Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
World's safest banks
According to New York-based Global Finance's latest rankings of the world's top 50 safest banks, Germany's KfW Bankengruppe is at the first place, followed by France's Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC) and Netherlands' Bank Nederlands Gemeenten (BNG). The "World's 50 Safest Banks" are selected annually through a comparison of long-term credit ratings and total assets of the 500 largest banks around the world. This time, the 18th annual ranking compares the 500 largest banks around the world. Credit ratings from Moody's, Standard and Poor's and Fitch were used for this compilation. The magazine also published a mid-year update for the first time in March this year, due to the global financial crisis. All the major banks of Canada earned a spot on the list. Among them the Royal Bank of Canada earned the highest safety score, taking 10th place among the international banks. The only major Canadian bank not present in the list was the National Bank of Canada.
Lloyds Banking Group (now 43% owned by the government) and the Royal Bank of Scotland dropped out of the list and the only UK bank to maintain a rating in the top 50 is HSBC at number 18. The Nationwide Building Society joined the list at number 46. It was Lloyds' decision to merge with the HBOS that led to its catastrophic fall from an esteemed spot as one of the safest banks in the world. In 2008, before the deal, Lloyds was the sixth-safest bank worldwide.
National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the largest bank in the state of Kuwait, is the only Arab financial institution to be ranked twice among the world's top 50 safest banks. NBK moved up six places to 38th rank, surpassing the likes of JP Morgan, UBS, Soceiete Generale and Credit Suisse. The bank reported strong performance in the first half of 2009 as net profits came in at $439 million (KD126 million) and consolidated assets reached $42.2 billion as of June 30, 2009. In the Asian region, all three Singaporean banks consecutively made it to the list with DBS Bank—Singapore's largest lender—being the world's 24th safest bank. All the three banks have moved up in their rankings and have reported better-than-expected results in the latest earnings reporting.
The top-ranked US bank is the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, which came in at 32nd spot. In all, five banks from the US made the list. Astonishingly, no US bank appeared among the top 10. Wells Fargo and Co, which was at the ninth place in 2008, is at the 42nd place this time.
According to the magazine, after two tumultuous years that saw many of the world's most respected banks drop out of the top 50 safest banks list, the dust appears to be settling. Those banks that kept an iron grip on their risk exposure before the financial crisis blew up have consistently topped the table and maintain their standing among the top echelon in this year's ranking. At the same time, the big name banks that lost their safest bank ranking during the credit crunch are still absent from the list as they struggle to rebuild their credit standing. Also, as pointed out by the publisher, "More than ever customers all around the world are viewing long-term creditworthiness as the key feature of the banks with which they do business."
Lloyds Banking Group (now 43% owned by the government) and the Royal Bank of Scotland dropped out of the list and the only UK bank to maintain a rating in the top 50 is HSBC at number 18. The Nationwide Building Society joined the list at number 46. It was Lloyds' decision to merge with the HBOS that led to its catastrophic fall from an esteemed spot as one of the safest banks in the world. In 2008, before the deal, Lloyds was the sixth-safest bank worldwide.
National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the largest bank in the state of Kuwait, is the only Arab financial institution to be ranked twice among the world's top 50 safest banks. NBK moved up six places to 38th rank, surpassing the likes of JP Morgan, UBS, Soceiete Generale and Credit Suisse. The bank reported strong performance in the first half of 2009 as net profits came in at $439 million (KD126 million) and consolidated assets reached $42.2 billion as of June 30, 2009. In the Asian region, all three Singaporean banks consecutively made it to the list with DBS Bank—Singapore's largest lender—being the world's 24th safest bank. All the three banks have moved up in their rankings and have reported better-than-expected results in the latest earnings reporting.
The top-ranked US bank is the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, which came in at 32nd spot. In all, five banks from the US made the list. Astonishingly, no US bank appeared among the top 10. Wells Fargo and Co, which was at the ninth place in 2008, is at the 42nd place this time.
According to the magazine, after two tumultuous years that saw many of the world's most respected banks drop out of the top 50 safest banks list, the dust appears to be settling. Those banks that kept an iron grip on their risk exposure before the financial crisis blew up have consistently topped the table and maintain their standing among the top echelon in this year's ranking. At the same time, the big name banks that lost their safest bank ranking during the credit crunch are still absent from the list as they struggle to rebuild their credit standing. Also, as pointed out by the publisher, "More than ever customers all around the world are viewing long-term creditworthiness as the key feature of the banks with which they do business."
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the World
The world is a beautiful place in more ways than one. Amongst the urban landscape and thousands of ordinary brick-and-mortar buildings, skyscrapers are architectural and engineering marvels that rise hundreds of meters and even a thousand feet into the air. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), is the official body that determines which buildings fall under the ‘The World’s Tallest Building’ category. It ranks the height of buildings, based on the height to the architectural top of the building, highest occupied floor, top of the roof or the tip of the building.
