A man refuels his car at a Shell gas station in Los Angeles, California. EPA
A man refuels his car at a Shell gas station in Los Angeles, California. EPA
A man refuels his car at a Shell gas station in Los Angeles, California. EPA
A man refuels his car at a Shell gas station in Los Angeles, California. EPA

Californians resigned as petrol prices skyrocket


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Californians filling up their cars on Friday winced at the spiralling cost of petrol, but largely shrugged as they have long dealt with the highest prices in the US.

California drivers are paying an average of more than $1.34 per litre, said the American Automobile Association (AAA), up more than a third from a year ago, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine sends world oil prices rocketing.

“I'm not really into politics or anything like that, but now that this thing is going on between Russia and Ukraine, it's just that sad,” driver Mike Hernandez told AFP.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine has sent financial markets into meltdown.

Prices for crude oil — the raw material for petrol — have been hit hard and are up well above $110 a barrel, with players fretting about the impact on Russian supplies, as sanctions choke Moscow off from the global economy.

While all countries have access to the same petrol, subsidies or taxes imposed locally mean the ultimate cost to consumers varies wildly.

For example, in oil-producing Nigeria, which subsidises fuel, the official price is 40 cents per litre.

In Hong Kong, drivers were already paying $2.50 per litre in 2021, Economist Intelligence Unit reported.

On average, Americans pay about $1 per litre, the AAA said, and even California's $1.34 per litre is well below the prices paid by Europeans.

“It's expensive but it's always been more expensive here in California, so I guess we're used to it,” said driver Harry Lee, as he fuelled up on the way to work in Los Angeles on Friday.

“I'll be happy when it goes down but so far it doesn't impact me too much.

“My cousin, who drives for Uber here in LA, is complaining a lot though. I guess it can be hard on him if gas remains at this level for too long.”

California's relatively high petrol prices are the result of state taxes as well as stricter refining rules that require specific fuel formulas intended to reduce air pollution in the hot summer months.

While many drivers have grumbled about seeing pump prices rise almost daily, some say they are prepared to put up with the extra cost because of the pictures of the war in Ukraine they are seeing on the news.

“I would rather have high gas prices here than an authoritarian regime in the Ukraine,” said Los Angeles resident Jacqueline St-Anne.

“If we have to suffer with a little bit of inflation and gas prices for a while to assure that such a wonderful country as Ukraine has an opportunity to develop its democracy, we should do that.”

For others, there is a simple solution to paying through the nose.

“I just bought a Tesla,” said Matthew Reynl.

“That's my solution to the gas prices going up.”

Name: Colm McLoughlin

Country: Galway, Ireland

Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free

Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club

Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah

 

The biogs

Name: Zinah Madi

Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links

Nationality: Syrian

Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2

Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”

 

Name: Razan Nabulsi

Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links

Nationality: Jordanian

Family: Married, Mother of Yahya, 3.5

Favourite Quote: A Chinese proverb that says: “Be not afraid of moving slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”

The 15 players selected

Muzzamil Afridi, Rahman Gul, Rizwan Haider (Dezo Devils); Shahbaz Ahmed, Suneth Sampath (Glory Gladiators); Waqas Gohar, Jamshaid Butt, Shadab Ahamed (Ganga Fighters); Ali Abid, Ayaz Butt, Ghulam Farid, JD Mahesh Kumara (Hiranni Heros); Inam Faried, Mausif Khan, Ashok Kumar (Texas Titans

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Green ambitions
  • Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
  • Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
  • Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
  • Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water 
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

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Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

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The%20specs%20
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Pieces of Her

Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick   

Director: Minkie Spiro

Rating:2/5

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Updated: March 04, 2022, 9:01 PM`