IBLOG SPACE

WASHINGTON - A US woman was arrested this week after she allegedly tried to hire a hitman to murder her married lover’s wife by posting an ad on the popular website craigslist, law enforcement officials said on Sunday. Anne Marie, 48, from Grand Rapids, Michigan offered www.craigslist.org users the chance to kill Carol, a 56-year-old woman in California, in a vaguely worded free ad under the category of “Freelance,” according to court documents. Two women and one man responded to the ad, with at least one applicant believing it to be an offer for freelance writing work. During subsequent emails, Anne Marie divulged that the task was actually a hit. “Marie informed (one of the people who responded) that she was looking for “silent assassins’ and she asked him to eradicate a targeted victim,” offered 5,000 dollars for the job and provided the address, name, age and occupation of the man’s wife. “Asked what she meant by “eradicate,’ Anne Marie said “Duh. Well to have her killed,” the cou

LOS ANGELES - “No Country For Old Men,” Ethan and Joel Coen’s 20th century take on the western, won top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, positioning the movie for glory at the Oscars next month. Spanish actor Javier Bardem won a second trophy for “No Country for Old Men” by taking the best supporting actor award on a night of traditional Hollywood glamour and extra emotion over the death last week of actor Heath Ledger. British actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who won the best actor award for his role as a greedy oil baron in “There Will Be Blood,” dedicated his trophy to Ledger. Day-Lewis, 50, said he had never met Ledger, 28, best known for his role as a reluctant gay cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain.” But he paid tribute to Ledger in his acceptance speech and later told reporters: “That’s all I have been thinking about the last few days.” “I am absolutely certain he would have done many wonderful things in his life,” Day-Lewis said. British actress Julie Christie, 66, won the

ABU DHABI — People usually pause for a while and make a quick evaluation of their budget before they go ahead with a plan to buy new things — be they clothes, furniture or home appliances. But when it comes to health needs, the equation is different. The first thing they often ponder over is where they would get quality medical care — in the public or private sector. To know which sector people prefer and trust more and the reasons behind their preference, Khaleej Times met with a group of people from different professions and nationalities. The majority of them said they go to the private institutions to get quick, good and special medical care for ailments which they believe are not very serious and do not require much medical attention or expertise. For cosmetic plastic surgeries, which are considered to be a luxury, the majority think with its state-of-the-art medical devices and equipment, the private health sector is a safe bet. Expertise, experience, professionalism and confiden

DUBAI — Parents of children undergoing any kind of surgery at Dubai Hospital will be allowed to accompany their children to the operation theatre, albeit with certain precautions. For the first time in the UAE, a government hospital has officially allowed parents to accompany their children to the operation theatres. Earlier, in case a parent wanted to be with their child, a special permission was required from the hospital head. “This step has been taken so as to help children overcome the fear of the procedure and feel safe,” explained Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman, acting director of Dubai Hospital. He said that this step was significant prior to the surgery as it helped in the overall recovery of the child post-operation. He said parents would be allowed to remain with the children during the anaesthesia procedures and until the child becomes unconscious.“We have been allowing this to happen sporadically, but this is the first time that parents would not be required to take special permi

DUBAI — Light rain was experienced across the UAE yesterday but it would clear this morning, the Dubai Meteorological Office duty forecaster said. Forecaster Amna Yasin estimated about 5mm of rain had fallen across the Emirates yesterday but there were no heavy showers. “There was nothing measurable in Dubai but there has been light rain across the UAE according to the radar,” she said. Yasin said the rain would clear this morning since the breeze had picked up speed last night with an oncoming shamal. Moderate to fresh winds, reaching up to 20 knots off shore, were predicted for today. The shamal winds were expected to weaken on Tuesday night and through Wednesday before strengthening again on Thursday.Yasin said rain was not predicted for the remainder of the week but temperatures were expected to gradually drop with a minimum of 14 degrees Celsius expected for Wednesday.

DUBAI — Microsoft Corporation joined hands with the Dubai Cares charity programme and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation yesterday to spread the latest knowledge technology for education and research purposes in the Arab world. The Dubai Cares-Microsoft Digital initiative was announced during a special signing ceremony attended by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. The joint initiative will provide children with access to technology that will help develop the knowledge and skills necessary for students, teachers and communities within the next five years. The programme is aimed at raising the level of computer literacy among school staff and parents in needy communities and help teachers foster a culture of innovation among students. The initiative will result in a dramatic increase in the availability of quality education and demonstrate how technology can en

ABU DHABI — Information technology wizard and chairman of Microsoft Corporation Bill Gates yesterday expressed his admiration for the optimism and economic development made by the UAE in the areas of health, education, infrastructure and e-government, hoping this phenomena would spread to nations with large population. “The UAE has used technology for economic development,” he told the top government decision-makers from GCC states and the Middle East at the two-day Government Leadership Forum, being organised by Microsoft. Bill Gates spoke at length on the rapidly changing technological scene in the information technology (IT) sector, saying the magic of software would help drive economic growth and spread its benefits. Technology had touched millions of lives and played a significant role in fostering economic development across the region. “Microsoft’s goal is to work in close partnership with governments and partner organisations to help them use technology to accelerate social and