Belmond Eagle Island Lodge to Re-Open as Botswana’s Ultimate Water Based Safari
INDIA – 24 August 2015
The ultimate Okavango Delta water-based safari, Belmond Eagle Island Lodge in Botswana reopens in November 2015 following an almost total rebuild, bringing innovation and originality to the Okavango experience. Reflecting the region’s natural beauty and offering an insight into the heart of the delta, local artisans and materials have been used to create the lodge’s fresh new tented guest accommodation, restaurant and lounge.
The public areas of the lodge have also been totally renovated and now include a roomier reception area, new restaurant offering inside and outside dining and new lounge area with bar and library. Just like the numerous water channels that weave through the grasslands, the design flows through the spaces, highlighting the stunning delta views from various vantage points.
At the heart of the restaurant is a family-style open kitchen with a wood-burning pizza oven. Collections of explorer’s instruments and displays of brightly coloured insects add to the sense of discovery, and contemporary lights inspired by intricate birds’ nests weave intriguing shadows across the space in the evening.
The lounge connects to the restaurant by way of an outside deck. Featuring an artisanal style bar made from locally sourced timber and a huge fireplace, the lounge is a place in which to relax. Natural elements are retained wherever possible with an ancient sycamore fig tree being incorporated into the design, sheltering a hanging cocoon swing on which to enjoy the views. Butterflies are drawn to the water in the Okavango Delta and have also been used as inspiration in elements of decoration. Inside the lounge, a kaleidoscope of handmade metal butterflies appears to fly through the air, illuminated to enhance the magical effect.
Outdoor areas include a new campfire and barbecue, in an enclave directly on the edge of the water channels, around which guests can gather at night to share their stories. Located close to the camp fire is another bar and alternative destination – Fish Eagle Bar, whose colour palette is inspired by the distinctive snow white chest, brown body and bright yellow beak of the indigenous bird.
Perched on a private island encircled by some of the deepest stretches of the Okavango Delta, one of the world’s largest inland water systems and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Belmond Eagle Island Lodge is one of three Belmond safari lodges in Botswana. No other lodge in Africa offers such a water-focused safari experience, with activities including motorboat safaris, barge cruises and mekoro (a local canoe) safaris, as well as walking and air safaris in a private helicopter.
For an all-embracing Northern Botswana experience, Belmond Eagle Island Lodge can be coupled together with Belmond’s two other luxury lodges, Belmond Khwai River Lodge in the Moremi Wildlife Reserve and Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge in Chobe National Park. All three were among the first lodges built in Botswana, and as pioneers in the region each was able to secure an unrivalled location, offering the most spectacular views of wildlife and the most authentic local experiences. Each lodge occupies a unique eco-system which, when combined, create a truly genuine African adventure, rooted in heritage, knowledge and the natural world.
Prices for a Deluxe Tented Room at Belmond Eagle Island Lodge start from $1,560 (approx. £1,000), based on double occupancy, per night. From 1st November until 23rdDecember 2015 Belmond is offering four nights for the price of three at any combination of Belmond safari lodges in Botswana and a complimentary 35 min helicopter safari when staying at Belmond Eagle Island Lodge. Accommodation is fully inclusive, including all meals, safari activities and alcohol. To book or for more information, visitbelmond.com.
RBI releases the Report of the Working Group on Compilation of Flow of Funds Accounts for Indian Economy
The Working Group on the compilation of Flow of Funds (FOF) Accounts for the Indian Economy was constituted by the RBI to review the existing methodology for compilation of FOF accounts in India. The Flow of Funds (FOF) accounts represent a systematic record of financial transactions through a variety of instruments among the various sectors of the economy during a given period of time. The FOF accounts serve as an important analytical tool to assess (a) the nature and pace of financial development of the economy, (b) the relationship between the financial sector and the real economy and (c) financial inter-connectedness as well as financial stability/vulnerability of the economy.
In the light of the developments in the financial sector and in line with international best practices, to suggest changes, if any, in the coverage of institutions, instruments and sources of data in the compilation procedure, and accordingly, suggest necessary revisions in the format of the special returns for data collation; to suggest improvements in administrative, methodological and technological aspects to enhance the efficacy of the compilation process; to prepare a manual on the compilation of the FOF accounts in India and any other issue germane to Flow of Funds.
