Abu Dhabi: Dubai is planning to construct the world’s first fully functional 3D-printed mosque in Bur Dubai, the Dubai Media Office (DMO) reported.
The project, announced in January 2023, represents the latest step in Dubai’s 3D printing strategy, which aims to position the UAE and Dubai as a 3D printing hub by 2030.
Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities of the Government of Dubai stated that the construction of a 2000 square meter mosque will start in October and the mosque will be ready for 600 worshipers.
It is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
سي إن إن: #دبي تريد أن تصبح عاصمة عالمية لتقنية الطباعة ثلاثية الأبعاد وستبني أول مسجد في العالم باستخدام هذه التقنية. pic.twitter.com/1R4BTx5nbF
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) May 3, 2023
What is involved in building a 3D mosque?
The robotic 3D printer, which can print two square metres every hour, will be operated by three personnel.
The printer will mix raw materials and a special mixture of concrete.
The printing process works by placing a liquid material along a predetermined route mapped by a computer, similar to an inkjet printer.
The mineral-infused fluids solidify into concrete to transform the digital model into a 3D object.
The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai said the cost was 30 percent higher than building the mosque in the normal way. However, the use of 3D printing will reduce building material waste.
أعلنت إسلامية دبي عن إطلاق أول مسجد في العالم يُبنى بتقنية الطباعة ثلاثية الأبعاد في إمارة دبي . ويعد باكورة جهود مبذوله لفريق العمل بالدائرة للخروج بالافكار التي تناغم رؤية صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم نائب رئيس الدولة، رئيس مجلس الوزراء حاكم دبي رعاه الله. pic.twitter.com/aRsASeLZ41
Hyderabad: Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao announced that Telangana will soon get the world’s largest integrated freshwater aqua hub at Mid Manair Dam in Rajanna Sircilla.
KT Rama Rao, on Tuesday, said that the hub would generate annual exports of more than Rs 1000 crore and create employment opportunities for 4800 people directly and 7000 people indirectly.
“Encompassing all activities including fish seed production, feed production, cage culture and fish processing among others, the aqua hub will be equipped with dedicated hatcheries, feed production units, fish processing plants, export-oriented logistics and testing and R&D facilities as well,” said KTR while he shared a video in the same context on Twitter.
The project that would reportedly be developed on 300 acres, with 150 acres of water spread area already allocated from the 1500 acres of the total water spread area of the reservoir, would produce about 1.2 lakh metric tons of fish every year.
Fishin India Private Limited, Rajanna Aqua (Nanda group) and Mulpuri Aqua have come forward to set up their processing facilities in the hub by spending Rs 1,300 crore.
5,750 lakh metric tons of seedlings would reportedly be generated per annum in the hatchery while two lakh metric tons of fish feed would be produced by utilizing rice, maize, groundnut, soybean and poultry waste by supporting local farmers.
Hundreds of cities are competing this weekend to collect the most plant and wildlife observations in an urban “bioblitz” as part of a global citizen science challenge.
From Dundee windowsills to San Francisco parks, people are being urged to document whatever flora and fauna they can spot around them in urban areas and upload the photos to the iNaturalist app to help identify rare species.
The City Nature Challenge, which started as a competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2016, has become a global event that will see nature lovers in towns and cities on all continents race to spot plants, fungi and animals this weekend.
Last year, nearly 1.7m observations were made around the world by 67,000 people, who identified more than 50,000 species. Last year, La Paz, Bolivia, came first with 137,345 observations, more than twice as many as Cape Town in South Africa, which came second with 66,144, and Boston in the US, which made 46,896 observations.
In the UK, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Swansea are among the 19 participating urban areas. They will compete with cities including Mumbai, which has a population of leopards, and Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, which boasts the Iguaçu Falls that separate Argentina and Brazil.
Dundee, which will be the second most northerly city taking part this year after Whitehorse in Canada, has issued a rallying cry to citizens to take part over the bank holiday weekend and said it would inform the city’s biodiversity action plan.
Heather Anderson, Dundee neighbourhood services committee convener, said: “We hope that residents get involved in this citizen science initiative and scour their own gardens as well as the city’s parks and green spaces.
