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ABC News
33 minutes ago
- General
- ABC News
Do women who decide to not have kids still face social stigma?
Thu 17 Jul 2025 at 1:00am Thursday 17 Jul 2025 at 1:00am Thu 17 Jul 2025 at 1:00am Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Play Duration: 50 minutes 59 seconds 50 m
Business Insider
12-07-2025
- Business Insider
I traveled to the world's least-visited country, which may disappear by 2050. Here are 7 things I wish I knew before I went.
I love learning about unique cultures and spend a lot of time researching how to visit new countries in the most economical way possible. I've traveled to 140 countries, the majority as a solo traveler (though my Maltipoo dog Kimchi has accompanied me to eight countries and counting). My latest adventure was my most logistically challenging yet: I went to Tuvalu, a small South Pacific island nation roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia, that may be completely underwater by 2050 due to climate change. Tuvalu is the least-visited country in the world, drawing only about 3,700 travelers a year. With minimal infrastructure, little tourism promotion, and rising sea levels threatening its future, it remains largely off the global travel map. I've been to other less-touristed destinations before — Bhutan, Bangladesh, Algeria — that were complex due to hard-to-get visas, limited infrastructure, or safety concerns. Tuvalu presented a new kind of challenge: It's incredibly difficult to coordinate flights, and there's limited travel information online. I stayed in Tuvalu for three days and two nights. Here's what I wish I'd known before going. 1. There's only one way in and out — and you can save on flights by being strategic An 'aha' moment on the Tuvalu trip was when I told my driver I was afraid of missing my flight, and he reminded me, "The plane hasn't landed, so don't worry." Tuvalu is the only country I've visited where, each day, there's one plane in and one plane out, so your Flight Information Display System is literally the sky. Tuvalu's only airport on the main island, Funafuti International Airport (FUN), is served exclusively by Fiji Airways. Flights are very limited and currently include from Nadi, Fiji, once a week (Monday) and from Suva, Fiji, three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). Travelers who aim to visit all 197 countries often plan ahead for their Tuvalu trip, knowing flights are difficult to coordinate. To avoid paying thousands of dollars, my recommendation is to wait for a Fiji Airways annual sale to book a round-trip flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Nadi. I've seen fares as low as $700 round-trip, which is a steal, as they're normally $1,000+. My flights from Fiji to Tuvalu were another $700 round-trip. It's advised to add a buffer day in Fiji before connecting to Tuvalu. 2. Hotel bookings can get complicated When coordinating international travel in the South Pacific, it's important to account for the International Date Line. I departed San Francisco on a Sunday night and arrived at my destination Tuesday morning — only to realize I had mistakenly booked a hotel for Monday night. The 11.5-hour flight effectively skipped Monday entirely due to the time zone shift, a common oversight when crossing the date line. (Luckily, the hotel was kind enough to accept a late cancel for me.) Tuvalu has limited hotel rooms and — like the flights — they often sell out. In addition to tourists, construction crews from Australia and other nearby nations visit to support the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project, which pumps sand from the seabed and deposits it along the shoreline to combat rising sea levels. I had to email several hotels before I found a vacancy at NiuEti Lodge. 3. Expect a crowd at the runway — but not a taxi Tuvalu's airport runway runs straight through the center of the island, doubling as a community space when no flights are scheduled. On off days, locals gather on the airstrip to play volleyball, soccer, and other sports — making the runway as much a playground as a point of entry. When I landed, I hadn't realized there were no taxis. I asked how to get a ride, and without hesitation, a local offered to drive me, refusing any payment. Just as we were about to leave, I spotted a small sign for my hotel and a woman calling my name. It turned out to be a personalized pickup I hadn't expected — there was no mention of it in my hotel confirmation. 4. Bring cash Before we hit the road, I asked if there was an ATM. The airport staff excitedly showed me the ATM behind a red velvet curtain — they assumed I wanted to see the country's first ATM that was being unveiled and becoming operational later that month, not that I needed cash ASAP. The ATM wasn't yet working, so I had to visit the bank and Western Union myself money, as I didn't bring enough cash. Tuvalu only accepts Australian dollars (AUD), so Fiji dollars from the ATM during your layover won't work, and credit cards are rarely accepted, even at hotels. It's best to bring AUD or carry extra USD or EUR to exchange. 5. Food options are limited Tuvalu imports nearly all of its food, and prices can be quite high — comparable to New York City — so budget accordingly. I ate most of my meals at 3T's restaurant, an open-air casual Chinese restaurant by the beach that specializes in fresh fish stir fry for $11 to 15 AUD. It was filled with locals enjoying the food washed down by Fanta Maracujá, a tangy passion fruit soda that's super popular on the island. The grocery store was sparsely stocked, with one variety of many staples — Corn Flakes for $6 AUD and Ritz crackers for $6 AUD. The store was sold out of bananas, though I found a small market at the airport with a few bunches of local small bananas. 6. Locals are incredibly welcoming, and it's fun to explore on foot Tuvaluans are kind, close-knit, and eager to help. You can walk nearly everywhere; the main island of Funafuti is only 0.93 square miles of land area. Crime is rare. I always felt safe, although there aren't many street lamps on the island, so plan ahead for a ride when coming back to your hotel at night. I was offered rides from locals more than once, even if I told them my destination was close by. Exploring on foot gives you a front row seat to locals fishing, playing with their dogs, and taking a dip in the ocean. Fun facts I learned when exploring the island: Tuvalu owns the .tv country code top-level domain, meaning it sells .tv to companies such as or and one of the church services they offer is held in the water. A local told me that Simon Kofe, Minister for Transport, Energy, Communications, and Innovation, was on my return flight to Fiji. He's well known for his advocacy work on climate change, including Tuvalu's project to make a digital clone of the country in the metaverse to preserve its culture. We took a photo and chatted about Tuvalu's new passenger and cargo vessel, the Manu Sina. 7. Visitors are expected to respect and protect the environment To help preserve Tuvalu's environment and culture, visitors are encouraged to follow local practices that respect preservation, wildlife protection, and environmental care. That means recycling and conserving energy — no blasting air conditioning or lighting up LED displays like we do in New York. Of all the countries I've visited — including Mongolia, Madagascar, and Suriname — Tuvalu stands out as one of the most culturally fascinating. If you value sustainable and responsible tourism, it deserves a spot on your list.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Govt transport facilities lifeline for edu in Maha villages without schools, says minister Bhuse
