Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Green light for car-free policy

CAMPAIGNERS WELCOME BAN ON VEHICLES IN MAJORITY OF NEW YORK’S CENTRAL PARK

NEW YORK’s iconic Central Park officially goes car-free on Wednesday (11), after the final vehi­cle drives through the green oasis and tourist magnet in the heart of America’s most populous urban jungle.


City officials, park and cycling advocates were ex­pected to join a bike ride late on Tuesday (10) be­hind the last car driving through the Manhattan park at 7pm, restoring the green space to its original use as a refuge and recreation venue. “For more than a century, we had turned parts of the world’s most iconic park into a highway – and starting to­night, we will have officially taken it back for good,” said mayor Bill de Blasio.

Until Tuesday, drives in the south of the park had remained open to cars during weekday rush hours.

“We are thrilled to be here tonight to take an evening bike ride and wave goodbye to Central Park’s final car,” said the city’s transportation com­missioner Polly Trottenberg.

The reform does not include four dedicated roads that cross the park’s width and are separated from the rest of the park by walls. Central Park will cele­brate its 160th birthday next year.

De Blasio announced the move in April in a bid to reduce pollution and prioritise health and safety.

Officials began reducing the hours that cars were permitted in the 1960s. Traffic was already prohibit­ed in the north but until Tuesday night vehicles had been able to use three paved lanes in the south.

Tuesday marked the last day at public schools in the city, before the long summer break with outdoor swimming pools due to open on Wednesday.

Up to 250,000 people visit Central Park on a daily basis, according to the Central Park Conservancy that raises 75 per cent of the park’s annual budget.

More For You

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

We are living faster than ever before

AMG

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

Shiveena Haque

Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still

When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.

Keep ReadingShow less
sugary drinks and ice cream

Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019

iStock

Global warming may drive higher consumption of sugary drinks and ice cream, study warns

Highlights:

  • Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
  • Lower-income households most affected, research finds
  • Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
  • Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data

Sugary consumption rising with heat

People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.

Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.

Keep ReadingShow less
Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates
vegetables from sides to stars

Camellia Panjabi (Photo: Ursula Sierek)

Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates vegetables from sides to stars

RESTAURATEUR and writer Camellia Panjabi puts the spotlight on vegetables in her new book, as she said they were never given the status of a “hero” in the way fish, chicken or prawns are.

Panjabi’s Vegetables: The Indian Way features more than 120 recipes, with notes on nutrition, Ayurvedic insights and cooking methods that support digestion.

Keep ReadingShow less
Spotting the signs of dementia

Priya Mulji with her father

Spotting the signs of dementia

How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love

I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.

Keep ReadingShow less
HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

Mahesh Liloriya

The holy town of Ambaji witnessed a spiritually significant day on Sunday as His Holiness Siri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, London, performed the Dhwaja ritual at the historic Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, one of the most revered Shakti Peeths of India.

Keep ReadingShow less