India Stopped Emigration Clearance
to Iraq two months Back
NEW DELHI - The Government
has suspended emigration clearance to Indians going to Iraq from
April 15, 2004. This was stated by the Minister of Labour and Employment,
Shri Sis Ram Ola in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today Full
News and More Reports
Counterfeit Visa Racket
DNRD busts fake visa racket, arrests
three persons
DUBAI - July 12, 2004 The Investigation
and Control section of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department
(DNRD) has busted a racket involving production and supply of counterfeit
employment visas and arrested three accused, while the fourth is
still absconding. The racket came to light after a team from the
Investigation and Control section raided a house in Dubai, acting
on a tip-off and under the supervision of Lt. Col. Rashid Bakhit
Al Jumairi, Assistant Director, Investigation and Control section
More
Blair and Scarlett told me Iraq had
no usable weapons!!!
When I asked him why we believed Saddam would not
use these weapons against our troops on the battlefields, he surprised
me by claiming that, in order to evade detection by the UN inspectors,
Saddam had taken apart the shells and dispersed them -with the result
that it would be difficult to deploy them under attack. Not only
did Saddam have no weapons of mass destruction in the real meaning
of that phrase, neither did he have usable battlefield weapons.
Read an interesting report from the Guardian.
Galfar asked to Replace the Damaged
Wall of Kovalam Palace Antony, Rajagopal Smart liers
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Muzhukkala G.
Prabhakaran, President of Vizhinjam Grama Panchayat has asked the
Galfar group to reinstate the dismantled compound wall and the Padippura
of Halcyon Palace, a historical monument illegally occupied by the
group. According to KM sources, the Grama Panchayat will conduct
a special meeting to discuss the issue. A notice issued to the Galfar
group urged it to stop illegal construction activities within the
palace compound. However, defying the state chief minister and the
growing public opinion and media attention, the Galfar group continued
to show its arrogance by undertaking construction work in the site
on Sunday. Based on the Grama Panchayath notice, the Kovalam Police
has filed a case against the hotel Managing Director for illegal
entry into public property and causing damage to it . M.S.Bhuvanachandran,
state Shivasena Chief has asked the state chief minister to issue
arrest warrant against the hotel MD for illegally demolishing 20
meters of the hotel compound wall.
Kovalam Protection Council members alleged that the private
group is showing its arrogance because prominent ministers in the
state and central government are firmly behind the private group
in taking control of a public property. Not only that the state
ministers Kunjalikutty and K.V.Thomas are part of the deal, a new
Central Minister too is pulling strings from New Delhi to take control
of the palace. It is a shame that the state chief minister, NORKA
minister and the minister of external affairs shared a public platform
with a controversial NRI businessman who has been the main accused
in the Kovalam controversy! It may not a big deal for shamelss ministers
who have the track record of conducting "cabinet meetings"
in private bunglows of business tycoons. (KM Special)
UNION BUDGET GIVES
THRUST FOR GROWTH WITH EQUITY
S. Sethuraman*
The United Progressive
Alliance(UPA) Government headed by Dr.Manmohan Singh is committed
to advancing the welfare of the vast segment, mainly rural, of India’s
population. It aims at tapping the potential for a rapid economic
growth with equity through higher rural incomes, employment and
effective delivery of basic services. These objectives are embodied
in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) which, in effect,
is a road map for what the Alliance Government wants to achieve
in five years towards rapid growth with stability and equity. Full
Report
State Government Did
not give Halcyon Palace! Private Group markets it to Celebrity tourists!!!
KM EXCLUSIVE - Always
Ahead with Breaking News.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Even though the
state chief minister has assured the assembly that no final decision
to hand over the Halcyon Palace palace to the Galfar group has been
taken, a website http://www.kovalamhotel.com
is marketing this plum property to international tourists. The website
lists Halcyon Palace as one of the prestigious suites available
for VVIPS. The site launched in October 2002 obviously by the new
owners , lists the two day tariff rate for the Halcyon Palace as
Rs.12500. While the State Chief minister and former Railway Minister
O Rajapal denied that the palace was part of the dubious Kovalam
Hotel deal, how can the Galfar hotel group market the palace to
international tourists through a website and other channels? Apparently
Antony and other state ministers are trying to mislead the public
and wash their hands off the dirty deals that preceded the hotel
handover under dubious circumstances. It is unbelievable that the
state chief minister does not know what is happening in Kovalam!
about 15 kms away from the chief ministers castle? More
Marketing a Stolen Royal Ambience in
Style!!!