Let us look at what according to CTBUH are the world’s tallest buildings as of now.
Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan – 1671 ft (509 m) 101 Floors
Taipei 101 became the world’s tallest building to be constructed in the new millennium and the first to cross the half-kilometer mark. The construction costed $1.76 billion and was completed in 2004. This multiuse steel-and-glass skyscraper was designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and has 61 elevators. It reflects the traditional Chinese pagoda, with a soaring podium base, eight tiers of eight storeys (eight is considered to be a number for prosperous growth in China), narrow pinnacle tower and a spire. The building has an 18 ft, 882-ton ball-shaped damper at the top that counteracts swaying during typhoons and earthquakes. Although, CTBUH only takes into consideration the floors above the ground level, there are 5 floors underground too. The number “101” also represents the mailing code of Taipei’s international business district. It has been hailed as the Seven New Wonders of the World by Newsweek magazine in 2006 and as the Seven Wonders of Engineering by Discovery Channel in 2005.
Shanghai World Financial Center – 1614 ft (492 m) 101 Floors
This super tall skyscraper in Shanghai that dominates the skyline over East China is destined to become a symbolic icon, giving the city a new status and depicts the arrival of a new era in Asia. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and officially opened its doors to the public on August 28, 2008. It is a mixed use building with excellent urban shopping malls at the base, a 174-room luxurious five-star hotel at the top and sixty-two floors filled with offices. There are three observation decks between the 94th to the 100th level. It has a total of 31 elevators and the construction cost was US $1.20 billion. The most remarkable feature of this majestic building is the aperture at the top of the building. It is the 2nd tallest building in the world.
Petronas Twin Towers – 1483 ft (452 m) 88 Floors
The beautiful world-famous Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were constructed in 1998. The name sounds as romantic as they look together. These elegantly slender towers were once the world’s tallest before being ousted from that position by Taipei 101.
Petronas Tower 1 is the 3rd tallest building in the world.
Petronas Tower 2 is the 4th tallest building in the world.
However, they still remain the tallest twin buildings in the world. They were designed by Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli and were built on Kuala Lumpur’s race track. The structure is made of high-strength concrete and has a curtain wall of glass and stainless steel sun shades that help diffuse the intensity of light.
The major feature of the towers is the skybridge between the towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-storey bridge in the world. Visitors are allowed on the Skyway. The skybridge is also meant to be used in case of a fire or for other emergencies.
The Sears Tower – 1451 ft (452 m) 108 Floors
Located in Chicago, Illinois, The Sears Tower was constructed in 1974, and has been the world’s tallest building, overtaking the World Trade Center. Although, it is no longer the tallest building in the world, the Sears Tower is the 5th tallest and still has the world’s highest occupiable floors, highest elevator ride and the highest roof deck. The top of the tower is the highest point in Illinois. It is said that four states can be seen from the top of the tower.
This tower was designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Khan in a “bundled tube” system with nine squares, sheathed in a dark tinted glass curtain wall. The building leans a few inches due to its asymmetrical design and this can be felt occasionally. The Sears Tower has a separate tourist entrance and attracts more 1.5 million tourists each year.
Jin Mao Tower – 1380 ft (421 m) 88 Floors
The name of the landmark super-tall skyscraper, Jin Mao, literally means “Golden Prosperity Building.” Currently ranked the 6th tallest in the world, it was designed by the Chicago based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and constructed in 1999. It is located in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. The architecture ingeniously combines elements of traditional Chinese culture with the modern architectural styles of the time, which makes it one of the well-constructed buildings in China. The proportions of this structure revolve around the number 8, which according to Chinese belief, signifies prosperity.
It houses the very luxurious Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel and several offices. The construction cost is estimated to be 530 million dollars. The tower has several exhibition halls, banquet halls, entertainment and an observation deck on the 88th floor that can fit about 1000 tourists. The daily maintenance of this tower is reported to be an unbelievable US$121,000.
Two International Finance Center (IFC) – 1362 ft (415 m) 88 Floors
Constructed in 2003, the IFC with its two skyscrapers overlooking the Victoria Harbor, is a prominent landmark in Hongkong, China. One International Finance Center is 38 storeys high. The Two International Finance Center, which is the world’s 7th tallest building, has 88 storeys and has been designed to house financial firms with advanced telecommunications, raised floors for better cabling and floor plans that are almost without columns. About 15,000 people can be accommodated in this building. Although, there are 88 storeys, there are some floors that are considered to be “taboo” and are not used, such as the 14th and 24th floors, as these numbers spell evil for the Chinese.
