fruit seeds does add up iron supplies which are essentially needed for your body. This helps to prevent inherited blood disorder called anaemia.
Jack fruit seeds contain vitamin A which helps maintains good eye sight. It also prevents eye diseases like night blindness. The vitamin A in the seed promotes healthy hair and it tries to put an end to dry and brittle hair.
Jackfruit seeds can be roasted like chestnut. These roasted seeds are considered to be an aphrodisiac which stimulates sexual pleasure. These are some of the Jack fruit seed benefits that are essential for skin and well being.
Jackfruit seeds have a lot of phytonutrients that help fight cancer.
The powdered jackfruit seeds can help get instant relief from indigestion. You may sun-dry jackfruit seeds and then grind it to get powder or use the one available in the market.
Jackfruit seeds have been proved beneficial for hair as well.
Jackfruit seeds promote healthy blood circulation. Now proper blood circulation is extremely important for good hair growth. Hence it promotes hair growth.
Jackfruit seeds are high on vitamin A, which is the one of the most important vitamins for hair health as it prevents dry and brittle hair.
Once again, healthy digestion is important for good hair. If your digestive system has a problem, it may affect your liver which in turn may give rise to hair fall. Jackfruit and its seeds promote healthy digestion and hence keep your liver and your hair fall under check.
TANZANIA: Information Minister Sacked
Tanzania's President John Magufuli has sacked his information minister, who launched an investigation into a powerful government administrator accused of intimidating a popular private media station in the main city, Dar es Salaam.
In a mini-reshuffle announced this morning, President Magufuli did not explain why Nape Nauye had been pushed out of the cabinet.
On Tuesday, an investigating team, formed by Mr Nauye, recommended disciplinary action against embattled Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda following allegations that he stormed into the offices of Clouds Media Group (CMG) on Friday.
Mr Makonda was unhappy that the TV station had failed to run a story that would have portrayed a local cleric in a bad light.
Mr Makonda and the religious leader have had a public disagreement over an alleged drugs scandal.
President Magufuli appeared to defend his administrator, a move that sparked off public outrage, especially among social media users.
Mr Makonda, who is said to enjoy a close relationship with the president, is yet to comment on the incident.
In a mini-reshuffle announced this morning, President Magufuli did not explain why Nape Nauye had been pushed out of the cabinet.
On Tuesday, an investigating team, formed by Mr Nauye, recommended disciplinary action against embattled Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda following allegations that he stormed into the offices of Clouds Media Group (CMG) on Friday.
Mr Makonda was unhappy that the TV station had failed to run a story that would have portrayed a local cleric in a bad light.
Mr Makonda and the religious leader have had a public disagreement over an alleged drugs scandal.
President Magufuli appeared to defend his administrator, a move that sparked off public outrage, especially among social media users.
Mr Makonda, who is said to enjoy a close relationship with the president, is yet to comment on the incident.
INDIA: MP Hits Air India Flight Attendant 25 Times On Pune To Delhi Flight
Shiv Sena MP admitted to beating an Air India flight attendant with a slipper following an argument over being moved to economy from business class.
"He was arrogant," Ravindra Gaikwad later said, expressing no regret. "I hit him 25 times with my sandal."
The incident took place on Thursday morning after the Air India flight from Pune landed in Delhi at around 10.30am.
Gaikwad refused to get off the plane as he was forced to travel economy despite carrying a business class ticket and did not accept the airline's explanation that there were only economy seats on the flight.
Gaikwad claimed an airline employee tried to make him exit the plane and told him not to give him "BP" (blood pressure).
"I said I am an MP, don't raise your voice. He said 'what MP? I will talk to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi', so I hit him. I am not here to take abuse,I am not from the BJP," the MP said.
The Air India steward has alleged that he was "humiliated in front of the entire crew and his spectacles were broken".
The Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from the MP on the issue. "The Sena does not condone violence of any kind," Harshal Pradhan, media adviser to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
His high-handedness drew flak online including from a leader of ally BJP.
"Elected representatives need to respect people who are doing their job, irrespective of whether the Air India man was rude," said Shaina NC, BJP leader Shaina NC.
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Thursday said that no political party will encourage such an act.
"It is a question of human behaviour. Any citizen hitting an airline staffer doesn't make any sense. If there is anything, it can always be taken up. No citizen will behave like this," Raju told said.
A Shiv Sena parliamentarian has been named in two FIRs or police complaints by Air India after he thrashed a 60-year-old airline employee with his slipper during an argument over a business class seat this morning. An unrepentant Ravindra Gaikwad bragged, "I hit him 25 times with my sandal."