“The challenge will help to increase the overall knowledge of Dundee’s wildlife and what species can be found in the city area. Information gathering is vital to better develop our wider environmental aspirations,” she said.
Improving access to green and blue spaces and enhancing biodiversity in urban areas was agreed as a target for Cop15 in Montreal.
The pictures collected on iNaturalist, a joint initiative by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society, will help towns and cities better understand the wildlife they live with.
Several species that were thought to be extinct, such as the Dumbéa River pipefish and the small whorled pogonia, a plant last seen in 1902, have been rediscovered thanks to people using the iNaturalist app.
The City Nature Challenge takes place from Friday 28 April to Monday 1 May. From 2-7 May, species will be identified, and the winner will be announced on 8 May.
Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
I was 68 when I first stepped on stage as a standup comedian in 2003. I’d never set foot in a comedy club before. I’ve always been a performer – I’ve worked as a singer, actor and musician – but all that came to an end after 9/11. I live in New York, and we watched the twin towers fall from my apartment building. For a year afterwards, nobody wanted to go out or be entertained.
It was then that I started to think about comedy. I realised people needed to laugh, to enjoy themselves again, and thought that with a little training I could do it. I took a few classes, tried to work out a routine, and finally plucked up the courage to get up on stage. That first time was terrifying. I had no idea what the audience would make of me.
In New York, comedians are typically young men with beards. It’s hard enough to break through as a woman, even harder as someone old enough to be their grandmother. As I stepped on stage that first time, people laughed nervously. They were clearly surprised to see me, wearing a cardigan and carrying my ukulele. I introduced myself, stated my age and tried my first joke. There was silence. But by the time I got to the third line, people were properly laughing. I was hooked.
Now my sets differ. I might be on stage for 10 minutes in front of a dozen people, or my one-woman show is a full hour in front of a crowd of 100. Even today, I’m nervous before I step out. My first line is, “Hello, everybody. I’m 88 and three‑quarters years old. I’m telling you that in case I don’t make it all the way through the show.” Then people laugh and I relax.
I make jokes some people would consider risque. I talk about “not having the energy for 69s”. People are surprised to hear an older person talk about sex. I’m more of a puritan in real life, but I have an onstage persona. After a show, people young and old come up to me, saying what an inspiration I am. They say they want to be as active as me when they reach my age. I’m pleased I can show that as an older person you don’t need to take a back seat in life.
One thing that has surprised me is the number of young men who hit on me after a show. I might make a joke about being a cougar and they’ll stand outside afterwards, waiting to talk to me. They often ask me out and it’s not my brain they’re after.
My friends think I’m mad. They don’t understand why I wouldn’t choose to take it easy. But I like engaging with the world and you’ve got to be in touch to be funny. You can’t stand on stage in New York or Paris and have out-of-date opinions or any kind of prejudice. Comedy has changed hugely in the past 20 years. It’s meant to push the boundaries, but what was considered funny then isn’t seen as funny now. Audiences have changed, too.
I had heart surgery last year, aged 87, and I was back on stage the day after I came out of hospital. I was keen to get back to work, even if I was a little breathless that night. I’ve got a pacemaker and I’m on 12 pills and 1mg of steroids a day.
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As an older person in comedy, I do feel as if I’ve got more to prove. I have to convince people I’m worthy of being on that stage. I think the industry, and society as a whole, treats older women horribly. I often get ignored when I first walk into comedy clubs. People assume that I’m in the wrong place and are shocked to find out I’m on the bill. Some booking agents say, “The audience isn’t gonna want to see an old lady.” Then I go and perform, and all of a sudden it’s, “Oh, you were so great.”
Last year, I was recognised as the oldest female standup comedian in the world. Sadly, the title came to me only after my friend Lynn Ruth Miller, who was six months older than me, passed away. Drew Barrymore interviewed me and asked, “How does it feel?” And all I could think of was to say, “Old.”
