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SATURDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2008
Mohammed bin Zayed tours pavilions of ADIHEX
posted on 11/10/2008
 Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, appreciated the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX), following his tour of the pavilions yesterday.
"This original heritage event reflects the UAE is keen under President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to preserve the legacy of forefathers and typical Arab heritage. This will introduce coming generations to the features and components of the national identity and human heritage", he added.
Sheikh Mohammed said in a statement after touring the ADIHEX yesterday that the unprecedented successes, which have been achieved by the specialised heritage exhibitions in the UAE, "confirm the course outlined by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in this respect".
He added he was so pleased to see the ADIHEX has become and an international event that woos exhibitors and visitors to see the latest in the world of hunting and equestrian. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
FNC to take part in IPU meetings in Geneva
posted on 11/10/2008
 The Federal National Council (FNC) delegation will take part at two sessions: 119 and 183, of the Inter - Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva from Oct. 13- 15. The FNC delegation requested adding of an emergency item in the IPU agenda, on the role of parliaments on dealing with the current global financial crisis and its effects on the national economies. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
NATO Parliamentary Assembly seminar in Abu Dhabi calls for stronger inter-cultural dialogue and cooperation
posted on 11/10/2008
 The two-day NATO Parliamentary Seminar on The Middle East and Global Challenges concluded yesterday its discussion forums in Abu Dhabi urging for greater inter-regional co-operation and dialogue to address concerns facing the region.
Seminar participants agreed that additional work was still needed to reach greater awareness of the Istanbul Co-operation Initiative, which was launched at the 2004 NATO summit to build genuine partnerships between NATO nations and selected countries in the Middle East.
More than 50 Parliamentarians from 15 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) nations and legislators from Middle Eastern and North African countries attended the seminar, and took part in debates on key issues affecting the Middle East and NATO nations.
Micheal Gaul, Deputy Director, Defence Security Economics Directorate, Political Affairs and Security Policy Decision, NATO HQ; and Scott Ritter, former Chief UN Weapons Inspector in Iraq outlined the security dimensions of Iran's role in the region. Abdullah Al Shayji, Professor of International relations, Kuwait University, addressed the first session this morning and outlined the obstacles facing NATO in the region.
Three differing perspectives dominated their addresses, which focused on NATO's Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and security perceptions in the Gulf region.
Both Ritter and Professor Al Shayji advised more clarity in NATO's policies in the region, if the Alliance wished to contribute to easing tensions and increase cooperation in the Middle East. They also expressed the need for more public awareness about the role of NATO and its Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
"It has been a very positive experience hosting this seminar in Abu Dhabi. The countries in the Middle East share several common interests with the NATO nations, and through sustained cooperation and consultation we will further develop this relation to create better solutions for the problems in the region", said HE Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs.
The seminar, which is part of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group's activities, was held in coordination with the UAE Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group, provides a forum for parliamentarians from NATO member countries and their counterparts in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa to discuss common security and political issues. The UAE Ministry of Federal National Council Affairs has a mandate to promote political awareness in the region. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Academics: UNESCO approves UAE award in Paris
posted on 11/10/2008
 Paris -The Executive Council of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has approved unanimously the establishment of the international branch of the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Outstanding Academic Performance on Friday at the UNESCO's headquarters in Paris.
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Nahyan Bin Mubarak announces launch of Biomedicine Abraxane for treatment of cancer
posted on 11/10/2008
 Minister of Higher education and Scientific Research HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak announced on Thursday the launch of ABRAXANE in the UAE for the treatment of breast cancer.
Addressing a medical forum, in which doctors from Zayed Military Hospital and Mafraq Hospital (UAE), and King Faisal Hospital (KSA) participated, Sheikh Nahyan made the formal announcement of the launch of the new medicine, a paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension.
The new medicine is made available in UAE by NeoBiocon, a recently established biotechnology joint venture between UAE and India, and Abraxis BioScience, for the treatment of breast cancer after failure of combination therapy for metastatic disease or relapse within six months of adjuvant chemotherapy.
NeoBiocon is a joint venture between Dr. B.R. Shetty, Managing Director and CEO of Abu Dhabi based company Neopharma and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director of India's Biocon Ltd.
