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Leaders in Japan and China have said they will help the eurozone solve its debt crisis through the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi met Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan in Beijing on Sunday.

Last month the IMF said it may need to increase lending by $600bn to counter the effects of the eurozone crisis.

However the two countries said members of the regional bloc would also have to do more.

"We agreed that Japan and China will coordinate closely and will jointly respond to the IMF," said Mr Azumi.

"European countries need to do more, although (the situation), including with Greece, is headed in a good direction", he added.

Mr Azumi said the two countries had not discussed the amount of any funding support through the IMF.

Earlier this month Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China was considering increasing its role in providing funds for Europe, but he said authorities were still deciding what form that would take.

QITCOM 2012, the pre-eminent platform for the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Qatar, is preparing to host discussions on the country and region’s most relevant ICT issues from the 5-7th March at the National Convention Centre, Qatar.

With Next Generation Broadband investment high on the agenda for most governments and Qatar’s national broadband plan envisaging a broadband network which will deliver Fiber-to-Home (FTH) to 95% of the population by 2015, the event’s conference on “Broadband, Network and Infrastructure” is expected to attract large numbers of industry experts, ICT stakeholders and business leaders.

Mr. Ali Al-Khulaifi, QITCOM organising committee chairman said, “As broadband takes its place as an infrastructure, it must meet universal coverage, it must be high-performance, and open to a variety of user characteristics. The future broadband network should see development of these trends, feature high bandwidth, be open, and affordable. These issues will all be covered in detail during the first day of QITCOM 2012′s conference and we look forward to sharing global best practices and insights for the advancement of the National broadband infrastructure.”

Main speaker for the topic, Dr. Stagg Newman, Mckinsey Advisor and expert in providing technology, regulatory, and strategic advice will be leading discussions on Next Generation Broadband, and sharing his extensive experience and knowledge of broadband technology with a range of industry experts to set the agenda for debate and best practice sharing.

In addition, QITCOM 2012 will be hosting a range of relevant showcase and have asked Qatar Broadcast, a website presenting Qatari TV and radio channels, to be part of the show under this theme. Launched live on the internet on May 30, 2011, and utilizes the latest technologies in live Internet broadcasting; providing the public with local, Arab and international news, and children with stories of interest. The website’s objective of popularising online content aligns perfectly with the QITCOM 2012′s vision to showcase technology which connects and engages the community with service providers and technology developers.

“QITCOM is a one of a kind exhibition and conference in the region; it offers a platform for local ICT stakeholders to engage with global industry leaders and see first-hand the latest offerings and advances from major ICT enterprises, bringing together the private and public sector together to work as one,” Mr. Al-Khulaifi concluded.

Dubai: The bodies of the 5-year-old girl and the father who was found hanging in their apartment last month have been cremated on Tuesday morning, Gulf News has learnt.

Relatives of the victims said that the bodies were flown to India on Monday from Dubai.

The mother who was found in her apartment with her wrists slashed in an apparent suicide bid — along with the bodies of her husband Rijesh Nambiar and their daughter Avantika — is still hosptalised. As Gulf News exclusively reported, she has recovered and will soon be discharged from the hospital.

Sreesha Nambiar, 30, was placed in psychiatric care at Rashid Hospital following the gruesome events that unfolded last month, leaving her the sole survivor of the family.

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The Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB), in collaboration with SSS Process, has inaugurated Microsoft Enterprise Project Management (EPM). The EPM Solution, based on Microsoft Office Project 2010, is an end-to-end collaborative project designed to help SAIB gain visibility, insight, efficient and dynamic solutions for sharing date, developing strategies, and managing risks and logistics.

Head of Enterprise Programme Management and IT Strategy, Jamal Habahbeh, said: “Our administration is keen on developing its banking system and supplying it with best and latest technologies to boost its position in the Saudi market and increase its operational efficiency and competitiveness.”

“We believe that automating project management and business processes through a unique communication platform guarantees quality and speed of work execution. Moreover, such applications which are based on systematic methodologies play a vital role in managing and implementing projects, increasing success rates and raising customer service levels,” Al Habahbeh added.

In addition to ease-of-use capabilities and providing electronic platforms with the highest standards of safety, security, and confidentiality, the SharePoint 2010 tool supplies the necessary file-sharing infrastructure that helps employees to efficiently interact with documents and accelerates database access and information retrieval.

In his comment, SSS Process CEO, Dr. Alaa Ensheiwat, said that the company will deploy its technical capabilities and programming expertise to supply the bank with a system that fits its needs and helps the administrative bodies to draw strategic work plans, set project execution strategies, and coordinate work between managers and other concerned parties.”

Ensheiwat added, “The technical services and e-solutions provided by SSS Process enjoy high levels of accuracy and comprehensiveness. These basic pillars are among the factors that contribute to the development of an advanced managerial system that can boost a banking institution in the size of SAIB.”

It is worth noting that the Secure Services Systems Company, the Jordanian-Saudi leading company specialized in providing e-government services and software solutions, has been instrumental since its establishment in 2003 in building up banking systems and providing advanced e-services at the level of e-government projects, such as Murasalat and C4 Sadad, and other fields that require the highest levels of security.

New Zealand, a wealthy Pacific nation, is dominated by two cultural groups: New Zealanders of European descent, and the minority Maori, whose Polynesian ancestors arrived on the islands around 1,000 years ago.

British sovereignty was established under the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi – a pact between Maori chiefs and the British government over land rights.