"Antique finish furniture creates
a part of the royal ambience. Royal suite sports a dressing table,
’Nettur Petti’, reclining chair, King Size Bed and upholstered
sofa .Designer tiles imported from Italy during the royal period
adorn the floors. Potted plants, painting hung on the walls and
and huge lamps hung from the roof add to the touch of elegance.
"Royal Suite 1&4 has spacious well furnished drawing room
followed by a bed room and a dressing room. The drawing room of
Suite 2 is separated from the rest by a glass panel. Suite 3 on
the first floor has both drawing room and a bed room combined together.
As the imposing castle faces the Arabian Sea, guests can witness
the panoramic view of the sunset from the first floor balcony of
the Castle. For active and sporty holidayers ,the tennis court is
adjacent to the castle and the Yoga& Ayurvedic Centre only a
two minutes walk," says the website to market Kovalam Palace.Over
the years ,the castle had the privilege to accommodate Presidents,
Prime Ministers, Ambassadors of various countries and Heads of States
apart from Celebrities from all the walk of life. A ‘special
bed’ was made for the US Ambassador, Mr. John Kenneth Galbrnth,
as none of the beds in the royal suites of the castle could accommodate
him. The recent VVIPs to stay in Suite 1 was Lord. Swaraj Paul and
Lady. Swaraj Paul and Mr.Konishiki,former Sumo Wrestling champion
from Japan. Charmed by the scenic beauty of
the beach resort and the solitude offered by the Royal Suite, two
business men from Saudi Arabia stayed with their families for over
three-and-a-half months at a stretch in two of them in 1995.More
Ohh!! Rajagopal denies BJP Involvement
in Handing over Kovalam Palace to Galfar
O.Rajgopal - BJP
is not involved, read I am not involved" But What was he doing
in Muscat during a Private Visit? Did he accept Galfar Hospitality?
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM -- Former BJP Minister
O.Rajagopalan has hurriedly convened a press conference here to
claim that the Kovalam Palace was not sold to the Galfar group of
Oman as part of the Ashoka Hotel privatization plan. Rajagopal,
who is believed to have considerable clout in the former saffron
Government, has claimed that even though the central government
wanted to sell Kovalam Hotel at Rs.200 crores, there were no other
investors to buy at that price!!!. He was also one of the leading
power brokers in major deals including petrol pump distribution.
The beloved patriot leader Rajagopal has now accused the state government
for handing over the Kovalam Palace and denied that the Haynan palace
was part of the Ashoka Hotel privatisatiion deal. Rajagopalan claimed
that he was one of the first leaders to visit Kovalam palace on
hearing that its wall has been demolished by the Galfar group. It
is another matter that O.Rajagopal was was one of the Kerala VIPs
who made a private visit to the Galfar group M.Ds. private villa
in Muscat. Despite strong opposition from a section of the Indian
Social Club Malayalam Wing, the BJP sympathizers in the club were
very particular about bringing Rajagopal as the special guest for
the Onam celebrations a couple of years back. Read
More
Natwar Singh Promises
to Resolve NRI Problems,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The central government
will set up a Central Manpower Export Promotion Council to control
manpower recruitment practices and introduce a welfare fund for
overseas Indian workers. External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh,
who was in the state to launch 'Santhwana', a programme chalked
out by `ROOTS-NRK Development Initiative' for rehabilitation of
Keralites returning from abroad, said the welfare fund would be
set up under the Labour Ministry. A 'Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra' would
be opened in Delhi to promote the multi-dimensional welfare of Indian
diaspora, including workers in the Gulf, the minister said. Planned
as an autonomous institution, the center will address various NRI
issues, he said. Read More
Political party plans march against
illegal possession of Kovalam Castle by the Oman based Galfar group
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of a joint
campaign by the CPM and Kovalam Kottaram Samrakshana Samity, a public
march will be organised to Kovalam Castle on July 25 against the
nefarious move to 'illegally possess the Castle, a historical monument.
