Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -- Britain's business secretary, Peter Mandelson, warned the country's banks Tuesday to pass interest rate cuts along to their customers.

The Bank of England is expected to lower lending rates by as much as 1 percent on Thursday, The Times of London reported. But if the central bank lowers rates, David Hodgkinson, chief operating officer of HSBC, consumers might not see the full benefit of the lower rates themselves.

Mandelson quickly answered Hodgkinson's comment, even though the two were traveling in the Middle East with a contingent of businessmen and Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

"I have to say when official rates are being cut it's not unreasonable for the customers to expect to see some benefits," Mandelson said.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Colombian pop star Shakira's publicist says a report that the singer will record a song about Islam and Arabs with Arab-American singer Dania Youssef is untrue.

Al-Arabiya reported that Shakira, who is of Lebanese and Colombian descent, is penning the English lyrics, while Egyptian composer Mohamed Saad is writing the Arabic portion of the song, as well as the music. The report said a U.S. director was expected to film a music video for the song.

Shakira's publicist, Diana Baron, told UPI the report was incorrect.

"This report is a total fabrication in every respect," she said.

Shakira -- who was honored last week with the Humanitarian of the Year Award at the ALMA Awards -- is working on a new record, Baron said.

Shakira has for the past year served as an advocate for early childhood education, working for her Barefoot Foundation, Fundacion Pies Descalzos and Fundacion America Latina en Accion Solidaria -- which promotes prosperity for children in Latin America as well as vaccinations and pre-natal care.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Colombian pop star Shakira reportedly plans to perform a positive song about Islam and Arabs with Arab-American singer Dania Youssef.

Al-Arabiya reported that Shakira, who is of Lebanese and European descent, is penning the English lyrics, while Egyptian composer Mohamed Saad is writing the Arabic portion of the song, as well as the music.

A U.S. director is expected to film a music video for the song, which is being created to encourage tolerance and peace.

The video is to be shot in the United Arab Emirates and is expected to premiere before the end of the year, al-Arabiya said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -- Four young stars of "The Kite Runner" have been sent from their homes in Afghanistan to United Arab Emirates so they will be safe when the divisive film opens.

It was feared the boys could be targeted for reprisal because of the movie's portrayal of a culturally inflammatory rape scene, The New York Times reported.

Accompanied by relatives, the young actors from Kabul arrived in United Arab Emirates on Friday.

"I can't really tell you what a weight came off when they landed safely," Megan Colligan, a Paramount Pictures marketing executive involved in the effort, told the newspaper.

The movie's release has been delayed by six weeks, so the boys would have time to relocate, and is now set to open on Dec. 14.

--
Copyright 2007 by

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- State-owned Dubai Aerospace Enterprise said Monday it would order 100 planes each from Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. for a combined $27.2 billion.

The deal, announced at the Dubai Air Show, includes $13.7 billion to Toulouse, France's Airbus, owned by European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., and $13.5 billion to Chicago's Boeing.

The pact includes a deal with General Electric Co. for engines, valued at more than $1.9 billion, the Dubai company said.

DAE, established in February 2006, said its order included 70 short- to medium-range Airbus A320s, 30 long-range, wide-body A350s, 70 short- to medium-range Boeing 737s, 10 long-range, wide-body 777-300s, 15 wide-body 787 Dreamliners and five long-haul, wide-body 747 jumbo jets.

Also Monday, Saudi Arabian Airlines said it signed a memorandum of understanding for 22 Airbus A320 aircraft and could increase the order by eight more A320s. And Saudi discount carrier NAS Air ordered 20 Airbus A320 jetliners, with a catalog price of $2.2 billion.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Oil-rich Arab sheikdoms sought to keep their currencies in line with the American dollar Thursday by lowering interest rates, a report says.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain followed the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point, the Wall Street Journal said in a report from Dubai.

Because exchange rates are pegged to the dollar in fixed trading ranges, monetary policy in the Persian Gulf States must mirror U.S. moves. Otherwise, the report says, there could be pressures from capital drifting to the currency with the most favorable interest rates.

The moves came despite concerns over rampant inflation in the region, which suggest central banks should be raising instead of lowering rates to defend their dollar position. Bankers said the policy conflict is building pressure on those states to disconnect their economies from the dollar.