The IFC mall has an array of famous retailers and several top jewelry retailers, health& skin care and fashion houses, along with restaurants and a cinema. It is one of the few buildings in the world to be equipped with double-deck elevators.
CITIC Plaza – 1283 ft (391 m) 80 Floors
The China International Trust and Investment Company (CITIC) Plaza, built in 1997, is located in Guangzhou, in the growing Tianhe District. It was the tallest building in the world when it was built and is currently the tallest concrete building in the world. It is ranked as the fourth tallest building in China, seventh in Asia and eighth in the world. This building is part of a complex which has two other 38-storey residential buildings.
CITIC Plaza has two antennas on the top, like spires. This elegant building is surrounded by several other tall buildings and gives an indication of the increasing prosperity of Guangzhou. It is close to the Tianhe Sports Center where part of the Asia games 2010 will be held.
Shun Hing Square – 1260 ft (382 m) 69 Floors
The Shun Hing Square tower, built in 1996, is one of the world’s tallest buildings and occupies the 9th place currently. This brilliantly constructed building is in Shenzhen, China, and is said to be one of the most beautiful buildings. It has the distinction of being the tallest all-steel building in China and the fifth tallest in China. The specialty of this building is that it was built with an incredible speed of four floors in nine days. The spires on the top of the building add to the height and without them, it stands at 325 m tall.
Shun Hing Square is a complex that has an office tower and another 35-storey building for residential, office and retail purposes. The 69th floor has an observation deck called the Meridian View Center. Tourists will have to pay US$12 to go up.
Empire State Building – 1250 ft (381 m) – 102 Floors
The Empire State Building of New York, United States of America, built in 1931, is one of the oldest and most famous buildings in the world and there is certainly not a person who has not heard of it. Now rated as the 10th tallest building, it was the world’s tallest building for forty-one years, until the World Trade Center was constructed in the year 1972. After the unfortunate incident with the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in the State of New York.
It has also been named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The beauty of the Empire State Building is doubled with the beautiful lights at the top of the building. In fact, the view of the building at night is considered to be a tourist attraction.
Coming Up
Standing tall among all others is another marvel, the Burj Dubai Tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is still under construction and will not be considered as the tallest building until completion in September 2009. It already has 160 storeys and overtook Taipei 101 and surpassed the KVLY-TV mast in the U.S., which is 629 m, achieving the status of being the tallest man-made structure on the planet. The eventual height remains a secret, but speculation is that it will reach 900 meters.
There may be a future magical moment in the offing. The plan for the proposed Sky City 1000 by Japan shows the height at 1000 meters and 196 floors. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Burj Dubai, Dubai, The United Arab Emirates (167 Stories)
Let us look at what according to CTBUH are the world’s tallest buildings as of now.
Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan – 1671 ft (509 m) 101 Floors
Taipei 101 became the world’s tallest building to be constructed in the new millennium and the first to cross the half-kilometer mark. The construction costed $1.76 billion and was completed in 2004. This multiuse steel-and-glass skyscraper was designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and has 61 elevators. It reflects the traditional Chinese pagoda, with a soaring podium base, eight tiers of eight storeys (eight is considered to be a number for prosperous growth in China), narrow pinnacle tower and a spire. The building has an 18 ft, 882-ton ball-shaped damper at the top that counteracts swaying during typhoons and earthquakes. Although, CTBUH only takes into consideration the floors above the ground level, there are 5 floors underground too. The number “101” also represents the mailing code of Taipei’s international business district. It has been hailed as the Seven New Wonders of the World by Newsweek magazine in 2006 and as the Seven Wonders of Engineering by Discovery Channel in 2005.
Shanghai World Financial Center – 1614 ft (492 m) 101 Floors
This super tall skyscraper in Shanghai that dominates the skyline over East China is destined to become a symbolic icon, giving the city a new status and depicts the arrival of a new era in Asia. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and officially opened its doors to the public on August 28, 2008. It is a mixed use building with excellent urban shopping malls at the base, a 174-room luxurious five-star hotel at the top and sixty-two floors filled with offices. There are three observation decks between the 94th to the 100th level. It has a total of 31 elevators and the construction cost was US $1.20 billion. The most remarkable feature of this majestic building is the aperture at the top of the building. It is the 2nd tallest building in the world.
Petronas Twin Towers – 1483 ft (452 m) 88 Floors
The beautiful world-famous Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were constructed in 1998. The name sounds as romantic as they look together. These elegantly slender towers were once the world’s tallest before being ousted from that position by Taipei 101.
Petronas Tower 1 is the 3rd tallest building in the world.
Petronas Tower 2 is the 4th tallest building in the world.
However, they still remain the tallest twin buildings in the world. They were designed by Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli and were built on Kuala Lumpur’s race track. The structure is made of high-strength concrete and has a curtain wall of glass and stainless steel sun shades that help diffuse the intensity of light.
