Welcome to rascott.com
This is a
personal site that reflects my interests in news,
current affairs, aviation and travel.
email me at robert@rascott.com
Now In Dubai:
Scott
Consulting
Photo Albums
My photographs have been moved off this site and are now stored on Picasa. They
were simply taking up too much space on my web host.
Please use
this link to see my list of photo albums.
Some
Useful links:
Information:
World Time
Clock
Exchange Rates
Journalism:
ForeignPolicy
Nationsonline.org
Project Syndicate
Amnesty International
Reporters w/o borders
The Guardian
BBC World News
CNN Asia
Bangkok Post
Daylife.com - news
Gulf News
Arabian Business
World News
WSJ - Asia
Good causes:
Sister
Joan - Bangkok
Regional Info:
BKK Magazine
HK Magazine
In
Singapore Magazine
TimeOut Dubai
Back in the UK:
Newton Ferrers
And for fun:
Lin Ping live panda tv
EarthCam
History
BBC Archive
National Media
Museum
The British Library
Imperial War Museum
There are many other links on my AOB blog page.
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An Occasional Blog
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Emirates Airline bloggers
TampaxTowers
Egypt Thailand Blogs Bangkok Metblogs - city life Thai-blogs.com - rather serious
2bangkok.com
-
not really a blog but always up to date on Bangkok news
BKKOK.com
Thai
Girl The exotic adventures of a literary
sexagenarian.
Thai
Films
Thai Mass Transit Systems
dxbae
- picture blog
Al - Emarati
- English language UAE blog
Grumpy
Goat
Arabic affairs blogs The Arabist
Hong Kong Blogs In China Danwei - media and advertising news from China
Shanghai
Diaries - self explanatory
Hong Kong Cinemagic
My Olive Tree
- Macau blog In Singapore: Xiaxue - self-confessed mean, bitchy, sex goddess who says "wah" a lot!
Mr Brown
- colourful commentary from Singapore
In Burma
In Canada:
Media:
Tabloid
Watch (UK) Aviation Amadeus (airline schedules) Airline meals - see it b4 you eat it !
Airliners
- aviation forum, trip reports and pix
archive Planenation - commercial aviation news Airchive - a web museum of commercial aviation.
CrankyFlier
- mainly US commentary
Sharjah - 1937
Johnny Jet News The Guardian - UK
Arabian
Business China sites Bangkok info sites Worthy Sites Niall Ferguson - my favorite modern historian
Rconversation - from Rebecca
MacKinnon, ex-TV reporter-turned-blogger. Golf Sites
Fun Sites
Penguin baseball Technology Ideas
Stuff -
gadgets
TNooz - Travel Tech The Rest
Black
Flamingo - recipes and life (no golf!)
Author
Robert Scott lives and works in Dubai; born in England I have since lived in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. I am very happily married to Tai.
If you want to know more you only need to ask! ask.
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28 February 2011 Please bring back Billy Crystal to host the Oscars ! This year's edition was truly terrible. Dull. Dull. Dull. How does the King's Speech win for original screenplay - it was not - it is from a play. Wonderfully acted. But best film? A rich guy has a stutter and gets treated for it? ************************* ************************* ************************* A look at the photos! What about from the autopsy or the pathologists report? Ridiculous. And insulting to the intelligence of anyone who wants to get to the truth of what happened. ************************** So the private schools are really not very private - as they are regulated. And I thought that price increases were tied to the school assessment process from the KHDA? A good assessment justified a higher price increase? 27 February 2011 Omani security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters demanding political reforms, killing at least one person. The clashes mark a significant escalation in two days of protests in Oman, a gulf state thought to be trouble-free. *********************** *********************** Americans will never understand that there was no winner!. Match tied. Though technically England should have won because they lost 8 wickets while India were all out in 49.5... ********************* ********************* ********************** ************************ ************************* 25 February 2011 At least this makes it clear who does run Thailand - this is so wrong - from the Bangkok Post today: Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has apologised to army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha after four Democrat MPs publicly criticised him for failing to end the insurgency in the southern border area. 24 February 2011 Here is the problem with soaring oil prices: for most airlines fuel represented more than a quarter of operating costs last year, when oil averaged just $79/barrel. At $100-plus, the industry is into heavy losses, and
since most airlines started frantically slashing non-fuel costs back in
2008 when oil soared to its pre-crisis peak of $140, there is not that
much more they can do now do counter the latest rise. ************************** ************************** 23 February 2011 No pictures but the cassoulet that I cooked last night was seriously good. Emirates next destinations in the Americas - in no particular order and with no start dates announced yet - SEA, MIA, ORD, IAD, GIG, EZE, MEX 22 February 2011 Reality check : Our economy is based on the depletion of resources not their protection. Our monetary system is based on debt. Profit is maximised at the expense of other humans. The most successful managers are rewarded not for their empathy but for being the most efficient at maximising profit. Shareholder return is not the same as stakeholder return; even in more advanced societies the gap between those who have and those who have not simply gets wider, The consequences of their actions on others and on society are largely irrelevant. Is this the beginning of a world revolution where hunger, thirst and gross inequality force millions onto the streets in countries all over the globe. Those addicted to power, greed and money will not give it away without considerable bloodshed.
