Kenya to revise visa requirements to attract tourists
Nairobi, Feb 23: Kenyan President William Ruto said on Sunday that the government will revise visa and Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) requirements for passengers arriving at the Port of Mombasa as part of efforts to boost cruise tourism.
Ruto said the multiple-entry eTA will allow cruise tourists seeking to explore Mombasa to move freely between cruise ships and the city without requiring authorisation each time they leave the boat.
“We will be changing our visa and eTA to make entry into the country easier and seamless so that there is no paperwork or unnecessary delays for visitors,” he said in Mombasa as the cruise liner MS Norwegian Dawn, the largest vessel ever to dock at the port, arrived with more than 3,100 people on board.
Ruto said the visa and eTA changes will be in line with recent adjustments made for international arrivals at the country’s major airports, ensuring a uniform entry process for all travelers.
The East African country received 6,561 cruise tourists last year, with the sub-sector growing by over 163.5 per cent, according to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.
The introduction of a multiple-entry eTA, coupled with increased investment in ports, is expected to boost cruise tourism by attracting more ships to the Port of Mombasa, said Rebecca Miano, cabinet secretary for tourism and wildlife. (IANS)
Japan’s emperor marks his b’day with call to keep telling tragedy of WWII
Tokyo, Feb 23: Japan’s Emperor Naruhito, marking his 65th birthday Sunday, stressed the importance of telling the tragedy of World War II to younger generations, pledging to contribute to efforts to promote the understanding of history and the determination for peace as the world this year observes the 80th anniversary of the war’s end.
“As the memory of the war fades today, it is important that the tragic experiences and history are passed on to the generations who do not know the war,” Naruhito told a news conference in a pre-recorded comments released Sunday.
Those who went through the ordeals during and after the war grew have grown older and it is difficult for younger generations to hear their firsthand stories, Naruhito said.
Naruhito, accompanied by his wife, Empress Masako, their daughter Princess Aiko and some of his younger brother’s family, waved from the palace balcony at the cheering well-wishers. Later Sunday, he was to celebrate his birthday at a palace banquet.
The war was fought in the name of his grandfather, then- Emperor Hirohito. Naruhito said he and Masako, who were born after the war, have learned from his parents by hearing their stories of wartime experiences and thoughts about peace. His father Akihito, who abdicated in 2019, was known for his devotion to making amends for the war, and Naruhito said he will follow his example.
His concern resonates especially with that of many survivors of U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945, who are worried about the lack of progress in nuclear disarmament and growing support for nuclear deterrence.
The survivors, or hibakusha, have said they hope the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to their organization, Nihon Hidankyo, for the decades-long nuclear disarmament effort would raise awareness of the younger generations.
This year, Naruhito and Masako are expected to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki to pay tribute to those killed by the US atomic bombings and Okinawa, the site of one of the harshest battles in the war. (AP)
Show cause notice for celebrating Holi
Karachi, Feb 23: A leading private university in Karachi city of Pakistan’s Sindh province has been criticized for issuing a show-cause notice to students for celebrating the Hindu festival of Holi on its campus.
Lal Malhi, a former parliamentarian, posted on social media the notice issued to the students, most of them Hindus, by Dawood University of Engineering and Technology.
The institute clarified it was an old case and dismissed reports that any FIRs had been registered against students. “The students were issued notices for having an event on campus without seeking clearance from administration, which is a breach of varsity regulations,” an official said.
“The students have already responded to the notices,” he added.
Lal Malhi, expressing concern over the growing criminalisation of minority religious practices in Pakistan, questioned: “Has the celebration of Holi now become a crime? Is celebrating Holi at a university considered an act against the State?” Last year, Hindu students faced similar issues in some other provinces during the Holi festival. However, the matter was buried.
Student wings of Islamist parties have been known to oppose any cultural liberal celebrations on campuses even by Muslim students, deeming them against society’s norms and un-Islamic.
Viral videos of such celebrations and parties have caused conflict and violence on campuses between student groups. (PTI)