Its all about the MPG Norf, times are tough:P

LOL, OK not exactly illegal. i use a golf 2011 TDI as my day to day car. i got to say i think I'm bored with it and the i30 looks like a bargain and crucially something different from the Golf, Focus, Astra cabal. Ok its superior to the Astra and challenges the other two.

Nin-Yaaban;840724 wrote: I am sure they are, but they still have a long way to go before people change their perception about Korean cars. That's the key Nin, its all about perception. Even if Hyundai creates a model that blows the competition out of the water in every way they will still be dealing with the outstanding issue of consumer confidence and prestige. Remember Lucky Goldstar and the transformation into LG or Lifes Good. It can happen but will take a decade longer to become truly established. Their lineup is good enough, but the marketing folks have a big job on their hands. Everywhere i go i see a Hyundai ad or billboard. Look at sporting events like Euro 2012, Diamond League athletics and the Olympics. They know its an issue but will the marketing millions be enough.

LOL that's a good attitude to have Malika.

This is a day 1 purchase, Looks very good, well done Ubisoft.

Nin, the hard steering is as a result of drive by wire or electrical steering. I'm no fan of it to be honest, much prefer good old fashioned hydraulics. The BMW's and many premium brands have that hard stiff like sensation when driving. Whenever i drive my friends BMW it feels like I'm maneuvering a tank. The rest i suppose is personal taste. Their records for safety have improved significantly and in some models are class leaders. Blessed i'm glad its been reliable for you. Dusty pink qoroqoro doesn't sound too appealing I'm afraid. i think in the end quality and price points will win over badges. Hey if Skoda can do it, well you know the saying.

Nin-Yaaban;840675 wrote: Hyundai is like a cheap knockoff of Honda. They could've came out with a better name.Their new cars look kinda nice though, i'll give them that. But i still wouldn't buy them. I'll stick Toyota (Camry:)). this is the exact kind of sentiment that Hyundai is facing. A big challenge indeed, but its one for the marketers to figure out. Solid, affordable and reliable product. That's my humble opinion after test driving the i30.

I suppose i'm hoping my fellow nomads will indeed take heed and think twice next time they're in the market for a new motor. Hyundai have worked incredibly hard to try to drop the image of old. Soft touch materials, bags of goodies as standard really does elevate it in my opinion into the VW Golf and Focus territory. You also get industry leading 5 year warranty. I understand there are issues with residual values but this should be ironed out when people begin to wake up and smell the proverbial coffee. Their supply chain isn't too shabby either and is largely a key component of ensuring their very competitive price points.

Lol, yeah i can appreciate what they are trying to achieve.

Worlds largest car assembly plant in Ulsan The new i30 which some have said is the golf killer. New Hyundai i30 awarded 5 star NCAP rating for safety So much comes as standard.

