India

A favourite venue for international luxury wedding events, Sheraton Grand Danang Resort is firmly marked on the destination map for Vietnamese resort tourism The wedding, organised for two super-rich Indian families, required particular security features as all information was kept secret and the media barred. The wedding was the biggest in Danang in terms of guests, with 700 people from India’s higher class staying at Sheraton Grand Danang resort, 180 people on hand to serve as the wedding’s event team and F&B team, 45 Indian artists, and the 300 resort staff serving the festivities over the three days. With flexible and thoughtful organisation, Sheraton Grand Danang Resort delivered the wedding flawlessly, while demonstrating that Danang and Vietnam as a whole are capable of pleasing any guest in the world. The three-day wedding consisted of a total of 10 main and sub parties. Parties were staged featuring impressive ideas and unique decoration, with the Vietnamese … [Read more...] about Mysterious wedding of super-rich held at Sheraton Grand Danang Resort

Some Indian tea plantations stamped slavery-free are abusing and underpaying their workers, according to new data that experts said could erode consumer trust in ethically-sourced products. A study from Britain's Sheffield University, revealed exclusively by the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Thursday, showed certification schemes by groups such as Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance are failing to stop labor exploitation. The report found little difference in the conditions of about 600 tea workers surveyed on certified and non-certified farms in Assam and Kerala, India's major tea producing regions. All lived below the poverty line and workers on certified farms were often treated worse, facing beatings and sexual violence and having wages and benefits withheld, the study said. The tea industry in India, the world's second-largest producer that employs 3.5 million workers, has faced accusations of abusive conditions before but this is the one of the first studies into the certified … [Read more...] about Expose of labor abuse brews trouble for ‘slave-free’ Indian tea

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has trimmed its forecasts for economic growth in developing Asia this year and next year as growth in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and India is weighed down by both external and domestic factors. Illustrative photo In a supplement to its Asian Development Outlook 2019 Update released in September, ADB now expects gross domestic product (GDP) in the region to expand 5.2% in both 2019 and 2020, down from the September forecast of 5.4% growth this year and 5.5% next year. “While growth rates are still solid in developing Asia, persistent trade tensions have taken a toll on the region and are still the biggest risk to the longer-term economic outlook. Domestic investment is also weakening in many countries, as business sentiment has declined,” said ADB Chief Economist Mr. Yasuyuki Sawada. “Inflation, on the other hand, is ticking up on the back of higher food prices, as African swine fever has raised pork prices … [Read more...] about ADB trims growth forecasts as Asia’s biggest economies slow

The photo was shortlisted as one of the most striking submissions by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (Ciwem) for its Ciwem Environmental Photographer of The Year 2019 award. "Sewing Net," taken by Tran Tuan Viet, shows a woman sewing a massive fishing net in the central province of Phu Yen. Sewing Net. Photo by Ciwem/Tran Tuan Viet. "As fish stocks decrease, fishing methods become increasingly extreme. Destructive fishing with small-hole nets devastates the marine environment," U.K. newspaper The Guardian said on its website, commenting on Viet’s photograph. A similar comment was carried by The Times while introducing the photo. Contest organizers said that this year's contest submissions, while showing "the terrible impacts being wrought on our planet by humans, also celebrate humanity’s innate ability to survive and innovate, lending hope to us all that we can overcome challenges to live sustainably". The contest’s winner, … [Read more...] about Vietnamese fishing net captures disturbing message in int’l photo contest

Featuring 13 Designers from Hong Kong and Abroad ; Showcasing the Possibilities when Craftsmanship is Integrated into Everyday Design HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - 11 December 2019 - Design Spectrum, the new design initiative organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) with  sponsorship from Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government), is showcasing Asian design philosophy in four thematic exhibitions at 7 Mallory Street, a Grade II Historic Building in Wan Chai. As we approach the halfway point of the four-part programme, for the third exhibition, Refined Touch: Crossover Between Design and Craft, different designers and artisans from Hong Kong and abroad have been invited to showcase their creations with origins in both design and craft, encouraging visitors to rethink the relationship between the two. Design Spectrum will also offer a series of workshops where design and … [Read more...] about Hong Kong Design Centre Presents REFINED TOUCH: CROSSOVER BETWEEN DESIGN & CRAFT, Third DESIGN SPECTRUM Exhibition