Latest news with #World's
Business Mayor
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Budget airline launches first UK flights to one of the world's busiest cities
LOW-COST carrier IndiGo has launched its first flight from the UK and it isn't from London. The Indian airline has confirmed that the new route will operate from Manchester, flying to Mumbai three times a week. 3 IndiGo is launching its first UK flight this summer Credit: Alamy Launching from July 1, tickets are already on sale. It will be the first flight route for IndiGo from the UK, having previously revealed plans to launch from Europe. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said: 'The new route will provide seamless connection to a vast majority of 90+ Indian destinations on IndiGo's domestic network benefiting customers travelling from Manchester to Mumbai. 'This service by IndiGo will thereby further enhance connectivity between India and the UK, fostering stronger economic, educational, and cultural ties. 'Beyond supporting the growing Indian diaspora in the region, these direct flights are expected to boost two-way tourism, ease travel for students, professionals and leisure travellers , and unlock new avenues for bilateral trade and collaboration between the two countries.' Currently, Brits can fly from the UK to Mumbai with both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, as well as flag carrier Air India . The cheapest route is from London Heathrow with Air India, costing £457 return and taking just under nine hours. The new IndiGo flights are a similar price, being £447 return when they launch in July. Passengers will be served hot meals in both economy and the IndiGo Stretch cabin, made for business travellers . Another route from Amsterdam to Mumbai will also later be launched by IndiGo. 3 The Taj Mahal Palace is one of the main attractions Credit: Alamy Mumbai is one of the busiest cities in the world, with around 19million people living there. This makes it one of the world's 53 megacities, which are ones with more than 10million inhabitants (which also includes London). Mumbai is also the home of Bollywood movies, with around 200 produced a year. One of the main attractions in the city is the beautiful Taj Mahal Palace, not to be confused with the Taj Mahal attraction in Agra. And earlier this year, Mumbai made Time Out's top 20 food destinations in the world. Restaurants such as Masque have featured on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list while Papa's is on TIME's World's Greatest Places for 2025. It even snuck into 49th place on Time Out's World's Best Cities 2025. In the mean time, Air India is increasing its routes from the UK to Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad and Delhi. And here is what Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder got up to in India for their BBC series last year,
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Not due to fighting with Gopi Sir or because of Sindhu, here's why Saina Nehwal shifted from Hyderabad to Bangalore in 2014
Speculation has always brewed over what led to Saina Nehwal shifting bag and baggage from Hyderabad to Bangalore in 2014, and if she had tiffed with longtime coach Pullela Gopichand. However, in a long interview with The Lallantop, Nehwal said it was nothing quite as dramatic as that. And her reasons had nothing to do with the growing rivalry and attention shifting to PV Sindhu either. Recalling her thinking at that point, Nehwal told Lallantop that losing the World Championship quarterfinals 8 times and being unable to medal led to Nehwal taking the urgent step of shifting base and trying out new training methods under Vimal Kumar. 'I had lost 8 World Championship quarterfinals. And although I had won many Super Series, an Olympic medal and could beat most top players at other events, I kept wondering why I wasn't winning a World Championship medal. I thought I might not get the answers to why, so I thought, 'Why not change training altogether? Maybe I have the rally game already, but need the speed game…' Nehwal said. The pathbreaker would finally notch a silver medal at the 2015 edition, before winning her second bronze in 2017. Nehwal dismissed suggestions that she had had a row with Pullela Gopichand, saying, neither she nor he were people who expressed anger or fought bitterly. But heading into 2015, Saina had sensed a tipping point as far as her goals were concerned. A 9th failure at World's would have broken her, she said. 'If I had lost at my 9th world Championship attempt, mentally I'd have gone down. So I thought I'll just try and see if change helps. It's your career, you have to take the decision. Go out of comfort zone. So I shifted to Bangalore. Left dad behind, and my dog Chopsy for first time. I knew if it didnt work out I'll take responsibility. But in 3-4 months I won India Open again, beating (arch rival) Yihan Wang who I'd lost to many times. I also beat Carolina Marin at Syed Modi, finally got World Championship medal,' she told Lallantop. Yihan had been a particularly sticky opponent for Nehwal, and beating her unlocked her confidence. 