toptexts: 2012

Sunday, May 13, 2012

UAE face Kazakhstan in crunch A5N rugby tie Hosts aim to bounce back after two losses

UAE Rugby face a battle for survival in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations (A5N) Top 5 competition when they take on Kazakhstan at The Sevens on Friday.
Kick-off is scheduled for 4pm in what is billed as a relegation battle particularly after South Korea pulled off a 21-19 victory against Hong Kong last week.
UAE are aiming to bounce back from the battering they received at the hands of Hong Kong (85-10) and Japan (106-3).

Kazakhstan opened its 2012 season with an 87-0 loss to Japan but had a bye last weekend.

After two rounds of high intensity rugby, UAE will be seeking an improved performance and hope home advantage will work in their favour in this crucial third-round clash after their new-look outfit learned lessons the hard way.

Cycling: Cavendish wins stage five of Giro d'Italia

World champion Mark Cavendish of Britain won stage five of the Giro d'Italia from Modena to Fano in a bunch sprint on Thursday.Second behind the Sky rider, who claimed the ninth Giro d'Italia stage of his career, was Australian Matt Goss with Italian Daniele Bennati in third.Lithuanian Ramunas Navardauskas continued to lead the race overall for a second day.The Giro d'Italia finishes on May 27 in Milan.

The United Arab Emirates staved a frenzied second-half assault to beat Kazakhstan 46-31 and keep alive their hopes of remaining in the Top 5 of the HSBC Asian Five Nations (A5N) rugby clash at The Sevens on Friday.
After trailing 29-nil at half time, Kazakhstan posted 31 points in the second half to close the gap to 10 points in the final 10 minutes before UAE dashed their hopes of an inspirational comeback.

It was a great comeback by the hosts after the battering they received at the hands of Hong Kong and Japan.

The win by UAE is key to their hopes of staying in the HSBC A5N Top 5 in 2013. Kazakhstan will be ruing a chance to take vital away match points and will now face their second must-win match in two weeks when they host Korea next Saturday in Almaty, before closing out their campaign in Hong Kong on May 26.

UAE performance manager Duncan Hall said: “It’s a relief for the guys definitely. We talked that this was definitely a winnable match and we are very luck we kept our noses in front. Kazakhstan is a proud country. They never let down and they showed that today.”

Lewis Hamilton's spectacular but often controversial career suffered a new twist on Saturday when he was stripped of pole for the Spanish Grand Prix because his McLaren team failed to give him enough fuel.
As a result, Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado of Williams will start from pole position for the first time after being promoted from second on the grid while Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, will start from the back.

Miami Heat forward LeBron James was named on Saturday as the National Basketball Association's Most Valuable Player for the 2011-12 season, cementing his place among the game's greatest players.
It was the third time in four years that 'King' James has won the game's most prestigious individual award, elevating him alongside the sport's biggest names.
Only seven other players - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone - have won the trophy at least three times.

Abdul-Jabbar holds the record for six MVP wins, one ahead of Jordan and Russell but James, still just 27 years old, has plenty of time on his side.

RugbyU: New Zealand clinch world sevens crown

New Zealand clinched their 10th IRB world sevens series crown in 13 years on Sunday after downing South Africa 36-0 to advance to the semi-finals of the final leg of the championship at Twickenham.The New Zealanders needed only one more win to be assured of clinching the crown after victories over Russia, Kenya and Argentina on Saturday.

The men in black had looked vulnerable during their win over Argentina, trailing 10-0 before recovering to win 15-10.

Donald surrenders No. 1 spot to McIlroy

England's Luke Donald will surrender golf's World No. 1 ranking to Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy on Monday after a poor showing at the US PGA Heritage tournament.

Donald fired a level-par 71 on Sunday to finish on two-over par 286 for 72 holes, sharing 37th place, 16 strokes behind winner Carl Pettersson of Sweden.

Shaikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Arab Golf Federation and the Emirates Golf Federation, Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Chairman of the Mena Golf Tour, and Khalfan Al Kaabi, a board member of the Emirates Golf Federation, with the Mena Golf Tour trophy. (FILE)

The Mena Golf Tour fits perfectly into the larger scheme of things if the region’s players, including the UAE, are to realise their ambitions of competing on the bigger stage, especially the Asian Games or even the 2016 Olympics where the sport is making a comeback after a 112-year absence.

Lee Westwood played an "exhausting" 32 holes on Sunday to successfully defend his Indonesian Masters title and pick up his first win of the year.The world number three secured his 38th career victory after he returned early in the morning to complete his third round before closing with a final round two-over-par 74 at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.Englishman Westwood's winning total of 16-under-par 272 meant he finished two shots ahead of Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant, with the Indian duo of Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shiv Kapur tied in third place.

The 38-year-old, who finished tied third at the Masters two weeks ago, held an eight-shot lead going into the final round but tiredness began to kick in on his homeward nine as he shot three bogeys.

Play at the Asian Tour event had been abandoned on Saturday due to lightning.

"It was draining out there and I was really feeling it on the back nine. When you are in contention and under pressure, it seems to zap your energy faster," said Westwood.

