Islamabad airport named among 'world's worst' airports of 2013

Islamabad airport was named the fourth worst airport in the world. PHOTO: FILE

MANILA: A survey conducted by an online travel company declared the Philippines’ main Manila airport terminal as the world’s worst for the second year in a row, with the Benazir Bhutto International Airport of Islamabad coming in fourth.

The third-worst was Calcutta, just edging out Islamabad, ahead of Paris Beauvais.

The website asked travellers to rate their experiences across four factors:

Comfort: crowded terminals or uncomfortable/limited seating
Conveniences: no 24-hour food options or nothing to do on a layover.
Cleanliness: dirty floors, bathrooms or food courts.
Customer Service: unfriendly staff or anti-airport sleeper policies.

Manila’s crowded Terminal 1 was ranked by travellers as faring the worst in the world in all the above categories.

Reviews for Manila’s Terminal 1 posted on the site mentioned “dilapidated facilities”, dishonest airport workers — particularly taxi drivers — long waiting times and rude officials.

For Islamabad, a reviewer on the website remarks:

“Upright plastic lumbar devastating ‘chairs’ add to your foul mood after negotiating the carnage to actually end up in the departure lounge” - Col. Stewart.

Another disgruntled reviewer lamented the slow service and rude staff who kept quarrelling among themselves, ultimately resigning to the fact that Pakistan had a “sleeping government” and that “the situation can never be changed.”

Worst Airports (Total by Votes)

1. Manila NAIA (Terminal 1)

2. Bergamo

3. Calcutta

4. Islamabad

5. Paris Beauvais

6. Chennai

7. Frankfurt Hahn

8. Mumbai

9. Rome Fiumicino

10. Los Angeles

The best rated airports were Singapore Changi, Seoul Incheon, Amsterdam Schiphol, Hong Kong and Helsinki Vantaa

Pakistani student wins President’s Award in Malaysia

Syed Faiq Najeeb receiving the award.

KUALA LUMPUR: A Pakistani student from Karachi, Syed Faiq Najeeb, has graduated with the highest CGPA at the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF), Malaysia and clinched the President’s Award for the academic year 2012-2013.

Faiq, son of Syed Najeeb Akhtar, received the President’s Award for the ‘Best Student of the Year’ for Masters in Islamic Finance (MIF) on October 5, on achieving 3.98 CGPA, the highest in the institution’s history. In addition, he completed the 24-month programme in a record 16 months.

The President’s Award was handed to him by the Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

Commenting on his achievement, Najeeb said, “I am grateful to Almighty Allah, family and friends for supporting me throughout this journey. Nonetheless, this award achievement is secondary, and my primary goal is to promote the Islamic financial system globally because to me it is a more resilient and reliable financial system.”

Previously, Najeeb has a BA (Hons) in International Business Management from the University of Nottingham. He developed an interest in Islamic Finance when he was working as a research analyst in his undergraduate alma mater. Subsequently he was awarded the Bank Negara Malaysia Scholarship to pursue his MIF at INCEIF. Currently, Faiq works with KFH Research Limited as a research analyst with a portfolio of Islamic Finance.

INCEIF, set up by Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia), is the only university in the world that is dedicated to postgraduate study in Islamic Finance.

Apple Ranks #1 On Best Global Brands List In Top Spot

According to Intebrand’s newly released 2013 Best Global Brands, Apple has moved up from its 2012 No. 2 spot to unseat Coca-Cola for the No. 1 Best Global Brand. Google, which ranked No. 4 last year, also beat Coca-Cola, taking the No. 2 position this year.

After 13 years as the No. 1 global brand, this is the first time since Interbrand began publishing their Best Global Brands report that Coca Cola not ranked in the top spot, coming in at No. 3 on this year’s top 100 list.

To evaluate a brand’s value, Interbrand examines the brand’s financial performance, influential power and, “The strength the brand has to command a premium price, or secure earnings for the company.”

According to the report, technology companies dominated this year’s list, with Face book (#52), Google (#2), Apple (#1) and Amazon (#19) identified as 2013′s “Top Rising Brands.”

Best Global Brands Ranking 2013:

RANK                                                                      BRAND

1                                                                                  Apple

2                                                                                  Google

3                                                                                  Coca Cola

4                                                                                  IBM

5                                                                                  Microsoft

6                                                                                  GE

7                                                                                  McDonald’s

8                                                                                  Samsung

9                                                                                  Intel

10                                                                                Toyota

Bale Back.

SANTIAGO BERNABEU: Real Madrid forward player Gerath Bale has come back in action and made an entry in the 76th minute of the La Liga match Real Madrid played against Malaga today.

Bale played for the last 14 minutes of the game and succeeded to earn a penalty kick which Christiano Ronaldo turned in the 2md goal of the side and thus sealed victory for his club.

Gerath Bale has missed some previous matches due to back injury and lack of pre-season training and still he is not up to fitness level required to play full game.

