New York City Covered in Orange Light like a Sci-Fi Movie Due to Forest Fires

Dream - New York City is covered in orange light like a sci-fi movie due to thick smoke from massive forest fires in Canada.

Forest fires in Quebec, Canada, have caused the air quality in the city to be categorized as "very unhealthy."

Quoted from Independent, in the past few days, schools on the East Coast have canceled outdoor activities, Broadway shows have been canceled, and airline flights have been halted.

New York continues to have the worst air quality among major cities worldwide according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). At one point, the level rose above 350, which is considered "hazardous."

At least 13 US states have issued air quality warnings in several areas affecting around 115 million residents.

All of this is the result of fires in the northeastern coastal region, where there have been 400 forest fires in Canada that have caused mass evacuations in the province of Quebec.

Canadian officials warn that this could be the worst fire season in the country, with over 6.7 million acres burned.

It's 2:04 PM in the middle of the day in Manhattan, New York #wildfires #smoke pic.twitter.com/7rrxqGswl1

— royalsoul (@RoyalSoul369) June 7, 2023

New York Overtakes Hong Kong as the Most Expensive Shopping Center in the World

Dream - New York, United States (US), has overtaken Hong Kong as the most expensive shopping district in the world in 2022. This shift in title occurred amidst economic slowdown and a lack of international visitors to Hong Kong due to Covid-19.

Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui district, which has been ranked first since 2019, has been surpassed by Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.

According to SCMP, global real estate company Cushman & Wakefield stated that rental prices in Tsim Sha Tsui district dropped 41 percent to US$1,436 dollars or around Rp22.5 million per square foot during the same period.

Meanwhile, average rents on Fifth Avenue itself jumped 14 percent to US$2,000 two or around Rp31.3 million per square foot in the third quarter, compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Rents in other major shopping districts in Hong Kong, such as Causeway Bay, have fallen seven percent over the past year and 49 percent since before the pandemic to US$1,292 dollars or around Rp20.2 million per square foot.

Kevin Lam, Executive Director and Head of Retail Services at Cushman in Hong Kong, said, "Empty shops dominate in the two traditional shopping districts of Hong Kong because mainland tourist arrivals in Hong Kong are still very low."

"With this background, we have seen a change in the retail trade mix in major retail locations," added Lam, citing the transition in Causeway Bay from luxury retailers to stores that cater to lifestyle and local spending needs.

Hong Kong has also relaxed its border policies this month. The latest temporary rules only apply to foreign tourist visitors entering the country.

Freddy Yip Hing-ning, President of the Hong Kong Travel Agents Owners Association, highlighted the absence of tour groups coming to the city.

"It will take one or two months to see the results, as other countries have relaxed restrictions for tourists," he said.

Chairman of TIC Gianna Hsu Wong Mei-lun hopes to see smaller group tours, each consisting of around 10 to 20 members, from Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia, when the new arrangement first begins.

(Liputan6.com)

Report: Rena Safira