Abu Dhabi, Dec. 9th, 2008 --President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has conferred a first class Order of Independence on Abdul Halim Caracalla, founder of the famous Lebanese Caracalla Dance Theatre.

The honour was bestowed on Mr. Caracalla as a token of recognition of his enormous contributions to the contemporary Arab art in general and Arab theatre in particular.

London - The British government Tuesday announced a ban on the open display of cigarettes in shops and supermarkets in its latest attempt to curb smoking, especially among the younger generation.

Health Minister Alan Johnson cited the success of similar schemes from Iceland to the British Virgin Islands as a main reason for the initiative, which will come into force between 2011 and 2013.

In line with future legislation for England and Wales, supermarkets will have to adopt the ban from 2011, with corner shops following suit in 2013.

London, Dec. 9 : Former England cricketer Chris Lewis has been charged with attempted drug smuggling.

Lewis is due to appear before the Crawley Magistrates’ court after he was charged with attempting to smuggle four kilograms of cocaine at Gatwick Airport. The estimated street value of the seized drugs is 200,000 pounds, and it was hidden in his luggage. They were in a liquid form in fruit tins.

Lewis, 40, who played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals in the 1990s, was arrested on Monday by UK Border Agency staff soon after his arrival from St. Lucia in the Caribbean.

London, Dec 9 : New evidence has emerged that suggests the Sphinx may have originally had the face of lion, and not that of an ancient pharaoh, as generally believed by historians.

Egyptologists have long believed that the huge statue on the bank of the Nile depicted an ancient pharoah’s head on the body of a lion.

The 65ft high, 260ft long limestone sculpture was thought to have been built in the image of a great ruler, probably King Khafra, around 4,500 years ago.

Geneva - Revenues of airlines are expected to fall by an average of 6 per cent next year, an outlook released Tuesday said, as passenger and cargo traffic is likely to drop.

The International Air Transport Association said in its 2009 forecast the industry would expect to lose 2.5 billion dollars.

"We face the worst revenue environment in 50 years," said Giovanni Bisignani, the IATA's chief.

London, Dec. 9 : Former England football star David Beckham has been grilled by police after his heavies roughed up a photographer who had been hounding him.

According to the Daily Express, photographers were following the former England skipper while he was driving with his family. Beckham slammed the brakes and marched up to the snapper''s car. When the photographer refused to get out, Beckham walked away, leaving his henchmen to take over.

The beefed-up bodyguards hauled the snapper from his car, wrestled him to the ground, put him in cuffs and dragged him along the road.