Meydan Golf today launches The Track - a unique new pay-and-play golf course at the world famous Dubai racecourse.Challenging enough for even the best players, it is also extremely welcoming for novices looking to take up the sport and those with limited experience.There is no membership fee at The Track with players simply booking a tee time to take on the brilliant nine-hole course.Bookings for preview play rounds are now being taken, at Dh300 per player. Players in this introductory period can choose to play nine holes or double up to 18 holes at no extra charge.

Permanent rates for 9 and 18 holes will be announced following the preview period.

Tuition packages and one-off lessons will also be available from professional instructors who will tailor sessions to the individual’s needs.

Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has extended her patronage to the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters (ODLM) for another two years, reaffirming her support of the premier women’s golfing event in the region.Promoted and organised by 'golf in DUBAi', the euro 500,000 (Dh2.45 million) Ladies European Tour’s season-ending event has grown in stature and popularity since its inception in 2006, showcasing the talent of the world’s leading players in what is billed as the ‘Ladies Major of the Middle East.’

Princess Haya’s kind gesture of extending her patronage to the 2012 and 2013 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters is a fitting recognition to the role played by the event in promoting women’s golf in the region and is part of a long-term Dubai goal to become a solid foothold for sports in the world.

Tiger Woods returns to PGA Tour action at this week's Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, confident he has solved the ball-striking problems which plagued him at this month's Masters.
The former world number one failed to break 72 in any of his four rounds at the year's opening Major, completing his worst performance at Augusta National since he turned professional.
He battled his way to a closing two-over-par 74 for a five-over total of 293, ruing his tendency to allow old habits to creep back into a swing he has grooved with coach Sean Foley over the last two years.

"At the Masters, I was kind of struggling with my ball-striking a little bit," Woods said during a question and answer video session with his fans posted on his website on Monday.

"Sean and I fixed it. It had to do with my posture. My setup wasn't quite right, as well as my takeaway so we worked on that. I just needed to do hundreds of (repetitions). I'm getting dialed in."

Rickie Fowler delivered on his vast potential by claiming his first PGA Tour win at the Wells Fargo championship with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff against Briton Rory McIlroy and fellow American D.A. Points at Quail Hollow on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Fowler finally justified his billing as one of the game's top young players when he sank a four-footer for birdie at the 18th hole to claim victory at the Charlotte, North Carolina course.
"It's a good feeling right now," Fowler told reporters after winning in his 67th professional start. "Definitely some relief, satisfaction.

"I definitely knew I was good enough, and it was just getting everything to come together and stay patient."

Despite losing out in the playoff, the finish ensured US Open champion McIlroy, who is also 23, would reclaim the number one world ranking from Luke Donald.

The 2011 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, won by US teenage sensation Alexis Thompson, generated a massive global media exposure giving ‘golf in Dubai’ and ‘Brand Dubai,’ in particular, a massive boost.
Held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein - wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai - the season-ending event of the Ladies European Tour played from December 14 to 17, reached millions of homes of worldwide, producing Global Media Value worth Dh382.5 million – a whopping 466 per cent increase in value since the inaugural edition in 2006.

Donald hopes for duel for top spot with McIlroy

Luke Donald believes golf fans could be in for a treat in the coming months as he and world number one Rory McIlroy battle it out head-to-head for top spot in the world rankings.

Donald and McIlroy have exchanged the position throughout the season but the sense of drama has been lost given the way the rankings changes have come about, with the two players taking advantage of each other's off-weeks.

McIlroy is enjoying his third spell as number one after first climbing to the peak with victory in the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens in March.

Most of the stories I cover involving my home stomping grounds of New York are uniformly negative, I’m sorry to say. (And yes, that includes the New York Jets.) But the state is what it is. What’s a guy to do? This fact makes it all the more pleasant for me, though, when I come across something positive to report, and it seemed as if I’d found just such a story this weekend. Next week the Empire State will finish rolling out a program called Secure Communities.

A program that gives federal immigration officials access to the fingerprints of undocumented immigrants booked into local jails will start Tuesday across New York state despite staunch opposition from advocates and lawmakers, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Julia: A paean to subservience in the Hubby State?

You’ve come a long way, baby. The old advertising motto that targeted women who thought of themselves as liberated in the 1970s came with no small measure of irony, since the point of the ad was to get women hooked on Virginia Slims cigarettes. Jessica Gavora sees a similar kind of irony in the Barack Obama campaign’s rollout of “Julia,” their composite woman who lives her 67-year life under the beneficence of the Obama presidency. Gavora argues that Obama wants to create not just a nanny state but a Hubby State, in which women marry the federal government — a far from liberating existence:

“The Life of Julia,” the Obama campaign’s new interactive Web ad, follows a cartoon everywoman, Julia, through the milestones of a middle-class American life: education, work, motherhood, retirement. One milestone is pointedly missing: marriage.

But, then again, why should Julia get married? She doesn’t need to. Like a growing number of single women with children, Julia is married to the state.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in this rather creepy slide from the Life of Julia presentation:

Note that there is no mention of a husband, or even a father, biological or involved. In the entire slide series, Julia never gets married, and indeed except for one single reference to having sex, is never shown as being with a man at all. Her son shows up in just one slide, and is never mentioned again after the slide shows Julia handing Zachary off to the Nanny State:

Is justice blind? Sometimes. And so is New Jersey resident Stephen Hopler, a gun collector and enthusiast from the Garden State. (Hat tip to Warner Todd Huston.) Or at least he was until the local authorities decided that a blind guy shouldn’t have weapons. Then things began to look ugly, at least for those who could see.A blind gun collector can keep his gun permit and will have the weapons previously seized from his house by police returned to him, following a judge’s order handed down Friday in Superior Court in Morristown.

