Dubai greeted the New Year with a spectacular fireworks show at Burj Khalifa, the tallest building of the world constructed by the Emaar Properties.

Burj Khalifa, a 2,716.5-feet high skyscraper located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates was the center of attraction for billions of people worldwide as it marked the New Year’s Eve with an exceptional laser-lights-fireworks show.

The environment-friendly and satellite-guided fireworks were broadcast live in television to more than 2 billion people all over the world.

Nearly half million Dubai residents, as well as visitors witnessed the New Year’s Eve fireworks from Burj Park. That is, an island located at The Burj Lake, which is opposite to Burj Khalifa. Audiences also witnessed the event from several other vantage points along the Downtown Dubai.

The event also celebrated the first anniversary of the grand inauguration of Burj Khalifa. The unprecedented celebration wrapped the whole of Downtown Dubai, a 500-acre mega expansion that is anchored by the tower.

The town was a sea of humanity as many people arrived several hours in advance just to witness the remarkable event.

Downtown Dubai, which is described as ‘The Centre of Now’ because of its diverse display of high-end lifestyle destinations created an amazing display of lights and fog effects.

The Dubai Fountain also hosted a special fire-water-music show to mark the New Year’s Eve gala. Dubai Fountain is the world’s tallest performing fountain that overlooks the Burj Khalifa.

After-party also entertained the guests held at the At the Top, Burj Khalifa. The world’s tallest observation deck paved way to the magnificent views of the city at night.

Funjet Vacations, a family-owned business, is offering a year-end clearance sale that includes almost half the price off on vacation packages, free resort credits and more!

The vacation travel sales headquarters has put together their best winter getaways to several tourist destinations such as Mexico, Hawaii, Caribbean, as well as domestic vacations.

Travelers can also save more if they combine these packages with an airfare promo worth $199 to Caribbean and Mexico from select departures.

The Year-End Clearance Sale is an exclusive promotional offering by the Funjet Vacations where travelers may be able to save up to $550 if they book at the Palace’s collection of ten all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and Caribbean.

Travelers who want to get these instant savings will only need to enter in the promotional code ULTRAPAL when they are traveling from February 1-December 15, 2011.

Not only that, travelers can get up to $1,500 in resort credits that includes tours, spa services, golf and more at the Palace Resorts if they combine this offer. The Palace Resorts offers great inclusions that guest are sure to enjoy.

Some of these include a 24-hour all-inclusive service, signature amenities such as double Jacuzzi bathtub in all guest rooms, free inclusions for couples on honeymoon, as well as free unlimited phone calls to United States.

The resort also allows free exchange privileges to utilize the other facilities at other Palace Resorts.

Travelers who want to make their vacation complete can visit the Funjet Vacations site and book their tickets from December 23, 2010 to January 6, 2011 to avail of their Year-End Clearance Sale.

Montage Dear Valley opened in the community of Park City, Utah today. The resort is less than five minutes away from the town’s lively Main Street and it is an easy 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport.

This is the first mountain resort opened by the luxury hotel company Montage Hotels and Resorts, as well as the third destination reminiscent of fine mountain lodges.

The Montage Deer Valley is set in a mid-mountain area at the Empire Pass consisting of 145 deluxe guestrooms and more than 66 suites and private residences. It offers true ski-in and ski-out access to the Deer Valley resort, which is considered as the number 1 ski resort in North America for four consecutive years by the readers of SKI magazine.

Alan J. Fuerstman, the founder and CEO of Montage Hotel and Resorts stated that they are excited to open Montage Deer Valley in one of the most breath-taking areas in North America.

This is their first mountain resort that complements their flagship resort which is located in Laguna, as well as their city hotel in Beverly Hills. They consider Montage Deer Valley as an iconic resort with excellent amenities and attentive staff.

The mountain resort consists of three high-speed chair lifts, which are literally found outside the resort’s front door. There are also several outdoor activities for non-skiers that they will surely enjoy such as sleigh rides, ice skating, snowshoeing, shopping and many more.

Guests will found a whole new set of activities during warm weather months. This includes horseback riding, championship golf, blue-ribbon fly-fishing, trail hiking and other adventures.

Alan J. Fuerstman said Montage Hotel & Resorts has a passion for spa and culinary arts, and Montage Deer Valley has also carried that fine tradition.

Wintry weather tested holiday travelers as it brought freezing rain, bitter cold and high winds across the Rocky Mountains, as well as upper Midwest on Tuesday. This surprised most forecasters and transportation officials.