ABRAXANE is currently available in the UAE as a single-use 100 mg vial (as a lyophilized powder, to be reconstituted for intravenous administration).
The Phase III clinical trial in the U.S. demonstrated that ABRAXANE nearly doubled the response rate, significantly prolonged time to progression, and significantly improved overall survival in the second-line setting versus solvent-based Taxol in the approved indication.
In the U.S. pivotal head-to-head trial, the overall response rate of ABRAXANE was 33pc vs. 19pc compared to Taxol and ABRAXANE achieved a 25pc percent improvement in time to tumor progression when compared to Taxol.
Sheikh Nahyan called on world medical institutions to continue to research for containing the spreading disease of breast cancer. He noted that over 400,000 women die per year in the world due to this disease, which can be cured if detected earlier and treated in right way.
Dr. B.R. Shetty remarked, 'It gives us immense pleasure to introduce world-class pharmaceutical biotech products, to the United Arab Emirates' . He added, 'NeoBiocon is committed to developing a range of products for debilitating disease segments and will offer products that cater to lifestyle disorders and oncology' .
ABRAXANE is approved for marketing in 35 countries. Abraxis has several pending patent applications in India relating to ABRAXANE. In the Asia-Pacific region, ABRAXANE is approved for marketing in China and Korea in addition to India. ABRAXANE is under regulatory review for the treatment of breast cancer by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia, the Federal Authority for Healthcare and Social Development Regulation in Russia, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan.
NeoBiocon, established at Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (Dubiotech) in Dubai, is a JV company between Neopharma and India's Biocon Ltd. NeoBiocon's platform emerges from a symbiotic partnership between the two companies. Biocon's knowledge base and cutting-edge technology and Neopharma's manufacturing prowess and local expertise complement each other.
NeoBiocon is an initiative that heralds the region's foray to develop and market life saving biopharmaceutical niche products in key therapeutic areas such as oncology, diabetes, auto-immune disorders, cardiology, anti-obesity drugs and new generation immunosuppressant drugs.
Abraxis BioScience is a fully integrated global biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development and delivery of therapeutics and core technologies that offer patients effective treatments for cancer and other critical illnesses. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Diesel costs set to come down in Dubai again
posted on 11/10/2008
 Dubai oil retailers - Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc), Emirates Petroleum Products Company (Eppco) and Emarat - have decided to cut the price of diesel by 50 fils a gallon at the pumps effective from October 12, oil company sources told "Gulf News” on Friday.Enoc and Eppco Group Brand and Marketing Manager, Khalid Hadi, confirmed the news on behalf of the two companies. A spokesman for Emarat wasn't immediately available for comment."As of October 12, the price of diesel will be reduced to Dh15.25 a gallon, down from Dh15.75 a gallon, a reduction of 50 fils per gallon," said Hadi. The cut, when effective, will mark the oil retailers' eighth straight cut in diesel prices since July 28. Diesel was selling at Dh19.25 a gallon, an all-time high, on that date. Since then, prices in Dubai have steadily been going down due to weaker crude and oil product prices on the international market.The three oil retailers buy diesel at international prices and then adjust the local prices, based on the landed cost of the product. Diesel is widely used in the UAE as a transportation fuel with trucks that carry goods as main users. Any increase in the price of the fuel means greater inflationary pressures for the consumer as the fuel price rises are invariably passed on across the supply chain."We expect transporters to lower freight charges as the main component of their cost, diesel, will have come down by Dh4 a gallon from its peak price, as of Sunday," said Hadi. International oil prices have fallen sharply from a lifetime high of US$147.27 a barrel on July 11, as an economic downturn and upheavals on the financial markets in the US, the world's biggest oil importer, has slowed consumer demand. There are also fears the world's second-biggest economy, Japan, may be slipping into recession. In addition, the US dollar, the standard currency for oil trade, has been strengthening against the euro. – Gulf News
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Adnoc's September crude selling price down almost 20% on August
posted on 11/10/2008
 The official selling price (OSP) of Abu Dhabi crude oil grades averaged US$96.90 (Dh356) per barrel in September, down 19.64 per cent from the previous month in line with falling global oil prices, latest data from the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) show according to a report in "Gulf News.”