The national carrier has decided to prepare a "no-fly" list of unruly passengers, say sources.
When Mr Gaikwad's flight from Pune landed in Delhi around 10.30 am, he refused to get off the plane for nearly an hour.
The lawmaker was reportedly upset about travelling economy when he has an open business class ticket that he is entitled to as a member of Parliament.
The morning flight he took was all-economy, but that failed to mollify him.
As he refused to budge or let the staff prepare the plane for its next flight, Customer Relations Manager Shiv kumar was called in. "I told him you are a senior person and asked him to sit down and BP mat badao (control your blood pressure). I said I am an MP, don't raise your voice. He said 'what MP? I will talk to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi', so I hit him. I am not here to take abuse...I am not from the BJP," the lawmaker shrugged.
Mr Shivkumar has alleged that he was "humiliated in front of the entire crew, his shirt was torn and spectacle broken" by the MP.
The airline has filed complaints accusing Mr Gaikwad of assaulting its staff as well as delaying the next flight.
Mr Gaikwad, 57, is a first-time lawmaker from Maharashtra and no stranger to controversy. In 2014, he was among a group of Sena members who tried to force-feed a Muslim employee of Maharashtra Sadan during Ramzan, complaining about bad food.
The MP has been skewered on social media and by various parties including ally BJP.
"Elected representatives need to respect people who are doing their job, irrespective of whether the Air India man was rude," said BJP leader Shaina NC.
"He was arrogant," Ravindra Gaikwad later said, expressing no regret. "I hit him 25 times with my sandal."
The incident took place on Thursday morning after the Air India flight from Pune landed in Delhi at around 10.30am.
Gaikwad refused to get off the plane as he was forced to travel economy despite carrying a business class ticket and did not accept the airline's explanation that there were only economy seats on the flight.
Gaikwad claimed an airline employee tried to make him exit the plane and told him not to give him "BP" (blood pressure).
"I said I am an MP, don't raise your voice. He said 'what MP? I will talk to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi', so I hit him. I am not here to take abuse,I am not from the BJP," the MP said.
The Air India steward has alleged that he was "humiliated in front of the entire crew and his spectacles were broken".
The Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from the MP on the issue. "The Sena does not condone violence of any kind," Harshal Pradhan, media adviser to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
His high-handedness drew flak online including from a leader of ally BJP.
"Elected representatives need to respect people who are doing their job, irrespective of whether the Air India man was rude," said Shaina NC, BJP leader Shaina NC.
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Thursday said that no political party will encourage such an act.
"It is a question of human behaviour. Any citizen hitting an airline staffer doesn't make any sense. If there is anything, it can always be taken up. No citizen will behave like this," Raju told said.
A Shiv Sena parliamentarian has been named in two FIRs or police complaints by Air India after he thrashed a 60-year-old airline employee with his slipper during an argument over a business class seat this morning. An unrepentant Ravindra Gaikwad bragged, "I hit him 25 times with my sandal."
The national carrier has decided to prepare a "no-fly" list of unruly passengers, say sources.
When Mr Gaikwad's flight from Pune landed in Delhi around 10.30 am, he refused to get off the plane for nearly an hour.
The lawmaker was reportedly upset about travelling economy when he has an open business class ticket that he is entitled to as a member of Parliament.
The morning flight he took was all-economy, but that failed to mollify him.
As he refused to budge or let the staff prepare the plane for its next flight, Customer Relations Manager Shiv kumar was called in. "I told him you are a senior person and asked him to sit down and BP mat badao (control your blood pressure). I said I am an MP, don't raise your voice. He said 'what MP? I will talk to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi', so I hit him. I am not here to take abuse...I am not from the BJP," the lawmaker shrugged.
Mr Shivkumar has alleged that he was "humiliated in front of the entire crew, his shirt was torn and spectacle broken" by the MP.
The airline has filed complaints accusing Mr Gaikwad of assaulting its staff as well as delaying the next flight.
Mr Gaikwad, 57, is a first-time lawmaker from Maharashtra and no stranger to controversy. In 2014, he was among a group of Sena members who tried to force-feed a Muslim employee of Maharashtra Sadan during Ramzan, complaining about bad food.
The MP has been skewered on social media and by various parties including ally BJP.
"Elected representatives need to respect people who are doing their job, irrespective of whether the Air India man was rude," said BJP leader Shaina NC.
NIGERIA: Aviation Unions Shut Down Arik Air
Aviation unions on Thursday shut down Arik Air, the largest airline in Nigeria.
