Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States charged with increasing international tourism into the United States, announced it will launch its culinary tourism strategy in conjunction with its participation at the James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception on Monday, May 4, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. 

The move is part of President Barack Obama’s strategy to normalize relations with Cuba by engaging in direct talks with the government of President Raúl Castro. Reviving a mode of travel between the two countries that was common in the 1950s would ease the people-to-people contact that is a cornerstone of Mr. Obama’s policy of engagement.

Those who travelled and saw opportunities for work, business, and leisure in the UAE stayed or came back and formed part of the now 250,000-strong Chinese expatriate community in the UAE.

Sanctions have become as sacred to western armouries as nuclear bombs were 50 years ago. No one dares question them for fear of being thought a dove or a wimp. They cost little to the aggressor but make them feel good. They repress trade rivals. They attract macho adjectives, such as tough, meaningful, targeted and smart. They are chiefly aimed at domestic consumption. Only the poor (and a handful of rich) in the victim states suffer.

U.S. lawmakers have renewed scrutiny of a nearly 30-year-old program that allows people from dozens of countries to travel to the U.S. without the bureaucratic hassle of obtaining a visa.

Malaysia's government has unveiled plans to create a new airline and signed a $1.5bn (£1bn) deal with Bombardier for 20 new aircraft. The new carrier would be called flymojo and be based out of Johor Bahru in the south and Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia.

Pakistan Embassy in Berlin organised a seminar on "Tourism and Cultural Heritage of Pakistan" in collaboration with the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) on the sidelines of the Trade Exhibition on Tourism Industry, International Tourism Berlin, ITB-2015 here on Friday. 

Papers voice concern over Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung's plan to limit the number of mainland tourists. Mr Leung said on Tuesday that he would discuss proposals to tighten the Individual Visit Scheme for mainland tourists with Beijing authorities, the Xinhua News Agency reports.