Gulf Malayali's Onam! A Keralite construction worker celebrating Onam in the construction site. Pictured above is this Construction worker's posh villa in an interior village of a Gulf country. Watch this space.
- AMD unveils world's highest-performing processor for desktop PCs
- Djibouti : Ship not a public health threat -MobileCom empowers prepaid users with SMS service while roaming abroad MMI Travel's 'Apartment Holidays' for Arab families
- WTO Agreements and Public Health - A joint study by the WHO and the WTO Secretariat- Symbol Broadens Regional Reach with OnLine Distribution Ltd.
- HCL Infosystems offers Indian language support package in partnership with Microsoft
- Sudan : Focus on Egyptian role in peace process
Djibouti : Ship not a public health threat
NAIROBI, 21 August (IRIN) - A Romanian ship carrying fertilisers which was allowed to dock at the Djibouti port over the weekend does not pose a health hazard to the country, a Djibouti port official told IRIN on Wednesday.
The Sylvia, a bulk carrier, docked at Djibouti after three members of its crew reportedly died from inhaling toxic fumes. "The ship was allowed to dock on humanitarian grounds, after three crew members died, and others were taken ill," said Muhammad Abar, the Djibouti harbour master. The decision had been reached following confirmation that "the problem was internal to the ship and posed no risk to Djibouti", he added.
Apparently, the crew members died after they went down to the engine room and "were exposed to exhaust gas fumes, which suffocated them", he said. The official said the dead included the ship's captain. The bodies, which had been taken from the ship, would be dispatched to Romania on Saturday. According to Abar, three other crew members were successfully treated for minor ailments.
However, the crew were refusing to leave with the ship until they were assured that the problem would not recur on the high seas. The ship's destination was China, and the crew "are afraid that something similar may occur while they are at sea", Abar said.
Meanwhile, the Romanian consul in Yemen had arrived in Djibouti to reassure the crew and repatriate the deceased, he said.
Fears of a widespread environmental and humanitarian crisis arose after 10 containers holding a highly toxic substance known as chromated copper arsenate began leaking at the port in January, contaminating five sites, with a number of people having to undergo treatment in Djibouti hospitals as a result.
AMD unveils world's highest-performing processor for desktop PCs
AMD (NYSE: AMD) today celebrates the third anniversary of the award-winning AMD Athlon(tm) processor by announcing the world's highest-performing processor for desktop PCs, the AMD Athlon XP processor 2600+. AMD also introduced the AMD Athlon XP processor 2400+.
August 21, 2002, New Delhi: "The introduction of the highest-performing PC processor in the world is a victory for application performance and a resounding defeat for the 'megahertz myth," said Ed Ellett, vice president of marketing for AMD's Computation Products Group. "As the performance leader, the AMD Athlon XP processor 2600+ reigns as the superior choice and delivers outstanding application performance for richer, high-powered digital computing."Since its debut three years ago, the AMD Athlon processor has achieved widespread industry acclaim as its architectural superiority continues to deliver award-winning performance. The processor and systems based on it have won more than 100 awards worldwide, including PC Magazine's Reader's Choice Award, Product of the Year 2001/2002; Microprocessor Report's Analyst's Choice Award for Best PC Processor in 2001; and Maximum PC's CPU of the Year in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
"Microprocessor cognoscenti have long understood the folly of using megahertz as a proxy for performance," observed Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64. "Processors used in today's high-end servers run at approximately one gigahertz, but outperform the fastest desktop PC designs. Even within the PC processor segment, differing approaches to chip design make simple megahertz-based performance comparisons somewhat ambiguous. This problem will only get worse over time. PC buyers should rethink their purchasing criteria, and focus on how fast their applications run, rather than on the PC processor's megahertz rating." The AMD Athlon XP processors 2600+ and 2400+ feature QuantiSpeed(tm) architecture, which delivers performance advantages versus competitive PC processors on a broad array of real-world applications, including digital media, office productivity and 3D gaming.
AMD has begun shipping samples of the AMD Athlon XP processors 2600+ and 2400+ to major computer manufacturers worldwide with expected system availability in September. The AMD Athlon XP processors 2600+ and 2400+ are priced at $297 and $193, respectively, in 1,000-unit quantities.
The AMD Athlon XP processor features QuantiSpeed architecture, 384KB of on-chip, full-speed cache, and support for AMD's 3DNow!(tm) Professional instructions for enhanced multimedia capabilities. The AMD Athlon XP processor is compatible with AMD's Socket A infrastructure, and supports the advanced 266MHz front-side bus. AMD Athlon XP processors are manufactured using AMD's 0.13 micron copper process technology in Fab 30 in Dresden, Germany.