The unions, which include the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, on Wednesdy threatened to shut down the airline following Arik management’s failure to reinstate its sacked members.
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria on February 9 took over Arik as a result of the airline’s bad debt to the company
and other creditors.
AMCON had thereafter appointed Roy Ilegbodu as manager of the airline.
But Olayinka Abioye, General Secretary, NUATE, while speakng on Wednesday in Lagos, accused the new management of intolerance to
unionism.
Mr. Abioye alleged that the new management, through a recent circular, warned the workers not to join the unions in the industry and had refused to address all the pending issues affecting the workers.
Staff of the airline on Thursday shut down its operations, as the entrance of the airline’s office at the Lagos airport was barricaded.
“We will resist all forms of intimidation,” a staff of the airline said.
The unions, which include the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, on Wednesdy threatened to shut down the airline following Arik management’s failure to reinstate its sacked members.
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria on February 9 took over Arik as a result of the airline’s bad debt to the company
and other creditors.
AMCON had thereafter appointed Roy Ilegbodu as manager of the airline.
But Olayinka Abioye, General Secretary, NUATE, while speakng on Wednesday in Lagos, accused the new management of intolerance to
unionism.
Mr. Abioye alleged that the new management, through a recent circular, warned the workers not to join the unions in the industry and had refused to address all the pending issues affecting the workers.
Staff of the airline on Thursday shut down its operations, as the entrance of the airline’s office at the Lagos airport was barricaded.
“We will resist all forms of intimidation,” a staff of the airline said.
SOUTH AFRICA: Woman On Uber Taxi Raped, Boyfriend Stabbed
Pietermaritzburg man and his girlfriend were left battered, bruised and traumatised after they were kidnapped and tortured in Johannesburg recently.
The attackers are believed to be a driver for well-known international taxi service Uber, and his accomplices.
However, Uber spokesperson Samantha Allenberg would not confirm that it was indeed a registered Uber driver involved in the attack, as the matter was still under police investigation.
The couple hailed an Uber taxi via the cellphone app in the early hours of August 28 after a night at a popular Johannesburg nightclub.
A close relative relayed how his niece and her boyfriend were kidnapped, stabbed and the woman raped during their eight-hour ordeal.
The Pietermaritzburg man lives and works at an insurance company in Gauteng while his partner, formerly from Durban, moved to Johannesburg just three weeks ago to take up a new job.
According to the relative, who asked not be named to protect the woman’s identity, his niece and her friends ordered three Uber taxis to take the group home, but the 26-year-old and her boyfriend were the only ones to share one taxi home at around 2.30 am.
“Everything was in place and pointed to the signs that it was a legitimate Uber taxi. They only noticed something was wrong when the driver passed the turn-off they were supposed to take,” said the uncle.
He said two men, who were hiding in the boot of the vehicle, pushed the back seats forward and stabbed the 26-year-old boyfriend before dragging the couple into the boot of the vehicle.
“They were then driven to an ATM in Tembisa, where she was forced to withdraw R3 000. However, she used her mother’s bank card and her mother was immediately alerted to the withdrawal via SMS,” he said.
The woman’s mother, who lives in Durban, immediately tried to contact her daughter and her boyfriend, but neither answered their cellphones.
“This was when her mother started contacting her daughter’s cousins and friends to see where she was. The friends who were at the club with them were already at home and began to worry,” he said.
Then began a frantic search for the couple by family and friends.
Meanwhile, the couple were blindfolded and their hands and feet bound with cable-ties, and driven to a house in Tembisa, a township north of Kempton Park, where they were held hostage.
They were only found by local residents around 11 am on the morning of August 28 after the couple managed to gain the attention of a child playing on the road.
“For eight hours, they were beaten and stabbed and my niece was raped. There were three men in the vehicle when the initial attack happened, but a fourth man joined them at the house during the morning,” the uncle said.
At the house, the brutality worsened when the Pietermaritzburg man failed to transfer a large sum of money to the kidnappers’ bank account, using one of their laptops.
“They were traumatised and brutally attacked for hours. It was only divine intervention that saved them,” the uncle said.
He said the man, bound by cable ties, managed to pull the curtain off its rails when they were left alone and saw the child playing on the road. It is believed the child alerted her family and the neighbours approached the house.
“When the men found out the community knew something was going on in the house, they fled. People in the community smashed the window and held their hands and kept telling them the police were on the way.
“The men had told them that they were going to kill them. When the community members smashed the window, the couple cried and asked them not to leave them there,” he said.
