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Environmentalist quits Olympics ethics panel over Dow's Bhopal links |
New Delhi: There were fresh calls on Thursday for an independent inquiry into Dow Chemical's controversial sponsorship of the London Olympics after Meredith Alexander, a leading environmentalist, resigned from the Games' ethics committee — the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 — protesting against Dow's links with the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster and accusing the organisers of “toeing” the company's line.
“I feel that the Commission and the London Games organisers are in danger of becoming apologists for Dow Chemicals. They are repeating and falsely legitimising Dow's assertion that they have no responsibility for the Bhopal tragedy,” she told The Hindu, indicating that other members could follow suit.
Terming the deal “ill-judged,” Ms. Alexander said: “I share Amnesty International's view that Olympic bodies are culpable of entering into an ill-judged relationship with Dow, the company that carries the responsibility for the catastrophic gas leak, a responsibility they have repeatedly absconded from.” |
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UAE economy set to grow 4% |
Sharjah: The UAE economy is forecast to grow by at least four per cent in 2012, Economy Minister Sultan Al Mansouri said on Thursday.
DUBAI — The UAE economy is forecast to grow by at least four per cent in 2012, Economy Minister Sultan Al Mansouri said on Thursday.
“Under the circumstances, this is healthy, this is good,” Al Mansouri was quoted by Bloomberg as saying in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
Al Mansouri’s forecast for the UAE economy is very upbeat in contrast to various growth estimates given by economists.
Standard Chartered Bank has projected a 2.4 per cent growth in 2012 versus 3.8 per cent in 2011 while National Bank of Kuwait said it expects record low inflation would spur further economic growth in 2012 following a 4.6 per cent growth in 2011 as the UAE’s major business hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi become more cost-competitive.
The Oxford Business Group is also confident of the UAE’s strong economic performance in 2012.
National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s group chief economist Dr Gýyas Gokkent said UAE’s nominal gross domestic product, or GDP would rise to $344 billion in 2012 from $340.1 in 2011 as the GCC economy would reach $1.36 trillion.
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