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*********************************** Thai PBS says there are 50,000 Thai workers in ME including 23,000 in Libya. Hopefully they are safe. 21 February 2011 Wise words: "It's not death I fear..........it's what they'll find on my computer when I go!!" 20 February 2011 The LPGA were playing this week at Siam Country Club outside Pattaya - top-ranked Taiwanese golfer Yani Tseng earned her third tournament win in three weeks shooting a 6-under 66 to pull away for a comfortable five-shot victory over Michelle Wie in the LPGA Thailand. Ms. Wie finished second after a 70 today. Ms. Wie is trying to get through a season of part time golf and full time studying at Stanford. Talented girl ! Hope she did not get too distracted in Pattaya. ************************ The unrest is far from over – there are newly empowered people across the region who have little to lose and lots to gain. It is both exhilarating and alarming. 19 February 2011 This is the trouble with low cost - low intelligence - In a massive case of cultural insensitivity, Easyjet's recent dinner options on its Luton to Tel Aviv flights were bacon baguettes and ham melts. Needless to say, this did not go down too well with its passengers. *********************** Always happy when I meet up with someone I have not seen for many months and we talk as though we had seen eachother yesterday. ***********************
Depressing allegations tonight from Torbay and Torquay. ********************** *********************** ************************ This would be a good time from the GCC to tell Bahrain that the violence against protestors was not acceptable. ************************** The secondary story is that Emiratis gave a broad welcome for the new election system where only 1% of them can vote. The National had such potential when it was launched. Failed now. ************************** from: Airliners.net The latest logo jet from Etihad - promoting Abu Dhabi tourism for 2011 ************************* September 2011: MSN 077- A6-EDP - EK # 16 ************************* *************************  The Globe and Mail review: The Water Rat of Wanchai is
the first book in what Anansi intends as a new mystery imprint called
Spiderline. If the other novels are half as good as this debut by Ian
Hamilton, then readers are going to celebrate. Hamilton, a nationally
known journalist and non-fiction author, has created a marvellous
character in Ava Lee, a Toronto forensic accountant. However questions are being asked if it is a generous gift, or a ploy to win government support. 16 February 2011 Internet dating in one sentence: "women are terrified of meeting serial killers online; men are terrified of meeting women of above-average weight" ************************** In terms of direct subsidies that is true but Emirates does benefit from: Lower Wages in Dubai and short term labour contracts; no
pension or union costs. 15 February 2011 "Thai politics becomes a dog's dinner" writes the Sydney Morning Herald. I will not link to it but you can always search online for the article. For regular readers and people who follow Thai politics and royalty there is nothing new. But it is not an article that would have been written two years ago.... 14 February 2011 A rare visitor to Dubai - Qantas was in town today: A
Qantas flight from London to Singapore has been stopped from flying into
Iraqi airspace. ****************************** ******************************* 13 February 2011 One of the great front pages:
Fair to say that events in Egypt were the best-reported revolution in history. None of the coming uprisings will be covered anywhere near as well. Why: Egyptians are very articulate, speak great English; Egypt swarms with journalists, and many have spent time there, have connections and understand the issues; Egypt has a very high level of connection to the outside world and tourism and history means a huge % of the world "know" Egypt and have an interest. The quality of some of the foreign media reporting puts their coverage of the red shirt protests and the army crackdown in BKK to shame. **************************** I did not watch the marquee group of Westwood Kaymer and Woods; instead followed Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and the two Spaniards, Martin and Cabrera-Bello. Good to watch quality golf up close. But professional golfers are generally miserable. They appear to take no pleasure in having one of the greatest jobs a man could have. Senor Martin is a very grumpy club throwing young man ! The downside to watching: the pros get to walk in the grass down the fairway. The spectators get to yomp through the desert sand. Never understand why people would take a young baby to the golf - if there is anywhere that a baby does not want to be that must be it. 10 February 2011 The hot question in the UK today...from popbitch "Which
former newsreader, still much loved, used to send secret messages to his
