First with the news and what’s behind itMONDAY MAY 24, 2010 JUMADA AL AKHIRAH 10, 1431 VOL. 4 NO. 1358 QR 2n Newsline n Nationline n Businessline n Lifeline n Sportsline

www.qatar-tribune.com

QNAVIRGINIA

HER Highness Sheikha Mozah bintNasser al Missned, Chairperson ofQatar Foundation for Education,Science and Community Development(QF), on Saturday addressed the gradu-ating students of VirginiaCommonwealth University (VCU) inthe United States.

As an attentive audience listened toher in complete silence, Her HighnessSheikha Mozah said, “We, as humanbeings, carry a potential within uswhich is greater than any technologyand that our minds are more powerfulthan any computer invented so far.What unites us as humans are ourshared virtues, our compassion and adesire to make a mark in this world.

“It is those virtues which transcendany technological wonders.” In thiscontext, she referred to the Silatechproject in Yemen which aimed atdeveloping the potential of young peo-ple by giving them some basic tools tocarve out their paths to success asentrepreneurs and to make theirdreams a reality.”

Sheikha Mozah told her audiencehow impressed she was by the endeav-our of the young people there to use

information and knowledge to improvetheir lives.

She cited another example, that ofthe students in Gaza, where the right toeducation is under tremendous pres-sure due to the blockade on Gaza andnoted, “Last year, we launched an edu-cational programme there called AlFakhoora. Frankly speaking, the poten-tial of students in Gaza has left wonder-struck. Without even buildings andfacilities to continue their education,they are persistent and grabbing everychance they can to build their future.So, technology cannot teach us wis-dom. But humility, patience andendurance can. And so can the ability tosimply recognise our place among thepeople of the world. To act selflesslyand for the greater good – that is thegreatest wisdom,” she said.

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah con-cluded her speech with the words thatthe future the graduating students werecapable of creating lay ahead of them,just as it lay ahead of the VCU gradu-ates in Qatar and the students shespoke about in Yemen and Gaza.

She called upon the students to neverunderestimate the power and value of agood act, a positive endeavour, no mat-ter how small and insignificant it mightappear.

The Emir His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani with former president of South AfricaThabo Mbeki at his Emiri Diwan office, in Doha, on Sunday. ((SSeeee aallssoo ppaaggee 1177))

Ashghal awards QR2.13 bn contracts

RAJESH MISHRADOHA

THE Public Works Authority (Ashghal) onSunday signed five major agreements worthQR 2.13 billion for the development of infra-structure.

The projects include construction of sew-erage in Doha and Rayyan, expansion ofsewerage treatment plant in Doha South,renovation of Qatar Radio & TelevisionCorp Complex and port expansion project atAl Ruwais.

While the QR781,746,334 Al-Ruwaisproject has been bagged by ConsolidateEngineering & Constructions Co, QR691,200,000 Doha South SewerageTreatment Works Expansion has gone to ajoint venture of Larsen & Toubro, GulfarEngg and Cont Ltd.

The contract for the QR399,196,320.10Doha and Rayyan Sewerage (phase 2) proj-ect at Ain Khaled has been awarded to QatarBuilding Company, the QR139,643,000Doha and Rayyan Sewerage (phase 1) proj-ect at Musaimeer to Qatar Trading &Contracting Company, and the QR121,950,000 Qatar Radio & Television CorpComplex renovation project to a joint ven-

ture of Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Gulfar Enggand Cont Ltd.

The Al Ruwais port project, scheduled tobegin on June 20 this year, will be executedin three phases. It comprises developmentof existing fishing harbour at Al-Ruwais intoa commercial port with new facilities toaccommodate commercial vessels and ferrytraffic.

The plan also includes construction of anadministrative building, a workshop, onecoastguard

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 8

LANI ROSE R DIZONDOHA

QATAR has the highest inci-dence of cervical cancer inthe region. A GCC reportpublished in 2009 states thatin every 100,000 women,eight (8.4) women developcervical cancer. The reportcovers an eight-year periodfrom 1998 to 2005.

According to the report,Oman follows Qatar closelyat 7.8 whereas Bahraincomes third with 6.5. Next inthe pecking order is UAEwith 5.9 cases followed by

Kuwait with 4.5 and KSAwith 4.2 cases per 100,000women.