Most holiday travelers started their trips ahead of Thanksgiving Day this coming Thursday. Yet, a cold front along with strong gusts of winds was bringing heavy, blowing snow to many Western States, which caused a “near white-out” condition in some areas as mentioned by the National Weather Service.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, a cold air mass with blustery conditions is expected to  continue driving the wind chill temperatures at around 20 to 40 degrees below zero in some places, particularly in some parts of Idaho and Montana.

Winter storms, Blizzard warnings and other winter weather advisories were already posted across eastern Idaho, western Colorado, eastern Nevada, Utah and several other areas.

Travelers are urged to exercise caution when they head for holiday gatherings. Weather Service spokesman Pat Slattery warns everyone to be prepared when driving. Travel problems must be anticipated as it will be dangerously cold.

Some areas have already experienced blizzards and accidents related to bad winter weather. In the Kootenai County, Idaho, they just experienced a major blizzard, which is considered as the strongest pre-Thanksgiving cold wave to reach the region since 1896 according to Cliff Harris, a climatologist based in Idaho.

Skiers and motorists were trapped in mountains of Oregon. The famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Utah canceled their rehearsals due to the storm. Long-haul mail trucks were stranded in Idaho. Car accidents were already widespread, and several government offices, as well as schools in Idaho were closed.

Travellers who are looking for an excellent place to visit this holiday season may want to go to Taipei, one of the best cities in Taiwan. Taipei has a magnificent mix of museums, monuments and prized eateries. It has the world’s second tallest skyscraper, as well as lovely slopes of mountain ranges.

Currently in progress, the city’s “2010 Taipei International Flora Expo” is an event that visitors will not want to miss. The event runs until April 25 next year, which shows more than 800 species of Taiwan’s famous orchids, as well as over 30 million samples of plants and vegetation grown locally.

The floral expo takes part in a 91.8 hectare area that already takes up four city parks. This is Taiwan’s biggest flora expo that showcases its finest horticulture industry.

The event is held in a whole football stadium that has been turned into an Expo Dome, wherein all seats are covered with decorations.

It consist of 14 pavilions and halls that are installed with high digital technology that presents sights, sounds and even the aroma of Taiwan’s native flowers, soil and ecology.

The Pavilion of the Future is one of the best sights to see in the Expo. It is the greenest building found at the Expo. High-technology enthusiasts will be fascinated by their use of ultraviolet ray insulation, solar panels and other facilities.

Other pavilions include the Pavilion of Dream where they make the visitors feel a state of reverie, while Pavilion of New Fashion appears like crystal palace.

The Expo does not only include blossoming flowers and high technology, but they also present cultural performances, art shows, and entertainment programs to sustain the interest of their tourists.

Better Place, a global provider of electric vehicle networks and services, received consent from the U.S Department of Transportation to carry their battery-switchable electric taxi program to San Francisco Bay Area. This is in collaboration with the municipal governments of both San Jose and San Francisco.

The battery quick-swap technology was first tested in Tokyo six months ago. The EV Taxi program was operated by the city’s largest operator, Nihon Kotsu.

Today, Better Place Company is expanding their program at San Francisco where they will build four battery switch stations and operate them in the 50-mile long corridor from San Francisco to San Jose.

The program does not only involve several local and regional municipal government and agencies, but it has partners from both professional taxi operators and car sharing programs.

Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco even considered the announcement as another step to make the San Francisco Bay Area the “electric-vehicle capital” of America.

The electric taxis are modified from the Nissan Dualis compact crossover, which is similar to the 2010 Nissan Rogue found in the U.S market. The taxi is packed with a lithium-ion battery with a 17-kilowatt-hour power that can run a range of approximately 56 miles.

Better Place is still continuing to install the electric taxi’s charging networks, as well as battery-switching infrastructure in Israel and Denmark, the two markets where it will debut. The company says that they will commercially launch the product in late 2011.

Colorado offers families and travelers exciting early season events and activities to celebrate the beginning of winter. The state officially marked the start of its ski season along with the opening of its first ski locations with the occurrence of a winter storm that covered the entirety of Colorado with a blanket of snow.

Several towns and resorts around Colorado are now giving away tempting lodging and activity packages at a very affordable price. Prices start at as low as $50 per night, per person.

People who are heading home to Colorado may want to book their flights with Southwest Airlines and get the chance to ski or snowboard for free.