The major feature of the towers is the skybridge between the towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-storey bridge in the world. Visitors are allowed on the Skyway. The skybridge is also meant to be used in case of a fire or for other emergencies.
The Sears Tower – 1451 ft (452 m) 108 Floors
Located in Chicago, Illinois, The Sears Tower was constructed in 1974, and has been the world’s tallest building, overtaking the World Trade Center. Although, it is no longer the tallest building in the world, the Sears Tower is the 5th tallest and still has the world’s highest occupiable floors, highest elevator ride and the highest roof deck. The top of the tower is the highest point in Illinois. It is said that four states can be seen from the top of the tower.
This tower was designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Khan in a “bundled tube” system with nine squares, sheathed in a dark tinted glass curtain wall. The building leans a few inches due to its asymmetrical design and this can be felt occasionally. The Sears Tower has a separate tourist entrance and attracts more 1.5 million tourists each year.
Jin Mao Tower – 1380 ft (421 m) 88 Floors
The name of the landmark super-tall skyscraper, Jin Mao, literally means “Golden Prosperity Building.” Currently ranked the 6th tallest in the world, it was designed by the Chicago based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and constructed in 1999. It is located in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. The architecture ingeniously combines elements of traditional Chinese culture with the modern architectural styles of the time, which makes it one of the well-constructed buildings in China. The proportions of this structure revolve around the number 8, which according to Chinese belief, signifies prosperity.
It houses the very luxurious Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel and several offices. The construction cost is estimated to be 530 million dollars. The tower has several exhibition halls, banquet halls, entertainment and an observation deck on the 88th floor that can fit about 1000 tourists. The daily maintenance of this tower is reported to be an unbelievable US$121,000.
Two International Finance Center (IFC) – 1362 ft (415 m) 88 Floors
Constructed in 2003, the IFC with its two skyscrapers overlooking the Victoria Harbor, is a prominent landmark in Hongkong, China. One International Finance Center is 38 storeys high. The Two International Finance Center, which is the world’s 7th tallest building, has 88 storeys and has been designed to house financial firms with advanced telecommunications, raised floors for better cabling and floor plans that are almost without columns. About 15,000 people can be accommodated in this building. Although, there are 88 storeys, there are some floors that are considered to be “taboo” and are not used, such as the 14th and 24th floors, as these numbers spell evil for the Chinese.
The IFC mall has an array of famous retailers and several top jewelry retailers, health& skin care and fashion houses, along with restaurants and a cinema. It is one of the few buildings in the world to be equipped with double-deck elevators.
CITIC Plaza – 1283 ft (391 m) 80 Floors
The China International Trust and Investment Company (CITIC) Plaza, built in 1997, is located in Guangzhou, in the growing Tianhe District. It was the tallest building in the world when it was built and is currently the tallest concrete building in the world. It is ranked as the fourth tallest building in China, seventh in Asia and eighth in the world. This building is part of a complex which has two other 38-storey residential buildings.
CITIC Plaza has two antennas on the top, like spires. This elegant building is surrounded by several other tall buildings and gives an indication of the increasing prosperity of Guangzhou. It is close to the Tianhe Sports Center where part of the Asia games 2010 will be held.
Shun Hing Square – 1260 ft (382 m) 69 Floors
The Shun Hing Square tower, built in 1996, is one of the world’s tallest buildings and occupies the 9th place currently. This brilliantly constructed building is in Shenzhen, China, and is said to be one of the most beautiful buildings. It has the distinction of being the tallest all-steel building in China and the fifth tallest in China. The specialty of this building is that it was built with an incredible speed of four floors in nine days. The spires on the top of the building add to the height and without them, it stands at 325 m tall.
Shun Hing Square is a complex that has an office tower and another 35-storey building for residential, office and retail purposes. The 69th floor has an observation deck called the Meridian View Center. Tourists will have to pay US$12 to go up.
Empire State Building – 1250 ft (381 m) – 102 Floors
The Empire State Building of New York, United States of America, built in 1931, is one of the oldest and most famous buildings in the world and there is certainly not a person who has not heard of it. Now rated as the 10th tallest building, it was the world’s tallest building for forty-one years, until the World Trade Center was constructed in the year 1972. After the unfortunate incident with the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in the State of New York.
It has also been named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The beauty of the Empire State Building is doubled with the beautiful lights at the top of the building. In fact, the view of the building at night is considered to be a tourist attraction.
Coming Up
Standing tall among all others is another marvel, the Burj Dubai Tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is still under construction and will not be considered as the tallest building until completion in September 2009. It already has 160 storeys and overtook Taipei 101 and surpassed the KVLY-TV mast in the U.S., which is 629 m, achieving the status of being the tallest man-made structure on the planet. The eventual height remains a secret, but speculation is that it will reach 900 meters.
