Travel

Turkey: Nearly 1,900 flamingo chicks hatched in Lake Tuz

ANKARA, 09 May 2022; MEMO: Nearly 1,900 flamingo chicks hatched in Turkiye’s Lake Tuz last year, according to official data compiled by Anadolu Agency.

Lake Tuz, the second-largest lake in Turkiye, is an important wetland where migratory flamingos from around the world incubate.

It is also a natural protected area that is home to a variety of plants and birds, as well as insects and mammals.

Palestine: 4,500-year-old Canaanite statuette of warrior goddess found in Gaza

27 April 2022; MEMO: The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said the 22-centimeter (6.7-inch) tall limestone head was found while the farmer was working his land in Khan Yunis, and is believed to be dated to around 2,500 BC.

"The statue represents the Canaanite goddess, Anat," Jamal Abu Reda, in charge of antiquities at the ministry, said in a statement.

Anat, one of the best-known Canaanite deities, was the goddess of love and war.

Egypt: Oldest synagogue in Mideast undergoes restoration

21 April 2022; MEMO: Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Monday that restoration work has begun on the Ben Ezra synagogue in the Religious Complex of Old Cairo.

The restoration work, which includes cleaning walls, treating cracks and insulating the roof will be the first time similar repairs have been carried out since 1991.

EgyptAir to resume daily flights to Russia

13 April 2022; MEMO: EgyptAir announced yesterday that it was resuming daily flights from Cairo to Moscow's Domodedovo airport on Friday after resolving outstanding issues related to insurance with Russia, Anadolu reported.

Last February, EgyptAir halted flights to Moscow, following the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, without giving an explanation.

Air India cancels Delhi-Moscow flight over insurance issues

New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) Air India on Thursday cancelled its Delhi-Moscow service over the fear that its flight insurance may not be valid in Russian skies amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, sources said.

Flight insurance is generally provided by companies based out of western countries.

India: 'Mysterious' giant sandstone jars found in Assam Aseem Chaudhary 04/04/2022 - 13:09

New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) Researchers have unearthed 65 giant "mysterious" jars in Assam that may have been used for ancient burial practices.

The sandstone jars uncovered by a team led by Tilok Thakuria, from North Eastern Hill University in Meghalaya, and Uttam Bathari, from Gauhati University in Assam vary in shape and decoration.

Some of the jars are tall and cylindrical, while others are partly or fully buried in the ground, according to the study published in the Journal of Asian Archaeology.

India: New airport to be built on Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway

Kanpur: A new international airport will be built on the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway.

At the same time, the existing Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport will be used for cargo.

The LDA has also sent the City Development Plan made as a vision document along with the proposal for the need of the new airport to the government for approval.

According to the CDP, it will be necessary to start a new airport by the year 2037. 

The capacity of the existing airport is completed.

Afghanistan: Taliban preserve Buddhas

MES AYNAK, Afghanistan (AP) — The ancient Buddha statues sit in serene meditation in the caves carved into the russet cliffs of rural Afghanistan. Hundreds of meters below lies what is believed to be the world’s largest deposit of copper.

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are pinning their hopes on Beijing to turn that rich vein into revenue to salvage the cash-starved country amid crippling international sanctions.

Iraq: Calligraphy exhibition in Mosul revives ancient art

245 March 2022; MEMO: On the sidelines of Mosul's Traditional Music Festival, an Arabic calligraphy exhibition draws visitors to Mosul's museum, a cultural institution that had been looted and damaged by Daesh, Reuters reports.

Visitors gathered in Mosul's museum on Thursday (24 March) for the opening of a calligraphy exhibition entitled 'The Rhythm of Letters' by Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb, an Iraqi calligrapher.

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