The OSP of Adnoc's most popular crude grade, Murban, in September was US$98.05 a barrel, down from US$117.50 a barrel in August.
Among its other crude grades, Lower Zakum had an OSP of US$98.05 a barrel in September, down from US$117.40 the previous month, Umm Shaif's OSP was at US$97.15 a barrel, down from US$116.50 a barrel in August and Upper Zakum was at US$94.35, down from US$112.30 in August.
The prices of Adnoc's crude grades - Murban, Lower Zakum, Upper Zakum and Umm Shaif averaged US$115.93 in August, 17.04 per cent below the July average price.
Peaked in July
Adnoc crude prices averaged their highest ever in July at US$135.68 per barrel, in line with the soaring international prices at the time that touched an all-time high of US$147.27 on July 11.
However, since then, global oil prices have fallen below US$90 due to the global economic turmoil, and Europe and Japan are widely feared to be slipping into recession.
However, the global oil prices are still strong and the UAE's oil export revenue is expected to cross the US$100 billion mark this year.
Abu Dhabi's production accounts for nearly 94 per cent of the UAE's crude output.
The country's oil would last 92 years at current production levels, recent estimates of global energy major BP show.
The UAE's output currently is about 2.66 million barrels per day. - Gulf News
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Dubai most banked city
posted on 11/10/2008
 Dubai was the most banked UAE emirate at the end of 2007 as it housed more than a third of the country's total bank branches according to a report in "Emirates Business 24|7.”
Figures by the Emirates Banks Association (EBA), which oversees most national and foreign banking units in the UAE, showed 246 bank branches operated in Dubai at the end of 2007.
The number accounted for more than a third of the total 638 bank branches that operated in the UAE at the end of last year. Abu Dhabi had the second largest number of bank branches, which stood at 224 while Sharjah, the third most populous emirate, had 90 bank branches.
The study showed there were 31 branches in Ras Al Khaimah, 27 in Fujairah, 21 in Ajman and eight in Umm Al Qaiwain. At the end of 2006, the bank branches in the UAE totalled 558 and the report attributed the increase in 2007 to expansions, mainly by national banks.
The number at the end of 2007 included 530 national banks and 108 foreign units while the number of head offices stood at 49, including 22 local and 27 foreign banks. Central Bank figures showed the number increased to 24 national and 28 foreign banks at the end of June 2008.
The UAE banks employed 32,100 people at the end of 2007 compared with 26,900 at the end of 2006. Their capital adequacy edged up to 16.87 per cent from 16.70 per cent in the same period.
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Latest Banderas movie counting on Arab help
posted on 11/10/2008
 Hollywood heartthrob and action hero Antonio Banderas denied he has received death threats for his project about the last Arab king in Andalusia, Abu Abdullah Al Sagheer.
"My life is not threatened. Actually that's why I am here," he said, speaking of his plan to do the movie. "I want to count on Arabs to do the film," he said.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Banderas said, "I want to pass on a positive message about this beautiful culture, which I had witnessed closely in Morocco, through my works. I have a tremendous respect for it," he said, speaking about Islam and the Arabs.
"I think we have a good chance to show the common elements between our cultures," said the actor.
According to reports, Banderas received threats after announcing his project about the last Muslim king who handed the keys of the city of Granada to Ferdinand and Isabel in 1492, ending the period of Islamic rule in Spain.
He said, "I don't want to do it by myself. It is very important for me to go hand in hand with Arabs with this," he said.
This is not the first time Banderas has stirred controversy. He was earlier threatened by Basque Separatist Group ETA when he condemned the murder of a Spanish councillor.
He had to also give up plans to play Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, after a huge campaign by Greeks.
Banderas earlier took part in The Circle conference, the second annual international film conference organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, on Wednesday night.
In 1999 Banderas portrayed Bin Fadlan, the Muslim scholar who visited Scandinavia 1,000 years ago as a Caliph messenger in the movie The 13th Warrior.
Cultural respect
Banderas is known for his support for Arab and Muslim culture which he reiterated to the participants in the conference. The Spanish star is also returning to his home town, Malaga, to start a new era in his career after a long stint in Hollywood.