mistress at the end of the news? If the By the way I have no idea what the answer is but it does make news readers more interesting ! 9 February 2011 A man goes to the doctor: "I am addicted to Twitter", he says. Doctor says: "I am sorry, I don't follow you" ************************* Apparently the developer of Suan Lum nightbazaar has bought a large piece of land on Ratchadaphisek Rd. It plans to build a large mixed-use development, called Ratchada Night Bazaar. Most vendors will move to the new location. Already at this new location is the large Ratchadaphisek-Ladprao night market. It will also be integrated in the new mall/market. Expected completion is 2012. It is not the best of tourist locations. ********************* She was not a happy bunny. ********************* Abhisit made the comments in Bangkok to the CLSA Asean Investors’ Forum, the statement from his Government House office said. Reporters were not allowed into the forum. If he wants an election by the end of June, he will need to dissolve parliament in by May 15 at the latest (per Section 108 of the Constitution which states that a new general election must be held “not less than forty-five days but not more than sixty days as from the day the House of Representatives has been dissolved. 8 February 2011 Sorry - did not mean to sound quite so gloomy ! I was having some frustration with my UAE residence application but all is solved now. Just have to wait for the final paperwork to be completed. ************************ Once again Dubai will fulfil its three-year commitment
to underwrite the European Tour's season-long 'Race to Dubai' in 2011. Tiger Woods is in town - with appearance money estimated
at around US$3 million. A rather uncertain day today. More on that over the next few days. Maybe! ************************* King George VI was of course the subject of "The King's Speech" - which we saw earlier in the week - and which deserves all of the praise lavished on it. Two great leading roles. A top quality support cast. And a very smart script. 4 February 2011 On a personal level it was a grumpy day today - shame really as it was a lovely sunny blue sky day; with a breeze that made it feel like spring. Had a walk along the beach at JBR before a late lunch. But is was one of those days when two people who are as close as Tai and I are still struggle to say the right things to eachother. Like being strangers after 7 years. Weird. ************************ In a statement the broadcaster says that "In the last
week its bureau was forcibly closed, all its journalists had press
credentials revoked, and nine journalists were detained at various stages.
Al Jazeera has also faced unprecedented levels of interference in its
broadcast signal as well as persistent and repeated attempts to bring down
its websites." "Arab kings and presidents are scrambling to appease their people: Jordan's king dismissed his government, Algeria's president said he will end emergency laws, the Yemeni president pledged not to run again. But for us Arabs, the biggest change has already happened. The holy image of his deity the ruler, surrounded by fearless, mustachioed mukhabarat officers, has been shattered." ************************************** All three were provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council and the verdict of a separate independent hearing is expected tomorrow. 3 February 2011 The dangers faced by bloggers and journalists in Cairo are huge - as this one example shows: "I am ok. I got out. I was ambushed & beaten by the police, my phone confiscated , my car ripped apar& supplies taken #jan25" The BBC meanwhile: "Egyptian security seize BBC equipment at Cairo Hilton in attempt to stop us broadcasting #Egypt" And from Al Jazeera: "Greek journalist stabbed in Cairo while covering the protests in Meydan Tahrir" 2 February 2011 **************************** Dubai and the UAE - then and now - Life magazine pictures. **************************** 31 January 2011 Torres = £50m Carroll = £35m Szczesny-Clichy-Djourou-Vermaelen-Sagna -Nasri -Walcott -Fabregas -Song -Wilshere - Van Persie = £44m Makes Arsene Wenger look like a financial genius. ******************************* The leader's son Gamal, 47, is said to have spearheaded
the move, flying to Britain on a private jet with his own family and
NINETY-SEVEN pieces of luggage. There must be a UK footie team he can takeover as part
of his retirement from presidential matters. Al Jazeera reporting team have been arrested - Dan Nolan one of their reporters notes on Twitter: "Unsure if arrested or about to be deported. 6 of us held at army checkpoint outside Hilton hotel. Equipment seized too." **************************   The Al Ruwaya design project in Dubai was Tiger Woods first course design - it was to be an 18-hole championship golf course surrounded by 100 villas, 75 mansions, 22 palaces, a 360,000 square-foot boutique hotel with 90 suites and 14 bungalows, a golf academy, a 139,000-square-foot clubhouse and a community center with luxury retail shops. Construction began in 2007 and was targeted for completion in September 2009. There are just five distinguishable golf holes (and half of a sixth), no construction appears to be continuing on any of the proposed buildings. Officially, the project is described as "on hold," but according to Golf Digest, sources in Dubai say that watering has stopped and that after Woods plays the Omega Dubai Desert Classic next week the project "will return to sand." And what happens to down payments by contracted villa owners? Time for the Tiger Woods Qatar? Of course the good people at Dubai Properties - a company not well known for dealing honestly with its customers still promotes the property on its web site: http://dubaipropertiesgroup.ae/en/properties/the-tiger-woods-dubai Under pressure Dubai Properties Group said today that it
has suspended work on the luxury Tiger Woods Dubai golf course and
residential unit because of unfavourable market conditions. This project will not restart. It will be desert again within months. Just as a final note: Former world No.1 golfer Tiger
Woods was paid a design fee of $10m, plus real estate royalties, for his
role in the now-suspended Dubai golf development bearing his name.