There may be a future magical moment in the offing. The plan for the proposed Sky City 1000 by Japan shows the height at 1000 meters and 196 floors. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Burj Dubai, Dubai, The United Arab Emirates (167 Stories)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Worlds most expensive Airline ticket
In September 2007 Australian Julian Hayward paid $100,380.00 USD for a seat aboard Singapore Airlines' Airbus A380 for a flight from Singapore to Sydney.Pearson to be worlds costliest airport
Quote:
Pearson to be world's costliest
Airport to raise landing fees up to 8 per cent, source says
Facility's board blames federal rent, fears losing business
Nov. 15, 2005.
06:54 AMKEVIN MCGRANTRANSPORTATION REPORTER
The world's airlines are braced for fee hikes that will make Toronto Pearson International the world's most expensive airport at which to land.The Greater Toronto Airports Authority will announce fee hikes for 2006 today, which are expected to be between 6 and 8 per cent, sources told the Toronto Star. It will be the eighth year in a row for such hikes; landing fees will have risen 289 per cent since 1998. The cost for an airline to land a 747-400 at Toronto would be more than $13,000, surpassing Tokyo Narita, which recently announced 20 per cent reductions that will drop the landing price for a similar jet to the equivalent of $7,300."If it's true, it just perpetuates the depressing reality that Pearson is unfortunately not a very competitive airport internationally," said Fred Gaspar, vice-president of policy and strategic planning for the Air Transport Association of Canada. "Their fees area already too high thanks to government rents, and any further increases only demonstrate how the government's rent reform policy didn't really do anything to fix the problems at Pearson."Air Canada, Pearson's largest tenant, would fly more planes out of Toronto if the rent would come down, president Robert Milton said in this month's edition of Airline International, an industry magazine."It is difficult to be happy when Toronto has now evolved to be the most expensive airport in the world. This dubious honour comes after pressure from IATA resulted in ... reductions at Narita, the previous record-holder," Milton told the magazine."With its high prices, Toronto's task will become increasingly difficult. Remember that it does not have a market the size of Tokyo to anchor its operations. People will start to fly around it. Our new regional jets are allowing us to do just that in order to avoid its high costs. It is very disheartening as the home-town airline that would really like to develop a bigger hub with frequencies and connectivity," Milton said.The airports authority would not confirm the size of the hikes. Spokeswoman Connie Turner would only say "there will be increases and a very large portion of those will be due to rents."She added it's not fair to compare landing fees at Pearson with other airports because Pearson charges one "all-in" fee while others have many more user fees, such as gate fees and apron fees. Tokyo Narita, for example, would collect another $900 for a 747-400 that is parked for four hours."Yes, we are expensive and if we want to compete internationally, we have to find a way to get these costs down," Turner said. She pointed out that while landing fees have nearly tripled, rent paid to Ottawa has doubled, with the GTAA poised to pay about $144 million next year.
Ottawa announced airport rent reform last May that will see Toronto's rent reduced by 6 per cent by 2012, while the next five biggest airports in Canada will see their rents reduced by an average of 52 per cent. By then, Toronto will pay 63 per cent of all airport rent in Canada, while carrying only 33 per cent of the air traffic.The GTAA has been lobbying for changes, fearing it will lose market share not just to Canadian airports but also to nearby American airports that are subsidized.Ottawa's new rent formula charges rent at a higher rate for airports with the highest revenues. Toronto is the only one to qualify at the highest rate. The GTAA, a not-for-profit corporation, says the only reason it needs the higher revenue is to pay for the $6 billion debt it had to take on to pay for the $4.415 billion airport redevelopment.The GTAA says it's not fair that it was told to build a new airport through private financing and then have to pay higher rent.Transport Minister Jean Lapierre has defended the new rent policy, calling Toronto the big winner because it will save $5 billion over the next 50 years. But Lapierre is facing heavy criticism from local boards of trades and municipal politicians. He faces the Liberals' GTA caucus tomorrow
Pearson to be world's costliest
Airport to raise landing fees up to 8 per cent, source says
Facility's board blames federal rent, fears losing business
Nov. 15, 2005.
