World oil price near record highs

SINGAPORE, May 7: World oil traded only a little below USD 122 per barrel today after concerns over supply in key producer Nigeria helped push prices to record highs in frenzied trading, dealers said.

New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for June delivery, was 21 cents lower at USD 121.63 in afternoon Asian trade.

The contract closed on the New York Mercantile Exchange yesterday at a record high of USD 121.84 after leaping to USD 122.73, an all-time intra-day high.

Brent North Sea crude for June fell 15 cents to USD 120.16 per barrel. The contract had earlier reached a new peak of USD 120.99 before settling at a record closing high of 120.31 yesterday in London.

Runaway oil prices have almost doubled in the past year and have surged by more than USD 20 since the start of 2008.

David Moore, a commodity strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney, said sentiment remained buoyant after yesterday's sharp gains.

"While issues on the supply side are being progressively resolved... They highlight the risks of oil production going forward," said Moore.

The supply disruptions in Nigeria have been important but there have been indications they will be resolved, he said.

Nigerian militants attacked an oil ship off the coast of the west African country and took two people hostage over the weekend, a military spokesman said Sunday.

The incident on Saturday came after an attack on Shell oil wells and a flow station in southern Bayelsa state, leading to a cut in the company's output. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer.(AGENCIES)

Experts blame lack of investment in agri for food crisis

UNITED NATIONS, May 7: Foresight and better planning could have avoided the serious food crisis that the world, especially the developing countries, is now facing, senior United Nations experts have said.

Lack of investment in agriculture over a long period of time and the use of precious natural resources for bio-fuel production have also contributed to the current crisis, they told reporters here yesterday.

Kathleen Abdalla of the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), told a news conference in New York that while populations have grown and diets have changed, "we've had a lack of investment in agriculture for quite a long time now and a lack of aid for agriculture".

"Certainly agriculture has not been a high priority for development assistance and basically the productivity growth hasn't kept pace with the increase in demand," she said.

Aslam Chaudhry, who is chief of the water and natural resources branch of DESA, said the use of crops for bio-fuel production had also contributed to the worldwide rise in food prices, since it meant that a part of our natural resources had to be diverted away from the production of food crops.

"They (bio-fuel crops) depend quite heavily on land and water resources so we are using our precious natural resources for the production of these crops," Chaudhry said.

"Had those natural resources been managed for the production of cereal crops, we might not have seen this crisis," he added. (PTI)

Chargesheet filed agaist Zia’s son

DHAKA, May 7: Bangladesh’s powerful anti-graft panel has filed a chargesheet against former premier Khaleda Zia’s son Tariq Rehman, arrested a year ago, for allegedly taking Rs 12.6-crore bribe for a cover up in a sensational murder case.

Rahman, former BNP minister Lutfuzzaman Babar and six others were charged with "misappropriating their power and causing obstacles to the investigation" into the 2006 killing of Bashundhara Business Group director Humayun Kabir Sabbir, a day after the Anti Corruption Commission filed a chargesheet against Zia.

The accused accepted Taka 21 crore as bribes from the company chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan to drop the name of his son Shafiat Sobhan Sanvir who allegedly killed Sabbir from the case, according to the ACC.

The ACC alleged that Zia’s elder son Rahman, also the senior joint secretary general of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was a mastermind of the deal.

Rahman, who is in late 40s, was detained on March 8, 2007 by the military-backed interim government under its massive anti-corruption drive. He faces 10 criminal and graft cases and this is the third charge sheet filed against him.

Babar, a former state minister for home, was earlier jailed for 17 years for illegal possession of weapons but this is the first chargesheet against him in a graft case since his arrest in May last year.

Zia, who was arrested in September last year, was on Monday charged with accepting kickbacks for contracting out several gas fields to a Canadian oil company while her Bangladesh Nationalist Party ruled the country from 2001 to 2006. (PTI)

Anti-Govt protesters paralyse Beirut

BEIRUT, May 7: Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition blocked main roads in Beirut with burning barricades today, paralysing the city and deepening a political conflict with the US-backed government.