'I can't express the feeling in finally getting the world's medal in the 9th attempt (she lost to Marin in final). I beat Yihan Wang 21-19 in third set, in quarters. She hugged me, and said, finally you got me! Uss time khunnas dete thay Chinese that you Indians don't have medal. Finally even she was happy for me. All England also I played finals that year,' she said about the gutsy decision. Nehwal also told Lallantop that unlike her fierce on court persona, she didn't feel very confident in fights face to face. 'Face to face I don't fight. Itni himmat nai hai mujhme. I'll just walk away from there silently. I better work hard and come back and win,' she said. When asked pointedly if she felt Sindhu was receiving more attention from the coach at Hyderabad, Nehwal reiterated that though it may seem like that, reality wasn't so filmy or flimsy in her head. 'Attention argument is OK, if you think that's the reason. But how many times had she beaten me? Just once. When I was coming back from knee injury. First time in 8-9 times. It was never about Sindhu. Would any top player have been OK with returning empty handed from world championship a 9th time?' Nehwal repeated. Ambitions need tending to and only the player knows the urgency, she said. 'Am I not supposed to try? People will think this (that it was because of Sindhu). If I was an outsider, I would think too. But she had won one world championship medal at Guangzhou,' she said of the coveted medal missing from her cabinet. Her dipping form had been a concern eating away at her. 'People don't talk about how my rank dropped from world No 2 to no 9 in that year (leading to her anxiety). They only speculate on why I left,' she said. Nehwal said the trend of trying out new coaching methodologies wasn't very radical, just new to India then. 'In Tennis even world No 100s change coaches frequently. Djokovic changes every two years. Does that mean he fought with all coaches? No. It's not how you think. Today players ask, chali jau kya? I say 'Himmat hai toh jao'. You are the player. Coach will always support you. But if you don't find solutions, how can you just be there and think somehow result will come! Finally the day comes you have to retire and you are left with regrets,' she said. Nehwal didn't harbour 'What ifs'. She was however unwilling to pin the blame on Gopichand, with whom tge rapprochment came in 2018. 'Coach is busy with 30-40 players. China has one coach for 3-4 players. And it's happening now. Why are you giving one coach to one player? Thinking then was how can you leave your guru. Ofcourse you can't. But it's your career. You shouldn't have regrets that you didn't try to win. Have sleepless nights rest of your life. But I took the decision, won Super Series, World Championship medal, Asian Games medal. I'm proud I tried,' she said. Nehwal would also narrate to Lallantop how she returned to Hyderabad. 'Again I went to Gopi sir. Told him I have been away for three years from family. I knew it would be tough (to return). Because he might feel why does she want to come back now. As a player he knew 3 years away from family were tough. But as coach he obviously might have wondered why's she coming back. But I requested him. I'll try my best last 4-5 years,' she recalled. How did Gopichand react? 'Initially he took 1-2 days to think. But it's not possible he will stay angry with players. He's not that kinda person. He's always been very nice to his players, given them good advice even when angry. He keeps anger within. Do din baad bol diya 'Haan aa ja'. We know each other since 2003. It's not like we would never talk to each other. That only happens in movies.' While the rift was publicized and became a popcorn munchie for many cynics, Nehwal has no qualms in accepting that Gopichand guided her at the right time. The quarters at 2008 Olympics and bronze at London in 2012 sandwiched another tiny squabble, which Nehwal again maintains was nothing but her coming to grips with the coach having to take care of several players. But at Beijing, he had lifted her from numbing pain of the loss to Maria Kristin Yulianti in quarters. Nehwal led 11-3 in decider, and remains stunned how she lost from there. 'I lost from 3-11 in third set, maybe I was too young, too close to my dream. But, even today I wonder what happened. I asked her (Yulianti) and she said, 'my coach said, pack your bags, we are going back'. I think she got josh from there and gave her best. The rallies were stunning, I got only 2 points thereafter and lost 13-21… I spoke to Gopi sir, who told me to work hard for next 4 years. I kept thinking my game was good, no injury, I was everywhere, had trained for a 2 good weeks.' The moments immediately after had non stop Gopi advice, she recalls, as he tried to lift her spirits. 'I blabbered, and he said come back tomorrow at 6 o clock for practice. I told him I'm not training, I want to rest. Its then he asked me, do you want to lose first round or become Super Series champ? Then he just said, theeke don't come for practice. After rona dhona, I told him I'll train at 6 am next day,' she recalled. 