06:54 AMKEVIN MCGRANTRANSPORTATION REPORTER
The world's airlines are braced for fee hikes that will make Toronto Pearson International the world's most expensive airport at which to land.The Greater Toronto Airports Authority will announce fee hikes for 2006 today, which are expected to be between 6 and 8 per cent, sources told the Toronto Star. It will be the eighth year in a row for such hikes; landing fees will have risen 289 per cent since 1998. The cost for an airline to land a 747-400 at Toronto would be more than $13,000, surpassing Tokyo Narita, which recently announced 20 per cent reductions that will drop the landing price for a similar jet to the equivalent of $7,300."If it's true, it just perpetuates the depressing reality that Pearson is unfortunately not a very competitive airport internationally," said Fred Gaspar, vice-president of policy and strategic planning for the Air Transport Association of Canada. "Their fees area already too high thanks to government rents, and any further increases only demonstrate how the government's rent reform policy didn't really do anything to fix the problems at Pearson."Air Canada, Pearson's largest tenant, would fly more planes out of Toronto if the rent would come down, president Robert Milton said in this month's edition of Airline International, an industry magazine."It is difficult to be happy when Toronto has now evolved to be the most expensive airport in the world. This dubious honour comes after pressure from IATA resulted in ... reductions at Narita, the previous record-holder," Milton told the magazine."With its high prices, Toronto's task will become increasingly difficult. Remember that it does not have a market the size of Tokyo to anchor its operations. People will start to fly around it. Our new regional jets are allowing us to do just that in order to avoid its high costs. It is very disheartening as the home-town airline that would really like to develop a bigger hub with frequencies and connectivity," Milton said.The airports authority would not confirm the size of the hikes. Spokeswoman Connie Turner would only say "there will be increases and a very large portion of those will be due to rents."She added it's not fair to compare landing fees at Pearson with other airports because Pearson charges one "all-in" fee while others have many more user fees, such as gate fees and apron fees. Tokyo Narita, for example, would collect another $900 for a 747-400 that is parked for four hours."Yes, we are expensive and if we want to compete internationally, we have to find a way to get these costs down," Turner said. She pointed out that while landing fees have nearly tripled, rent paid to Ottawa has doubled, with the GTAA poised to pay about $144 million next year.
Ottawa announced airport rent reform last May that will see Toronto's rent reduced by 6 per cent by 2012, while the next five biggest airports in Canada will see their rents reduced by an average of 52 per cent. By then, Toronto will pay 63 per cent of all airport rent in Canada, while carrying only 33 per cent of the air traffic.The GTAA has been lobbying for changes, fearing it will lose market share not just to Canadian airports but also to nearby American airports that are subsidized.Ottawa's new rent formula charges rent at a higher rate for airports with the highest revenues. Toronto is the only one to qualify at the highest rate. The GTAA, a not-for-profit corporation, says the only reason it needs the higher revenue is to pay for the $6 billion debt it had to take on to pay for the $4.415 billion airport redevelopment.The GTAA says it's not fair that it was told to build a new airport through private financing and then have to pay higher rent.Transport Minister Jean Lapierre has defended the new rent policy, calling Toronto the big winner because it will save $5 billion over the next 50 years. But Lapierre is facing heavy criticism from local boards of trades and municipal politicians. He faces the Liberals' GTA caucus tomorrow
The World's Costliest Airline
Here's a little conundrum for you.What's the difference between the following?A business class return air ticket for two people (Gatwick to Barcelona), flight to be taken in July, purchased via Iberia.A business class return air ticket for two people (Gatwick to Barcelona), flight to be taken in July, purchased via BA.In terms of the departure times, airport terminals, lounge facilities and airline operating the aircraft...no difference whatsoever.The flights are operated by BA.However, here's the rub.The price of the two return tickets, if purchased via Iberia will set you back £455.80.The price of the two return tickets (for the identical flight), if purchased via BA will set you back a stonking £1165.80 (256% of the Iberia price).Don't believe me?Try it for yourselves:-http://www.ba.com/-http://www.iberia.com/Could BA please explain this differential?Oh, and by the way, BA own 10% of Iberia.
9 New Games just launched!
Since we launched Titan Casino at the start of 2009, our online casino has been constantly growing in stature as well as in entertainment value. With the recent launch of 9 new casino games, we have proved once again that Titan Casino is a big player in the world of online gambling!
Our nine new games include 8 different slot machines and a new online Keno game. These new online games are:
Captain’s Treasure Pro, Azteca, Arctic Treasure, Sparta, Safari Heat, Panther Moon, Dolphin Reef, Golden Games and Fortune Keno.
Since we launched these new games, they have received nothing but a positive response from our regular players. Two of our latest big winners have won big payouts when they chose to play Captain’s Treasure Pro, the updated version of our popular Captain’s Treasure slot.As well as fantastic animation, this “Pro” version has even more to offer to your gaming experience. These features include additional scatter symbols and an optional Gamble side game – where you can double all or half of your line winnings in a thrilling side game of higher-lower!
Why don’t you check out all of our new online slots – they all feature different themes and offer different bonus rounds with big payouts. You can also play our new online Keno game – pick your lucky numbers and see if they make you a winner! All our new games are located in the “New Games” section in the casino lobby.