The opposition supporters set cars and tyres ablaze to block the main road to Beirut's international airport, where air traffic was suspended because of a strike by staff taking part in a labour union protest to demand higher wages.

The opposition has backed the strike. Activists loyal to Hezbollah, a political group with a guerrilla army and backing from Iran and Syria, also blocked routes to Beirut's main commercial district.

The scenes were reminiscent of an anti-government protest in 2007 that led to some of Lebanon's worst internal strife since its 1975-90 civil war. A stun grenade exploded in Beirut, slightly wounding one person, a security source said.

In Lebanon's deepest political crisis since the civil war, Hezbollah has been leading a campaign against Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's Government since November 2006. The standoff has left Lebanon without a president for five months.

Hezbollah, Lebanon's most powerful Shi'ite faction, and its allies in the opposition have deemed Siniora's cabinet illegitimate since all of its Shi'ite Muslim ministers resigned in 2006.

SPYING ACCUSATIONS

Tension between the Government and Hezbollah escalated sharply yesterday.

The Government accused Hezbollah of violating Lebanon's sovereignty by operating its own communications network and installing spy cameras at the airport.

The Government, supported by Arab states including Saudi Arabia, also removed the head of Beirut airport security in another challenge to Hezbollah.

The group said the communications network was part of its security apparatus and had played a major role in its war with Israel in 2006.

Hezbollah was the only Lebanese faction allowed to keep its weapons after the civil war to fight Israeli forces occupying the south. Israel withdrew in 2000 and the fate of Hezbollah's weapons is at the heart of the political crisis.

A UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel bans the group from rearming and rebuilding its military infrastructure in south Lebanon.

Governing coalition leaders allege Hezbollah is spying on the airport to monitor their movements. Eight members of the anti-Syrian coalition have been assassinated since 2005.

Government posts in Lebanon are divided according to a sectarian system. The Government is backed by Saad al-Hariri -- Lebanon's most powerful Sunni Muslim leader.

The main labour union is calling for higher wages to help offset rises in the cost of food, fuel and other goods. The Government increased the minimum wage by two-thirds on Tuesday but unions want more.

(AGENCIES)

Imran Khan's dream college a winner with students

ISLAMABAD, May 7: Students in a little known Pakistani town will never be able to thank cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan enough for setting up a world-class college with the backing of a prestigious British university.

Namal College, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani about a week ago, is located in Mianwali district of Punjab province and has already been granted associate college status by the University of Bradford.

Khan wants to develop an "Oxford-like academic environment" topped with "world-class research facilities" at the college. The institution will offer scholarships to a majority of students, especially those who hail from remote areas and are poor.

The former cricketer, who heads the Tehrik-e-Insaf party, first started toying with the idea of establishing a university when he was campaigning for the 2002 polls in Mianwali, his constituency. Mianwali has Pakistan's highest unemployment rate and most of the labour is unskilled.

Khan, who has already done wonders for cancer patients by establishing the Shaukat Khanam Memorial Hospital, decided to set up a college and provide quality education to youngsters.

He roped in the University of Bradford, one of the leading varsities in Britain, to support his programme. The university's engineering and management courses have an excellent reputation.

"The university does not award associate college status lightly. In our 42-year history since we were granted our Royal Charter, we have given this status to only eight associate colleges in the United Kingdom and only three around the world," the university's vice chancellor Mark Cleary was reported as saying when the project was at a nascent stage.

"We were, however, inspired by the vision and values for Namal College, which we felt were very similar to our own and to the commitment for excellence, exemplified by Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, also a partner of the university, which we know will be demonstrated here at Namal College too," Cleary said.

Though the media underplayed the inauguration of the college, Khan was firm about his plans. "Given the lack of adequate and proper technical training, the college will contribute enormously to skill development in the entire country. Over the long term, we will draw students from across the whole of Pakistan," he said.

Students of Mianwali are ecstatic. "I salute you Imran Khan," said Zatir, a student admirer of Khan.

The first phase of development will focus on establishing specific subject areas like automotive engineering, information technology and the construction industry, with possibilities of teacher training and health in phase II.