Steven Hopler, 49, of Rockaway Township won the latest battle in an ongoing war over his Second Amendment rights. The Morris County Prosecutor’s office had asked Judge Thomas Manahan to revoke Hopler’s firearms ID card and seize all guns in his possession, arguing Hopler abused alcohol and posed a danger to others by being a gun owner.

Video: Get off of Jonah Goldberg’s lawn, you darned kids

I love a curmudgeonly rant, and so this interview of National Review’s Jonah Goldberg is right up my alley. This excerpt of a longer interview with the Daily Caller’s Ginni Thomas focuses on Jonah’s issues with the “youth culture,” the obsession with the worldview of the least experienced of our citizenry. Goldberg notes that “we’re all born idiots,” and that some people are a lot closer to that point in time than most of the rest of us:

“It is a simple fact of science that nothing correlates more with ignorance and stupidity more than youth,” the National Review Online editor said in an interview. “We’re all born idiots, and we only get over that condition as we get less young.”

So why all the focus on the youth vote and “millennials” in politics? Goldberg says young people having so much influence in a society is unhealthy.

“My view is, they’re going to run the country some day, so we should really explain why they’re so frickin’ stupid about so many things,” he said.

Goldberg says in the interview that he would prefer a much higher voting age than 18, and while I agree that these voters tend to be the least sophisticated and informed voters in any election, I still disagree with Goldberg on this point. The law treats 18-year-olds as fully responsible for their actions. The purpose of elections is to form a representative government that binds all citizens and holds them accountable. That includes 18-year-old citizens, which means that they should have the right to participate in the formation of legislatures and executive branches that create and enforce those laws.

That doesn’t mean that politicians should pander to them, or at least at the expense of both older voters and common sense. They may be running the country someday, it is true, but it is equally true that they may be performing brain surgery someday too. That doesn’t mean I want them practicing on my head when they’re 18 and haven’t learned anything about it yet.

In fact, I’d say that a sure sign of political desperation is when a politician has to focus on the least-sophisticated and least-experienced voters to gain any traction. That’s a giveaway that their policies are probably too simplistic and unrealistic to sell elsewhere. One case in point: ObamaCare. Obama got a great deal of support from young voters on this policy — and now they will be forced to needlessly buy comprehensive health insurance at great expense when a simple catastrophic policy would suit their needs much more economically, in order to subsidize the health-care costs of middle-aged and senior voters. Suckers!

Perhaps that experience will have taught the youth culture an important lesson. If so, Jonah will try not to bark at them when their radios are too loud or order them off his darned lawn. Jonah also has a new book out, The Tyranny of Cliches: How Liberals Cheat in the War of Ideas — be sure to check it out.

Quotes of the day

Former President George W. Bush’s pollster for his 2004 re-election, Jan van Lohuizen, has put out a memo to Republican operatives suggesting a shift in the way the GOP discusses same-sex marriage…
“Recommendation: A statement reflecting recent developments on this issue along the following lines:

“‘People who believe in equality under the law as a fundamental principle, as I do, will agree that this principle extends to gay and lesbian couples; gay and lesbian couples should not face discrimination and their relationship should be protected under the law. People who disagree on the fundamental nature of marriage can agree, at the same time, that gays and lesbians should receive essential rights and protections such as hospital visitation, adoption rights, and health and death benefits.’”

Disneyland Paris turns 20, with mixed results

FRANCE, MARNE-LA-VALLEE: Disneyland Paris fetes its 20th anniversary Thursday, but while Mickey Mouse now draws nearly twice as many visitors as the Louvre's Mona Lisa, his fantasy park is not yet out of the financial woods.

A rare glimpse of North Korea by train

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA, Pyongyang: For those who have the rare opportunity, the train linking Dandong in China to Pyongyang in North Korea offers a unique glimpse of the most closed country in the world.

Weary of Dubai traffic? Get Dh1m flying car You could soon be flying over Sheikh Zayed Road instead of being stuck in traffic on the road

If the daily commute from home to office and back is becoming a bit of a drag for you, here’s some exciting news.At last week’s New York International Auto Show, US firm Terrafugia Inc. unveiled the Transition, a vehicle that can operate both as a car and, when push comes to collision, a plane.
Until now, the flying car has been a subject for science fiction and children’s books authors. No longer, it seems. A commercially available version of the car could see the light of the day as soon as next year, the company hopes.

Pending regulatory approvals (and that means a lot, by the way), Terrafugia plans to sell the contraption by 2013 for $279,000 (Dh1.02m). The Transition, in effect a two-seat aircraft with foldable wings, already has about a 100 ‘customers’ who’ve put down a deposit of $10,000 (about Dh37,000) to be among the first owners of the car (or plane, whichever way you’d like to look at it) once it becomes a commercial reality.

The company says that roughly 100 aircraft have been reserved, representing an order backlog of over $25 million. Refundable airframe reservations are currently being accepted to hold a place in production. “We are currently marketing to pilots and to people willing to become pilots to use the Transition. All sorts of people have placed reservations, from retired couples planning to travel to independent business people with clients spread over a large geographic area,” says the firm.