Our nine new games include 8 different slot machines and a new online Keno game. These new online games are:
Captain’s Treasure Pro, Azteca, Arctic Treasure, Sparta, Safari Heat, Panther Moon, Dolphin Reef, Golden Games and Fortune Keno.
Since we launched these new games, they have received nothing but a positive response from our regular players. Two of our latest big winners have won big payouts when they chose to play Captain’s Treasure Pro, the updated version of our popular Captain’s Treasure slot.As well as fantastic animation, this “Pro” version has even more to offer to your gaming experience. These features include additional scatter symbols and an optional Gamble side game – where you can double all or half of your line winnings in a thrilling side game of higher-lower!
Why don’t you check out all of our new online slots – they all feature different themes and offer different bonus rounds with big payouts. You can also play our new online Keno game – pick your lucky numbers and see if they make you a winner! All our new games are located in the “New Games” section in the casino lobby.
New SPLASH
It is nothing but courage in the face of adversity. Indian carmakers, which saw their sales figures crashing to an eight-year low in the September-December quarter, will launch 50 new models this year in an attempt to revive their fortunes. The new launches are expected to inject some enthusiasm into the domestic car market, troubled by the economic uncertainties triggered by global recession.The first to hit the market this year is M&M’s Xylo, touted as India’s answer to Toyota Innova. Designed and developed at M&M’s Nasik facility, Xylo was launched on 13th of January at an introductory price of Rs 6.24 lakh.Next in the line is Fiat’s Linea sedan, launched on 15th January. Fiat, desperately trying to improve its India numbers, has launched petrol and diesel variants of Linea that will be pitted against Honda city, Maruti Suzuki SX4, Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Verna in the C-segment. This year will see a number of cars from the Fiat stable, including the Grande Punto hatchback and the Fiat Bravo premium hatchback.The star attraction of the year will be Tata’s Nano that is likely to attract new customers. Tata Motors will also launch its crossover Indicruz and the new Indigo range, based on the Indica Vista platform, in the next few months.Maruti Suzuki will launch its tall boy Ritz, known as Splash worldwide. Ritz will be powered by a KB series engine and will be positioned between A-star and Swift. Maruti may also launch a new utility vehicle (a variant of Jimny) and a fresh version of Alto.Honda, enthused by the huge demand for the redesigned City, will launch its internationally successful model Jazz, that will be pitted against Skoda Fabia, Maruti Swift and Hyundai i20.South Korea’s Hyundai Motors, which emerged unscathed from the sales slump, will launch its Avante sedan to replace Elantra. It will also bring its globally popular SUV Santa FE to India, apart from launching a refurbished Sonata luxury in January.General Motors will join the small car bandwagon with a new compact car priced below Spark. It will also enter the premium sedan market with Cruze in the next few months and bring the automatic version of its Captiva SUV.Europe’s largest-carmaker Volkswagen’s new factory in Maharashtra will roll out Skoda Yeti, Roomster and Fabia’s Combi variant. The company may also launch its small car Polo by the year-end.French-Japanese combination Renault-Nissan may come out with a diverse portfolio, including Megane hatchback and Sandero sedan from Renault stable and Micra hatchback and Murano SUV from the Nissan portfolio.For the super rich, BMW will launch its 7Series range, while Mercedes-Benz will bring its new E-Class, close on the heels of their international debuts. Also, Fiat may launch its luxury sports car Alfa Romeo 159, priced in the Rs 30-lakh bracket.
New Cars In 2009
The ever-increasing automobile market of India has been attracting car-makers from around the world. Right from BMW to Volkswagen to Audi, there is hardly any car model that has not reached Indian customers. Apart from the huge line-up of foreign-made cars, Indians also have large number of indigenous cars to look forward to. The coming year i.e. 2009 will also see the entry of many new cars in India, suiting every need and budget. So, while one hand, you will see 'Tata Nano', made specifically for lower middle-class consumers, there will also be the entry of Hyundai Avante, a premium model, on the other. Let us know more about the latest car models in India, the ones that will be making an entry in 2009.