A key focus will be the initial training and continuing development of staff at Namal College with the University of Bradford. The university will also provide appropriate advice on curriculum, quality assurance, student support matters and administration.

The University of Bradford currently has a number of partnership arrangements with educational institutions around the world, but this is the first such partnership with Pakistan. (PTI)

Tata, partners to invest USD 379 mn in Australian coal mine

NEW DELHI, May 7: As part of its efforts to ensure raw material security, Tata Steel along with Brazilian mining giant Vale and other joint venture partners will undertake a massive expansion of the Carborough Downs Coal Mine in Australia for about 379.41 million dollars.

"The total capital investment is estimated to be 401 million Australian dollars (around USD 379.41 million). The commencement of construction is scheduled for May 2008 and commissioning of the large scale and new mining equipment (Longwall) is expected by mid 2009," a company release said.

This step by Tata Steel is in accordance with the company's stated strategy of progressing towards raw material security for its global business, it added.

"This decision on expansion of production at the Carborough Down Coal Mine in Australia gives Tata Steel an opportunity to explore larger areas for coal deposits which will be a potential source to meet part of the Company's raw material requirement and enhance the long term competitiveness of its global operations," the company said.

Carborough Downs is an underground mine operated by Carborough Downs Coal Management Pty Ltd.

Around 80 per cent of the mine is owned by Vale and its joint venture partners including Tata Steel, Nippon Steel Corporation, POSCO, JFE Steel and JFE Shoji.

Tata Steel, Nippon Steel Corporation and POSCO own 5 per cent stake each in Carborough Downs Coal Mine while JFE Steel and JFE Shoji holds 2.5 per cent stake each.

Carborough Downs Coal Mine, started its production in August 2006. After completion of the plan, Carborough Downs JV would expand its underground production by Longwall method.

This investment would ensure 4.9 million tonnes of annual production of Run of Mine (ROM) to yield 3.7 million tonnes of Coking Coal and PCI Coal from 3rd Quarter of 2009. (PTI)

Now, an artificial mouth ‘that can chew like a human’

LONDON, May 7: Researchers in Europe have developed an artificial mouth which can chew like a human, an innovation that could help in improving food quality and our understanding of flavour.

Previous groups have developed artificial mouths that can analyse soft foods or sets of robotic jaws to test teeth. But, until now, no one has been able to recreate what happens when a human chows down on hard foodstuffs.

"Many of the flavours we taste are generated by the release of volatile compounds from food, which pass around the back of the mouth and up into the nose. Hard foods release those compounds differently according to whether they are crushed, sliced, or liquidised.

"So if a robotic system is going to experience the same tastes that humans do when eating, the food must undergo the same changes that occur in the mouth.

"Previous models were simpler and did not take into account all processes involved in perception of food. Our artificial mouth allows the study of hard foods like apples," said lead researcher Galle Arvisenet of ENITIAA in France.

In fact, the munching device mimics the first steps of digestion-chewing, saliva release and food breakdown.

About five times the size of a human mouth inside, the steel container is kept at a steady 37C by an electrical element. Its internal surfaces are coated with a chemically resistant plastic used for medical implants.

The ceiling and floor of the cylindrical chamber are attached to variable speed motors. Food is placed on the floor which is able to revolve, while the ceiling coated spiky "teeth" moves up and down like a plunger.

The compression and rotation simulate the mechanical forces food undergoes in the mouth. The process is made more realistic by the addition of enzyme-containing artificial saliva through a pipe in the base of the chamber.

Helium supplied through another inlet flows through the "mouth" to reproduce the effect of breathing and carry volatile compounds away for analysis.

To hone their robotic mouth’s chewing action, the researchers fed it chunks of apple and set it chewing at different speeds. They then compared the final pulp with apple chewed by humans.

"The (results) were very close," Arvisenet wrote in the ‘Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry’. (PTI)

French lawyer barred from defending Sobhraj

KATHMANDU, May 7: Nepal's Supreme Court has barred a French lawyer from defending "Bikini Killer" Charles Shobhraj, serving a life sentence since 2004 for the murder of an American tourist three decades ago.