A private businessman from Oman Dr.P.Mohammed Ali has been accused
of robbing'' the Castle antiques, CPI(M) District Secretary and
former Assembly Speaker M Vijayakumar said today. At a press conference,
he said the Kovalam Castle and its surrounding areas should be protected
as a ''historical monument,'' and action should be taken against
any individual, who had destroyed the historical compound wall,
a few days back. He urged the Government to take necessary steps
to declare the Castle and its surrounding areas as ''prohibited
area,'' and register case against the robbing of antiques and destruction
of the historical monuments. It may be recalled that the privatisation
of Ashoka Hotel has been mired in controversy as the Oman based
group has been accused of buying the property with Rs.400 crores
at a a throw away price of Rs.44 crores. Even though the state chief
minister and other ministers responsible to protect public property
assured the assembly that the palace is not transferred to any private
individuals, the Galfar group has been going ahead with demolition
work in the palace to prove a point that it has already invested
several crores to "renovate" the Kovalam complex. Some
of the state ministers have an interest in transferring the public
property to the Galfar group.
..More about Kovalam and Galfar.
Indians in the UAE
Gripped by Suicidal Tendency?
DUBAI -is the Indian community in the
UAE is gripped by suicide wave? Last Sunday evening, a 30-year-old
resident of Ajman, Sindhu Maria Joseph, drove her green Chevrolet
into Dubai creek. According to newspaper reports, she had spoken
to her husband just moments before she plunged to her death, reports
Khaleej Times. V.M.Sathish has reported in a special report (Khaleej
Times July , 8 2004) that the recent death of a young Jordanian
student, Asmahan M. D, of Ajman University was also a suicide. Dubai
Police's records indicate that 64 people committed suicide a year,
a majority of whom were Indians . Are the recent deaths a part of
a growing trend of stress-related suicides? Read
the Full Report
Day Light Robbery in Sharjah: Dhs.4.5
lakhs stolen
It is reported that a Sharjah based
company's safe was stolen by thieves at day light. Wasco Marine
and Electromechanical Company's Sharjah office was robbed of huge
amount of money kept to pay salary the staff salary. According to
KM sources, the theft must have happened during the lunch break
between 1 PM to 3 PM. Some eyewitnesses are quoted as saying that
a group of people who came in a taxi took away the company safe,
but they were under the impression that it was taken for repair..Watch
this space.
C.I.A.
Director Again Disputes Hijacker's Iraqi Contact
Cheney pressured CIA over Iraqi weapons?
Sridhar Krishnaswami of the Hindu
has reported that the Bush administration is coming under increasing
pressure to not only come away clean on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction
but also to come to terms with an allegation that intelligence agencies
were pressured to come up with assessments that favoured a particular
line of thinking. Read
Full report from the Hindu.
Chidambaram's Harward Package to Appease
Rural Masses
"This is a budget, which seeks
to translate the vision of combining rapid economic growth with
faster progress on the road to social equity. Meaningful solutions
to the problems of mass poverty, ignorance and disease, which still
afflict millions of our people, can best be found in the framework
of a rapidly expanding economy, particularly fast expansion of our
agricultural economy and rapid acceleration of the rate of industrial
growth. For that it needs high doses of investment both in agriculture
and industry and in social and physical infrastructure - this Budget
seeks to do precisely these things,"
More
- TAX HOLIDAY FOR AGRO-PROCESSING
INDUSTRY
- PROVISIONS IN THE NEW PENSION
SCHEME
- SERVICE TAX RATES INCREASED
BY TWO PERCENT
- INDIA’S TARIFF STRUCTURE
TO BE ALLIGNED TO ASEAN COUNTRIES
- CUSTOMS DUTY ON NON-ALLOY STEEL
REDUCED
- CUSTOMS DUTY ON REFINED PALM
OIL INCREASED
- NO CHANGE IN INCOME TAX SLABS PERSONS
HAVING TAXABLE INCOME
- UPTO RS. 1,00,000/- NOT TO PAY ANY TAX EDUCATION
CESS @ 2% IS TO BE LEVIED ON THE TAX
- More Budget News Tax
Proposals ; Budget Summary
Budget Highlights
Taxing NRIs a Major Blow to Gulf Malayalis: Shamsuddin
We NRIs consider the budget 2004-2005 is very
disappointing. Neglecting our request; the Finance Ministor's
decision to tax interest on NRE deposit is a blow to us. That
will lead to pull back of huge foreign currency deposits from
India. Finance minister has introduced a special investment scheme
for senior citizens with 9% returm, that must be extended to middle
and low income NRIs also More
Antony yet to take decision on Palace, Galfar
already decided
While the state chief minister A.K.Antony has
said in the state assembly that a final decision on the status
of Kovalam Palace is yet to be taken, the Galfar group which has
illegally taken control of the palace is hurriedly started some
work by demolishing the entrance wall with heavy equipment. According
to Mathrubhoomi, a leading Malayalam daily, the company is going
ahead with its construction plans..It has also published photographs
showing construction plans and demolition...The state ministers
are trying to fool the people of Kerala by giving false statements....Watch
this space.
