Visit Dubai to Watch Annual Summer Turtle Release

Visitors to Dubai, UAE, this weekend can see an annual summer turtle release programme conducted by Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project.

The event is being held on June 29, 2012, at Madinat Jumeirah beach in Dubai. Jumeirah, a UAE-based luxury hospitality company, is sponsoring the event, which is open to the public.

The event will see around 100 Hawksbill Turtles being released back into their natural habitat by children participating in the event; these turtles were brought to Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office or to the Aquarium team at Burj Al Arab at very sick or injured states, where they have been nurtured to health over many months, and will now be released into their natural environment.

While being nurtured to health, the turtles were examined by veterinarians, and treated with proper medication or surgery. Once they are out of the medical treatment, these turtles are transferred to the Mina A’Salam turtle enclosure, where they flourish, until they are fit to be released into the sea.

The event also will feature the Big Jumeirah Sea Turtle Race, where six satellite tagged sea turtles will be released into the Arabian Gulf, with each tagged turtle sponsored by a Jumeirah property: Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Wild Wadi, Jumeirah Living and Burj Al Arab. The winning turtle will be decided by using satellite technology to track their travels.

Children especially are likely to have a fun and entertaining time at the event, which will also offer complimentary entertainment and refreshments to them, and parking will be available for visitors at Mina A Salam.

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Cadel confident he has team to win Tour

Cadel Evans says his BMC Racing team named on Tuesday for the Tour de France is stronger than last year's and he now knows he can retain the title.

The 35-year-old Australian will have the support of Americans George Hincapie and Tejay van Garderen, Briton Steve Cummings and Belgian Classics ace Philippe Gilbert, plus Germany's Marcus Burghardt, Amael Moinard of France, Italian Manuel Quinziato and Swiss rider Michael Schar.

Burghardt, Hincapie, Moinard, Quinziato and Schar all helped Evans win in the 2011 Tour and seven of the eight raced together at this month's Criterium du Dauphine - where Evans finished third behind Bradley Wiggins, his main rival for glory in a Tour which features more than 100 kilometres of time-trials.
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Team director John Lelangue made it clear the team was selected solely to support Evans in his bid for a second Tour de France triumph in the three-week classic starting on June 30.

"We have one objective: to defend Cadel's title and bring him to the podium in Paris," Lelangue said.

"Everyone will know clearly what their job is during the three weeks of racing. Our roster has a really good balance, especially considering the parcours."

Evans was delighted with the strength of the team.

"I know now that I can win it and my lead-up this year is nearly identical to what we did last year," he said.

"We're bringing an even stronger team to the Tour this year and the route would seem to favour me.

"The time-trials will change the dynamics of the race and some of the tactics of my rivals.

"But like last year, I'll go to the Tour with my own plan, to ride my own race."

American Brent Bookwalter and Steve Morabito of Switzerland have been named as reserves.

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Greece’s Tourism Woes Continue As Tour Operators Slash Prices

Amid speculation about a Greek euro exit and fears of ensuing social unrest, tourism officials worry that Greece could have a terrible summer season this year.

A repeat election on June 17 will likely determine whether Greece retains the common currency or returns to the drachma. The gloomy forecast has travel agents across the world offering discounted fares to try and convince travelers to visit the sun-soaked Greek Isles and historic monuments.

Agents in the UK and Germany, in particular, have offered steep discounts to help kick-start slumping demand as the economic crisis hits travel spending across Europe. Residents of the two nations account for a large percentage of Greece's visitors, but reports of anti-German sentiment and the fear of being stranded amid protests has left several would-be visitors leery. Many of the 2.2 million Germans who holidayed in Greece last year appear to be headed for other destinations this year such as Spain or Turkey.

London-based Olympic Holidays, a major seller of Greek package holidays in the UK, reduced its rates by up to 25 percent for peak season travel. Meanwhile, online hotel prices in Greece show an 8 percent decline this month compared with June 2011, according to Trivago.gr, with rates in Athens down by 22 percent over last year. Overall hotel rates in Greece average 100 euros for a twin room, considerably lower than most other European nations.

"The immediate result is the devaluation of our country in the international tourism market," the head of the Hellenic Association of Tourism and Travel Agencies, Giorgos Telonis, told Athens-based ekathimerini.com. "We are all feeling the impact on the tourism industry and the Greek economy and society."

Rick Steves, the popular European guidebook writer and television host, said tours in the country have been "as smooth and fun as ever -- virtually unaffected by the local political and economic events."

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China advisory against India travel is tit-for-tat, say sources

Beijing: China has cautioned its citizens against travelling to India because of protests held in different cities over the increase in petrol prices. However, sources in  Delhi say they believe China's travel advisory is in retaliation for the Indian government's warning to traders to avoid doing business in the Chinese trading hub of Yiwu. However, the sources said, "both sides are mature enough to handle this."

An advisory has been posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website as well as Chinese Embassy in New Delhi dated June 1 which warned about travel disruptions due to protests.

"According to Indian media reports, many places in India are witnessing protests and strikes due to the recent hike in oil prices. Railways and highway transport have either come to a halt due to strikes or have been impacted to different degrees," China says on its Foreign Ministy website, as well as that of its embassy in Delhi. "The Chinese Embassy in India would like to alert the Chinese citizens about this and request them to confirm their itinerary with related agencies to avoid delays....at the same time, during this period, they should be careful about personal safety and safeguard their personal belongings," it adds.

The advisory comes on the eve of a visit to Beijing by India's External Affairs Minister SM Krishna. He is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled for June 6 and 7.

Beijing: China has cautioned its citizens against travelling to India because of protests held in different cities over the increase in petrol prices. However, sources in  Delhi say they believe China's travel advisory is in retaliation for the Indian government's warning to traders to avoid doing business in the Chinese trading hub of Yiwu. However, the sources said, "both sides are mature enough to handle this."

An advisory has been posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website as well as Chinese Embassy in New Delhi dated June 1 which warned about travel disruptions due to protests.

"According to Indian media reports, many places in India are witnessing protests and strikes due to the recent hike in oil prices. Railways and highway transport have either come to a halt due to strikes or have been impacted to different degrees," China says on its Foreign Ministy website, as well as that of its embassy in Delhi. "The Chinese Embassy in India would like to alert the Chinese citizens about this and request them to confirm their itinerary with related agencies to avoid delays....at the same time, during this period, they should be careful about personal safety and safeguard their personal belongings," it adds.

The advisory comes on the eve of a visit to Beijing by India's External Affairs Minister SM Krishna. He is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled for June 6 and 7.

In January, Indian traders were held hostage in Yiwu over bills that had not been settled by their companies. The incident provoked diplomatic intervention. While one trader was released and returned home a fortnight ago, two others remain stranded in Shanghai fighting their case in a Chinese court.

Indian businessmen are reported to have transacted about USD two billion last year, buying massive supplies of Chinese goods for Indian markets.

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