A division bench comprising Justices Min Bahadur Rayamajhi and Kalyan Shrestha rejected the plea by French lawyer Isabelle Coutant Peyre to defend Sobhraj, 64, during a hearing yesterday, saying that the court does not have such a precedence, officials said

Sobhraj, a half-Vietnamese and half-Indian, is a French national.

However, the court said that the foreign lawyer can assist the Nepali lawyers in any case.

Sobhraj, convicted of murdering an American woman here in 1975, had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the life sentence given to him by the Kathmandu District Court for the murder of American backpacker Connie Bronzich but the apex court had in December refused him any reprieve.

The court ruled that the status quo will be maintained in the matter and ordered reopening of another fake passport case against him. It said that both the cases will be heard simultaneously.

At the hearing yesterday in the fake passport case, Sobhraj's lawyers argued that he did not come to Nepal in 1975, when he allegedly committed the murder of two foreign tourists.

Also known as 'Serpent' for his ability to evade arrest, Sahara is suspected to have killed at least 12 travellers in India, Thailand and Nepal in the 1970s. He was arrested from Casino Royale in Kathmandu in August 2003.

He had sent a written statement to the Nepal Supreme Court earlier claiming that his conviction by the district court was based on false news reports and documents without any eyewitness account being produced by the prosecution. (PTI)

A simple test 'could predict menopause'

MELBOURNE, May 7: If scientists are to be believed, women planning to delay motherhood could soon be able to take a simple blood test to determine the period of fertility they're left with.

In their study, a team at the Queensland University of Technology looked at the relationship of a reproductive hormone and menopause -- they found a wide variation in the age of menopause which for most women occurred between 40 and 60 years of age.

"But we know from studies of natural populations where timing of having children is not influenced by contraception, that natural fertility drops off ten years before menopause.

"This means that with the variation in menopausal age some women could become infertile as early as their 30s. It is then difficult to become pregnant without artificial intervention," the study's co-author Prof Malcolm Faddy said.

According to the researchers, the study used the fact that anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels in blood reflected the number of small follicles present in a woman's ovaries.

"These follicles are responsible for the supply of eggs for ovulation, and depletion of the stock of follicles leads to menopause. The study measured AMH levels in blood samples from a group of healthy fertile women, using the data to determine a model of age-related change in AMH levels.

"We then used this model to predict age at menopause via a critical AMH threshold level. Prediction of menopause has been problematic since it is retrospectively defined as the cessation of menstruation for at least 12 consecutive months. But with prediction it becomes possible to forecast when natural fertility is in decline," Prof Faddy said.

He said that after validation of the model, this work could lead to a blood test which will assess the level of AMH being used to estimate the number of years of fertility left. "Prediction for women younger than 30 remains problematic because AMH levels did not show much of a decline till after this age," the media quoted him as saying. (PTI)

Indian restaurant adjudged London's Best Late Night Venue

LONDON, May 7: A popular Indian restaurant 'Tamarai' owned by Delhi-based entrepreneur Rohit Khattar has won the award for the 'Best London Late Night Venue'.

The restaurant, regarded as one of the London's most stylish venues, won laurels at the Theme Bar and Restaurant Awards where the judging panel was impressed its original concept and design.

Tamarai is part of Khattar's chain of themed restaurants such as 'Chor Bizarre' and 'Sitaaray'.

"It is a great honour to be recognised by the leading industry magazine as the best among your peers. The whole Tamarai team has worked tirelessly to make every visit to our venue an unforgettable experience. We are thrilled that Theme Awards have acknowledged our efforts," Anshuman Saxena, General Manager of the restaurant said.

Tamarai, which means Lotus in Tamil, has already received praise for 'Best Wine List In London' from The Independent and 'Best Pan Asian Fusion Food In London' from The Evening Standard.

A Pan Asian restaurant, bar, late night club and an art gallery, it is also regarded as one of West End's most inspiring venues.

Launched in November 2006, Tamarai is the third London venue of the New Delhi-based Old World Hospitality.

