World's tallest tower closed a month after opening

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.

Electrical problems are at least partly to blame for the closure of the Burj Khalifa's viewing platform — the only part of the half-mile high tower open yet. But a lack of information from the spire's owner left it unclear whether the rest of the largely empty building — including dozens of elevators meant to whisk visitors to the tower's more than 160 floors — was affected by the shutdown.

The indefinite closure, which began Sunday, comes as Dubai struggles to revive its international image as a cutting-edge Arab metropolis amid nagging questions about its financial health.

The Persian Gulf city-state had hoped the 2,717-foot (828-meter) Burj Khalifa would be a major tourist draw. Dubai has promoted itself by wowing visitors with over-the-top attractions such as the Burj, which juts like a silvery needle out of the desert and can be seen from miles around.

In recent weeks, thousands of tourists have lined up for the chance to buy tickets for viewing times often days in advance that cost more than $27 apiece. Now many of those would-be visitors, such as Wayne Boyes, a tourist from near Manchester, England, must get back in line for refunds.

"It's just very disappointing," said Boyes, 40, who showed up at the Burj's entrance Monday with a ticket for an afternoon time slot only to be told the viewing platform was closed. "The tower was one of my main reasons for coming here," he said.

The precise cause of the $1.5 billion Dubai skyscraper's temporary shutdown remained unclear.

In a brief statement responding to questions, building owner Emaar Properties blamed the closure on "unexpected high traffic," but then suggested that electrical problems were also at fault.

"Technical issues with the power supply are being worked on by the main and subcontractors and the public will be informed upon completion," the company said, adding that it is "committed to the highest quality standards at Burj Khalifa."

Despite repeated requests, a spokeswoman for Emaar was unable to provide further details or rule out the possibility of foul play. Greg Sang, Emaar's director of projects and the man charged with coordinating the tower's construction, could not be reached. Construction workers at the base of the tower said they were unaware of any problems.

Power was reaching some parts of the building. Strobe lights warning aircraft flashed and a handful of floors were illuminated after nightfall.

Emaar did not say when the observation deck would reopen. Ticket sales agents were accepting bookings starting on Valentine's Day this Sunday, though one reached by The Associated Press could not confirm the building would reopen then.

Tourists affected by the closure are being offered the chance to rebook or receive refunds.

The shutdown comes at a sensitive time for Dubai. The city-state is facing a slump in tourism — which accounts for nearly a fifth of the local economy — while fending off negative publicity caused by more than $80 billion in debt it is struggling to repay.

Ervin Hladnik-Milharcic, 55, a Slovenian writer planning to visit the city for the first time this month, said he hoped the Burj would reopen soon.

"It was the one thing I really wanted to see," he said. "The tower was projected as a metaphor for Dubai. So the metaphor should work. There are no excuses."

Dubai opened the skyscraper on Jan. 4 in a blaze of fireworks televised around the world. The building had been known as the Burj Dubai during more than half a decade of construction, but the name was suddenly changed on opening night to honor the ruler of neighboring Abu Dhabi.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are two of seven small sheikdoms that comprise the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi hosts the federation's capital and holds most of the country's vast oil reserves. It has provided Dubai with $20 billion in emergency cash to help cover its debts.

Questions were raised about the building's readiness in the months leading up to the January opening.

The opening date had originally been expected in September, but was then pushed back until sometime before the end of 2009. The eventual opening date just after New Year's was meant to coincide with the anniversary of the Dubai ruler's ascent to power.

There were signs even that target was ambitious. The final metal and glass panels cladding the building's exterior were installed only in late September. Early visitors to the observation deck had to peer through floor-to-ceiling windows caked with dust — a sign that cleaning crews had not yet had a chance to scrub them clean.

Work is still ongoing on many of the building's other floors, including those that will house the first hotel designed by Giorgio Armani that is due to open in March. The building's base remains largely a construction zone, with entrance restricted to the viewing platform lobby in an adjacent shopping mall.

The first of some 12,000 residential tenants and office workers are supposed to move in to the building this month.

The Burj Khalifa boasts more than 160 stories. The exact number is not known.

The observation deck, which is mostly enclosed but includes an outdoor terrace bordered by guard rails, is located about two-thirds of the way up on the 124th floor. Adult tickets bought in advance cost 100 dirhams, or about $27. Visitors wanting to enter immediately can jump to the front of the line by paying 400 dirhams — about $110 apiece.

How To Beef Up Your Resume

These are desperate times for many job seekers. But you can avoid desperate-looking and time-wasting measures when it comes to putting together and marketing your resume.

There are more than six job seekers for every job opening, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data from November. And the first mistake many of them make is sending out resumes in bulk without giving much thought to whether they are a good fit for a job.

