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Zurish: Fifa’s ethics committee cleared president Sepp Blatter of any wrongdoing as two of football’s most senior officials were suspended on Sunday in the worst corruption scandal to blight the sport’s governing body.

Qatari Mohammad Bin Hammam, who hours earlier had ended his campaign to unseat Blatter, was temporarily suspended along with Jack Warner, president of the Concaf region covering north and central America and the Caribbean.

Blatter was cleared of any breach of Fifa’s statutes following an emergency sitting of the independent committee, freeing him to stand unopposed for a fourth term in charge of world football’s governing body in Wednesday’s election.

Bin Hammam and Warner were accused of arranging to pay delegates of the Caribbean Football Union $40,000 in cash to vote for Blatter’s only rival.

Both men are long-standing members of Fifa’s all-powerful 24-man executive committee, 10 of whom have been subject to allegations of corruption in the last year.

Bin Hammam, head of the Asian Football Confederation, and Warner, a government minister in his native Trinidad & Tobago, are now temporarily suspended from any football-related activity.

Both will be absent from the Congress where Blatter can expect to be re-elected to the post he has held since 1998.

Case hearing in July

The case against Warner and Bin Hammam, who have denied any wrongdoing, will be heard in July, according to Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb who chaired Sunday’s meeting.

Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke, who faced tough questioning during a feisty hour-long news conference, said the election would go ahead unless three-quarters of the 208 delegates voted to change the agenda.

"I am not Fifa, I can’t change the agenda," Valcke said. "It is up to the delegates - they have the final say."

Olympic crisis

Valcke agreed that Fifa was facing "a watershed moment", drawing comparisons with the International Olympic Committee’s crisis when IOC delegates were found guilty of taking bribes for votes to award the 2002 Winter Games to Salt Lake City.

This crisis, with its tentacles spreading into the very heart of the senior governance of the world’s most popular and richest sport, has arguably greater implications.

Unlike fairly anonymous IOC officials, Blatter is the most famous sports politician in the world, who has worked for Fifa for more than 35 years and been president for the last 13.

During his time in charge, Fifa has grown rich through sales of TV rights, sponsorship and merchandising opportunities and currently boasts reserves of over $1 billion.

While Fifa’s financial situation is sound, recent scandals have provoked widespread calls for reform of the powerful executive committee at the organisation’s heart.

Last November, two other exco members, Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu, were banned over the cash-for-votes allegations concerning the hosting of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Asked if this was the lowest point in Fifa’s 107-year history, Valcke replied: "The reputation of Fifa? Maybe it’s not at the highest, that’s clear. It’s sad.

"Definitely, there is a need for change. I’m not the Fifa president so he is the one who must decide what he wants to do and Fifa must make the necessary changes so that the institution has systems in place to avoid something like this happening again.

"This is the pattern of the work which we have to do very quickly in the next few months."

He also dramatically produced an e-mail from the president of the Puerto Rico FA who stated that he had been offered a $40,000 inducement, which he accepted, reported and was sending to Fifa.

In a short statement issued after the press conference, Blatter said: "The Fifa Ethics Committee has reached its decisions. I do not wish to comment in detail but simply to say that I regret what has happened in the last few days and weeks.

"Fifa’s image has suffered a great deal as a result, much to the disappointment of Fifa itself and all football fans."

The key allegations concerned a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union in May 10-11 in Port of Spain, attended by Warner and Bin Hammam and Caribbean soccer officials.

Blatter was interrogated at Bin Hammam’s request because he may have known about payments, Fifa said, but Damaseb said nothing wrong had been found.

Originally Published On: gulfnews.com – Original Article Here

Sharjah: The shops affected by the gas explosion last Saturday were compliant with the rules and had adhered to the safety standards in storing gas cylinders, a Sharjah Civil Defence official said on Friday.

"The gas explosion came as a surprise because inspectors from Civil Defence are constantly monitoring restaurants and cafeterias, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are compliant with the safety preventive measures," said the official from Sharjah Civil Defence.

He explained that the Civil Defence Department has been taking preventive measures in order to minimise the safety risks and that in coordination with Sharjah Municipality, inspectors carry out regular inspections in buildings, shops, workshops in industrial areas and workers’ accommodations.

Up to 10 shops and 15 vehicles were damaged due to a gas explosion that occurred at 2.30am on Al Wahda Street. However, four of the commercial shops suffered the most damage.

One of the severely damaged shops that were not insured included Jawdat Al Ikhtiyar, which sold cosmetics, perfumes and watches. Mohammad Islam, the manager, explained that he opened the shop three months ago and was planning on getting it insured soon.

