Further temporary suspension

Further temporary suspension of Gulf Air's flights to Lebanon, Iran and Iraq

Gulf Air regrets to announce the further temporary suspension of its flights to and from;

·         Beirut – up to and including 14 May 2011.

·         All destinations in Iran, Iraq – up to and including 30 June 2011. 

The decision has been taken following the on-going security situation in the region.

Passengers, holding confirmed tickets for travel during these dates, can rebook for a later Gulf Air flight in the same booking class to the same destination for travel up to and including 30 September 2011 at no additional charge.

Gulf Air will endeavour, where possible, to transfer the booking/ticket to an alternative available airline for the same/next day travel to the same destination in the same class of travel.

Passengers can also get a full refund if they wish.

For more details passengers are requested to contact Gulf Air.

Visa clamp on Britons denied

Visa clamp on Britons denied
Bahrain's immigration service has denied reports of a visa clamp on British visitors.
It dismissed claims by the British Embassy that Britons were now being granted two-week visas upon arrival, as opposed to three-month visit visas.
However, the Bahrain Irish Society (BIS) issued its own circular to members yesterday saying limited visit visas were now being issued to Irish citizens.
The society said it had been informed by the Irish Embassy in Riyadh that visas would only be issued for a maximum of 28 days, as opposed to three months previously.
'We have checked with the Irish Embassy in Riyadh and the position is that Irish citizens will be automatically granted two-week visas on arrival in Bahrain,' the BIS said.
'However, if requested, Bahraini immigration officers can grant a visa of up to a maximum of 28 days.
'This period of staying in Bahrain will not be extended.
'Citizens will have to leave Bahrain before their visa expires or be subject to fines.
'They can return after a short absence and stay for a further 14 or 28 days.
'Irish citizens residing in Saudi Arabia and those who hold a valid Saudi Iqamas (residency permits) will be issued six-month multiple-entry visas, but they will only be allowed to stay for a maximum of 28 days at any one time.
'However, exceptions will be made for people who rent houses in Bahrain or who have children in school there.
'In these cases, the landlord or the school concerned will have to apply for Bahraini residence cards for the families concerned.'
However, the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs yesterday denied any changes had been made.
'We would like to inform you that there is absolutely no change in the kingdom's visa policy with regards to British citizens,' it said in a statement.
It added that Britons would still be offered 72-hour, two-week or three-month visas at the Bahraini border.
'Moreover, they are offered six months at our embassy in the UK,' it said.

Royal Affair in Singapore / Dubai

Royal Affair in Singapore / Dubai

The British Club in Singapore will certainly be flying the flag for Britain this April 29. The club has planned 10 days of celebrations to mark the marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton. Expats will be treated to a royal street party, a royal wedding dinner, a high tea and an Ascot-themed ladies night.

General Manager of The British Club Sean Boyle told reporters, “We are taking it very seriously. This club has always had a connection with the royal family - Princess Anne opened it in 1987, and we've had a lot of royal visitors - so it seemed a good opportunity to reflect that.
“And there’s thousands of Brits in Singapore, who are all very excited about the event.”

Dubai
Expatriates make up 85 percent of the population in Dubai, and the British account for a good portion of those, so the Emirate is planning to celebrate in true British style.  No surprise that hotels, restaurants and bars across Dubai are pulling out the stops for the royal wedding, organising all manner of lavish parties, special screenings and meal deals to mark the occasion. According to the tourism board Visit Britain, many expats are opting for private themed brunches and garden or street parties. For something a little more prestigious, the British Embassy will be showing the ceremony live on the lawns of the embassy building, complete with a ‘traditional street party.’ It promises to be a jolly good affair.

Guy Warrington, consul general for the British Embassy said, “It’s going to be a memorable day for the large British community in Dubai and many others including those from the Commonwealth. We are particularly delighted to host so many of our Emirati friends. We hope all our guests will enjoy the celebrations we have in store, such as our street party, and will soak up the atmosphere on this very special day.”

St. Louis Airport reopens

St. Louis Airport slowly reopens after Tornado

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport was operating at 70% capacity on Sunday, two days after a tornado slammed into the airport after restoration of power and clearing the debris, authorities said.

The tornado tore off a part of the roof over Concourse C and knocked out power, forcing the airport to close through late Saturday.

The C Concourse will be closed indefinitely, and the concourse’s tenants (American, AirTran, Frontier and Cape Air) have been moved to other locations. American and Cape Air have moved to Concourse D, and Frontier and AirTran are using gates in Concourse B.

Lambert said 11 airlines flew scheduled flights on Sunday. American will resume service from Lambert on Monday morning, said the airport, and Cape Air is slated to resume flights on Tuesday.

Airport director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said she believes airlines will reach 85% capacity on Monday.

World's top eatery

Sea urchin on menu world’s top eatery

Denmark's Noma won one of the restaurant world's highest accolades for the second consecutive year on Monday with a menu that remains deeply committed to an innovative Nordic cuisine.
Noma's 33-year-old Chef Rene Redzepi, whose restaurant topped the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list released late on Monday, has created a menu that includes sea urchin and dill, potatoes and milk skin, beef cheek and pear.
Redzepi, an ambassador for the New Nordic Food program set up by the Nordic Council of Ministers, has headed the restaurant since its 2003 opening.
The Noma approach to cooking is concentrated on obtaining the best raw materials from the Nordic region such as Icelandic sky curd, halibut, Greenland musk ox and berries.
"Noma is not about olive oil, foie grass, sun-dried tomatoes and black olives. On the contrary, we've been busy exploring the Nordic regions discovering outstanding foods and bringing them back to Denmark," Noma said on its website.
"This goes for very costly ingredients but also for more disregarded, modest ingredients such as grains and pulses, which you'll taste here in new and unexpected contexts," it said.

Shop until you drop in Duty Free

Do buy! Dubai International Airport is currently the world’s leading duty-free retailer. The Sheikh Rashid Terminal, also known as the Concourse, boasts 5,400 square meters of retail heaven, which is open 24/7. In the same way that Dubai is the perfect destination for holidaymakers seeking opulence and glitz, the airport is the place to purchase the very best in luxury goods such as jewellery and perfumes