Speaking to QatarTribune, Dr Asma Althani,assistant professor of bio-medical programme at Qatar

University, said that failureto have the routine screeningwas one of the reasons forthe high incidence of cervicalcancer in the country.

According to her, nearly alltypes of cervical cancer are

caused by the human papil-lomavirus (HPV) infection.“HPV is the most commonsexually transmitted infec-tion in the world, whichaffects 75 percent of sexuallyactive women. Cervical can-cer is the second most com-mon type of cancer inwomen worldwide witharound 493,000 new casesbeing detected each year. Itis also the second most com-mon cause of death fromcancer among women. About274,000 women die world-wide from cervical cancereach year,” she said.

Dr Asma also said thatHPV infection is most com-monly seen among younger

women. “Young women aremore prone to HPV infectionbecause they are more sexu-ally active. Also, the virususually prefers the type of

tissue found in youngwomen. According to ourstudies, it’s elderly women

who mostly go for screeningin Qatar though they are theless vulnerable group.Younger women, who aremore at risk of getting the

infection, seldom go forscreening. Usually, they seekmedical advice only after it’salready too late as the dis-ease would have advancedtoo far by that time makingtreatment rather difficult,”she added.

Dr Asma also said that indeveloped countries, such asthe United States, papsmears helped detect theinfection at an early stagereducing the incidence offatalities from the disease.

“Regular screening is mustfor detection of the infectionat the treatable stage and

keeping the incidence offatality low. The other optionis vaccination which mayhelp to further bring downthe number of deaths fromthe killer disease,” she said.

A study conducted by DrAsma and her team recom-mends vaccination to checkthe spread of HPV, particu-larly among the youth inQatar.

It also suggests the use ofHPV vaccines such asGardasil and Cervarix beingused in other countries. Thevaccination proposal seeks totarget girls before marriage.

Ashghal General Manager Nasser Ali alMawlawi (fourth left) along with other digni-taries at Ashghal headquarters, in Doha, onSunday. (JALAL PATHIYOOR)

QE dips to 2-month lowQatari sharestumbled to thelowest level intwo months,leading a declinein Gulf Arabmarkets, as oilprices closednear a low for

the year and European stocks felllast week on concerns that eco-nomic growth may slow. IndustriesQatar, the second-biggest petro-chemicals maker in the MiddleEast, dropped to the lowest sinceAugust and National Bank ofKuwait also declined. (PG 25)

51 killed in China mishapsA passenger trainhit by landslidesderailed onSunday in east-ern China, killingas many as 19people and injur-ing more than70 others, statemedia reported.

In another mishap, during a head-on collision between a truck andbus in northeastern China, 32people were killed and 24 othersinjured. The latest death tolljumped as rescuers dug out morebodies from mangled and over-turned train carriages. (PG 15)

Newsline

Fisk slams Western media Renowned journalist Robert Fiskhas criticised the western mediafor failing to do justice with therealities in the Middle East.Delivering a keynote address on‘Power and the Media’, at the AlJazeera Forum on ‘The Arab &Muslim World’, Fisk said that thewestern press had consistentlyignored the events in Gaza, whichis one of the most burning issuesin the Middle East. He alsoslammed the western powers fornot providing humanitarian aid tothe people of Gaza. (PG 17)

Qatari women more prone to cervical cancer

Alarm bellsThe failure to havethe routine screen-ing is one of the rea-sons for the highincidence of cervicalcancer in Qatar.

EMIR WITH MBEKI

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation,at the Virginia Commonwealth University graduation ceremony, in Richmond, Virginia,on Saturday. (MAHER ATTAR/HHOPL)

SHEIKHA MOZAH IN US

Exc lus iveQT

Today in Qatar9:15am to 1.15pm Al Jazeera forum at Sheraton 3:00pm to 6:00pm Al Jazeera forum at Sheraton 7:00pm Doha Debates at Qatar Foundation

HHOOTT && DDUUSSTTYY HIGH: 45

0C | LOW: 31

0C

10,144+76PTS

DOW JONES 6,975-107PTS

QE

CURRENCY SENSEX

WEATHER

16,445-74PTS

Indian Rupee 12.89Philippine Peso 12.70

Qatar’s infrastructure to get a boost

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D-DAY FORCAPELLO’SWC MASTERPLAN

SARAHBRINGS SEXAND THE CITYTO THE ARABWORLD

Mozah addressesVCU graduates