"I was so busy with the shop that I kept postponing [in] having it insured. I worked for 23 years and all my life savings went into setting it up, and now I have lost Dh130,000. I have one employee, and since the blast we visit the shop every day to clean it up. I have lost everything," Islam lamented, as he pointed out that a case has been filed with Sharjah Police and that he does not know whether he will be compensated in court or not.

Court settlement

A spokesperson of Sharjah Police said that majority of the affected shops were not insured.

"The few shops that were insured will not have to worry, but the other ones that were affected the most will have to settle the case in court. The investigation is still under way but we can confirm that the gas explosion occurred in a cafeteria, which was not insured," said the police official. According to the preliminary report by the Sharjah Police Forensic Laboratory, the explosion was caused due to a leakage of gas from a gas cylinder, and the police official said that it was too early in the investigation to determine who was responsible for the blast.

Committee

As a result of the frequent fires that broke out in the city of Sharjah, several government authorities joined to form the Sharjah Emergency Inspection Committee in 2006.

According to the Emergency Inspection Committee, companies found in violation of fire-safety regulations could be fined up to Dh500,000. Gas cylinders should be stored in a well-ventilated cabinet, away from both direct sunlight and flammable or combustible materials.

Residents and restaurant employees should ensure that both the gas cylinder and the gas cooker valves are closed prior to leaving the premises.

Fire mishaps on record

2011

2010

— Compiled from Gulf News archives

Originally Published On: gulfnews.com – Original Article Here

Abu Dhabi: The National Election Commission (NEC) Sunday approved the composition of the sub-election committees across the UAE.

The formation of the committees was made in coordination with the courts of Their Highnesses the Members of the Supreme Council and the Rulers of the Emirates.

The setting up of the Emirates Committees is one of the basic stages of the election of half of the 40-member Federal National Council (FNC).

The commission, led by Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Minister of State for FNC Affairs, gave the green signal for the composition of the committees during its fifth meeting in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

The commission’s media plan was discussed during the meeting with emphasis on the need to convey the message of elections to the public in a clear and professional manner. The commission also discussed procedures of forming electoral colleges to be named the rulers of the emirates.

Originally Published On: gulfnews.com – Original Article Here

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi motorists on the Suweihan-Al Ain highway are advised to be careful as patches of fog have been noticed along several parts of the road over the past few days, warned the National Centre for Metrology and Seismology.

Originally Published On: gulfnews.com – Original Article Here

Wroclaw, Poland: The beautiful Partynice race course in Wroclaw is all set to host the second Al Wathba Stud Farm Cup race in Poland this year with eight horses in the fray in today’s race.

According to a press release, it will be the first time that the oldest racecourse in Poland will be part of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival.

The race is open to three-year-old Arabian horses and will be run over 2,000 metres.

A good run

Among the eight runners trainer Jan Pochwatka is strongly represented with three horses. Eklis has a good chance after winning his first race rather easily while Winder is capable of a good run for the trainer. Nizara may find it hard to match the colts but completes Pochwatka’s trio.

Trainer Robert Swiatek’s Zloty Ksiaze could be the one to beat after his strong winning run in his second career race. Swiatek also runs Peraton a horse that will be looking to improve on his fourth-place debut run.

Two other fillies in the race, Wenida and Euzera, come into this race with a win each but could find the opposition strong while Fedrus from Michal Borkowski’s yard will also face a tough task.

The Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup races are staged with support from Invest AD, Areej Al Ameerat, La Sirene, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2011, Wathba Stud Farm and Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

Originally Published On: gulfnews.com – Original Article Here

Dubai: Two men are planning to drive to the North and South Poles in a truck running on biodiesel to spread awareness as they go about rising temperatures, rising sea levels and how to combat climate change.

They will not be going literally to the North Pole, but a small town of the same name in Alaska, sleeping in their van or couchsurfing, a term for accepting hospitality and sleeping for free on a couch.

Josh Cahill, 24, a Dubai-based resident from Germany and one of the world’s most experienced couch-surfers, working in the hospitality industry, and Victor Eekhof, 24, from the Netherlands are planning an initial six-month trip that will take them across the US.

A second six-month trip is planned to complete the huge journey down South America. But the first step is to find a sponsor for their mission, Pole 2 Pole 4 Charity.

The two seasoned backpackers met while travelling through South East Asia after Eekhof lost a close friend to cancer. The two soon decided to travel from pole to pole in a van that runs on diesel and recycled cooking oil. The plan is not an excuse to travel but the attempt to spread "a good message around the world", said Cahill.

"If at least a few people turn down the tap while they brush their teeth, then I consider this already as a little success. Nobody believes it anyway if you say we are just doing it to save the planet. We are all human beings and we need to be motivated and pushed," he told Gulf News via email.

