Sports
French President, Mohammed hold talks
French President, Mohammed hold talks (WAM) / 13 June 2013 French President Francois Hollande received at the Elysee Palace on Thursday His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The meeting was attended by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister. During the meeting, Shaikh Mohammed and Hollande discussed issues of mutual interest, notably strengthening of the historic friendship ties between the UAE and France laid down by the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. They also discussed ways of enhancing the strategic partnership between the two countries, especially in the areas of economy, military, culture and humanitarian affairs. The talks, which also covered regional issues, focussed on the consolidation of stability, peace, freedom and justice in the region. Hollande praised the UAE policy, which is based on the dialogue and openness to peoples and countries, citing the humanitarian attitudes of the UAE leadership. For his part, the UAE Vice President expressed his satisfaction about visiting France and consulting with the French President, stressing the depth of friendship and cooperation ties between the leaders and peoples of the two countries. He referred to the French supportive attitudes to the issues of justice, freedom and peace, especially just Arab issues. Among others in attendance were Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gargawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director General of the Dubai Ruler’s Court, Lt. General Musbeh Rashid Al Fattan, Director of the office of the UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director General of the Department of Protocols and Hospitality in Dubai, UAE Ambassador to France Mohammad Meer Abdullah Al Raessi and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. Continue reading
Three dead, 70 injured in Argentina train crash
Three dead, 70 injured in Argentina train crash (AFP) / 13 June 2013 At least three people were killed and 70 injured on Thursday when a commuter train crashed west of Buenos Aires, according to the municipality of Moron, where the accident took place. ‘At the moment we have information about three fatalities and at least 70 injured people, according to preliminary figures,’ said Carlos Grillo Carbo, undersecretary in charge of emergencies in the municipality. The crash happened near the Castelar stop, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of the Argentine capital, when a passenger train rammed another train that was empty and stationary. Rescue workers and volunteers were at the scene to help the wounded trapped by the collision, which television reports said happened at around 7:30 am (1030 GMT). Dozens of ambulances were also at the crash site. Hospitals in the area were on alert to deal with casualties. ‘I heard a loud noise and everyone started falling down, and people were shocked and crying,’ said a 26-year-old passenger who identified herself as Lida. The crash took place on the Sarmiento rail line, which links the western suburbs to downtown Buenos Aires. It was on this line that one of the worst rail accidents in Argentine history left 51 dead and more than 700 wounded in February 2012. Continue reading
Is Dubai set to be the next big technology hub?
Most people immediately think of the US or Japan when the subject of technology is raised, but Dubai is also building itself a strong reputation in this area.Indeed, Dubai Internet City has already attracted some of the leading companies on the planet – not least Google – and this is a trend that is likely to develop over time.Speaking to Al Arabiya, Omar Christidis, chief executive of ArabNet – a forum for technology start-ups – said the emirate is a “growing hub for digital business”.His comments were made during the ArabNet Digital Summit, which poignantly has been switched from its usual location of Beirut to Dubai, further emphasising just how powerful the city has become in the technology sector.Mr Christidis said the interest in digital corporations has “exploded” since 2010 and this is reflected in the growing number of people attending the summit every year.”We're seeing global companies establish their Middle East – and often their Middle East and Africa – headquarters in Dubai, sometimes even managing Turkey and India based out of Dubai,” he was quoted as saying.”This year we decided to shift the Digital Summit, our biggest international event, from Beirut to Dubai, as Dubai is the hub for digital business in the Arab world.”Earlier this month, a study conducted by the Economic Intelligence Unit on behalf of Citi bank concluded that Dubai is an excellent place to do business, describing the city as an “all-round performer”.Aside from the plethora of technology organisations that have moved to the sheikhdom, plenty of enterprises in other fields have been keen to set up a new base in this part of the Gulf. This is partly attributed to the favourable tax laws in the UAE.The Hot Spots 2025: Benchmarking the Future Competitiveness of Cities report showed Dubai is the leading business destination in the Middle East and is set to be the 23rd strongest market in the world over the coming years. Continue reading