MobileCom empowers prepaid users with first ever SMS service while roaming abroad
The first operator in the Arab world to provide this service
Amman 21 August 2002
For the first time in the Middle East, MobileCom prepaid customers can send
and receive SMS while traveling abroad. MobileCom prepaid customers already
benefit from the prepaid roaming service which was the first launch of its
kind in the region last year. All MobileCom CardCom, CardCom Trio, CardCom
SAWA and Smart customers can immediately take advantage of the SMS service
while they are roaming in more than 90 countries.“Building on our achievement of being the first operator in the Middle East
to launch prepaid roaming service, today, we are the first operator in the
Arab world to provide SMS for prepaid users while roaming,” said Erick
Valette, chief marketing officer at MobileCom.“Our primary objective at MobileCom is to provide highly advanced services
which add value to our customers and empower them to benefit from such
unique services.”As of today, all MobileCom prepaid users can benefit from this value added
service while traveling abroad, by simply write and sending a message the
same way they do in Jordan. No additional country or service codes are
required and customers are not charged for receiving SMS messages.“MobileCom prepaid users have the ability to roam without deposits or
concerns over large bills when they come back, all they have to do is
recharge their account or take enough scratch cards while traveling,” said
Valette.MMI Travel's 'Apartment Holidays' for Arab families, now available all year long
Dubai, UAE - MMI Travel, a division of Maritime and Mercantile International, has extended the range and duration of their unique 'Apartment Holidays' to cater to the immense demand for this trend-setting style of travel. In an unprecedented gesture, the company has decided to make their summer holiday packages available to travellers throughout the year.
MMI Travel introduced their seasonal apartment holidays in early June, to address the special and specific needs of Arab families and large groups wishing to travel abroad during the summer. In less than two months, the company has already catered to a growing number of travellers opting for apartment-style holidays, a significant percentage of which comprise UAE and other Arab national families.
Elaborating on this unique style of holidaymaking Ray D'Souza, Manager, Incentives and Leisure, MMI Travel, stated that the company had designed the apartment-based holidays especially for Arab families, and that the response to these holidays had far exceeded the company's expectations."We understand only too well that Arab families have special needs when they travel abroad. They seek privacy and homely comforts and like to stay close together as a family - needs that are not always met in a hotel.
"Our apartment holidays offer them the comforts of home away from home," he stated, adding that the reason why they had become so popular so fast is because of satisfied travellers who had already experienced these holidays. "We have had at least two recommendations for every family that has travelled with us since early June, and this translates into more apartment holidays than we had expected," states D'Souza.
He also announced that the popularity of these holidays had spurred the company to extend its range and duration. "The apartment holidays were originally designed merely to run the course of the summer, but on account of its gaining popularity, we have decided to offer it all year long," he stated.MMI Travel's apartment holidays offer one, two and three-bedroom apartments and studios in a range of prices, and for durations varying from a day to a month. The apartment holidays are currently available in London, Brussels, Paris, Switzerland, Malaysia and the Gold Coast, with prices starting as low as Dhs. 2350 per week. Details of their range of apartment holidays can be availed from the MMI Travel offices in Dubai, Jebel Ali and Ras Al Khaimah.
MMI Travel is a full service travel management company and provides a one-stop travel solution in three core areas - Business Travel Management, Outbound Leisure and Vacation Travel, and Destination Management (Gulf Ventures). The company is the exclusive General Sales Agent (GSA) for Abercrombie and Kent, Contiki Holidays, Cox & Kings, American Airlines and Air New Zealand in the UAE.
WTO Agreements and Public Health - A joint study by the WHO and the WTO Secretariat
The World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization Secretariat
published today a joint study of the relationship between trade rules and
public health. The 171-page study WTO Agreements and Public Health
explains how WTO Agreements relate to different aspects of health
policies. It is meant to give a better insight into key issues for those
who develop, communicate or debate policy issues related to trade and
health. The study covers areas such as drugs and intellectual property
rights, food safety, tobacco and many other issues which have been subject
to passionate debate. In this joint effort, the first of its kind, WHO
and the WTO Secretariat endeavour to set out the facts.
In their foreword, Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, WHO Director-General and Mike
Moore, WTO Director-General confirm that "there is much common ground
between trade and health." But they also send the message that "health
and trade policy-makers can benefit from closer cooperation to ensure
coherence between their different areas of responsibilities."
The study explains that countries have the right to take measures to
restrict imports or exports of products when this is necessary to protect
the health of humans, animals or plants. When liberalizing services, they
retain the right to regulate in order to meet national policy objectives,
in areas such as health. Eight specific health issues are covered -
infectious disease control, food safety, tobacco, environment, access to
drugs, health services, food security as well as some emerging issues,
such as biotechnology - and, in each case, examples of challenges and
opportunities in implementing coherent trade and health policies are
provided..