Queen to re-open historic Cutty Sark ship

UNITED KINGDOM, London: The restored Cutty Sark will be re-opened by Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday, five years after the 19th century British tea clipper was ravaged by fire.

Summer hotspots to entice UAE travelers

With vacations fast approaching, here are the top new destinations to include in the travel plans

Summer holiday planning is already buzzing up the phone lines for local travel agents, as weary UAE residents plan their escape from the sizzling heat that’s fast approaching.

Major local carriers such as Emirates and Eithad Airways have already announced top new destinations for their summer flightplan, targeting the disconcerting traveller who is eager to explore new grounds that may even take them off the beaten track.

French tourism spot faces car ban

FRANCE, Mont Saint-Michel: Cars have been banned from the foot of Mont-Saint-Michel in northwest France. People coming to the country's most visited tourist site now have to park their vehicles three

Occupancy reaches 86.6% while revenue per available room surges 17.6%Tourism in Dubai is witnessing a massive surge as visitor numbers continue to climb. Dubai hotels are a direct beneficiary of this influx, with average room rates surging almost 9 per cent year-on-year during the first quarter of 2012 to close in on Dh1,000 per day, new data has revealed.
According to STR Global’s data for Q1 2012, occupancy in Dubai hotels rose 8.2 per cent in three months to reach a very impressive 86.6 per cent while the average daily rate (ADR) increased 8.7 per cent to Dh964.86 for the quarter, compared with the same period last year.

This, the global hotels research agency said, boosted revenue per available room (RevPAR) for Dubai hotels by 17.6 per cent year-on-year.

“The majority of markets across the GCC have weathered the recent storms fairly well,” said Elizabeth Randall, managing director of STR Global.

According to the agency, RevPAR of hotels in Jeddah, Al Khobar (both in Saudi Arabia) and Dubai continue to benefit from increased demand this year even as a continuous growth in supply of new hotels and hotel rooms limited RevPAR performances in the other major GCC markets, like Doha (Qatar), where a 10.8 per cent rise in supply led to a 14.5 per cent decline in RevPAR in Q1, 2012.

“We have seen demand growth for most markets in the region, highlighting the stronger underlying fundaments of stability and attractiveness to regional and international visitors,” added Randall.

“Increasing room inventory has been a dominant factor influencing performance in the past and will continue to do so as the region remains attractive for hotel owners and operators. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are interesting case studies to show how hotel markets can cope with balancing demand and supply,” she said.

“The fundamentals in the region, particularly the GCC, are among the best in the world given the combination of oil revenues, official reserves and the contribution of sovereign wealth funds,” said Nenad Pacek, president of Global Success Advisors and an expert on emerging markets.

However, STR Global acknowledged that while Dubai and Abu Dhabi were both experiencing growth, the two UAE markets are at different growth cycles.

“In the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi represent two different cycle stages, particularly when looking at supply growth over the last 15 months,” the STR Global report said. “In Q1 2012, both cities benefited from a fairly similar demand growth, with Dubai growing by 11 per cent and Abu Dhabi by 9.7 per cent,” it said.

Stewart Coggans, regional executive vice-president for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels emphasised the polarisation of regional markets, stressing the role of Dubai as regional leader in terms of performance.

“The market here is equipped to absorb the 12,000 rooms in the pipeline in the city with a healthy balance of 50:50 in terms of corporate and leisure business,” he said. “Abu Dhabi, with an 80:20 split is not as robust with the 2,000 rooms opening in 2011 leading to a decline in average daily rate of 16 per cent.”

The STR Global report too notes that Abu Dhabi and Dubai vary in potential and performance. “[C]onsidering the supply growth since 2011, the impact on RevPAR performance has been quite different. In Abu Dhabi since December 2011, the city has seen double-digit supply growth, reaching 16.7 per cent in Q1 2012. The additional room inventory resulted in declining occupancy by 6 per cent to 64.1 per cent,” the report noted.

Abu Dhabi’s average daily rate during the first quarter of the year was Dh633.85, a decrease of 11.7 per cent compared to the previous year, data showed, while Dubai hotels continue to experience a healthy growth in room rates.

Nevertheless, it’s Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah that emerged the star performer in Q1 2012. “Excluding Makkah and Medina, both in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah is the star performer in RevPAR growth for the first quarter,” STR Global said.

“The city benefited from demand growth (+17.3 per cent) and a temporary reduction of available rooms as the Westin Jeddah is closed for refurbishment between October 2011 and summer 2012,” it noted.

Al Khobar saw RevPAR in Q1 2012 increase to SAR414.16 (+18 per cent), led by occupancy reaching 57.3 per cent (+13.4 per cent) compared to the previous year.

“Occupancy growth primarily was driven by increased demand (+21.2 per cent) amid fairly low increases in new supply (+6.9 per cent), which in previous years increased by double digits. Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh’s supply growth (+11.5 per cent) in Q1 2012 outpaced demand (+3.1 per cent). This resulted in an occupancy decline of 7.5 per cent to 63.2 per cent,” the report said.