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30 January 2011 Another facebook deletion today. Friendship takes two. *********************** ************************ We went out for dinner with friends last night. Have not seen them for a long time. So there should have been lots to talk about and to catch up on. Wrong. They both have blackberries. "Cant talk - I am social networking." Or more accurately anti-social networking. So that is the future. Dinners where people eat but are busy "networking" with people who are not sharing dinner. Even in the car coming home - beep, beep, beep - how to annoy the taxi driver ! So conversation is dead - enjoy it while you still can. And on the subject of cars:
************************ ************************* Egypt's outgoing information minister had earlier
"ordered the closure of all activities by Al Jazeera in the Arab republic
of Egypt, and the annulment of its licences, as well as withdrawing the
press cards of all its employees," the official MENA news agency said. 29 January 2011 Tom Gara on Twitter: Seriously, when I switch from Jazeera to CNN its like switching to a 24-hour infomercial for a revolutionary new toaster oven. So shiny and fake, all giant white teeth and cliche and incredibly dull, conventional-wisdom spewing no-nothing guests. Sadly when it comes to Egypt coverage Tom has got this about right. **************************** Meanwhile in Cairo: Hundreds dead. Thousands injured. Thousands beaten and arrested. Major political opposition leaders arrested. Meanwhile: Saudi King Abdullah expressed his support for embattled President Mubarak and slammed those "tampering" with Egypt's security. Which is why the KSA is such a negative force against progress in the Middle East. But the KSA and Egypt both have close ties to the USA. The USA needs a rapid reassessment of who its allies are in the Middle East if any. 28 January 2011 US secretary of state Clinton: "As a partner we strongly believe that the Egyptian government needs to engage immediately with the Egyptian people in implementing political, social and economic reforms." That may not be strong enough for people that want Mubarak to quit immediately - but in diplomatic terms it is strong. *********************** ********************** Message to Gaddafi in Libya - your turn next month? ************************ If Egypt goes the entire region goes. It has by far the largest population in the Arab world; when Obama came to talk to the Arab World he did so from Cairo. It may well be time for Mubarak to go - and quickly: but the USA's interests in Egypt are very exposed now: the peace treaty with Israel, the Suez canal, and co-operation against terrorism. And the question will be what or who comes next. ************************ Mohamed ElBaradei returned to Egypt amid ongoing turmoil, with the biggest mass protests in 30 years. ElBaradei declared himself ready to lead a transitional government if that was the will of the nation, saying that: "If [people] want me to lead the transition, I will not let them down". He was subsequently arrested Reported from BBC's Arabic service beaten in Cairo this afternoon says that the plain clothed secret police have been deliberately targeting and beating journalists. "The police are very very violent today" Internet access almost completely cut off in Egypt - which suggests ISP collusion with authorities? There may be a new world order coming quickly.