"WTO Agreements are sensitive to health issues. In fact, health concerns
can take precedence over trade issues. If necessary, governments may put
aside WTO commitments in order to protect human life. And, according to
WTO jurisprudence, human health has been recognized as being 'important in
the highest degree,'" concludes Miguel Rodr?guez Mendoza, Deputy
Director-General and the principal coordinator for the WTO.
"Good public policy must be based on sound evidence", adds Dr Andrew
Cassels, Director of WHO's Strategy Unit. "This study highlights areas
where trade and health linkages deserve more careful analysis. It also
highlights benefits that are possible when trade and health officials work
closely together."Symbol Broadens Regional Reach with OnLine Distribution Ltd.
First Regional Distribution Agreement with OnLine Gives System Integrators Across the Region Access to Leading Mobile Computing, Wireless and Scanning Technologies
Dubai, UAE - 21 August 2002 - Symbol Technologies, a global leader in mobile data transaction systems, today announced its partnership with OnLine Distribution Ltd., a leading value-add distributor of data networking products throughout the Middle East, Western Asia and North Africa. This partnership will give a broader group of solution providers in the Middle East access to the Symbol product range. Symbol's data capture, mobile computing and wireless technologies bring a new dimension to the highly focused technology solutions and services that OnLine provides to its resellers and systems integrators.OnLine Distribution Ltd., the Middle East subsidiary of Westcon Network Enablers Pty. Ltd. of South Africa, is focused on the value-add sale of products and service to resellers of data network solutions, systems integrators and network service providers. The Westcon Group is a value-add global player for leading-edge technology products and services to solution providers, integrators, dealer channels and the reseller community. Westcon has operations in America, Africa, Europe, Australia, Asia and the Middle East.
"The Middle East has an enormous capacity for growth in the mobile computing and data capture market. OnLine Distribution will give us much broader exposure, allowing us to bring our products to a wider cross-section of vertical industry solution providers in the region," said Sunil Chadha, regional manager of Symbol Technologies Middle East. "OnLine Distribution is well established in the Middle East; by combining our strengths we can deliver an unparalleled range of products and services to support the solutions providers in the region that are developing advanced information systems.""We are excited about this new partnership with Symbol," said Terry Kelly, managing director, Westcon AME. "Our focus is to continuously enhance our value proposition to our customers, allowing them to be more competitive. Symbol is the world leader in its field, and with OnLine's value-added distribution and service capabilities, we make a very formidable team."
"OnLine and Symbol are both well established in the Middle East and by combining our strengths we will be able to deliver unparalleled products and services that will support our customers in addressing their very dynamic and demanding markets," added Terry.
Symbol Middle East works through a select group of business partners in the region, which deliver customized solutions using a wide range of products. Symbol designs, manufactures and markets bar code scanning equipment, application-specific handheld computers and wireless network products and systems that are used as strategic building blocks in solutions for retail, package and parcel delivery, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, healthcare and myriad of other industries.HCL Infosystems offers Indian language support package in partnership with Microsoft
HCL Infosystems Ltd., India's premier information enabling company, in alliance with Microsoft Corporation, will be offering the multilingual proofing tool that supports nine Indian languages, with its Infiniti range of desktops, to the Government bodies, Financial Institutes and Public sector undertakings.
August 20, 2002, New Delhi: The comprehensively designed nine Indian languages offered by the versatile multi-lingual facility are Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Gujrati, Telegu, Marathi, Gurumukhi, Sanskrit and Konkani. This innovative initiative to facilitate the regional sectors in local language computing validates, yet again, HCL Infosystems' constant focus on the Indian mass market. The homegrown HCL Insys is not just the numero uno PC vendor in the country but a recognisable brand in the local sector. The reason, says Mr George Paul, Associate V.P. Mktg., HCL Infosystems Ltd., is "the company's incessant attention to details that make a difference to the life of the common man". The presence of HCL being a strong one in the regional sector, the local language computing is expected to have a considerable impact.With the help of this unique multilingual proofing tool, users will be able to type in multiple keyboards, use auto correct, carry out spell checks, apply custom animation, save, name and give document passwords - all in nine different Indian languages, using Microsoft XP. Additional features include Smart tags, track and give comments, send e-mails, sort and create databases etc. This breakthrough font technology, based on worldwide standards, is expected to deliver unparalleled user experience in terms of productivity, collaboration and integration. Besides this, the bundle will also enhance personal, collaborative and organizational experiences, thereby leading to greater organizational productivity, access to more information, reliability, data recovery, security and integrated web-based solution.
"Local language computing has always been a key investment focus for Microsoft to realize its vision of anytime, anywhere, anyplace computing. We are therefore happy to collaborate in innovative solutions such as the Indic enabled PC from HCL Infosystems, as it takes the power of personal computing to the masses," said Sanjiv Mathur, Group Marketing Manager, Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd.