"The poles are actually the focus point for every discussion about global warming. So we will actually not go to the literal North Pole but a little town called North Pole in Alaska," said Cahill. "It is in the arctic circle though. It was always a dream of mine to visit Antarctica. Since I’m little I wanted to go there and I think it’s the only place left in that world where you still find the totally untouched beauty of mother earth far away from our daily society. We will get to the South Pole with a boat — most probably from Argentina. But this is still in planning."

Cahill and Eekhof will be raising money by selling advertising space on the van for WWF and Ecosia — two non-governmental organisations focused on environmental and species conservation. Living in the UAE, a country where each resident has one of the highest carbon footprints in the world, Cahill said he tried to reduce his impact daily.

"I never used the AC, first of all wasn’t it that hot in the winter and it just makes me cough. I was trying to use public transport as often as possible. I think Dubai has a great transportation system but the majority are simply too lazy to use it," he said. "Dubai is a pioneer when it comes to green and environment-friendly buildings but the low prices for cars and the cheap petrol are supporting everyone’s extravagant lifestyle."

What’s couchsurfing?

Couchsurfing is a well-known practice amongst travellers usually looking to save money while discovering the world.

Several websites exist where people with a couch to spare and those looking for a place to sleep can find and rate each other.

Josh Cahill from Germany and Victor Eekhof from the Netherlands will be using this system, as well as sleeping in their van, as they raise money and awareness on climate change travelling from pole to pole in a truck that runs on biodiesel.

Originally Published On: gulfnews.com – Original Article Here

America’s first mission to the moon wasn’t just about scientific advancement and national pride, it was about investigating the crash of a mysterious Cybertronian spaceship.

So begins Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third instalment in the sci-fi franchise inspired by Hasbro’s line of shape-shifting toys. Director Michael Bay showed about 15 minutes of assorted footage from his first 3D last week at Paramount Studios as part of a discussion with filmmaker James Cameron about the challenges and benefits of 3D moviemaking.

Though Bay was initially sceptical about the multi-dimensional medium ("It might be a gimmick," he said in 2009), he said he "ended up loving it."

"It was just great to sculpt with space," he said. "It just felt right for this movie."

Cameron helped convince his fellow filmmaker to embrace 3D technology and employ it in the latest Transformer adventure.

The film opens with a look at Cybertron and its spacecraft flying through a geometric landscape when one ship crash lands on Earth’s moon. It’s the 1960s, and President John F. Kennedy and broadcaster Walter Cronkite are talking about the US mission to the moon. President Richard Nixon is shown praising astronauts "Neil and Buzz," who, after taking one giant step for mankind, explore the wreckage of the otherworldly ship.

The footage also shows star Shia LaBeouf and his beloved Camaro/robot buddy, Bumblebee. Another shot takes a long, lingering look at Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the Victoria’s Secret model who replaced Megan Fox as the film’s female lead.

In her first acting role, Huntington-Whiteley appears wide-eyed and slack-jawed, her bee-stung lips perfectly parted.

Stars

The clips also offered glimpses at some of the film’s other stars, including John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Frances McDormand and Ken Jeong of The Hangover fame, who is shown nervously wielding a pair of pistols.

The 3D action scenes thrilled, though Bay said the special effects aren’t finished yet. Flying robots battle military helicopters, which crash dramatically into the sea. There was a menacing multi-tentacled robot that appeared to have evil intentions, and a trio of Transformers scaling a skyscraper, eventually causing it to topple to the ground.

"I came up with that building sequence while I was doing stomach crunches," Bay said after the footage played. "That’s the weirdest place I’ve ever come up with an action scene."

Doing Transformers in 3D added about $30 million (Dh110 million) to the film’s budget, Bay said, explaining that it blends film, digital and converted-to-3D footage.

"I just watched the movie and couldn’t tell the difference between digital and film," Cameron said. "This movie is a testament to the fact that it’s indistinguishable to the eye."

The filmmakers agreed, however, that not all 3D is good 3D. Some films are converted too cheaply and quickly, they said, and moviegoers don’t like the results.

"The 3D gets people back into the cinema experience, the big screen and stuff that we love, but we’re abusing it left and right," Cameron said. "Some studios are making poor decisions about which films to convert and how to convert."

But he and Bay are convinced that 3D is here to stay and cameras and conversion methods will continue to improve.

"I had fun on the set shooting it," Bay said. "It was like a new toy."

The most exciting thing about 3D? Audience reaction, Cameron said.

"When they see something that blows their minds, that’s the most exciting part," he said. "You know you’ve won them. You know you’ve taken them someplace, like what we’ve just experienced here."

Don’t Miss it

Transformers: Dark of the Moon releases in the UAE on June 30.