"Everybody's desperate so they're wallpapering resumes everywhere," said Susan Whitcomb, a Fresno, Calif., author and president of Career Coach Academy. "That's not effective because it just screams, 'I'm desperate! I need a job!' "

An effective job search does not entail "sitting at your computer all day sending off your resume into the hinterland," said Andrea Kay, a career consultant and author in Cincinnati. Only about 15% of your time should be spent responding to job ads online, she said.

More important, focus on companies that are a good fit for you--and the people to contact at those companies. "Your goal is to get yourself sitting in front of or having phone conversations with live people," Kay said. For example, try to find people you know who can introduce you to someone at the company.

Or simply contact the firm yourself. "If you're well-qualified to work at Company XYZ, then make yourself known at that company," said career coach and author Wendy Enelow of Coleman Falls, Va. "Forward your resume not to the HR department but to the person you would be reporting to." Try using regular mail rather than email to stand out.

Remember, some job openings are never posted. And even in tough economic times, "there is always some churn at companies," Enelow said.

 Seen And Heard

Make your resume resonate with potential employers. "When I help somebody do a resume," Kay said, "the first thing I ask them is, 'How do you want to be seen?' Your resume is a tool that positions you the way you want to be seen."

That involves telling the company why you're a great candidate.

"You want [them to see you] as a problem solver who can make them more money, make their company more efficient," she said.

Another tip: Write to appeal to machines and humans. Keywords are important to get past electronic resume scanners, but you've got to pass muster with human scanners, too. So it's important to engage early on. That's one reason so many resumes start with profiles or summaries, said Donald Asher, a career expert in Gerlach, Nev.

"You get a chance in the first 10 lines to put the stuff that's important," he said.

That profile or summary says, "This is the value I bring to your company--the value, key skills, competencies, talents and achievements," Enelow said.

Your cover letter, meanwhile, should be short and to the point. Be clear about which job you want. Then, "Here's my resume, this is why I'm such a valuable candidate and I'm going to follow up with you about the job," Enelow said.

 Do's And Don'ts

Here are some other techniques to keep your resume focused and help it stand out.

Forget your objective. "In the old days, [resumes] started with an objective that said something like, 'Looking for a challenging position with a growing company that can allow me strong career growth,'" said Rick Saia, a certified professional resume writer with Pongo Resume, in Northborough, Mass. These days, "the company is really not as interested in what they can do for you as in what you can do for them."

Tap online media. If you don't post a resume or profile online-- on, say, LinkedIn, VisualCV, or even your own site--you risk looking less "with it." "Having a resume online is just one more way to position yourself as an A candidate," Whitcomb said.

Detail achievements, not duties. Resumes should answer three questions, Saia said: "How did I make money for my employer, how did I save money for my employer, and how did I make a process more efficient so that it made things run more smoothly."

Less is more. Resume standards wax and wane. "Ten years ago, resumes were longer," Enelow said. Today, she said, while there are no firm rules--an experienced executive often has a two-page resume while a recent college graduate's is often one page--if you go too long, you risk boring your audience.

Customize it. In their resumes, job seekers often fail to align their qualifications with each employer's distinct needs, Saia said. As much as possible, show how your expertise fits what a particular company is seeking.

Avoid jargon and cliches. "People use lofty language, they use jargon," Kay said.

Some phrases to avoid: win-win, pursuant to, drive results, actionable, change agent, maximum value.

Better language: compassionate and committed professional, trustworthy, entrepreneurial, highly organized, a talent for building goodwill, diplomatic, a reputation for being resourceful in handling emergencies and deadlines.

Kay said people are "afraid to be interesting, they're afraid to be personal." She suggested job seekers ask themselves: "How would other people describe me?" Another option: Cull language from performance reviews.

Don't get too familiar. "Employers constantly tell me they get emails from individuals that are way too flip, too informal," Kay said. Don't start your e-mail with "Hey" or "Hi there."

Forget the flourishes. Keep your resume's format simple. Use just one font type. Paragraphs should be no more than four to six lines. Limit bullet points to four or five (break out a fresh section if there's more you need to say). Don't overuse boldface.

Typos. It's Resume Writing 101, but career experts said job seekers continue to submit resumes with typos. Read your resume backward, read each word, read it out loud. Have others proof it for you. Don't rely on a computer's spell-check function.

Nuclear giant Areva buys solar company Ausra

The world's largest nuclear plant builder, Areva SA, is entering the solar power industry, with the company announcing on Monday its acquisition of U.S.-based solar thermal player Ausra.

Areva did not disclose financial details about the deal to purchase the Silicon Valley company, which had raised $130 million in venture capital from high-profile firms including Kleiner Perkins and Khosla Ventures.

The solar power industry has started to consolidate after struggling in 2009 with a dearth of financing for new projects and a steep fall in prices. Other solar thermal players include Spain's Abengoa SA and privately held U.S.-based BrightSource Energy Inc.

The deal marks Areva's first foray into solar energy and the nuclear giant hopes to have the leading market share in concentrated solar power by 2012, an Areva executive told Reuters in an interview.