Very interesting read about this very versatile and resilient company. Looking forward to what this company has to offer over the coming years. Impressive all round. Hyundai Motor (HYMLF.PK) has made an impressive transformation from its low-quality and affordable cars of the mid-1990s to the high-quality and affordable cars of present. This turnaround should be recognized as one of the greatest in industrial history. Last year, global sales of Hyundai cars and light trucks reached 6.53 million units, making it the fifth largest automaker. This figure is particularly impressive considering it only produced 2.02 million vehicles in 2000, ranking the automaker in ninth position (11.3% CAGR). The Japanese and American automakers are now feeling the threat of this Korean powerhouse as it shows no signs of slowing down, proving itself in the past few years to be an extremely resilient and adaptable company. Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor does not have the long history of some of the other automakers that began at the forefront of the industrial revolution. However, the last two decades have shown Hyundai has the ability and determination to evolve into a world-class automaker. Currently, Hyundai manufactures vehicles in nine countries with 20 assembly plants interspersed between them; the world's largest automotive assembly line belongs to Hyundai and covers 82 acres of land in Ulsan. One of the key achievements of this company is its 9.21% operating margin, making Hyundai the most profitable top six automaker. This margin can be compared to Toyota , which only held a 3.08% margin last year. Hyundai's high quality was officially recognized when the Elantra compact was named North American Car of the Year in January of this year. The days of the Excel have passed, and now this company boasts an extensive range of vehicles from the $12,545 Accent subcompact to the $59,000 Equus premium sedan. The Equus marks a milestone for Hyundai because it is now the company's most serious contender in the luxury market. Introduced in 2011 and succeeding the Genesis, the Equus has been designed to challenge the Lexus LS and Mercedes S-Class. It is the most expensive Hyundai to date and is designed to create a shift in perception in the brand that could not have been imagined a decade ago. With a 5.0L V8 engine, the Equus is now creeping its way into the luxury market and planting the seeds for Hyundai to grow in this submarket. The GFC was a trying time for the auto industry, and this was the period when Hyundai really proved its worth. In 2009, the auto industry was down 20% from the previous year, yet Hyundai's U.S. sales were up 8%. It even passed Ford during that period as the world's fourth largest carmaker. Also, the Japanese underestimated the post-GFC environment since they suffered heavily from a rising yen against the dollar from Lehman's collapse. Therefore, the Japanese could no longer slash prices in order to squeeze Hyundai out of the market. One of the memorable marketing strategies during the GFC period was Hyundai's employment-based return policy. Hyundai instituted a return policy whereby new cars could be returned if the owner lost his or her job. What seemed like a large risk for the company only amounted to 350 returned cars and resulted in a tremendous amount of respect for the company. Hyundai has always led the way in terms of market-leading guarantees. In 2010, Hyundai offered a 10-year/ 100,000 mile warranty, which dwarfed Honda (HMC) and Toyota's five-year/60,000 mile offer. Just recently, Hyundai implemented a similar market changer by introducing a lifetime battery guarantee for the 2012 Sonata hybrid. This is a particularly significant action by the company because it is a crucial attempt to shift market perception of this new technology. The largest drawback with hybrid technology is a lack of knowledge regarding this alternative to the well-established internal combustion engine. Hyundai is actively taking steps to address this concern through this battery guarantee. Shareholders have been nicely rewarded for risking their capital in this company. Share prices have skyrocketed since September 2008 (as can be seen below), and the company's latest income statement is a testament to this achievement. Shareholders were able to enjoy the large share price rise due to the impressive top-line and bottom-line growth of Hyundai. For calendar year 2011, revenue climbed 16% to ₩77.8 trillion and profit increased a remarkable 35% to ₩8.1 trillion. The underlying factors that have allowed Hyundai to reach this remarkable growth are many and varied. One reason for the company's strength is its flat hierarchy that allows Chairman Chung Mong Koo and his executives to directly contact engineers as far away as Costa Mesa on a regular basis. Few, if any, of the other automakers can claim such involvement of the company's executives at an operational level. Another advantage of Hyundai lies in its integrated industrial structure. Due to the conglomerate nature of this company, Hyundai Steel Co. provides one-third of the metal supplies. Without ownership of these furnaces, Hyundai would be faced with currency risk or pressure from Korea's largest steelmaker, Posco. Supply integration has been taken a step further with Hyundai Mobis, the world's eighth-largest automotive supplier. Components from Asia are imported and put together by Hyundai Mobis into modules, which are large "parts" of the car that account for one-quarter of the car's value. With minimal human intervention, the modules are delivered to Hyundai Motor and robots assemble them into partially built cars. It is this cost-effective and ingenious implementation of supply integration that allows Hyundai to hold the highest operating margins. The Hyundai Motor plant in Montgomery, Ala., which has the highest productivity of any North American vehicle assembly factory, proves this out. Hyundai also hold significant technical advantages over its peers. Unlike many other automakers, Hyundai designs its own drive systems and is therefore in full control of the origination of a vehicle. Another very important technical advantage is fuel economy. This is a particularly important vehicle feature and Hyundai is steadily making its mark in this field. For example, the Elantra is rated at a promising 40 mpg on the highway. It should be noted that the fuel efficiency is typically achieved by lowering the weight of a vehicle, which results in an increase in interior vehicle noise. In the past, this tradeoff was an important concern for Honda, which was producing very fuel efficient and light vehicles. The remarkable growth of this company has been achieved despite some unique risks. One of these is the very complicated crossholdings of the Hyundai conglomerate that allows second-generation Chung Mong Koo to hold overwhelming control. The Hyundai conglomerate is ultimately a family company, and Chung's son, Eui Sun, will undoubtedly take over his father's position at the right time. S&P voiced concerns over Chung's crossholdings in August since he was effectively allowed to decide on directors. Also, since Hyundai is a family business, some of the decision-making will not be made in the interest of the shareholders. There have recently been concerns that some of Hyundai Motor's acquisitions have been undertaken due to family feuds. The corporate governance of this company is very unique and somewhat questionable. It is very clear that Hyundai Motor has grown into a major automaker that is threatening some of the most established industrial companies in the world. Its future continues to look bright, especially with its aggressive development of fuel cells that will pave the way for the future of the industry. There are 250 engineers that specialize in the development of fuel cells that utilize hydrogen and oxygen to make electricity that will power cars. The global economy looks increasingly uncertain, but the incredible path that this company is following appears to be almost certainly one of success. Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/486001-the-rise-of-hyundai-motor

This is great, well done indeed. These are patrol vessels and not a 'warship' what ever that means in today's context. Shoddy sensationalist headlines from the beeb. Depending on the displacement an argument could be made to class it as a frigate, but that also dependents on armaments carried. Certainly a 'warship' or battle cruiser it is not. You fail to see the irony Somalia. Nigeria is no laughing stock.