Originally Published On: gulfnews.com – Original Article Here

Dubai: Strong education systems will bring economic and social benefits that our country needs, the education minister said yesterday, speaking at the Dubai International Academy [DIA] Graduation Ceremony for the class of 2011.

The ceremony witnessed 59 proud graduates, representing 25 nationalities.

Humaid Mohammad Al Qutami, UAE Minister of Education, was the guest of honour at the graduation ceremony, held at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre [DUCTAC] at the Mall of the Emirates.

Senior members of DIA and Innoventures Education Investments — the driving force behind successful educational institutions in the UAE, including DIA, as well as students’ family members and friends attended the ceremony.

In his comments at the ceremony, Al Qutami emphasised on the importance of excellence in the education system to ensure that young people in the UAE have the skills they need to acquire the jobs of the future. "Strong education systems will bring the economic and social benefits that our country needs. Thus, we are enforcing new laws based on some the best practices in the world," he said.

Poonam Bhojani, Director of DIA and CEO of Innoventures Education, said: "Graduation is a major milestone in the life of every student. The students are now committing to another and important step in their lives. They are prepared for what future has to offer in both academics, as well as social lives…."

Originally Published On: gulfnews.com – Original Article Here

Who in their right mind would leave a cushy job at a leading software firm in Dubai and head to Mumbai to try their hand at the big bad world of Bollywood? Kubra Sait would.

The 27 year old happily gave up number crunching to play a domestic help in Salman Khan’s upcoming drama, Ready.

"When I told people in Dubai that I am going to leave my job here and head to Mumbai they were convinced that I will not survive in the dust, grime, pollution… I was spoilt till the last letter here but I knew I had to give Bollywood a shot — I had to take the plunge because that was my first calling," Sait told tabloid!.

Though she is not playing the lead role, the finance graduate is convinced that playing a sidekick will open the proverbial showbiz doors for her.

She moved to Mumbai in February 2010 and bagged the prestigious Anees Bazmee project six months later.

‘Amazing Salman’

"I may be an aspiring actor but I am also a realist. There’s no formula for success in Bollywood, whether you are sharing screen space or getting the ultimate launch. I feel what I have done is right," said Sait, adding that she plays an integral part in the film.

Being in the company of Bollywood’s superstar was also a catalyst.

"Salman was an amazing human being. There are lot of things about him for years, but he’s one of the most genuine, helpful guys out there. There’s Salman Khan the superhero and there’s that gentle guy who pulls out a charcoal pencil and comes up with some soulful, pure art pieces. As an actor, he’s instant and real — all I needed to do was respond to his cues."

This Bollywood hopeful has also already bagged another project alongside Sunny Deol and Kangna Ranaut in which she plays a flight attendant.

Sait has featured in etisalat campaigns in the UAE and had a cameo in Emirati feature City Of Life.

"I have just begun my journey and I have a long way to go," she said.

Originally Published On: gulfnews.com – Original Article Here

By ARAB NEWS

Published: May 31, 2011 00:36
Updated: May 31, 2011 00:36

JEDDAH: The Council of Ministers on Monday approved the addition of a new article to the law regulating real estate ownership of foreigners and their investment in the sector. According to the article, the law’s executive bylaw should be approved by the Cabinet.

The Cabinet meeting, which was presided over by Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, highlighted the tremendous progress
achieved by Saudi Arabia during the king’s six-year rule.

It noted the king’s endeavors to achieve greater development
in all sectors, removing all obstacles that stand in the way of development
projects.

The Cabinet underscored the giant economic and industrial
projects ordered by King Abdullah as well as his recent decrees that unveiled
new welfare schemes worth more than SR600 billion.

It also commended the king’s efforts to make use of the
Kingdom’s international relations to mobilize support for Arab and Islamic
causes and his humanitarian activities.

Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said the
meeting commended the Non-Aligned Movement conference in Indonesia for backing
the Palestinian cause. It emphasized the need for more efforts to boost the
peace process on the basis of international resolutions and enable the
Palestinians to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

He said the Cabinet endorsed an agreement with Uzbekistan
for cooperation in combating terrorism, organized crimes and drug trafficking.

It authorized Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf to hold
talks with his Moroccan counterpart to sign an agreement for customs
cooperation. It also approved an agreement between Arab countries for goods
transportation and another accord with the Indian Ministry of Information
Technology for cooperation in IT and services.

The Cabinet appointed Saleh Al-Shurayan the director of
financial and budgeting affairs at the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, Ali
Al-Bakri planning expert at the Ministry of Economy and Planning and Yousuf Abu
Aish and Turki Al-Madhi ministers plenipotentiary at the Foreign Ministry, the
Saudi Press Agency said.

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Originally Published On: arabnews.com – Original Article Here