Halliburton Products and Services Dubai faces
US Treasury Probe for deals with Iran Oil Company in violation
of American Sanctions.
DUBAI- A US Treasury Department investigation
into the activities of oil giant Halliburton in Iran is looking
at potentially suspicious business contacts between Iran's oil
company and Halliburton through its Dubai subsidiary when the
company was headed by Vice President Richard Cheney. The Dubai-based
Halliburton subsidiary received about a dozen tender offers from
Kala Ltd, the wholly owned British subsidiary of the National
Iranian Oil Company. Investigators are trying to figure out whether
those deals violated U.S. sanctions against Tehran. The company
has denied violating U.S. laws, contending that foreign subsidiaries
employing no U.S. nationals are allowed to conduct business with
states on the State Department's terrorism-supporting list, such
as Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Cuba, Syria and, until recently,
Iraq. Halliburton Products & Services made some $40 million
in 2003 for work in Iran's oil sector.
Read More
Halliburton
under Dick Cheny Violated US Sanctions against Iran..
Michael Moore Film Strengthens US Neo
Conservative Designs to invade Saudi Arabia
Who Really Wants to
Invade Saudi Arabia, and Why? Read from Institute for Research:
Middle East Policy
Michael Moore's film lambastes the
Saudis but the overwhelming popularity of this documentary takes
the anti-Saudi message to a whole new market, argues a leading academician.
In fact Moore legitimises a rational for a US led war that could
finally execute a long-term plan to invade and occupy Saudi Arabia.
Richard Perle is an outspoken critic of any Americans doing business
with the Kingdom, despite his own attempt to secure $100 million
in Saudi investment for his private venture capital firm. Earlier
secret plans to Invade Saudi Arabia was revealed EEarlier
secr Full Report of IRMEP
State Government Revamps IPS, IAS bureaucracy
as Police I.Gs and collectors Rotated More
Economic Survey 2004
Chidambaram Presents Brigher
side of Indian Economy
NEW DELHI - The economy is in a upward swing
mode, with a growth of 8.1 per cent during 2003-04. It is
in a resilient mode in terms of growth, inflation and balance
of payments. This combination offers ample scope for consolidation
of the growth momentum with continued macro economic stability.
Industry and services also assisted the GDP growth along
with agricultural recovery of 9.1 per cent.
More
DFSA Regulatory Council Meets
DUBAI - The Regulatory Council of the Dubai
Financial Services Authority (DFSA) met recently to discuss
a number of important issues relating to the DFSA. Following
the meeting, the Council issued the following statement.'The
Council strongly welcomed the news that His Highness the
President of the United Arab Emirates has issued the Federal
Decree (No.35 of 2004) establishing the Dubai International
Financial Centre (DIFC). Full
Report
|
DNRD announces Distinguished Guest Project
to offer simplified solutions for frequent business visitors
Companies can now buy a pre-loaded electronic
card for specified duration, instead of applying for several
visit visas More
|
Take Back Kovalam Palace and Adjacent
Land from Galfar Group: V.S.Achuthananthan
|
V.S.Achuthananthan..Angry
|
Dr.P.Mohammed Ali..Dont Care
|
A.K.Antony Mr.Clean
|
Thiruvananthapuram July 6: Leader of
Opposition V.S.Achuthananthan has urged the state government to
take back the ownership and control of Kovalam Palace and 10 acres
of adjoining land, which was fraudulently usurped by the Oman based
Galfar group headed by the Pravasi Bharathi Award Winning Non Resident
Indian businessman Dr.P.Mohammed Ali.State Tourism Minister P.Shankaran
has said in a statement in the state assembly that the government
has not taken any decision to hand over Kovalam Palace to the Galfar
group. He was responding to an important submission by the opposition
leader V.S.Achyuthanandan about the controversial deal that gave
ownership of the palace to a private individual. Full
Report and More News
Malayali Woman Commit Suicide by Driving
Into Dubai Creek
Sindhu Maria Joseph, 30, a Keralaite
from Kottayam has reportedly committed suicide by driving her green
Chevrolet car into the Dubai creek near the Saudi Arabian consulate.