2012 posed another challenge, when the opponents walkover gave Nehwal a bronze, India's first which was often undermined without considering how hard she had worked for it. The cold raging player and coach had briefly stopped training together in 2011. 'Bhaskar Babu sir had started accompanying me to tournaments. There were many other players.. Gopi sir started feeling he has to take care of. .. If performance didn't come, I grew impatient. Parents, coach tell you to have patience. I used to think something was missing after world No 2, I could do more. Last few months, either I couldn't fulfill training rigour or I thought I'll train with Bhaskar babu and results will come. Many people thought zhagdaa ho gayaa, but my improvement wasn't happening,' she said 'I kept losing to same players, so I kept wondering why. I grew impatient, because women's career is till 25-26. It gets difficult. All doubts kept playing in my mind. Gopi sir is not someone who fights with anyone. He said, try kar lo, I'm always with you, for advice. I didn't seek advice. Before Olympics, I thought we should train together again, so I went and spoke to him. Told him I need your help. He was like, OK fine. I'm there for you. He started travelling, we worked well. Won Swiss, Thailand, Indonesia…' Nehwal would be struck by a viral before Olympics. 'In semis, it was 3 Chinese and me. Gopi sir said don't worry. Just give your best. Medal zaroor aaega. Once you lose semis, it's tough to play for bronze. He said just relax, sleep well. Tension aaega. We have trained well.' In the bronze playoff against Xin Wang, Nehwal trailed 20-18, when post a toss she hit, Xin sat down. 'It was a normal rally. She started crying. Her game was like mine – Bhaag bhang ke thakaana hai. I lost first game, but she gave up as her knee was hurt. That is not how we wanted match to end. I had won Thailand, Indonesia that year and knew I could fight for medal. Never got a walkover in my career,' she recalled. Critics can nitpick but Nehwal had done well to put herself in semis and was last woman standing for that bronze. Gopichand would talk her through that moment. 'Whatever happens, medal is yours. Injuries happen. Four years you have killed yourself in training. Are we not supposed to enjoy the medal? It's OK. Next time tera injury ho gaya, uska medal aaega. After 4 years, tou have won, enjoy this time. An Indian winning, you must enjoy the feeling,' she recalled to Lallantop. Back in 2012, Saina Nehwal was seen as one of only three usurper besides Tine Baun and Mew Choo Wong of Malaysia. It wasn't the most gleeful times to step up that podium though she had deserved every bit of that medal. 'Chinese also were looking at me like, teesri bhi Chinese hoti toh, chalo.. But stadium was full of Indians, Gopi sir was crying that someone Indian won Olympic medal. It's not easy. We had to enjoy the moment. He changed my thinking. Told me you worked hard. You deserve medal.' Saina vs China Unlike the last 10 years, 2012 was a Chinese dominance of women's singles badminton, and Saina viewed as an upstart. But she would tell Lallantop how her mother taught her to fear no one and stake claim to her rightful place. Mother Usha had slapped Nehwal after she lost an u10 event, told her repeatedly she was no less than Chinese, and alongwith Gopichand helped her get over the fear. When she saw the Koreans and Chinese at her first Uber Cup, she thought they were like machines. Not that their game was mechanical but that their champions were mass produced. 'Like in our cricket – we know how to win, in badminton their coaches are world, Olympics champs, they know how to make champs.' Twice she had tried training in China. First time, Indians weren't permitted into main centre, next time timing was off – it was Chinese New Year. 'But suddenly Gopi sir, taught us what to do at World level, what to eat and train and he had a good group of 7-8. We used to get scared of China, out of top 10, 8 were Chinese, so you wondered how to beat them. Gopi sir decided forget it, we will train here only, no need to go to China. We will make champions.' Assembly lines might make them seem like machines, but Nehwal didn't think they were robots. Hence, not unbeatable. 'China hai toh kya, Korea toh kya? That was my mummy's attitude.' Nehwal had her own stubbornness. 'Hain Chinese woh toh kya karu, main bhi Indian hoo,' she would tell Lallantop. 'I have worked hard. I used to show them on court how hard i worked. My hard work on stamina showed. They used to crack. They are not robots. They also are humans, and get tired. But we have to work harder,' she said. Whats the way to beat Chinese? 'Do not complain that training is tough, or that this aches, that hurts. You have to push through pain. There is no player in the world who plays without pain. Niggles are always there. Don't go crying to coaches with complaints about pain. Chup chap, train. I will guarantee you if training is 110 pc, results will come.'
CNBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
The world's best airport is building a mega terminal to ride the travel boom in Asia
Asia is set to see a travel boom, and countries in the region are gearing up to exploit this surge in demand. Singapore's Changi Airport on Wednesday broke ground on its fifth terminal, which is expected to be operational in the mid-2030s. The new terminal, which sits on a plot of land 1,080 hectares large, will almost double the size of Changi Airport's existing area. This will allow the airport to handle 140 million passengers per year from its current capacity of 90 million passengers. Changi, which was most recently awarded Skytrax's "World's Best Airport" in 2025 for the 13th time, welcomed 67.7 million passengers in 2024. Airports that can handle more than 100 million passengers annually are classified as mega airports, and three out of the 10 existing ones are in Asia, according to airport industry body Airport Council International. These are in Beijing, Tokyo and Shanghai. ACI projects that air travel will grow nearly 7% over the next 25 years. To cope with the demand, airports in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions are poised to undergo extensive development, with combined investments of $240 billion for upgrading existing facilities and building new airports between 2025 and 2035. Speaking at the groundbreaking event, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the decision to build Terminal 5 was because "over the longer term, air travel is on a rising trajectory, and the bulk of the growth will take place here in the Asia-Pacific region." Wong also said that with Terminal 5, Changi will aim to connect with 200 cities, up from the current 170 city links it has now. "[Changi] has connected our small island nation to the world, and brought the world to Singapore. And this connectivity has powered our growth as an air hub, driving industries like tourism, aerospace and logistics," Wong said, pointing out that the aviation ecosystem now contributes 5% of Singapore's GDP. Competition in the region is also intensifying, Wong noted. For example, airports in Asia are investing significantly in modernizing their infrastructure and adjacent facilities like entertainment and retail spaces. Hong Kong International Airport commissioned a third runway in November and is expanding the airport's Terminal 2. The airport's goal, it said, is to serve 120 million passengers and handle 10 million tonnes of cargo annually from 2035. Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport opened a third runway in September 2024, boosting the airport's capacity to handle more flights, following the completion of a new satellite terminal a year airport operator also revealed a further "East Expansion" plan to increase the airport's capacity by 2027. In South Korea, Seoul's Incheon International Airport completed its "Phase 4 expansion" in December, allowing it to handle an annual passenger capacity of up to 106 million from 77 million, and making it the world's third-largest airport. Thomas Pellegrin, Transportation, Hospitality and Services Sector Leader from Deloitte Southeast Asia, told CNBC that Asia has become the "barycenter" of air travel growth after the Covid-19 pandemic. This growth in air travel is due to the expansion of the middle class, whose propensity to fly increases faster than income growth, as well as the high urbanization rate in the region, which connects people to air transport infrastructure, he noted. "The regional increase in passenger demand is now forecast at 7.9% in the near term and 5.1% in the long term, which is the highest worldwide and well above mature markets," Pellegrin added. This means that Asian airports will need to accommodate roughly twice as many passengers and aircraft by 2043, creating tremendous pressure on the existing infrastructure, he said. Terminal 5 will also feed into Singapore's plan to increase tourism revenue in the city-state from a record-breaking $29.8 billion in 2024 to $47 billion-$50 billion in the next 15 years. Its "Tourism 2040" strategy centers on increasing demand from two distinct groups — business and stopover travelers, Grace Fu, Singapore's minister for sustainability and the environment, said in April. In particular, officials aim to triple tourism revenue from business travelers attending meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions, Fu said. According to Singapore Tourism Board CEO Melissa Ow, transit and transfer passengers currently make up a third of Changi Airport's overall traffic. Terminal 5, as well as the broader Changi East development — which also includes a third runway and an industrial zone — will allow Singapore to retain and grow its market share as an air hub, increase connectivity and solidify Changi's standing as the best airport in the world, Deloitte's Pellegrin said. "All these effects combine to give Singapore outsized 'soft power' internationally."
