KABUL, Afghanistan – The goal is to transform Afghanistan into a modern nation, fueled by a U.S.-led effort pouring $60 billion into bringing electricity, clean water, jobs, roads and education to this crippled country. But the results so far — or lack of them — threaten to do more harm than good.

The reconstruction efforts have stalled and stumbled at many turns since the U.S. military arrived in 2001, undermining President Barack Obama’s vow to deliver a safer, stable Afghanistan capable of stamping out the insurgency and keeping al-Qaida from re-establishing its bases here.

Poppy fields thrive, with each harvest of illegal opium fattening the bankrolls of terrorists and drug barons. Passable roads remain scarce and unprotected, isolating millions of Afghans who remain cut off from jobs and education. Electricity flows to only a fraction of the country’s 29 million people.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE — The United States has made an enormous and costly commitment to building a new Afghanistan, but an Associated Press investigation finds that the results have been paltry. First in an occasional series, “Fixing Afghanistan.”

Read the whole hot breaking news

High security prevented the media from getting close to the 76-year-old film director as he arrived to attend Emmanuelle Seigner’s concert with festival founder Claude Nobs in a 4×4 with tinted windows.

Polanski had been under house arrest pending the US demand, refused on Monday, for him to be sent to California to face justice for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

The director stayed out of sight throughout the concert, which Seigner began with the theme from Polanski’s 1968 cult classic “Rosemary’s Baby”, in the only reference to her husband in the performance in the small town by Lake Leman.

Earlier Polanski had said he maintained “a great friendship for Switzerland and above all … for its people who solidly supported me,” in an interview with Swiss television to be broadcast Saturday night.

Read the whole hot breaking news

Though titled for the novel premise it borrows from the French film “Le Diner de Cons” — wealthy businessmen hold a party in which their bizarre guests are unwittingly competing for a “biggest idiot” trophy — “Schmucks” is actually more interested in the tortured relationship between one of the idiots in question, Steve Carell’s Barry Speck, and the young striver, Paul Rudd’s Tim Conrad, who invites him to the function against his better judgment.

After the two meet accidentally, Speck latches onto Conrad and refuses to let go, upending his love life and career in a matter of hours with lapses in judgment viewers must strain to accept. Where Carell’s “The Office” character, Michael Scott, combines outrageously bad judgment with vanity and self-delusion, Barry Speck is enough rungs down the IQ ladder that laughing at him is nearly unpleasant. If not for an occasional bit of good shtick (Speck playing dead in the face of danger, for instance), we might be inclined to shake our heads in sorrow and walk away.

Speck is, however, an idiot savant as a hobbyist, creating utterly charming dioramas out of stuffed mice wearing tiny costumes. Conrad’s co-workers may find them pathetic, but these creations supply the film with some redeeming moments of soul.

Though Carell and Rudd are both saddled with characters that just aren’t as interesting as many they’ve played in the past, the movie benefits from having drawn many gifted comedians to supporting roles. Screwy performances from actors like “Little Britain” vet David Walliams provide surprising pleasure alongside those (by Zach Galifianakis and Jemaine Clement) we already expect to be comic highlights; each adds a note or two of weirdness that is much needed here.

Read the whole hot breaking news

“I can’t tell you how happy he was doing what he ended up doing,” she said.

___

Online:

Denny Dent: http://www.dennydent.com

Read the whole hot breaking news

Mackerras was first conductor at the Hamburg State Opera from 1966 to 1969, and chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from 1982 to 1985.

He was music director of Welsh National Opera (1987-92), principal guest conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (1992-95), music director of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in New York (1998-2001), principal guest conductor of the Philharmonia (from 2004) and principal guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic.

Mackerras was knighted in 1979 and made a Companion of Honor — reserved for 65 living persons of distinction — in 2003.

Mackerras is survived by his wife, Judith, and their two daughters.