Fresh COVID-19 case detected in Odisha after two-and-a-half years, patient stable

Japan tourism hits record high in April as 3.9 million visitors drive 28.5% surge

Fresh COVID-19 case detected in Odisha after two-and-a-half years, patient stable

A new case of COVID-19 has been detected in Odisha after two-and-a-half years, the union health ministry said on Friday. The patient, who is stable, arrived in India from the United States, officials said.

The case was detected during routine screening at the Visakhapatnam airport in Andhra Pradesh on Friday morning, they said.

The patient, a 54-year-old male resident of Columbus in Ohio, had arrived at the airport by a Air India flight from Newark, New Jersey, around 7.30 am, an official said.

As part of routine screening, Thermal scanners detected high temperature in the passenger, following which he was screened again at the Health Ministry's PHC, where he tested positive for COVID-19, the official said.

The patient was immediately shifted to the nearby KGH (King George Hospital) for further treatment, the official added.

The case comes as India has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, with the country reporting over 1,000 new cases daily.

The government has said that it is keeping a close eye on the situation and is taking all necessary measures to prevent a major outbreak.

Japan tourism hits record high in April as 3.9 million visitors drive 28.5% surge

Tokyo (Reuters) - Japan saw a record 3.9 million visitors arrive in April, nearly four times the number in the same month last year and spurring a 28.5% surge in tourism revenue, government data showed on Friday.

The figures highlight the strong recovery in tourism demand to pre-pandemic levels following the reopening of the country's borders in October 2022.

Total tourism spending came in at 1.08 trillion yen ($7.9 billion), up sharply from 841.3 billion yen a year earlier, the Japan Tourism Agency said.

The figures also showed that visitors from South Korea were the largest at 840,000, followed by China with 730,000 and Taiwan with 480,000.

The government is aiming to boost tourism spending to 15 trillion yen annually by 2025, driven partly by increasing the average spending per visitor and extending the length of stay.

Delhi government to set up 32 real-time water monitoring stations for Yamuna clean-up

The Delhi government is planning to set up 32 real-time water monitoring stations for better measurement of pollution levels in the Yamuna river, officials said on Friday.

The move is part of the government's initiative to clean up the Yamuna river, which flows through Delhi and is heavily polluted.

The government is also planning to set up a war room for round-the-clock monitoring of the Yamuna cleaning project.

"We are planning to set up 32 real-time water monitoring stations in the Yamuna river. These stations will collect data on various water quality parameters, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and turbidity," said a senior government official.

The data will be used to identify the sources of pollution and to track the progress of the cleaning project, the official added.

The government is also planning to launch a public awareness campaign on the importance of cleaning the Yamuna river.

"We want to engage the public in this crucial endeavor to save our river," said another government official.

The move comes as the Delhi government has been facing criticism over the slow pace of the Yamuna cleaning project.

The government had set a target to clean up the Yamuna river by 2025, but little progress has been made so far.

The Yamuna river is heavily polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and agricultural runoff. This pollution has had a devastating impact on the river's ecosystem and water quality.

The government is planning to use a multi-pronged approach to clean up the Yamuna river, including setting up sewage treatment plants, treating industrial waste, and cleaning up the riverbed.

360 One Asset launches early-stage VC fund with a focus on deep tech, Web3 and climate tech

360 Network, the venture studio focused on launching and scaling technology-driven companies, has announced the launch of an early-stage venture capital fund, named 360 One Asset.

The fund, which is focused on investing in deep tech, Web3 and climate tech startups in Southeast Asia, will be investing out of a $50 million fund.

"We are excited to be launching this new venture capital fund with a focus on investing in promising early-stage startups in Southeast Asia's booming tech scene," said James Chen, founder and managing partner of 360 Network.

"At 360 Network, we