I’ve no intention of stopping comedy. I’m taking all these pills, trying to stay alive, and I hope to still be performing when I’m 100. My goal is to still be up there making people laugh. It’s hard work, but it stops me being bored. I’d only be playing golf otherwise.
As told to Sophie Haydock
Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@theguardian.com
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
Riyadh: Saudi oil giant Aramco has displaced American technology giant Microsoft to become the world’s second-largest company by market value at 7.92 trillion Saudi Riyals (2.11 trillion dollars) as the company’s stock prices hit 36 Saudi Riyals (9.60 dollars) on Wednesday, local media reported.
Apple still holds the top of the ranking, with a market value of approximately 2.6 trillion dollars, followed by Aramco at 2.11 trillion dollars, then Microsoft at 2.05 trillion dollars.
According to Arabic daily Al-Arabiya.net, the rise in Saudi Aramco’s shares came after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced, this month, the transfer of 4 per cent of its shares to Sanabel Investment Company, which is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Aramco achieved, in 2022, the highest profits since the listing, up by 46.5 per cent, to reach 604 billion Saudi riyals, compared to 412.4 billion Saudi Riyals in 2021.
It is noteworthy that “Aramco” is the most profitable company in the world, as its profits for the year 2022 exceed the profits of “Apple”, “Microsoft” and “ExxonMobil” combined, according to the classification of the “companies market cap” website.
The rise of Aramco’s shares also coincided with the rise in crude oil prices, the increase in the company’s sales volumes, the significant increase in profit margins from the refining and chemicals business, as well as the decline in US crude stocks, despite the pessimistic global economic outlook.
Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard, Norway, sits deep within the Arctic Circle, about 700 miles from the north pole. It has about 35 year-round residents, but in summer the population swells to more than 100 as scientists fly in from around the world. Life in the town centres around saunas, sled dogs, and a weekly evening gathering called Strikk og Drikk, or Knit and Sip
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
Lucknow: With India becoming the world’s most populous nation according to the latest UN data, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday termed it a result of government failure.
In a tweet in Hindi, Yadav said, “Worrying news: India’s population is the highest. Reason: failure of the government.”
चिंतनीय ख़बर : भारत की आबादी हुई सबसे अधिक
कारण : सरकार की विफलता
विवरण :
– ग़रीबी-बेरोज़गारी के कारण काम में हाथ बँटाने व कमाने के लिए व – मेडिकल की कमी से बालमृत्यु के डर से अधिक बच्चे पैदा करना तथा कांट्रासेप्टिव्स का वितरण न होना। – शिक्षा की कमी से जनसंख्या के दबाव को…
Explaining the reasons, he suggested people wanted more children due to poverty and unemployment and also to lend them a hand in work and support the family.
He said people feared child mortality because of medical shortage, besides the government failed to distribute contraceptives adequately. Not understanding the pressure of population due to lack of education was another reason for the rising population, he added.
The latest UN data showed India has a population of 142.86 crore, the most in the world. Its population by 2050 is expected to rise to 166.8 crore while China’s population would dip to 131.7 crore by that time.
The U.N. said in a report that India will have about 2.9 million people more than China sometime in the middle of this year. India will have an estimated 1.4286 billion people against mainland China’s 1.4257 billion at that time, according to U.N. projections. Demographers say the limits of population data make it impossible to calculate an exact date.
China has had the world’s largest population since at least 1950, the year the United Nations began issuing population data. Both China and India have more than 1.4 billion people, and combined they make up more than a third of the world’s 8 billion people.
Not long ago, India wasn’t expected to become the most populous until later this decade. But the timing has been sped up by a drop in China’s fertility rate, with families having fewer children.
Today, China has an aging population with stagnant growth despite the government retreating from its one-child policy seven years ago.
In contrast, India has a much younger population, a higher fertility rate, and has seen a decrease in infant mortality over the last three decades. Still, the country’s fertility rate has been steadily falling, from over five births per woman in 1960 to just over two in 2020, according to World Bank data.
Experts say India’s growth could see an expanding labor force that can fuel growth in the country for decades to come. But they warn it could just as swiftly become a demographic liability if the growing number of young people in India are not adequately employed.