Pune: Lawmakers seem to have different views about the situation of school education in the state's rural parts. While Parner MLA Kashinath Date recently told the Assembly that 8,123 villages across Maharashtra do not have either primary or upper primary schools, presenting a grim situation for rural education, school education minister Dada Bhuse said the statistics were "partially true" and that children were not missing out on education as the state govt was providing a facility to transport them to nearby villages that have schools. Date had based his statement in the Assembly on statistics from the Union education ministry's Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) that collects data from all recognised and unrecognised schools in India — from pre-primary to Std XII. The data showed that of the 8,123 Maharashtra villages mentioned by UDISE, 1,650 had no primary schools and 6,563 no upper primary schools. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune In his written reply to the Assembly, Bhuse said the statistics were "partially true", because state govt provided services to transport students to nearby villages that have schools. He said: "The children are not missing out on education because of unavailability of schools in their villages. We have made adequate transport arrangements to ensure schooling for such children in nearby villages." Bhuse said: "According to Part 3 Section 6 (3) (1) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, transportation facility is provided under Samagra Shiksha to students from settlements where schools are not available within the prescribed area limits — 1km for primary level, 3km for upper primary and 5km for secondary levels". Senior officials in the education department said a provision of Rs 60,000 has been sanctioned for transportation facilities at the rate of Rs 600 per student for 10 months. An official said a detailed survey would soon be conducted to assess the educational needs of the villages without schools and, accordingly, new schools would be planned in such villages. As per the UDISE data, the situation is grim in the Ratnagiri, Parbhani, Yavatmal, Solapur and Ahmednagar regions where maximum number of villages lack schools, said Date. Places such as Pune, Nashik and Thane are also in the bracket with few schools. However, the deteriorating infrastructure in several existing schools compounds the crisis. For instance, in Chandrapur's Sonapur village, students have been studying under the open sky for two months after the school's roof was blown away. Date said: "These shortcomings in the education department underline the urgent need for stronger policy and immediate intervention to improve rural education in Maharashtra. " Regarding the infrastructure shortcomings, Bhuse said as per a govt decision dated June 29, 2000, if a permanent drinking water facility is not available, instructions have been given to make arrangements for temporary storage of drinking water. Also, as per a govt decision dated April 16, 2025, instructions have been given to provide pure drinking water through tap connections under Jal Jeevan Mission Minor Mineral Scheme. Under Samagra Shiksha, 1,668 separate toilets for boys and 1,087 for girls are being constructed this year. "A districtwise review has been conducted to identify the worst-affected districts and prepare an action plan. Govt is focusing on steps to avert educational losses and ensure that children in all villages get the equaly opportunity to study," a senior education official told TOI on the condition of anonymity.
Irish Independent
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wexford Festival Singers to celebrate 50th anniversary in the National Opera House
Chairperson Louise Gaffney Wilkinson said: 'It is such a wonderful opportunity as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, to sing Brahms Requiem in the National Opera House. Wexford Festival Singers will perform alongside Waterford choir, 'Notable Works' and others, bringing the total choir to over 140. The performance will be accompanied by an orchestra of forty. The scale of the performance arise challenges for staging costs, but chairperson Louise said they are working hard to keep ticket prices accessible through fundraising, but also with the support from an anonymous sponsor. The concert is made possible by a subsidised Community Date at the National Opera House, in the O'Reilly Theatre through the support of Wexford County Council and the National Opera House. Wexford Festival Singers, with Notable Works and orchestra, will perform 'Brahms German Requiem' in The National Opera House on Sunday November 9 at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale now. Tickets range in price from €5 to €35 + facility fee, from the National Opera House box office.
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- The Hindu
Tinder announces Double Date feature
Tinder has announced a feature to enable two friends to go on double dates with other friend-pairs. The feature, called Double Date, lets a user and their friend swipe on other friend-pairs in the Discovery section that are shown to them side-by-side with the relevant profile information. A user can create up to three friend-pairs of their own and search for other friend-pairs to go on dates with. Once the two users match with another friend-pair, a chat is initiated to allow all four to talk and make their needed arrangements for a date. Users can also swipe right on an individual in the matched pair to message them personally. Tinder noted that the Double Date feature was available for Android, iOS, and Web users in select markets. 'As Double Date is currently in testing, premium features and subscription benefits (such as Boosts and Super Likes) aren't compatible at this time,' noted Tinder on its website. As major dating platforms such as Tinder struggle with a fall in user interest as well as a need to monetise user activity, companies are exploring new ways to make the dating experience more welcoming and engaging. 'It's important that when using Tinder both you and your friend(s) in Double Date are aware of and each follow our Community Guidelines. Any violations of our policies can result in action being taken against 1 or both accounts in a Double Date,' stated Tinder.