"This market is set to have 20 gigawatts by the year 2020. Areva has an objective to be a world leader in solar energy," said Anil Srivastava, Areva's senior executive vice president of its renewable energies business group.

The executive said Areva chose solar thermal technology -- which uses the sun's heat to create steam to run turbines for electricity -- over other solar power options because it is "the closest" to nuclear plants.

Areva plans to run its solar business out of Ausra's headquarters in Mountain View, California, and grow the existing workforce of 70 people to 120 people worldwide.

The group plans to build concentrated solar power plants for utilities, independent power producers and industrial companies in the southwestern United States, Middle East, Europe, South Africa and ultimately other parts of the world.

Ausra Chief Executive Robert Fishman said in an interview that costs run between $3 and $3.50 per watt to build solar projects with its technology.

The acquisition is expected to close in the next few months, subject to regulatory approval.

Iran Orders Boost in Uranium Enrichment

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wears eye protection goggles as he visits an exhibition of Iran's laser science, in Tehran, Iran, 7 Feb 2010

Iran says it has informed the U.N. nuclear agency it plans to further enrich its uranium in defiance of international demands that it stop. Iran's processing program would likely need reconfiguring first, prompting speculation the announcement may have more to do with nuclear negotiations with the West than imminent enrichment.

Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency says he gave the U.N. watchdog notice of Tehran's plans Monday, in an apparent formal rejection of a U.N. plan to have the uranium enriched abroad.

The move follows an announcement by Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, that Iran will enrich some of its current stockpile to 20 percent, starting Tuesday.

Speaking to Iran's Arabic al-Alam television, Salehi said Iran would start the process in the presence of inspectors and observers from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad had ordered the further enrichment in a televised address, one of the many varying, unofficial responses Iranian officials have given to the U.N. plan.

The IAEA wants Iran to send most of its uranium stockpile to Russia and France to boost it to 20 percent and turn it into fuel rods. Such rods would be very difficult to enrich even more, for example to the 90 percent needed to make nuclear weapons.

If Iran can manage to push the uranium to 20 percent on its own, and it is not clear that it can, Western scientists say it could also likely enrich it to weapons grade.

Iran denies its nuclear program has a military component, and says the enrichment is for fuel for a Tehran reactor that makes medical isotopes. It worries it would not get the uranium back if it sends it overseas.

Nuclear chief Salehi said Iran would readily stop the enrichment if the West were to give it the fuel.

Salehi told al-Alam the offer is still open and that once Iran receives the fuel, it will stop the enrichment.

Western countries, in particular the United States, say the original deal was not meant to be modified and are pushing for further U.N. sanctions.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says there is still time for sanctions to work.

Meanwhile, with tensions over the standoff rising, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Iran has begun production of two types of unmanned aircraft with surveillance and attack capabilities.

Vahidi said the drones can carry out assaults with high precision.

Iranian Air Force commander Hesmatollah Kassiri was quoted as saying Iran is working on a new air-defense system. The commander said Russia has been slow to deliver its S-300 missiles as agreed, but Iran's domestically-built system will be as powerful or even stronger.

Iran frequently announces major advances in its military, nuclear and space programs. The latest advances have not been independently confirmed.

Becton Dickinson Recalls Millions Of IV Products

Becton Dickinson & Co. (BDX) has voluntarily recalled some 5.7 million products related to catheters and administering fluids intravenously, saying their use may cause serious injury or death.

The medical-technology company said it doesn't expect costs anticipated with the recall or the impact on its business to be "material."

Becton disclosed Monday that in October it recalled some lots of its Q-Syte Luer Access Devices. It added Monday that the recall has been expanded to NexivaT Closed IV Catheter systems, which include Q-Syte. Use of the products could cause an air embolism or leakage of blood or therapy that could result in serious injury or death, the company said. The company has notified customers worldwide via letter.

The Q-Syte needle-less connector is intended for use with infusion therapy products for the administration of fluids into the intravenous system. The Nexiva closed-catheter system includes two Q-Syte devices within its package that could be subject to the Q-Syte problem.

About 2.8 million Q-Syte devices and 2.9 million Nexiva units have been recalled. Affected products were distributed from November 2008 to November 2009. The company says the root cause has been corrected and preventive measures have been implemented.

Becton last month reported its fiscal first-quarter income rose 4% on higher-than-expected sales. Its shares were down 53 cents to $74.49 in recent trading.

Fed to lay out interest rate hike plan this week

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is expected to lay out a plan for raising interest rates as the economy picks up steam in the next several months, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The initial focus by the U.S. central bank will be the relatively new interest rate on excess reserves, a tool given to the Fed by Congress in 2008. The interest rate on excess reserves amounts to payments the Fed pays to banks on money left on reserve with it. Currently that rate is 0.25%. The Fed isn't expected to raise any rates for several months.