Rest of GCC markets see RevPAR declines

In Doha, occupancy declined by 10.5 per cent to 63.6 percent in Q1 2012, led by double-digit supply growth (+17.4 per cent), which outpaced demand growth of 5.1 per cent, data showed. Heightened competition among hotels in Doha therefore led average daily rates to decline to QAR827.8 (-4.5 per cent) in Q1 compared to the previous year.

“Manama, Bahrain, following the unrest since February 2011, continued to see RevPAR performance declining to BHD35.87 (-9 per cent) in Q1 2012, compared to the previous year,” the agency said, noting that March 2012 saw a huge increase in occupancy (+112.1 per cent), but attributed this rise to a low occupancy base in March 2011 (21.2 per cent). “Demand for the destination improved 1.1 per cent for the first quarter this year,” it said.

Kuwait saw occupancy reaching 57.3 per cent (-6.6 per cent) in first-quarter 2012 compared to the previous year. During the same period, ADR declined by 1.9 per cent to KWD63. Kuwait was the only market reporting a demand decline (-5.0 per cent) for the first quarter.

Whilst ADR declined by 7.3 per cent to OMR94.98 in Muscat, Oman, the city’s hotels saw occupancy reach 67.3 per cent (+3.5 per cent) resulting from increased demand (+8 per cent) for the first quarter of 2012. Muscat’s demand increase outweighed its supply increase of 4.3 per cent.

Overall, revPAR across the Middle East rose 10.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to 2011 – 50 per cent greater than Asia and North America.

What’s more impressive is the fact that Dubai’s sustainably strong tourism numbers are not dependent on oil income, something that experts note is highly commendable.

According to Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & CEO Bench Events and Board Member STR Global, the figures underlined two contrasting points for the hospitality industry.

“While oil revenues are sustaining economic growth in the major producing countries and funding development of their travel and tourism industries, we have seen Dubai emerge as a striking example of a market that has thrived and survived with minimal oil reserves but a combination of private and public investment and joint will to balance supply and demand,” said Worsley, who is also the organizer of the ongoing Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2012.

“Oil rich economies are using their wealth to diversify away from dependency on hydrocarbon revenue. This is very prudent and will benefit them in the long run. However, Dubai’s sustainable model could be adopted by non-oil economies,” he added.

Travel Trends: A golf course in Dubai’s World Central Airport…

A new report by one of world’s largest hotel groups says airport indulgances are at an all-time high, and that shopping and indulging in luxuries at airports worldwide will be a key global travel trend that will have potential impact in 2012 and beyond With over 153 million room nights booked by guests each year, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), says in its report that new global travel patterns are impacting local geographies, and cites the world’s largest airport, Dubai’s upcoming World Central Airport as an example.
IHG says that 100 new airports will emerge by 2020 in China, while “Dubai’s World Central airport will house a golf course and the world’s largest mall.”

As the 381-room Fairmont The Palm readies to open in September, competition may just drive rates to be more budget friendly end of seasonAs the Fairmont The Palm readies to throw down its gauntlet in the populated hotel market that has sprung up on The Palm Jumeirah in recent years, insiders are saying that we could soon see a price war in room rates that would ultimately favour the tourist influx on the man-made island.The upcoming 381-room Fairmont property will be located on the west facing trunk of the Palm, which, the management say, is the only hotel that will boast that location and will ultimately be its top draw for tourists who are looking for something more in the city other than confining themselves to a destination hotel on the island.

Air travel could hit a high note this year if fuel prices continue to peak, said Qatar Airways chief Akbar Al Baker, adding that all airlines are equally burdened by the rising costs.
This news comes just as Emirates Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum announced that Emirates’ fuel cost for the financial year 2011-2012 hit $2 billion.

While most airline chiefs in the Mideast have maintained that fuel price is the main decider of airfares, Al Baker spoke in greater detail about this at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, stating: “Fuel price continues to be a challenge to all airlines. In the case of Qatar Airways, we are hedged up until 2015; however, fuel does form a major of an airline’s annual cost structure.”

Space tourism set for takeoff

UNITED STATES, Colorado Springs: Hundreds of people seeking the ultimate thrill ride are already signed up to be among the world's first space tourists. And several US states are in a breakneck race to set up space ports and cut out a slice of the future space tourism industry

Solar powered boat's round the world trip

ITALY: In these days of environmental awareness a European venture has shown the possibilities of solar power. PlanetSolar is the world's largest solar powered boat and the catarmaran will complete its record-breaking round-the-world trip this week when it docks in Monaco after 600 days at sea.

Best airlines for families... and yes, Emirates is on top

Travelling long distance with kids can be stress-free – no really! That’s what a new survey of international airlines found out.

The study, conducted by US News Travel, reveals that Dubai-based Emirates is right on top when it comes to travelling long-haul with little kids. And there’s not one but two Gulf-based airlines that make it to the coveted Top 5 Airlines for Families, as short listed by US Travel.

As any parent with kids below 12 (or even in their teens, for that matter) will tell you, flying with children is not an exercise they enjoy. It’s exhausting no doubt, but that’s the least of their troubles.