The report surveyed 1,007 Indians, 63% of whom said economic issues were their top concern when thinking about population change, followed by worries about the environment, health and human rights.
“The Indian survey findings suggest that population anxieties have seeped into large portions of the general public. Yet, population numbers should not trigger anxiety or create alarm,” Andrea Wojnar, the United Nations Population Fund’s representative for India, said in a statement. She added that they should be seen as a symbol of progress and development “if individual rights and choices are being upheld.”
The hope is that India’s soaring number of working age people will give it a “demographic dividend,” or the potential for economic growth when a country’s young, working age population is larger than its share of older people who are beyond their working years. That is what helped China become an economic and global heavyweight, even as its number of working age adults is now falling.
On Wednesday, China responded to news of the U.N. report, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin saying “a country’s demographic dividend depends not only on quantity but also on quality.”
“The population is important, so is talent. … China’s demographic dividend has not disappeared, the talent dividend is taking place and development momentum remains strong,” Wang said at a briefing.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Mumbai: Only few families can compete with the Ambanis when it comes to opulence and extravagance. Their wealth is legendary, and they spare no expense in indulging their extravagant tastes. And if you thought the Ambanis had outdone themselves in the past, wait until you hear about their gift to Shloka Mehta, their daughter-in-law!
According to reports, Nita Ambani gave Shloka Mehta a necklace worth more than Rs 450 crore as a wedding gift. Yes, you read that correctly—450 crore! The necklace is said to be the most expensive in the world and to contain the largest internally flawless diamond in the world. Can you imagine wearing something so valuable around your neck? It’s the stuff of fantasy!
The necklace, called L’Incomparable by Lebanese jeweller Mouawad, is a true masterpiece of design and craftsmanship. In addition to the internally flawless diamond, the necklace features 91other diamonds, totaling approximately 200 carats of sparkling stones, as per information on internet. If that isn’t enough to impress you, the necklace’s cut and design are so unique that they cannot be copied or remade.
The Ambani family has clearly spared no expense when it comes to lavishly showering their loved ones with extravagant gifts. This gift, however, takes things to a whole new level. Shloka Mehta now owns one of the world’s most valuable pieces of jewellery, which shows the Ambani family’s taste for the finer things in life.
Recently, Anant Ambani’s Grandmaster Chime by Patek Philippe watch at NMACC which is worth Rs 18cr too grabbed eyeballs.
London: The fortune of Bernard Arnault, the world’s richest person, has topped $200 billion for the first time as shares in his French LVMH luxury goods empire hit a record high, a media outlet reported.
The 74-year-old has become only the third person in history to amass an estimated fortune above the $200 billion. Tesla’s Elon Musk and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have previously hit the milestone before their fortunes dropped back as technology companies share prices fell, The Guardian reported.
Arnault’s fortune increased by $2.4 billion on Tuesday to hit $201 billion, according to the daily-updated Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His wealth has increased by $39 billion so far this year as shares in LVMH have risen 30 per cent, thanks to soaring demand for luxury goods among the world’s wealthy.
The French billionaire is now $25 billion richer than Musk, whose fortune has been knocked by his $44 billion purchase of Twitter and a 50 per cent fall in the value of the electric car company Tesla over the past year. Musk is Tesla’s co-founder, chief executive and 13 per cent shareholder.
Bezos, who was the first person to hit the $200 billion milestone in August 2020, is currently the world’s third-richest person, with a $128 billion fortune, The Guardian reported.
Arnault is the chairman and chief executive of LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Moet & Chandon champagne. Its shares have shot up by more than 150 per cent in the past three years, hitting a new high of 853 euro on Wednesday morning.
LVMH last year achieved record sales of 79.2 billion euro and has begun a 1.5 billion euro share buyback programme, which has helped further lift the share price.
Arnault, who co-founded the luxury goods group 35 years ago and is its majority shareholder, has recently appointed his children to key roles within the business, the media outlet reported.
In January his eldest child, Delphine, was named the head of Christian Dior, the second-biggest brand in the empire. Her brother Antoine was promoted to run the holding company that controls LVMH and the Arnault family fortune.