New Cars in 2009Premium Models
Audi RF4
Ford Focus
Hyundai Avante
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Volkswagen Polo
Luxury Models
BMW Minis
Chevrolet Cruise
Hummer H3T
Cadillac CTS
Maruti Kazshi
Mercedes Benz C-Class ‘Blue Efficiency’
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
Mahindra Renault Sandero
Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe
Toyota Lexus LS 460
Volkswagen UP
Volkswagen Tiguan
Mid-Size Models
Fiat Linea
Fiat Grande Punto
Fiat Bravo
Hyundai i20, i30, i40
Maruti Splash
Maruti A-Star
Nissan Infiniti G35
Tata Elegante
Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)
Hyundai Santa Fe
Maruti Escudo
Mahindra Xylo
Mahindra Renault Megane
Skoda Roomster
Toyota Fortuner
Volvo XC60
Small Cars
Honda Jazz
Reva Electric Car (Special Edition)
Tata Nano
Volkswagen New Beetle
New Cars in 2009Premium Models
Audi RF4
Ford Focus
Hyundai Avante
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Volkswagen Polo
Luxury Models
BMW Minis
Chevrolet Cruise
Hummer H3T
Cadillac CTS
Maruti Kazshi
Mercedes Benz C-Class ‘Blue Efficiency’
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
Mahindra Renault Sandero
Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe
Toyota Lexus LS 460
Volkswagen UP
Volkswagen Tiguan
Mid-Size Models
Fiat Linea
Fiat Grande Punto
Fiat Bravo
Hyundai i20, i30, i40
Maruti Splash
Maruti A-Star
Nissan Infiniti G35
Tata Elegante
Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)
Hyundai Santa Fe
Maruti Escudo
Mahindra Xylo
Mahindra Renault Megane
Skoda Roomster
Toyota Fortuner
Volvo XC60
Small Cars
Honda Jazz
Reva Electric Car (Special Edition)
Tata Nano
Volkswagen New Beetle
Sunday, August 16, 2009
TATA DOCOMO PLANS
Tata is planning good plans for the members .who can talk as per the seconds.
The plans in the TATA DOCOMO are:
AS per the seconds PLan:
1.START 299:-
LOCAL CALL RATES:1p/sec - to all mobiles local
STD call Rates:1p/sec -to all mobiles STD
SMS charges: local-60p/message,STD-1.20p/message
2.PREMIUM 499:-
LOCAL CALL RATES:1p/2sec to tata to tata and to other mobile 1p/sec
STD call Rates:1p/sec -to all mobiles STD
SMS charges: local-60p/message,STD-1.20p/message
3.Platinum 799:-
LOCAL CALL RATES:1p/2sec to all mobiles local
STD call Rates:1p/sec -to all mobiles STD
SMS charges: local-60p/message,STD-1.20p/message
4.Elite 1099:-
0* till the limit of 2000 local minutes 400 STD minutes and 5000 local SMS
TATA HAS LAUNCHED the plans in docomo as per minutes :-Local plan:-full value 149:-149 full talk time to any local mobilelocal rates 50p/min,STD 1.50/min,SMS -500 free(2 months) 3rd month 100sms freePlan 199:-(double value)400 min free to any local mobilefor (TATA gsm 40p/min) and other 50p/minSMS -500 free(2 months) 3rd month 100sms freeTriple Value 299:-900 min any mobile free,tata 30p/min for other mobile 40p/minSMS -500 free(2 months) 3rd month 100sms free
The plans in the TATA DOCOMO are:
AS per the seconds PLan:
1.START 299:-
LOCAL CALL RATES:1p/sec - to all mobiles local
STD call Rates:1p/sec -to all mobiles STD
SMS charges: local-60p/message,STD-1.20p/message
2.PREMIUM 499:-
LOCAL CALL RATES:1p/2sec to tata to tata and to other mobile 1p/sec
STD call Rates:1p/sec -to all mobiles STD
SMS charges: local-60p/message,STD-1.20p/message
3.Platinum 799:-
LOCAL CALL RATES:1p/2sec to all mobiles local
STD call Rates:1p/sec -to all mobiles STD
SMS charges: local-60p/message,STD-1.20p/message
4.Elite 1099:-
0* till the limit of 2000 local minutes 400 STD minutes and 5000 local SMS
TATA HAS LAUNCHED the plans in docomo as per minutes :-Local plan:-full value 149:-149 full talk time to any local mobilelocal rates 50p/min,STD 1.50/min,SMS -500 free(2 months) 3rd month 100sms freePlan 199:-(double value)400 min free to any local mobilefor (TATA gsm 40p/min) and other 50p/minSMS -500 free(2 months) 3rd month 100sms freeTriple Value 299:-900 min any mobile free,tata 30p/min for other mobile 40p/minSMS -500 free(2 months) 3rd month 100sms free
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Bhuvan Download
Bhuvan download from bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in ~ News Week -->
Buban Earth , Google Earth's got some competition now — from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The ISRO's revolutionary earth mapping tool 'Bhuvan' was launched and can be downloaded from bhuvan official website .
Click here for downloads
www.pluggd.in/.../isro-bhuvan-satellite-mapping-tool-better-than-google-earth-3065/ -
Buban Earth , Google Earth's got some competition now — from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The ISRO's revolutionary earth mapping tool 'Bhuvan' was launched and can be downloaded from bhuvan official website .
Click here for downloads
www.pluggd.in/.../isro-bhuvan-satellite-mapping-tool-better-than-google-earth-3065/ -
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Yamaha FZ 1
Yamaha FJ 1200
| Yamaha FJ 1200 |
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