The treaty gave rise to land claims which culminated in the "New Zealand Wars", a series of skirmishes between colonial forces and Maori in the North Island.

The government awarded money and land in settlements during the 1990s, but the land issue remains controversial.

In 1984 the government embarked on a dramatic and controversial economic reform programme, which lifted controls on wages, prices and interest rates and removed agricultural subsidies.

The landscape is diverse, and sometimes spectacular. This has fuelled tourism; visitors are drawn to the glacier-carved mountains, lakes, beaches and thermal springs. Because of the islands' geographical isolation, much of the flora and fauna is unique to the country.

New Zealand plays an active role in Pacific affairs. It has constitutional ties with the Pacific territories of Niue, the Cook Islands and Tokelau.

Its troops served in East Timor when violence broke out in the territory in 1999 and were part of a multinational force intended to restore order to the Solomon Islands in 2003. Further afield, New Zealand forces have backed peacekeeping and development efforts in Afghanistan.

But its anti-nuclear stance – including a ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed vessels from its waters – put it at odds with the US in the 1980s.

A significant amount of New Zealand's electricity is generated by hydropower sources and the country has a range of renewable energy sources at its disposal.

Migration patterns have changed, with most incomers coming from Asia and Pacific island states, rather than from the UK and Australia. Officials estimate that Asians will make up 13% of the population by 2021 from about 9% in 2009.

Dubai: Efforts to improve the ecology of the UAE will be recognised through a series of Emirates Appreciation Awards for the Environment which were rolled out yesterday in Dubai.

The awards were first announced in September 2011 by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and are in conjunction with the Higher Committee of the Zayed International Foundation for the Environment.

In a statement issued yesterday, Shaikh Mohammad lauded UAE leaders for achieving a great deal of protection on behalf of the environment in a very short time.

‘Luminous milestone’

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Ceuta and Melilla, fragments of Europe on north Africa's Mediterranean coast, came under Spanish control around 500 years ago.

Madrid says the urban enclaves are integral parts of Spain. They are surrounded by Morocco, which views the Spanish presence as anachronistic and claims sovereignty.

But improving relations were jeopardised in November 2007 by Spanish King Juan Carlos' II first visit to the territories in more than 30 years, which King Mohammed VI strongly condemned.

Spain also controls a scattering of islets along the north African coast, including uninhabited Perejil, which was at the centre of a spat in 2002 when Moroccan soldiers occupied it before being removed by the Spanish army.

More recently, differences over Ceuta and Melilla have not prevented a warming of relations between Morocco and Spain, particularly economic ones. Morocco's premier has advocated "neighbourly" talks on the issue.

With its rebuilt 15th century cathedral, shipyards and a fish-processing plant, Ceuta is viewed by Spain as the more strategically-valuable enclave. The town is a 90-minute ferry ride from mainland Spain.

Melilla, conquered in 1497, is a modern town with a distinctive old quarter.

The enclaves are surrounded by fences, intended to deter illegal immigrants. But Ceuta and Melilla are nonetheless used by many Africans as stepping-stones to Iberia. Many migrants are caught and some drown while attempting to make the sea crossing. People trafficking is common.

After a series of increasingly-desperate attempts by would-be immigrants to surmount the barriers in 2005, Spain and Morocco agreed to deploy extra troops to try to secure the borders.

Ceuta and Melilla are linked to Spain by ferry services to Malaga, Algeciras and Almeria. Borders and defence are controlled by Madrid. Tourism is an important money-earner with duty-free goods being a big draw for visitors.

A warning light is flashing. The UK's triple A rating is under threat. The chancellor accepted this morning that "Britain's economic reputation is on the line".

Economically, that means Britain could face not just low growth and rising unemployment but, if the credit ratings agencies do eventually downgrade Britain, higher interest rates too.

Politically, it is another sign – following the revelation last year that the government is way off course to meet its borrowing targets – that George Osborne is currently failing in his own terms – ie: in his efforts to cut the debt and the deficit ahead of all other economic goals.

Yet this morning – as I listened from afar on a half-term break – I couldn't help noticing that this latest news simply led both Messrs Osborne and Balls to say "I told you so".

The chancellor says "I told you how serious our debt problem was" whilst the shadow chancellor tells you "I told you the government was making things worse".

It will be Mr Balls, though, who will feel with some confidence that the arguments are moving his way.

Update 1.20pm: The detail of what Moody's are saying is only just reaching me in the middle of nowhere on my half term break.

What Moody's point out, and the chancellor's people have seized upon, is that a downgrade could follow any "reduced political commitment to fiscal consolidation, including discretionary fiscal loosening".

That, says the chancellor, is why Ed Balls' mantra – spend more now to premote growth – isn't borne out by today's report. Mr Osborne's message remains clear – steady as she goes.

Dubai: The mother who was found in her apartment with her wrists slashed in an apparent suicide bid — along with the bodies of her husband and their daughter — has recovered and will soon give a police statement, Gulf News has learnt.

Sreesha Nambiar, 30, was placed in psychiatric care at Rashid Hospital following the gruesome events that unfolded last month, leaving her the sole survivor of the family.

On January 14, Avantika, 5, and her father Rijesh Nambiar, 32, were found dead in their single-bedroom apartment in Bur Dubai behind Al Musalla Tower. The mother was found with wounds on her neck and wrist and was hospitalised by the police.

"The procedure to discharge Sreesha from the hospital will be initiated within a day or two," sources told Gulf News.

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