The Crested Butte Mountain Resort is offering a 50 percent of lift tickets special, as well as an affordable lodging fee for $50 per person, per night. This is in celebration of their 50 years of service in skiing and riding. Their 50/50 package runs from November 23 until December 16, 2010.

Those families who are looking forward to enjoy swimming at a hot spring may book at the Ski and Sunlight Mountain Resort. With prices starting at $100 per person, they can enjoy unlimited swimming at the world’s largest hot spring pool and be able to stay at the Hot Springs Lodge. This is valid from December 4 through December 16, 2010.

There are still more tempting activities that can be found in Colorado this winter season. Skiing is one of the most popular activities that everyone should try.

Colorado offers fantastic adventure and recreational activities for everyone. They are known for their ski areas and resorts and breathtaking scenic landscapes and natural hot springs. Indeed, this is a perfect place to celebrate the early holiday season.

Myanmar’s “Tiger Girls” suggests the start of social change in one of the most authoritarian states in the world. The “Tiger Girls” are Burma’s first all-girl band wearing bold outfits and showing off sharp dance moves to the beat of hip-hop songs.

Just formed eight months ago, the “Tiger Girls” represent how the growing culture is finding its way to evolve in Myanmar. However, their success also shows the limitations of art observed under a military junta.

Tiger Girls’ evolution does not only mean making popular songs, but it involves avoiding political themes, and accepting the censorship and constant interference by the authorities.

Burmese female singers are traditionally more cautions and conservative. They seldom make songs that are not related to romantic ballads. Their outfits are cautiously chosen and layered to prevent exposure of too much skin. The lyrics are also often made in Burmese and were never greatly influenced by the Western culture.

These things are not like the Tiger Girls. Although they are not really political and subversive, the fact that they are challenging traditions and conventions is rare in a country caught up in cultural slumber for 48 years brought about by the military rule.

However, they are not alone in creating cultural change. Other artists like Thxa Soe are also testing the limits. He had 9 of 12 songs banned by the Myanmar’s censorship board in his most recent album. Art exhibits in Myanmar’s galleries, which contain some risky hidden political messages are also opening in larger occurrence.

Families who are planning to stay in Chicago have a whole lot of things to look forward to starting this month until December. The fun-filled vacation is hosted by the Chicago Marriot Suites O’Hare and their Nickelodeon packages, as well as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ by the Barney’s FUNundrum.

The Chicago Marriot Suites O’Hare is a hotel located in Rosemont, Illinois. They accommodate guests both for business and leisure activities. From now until December 26, they are adding Nickelodeon packages for the kids to enjoy.

The hotel will be giving children nice freebies which include Nickelodeon activity book, Nickelodeon bag with sunglasses, Build your own SpongeBob, silicone bracelet, splash ball and many more. Kids will surely have fun with these items.

The ‘Nickelodeon Your Stay Package’ can be booked at the hotel for weekend stays or it can be bought at the hotel everyday.

Another exciting event that will entertain families in Chicago is coming this November 17-18, 2010. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey present ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ by the Barnum FUNundrum.

Barnum FUNundrum’s Blue Tour will be held at United Center. The show is filled with unbelievable excursions and spectacular performances from various performers and characters all over the world. It is a circus show for all people, young and old.

These fantastic events in Chicago will surely delight all families and various travellers going to the city. Those families who are looking for an excellent place to visit might want to go to Chicago.

The 33 miners trapped for almost two months in an underground cave in Chile could be rescued earlier than expected after rescuers drill closer to their location according to Chile’s mining minister, Laurence Goldborne on Friday.

The miners have been trapped about 2,300 feet under the ground since the roof of the mine collapsed on August 5.

Several people around the world monitored every progress from the rescue operations as they fight for their survival. The incident had also drawn support from Pope Benedict, as well as the soccer players from the World Cup.

Originally, the Chilean government announced that the miners might not be rescued until November. But, because of the surge in drilling, they could be rescued durring the second half of October that is two weeks from now.

The drill had already reached a depth of 984 feet, which is halfway to its goal. It is advancing deeper into the ground at around 243 feet per day.

A metal cage designed by the Chilean navy will be used by the rescuers to get all men out one at a time. It is a 925-pound capsule and 21 inches wide, painted with the colors of the Chilean flag.

In preparation, the miners have started exercising for the trip back to the surface, the doctors said. The trapped men, which include a first-time miner, a Bolivian immigrant and former soccer star, have also started sending up the gifts that were sent to them through small channels over the past weeks.