Top 10 'ugly' buildings

A recent opinion piece in the New York Times resurrected the age-old debate about whether ugly buildings deserved preservation if deemed historically important. While the staff and travelers at online travel advisers Trippy.com may be undecided on that issue, they can certainly tell you which buildings they'd put on the list for consideration. Here are their choices for the World's Top 10 Ugliest Buildings. Reuters has not endorsed this list:

1. J. Edgar Hoover Building (FBI HQ); Washington, D.C.

This is reason alone to avoid the 10 Most Wanted list. Situated in the center of the city, this dreary 1970s behemoth is almost unavoidable. Its days may be numbered as discussions about the department's relocation are rumored to be swirling around the capital city.

2. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum; Cleveland, Ohio

Even the architect was unhappy with this one. Upon the building's completion, a displeased I.M. Pei admitted himself there's little harmony in these conflicting shapes.

Virgin's ‘grin and tonic’ Branson ice cubes

The ice cubes have been created using the exact measurements of Sir Richard’s head

The British-based Virgin Atlantic is giving passengers some extended face time with Richard Branson, the carrier’s billionaire founder, to celebrate the launch of the airline’s newly redesigned upper-class section.

Casablanca's core crumbles

MOROCCO, Casablanca: Casablanca, Morocco's 'white city', hosts hundreds of architectural marvels. From art deco hotels and neo-classical ornaments to neo-Moorish detailing, the city bears witness to its status

Climbing Mt Everest - Dubai resident faces avalanches, rock falls, strokes…

Atte Miettinen blogs exclusively for Emirates24|7 as he climbs the world’s highest mountain

We returned from our last acclimatisation rotation about a week ago. Our plan had been to climb from Everest Base Camp (5365m) via Camp 1 (6150m) and Camp 2 (6500m) to Camp 3 (7400m), the highest we'd ever been on the mountain.

However, heavy rockfall en route from Camp 2 to Camp 3 forced us to change our plans. In fact, a sherpa from another expedition got hit in the face by a falling rock close to Camp 3, was knocked unconscious for 45 minutes and evacuated by helicopter to Kathmandu. Later, we found out he lost his life.

A restaurant using home-grown vegetables to achieve unique quality and taste wins its third Michelin star.

Tea to be declared India's national drink

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Tea should be celebrated as 'half of the tea industry labour comprises women and is the largest employer in the organised sector': official India is to declare tea as its national drink to celebrate the life of a pioneering tea-planter who was hanged by British colonial rulers for taking part in the rebellion of 1857.

Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Saturday announced the decision while on a visit to Assam, the tea-producing northeastern state that borders on Bhutan and Bangladesh.

PHILIPPINES, ANGELES CITY: Claude Tayag sees himself as a food missionary, hoping to convert people at home and abroad to the secret cuisine wonders of the Philippines.

Danish restaurant "Noma" wins top accolade in "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list for third year in a row

Ramadan to see 20-30% price cuts Ministry of economy again refuses dealers’ bid to raise prices

The prices of most consumer products will be slashed by 20-30 per cent during the fasting month of Ramadan in line with an agreement between suppliers and shopping outlets, according to officials.

The Ministry of Economy, which is involved in a drive to prevent sharp rises in consumer prices, has also told all cooperative societies and other dealers to ensure all consumer products are available in sufficient quantities for Ramada, which is expected in the second half of July this year.

Soft drink lovers should brace to pay 50 per cent more for their beverage when a proposed tax on these products is enforced by the UAE and other Gulf oil producers, press reports said on Tuesday.

Smokers, already stung by a 100 per cent rise in cigarette prices, could also pay 50 per cent more as the recommended tax also applies to tobacco.

Read here: Pepsi, Coke 300ml to be taken off shelves

Health ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) proposed the 50 per cent tax on both products at a recent meeting in Saudi Arabia. The proposal was presented to the GCC finance ministers for approval.

“Studies conducted recently by the GCC ministries of health showed that beverage prices in the region are the lowest in the world although it is a key factor in the spread of diabetes among children,” said Younus Al Khoury, undersecretary of the UAE ministry of finance.

“Hence, it recommended a 50 per cent tax on selective soft drink products and a further 50 per cent on tobacco, which is already subject to a 100 per cent tax…the study recommends that the tax on tobacco should be 150 per cent given the harmful effects of this product.”

US warns two drugs may have sexual side effects

Two Merck drugs for treating male baldness and enlarged prostate will now carry extended labels to add more possible sexual side effects, US regulators said.
The changes involve Propecia and Proscar, both of which contain the active ingredient finasteride, after patients reported additional adverse effects that were not apparent at the time of the drugs' approval, the US Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
The new Propecia label will include "libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders that continued after discontinuation of the drug," the FDA said. Propecia is a drug to treat male baldness.

Statistics Centre study reveals most babies in the emirate are born in OctoberA study released by Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi (Scad) as part of its 'Demographic Studies’ series shows that February-March is the time that most babies born in the emirate are likely to have been conceived.
According to the study, which looked at birth patterns in Abu Dhabi for the year 2010, the number of births in October was the highest, accounting for 9.3 per cent of all births during that year. Which means most of the babies are conceived in the first quarter of the year?

Click here to read stars show off their bumps:

Woman crippled by overdose during delivery

A Saudi court ordered three doctors to pay SR110,000 (Dh108,000) to a woman who suffered from paralysis and loss of many senses because of an anesthesia overdose during a Caesarian operation.

A Sudanese anesthesia doctor who was blamed for the medical error fled Saudi Arabia while two local doctors were ordered to pay the compensation.

