Lightning kills 18 in eastern India

PATNA: At least 18 people including six children were killed after they were struck by lightning in the east Indian state of Bihar, officials said on Monday. Around 30 people were struck overnight by bolts of lightning across Bihar, and those that were injured were receiving treatment in hospital, State Disaster Management Minister Devesh Chand Thakur said. “The children were playing in the pre-monsoon showers when lightning struck them,” Thakur told AFP from the state capital Patna. Torrential rains accompanied by strong winds uprooted trees, damaged houses and brought down power cables across the impoverished state on Sunday night, he said.

Orix Leasing’s merger with Orix Bank approved, Orix Leasing Pakistan Ltd (OLP)

KARACHI: The extraordinary general meeting of Orix Leasing Pakistan Ltd (OLP) has approved the scheme amalgamation of Orix Investment Bank Pakistan (OIB) with and into OLP.According to a communique despatched to Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on Monday, the scheme was approved by the majority in number representing two-thirds in value of shareholders.About 99.98 per cent of shareholders voted in favour of amalgamation subject to the completion of all formalities and sanction of the scheme by SECP. It may be noted that the board of directors of OLP had proposed the swap ratio of 43:1, whereby one ordinary share of Rs10 each of OLP will be allotted against 43 shares of OIB.

EU and Turkey still talking membership

ISTANBUL: Early in the last century, after an empire’s fall, the founder of Turkey set his new nation on a westward course. For Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Europe was worthy of a pedestal, a model of how to be modern. The vision of the former army officer leaped forward in 2005, when reform-minded Turkey began accession talks with the European Union. But the mood soured. While neither side says the process is dead, few question that Turkey’s goal of joining Europe’s club is in deep trouble. On Tuesday, EU and Turkish envoys restart talks in a process that sometimes seems hollow and adrift. The dry give-and-take in conference halls in Brussels masks bigger issues about Europe and diversity, Islam and democracy, and ties between modern and developing nations. Turkey’s enthusiasm for European Union membership has eroded under internal tension, European skepticism and a dispute over divided Cyprus, an EU member. Key European leaders, in turn, fear an influx of migrants, worry about human rights and wonder about admitting a huge Muslim nation into a 27-nation bloc that has struggled to integrate its own Muslim minorities. “We need to aim to achieve more progress this year in our relations,’’ Ollie Rehn, the EU commissioner handling Turkey’s bid, told visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. “We know our responsibilities,’’ Davutoglu said, though he insisted that the EU at least help find a ``comprehensive settlement’’ for Cyprus, where Turkish troops are based in the Turkish Cypriot north, a legacy of a 1974 invasion after a coup attempt by backers of union with Greece. Turkey still fumes over the EU’s 2004 decision to bring Greek Cypriots into the EU, leaving Turkish Cypriots outside even though they - unlike the ethnic Greek side - voted for reunification. In all, the accession talks cover 35 different areas, or “chapters.’’ Of these, only 10 have been opened in the last four years. Of the 25 that have yet to be opened, eight face a veto from EU member Greece because of the Turkish troops in north Cyprus. “Turkey and the European Union have to stop wasting time on the path to membership to the Union and use this time in a much more productive way,’’ Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Friday in Brussels. Erdogan dismissed a vaguely defined idea, now circulating in some European circles, of a “privileged partnership’’ that would give Turkey some rights, but deny it full EU status. Turkey, a Nato member, is already involved in many European institutions. “We expect Europe to keep its promises,’’ said Erdogan, whose Islamic-oriented government has done as much or more than many of its predecessors to move Turkey, once a chaotic place prone to military coups, closer to Western-style norms. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country assumes the EU presidency this year, has said Turkey’s membership negotiations are strategically vital for Europe. Still, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are among the powerful players who oppose full accession. Their opposition has contributed to distraction and anger toward the EU among the Turkish public, though the delicate political balance within the country has also stalled progress. Turkey’s government, locked in a power struggle with military-backed secular elites, seeks to avoid a nationalist backlash if it pushes EU reforms too quickly. Early progress was made, and most recently, parliament passed an amendment Friday that allows the prosecution of military personnel in civilian courts, not military ones, during peacetime. This year, Turkey launched a Kurdish-language TV station on behalf of the long-suffering minority. This weekend, Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay said Turkey would likely meet a key EU demand by opening Halki, a Greek Orthodox seminary near Istanbul. But obstacles abound. Turkey’s mostly Kurdish southeast remains largely a no-go area for investors, and Kurdish rebels operate there. Turkey has yet to reform its constitution - crafted after a 1980 military coup - inline with EU demands for stronger civilian institutions. A law that bars insults to Turkish identity and has been used to prosecute intellectuals still exists. Turkey has refused to trade with Greek-run southern Cyprus. Erdogan has faced accusations that he is interested in imposing religious values as well as Western-style ones, forcing him to fend off political and legal threats to his mandate. But in dealing with Europe, Turkey has a newfound sense of leverage in an emerging role as a regional player, and a transit point for energy supplies heading west. It has improved ties with Greece, Syria, Russia and Black Sea and Arab neighbors, and mediated between Israel and Syria. Erdogan’s harsh criticism of Israel during its war in Gaza heightened Turkey’s stature at a time when the West’s reaction seemed tepid to many people around the world. Hugh Pope, Turkey/Cyprus project director for the International Crisis Group, said the impact of politics in Europe, notably right-wing gains in recent elections, has tainted debate over Turkey’s EU bid. “Politicians and commentators present the accession talks as if a poorer, over-populated Turkey was about to join tomorrow,’’ Pope wrote in an analysis. “In fact, the process will take a decade or even two, by which time the relative positions of fast-growing Turkey and a more stagnant Europe will doubtless be much changed.’’

