In Salzburg, Austria last spring, I skipped around the fountain outside Mirabell Palace. Others did too. Some 60 years earlier, Maria and the von Trapp children danced around the palace’s Pegasus Fountain, singing “Do-Re-Mi,” one of most famous songs from “The Sound of Music.” The movie recounts the story of the von Trapp family, and … Read more
Vatican City is the world’s smallest country by size and population. That’s not stopping an estimated 32 million travelers from visiting this year for Jubilee 2025, a year-long global celebration among those of the Catholic faith. The Jubilee is a time of pilgrimage, prayer, reflection and a renewal of faith, said Jubilee spokesperson Caterina Rigoni. … Read more
Jetstar Asia will launch direct flights linking Singapore to Labuan Bajo, the Indonesian town considered the “gateway” to Komodo National Park, the company said. The park, a UNESCO Heritage Site inscribed in 1991, is home to several thousand Komodo dragons, the largest species of lizard in the world, according to UNESCO. Komodo National Park is … Read more
Singapore has the world’s most powerful passport, according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index. The nation-state was one of six countries which tied for the top spot in 2024 in the list produced by the migration consultancy Henley & Partners, which ranks passports by the number of destinations that holders can access without needing a … Read more
The aviation industry is bracing for another year of difficulties, as delivery delays at Boeing and supply chain problems are set to continue into 2025, say aviation consultants. Sunday marked one year since a door panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines, an event that reignited a firestorm of questions … Read more
Aeromexico was the most punctual global airline in 2024, according to a report published by aviation analytics company Cirium. Some 86.7% of its tracked flights arrived “on-time,” defined as arriving within 15 minutes of scheduled arrival times. This result was “absolutely” a surprise, Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen told “Squawk Box Asia” Friday. “They’ve had a … Read more
You can ask for a bottle of Evian or San Pellegrino at Singapore’s three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Zen. But you won’t get one. The restaurant, which charges nearly $500 per person for dinner, only serves water from the Swedish company Nordaq, said Executive Chef Martin Öfner. Dishes and drinks at the restaurant are made from the … Read more
Rebecca Douglas has been to Iceland 29 times. And she’s already booked her 30th trip. The goal of every trip is the same: photographing the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. Douglas has been photographing this spectacular phenomenon since 2010. It’s colors — which can paint the sky a dazzling array of green, purple, yellow and … Read more
I work shifts, four days on four days off, as a firefighter. This gives me a huge advantage in terms of time I have with my daughter. Together, we’ve attended play dates, and craft and toy sharing sessions — and despite online portrayals of a more equal world, I am usually the only dad present. … Read more
Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Macao last Friday, Sands China CEO and President Grant Chum said the city is diversifying its economy away from gaming to become “a city of sports and … a city of entertainment.” In an interview on “Squawk Box Asia,” Chum cited a deal announced in early December … Read more