Time Out
24-04-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Wing nabs Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award ahead of World's 50 Best Restaurants
Ahead of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 award ceremony, scheduled for June 19 in Piedmont, Italy, Cantonese fine dining restaurant Wing has secured the prestigious Gin Mare Art of Hospitality award. This accolade is voted on by all academy members of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, and highlights an establishment for its excellence in restaurant service and dining experiences. This award comes after Wing's achievement of receiving the Highest New Entry award during last year's World's 50 Best Restaurants ceremony. Plus, this marks the second time that chef-owner Vicky Cheng has secured the award, with Vea Restaurant taking the same award home in 2021. 'To be recognised by The World's 50 Best Restaurants for this is a dream come true, and I'm endlessly grateful to our team, our guests, and our community for inspiring us to pour our hearts into every detail', says Cheng. 'This is not just an award, it's a celebration of the connections we forge through food and care.' Since opening Wing in 2021, Cheng's restaurant has gained global recognition for its unique approach to Cantonese cuisine fused with refined French techniques. Each dish breathes new life into timeless Chinese classics, showcasing Cheng's culinary artistry and craftsmanship. Visit the
The Irish Sun
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Eddie Hall vs Mariusz Pudzianowski tale of the tape: How strongmen compare as duo to weigh combined 44 STONE for KSW 105
EDDIE HALL makes his professional mixed martial arts debut this weekend in a mammoth melee against a familiar face. 'The Beast' will put his last year of MMA training to the test in a Polish punch-up with fellow former World's Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski in the Advertisement 7 Eddie Hall throws down with Mariusz Pudzianowski in the co-main event of KSW 105 Credit: KSW 7 The fight will be a clash of former World's Strongest Men Credit: KSW 7 Hall has trimmed down his once comic book-esque frame during his MMA journey Credit: INSTAGRAM@EDDIEHALLWSM Their showdown has been dubbed "The World's Strongest Fight" due to the sheer size of both men and their respective World's Strongest Men victories. And SunSport is on hand to break down the eagerly anticipated battle of the giants. Age Father Time is well and truly on the side of Brit bruiser Hall, who has been training in mixed martial arts for the last year. Hall is 37 years young, while Pudzianowski is nearing his 50th year on the planet. Advertisement READ MORE ON HALL VS PUDZ Pudzianowski, who has five World's Strongest Man trophies to his name, celebrated his 48th birthday on February 7. Experience Hall may win the battle when it comes to age, but his combat experience pales in comparison to Pudzianowski's. Pudzianowski has been competing in MMA since 2009 and has 37 professional fights to his name. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Advertisement Most read in MMA 7 Hall's combat sports experience currently stands at a boxing match with fellow strongman But he's tried to bridge the vast experience gap by training with interim UFC heavyweight champion Eddie Hall announces next fight against Mariusz Pudzianowski with strongman rivals weighing combined 44 STONE Physical Hall is the bigger of the duo, standing two inches taller than Pudzianowski at 6'3. Advertisement And he outweighs his opponent by a whopping EIGHT STONE . Hall tipped the scales for his 2-vs-1 fight last June at just over a whopping 26 stone. Pudzianowski, who weighed nearly 23 stone when he was at the peak of his powers, weighed in at 18 stone for his last fight. Hall will also have a reach advantage over Pudzianowski, with his arms extending 80 inches in comparison to Pudzianowski's 77-inch limbs. Advertisement 7 Eddie Hall has several physical advantages over Mariusz Pudzianowski Credit: KSW 7 Hall's sole MMA fight was a freak 2-vs-1 bout, which he won via TKO Credit: WORLD FREAK FIGHT LEAGUE 7 Mariusz Pudzianowski has lost his last two fights in a row Credit: KSW Form Hall is currently on a two-fight win streak courtesy of a decision win in his 2022 grudge match with Bjornsson and his TKO victory over the Neffati Brothers. Advertisement Pudzianowski, meanwhile, is on a two-fight skid thanks to back-to-back TKO defeats to Mamed Khalidov and Artur Szpilka at KSW 77 and KSW 83.