************************ Road users are regularly spotted typing text messages on
their mobile phones, eating and even applying fingernail polish while
behind the wheel. Yep - all of the above. And it is not just the
Emiratis.Add: The fact that most people think indicators are optional. That drivers think nothing of suddenly deciding to exit right while they are in the outside of four or more lanes. ************************** Effective 27 March 2011 ************************** "This excellent 2 BR Unit in Executive Towers B Block
has a maid's room with all ensuite bedrooms. It is on a high floor with an
unblocked view towards Burj Khalifa view. It has a total area of 1532 sq
ft including maids room and balcony. The master bedroom has its own walk
in closet. With beautiful finish and convenience for families to live in
this beautiful development you will find every amenity you need to make a
real pleasure like health clubs, swimming pool, sport complexes, landscape
garden, play area for children, shopping outlet and more. The project
itself comprises of twelve towers in total with ten of them being
residential buildings and one commercial building this is called Aspect
Tower. It also has a hotel on the project called Business Bay Hotel which
is in a fantastic location and should be ideal for visitors who are coming
to Dubai on Business who want to stay in a central location close to
meetings and within touching distance of all recreational activities,
restaurants and bars. The Executive Towers is close to The Downtown and is
just a few minutes drive to the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa. It is
also close to DIFC and right on the sheikh Zayed road. The unit is rented
till 1st week of April 2011 hence prior appointment is required. Provident
Real Estate" I wonder if it will sell. ************************************ Police appear to have been told to crush dissent. 26 January 2011 Idiotic stuff in the Toronto Sun today - now the Canadians have sunk to the same depths as the Gulf News. Tit for tat trash. "Keep UAE flying low" was the title of the column which draws comparison's between Mussolini's Italy and modern day UAE. The article includes this quote: "Emirates isn’t just a company. It’s a foreign policy tool of a family of dictators, who use it as a battering ram against competitors." The gloves are coming off. ******************** Happy republic day in India. ********************** A British man has pleaded guilty to making a bomb hoax
onboard an Etihad Airways flight that was diverted under fighter jet
escort. The Heathrow-bound flight, which had 163 passengers and
15 crew on board, was delayed for four hours. Mr Glen's counsel said that he had acted in a manner “alien to him” due to the small amount of alcohol he had consumed, which had affected him more than usual due to the pressurized air in the cabin. Yeah, yeah - and I speak fluent Swahili ! Great pics from SkyDiveDubai over the Palm Jumeirah and Dubai's other airport at JBR - http://bit.ly/eC4Rax and http://bit.ly/iirIo5 *********************** 23 January 2011 Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways has expressed "top level
interest" in Richard Branson's British airline Virgin Atlantic, the Sunday
Times newspaper reported. 21 January 2011 Briberia: Note from the Guardian: There are probably few original shareholders left at British Airways – that is, those who bought in 1987 when the company was privatised at 125p a share. But this not-so-merry band can now reflect on the fruits of 24 years. On the last day of trading before merger with Iberia, BA's shares closed at 282.5p. The return to shareholders, which is more meaningful as it includes the reinvestment of dividends, works out at just under 4.5% a year. Not much for a quarter of century of loyalty to a company with a dominant presence at Europe's busiest airport? True, in retrospect, the time to sell was 1997 when the shares peaked at 760p. Those were the days when budget airlines were a novelty, oil was cheap and few imagined that deficits in pension funds would be a problem. Warren Buffett wins again: he always said airlines were lousy investments. ***************************** ************************************** But this is the rather pompous John Simpson from the BBC on modern day slavery in Dubai. Slavery may not be the best word as the workers to come here voluntarily - but as long as confiscating passports and denying legal protection remains mainstream, it is modern day slavery. ********************** 20 January 2011 EK - new aircraft to the fleet in 2011: 3x A380 + 13x B77W with 2 A330s for sale and probably off to Virgin Blue. The A380s do not arrive until the second half of 2011. The big questions is where can they park even more 777s at Dubai in rush hour at the airport. So expect additional announcements to cope with this new capacity; so far in 2011 - Basra, Geneva and Copenhagen - together with a fourth flight to Singapore which everyone expects to be extended on to Denpasar. *************************** Nakheel content that the project had not been cancelled
but was slowed by the global financial crisis. Nakheel's counsel say that
The World was in "a coma" but would be revived as market conditions picked
up. No surprise there. ************************** Daily Dubai – Copenhagen service will use an Airbus
A330-200 aircraft, starting 01AUG11. Effective 1 February 2012 **************************