A resident of Ajman and mother of two, she called up her husband
to say "I love You" a few minutes before she plunged into
the deep waters of Dubai Creek. Three months after delivering her
second baby, her death has created a new discussion about suicidal
tendency among overseas Keralites. Top Dubai and Ajman police officials
said the most likely cause of death is suicide. According to the
Gulf News, she spoke to her husband, Sony Wilson, moments before
she plunged into the creek and her last words to him were: "I
love you." More
Shivasena to March to Kovalam Palace
Thiruvananthapuram July 6: Shivasena
would conduct a protest march to Kovalam palace against the move
to give the Kovalam Palace to private individuals. The protest march
which would start from the Shri Chithira Tirunal Smrithi Mandapam(Panchavadi)
at Kowdiyar Palace would end at Kovalam Palace. It may be recalled
that Shiva Sena was opposed to the privatization of Centaur Hotel
of Bombay which was sold at a throw a way price to a leading BJP
businessman. Full Report
Kovalam Protection Council Plans Massive
Agitation against Kovalam Palace Privatisation
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The left parties
are planning to storm the Kovalam Palace to protest against the
illegal encroachment of the historical monument by the Galfar group.
According to KM sources, the agitated group is planning to stage
dharnas and protest marches in the city to protest against what
they call is an attempt to fraudulently claim ownership of the Kovalam
Palace by the Galfar group. The issue has already been politicised
as two state ministers are allegedly involved in hijacking the palace.
According to sources, the palace is to be used to attract tourists
to the area but the group ultimately claimed its ownership. Soon
the left pary volunteers will encircle the palace as a token protest
against day light robbery of public property by an unholy nexus
of politicians, NRIs and middle men. The action plan may also include
a public interest litigation. Despite secret plans to silence senior
CPM leaders like Kodiyeri Balakrishnan using the probusiness comrades
the agitation is likely to gain momentum. Now the true story of
Kodiyeris secret visit to Dubai and Muscat is coming out....-- Watch
this space.
K M Meena back in Action!!!
K M Meena, the former Indian ambassador
in Muscat, who has created a total reshuffle of the Indian school
functioning in Oman plans a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against
private Indian Schools in the Sultanate. The PIL is likely to involve
many burning Indian School issues including the high fees charged
and illegal ownership of Indian School Al Ghubra by the Galfar group)
and the Indian School Wadi Kabir (Khimji group). Meena was prematurely
transferred from Muscat to Vietnam, which he refused to accept.
- Watch this space.
Abhayankar Shunted Out Again
Abhayankar, the high profile foreign
affairs official is learned to be shunted out as a junior IFS official
is promoted to an important posting. His Brussels dream also seems
to be coming to an end - Watch this space.