Adds Mr Paul, HCL Infosystems Ltd., "The partnership between HCL Insys and Microsoft is prompted by the growing need in emerging and existing markets for a productivity tool in their local language to support the growing number of employees using a personal computer. Through this package, we would be able to bring together people, processes, content, and systems and help in increase productivity and reducing costs."
This latest foray into the mass market is expected to add to the already impressive record sales of HCL Insys, which was recently declared the top PC vendor for the year 2001-2002 by Dataquest.
Sudan : Focus on Egyptian role in peace process
NAIROBI, 20 August (IRIN) - As the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army continue their second round of peace talks in Kenya this week, analysts agree that optimism for an agreement is warranted.
With a consensus on the increasingly effective mediation partnership between Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) envoys from Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea and Ethiopia and a group of observer nations comprising the US, UK, Norway and Italy, a momentum seems to have developed which, it is hoped, could end Sudan's 19-year civil war.
Speaking in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, last week, John Prendergast, Co-Director of the International Crisis Group's (ICG) Africa programme, told reporters that the talks represented the best chance for Sudanese peace since the 1989 coup that brought Sudanese President Umar Hasan al-Bashir to power.
US Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan John Danforth told reporters in Nairobi on Monday that because of the "very, very strong support" for the peace process worldwide, and his own belief in the will of the relevant parties to successfully conclude the talks, he was optimistic for an agreement for the first time since being appointed to his post.
US President George W. Bush was "very personally engaged" in Sudan, Danforth told reporters, and the international community had a common commitment to supporting peace in Sudan both now and in the future.
Egypt's fears
Yet neighbouring Egypt - which since 1999 has brokered a Libyan-Egyptian peace initiative prioritising national unity - is firmly opposed to the landmark Machakos Protocol, signed on 20 July, which provides for a possible secession of the south after a referendum in six years' time. Egypt fears that secession might lead to increased competition for the Nile waters, as well a more extreme Islamist government in the north, analysts say.
In a joint press conference held on 1 August with Sudanese Information Minister Mahdi Ibrahim, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Mahir said that "Egypt stands firmly behind Sudan's unity", AFP reported. "Egypt supports this unity in the context of one country in which all people have their own rights and enjoy the fruits of national wealth," he went on to say, speaking on Egyptian President Husni Mubarak's behalf.
On 31 July, Usamah al-Baz, an adviser to Mubarak, reiterated his government's opposition to partition. "Partitioning the country of Sudan into two parts would be a contagious phenomenon that would spread to surrounding countries on the basis of tribe, language, and religion," the state-run MENA news agency quoted him as saying, according to AFP.
Accusations regarding US interests in the peace talks, and the exclusion of Egypt from them, have also appeared in Egyptian state-owned newspapers. "The major objective of the United States is to eliminate the Egyptian-Libyan influence and to abort their initiative and to separate the south of Sudan from the north on any basis," said a columnist, Salamah Ahmad Salamah, in the state-run Al-Ahram daily, AFP reported. "Egypt was completely excluded because of American pressure," he added.
Notably, as recently as May 2002, Bashir and Mubarak, meeting in Cairo, discussed "reactivating the Egyptian-Libyan peace initiative" and "other efforts aimed at guaranteeing the national unity of Sudanese territory," AFP reported. On 15 August, Foreign Minister Mahir stressed that the Libyan-Egyptian initiative - which many regard as an attempt to undercut the IGAD process - was still "not out of date".
Future plans
The Sudanese presidential peace adviser, Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Atabani, has said that Khartoum will work to develop southern Sudan in order to preserve unity. "The government has plans for development projects in the south, and we will enter into a race against time... to modernise the south and preserve the unity of the country," AFP quoted him as telling the state-owned Al-Akhbar daily. "It would be important to discuss with the different Sudanese parties how to benefit from this initiative in a way to preserve Sudan's unity," he added.
But despite such "encouragement", the likelihood remains that the southern Sudanese may well opt - presuming that Bashir's government is still in place in six years' time and that the referendum takes place as agreed - for secession, something that Egypt must be aware of, analysts say.
ICG has warned that if Cairo's security fears are not allayed, it could become a spoiler. Mubarak could work with anti-Bashir elements in Khartoum to undermine or topple the president, and thus wreck the entire peace process, said Prendergast last week. For Egypt, "Sudan is foremost a national security issue. They have said that repeatedly because of the [Nile] water issue," he said. "Egypt could work to erode support for Machakos among members of the Arab League."
"The US must get Egypt on board," he stressed, adding that high-level and personal diplomacy was required from Bush to achieve this. But despite having said that Sudanese peace was a priority, Prendergast noted, "President Bush has never made a phonecall specifically about Sudan".
Danforth, however, dismissed the possibility of any interference from Egypt, saying that while it remained opposed to succession, it recognised that partition of Sudan was a possibility. "They're now dealing with the reality," he said. "I do not see Egypt as a spoiler. The government gave no indication of that when I was in Cairo."
