 | | Dollar is Here to Stay | | THE dollar is here to stay, at least as far as pricing in oil markets is concerned. Certain countries _ including Iran, France and Russia _ have periodically floated the idea of transforming the markets by settling crude oil transactions in currencies other than the dollar.
But each time the notion is raised, it has been quickly dismissed on technical and economic grounds. And that remains the case today, more than ever.
''It's a red herring,'' said Leo Drollas, chief economist at the Center for Global Energy Studies in London. "The idea should be put back in its box for a while, especially with all the turmoil surrounding the euro.'' Various reasons have been cited for the calls to shift away from the dollar, which remains the world's reserve unit.
|
|
|  |  | | 'THINK DIFFERENT' WAS JOBS' CREDO | | WHEN Steve Jobs died on October 5, many commentators wondered whether Apple _ the company he cofounded and led through many years of profit and innovation _ could continue to thrive without him.
After struggling with cancer, Jobs stepped down from his post as Apple's CEO in August, yet his impact on the company remained profound. After all, Apple's innovations _ from the personal computer to the iPod to the iPhone _ changed the way the world communicates and plays. Following Jobs' death at the age of 56, many argued that Apple's future was now in doubt.
|
|
| | |
|
|
|
|
Midoun edges Waleed to gain slender lead on third day
TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK
DOHA QATARI lad Waleed al Sharshani and Algerian Mohammad Amine Midoun kept up their ding-dong battle at the top of the Laser Radial in the Sail Trophy 2011 at the Doha Bay on Friday.
Sharshani and Midoun launched the Day Three with seven points each but after two races today, the home team sailor edged ahead with the first and second places.
But Midoun (11 points) finished the strongly and recovered all the lost points to wrest the No 1 position from Sharshani, who was third in the final race behind Kuwait’s Ahmed Abdul Lateef.
With only races left to decide the winner and both Sharshani (12 points) and Midoun being one point adrift, the final day may put a lot of pressure on them. Any mistake may prove quite costly but this class is certainly all set for a grand finale. Lateef is in the third place with 18 points. It looks likely that these three should be on the podium tomorrow as well.
Jimi Syahputra suffered a major setback in the Optimist class. The Indonesian was second and first the fifth and sixth races on Friday. But she was disqualified on technical grounds as she twice violated the turn rule when Suhail Ali al Ghailani of the UAE and Saleh Ali al Telfat of Qatar were following her in the two races. Syahputra was unfazed with two reverses and put up another gutsy show to hold the fifth place. It would take a big effort from her to force a podium finish now but she is quite capable of doing it.
Ghailani, who was second to Syahputra till yesterday, moved to the top with 15 points, winning both the races today. Czech girl Veronika Zivna is 11 points behind him into the second spot and Algerian Abdel Khalek Boussouar is holding the third place. Telfat maintained his fourth place with 31 and if he races well, he may overtake the Algerian rival tomorrow.
In two other races, in which the local sailors are having a bright chance to secure a podium finish, are the Laser 4.7 and the 470 class. Faris al Bakri bagged the second race victory and continued his hold over the second place behind Algerian Bilel Nedjari in the Laser 4.7. He has 17 points, while Nedjari has collected 11. UAE’s Hamdan al Ghailani is occupying the fourth slot ahead of Bahrain’s Daoud Abdullah.
The 470 class is being led by Bahrain’s Ebrahim Abdulla and Ahmed Abdullah right from the first race.
Behind them, three pairs of Qatar are lurking and waiting to exploit any mistake by the Bahrainis. The Qatari pairs are Rashid al Mohannadi and Jassim al Sulaiti (second with 16), Mohammed al Mohannadi and Jassim al Kubaisi (third with 17) and Alaa Amro Shouhdy and Iman Abou Yousef (fourth with 20).
Bahrain’s Abdulla Janahi forged ahead with impressive finishes and joined the top two sailors in the Lasaer Standard. Kazakhstan’s Bladimir Chshankin and Ruslan Jangazov stayed firmly in the first and second places with 20 and 22 points, respectively.
Musab al Hadi and Ahmed al Balushi clinched both the races and nudged down their Omani compatriots Akram al Wahaibi and Abdulrahman al Mashari to the second spot.
This class may also have a close finish on Saturday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