The Working Group set up eight sub-groups, of which seven were set up to separately examine issues relating to the compilation of FOF accounts relating to the following sectors, namely, Commercial Banking, Non-Banking Finance Companies, Private Corporate Business, Government, Insurance, Rest of the World and Cooperatives and the eighth sub-group on National Balance Sheet was formed to examine the issues and suggest methodology for the compilation of national balance sheet for the Indian economy.
The Working Group recognised that:
a) The extant structure of the FOF accounts provided very useful information, and while restructuring/consolidating the presentation of accounts in line with international best practices [the System of National Accounts (SNA) 2008, in particular] was important, the analytical insights provided by the extant compilation procedure may also need to be preserved, wherever relevant.
b) Second, it was important to align the concepts, definitions, institutional sectors and instruments with the National Accounts Statistics (NAS) to bring about greater consistency between the resource gaps emanating from the National Accounts and the financial balance generated by the FOF accounts – both sectorally and at the aggregate level.
c) Third, again from the viewpoint of enhanced accuracy, consistency and timeliness of compilation, greater reliance may need to be placed, to the extent possible, on information available with data repositories in order to supplement inferences drawn from sample-based studies.
In this backdrop, the Working Group makes two major categories of recommendations: the ‘short-term recommendations’ and the ‘medium to long-term recommendations in regards with Sectorisation, Financial Instruments and other suggestions.
Short-Term Recommendations
Sectorisation– The compilation of the FOF accounts for the Indian economy may be restructured with the adoption of the following five mutually exclusive institutional sectors: (i) Non-Financial Corporations, (ii) Financial Corporations, (iii) General Government, (iv) Households and Non-Profit Institutions serving Households (NPISHs), and (v) the Rest of the World, which is largely in line with the SNA 2008 framework except that the NPISHs would not be reported separately due to non-availability of data.
Financial Instruments– In the short term, the following six main financial instruments may be covered in the FOF accounts: (a) Monetary gold and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), (b) Currency and deposits, (c) Debt securities, (d) Loans, (e) Equity and investment fund shares and (g) ‘Other accounts receivable or payable’. The compilation and reporting of the ‘monetary gold’ and ‘SDRs’ may be aligned with that in SNA 2008.
Other Recommendations– Once the sectoral FOF accounts are compiled, joint meetings could be held with the concerned data suppliers and other stakeholders to get the FOF accounts data of the respective sectors vetted and validated. A review mechanism be put in place wherein the methodology, data gaps, and other issues are reviewed at periodic intervals (preferably once in three years).
Medium to Long-Term Recommendations
Sectorisation– n the Non-Financial Corporations sector, the inclusion of State Public Sector Enterprises (SPSEs), Producer Companies, ‘Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Water Users’ Association may be examined. In the Financial Corporations sector, the incorporation of the sub-sectors ‘financial auxiliaries’ and ‘captive financial institutions and money lenders’ may be examined.
Financial Instruments– The methodology of and data availability for compiling the following financial instruments may be examined: categorisation of ‘deposits’ into ‘transferable deposits’ and ‘other deposits’ and the further classification of ‘transferable deposits’ into ‘inter-bank positions’ and ‘other transferable deposits’, bifurcation of the financial instruments ‘debt securities’ and loans’ into short-term and long-term and reporting of ‘equity’ in three categories, ‘listed shares, unlisted shares, and ‘other equity’
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Snapshot of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s bilateral meetings on the sidelines of 2nd Summit of Forum for India-Pacific Island Countries (FIPIC)
The second FIPIC Summit was held on August 21 2015 in Jaipur. FIPIC has as its members India and 14 Pacific Island countries, namely Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with Prime Minister of Republic of Fiji H.E. Josaia V. Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Independent State of Papua New Guinea H.E. Peter O’ Neill, Prime Minister of Republic of Vanuatu H.E. Sato Kilman, and President of Republic of Nauru H.E. Baron Divavesi Waqa. The meetings were held before the Second FIPIC (Forum for India- Pacific Islands Cooperation) Summit.
Key developments at bilateral meetings of Forum for India-Pacific Island Countries (FIPIC) are highlighted here below:
§ All dignitaries expressed strong support for UN reforms and India’s candidature for the permanent membership of a reformed UN Security Council.
§ Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave his assurance on working together with the Pacific Island countries towards adaptation of technologies to combat the effects of climate change and promised India’s full support for disaster mitigation.
