Osama 'in and out' of Iran..Now Attack Iran? - Web of cold-blooded lies

Nafeesa will go home with a Return Ticket.. Dirty War of Words Stopped!!!

DUBAI - Nabeesa Salih who lived in the desert in Sharjah for two years is returning home at last as Firoz Merchant, businessman and philanthropist, lent a helping hand to the Keralite woman. The Chairman of Pure Gold Jewellers provided a return ticket bound to Thiruvananthapuram as well as AED 8500 check to pay Salih's debts. Merchant offered help to Salih after learning about the woman's situation through an article published in 7-Days, the new Tabloid newspaper that is creating sensation in the UAE market . The story was first broke by Ahmed Sharief , in Middle East Chandrika followed by the first English article in 7-Days about her. The lady was transferred from her makeshift house to a Jumeirah shelter where she is currently kept.

The initial media reports attracted national attention in the UAE as radio stations discussed the story in detail. It has been an irritating and uncomfortable experience when the new papers like Middle East Chandrika and 7-Days scored by breaking such a human interest story. It is natural that new entrants in any media segment play with any stories to establish in the market and improve readership. Unfortunately, what started as a human interest story turned out to be an ugly war of wards by journalists. They made Nabeesa talk in different tones, asking skewed questions and took her photographs. What are we journalists trying to prove ? No doubt the journalist who broke the story did a great job. Everyone on in the media including the rival publications accepted that fact. Such incidents definitely boost journalists ego too.

Mr. Walter Quadros (Operations Manager, Pure Gold Jewellers) handed over (to Nabeesa) return Air Ticket bound to Tiruvanandapuram as well as AED 8500 cheque to pay Nabeesa Salih's debts, donated by Mr. Firoz Merchant, Chaiman of Pure Gold Jewellers, in the presence of Shalah Musabbah (Women in Crisis), Jorhie Alban (Promax Middle east) and P. Ahamed Shareef (Chief Editor, Middle East Chandrika) at a ceremony held today at Midle East Chandrika Office, Dubai Media City.

However, Sharief demoted himself by taking a media award in the name of Nabeesa. It looks very awkward when someone gets an award, hardly a week after filing a great story!!! When the annual award is constituted in the name of a respected name like Mother Theresa, the organisers need to maintain certain ethical standards and criteria. To recognise good work of a journalist is always a welcome step but by being part of such exercises, the journalists are degrading their profession. Naturally some journalists got irritated and started raising questions... Many of the so called awards in Dubai coming from the mushrooming number of associations or entities lack credibility. Not all writers are like Satre who rejected the Nobel Prize..

Many leading journalists have been "trapped" by imposing such awards. It was only a few months back that an association announced a media award even before completing its formation!!! Is it not part of the journalists duty to do such human interest stories and help the lady who had been living in poor conditions? As a gesture of generosity, Sharief plans to donate the Indian Rs.20,000 that he will get for the Mother Thera Award to Nabeesa. Other well wishers may also come forward to help her. "What can a journalist do when someone came forward offering an award for doing such a story? He is in a difficult position," says one journalist. Of course the other newspapers could not tolerate a relatively new paper becoming the talk of the town for publishing such stories. The real healthy competition among various media establishments is not by publishing stories to prove the other papers wrong...but by breaking more interesting stories... That is how a healthy competition brings out the best..

Now that Nabeesa got ger return ticket and money to clear off her pending debts based on the media reports, there is no room left for further criticism . The Tabloid newspaper too could be justied in reaping maximum advantage from the Nabeesa story. However, other newspapers which pointed fingers about Nabeesa and the journalists who reported her story raised many eyebrows. ."We are delighted to be able to help Nabeesa. We will be glad to see her happy, finally reunited with her family and friends back home. Somehow her story has encouraged others to come forward in aid to many people in need," said Firoz Merchant who came to the Middle East Chandrika office to hand over the cheque and ticket..... That is the greatest recognition for Ahmed Sharief and all other journalists who reported the story...isnt it? Now it is time to desert the desert woman and look for the next scoop...

Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority Announces New Senior Appointments

Managing Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs and Chief Financial Officer join team

Doha, June 12, 2005… The Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (“QFCRA”) today announced the appointment of Mr. Jamie Orchard as Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of Legal Regulatory Affairs and Mr. Jay Perumal as Chief Financial Officer. Both appointments are effective immediately. Phillip Thorpe, the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Regulatory Authority welcomed the new appointments: “I am pleased to welcome the new team members. These senior appointments mark the further expansion of the QFCRA’s operational capacity and demonstrate the continued rapid progress in the Centre’s overall development. The appointees bring considerable international expertise ensuring we will be able to deliver the high level of transparency and international best practices that investors and financial institutions seek.”

Mr. Orchard joins the QFCRA from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, where he was responsible for overseeing all regulatory enforcement activities within the Dubai International Financial Centre. Previously, Mr. Orchard held the position of Federal Prosecutor in Australia and built his regulatory career within the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). There he was responsible for all enforcement activities undertaken by the ASIC across four states of Australia.

Mr. Perumal also joins the QFCRA from the Dubai Financial Services Authority where, as Chief Financial Officer, he was instrumental in establishing its initial Finance, IT and Administrative systems from inception. Previously, Mr. Perumal held a number of banking and finance positions within HSBC Group offices in the Middle East, Hong Kong and Canada, and was Manager of Planning and Development for a Dubai-based bank.