I don't know how you can joke about water boarding or maybe you're not. If he is shopped by one of his cronies then a firing squad should suffice. Get it over and done with. No to torture.

Alpha Blondy;839770 wrote: you see that's an interesting statement. the diaspora community is a mix-bag. the people are varied and consist of a mixture of different abilities and experiences. this is seldom discussed and i feel all the resentment directed at the qurbo community is largely justified becos its usually the ones with nothing to contribute who too often glamorous their western-ness, if such a term exists, despite question marks over their level of integration and relative success where they are from. this usually involves a wide range of characteristics and include but are not limited to: dress, language power dynamics, conduct and general mannerism. they are also usually quite conspicuous and often bask in the glory of their 'foreign passports'. using any given opportunity to mention they're not from somaliland. my friend recently told of those he named 'xagaayaaga?' he said somaliland is full of those who all too often make references to where they are from. eg. in england we had roads, in england things were done differently, in england most people queued at the banks. while all these traits are very important, i feel these reference are often engendered and performed for 'power-dynamic' reasons. since somaliland successes are incumbent upon all of 'us', i feel no one should come here with sense of 'entitlement' as i've observed in many of my friends. i always preach consciousness, self awareness, positive interaction, respect for local values and customs and consistency at all times. Well said mate.

Does anyone know where i can find some of these official statistics mentioned in the programme. Stats on education and employment rates amongst UK Somalis. Please post links. I remember reading something in the papers a few years ago on how 80% of Somali students were on free school meals. Anyway please share.

i think some of those boys are indeed being failed by their parents. A 20 year old is not a kid and should be held accountable for his/her actions. No more outsourcing of youths. Its parental failure first and foremost. These kids are also exposed to just as much potential harm in somaliland as they would in the UK, minus the custodial sentence and criminal record. Case in point i was driving past the uxbridge road last night around 1am and saw a group of young Somali boys aged roughly between 13-16. They were playing footy just off the main road. I don't know maybe its half term but where are the parents? how and why can they get away with being away from home at that time of night especially at their ages. Something has gone terribly wrong. I grew up on the same streets granted in a very different time, i mean for goodness sake i had a curfew of 10pm until the age of 16.

I think the writings on the wall. So called unsustainable population growth over the next 3 decades will see more of this kind of thing happening across all over Africa to the detriment of the locals and the environment. Areas with significant marine biodiversity such as the Somali coast will also be at considerable risk. Colonialism 2.0 outsourced via corps. The same thing is happening South America also. Very worrying developments for the continent that could spell doom.