The woman’s husband said his wife had been bed ridden for five years following the operation at a private hospital in the western Red Sea port of Jeddah.

But male-dominated expatriate population produces more boysAbu Dhabi nationals appear to be far more producrive than expats, even though the number of expatriate births in the emirate of Abu Dhabi are higher, according to the latest statistics.

The General Fertility Rate (GFR) for nationals stood at 118.4 per 1,000 female citizens - almost double than the 63.2 GFR for expatriates, revealed a study by Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi.

The statistics relate to women of child-bearing age (15-49). Majority of expat women are in this child-bearing/working-group age group.

The US Agriculture Department confirms that it found a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, in a dairy cow in central California.

8-year old Dubai boy battles brain tumour for life

An eight-year-old Indian boy who was constantly complaining of back pain and eye problems is now battling for life at Rashid Hospital, Dubai, while his family is seeking help to meet medical expenses.

Doctors were treating him for short sight and even increased the power of his lenses and prescribed medicines for back pain. Unfortunately the correct diagnosis came way too late for the child who is now in a critical state suffering from brain tumour.

The youngster's father, Sunil Kumar - an employee of Rich and Famous in Al Qouz - told 'Emirates24|7' that neurosurgeons have advised immediate surgery.

It’s been nearly two weeks since Sri Lankan Nilakshi Priyadarshana’s life came to a grinding halt. The 22-year-old suffered third-degree burns when a drain acid bottle that was placed on top of the fridge accidentally fell on her.
She has already undergone two skin grafting surgeries and is scheduled for one more this week. Her husband is unsure of how many more surgeries she will require for complete recovery. However, she is determined to fight it out and recover at the earliest for their 10-month-old baby.

Resident individual sponsors of relatives and friends visiting the UAE are required to purchase health insurance as part of the visit visa for each visiting individual. This is done to ensure that if any medical emergency takes place, there is sufficient cover to provide for medical care.

However, not often is this cover claimed – resulting in such purchases becoming another revenue stream for insurance firms.

Beaten school girl accuses teachers of inaction

Girl regains consciousness and says boys beat her like a toy

A little Emirati school girl who was admitted to hospital in serious condition three weeks ago after she was beaten up by four school boys accused teachers of failing to protect her as they watched her being kicked.

Lujain Hussein said the four boys kept kicking her like a toy during the break time at a private school in Abu Dhabi while the supervisors did not move, adding that she no longer wants to return to that school.

Euro is sinking right now, forced down by the political situation in the eurozone. Concerns about what’s next for the 17-nation currency zone are dragging down the euro as Forex traders look for safety, and choosing the US dollar and the Japanese yen instead.

Euro is struggling as the political situation in the eurozone deteriorates. For the most part, the focus is on Greece. The country has been unable to form a new government, and there are already rumblings of another election — and the possibility is being raised that Greece will withdraw from the currency bloc. Even if a government is eventually formed, the worry is that the new leaders won’t adhere to the austerity measures agreed to for the Greek bailout.

The Australian dollar dropped today, trading near this year’s lows, as a government report showed that the nation’s trade balance deficit in March was bigger than estimated by specialists.

Australia’s trade balance registered a deficit of A$1.587 billion in March, compared to experts’ forecast of A$1.380 billion. The February shortage was revised from A$0.480 billion to A$0.754 billion. The poor data made traders afraid that Australia’s economic growth is losing steam.

Taiwan Dollar Fluctuates, Will Central Bank Allow Currency Appreciate?

The Taiwan dollar fluctuated today as the impact of the general negative sentiment on the Forex market battled with the influence of speculation that the nation’s central bank will allow the currency appreciate.

Analysts speculate that Taiwan’s central bank will tolerate gains of the currency to stem growth of inflation even as the strong currency puts pressure on exporters. Inflation accelerated to 1.44 percent in April from a year ago after consumer prices increased 1.25 percent in March. At the same time, exports declined 6.4 percent last month from a year earlier, compared with the 3.2 percent drop in the month before.

Risk aversion is rising right now, and the Japanese yen is gaining across the board because of it. Concerns about Europe continue to dominate the markets, and Forex traders are looking for stability and safe haven. The Japanese yen offers that, and is quite popular right now.

The biggest concern right now is Greece. Right now, the party Syriza is trying to form a government, but that party (known for its anti-bailout sentiment and opposition to austerity measures) is having difficulty forming a government. Others will be given three days to form a government, and if no one can, elections will be called again. In any case, there are concerns that the Greek government can’t pull it off, and that Greece will withdraw from the monetary union by the end of the year.

Euro is down across the board today, falling as concerns about what is happening in the eurozone weigh on financial markets around the world. The financial and political turmoil in the eurozone are causing trouble, and the euro is below the 1.30 level against the US dollar as a result.

Thanks to the political turmoil in the eurozone, financial markets are in upheaval today. While the eurozone will take some getting used to Francois Hollande, the new French president, there are more immediate issues pressing right now. It appears that Syriza will be unable to form a government in Greece. Next, tries to go to PASOK and then to the President. If none of these can form a government, new elections will be held. The uncertainty regarding Greece, and whether or not it will live up to its austerity agreements, has increased quite a bit. Additionally, there is speculation that Greece will leave the currency union.