If Bale’s return to full match fitness continues to go to plan he will be given a full half in Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Juventus before starting against Barcelona next Saturday.

24-year-old forward was taken by Real Madrid in its camp for the world record signing deal of £85.3m this summer from Tottenham by Transfer Window.

Arsenal star admits to suffering at the club

Arsenal star Nacho Monreal has admitted to suffering at the club whilst being on the bench, according to the Express.

Monreal, who arrived at Arsenal for a mooted £8.3million in January, has had to play second fiddle to Kieran Gibbs for the majority of his tenure at the Emirates and, although he has claimed their rivalry is a healthy one, hasn't enjoyed spending time as a substitute.

The Spanish full-back told Arsenal Player that he enjoyed having good competition for his place, but did concede that to sit on the bench meant that he was 'suffering'.

"I think that there is a very good rivalry there," the former Malaga man said.

"I think we are two very good players, we give 100 per cent for the team in the training sessions and in the games.

"In truth it is a tough moment for me because the manager is choosing Kieran over me, but to be honest he is playing very well. All of the games that he’s played in he has done well, the team is on a good run, and I don’t see things changing in the short-term.

"There is nothing I can do but to keep training, do the best I can so that when I do get the nod from the manager, I can take advantage of my chance and show him that he can count on me.

"It is tough, every player wants to play, their maximum goal is to play the games, and right now I can only watch - I should say suffer - from the bench. But I will wait for my chance, keep on working, and show the manager that I am not giving up."

The Spain star also declared that he would be prepared to leap at the chance to take Gibbs' spot if his positional rival experienced a dip in form.

"The moment that Kieran steps off the gas, I will be there to take advantage of the opportunity, and carry on in that way."

Arsenal are currently thriving in the Premier League despite pre-season fears that they were ill-equipped to challenge in the Premier League.

Wenger's men are top of the table having amassed 16 points from seven games and remaining unbeaten since the first game of the campaign

SRK hopes to bring more Indian films to Cannes

Shahrukh is present in the city to attend a big fat destination wedding. PHOTO: FILE

NEW DELHI: 

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, who is in Cannes these days, reminisced the time when he represented Indian cinema there with his 2002 film Devdas. The superstar says that he hopes to bring more beautiful cinema from the country to the French Riviera.

According to reports, SRK was in Cannes to attend a big fat destination wedding. “At Cannes after years … Memories come flooding back of Devdas. InshaAllah will come here to represent India with more beautiful films,” Shahrukh posted on Twitter Sunday night.

Devdas was shown at a special out-of-competition screening at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2002. Over the years, the presence of Indian films and celebrities has increased at the global film extravaganza which is usually held in May every year.

The Bollywood Badshah, along with other Hindi film celebrities including actor Tusshar Kapoor, is reportedly in Cannes for the wedding of Kunal Grover, son of British socialite Pamela Grover, with Ria Dubash.

Pamela is said to be friends with Bollywood biggies like SRK and his wife Gauri, actors Rakesh Roshan, Neetu and Rishi Kapoor among others. For Tusshar, it was his first time in Cannes.

“In Cannes now for a big fat Indian destination wedding, both for the first time! Still getting used to all the paraphernalia! (spelt correct?),” he tweeted

Ayesha Farook Hashwani opens e-store

Customers from Multan to Milwaukee can now buy her latest collections online.

KARACHI: 

Pakistani designers are waking up to the potential of e-commerce. Ayesha Farook Hashwani (AFH) has become one of first premium Pakistani designers to launch her own e-store: www.afhashwani.com/shop. “We have a huge clientele abroad and in parts of Pakistan too such as Faisalabad and Multan, where we don’t currently stock,” says Hashwani. “We wanted to make our products easily available to all our customers no matter where they are.”

The shop stocks a wide range of formal and dinner wear in silks and chiffons, featuring the designer’s signature anchor work and fluid fusion silhouettes. The store will eventually also showcase Ayesha Farook Hashwani accessories, which are set to launch soon. Hashwani was also able to give a preview of some of the necklaces which she reveals will be made abroad. They are chunky elegant pieces of costume jewellery that echo her brand of style.

Ayesha Farook Hashwani currently has one studio in DHA Karachi, and also stocks at Ensemble and Labels in Lahore and Melange in Islamabad. She has a retail outlet in the pipeline but was keen to give precedence to her e-store. Online demand is skyrocketing. Overseas customers, in particular, have gotten used to buying clothing online and are comfortable with the concept. Shrewd resellers have been selling both designer originals and copies online for several years now. Customers in wider Pakistan, too, are realising that it’s better to buy something you have seen online rather than trust friends and relatives to shop for you on visits to Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad. Designers have come to appreciate that it’s vital to have an online sales presence. While many have signed up for high profile multi-label e-stores such as Style360 Labels e-store, a few are now starting to look at dedicated e-stores