Police broke down the door and freed the couple. Their attackers are still at large.
Police spokesperson Captain Lefibana Molokomme said police were investigating a case of kidnapping and rape.
“There have been no arrests made as yet, but we are working around the clock to apprehend the suspects,” he said.
He urged anyone with information to contact the station at 011 391 1814.TAXI service Uber is accused of refusing to assist frantic family and friends to track down the whereabouts of the taxi the couple were abducted in.
Statement From Uber
The uncle of the young woman attacked said the couple’s friends contacted Uber via social media and the cellphone app, but the response only included a link to the company’s e-mail address as it does not have a call centre.
“Uber mentioned they were unable to provide details of the driver, his trips and refused to assist with contacting the driver of the Uber.
“Uber failed to respond on social media platforms to strong keywords being used such as hijack, kidnap etc,” read a post on the incident on Uber’s Facebook page.
The post has since been widely distributed on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and other social media platforms.
Some lashed out at the company, saying they would not use the taxi service any longer.
“As much as I use Uber for its convenience and ease of availability, whether or not this Uber was hijacked or not and/or the driver was involved or not, Uber chose not to assist whatsoever in locating the rider and chose not to assist in a critical situation without any alacrity that may have sped up the process of finding the couple, and in the most dire circumstance saved a life if the worst had to happen,” read the post.
UBER spokesperson Samantha Allenberg said she could not confirm if the attackers were registered Uber drivers, but added that the company was assisting police with their investigation.
She urged riders to check that their driver’s photo, name, vehicle and vehicle registration matched the details provided in the Uber app, before getting into the car.
The family was adamant that it was a registered Uber vehicle and that the driver and other details matched, Allenberg said she could not comment further.
She said while there had been a delayed response in assisting the couple’s family and friends in tracking down the vehicle, Uber’s incident response team had since contacted the couple and their families to offer support.
However, Uber said on its Facebook page that the information concerning the incident should have been escalated to the company’s head of trust and safety immediately upon receipt.
“While there is a privacy policy in place, a situation like this is most certainly one which should have been escalated immediately.
“The customer service representative did not follow our internal escalation processes and we will deal with this internally. Please know that we take matters like this extremely seriously and that we will be taking necessary action,” read the response from the Uber social media team.
Allenberg said they would continue to provide police with information “to support their efforts to bring whoever is responsible to justice”.
“This is a despicable crime and our first thoughts are with the victims and their families …” she said.
Beyond the driver screening processes, riders were also able to track all trips using GPS from beginning to end, and to share their estimated time of arrival and route with others, Allenberg said.
The attackers are believed to be a driver for well-known international taxi service Uber, and his accomplices.
However, Uber spokesperson Samantha Allenberg would not confirm that it was indeed a registered Uber driver involved in the attack, as the matter was still under police investigation.
The couple hailed an Uber taxi via the cellphone app in the early hours of August 28 after a night at a popular Johannesburg nightclub.
A close relative relayed how his niece and her boyfriend were kidnapped, stabbed and the woman raped during their eight-hour ordeal.
The Pietermaritzburg man lives and works at an insurance company in Gauteng while his partner, formerly from Durban, moved to Johannesburg just three weeks ago to take up a new job.
According to the relative, who asked not be named to protect the woman’s identity, his niece and her friends ordered three Uber taxis to take the group home, but the 26-year-old and her boyfriend were the only ones to share one taxi home at around 2.30 am.
“Everything was in place and pointed to the signs that it was a legitimate Uber taxi. They only noticed something was wrong when the driver passed the turn-off they were supposed to take,” said the uncle.
He said two men, who were hiding in the boot of the vehicle, pushed the back seats forward and stabbed the 26-year-old boyfriend before dragging the couple into the boot of the vehicle.
“They were then driven to an ATM in Tembisa, where she was forced to withdraw R3 000. However, she used her mother’s bank card and her mother was immediately alerted to the withdrawal via SMS,” he said.
The woman’s mother, who lives in Durban, immediately tried to contact her daughter and her boyfriend, but neither answered their cellphones.
“This was when her mother started contacting her daughter’s cousins and friends to see where she was. The friends who were at the club with them were already at home and began to worry,” he said.
Then began a frantic search for the couple by family and friends.
Meanwhile, the couple were blindfolded and their hands and feet bound with cable-ties, and driven to a house in Tembisa, a township north of Kempton Park, where they were held hostage.
They were only found by local residents around 11 am on the morning of August 28 after the couple managed to gain the attention of a child playing on the road.