The QFCRA continues to recruit staff and establish its processes and expects that the majority of positions will be filled from the international recruitment campaign that commenced in late April. Potential applicants can contact the Regulatory Authority, details of which can be found on its website www.qfcra.com.

Qatar has recently established the Qatar Financial Centre. On March 9 this year, new legislation was ratified enabling the QFC to have an internationally recognisable, best-in-class business and legal infrastructure run by a commercial authority and an independent regulatory body, the QFC Authority and the QFC Regulatory Authority respectively. The QFC formally opened for business on May 1, 2005, and is now receiving applications.

Mubadala Development and Shell sign MOU to form strategic alliance

June 12, 2005HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended today a ceremony held at his palace to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Mubadala Development Company, a wholly-owned investment and development vehicle of the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and Shell EP International Ltd, which is intended to lead to the formation of a strategic alliance.

The MOU provides the general framework upon which Mubadala Development and Shell will form the alliance, which is expected initially to focus on the Middle East and North Africa, outside Abu Dhabi. Areas of cooperation are likely to include the economic development of new and existing hydrocarbon resources, and the research and development of economically viable and environmentally acceptable energy solutions.

The agreement was signed by His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chief Executive Officer, Mubadala Development, and Malcolm Brinded, Executive Director of Shell Exploration & Production.

HE Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak said today: “The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with Shell is in line with our objective to partner with the best in the business and build a substantial oil and gas portfolio in the region and internationally. Mubadala looks forward to developing many exciting business opportunities with Shell in the Middle East and North Africa, and elsewhere.”

Mr Brinded said: “We look forward to working closely with Mubadala. The Middle East and North Africa are important regions for Shell and they are regions in which we are expanding. With Mubadala’s strong regional relationships and our technical and operational expertise, we will now have even more to offer resource-holding countries.” Shell’s involvement in Abu Dhabi goes back to 1939 as a shareholder in the Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Ltd. Shell is a partner with ADNOC in oil production and gas processing in Abu Dhabi.

The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, “the Group”, is a diverse group of energy companies with operations in around 145 countries. The Group’s businesses include oil and gas exploration and production; power generation; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects including wind and solar power. The Group’s parent companies are Royal Dutch Petroleum Company which has a 60% interest in the Group and The “Shell” Transport and Trading Company plc which has a 40% interest in the Group. Shares in the parent companies are traded on stock exchanges in Europe and the US. On 28 October 2004 Royal Dutch Petroleum and Shell Transport and Trading announced proposals for their unification under a single company, Royal Dutch Shell plc, with one Board of Directors. For further information, visit http://www.shell.com

Mubadala Development is a Public Joint Stock company, established and wholly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi with a mission to invest in commercially-viable, strategic, industrial and commercial partnerships.The company’s portfolio of international investments includes a stake in nine oil exploration blocks in Libya and a 25% stake in the Dutch fleet management giant LeasePlan Corporation, while its local and regional investments include a 51% majority stake in Dolphin Energy and shares in many other companies, such as Aldar Properties, National Central Cooling Company, Abu Dhabi Ship Building, Imperial College London Diabetes center in Abu Dhabi, and Tanqia. Mubadala is also involved in a Public-Private Partnership to develop the UAE University’s new campus in Al Ain. For further information please visit: www.mubadala.ae

 

More Reports from the region

Bahrain , Saudi Oman, Kuwait Qatar in Tier II Group

BAHRAIN (TIER 2 – WATCH LIST) Bahrain is a destination country for women and men who migrate legally from South Asia and the Philippines and — to a lesser extent — from China, Indonesia, the former Soviet Union, Morocco, and Ethiopia, but fall victim to conditions of sexual servitude, debt bondage, and other exploitative conditions that constitute involuntary servitude. More

Thanks to Chandrika,7-Days, Nabeesa is Going Home

“I am really delighted to hear that somebody has come forward to help me out. A few weeks back I never imagined life would take such a turn. I was struggling in the heat and I was brought into the comfort of the shelter home. I was worried about my future and the repayment of my debts and help has poured in.I want to thank God for these developments,” said Nabeesa, the 47 years old Malayali lady whose plight was first reported first by Ahmed Sharief Editor in Chief of Middle East Chandrika followed by V.M.Sathish in 7-Days. After the report appeared in these two leading newspapers, help started pouring in from various quarters. Women in crisis, part of the UAE Human Rights Department came forward to give her a new shelter. Today Nabeesa was on the cover page of 7-Days, which reaped rich dividend by first publishing the story in English. It is not the first time that 7-Days report is helping the under privileged people like Nabeesa. Earlier another report about an old man, victim of a stroke, who has been staying in Dubai for several years due to lack of money. Sunny, the victim was offered ticket by a 7-Days reader. The English media in Dubai is assuming a human face by reporting about such humanitarian issues. Gone are the period of arm chair journalism. As it has always been, the Malayalam media is the pioneer in this field. K M expresses its hapiness in helping one more human being in distress. KM Editors association with leading newspapers like 7-Days is helpful to do such humanitarian stories More

-Nabeesa is Going Home Read the Cover Story in Todays Paper (Click the Link)

http://www.7days.ae/content/view/2496/3/

Woman in Crisis, Human Rights Department of Dubai comes forward to help Nabeesa following 7- Days Report by V.M.Sathish...KM Editor feels proud to do a human interest story in 7-Days about Nabeesa that promoted Women in Crisis, a Dubai based human rights group to come forward to help the lady in distress...I feel happy to help an old woman on the story that I did on the death anniversary of my mother... Read More