Now in their seventh year, Theme Bar and Restaurant Awards are the industry standard designed to honour excellence among bar professionals and their venues and to bring together the best of design, technology and modern drinks. (PTI)

Tina, Anil Ambani take personal art collection to Christie’s

LONDON, May 7: Billionaire Indian businessman Anil Ambani’s wife Tina Ambani is seeking to raise over 1,00,000 pounds (Rs 81 crore) for her Harmony Art Foundation by selling a dozen art works at Christie’s, which is also exhibiting 32 works from the Ambani family’s private collection.

The global auction powerhouse said in a statement that starting today, Christie’s London would exhibit 32 works from Tina and Anil Ambani’s private collection, which are being put in public view for the first time.

These include works by M F Hussain, Tyeb Mehta and S H Raza and the exhibition would continue till June 10.

Coinciding with the exhibition, Christie’s would also hold an auction for 12 works being offered by the Harmony Art Foundation, of which Tina Ambani is the founder and patron, in association with Barclays Wealth on June 11.

The auction is estimated to fetch in excess of 1,00,000 pounds and the proceeds would go towards future activities of the Foundation.

The works on auction include M F Hussain’s Untitled (estimated worth of 12,000-18,000 pounds), Francis Newton Souza’s Untitled, 1956 (estimated worth 15,000-20,000 pounds) and Navjot Altaf’s powerful sculpture December 15^{th, 2000 (estimate of 18,000-20,000 pounds).}

^{"This collection has evolved naturally from a desire to seek beauty and creativity in myriad forms and promote emerging talent in India. It gives us both enormous personal pleasure and pride to share this collection with art cognoscenti and connoisseurs. We hope this evokes a greater interest in Indian art-its diversity and virtuosity," Tina and Anil Ambani said in a statement about their private collection being exhibited at Christie’s.}

^{About the exhibition, Christie’s said, "This exhibition provides a fascinating reflection of the discerning eye and strong, visionary tastes of its renowned owners."}

^{"The definitive aesthetic vision and deep-rooted philanthropy of Anil Ambani, who is arguably corporate India’s most recognised and internationally acclaimed businessman and his wife Tina Ambani, a successful Bollywood actor prior to her marriage, have combined to form this superlative art collection that represents their support and commitment to art practice in India today," it noted.}

^{The collection also includes M F Hussain’s Untitled, 1970 and rare work Prophet, 1954, and Tyeb Mehta’s graphic image, Bull on Rickshaw, 1999, which shows artist’s post-cubist style with minimal lines and opaque masses of colour to create single dominating forms.}

^{Tina Ambani founded Harmony Art Foundation in 1995 as a non-profit platform for emerging artists in the subcontinent.}

^{"Going forward, the foundation aims to hold more events and workshops and work with museums and private collectors in India and across the world. The collaboration between Christie’s, Barclays Wealth and Harmony Art Foundation to sell these 12 works and raise funds will enable the foundation achieve its mandate," Tina Ambani said.}

^{India’s unprecedented rise on the global economic stage is being mirrored in the world of art, Barclays Wealth’s International Banking Head Gerard Aquilina said, adding that a recent company report ‘Evolving Fortunes’ found there would be 4,11,000 households with over one million dollars of wealth in India by 2017, from almost none in 2008. (PTI)}

‘Millions left homeless in Myanmar cyclone’

BANGKOK, May 7: Millions of people in Myanmar have been left homeless by a devastating cyclone and piles of bodies have begun rotting in the disaster zone, a director of aid agency Save the Children said today.

Cyclone Nargis which slammed in the southern coast on Saturday has left at least 22,000 people dead and another 41,000 missing by the official count, but the toll is expected to rise.

"There are 41,000 people missing but most people assume most of those 41,000 missing are dead," said Andrew Kirkwood, Myanmar country director for Save the Children, one of the few aid agencies allowed to operate there.

"And clearly there are millions of homeless, but how many millions we don’t know," he said by telephone from Yangon.

Kirkwood said the organisation’s staff had gathered harrowing eyewitness accounts from the worst-hit area of the Irrawaddy Delta region, a low-lying agricultural region which was inundated by a huge storm surge.

"One team came across thousands of people killed in one township, with piles of rotting bodies lying on the ground as the water had receded," he said.(AGENCIES)