“For eight hours, they were beaten and stabbed and my niece was raped. There were three men in the vehicle when the initial attack happened, but a fourth man joined them at the house during the morning,” the uncle said.
At the house, the brutality worsened when the Pietermaritzburg man failed to transfer a large sum of money to the kidnappers’ bank account, using one of their laptops.
“They were traumatised and brutally attacked for hours. It was only divine intervention that saved them,” the uncle said.
He said the man, bound by cable ties, managed to pull the curtain off its rails when they were left alone and saw the child playing on the road. It is believed the child alerted her family and the neighbours approached the house.
“When the men found out the community knew something was going on in the house, they fled. People in the community smashed the window and held their hands and kept telling them the police were on the way.
“The men had told them that they were going to kill them. When the community members smashed the window, the couple cried and asked them not to leave them there,” he said.
Police broke down the door and freed the couple. Their attackers are still at large.
Police spokesperson Captain Lefibana Molokomme said police were investigating a case of kidnapping and rape.
“There have been no arrests made as yet, but we are working around the clock to apprehend the suspects,” he said.
He urged anyone with information to contact the station at 011 391 1814.TAXI service Uber is accused of refusing to assist frantic family and friends to track down the whereabouts of the taxi the couple were abducted in.
Statement From Uber
The uncle of the young woman attacked said the couple’s friends contacted Uber via social media and the cellphone app, but the response only included a link to the company’s e-mail address as it does not have a call centre.
“Uber mentioned they were unable to provide details of the driver, his trips and refused to assist with contacting the driver of the Uber.
“Uber failed to respond on social media platforms to strong keywords being used such as hijack, kidnap etc,” read a post on the incident on Uber’s Facebook page.
The post has since been widely distributed on Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and other social media platforms.
Some lashed out at the company, saying they would not use the taxi service any longer.
“As much as I use Uber for its convenience and ease of availability, whether or not this Uber was hijacked or not and/or the driver was involved or not, Uber chose not to assist whatsoever in locating the rider and chose not to assist in a critical situation without any alacrity that may have sped up the process of finding the couple, and in the most dire circumstance saved a life if the worst had to happen,” read the post.
UBER spokesperson Samantha Allenberg said she could not confirm if the attackers were registered Uber drivers, but added that the company was assisting police with their investigation.
She urged riders to check that their driver’s photo, name, vehicle and vehicle registration matched the details provided in the Uber app, before getting into the car.
The family was adamant that it was a registered Uber vehicle and that the driver and other details matched, Allenberg said she could not comment further.
She said while there had been a delayed response in assisting the couple’s family and friends in tracking down the vehicle, Uber’s incident response team had since contacted the couple and their families to offer support.
However, Uber said on its Facebook page that the information concerning the incident should have been escalated to the company’s head of trust and safety immediately upon receipt.
“While there is a privacy policy in place, a situation like this is most certainly one which should have been escalated immediately.
“The customer service representative did not follow our internal escalation processes and we will deal with this internally. Please know that we take matters like this extremely seriously and that we will be taking necessary action,” read the response from the Uber social media team.
Allenberg said they would continue to provide police with information “to support their efforts to bring whoever is responsible to justice”.
“This is a despicable crime and our first thoughts are with the victims and their families …” she said.
Beyond the driver screening processes, riders were also able to track all trips using GPS from beginning to end, and to share their estimated time of arrival and route with others, Allenberg said.
SOUTH AFRICA: Uber Introduces Real-time ID
The feature, which verifies registered drivers, comes in the wake of reports of some users being attacked, kidnapped and raped by bogus Uber drivers.
Uber has debuted its biometric safety technology in South Africa called Real-time ID.
If proven successful it will be rolled-out to the rest of the continent.
The feature, which verifies registered drivers, comes in the wake of reports of some users being attacked, kidnapped and raped by bogus Uber drivers.
General Manager for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa Alon Lits says they are always looking at enhancing safety.
“We have introduced real-time identity check, which means at random intervals when drivers log on to the application they will be prompted to take a selfie while they use their phone.
This picture that they take will be validated against the picture that we have on file.
Uber has debuted its biometric safety technology in South Africa called Real-time ID.
If proven successful it will be rolled-out to the rest of the continent.
The feature, which verifies registered drivers, comes in the wake of reports of some users being attacked, kidnapped and raped by bogus Uber drivers.
General Manager for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa Alon Lits says they are always looking at enhancing safety.
“We have introduced real-time identity check, which means at random intervals when drivers log on to the application they will be prompted to take a selfie while they use their phone.
This picture that they take will be validated against the picture that we have on file.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)