Apparently the Chinese asked for an all-American dinner. Good job Mr Hu is not a Doctor ! ****************************** ************************* ************************* The flower market is great fun. It is very busy. Lots of activity. Wonderfully colourful and very welcoming. And it is at its best in the middle of the night. As is the traffic. At 4am it took 10 minutes back to the hotel. At 2pm from almost the same location at Old Siam it took 50 minutes. 18 January 2011 Press release: "Penton Media's Air Transport World®, the
leading monthly magazine covering the global airline industry, announced
the selection of Emirates Airline as its Airline of the Year for 2011. The
Dubai, UAE-based carrier is being honored for its strong commitment to
safety and operational excellence, its trendsetting customer service and
its superb financial performance including a 22-year consecutive annual
profit streak. Living proof that expensive pr budgets are a good thing! 17 January 2011 Valentines Day in Dubai will be dry - no booze served. The hotels are scrambling. Honestly - who cares? ************************* The Spy Who Loved Me So Much He Got Deported;Casino Nakheel; From Mirdiff with Love; Quantum of Burj: Al No; GoldenCreek; The World will never finish; Dhow another Day; The Spy Who Treated Me In a Culturally Appropriate Manner That Reflected Local Traditions; Licence to Build; Drive and Let Die, GoldenPalm; From Karama with Love; Dr Yes M'am Sir. 16 January 2011 It is a good month for new films on Emirates and EK418 usually has a 777 fitted with wide screen digital ice. I watched Wall Street 2 - Michael Douglas and the wonderful (though rather bland in this film) Carey Mulligan. And then the long Mao's last dancer: a late 2010 drama based on the autobiography by Li Cunxin. Summary: At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he fell in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet. *************************** I fear that the Tunisian's may just be replacing one bad government with another. ************************** Tunisia/Iran/Iraq/Egypt/Lebanon/Jordan - as early as Jan 15 it appears that 2011 will be a year of significant upheaval in the Middle East. **************************** Censorship does not work. It just makes people more curious to learn what it is that their governments are not letting them see. Case in point - the January 1 edition of the Economist jumps from page 32 to 35 for copies sold in Dubai. Because someone has been employed to tear a page out of every edition - removing the article on Dubai's Debt Forgetfulness. So we all have to simply take the Gulf News and Khaleej Times version of Dubai - no problem here - we are in boomtime. 12 January 2011 Take the last two digits of the year you were born and add the age you're going to be at the end of this year. We all add up to 111. The dreaded Nelson for everyone. ************************** 11 January 2011 I have to share this: most of my readers will have no idea what this is about but in ten years time when I read this I will still be able to look back and smile! 1. What do you call a world-class Australian cricketer? Why Ottawa is fun in winter. You wont get this exhibition in the UAE! And the Rideau canal opened yesterday for over 2 kilometres of skating rink ! 7 January 2011 How bleak are some parts of the Dubai property market. try this: Tensions high in Jumeirah Village service fees row. ******************** ********************* **************************** *********************** Dhaka will become flydubai’s 32nd destination when flights to the Bangladeshi capital begin on Monday, February 14. ************************* ************************** Hodgson is probably a nice guy but he is so out of his depth at Liverpool. **************************** So the video of Panich making a call to tell an assistant to PM Abhisit that they are now in Cambodia muct be entirely fictional! They new. They were provoking a reaction. They got one. 5 January 2011 Amazing Thailand: The Nation reports that "using plastic bags instead of condoms during sex would put teenagers at risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and severe vaginal lacerations, the Public Health Ministry warned yesterday." What next - shower caps? ********************* ********************** 3 January 2011 Who bans Skype: The UAE remains one of four countries that do not at present allow Skype software to be downloaded, and block access to Skype's website. North Korea, Oman and Kuwait are the others, while Lebanon is also considering a ban. *********************** *********************** Read these two reports; The best part is the National which reports that: "The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) was unavailable for comment yesterday, as was Emaar Properties, the organiser of the Burj Khalifa event. Dubai Police also did not respond to calls." Meanwhile if you read the Dubai media the event would seem to be a resounding and wonderful success putting Dubai on the world map for new year festivities. One day reality must set in..... 2 January 2011 Those were the days: I love the moment at the end of the video where the stewardess lights the passenger cigarette. ************************* Chris Jefferies, 65, a former teacher who lives above the flat Miss Yeates had shared in Bristol, had been arrested by police on Thursday. If he is innocent then he deserves a very loud and very public police apology. His picture has been on the front page of every newspaper and the public assumption is that the police had got their man. Innocent until proven guilty does not work when your face and name are on 24 hour news tv and in every UK newspaper. This is a very messy part of the UK law. I January 2011 Just thought you would be interested. The growth is spectacular. *******************************
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