Dubai’s ruler has endorsed a US $32bn expansion plan for the city’s second airport that officials envision will eventually become the world’s biggest, the Middle Eastern commercial hub’s airport operator said.

"Keep calm. There’s no bubble", proclaimed a giant poster on a 40-storey building overlooking a Dubai highway, advertising a property finding portal late last year. That may have been true at the time, but the risks are rising.

Camping Ireland reports that interest in caravanning and camping has increased by 30%.

Golf’s European Tour received a financial boost yesterday when Emirates signed up as its airline partner and agreed to double the number of tournaments in which it invests.

MSC Lirica is a cruise ship for those who remain unmoved by glitzy interiors and the ‘biggest and brashest is best’ school of cruise ship design.

Etihad Airways has bought a 3% stake in Aer Lingus as a precursor to a commercial tie-up that could help Abu Dhabi’s flagship carrier gain more European routes to catch up with Middle Eastern rivals.

The mothballing of under-performing hotels has to be a last resort and instead efforts should be focused on increasing the numbers of tourists into Ireland.

A major transport, tourism and business link to the Middle East has been cemented today with the inaugural Emirates flight from Dubai to Dublin.

SOME Florida sun shone on Curraheen Park on Saturday night as Fr Bryan Dalton’s Deerfield Music and Deerfield Sings gave the US-based owner a double in the quarter-finals of the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels. Both are trained by Mossie O’Connor.

Two Britons convicted of kissing in public had their one-month prison sentence upheld by a Dubai court today.

Dubai’s government said it will pump up to US$9.5bn into its chief conglomerate Dubai World and a key subsidiary as part of a long-awaited restructuring plan of the companies’ debt.

DUBAI inspectors are looking for illegal alcohol, but this time inside sauces, soups and desserts.

A PALESTINIAN commander killed in Dubai by an assassination team using fake Irish passports was drugged and then suffocated, according to police in the Gulf state.

THE brother of the Palestinian leader assassinated in Dubai has called on the Irish Government to expel the Israeli ambassador from Ireland.

Dubai police appealed for an international manhunt today after releasing names and photographs of an alleged 11-member hit squad – including three with Irish passports and six with British passports – accused of killing a Hamas commander last month.

London’s FTSE 100 Index posted healthy gains today after Dubai’s £6bn (€6.7bn) emergency bailout from Abu Dhabi soothed nerves around financial stocks.

Dubai’s government said today it had received £6bn (€6.63bn) in emergency funds from oil-rich neighbour Abu Dhabi to pay debts owed by its struggling conglomerate.

Dubai’s ruler finally broke his silence over the emirate’s financial troubles today as regional stock markets tumbled again.

London’s FTSE 100 Index jumped 1.5% today as worries over the global impact of the Dubai debt crisis showed signs of easing.

Dubai’s debt crisis was dragging down the main stock markets in the United Arab Emirates for a second day today.

Dubai refused to cover the huge debts of its commercial subsidiary company today despite a record fall on its stock market.

Dubai’s main stock exchange dropped more than 7% today, the first day of trading in the United Arab Emirates since Dubai World announced it was struggling with its $60bn (€40bn) debt.

The United Arab Emirates’ central bank is saying it “stands behind” local and foreign banks operating in the country, offering them access to money in a sign the Gulf Arab nation’s federal government is racing to curtail investor fears over Dubai’s crushing debt.

Dubai was waiting today to see whether neighbouring Abu Dhabi would bail out the credit-crunched city-state.

TRUE to form, Eugene Sheehy called it as he saw it when he went before an Oireachtas committee on Tuesday.

Debt-burdened Dubai insisted today that it took into account the effect its bid to delay paying creditors would have on world markets.

Fears over Dubai’s ability to pay its debts overshadowed trading for a second successive session today in a nervous end to a volatile week.

IRISH and European stocks experienced their biggest fall in seven months yesterday as fears grew that failure by Dubai to repay $60 billion (€40bn) in debt could trigger the biggest sovereign default since Argentina in 2001.

Debt-swamped Dubai today asked for a six-month reprieve on paying its bills, causing a drop on world markets.

Ahmed Ajtebi upstaged Frankie Dettori by beating Godolphin's number one jockey into third as the Dubai national struck aboard Vale Of York in the Peter Willett Stakes at Goodwood today.

DUBAI interests may again emerge as the main player in the battle to buy Liverpool.

Dubai interests may again emerge as the main player in the battle to buy Liverpool.

Football finance expert Professor Chris Brady has dismissed Tom Hicks’ termination of Liverpool takeover talks with Dubai International Capital (DIC) as a “negotiation manoeuvre” and expects the deal to be wrapped up by June.

Washington’s second most senior diplomat will have a crucial meeting with Pakistan’s military leader President Pervez Musharraf today, hoping that face-to-face diplomacy will convince the general to move back on the path to democracy.

The ruler of the Mideast’s booming economic capital, Dubai, launched a £5bn foundation today at the Dead Sea resort of Southern Shuneh, to fund education and human development in region.

DUBAI continues to attract an increasing number of Irish holiday-makers and, indeed, property investors.

With typical razzmatazz, Richard Branson today launched Virgin Atlantic Airways’ first service to the Middle East.

TWO lawsuits have been filed in a bid to stop the $6.8 billion (€5.7bn) takeover of significant operations at six major US ports by an Arab company.

The emir of Dubai, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has been succeeded by younger brother Sheikh Mohammed following his death on Wednesday aged 62.

SHEIKH Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum may not have been as familiar a figure on racecourses as his two brothers but his influence has been just as important.

Britain’s Vodafone Group offered the highest bid – £3.81bn (€5.6bn) – in an auction today to buy Telsim, Turkey’s second-largest mobile telephone company.