§ The Prime Minister of Fiji expressed his desire to set up a pharmaceutical plant in Fiji with Indian collaboration and for investment in the tourism sector. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in field of defence and security, for which the relevant delegations will meet shortly in Fiji. India will also collaborate with Fiji in the agriculture and dairy sectors, and help in building capacity for resilience against disasters. It was agreed that Indian trade delegations should visit Fiji in the near future to look at trade opportunities, especially in the construction sector.
§ India will also support Papua New Guinea in developing the infrastructure sector, especially roads, highways and airports. PNG expressed its desire to obtain $ 100 mn as loan from Exim Bank of India for this purpose, which will be considered favourably. Both sides also agreed to enhance cooperation in Defence, Capacity Building, Public Administration, Health, Education and the Oil and Gas sectors. PNG expressed the hope that collaboration with ONGC Videsh will be taken forward in the near future. India will send a trade delegation to PNG shortly.
§ The Prime Minister of Vanuatu and PM Modi discussed UN Reforms and capacity building in Vanuatu. They agreed that provision of grants had to be meant for the purpose intended by the recipient country and needed to be focused on indentified needs. In this context, Vanuatu thanked India for its cash assistance of US $ 250,000 in wake of cyclone Pam, which was timely.
§ Nauru expressed its appreciation for Indian help in building sea walls to combat rising sea levels. Both sides agreed to take this development cooperation forward, build capacity in Nauru for disaster management and response to the adverse impact of Climate Change. India will also ask its experts to work with Nauru in repairing the mooring to ensure that the docking of ships at the harbor can take place in an effortless manner.
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L’ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI CULTURA NEW DELHI È LIETO
DI INVITARE ALLO SPETTACOLO
THE ITALIAN EMBASSY CULTURAL CENTRE NEW DELHI CORDIALLY
INVITES YOU TO THE PERFORMANCE
MADE IN ILVA THE CONTEMPORARY HERMIT
INSTABILI VAGANTI
DOMENICA, 30 AGOSTO 2015 ORE 18.30
SUNDAY, 30TH AUGUST 2015, 6.30 PM
NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DRAMA, ABHIMANCH AUDITORIUM
BAHAWALPUR HOUSE 1, BHAGWANDAS ROAD
55 min.
FREE ENTRY, FIRST COME FIRST SERVED
Director: Anna Dora Dorno
Performer: Nicola Pianzola
Original songs and vocals: Anna Dora Dorno
Original music: Riccardo Nanni
Video: Nicola Pianzola
Performer: Nicola Pianzola
Original songs and vocals: Anna Dora Dorno
Original music: Riccardo Nanni
Video: Nicola Pianzola
An original script based on real-life testimonies and poems from the workers at the Ilva steel plant in Taranto. MADE IN ILVA is a masterpiece of physical theatre, exploring the impact of the biggest steelworks of Europe on the environment and surrounding population. The performance is a perfect combination of extreme physical actions, sounds that become obsessive rhythms, original music, vocals and video projections. An emotional and poetic exploration of the alienation and oppression of a human body reduced to an artificial machine.
INSTABILI VAGANTI
Founded in 2004 in Bologna by Anna Dora Dorno and Nicola Pianzola, the company has carried on a daily work of research on the actor’s craft and of experimentation of the contemporary languages. INSTABILI VAGANTI has produced performances, led workshops and special international training programmes and directed performing arts projects in different countries. The group has been working and collaborating with international teams of performers, musicians, video makers and visual artists. In the physical theatre of INSTABILI VAGANTI, the performer embodies the evoking ability of the poetic act and affirms its physical and emotional presence interacting with live music, visual art and new media. The aim is to update the tradition reworking its elements with the contemporary languages of the Performing Arts in order to find new ways of expression. A total theatre in which the performer’s body and voice skills are the main channel to express feelings, emotions and truths.
MADE IN ILVA WORLD TOUR 2015
INDIA
27-30 August Workshop NSD – New Delhi
30 August MADE IN ILVA NSD – New Delhi
31 August Lecture Shiv Nadar University – Noida
11 September MADE IN ILVA ICCR – Kolkata
15 September MADE IN ILVA Jagriti Auditorium – Bangalore
19 September MADE IN ILVA Adi Shakti – Pondicherry
IN COLLABORATION WITH
THANKS TO
Best Regards,
Italian Embassy Cultural Centre
50- E, Chandragupta Marg (Entry from Nyaya Marg)
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi – 110 021
Phone: 0091-11-26871901/03/04Email: iicnewdelhi@esteri.it
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi – 110 021
Phone: 0091-11-26871901/03/04Email: iicnewdelhi@esteri.it