Food shortages and rural deprivation exacerbated by World Bank policy, says NGO ahead of land and poverty conference The World Bank is helping corporations and international investors snap up cheap land in Africa and developing countries worldwide at the expense of local communities, environment and farm groups said in a statement released on Monday to coincide with the bank's annual land and poverty conference in Washington DC. According to the groups, which include NGO Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) and international peasants' group La Via Campesina, decades of World Bank policies have pushed African and other governments to privatise land and focus on industrial farming. In addition, they say, the bank is playing a "key role" in the global rush for farmland by providing capital and guarantees to big multinational investors. "The result has often been … people forced off land they have traditionally farmed for generations, more rural poverty and greater risk of food shortages", said FOEI in a separate report launched ahead of the World Bank conference. The event, which promises to focus on "land governance in a rapidly changing environment", is billed as a forum to discuss "innovative approaches" to land governance challenges including climate change, the growing demand for key natural resources, and rapid urbanisation. But campaigners say the conference mistakenly focuses on how to improve large-scale land deals rather than on helping local communities to secure or retain access to their land. The FOEI report suggests land grabbing is intensifying and spreading, especially in rural areas of Africa and Asia. "High levels of demand for land have pushed up prices, bringing investment banks and speculators into farming," it says. "The World Bank's policies for land privatisation and concentration have paved the way for corporations from Wall Street to Singapore to take upwards of 80m hectares (197.6 acres) of land from rural communities across the world in the past few years," said the groups in a statement accusing the bank of promoting "corporate-oriented rather than people-centred" policies and laws. In 2010, the World Bank spearheaded the development of new principles for responsible agricultural investment to better ensure that land deals respect local rights, livelihoods and resources; these guidelines have also been criticised for legitimising, rather than challenging, the global rush for land. Allegations of land-grabbing have hit countries around the world and have been accompanied by growing concern about whether large-scale land deals are delivering promised income and employment for local people. This week, a coalition of NGOs and research institutes is expected to release the latest findings of the Land Matrix project, which has attempted to systematically document recent land acquisitions. Current estimates suggest that 80-230m hectares of land have been leased or bought in recent years, largely to produce food, feed or fuel for the international market. World Bank money has been involved in many recent international land deals, says the FOEI report. In Uganda, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the bank's private sector lending arm, contributed $10m for a project to clear 10,000 hectares of land for palm oil plantations on Bugala Island in Lake Victoria. But FOEI research has shown that local people were prevented from accessing water sources and grazing land, suggesting that – despite promises of employment – many people have lost their means of livelihood. Resistance to land grabs is growing: Harvard University has come under intense pressure to ensure its investments do not contribute to land grabs in Africa, while Iowa State University has withdrawn from a deal in Tanzania that could have displaced an estimated 160,000 people. In South Sudan, the government halted a land deal after local communities erupted in protest, saying their lands had been secretly leased to an American company. This month, farmers and land rights activists from across Sierra Leone converged on the country's capital for a national assembly of communities affected by large-scale land deals, where groups launched a new civil-society watchdog to monitor agribusiness investments. The meeting followed the first international farmers' conference to tackle land grabs, held in Selingue, southern Mali, in late 2011. On Tuesday, food justice activists, environmental organisations, students and Occupy Wall Street groups are set to gather in front of New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel to challenge the fourth annual Global AgInvesting (GAI) conference, where institutional investors and fund managers are meeting to discuss opportunities for agricultural investments overseas. "Governments around the world need to stop land grabbing, not just try to mitigate its worst impacts. Governments must abide by their human rights obligations on land and drastically reduce demand for commodities such as palm oil from the west," said Kirtana Chandrasekaran, FOEI's food sovereignty co-ordinator. David Kureeba, from the Ugandan national association of professional environmentalists, said: "People's rights to land [in Uganda] are being demolished. Small-scale farming and forestry that protected unique wildlife, heritage and food is being converted to palm oil wastelands that only profit agribusinesses." Government officials, civil society, experts and the private sector will gather at the World Bank conference, which ends on Thursday, to discuss large-scale land aquisitions, land governance in the context of climate change, and rapid urbanisation. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2012/apr/23/world-bank-land-grabs-africa BBC discussion http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17099348 Channel 4 News report http://www.channel4.com/news/africa-succumbs-to-colonial-style-land-grab

i remember reading your post back in April. Sorry for your bad experience Ibti, it really left a bad taste in my mouth. What a shocker. Anyway glad its all behind you in a way. This example does bring up a bigger issue with regards to the poor regulation of the healthcare sector in SL. It seems every Tom, Dick, and Harry can go back home to set up shop. Many of these archaic doctors, cowboys and opportunists haven't practiced in donkey's years. Private clinics and hospitals are cropping up all over the place. They also charge at an extortionate rate. I just hope some of these so called doctors are brought under the umbrella of government regulation.

Just finished watching the Prefontaine Diamond league meet in Eugene. Very crafty race by Mo winning with season leading time in 5k. Koech second with Rupp and Bekele 3rd and 4th respectively. This marks the return of Bekele and i predict he will go from strength to strength. Mo should not run too many races and choose wisely otherwise he might not have enough in the legs for the Olympics. Still world class performance to beat a world class field.

yeah its not necessarily intended for the discerning viewer. For what it is its ok, a bit different from whats out there on telly at the moment. It seems journalists don't get tired of reporting in a cliched narrative or style.

Episode 2 Madagascar to the Seychelles By the way episode 3 is on Kenya Somalia and Somaliland. It airs tonight at 20:00hrs GMT on BBC 2 and BBC HD, I'll post next week for those not in the UK.

Chris Rea is a true artist and musician. An incredibly talented man and musician. Most people who have discovered his music all think the same thing, so brave, emotional and simple in short genius!. So in honour of this highly underrated north east crooner i have selected some of my favourites from him over the years. Enjoy! and for those who don't know, get familiar. My all time favourite, such a beautiful song for a tragic world Before his time, a song about the environmental devastation. This is where the club song came from.

great photos, if only Somali seas where full of blue fin tuna. Oh one can only hope and dream. The pirates have done a good job. Keep it up lads, at least until a viable strong government is reconstituted to deal with illegal fishing trawlers. Although I'm slightly worried about that hammerhead shark being caught. For what purpose, lets hope its not for its fins, a most despicable crime.

no the weather is frankly awful. Wet, windy and miserable faces on the tube as usual. May and possibly most of June is foretasted to be more of the same. So there is a strong chance that we wont have a summer. I expect more one unders every monday now especially as the weather continues to be bad.