The Australian dollar dropped, reaching the lowest level against its US counterpart this year, as Forex market participants anticipate a set of poor fundamental data from the South Pacific country today.
Australian employment is expected to fall by 4,800 in April, following the increase by 44,000 in preceding month. Analysts predict that the unemployment rate will rise from 5.2 percent to 5.3 percent. The trade balance deficit widened from A$46.0 billion in February to A$49.8 billion in March, according to estimates before the government report.

After a few days of gloom over Europe, risk appetite is making an appearance in the financial markets. US dollar is pulling back from recent highs against the euro and the pound, and heading lower as Forex traders look for a little extra yield, and as a degree of optimism is seen as moves are made to shore up Spain.

US dollar was headed higher today, moving up as news about Great Britain’s economy disappointed. However, the Bank of England put quantitative easing on hold, and it appears that the body is prepared to maintain that position. So, even with the British economy in recession, the pound is getting a slight boost against the US dollar.

Euro is finding some support in Forex trading today, heading a little bit higher. Even though there are still concerns about what is happening in Europe, traders are looking for a little bit of respite from the risk aversion and gloom. So, the euro is a little bit higher right now, and other high beta currencies are seeing some success as well.

Euro is slightly higher against the US dollar right now. Spain has all but nationalized its fourth-largest bank, and is taking aggressive steps to shore up its financial sector. While this may not solve Spain’s problems, it’s at least an attempt, and one that many are viewing favorably. Additionally, UK pound, another high beta currency, is seeing success against the US dollar. The Bank of England is keeping quantitative easing on hold, and that means that the pound won’t be intentionally weakened right now.

Euro is still higher against the pound today, and is seeing modest gains against its major counterparts. However, gains are limited, and the euro is rangebound, due largely because of the uncertainty that remains. A Greek government has yet to be formed, and questions remain about how the eurozone will tackle stimulus. There is plenty of room for the euro to fall to the US dollar in the future.

At 14:01 GMT EUR/USD is up to 1.2971 from the open at 1.2930. EUR/GBP is up to 0.8018 from the open at 0.8017. EUR/JPY is up to 103.6595 from the open at 102.9720.

If you have any questions, comments or opinions regarding the Euro, feel free to post them using the commentary form below.

Bank of England Avoids Quantitative Easing, Pound Profits

The Bank of England refrained from easing the monetary policy at today’s meeting, causing the Great Britain pound to climb. The United Kingdom still suffers from the double-dip recession and it is questionable whether the currency could maintain its gains.
The BoE held its key interest rate at 0.5 percent and the asset purchase facility at £325 billion. The bank’s decision was likely caused by fears that excessive easing may lead to a surge of inflation. The BoE maintains its main rate unchanged since March 2009. The central bank also initiated the bond purchase program in March 2009 and expanded the program last time in February 2012.

Australia’s employment data made a pleasant surprise for those Forex traders that were bullish on the Australian dollar as employment unexpectedly grew and the unemployment rate fell.

The number of employed persons in Australia rose by 15,500 in April from March, while analysts expected a drop by 4,800. The unemployment rate slipped from 5.2 percent to 4.9 percent, even though an increase to 5.3 percent was predicted. The Australian currency is still pressed by negative outlook for Europe and uncertain prospects for China, but the domestic data was simply too good and pushed the Aussie up, at least for now.

The Canadian dollar gained today as Forex traders showed risk appetite on signs that the situation in Greece is improving and some positive data from the United States. The gains of the currency were limited as tomorrow’s employment data is expected to be rather poor.
European politicians confirmed that Greece is receiving a next round of bailout. There are speculations that the most-indebted European country made progress in forming a new government. US federal budged had its first surplus since 2008. Most news was good today and that translated

The Indian rupee rallied today as the Reserve Bank of India took measures to support the currency that has been performing very badly. The central bank decrease the amount of foreign currency companies may hold.

The RBI announced that companies may keep only 50 percent of their profits in foreign currency, down from 100 percent, while other half should be exchanged to the domestic currency. This measure should bolster central bank’s dollar reserves. The currency definitely needs support as it has fallen 4.8 percent this quarter

The Indonesia rupiah advanced today on speculation that the nation’s central bank will intervene, buying the currency, to reduce currency volatility and slow growth of consumer prices.

Analysts speculate that the Bank Indonesia may boost its interest rates after keeping them unchanged on the last policy meeting. The bank may do so to keep inflation in check after it jumped the highest level in seven months. Indonesia’s central bank may slow inflation growth and lower volatility by removing surplus funds from the financial system.

Greek political leaders continue to wrangle in an effort to form a government, and that is weighing on the euro, especially against the US dollar. Yesterday, the euro showed some spunk, and riskier assets received a bit of a boost. Today, though, risk aversion is back in full force over Greece, and over the latest news from JP Morgan Chase.

Canadian dollar is getting a boost today against the US dollar as employment news turns out more positive than expected. Loonie is higher against its US counterpart on the good news, even as risk aversion in general weighs on other high beta currencies.

Canadian dollar is heading higher today, thanks to a strong employment report. According to Statistics Canada, employment rose to 58,200 in April. This came on the heels of a jump of 82,300 in March. The good news is supporting the idea of a relatively strong Canadian economy — especially when compared against the US economy.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Saturday, May 12, 2012