World's Largest Mall Set To Open

The vast Dubai Mall shopping centre is finally set to open for business on Tuesday but the success of the 20-billion-dollar project is far from certain amid the global economic crisis.

The mall will be one of the world's largest with 1,200 shops, four times as many as the new Westfield centre in London, and it will be a tough call for the owners to meet their target of 30 million visitors in the first year.

Dubai Mall is situated at the foot of the Burj Dubai -- already the tallest building on earth at around 700 meters (yards) and still under construction.

The mall is scheduled to house branches of some of the world's best known retail chains, such as Marks and Spencer, Galeries Lafayette and even Bloomingdales, which has never before had stores outside the United States.

[source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/afp/20081103/tls-finance-banking-uae-retail-tourism-aeafa1b.html]

Cease-fire plan for both Russian and Georgian troops

Georgia's president has told a news forum that he agrees to plan to end the fighting with Russia over breakaway regions in Georgia.

The plan was negotiated by Sarkozy and has also been agreed to by Russia's president. It calls for both Russian and Georgian troops to move back to their original positions.

Some sticking points continue, including online casinos the status of Russian peacekeepers in Georgia's separate from provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Sweeney Todd wins 2 Golden Globe Awards

The bloody stage adaptation "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" was chosen as best musical or comedy Sunday at a drab Golden Globes announcement held in lieu of the usual ritzy party because of the Hollywood writers strike.

"Sweeney Todd" star Johnny Depp won for best actor in a musical or comedy for the title role, playing a vengeful barber who slits the throats of his customers in the adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's stage musical.

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