Saudi anti-smoking campaign targets young grooms

RIYADH: The catchy slogan, “Kicking the habit is on you, and marriage is on us,” is meant to entice young grooms to give up smoking by offering an attractive incentive. And, indeed, hundreds have expressed interest in the first anti-smoking drive of its kind in the kingdom, with one man saying he is ready to take up smoking just to be eligible for the grand prize an all-expenses-paid wedding. In much of the Arab world, the groom alone bears the cost of getting married, including an expensive party, a dowry and a fully furnished house. Men often put off marriage until they’ve saved enough money to take a bride. Several commentators have complained that the campaign is turning women into a commodity, but organisers have taken the criticism in stride, saying they’re thrilled to get people talking about the dangers of smoking. About one quarter of Saudi Arabia’s 27.6 million residents indulge. Since June 20, banners have gone up on overpasses and bridges over the Saudi capital’s major highways, depicting the campaign slogan in pink and reddish brown. Next to it are the faceless outlines of a bride, dressed in white and carrying a bouquet of flowers, and of a man wearing a black, ceremonial cloak over his white thobe, the traditional robe Saudi men wear. The quit-smoking-drive is also being advertised in malls, at universities and in magazines. The organiser, a local charity called Purity, stipulates that the marriage is the man’s first and that he has a recent marriage contract. In Islam, the contract is usually signed before a couple moves in together. A draw on Aug 6 will include the names of the men who successfully quit smoking in a weeklong course. The winner will have all wedding expenses paid while 20 runners-up will get free furniture. Sulaiman al-Soby, secretary general of Purity, said the aim is to create a smoke-free family. One-third of Saudi school children live in homes with smokers, according to a 2007 health survey.Al-Soby said he expects thousands to take part in the campaign, which only covers the capital Riyadh, a metropolis of 5 million. Ali al-Abdullah, originally from Yemen, said he wouldn’t have attempted to quit without the new incentive. The 22-year-old, who is engaged to his cousin, smokes a pack-and-a-half a day, “two when I have problems.” Salem al-Majdali, a spokesman for the charity, said hundreds of men have already applied or called to get more information. One was the nonsmoker who wanted to take up smoking. Another wanted to know if the charity also provides the bride. ”’Do we get to choose from a bride lineup?’” al-Majdali said, quoting the caller. Across the Arab world, economic barriers to getting married have prompted charities to jump in. From Gaza to Syria, Islamic groups have arranged mass weddings, to cut down on costs. In Egypt, an Islamic charity affiliated with the ruling party and a pro-government newspaper have provided furniture and appliances to young couples, in addition to collective parties. In Saudi Arabia, the anti-smoking drive has also attracted criticism. Some have rejected the link between smoking and what they consider a holy union. Others wanted to know how Purity could start the campaign without the religious blessings of clerics. Columnist Maha al-Hujailan said the concept is sexist. “The campaign stems from an idea directed at male smokers: ‘Give up having fun with a cigarette and take a woman instead,’” she wrote in the Al-Watan newspaper on Sunday. Another commentator, Suzan al-Mashhady, noted that Arabs have criticised the West for using women to promote merchandise. “Today, we’re using ... the same two-in-one method adopted by a hair product that promises to clean the hair and condition it at the same time,” she wrote in the Al-Hayat newspaper. Al-Majdali said many have misunderstood the slogan. “Did we say we’re offering a woman?” he said.” In any case, the fact that people are discussing the campaign means we have fulfilled our goal of spreading the word about it,” he added.

Swine flu fears hit All England Club

LONDON: Some staff members at the Wimbledon tennis championships have reported “flu-like” symptoms but the competition will continue “as normal”, organisers said on Monday.Ian Ritchie, the chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which runs the annual grand slam in southwest London, sent a message to staff to inform them of the situation.Club sources told AFP that a handful of ball boys and ball girls were affected but nobody had been confirmed as having contracted the A(H1N1) virus. More than 4,300 swine flu cases have been diagnosed in Britain.