SINGAPORE — An Indian maker of solar-powered dryers, a soil carbon marketplace and groups that work to make electric car batteries cleaner, restore Andean forests and deter illegal fishing were among the winners of this year’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Singapore on Tuesday. Britain’s Prince William, whose Royal Foundation charity launched the 10-year award program in 2020 to address climate change, attended the first ceremony held in Asia and said the solutions presented by all 15 finalists proved that “hope does remain” as the devastating effects of global warming are felt worldwide. Celebrities including actor Cate Blanchett, actors Donnie Yen and Lana Condor, musician Sterling K. Brown and Australian wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin also walked the “green carpet” for the glitzy event.
NUS historian Kishore Mahbubani, who spearheaded the competition, said he was thrilled to see such diverse works of history being submitted to the prize. “It’s great that Singaporeans and the world are interested in learning more about our unique success story and how we got here,” he said. “Nations are ‘imagined communities’, and the shared imagination in our history is a critical glue holding societies together today.”
The prize was launched in 2024 as part of the SG50 programme to mark Singapore’s 50th anniversary of independence. Submissions to the NUS Singapore History Prize can be in either non-fiction or fiction, as long as they have clear historical themes about Singapore. The winner of the 2024 prize will be selected by a five-member jury panel.
Xero, a New Zealand-based accounting software company, is offering a S$630,000 prize pool to small businesses that focus on environmental sustainability, according to a press release. The Xero Beautiful Business Fund is open to small businesses and non-profit groups in Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. Contestants will compete in four categories – Innovating for Environmental Sustainability, Trailblazing with Technology, Strengthening Community Connection and Upskilling for the Future – to win one of 28 prizes.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Singapore Airlines will stop offering Star Alliance round-the-world tickets using KrisFlyer miles on May 1. Previously issued miles will remain valid after that date, the airline said. Currently, customers can book the cheapest round-trip ticket to any destination in the alliance using KrisFlyer miles or pay with cash. The airline has been offering the flights since May 2014.
The company did not explain why it was ending the popular award. Star Alliance members include Air Canada, United Airlines and many others. Several other airlines have similar programs that allow passengers to fly between cities in the alliance without connecting through the hubs of Frankfurt, Paris or London. Those programs, however, usually require connecting flights at least once, if not more. That would make these new rules less attractive to travelers who want to avoid layovers in multiple cities. Having to connect at one of the three cities makes the trips much more expensive than flying direct.