"When I first went to the US in 1992 I always thought I would go back home and complete my career there, but always got new chances in Hollywood," he said.
One of his projects is to make a film about the Spanish revolution with young Spanish talent.
"Going back home is like trying to find myself again, but this time as a very professional filmmaker to do something Hollywood did not allow me to do.
"I will experience it in my home town and in my own language," he said.
With this move Banderas may be saying good-bye to Hollywood.
Next January Banderas will start shooting his new movie Hambros Daughter in Mexico based on a novel of the same name. "By March we will be done, then I will be proud to get the financing and support to start the story of Abu Abdullah because it is part of my story and I'm part of the mission," he said.
He welcomed the idea of making a film in the UAE. "I know there is a company that will be promoting movies here. I am absolutely open to do movies here," he said.
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
BP-Ford Abu Dhabi up title race ante in Rally De France
posted on 11/10/2008
 Ajaccio, Corsica, Oct. 11, 2008 (WAM) - After three consecutive one-two finishes for BP-Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team's manufacturers' championship rivals Citroen, the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority-backed outfit's title outlook appeared a shade brighter today following an eventful opening three stages of Rallye de France - round 13 of the 15-event FIA World Rally Championship series.
Trailing Citroen by 27 manufacturers' points prior to this weekend's Corsican asphalt test, the UAE capital sponsored team received an early Rally de France boost when Citroen's number two driver, Dani Sordo, retired from Friday's action after clipping a wall during stage three - an incident which severely damaged his left-hand front suspension.
With only two WRC fixtures - in Japan and Great Britain - remaining, a maximum Citroen points in Corsica enough for the team to lift the manufacturers' title. However, BP-Ford Abu Dhabi's Mikko Hirvonen and Francois Duval made the most of Sordo's untimely crash to enter Friday's midday service in second and third place.
The Abu Dhabi pair's positive Rally de France showing came with Sordo's Citroen team-mate, four-time world champion, Sebastien Loeb, looking his dominant best as he set the early pace in his home event.
Hirvonen was second through the opening 15.92km test from Acqua Doria to Serra di Ferro before posting fourth quickest time in the 16.62km Portigliolo - Bocca Albitrina. He ended the morning with third fastest in the long and mostly uphill 27.47km climb from Arbellara to Aullene to return to service in Ajaccio 14.4sec adrift of Loeb.
"I'm happy with the car set-up, especially after my difficulties last week in Spain," said the 28-year-old Finn. "Maybe my driving could improve and while I'm quick, I'm not quick enough yet. It's early in the rally and I feel as though I'm driving slowly, but its working. Dani Sordo's retirement helps our team so I need to keep the pressure on Sebastien Loeb. The stages were bumpy but I was too cautious in the second test because the surface was abrasive with lots of grip. I should have attacked more." Duval, eighth in the start order, encountered roads made dirty by the passage of the cars in front. However, the 27-year-old Belgian was fourth after a cautious opening stage, before setting third and second fastest times in the next two tests to trail Hirvonen by only 2.2secs at the day one midpoint.
"It was difficult because the roads were dirty and that's why I lost time in the first stage," said Duval. "The conditions will be the same for everyone this afternoon. The car understeered a little but maybe that's normal when the roads are dirty. I'm going to stiffen the suspension springs in service and while I didn't push to the maximum this morning, I'm going to do that now. I want to try to catch Loeb." Elsewhere, and Abu Dhabi driver Sheikh Khalid Al Qasimi was 16th after the opening loop of stages. The Emirati - making his Corsica debut - admitting that a newly found rhythm on tarmac, his least favourite surface, was being countered by a lack of familiarity with Rallye De France on the whole.
"I certainly see why this rally is called the Rally of 10,000 Corners," said Al Qasimi. "I'm driving well but there are bends everywhere and every corner is unknown to me. There was a lot of loose gravel and lots of cutting from the cars ahead. I backed off to go round the gravel to avoid having any big moments.
"Stage two was faster than the others with many big, fast corners and I needed to be confident because I could see the marks where other cars had gone off the road - there will be more retirements!" – Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
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Versión completa del Anuario 2008 de los EAU en inglés y francés, en formato pdf. Información completa y actualizada sobre todos los aspectos de los EAU. 