Orient Planet expands into North Africa
through strategic partnership with Kalima PR
Nidal Abou Zaki, Managing Director, Orient Planet
and Riad Ben Fadhel, Managing Director, Kalima
July 3, 2004 Orient Planet, a dynamic
and fast-growing public relations and marketing communications agency
in the Middle East, has signed a strategic partnership with Kalima,
a leading Tunisian PR and marketing communications company, to enter
the North Africa market. Orient Planet, having achieved remarkable
success in the Middle East region, has targeted North Africa for
its expansion drive to tap the growing opportunities in countries
like Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, by leveraging the local market
expertise of Kalima, part of the Impact Group, a well-known and
leading marketing and communications company in North Africa. Full
Report
Erstwhile Royal Family members produce legal documents
of Halcyon Palace Ownership
Read
in Malayalam from Desbhabhimani
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The controversy
surrounding the 75 year old Halcyon Palace situated on the precinct
of Kovalam Ashoka Beach Resort in Trivandrum has taken a new turn
as members of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore have produced
documentary evidence and urged the state government to convert the
palace into a Protected Royal Memorial. The latest development has
put the Pravasi Bharathi Award Winning NRI businessmen Dr.P.Mohammed
Ali, partner and managing director of the Galfar group of Oman,
and the Kerala state government in a difficult position. According
to latest information, the grand daughter of late Regent of Travancore
principality, Queen Sethu Parvathi Laxmi Bayi, her brother Balagopal
Verma and husband Raghunandan met Trivandrum District Collector
M.R.Muralidharan and handed over legal documents pertaining to the
property on Friday. The Oman based Galfar group has fraudulently
claimed ownership of the royal palace, worth millions, following
its ownership of the Ashoka Hotel Resort in a dubious privatization
deal with the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). While
experts value the Ashoka Hotel property at above Rs.400 crore, the
Galfar group bought it for just Rs. 44 crores clearly by influencing
the decision makers. Full Report
Bush should follow Saddam into the
dock
If Saddam Hussein is in court, why isn't Bush? Saddam
Hussein is accused of a number of crimes committed during his Presidency
of Iraq. An analysis of four years of government under the Bush
regime reveals some shocking parallels. Saddam Hussein is accused
of being responsible for acts of torture committed during his presidency.However,
George Bush was President when the prison at Abu Ghraib in Baghdad
was turned into a medieval torture chamber by US military personnel
and George Bush is today President and the tortures continue at
Guantanamo Bay. Saddam Hussein is accused of committing acts of
mass murder. Would these mass murders be including the need to put
down armed insurrection inside his own country after the United
States had interfered, financed and armed the insurgents/terrorists?
And is George W. Bush not responsible, as Commander in Chief of
his country's Armed Forces, for the ten thousand civilian deaths
during this illegal war, including one thousand children? Is George
W. Bush not responsible for the mutilation of thirty-five thousand
people, their legs and arms and faces and futures blown away by
his Armed Forces? Is George W. Bush not responsible for the cluster
bombs deployed in civilian areas or the Depleted Uranium munitions
which left swathes of Iraqi territory radio-active? Full
Report
Bank Muscat, National Bank of Oman
take recovery steps against leading business group!
MUSCAT - Two leading
Omani Banks which have huge exposure to a leading business group
owned by a former Omani minister are taking steps to recover several
million rials of bad loans from the group comapnies. Bank Muscat,
one of the leading banks in Oman, has already appointed a special
officer to monitor the group finances and recover part of the money.
National Bank of Oman, another bank with huge exposure to the group,
is also resorting to apapropriate recovery measures. It may be recalled
that banks with huge exposure to the Ali Redha group had appointed
special recovery officers to manage the company. KM sources added
that the group is facing difficult times. The former minister who
held an important and lucrative portfolio for more than two decades
amassed huge wealth by different ways. The group with roots in Dhofar
region of Oman has interest in oil and gas,engineering, construction,
finance, automobile and trading. The ONIC Group, another business
group owned by a former Minister of Development faced serious investigation
and punishment for financial crime and stock market fraud. Apparently
the Sultanate is going tough on corrupt business tycoons who have
been using the banking system to make millions in dubious ways.
As the adage goes -- u reap what you saw. Some of the Malabair tycoons
too are planning relocation from Oman as it is no more conducive
to make money the wrong way..Watch this space. Recent
News
September 11 Twin Tower
Explosation was an Insiders Job? Argues 9/11review.org (click
to explore 9/11 explosion)
J. Michael Springmann, formerly chief
of the visa section at the U.S. Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,
has testified that he rejected hundreds of suspicious visa applications
by Saudi Aabian men similar to those named as the 9/11 HijackersPatsies
when we was head of the consular section of the US embassy in Jeddah,
but C.I.A. officers repeatedly overruled him and ordered the visas
to be issued. Springmann protested to the State Department, the
Office of Diplomatic Security, the F.B.I., the Justice Department
and congressional committees, but was told to shut up. Springmann
observed that 15 of the 19 HijackersPatsies got their visas from
the same CIA controlled consulate in Jeddah.
Full Report
KM Special Reports
Investigations 
Iraqi
Investigating Oil For Food Fraud Killed in Bomb Blast..
But Colonial Master
Denies allegagion of his Blocking the Investigation
Former U.S. Colonial administrator
in Iraq L. Paul Bremer face charges that he tried to block an investigation
in the $10 billion U.N. oil-for-food scandal.The General Accounting
Office estimated earlier this year that Saddam Hussein's regime
stole some $10.1 billion in illegal sales, kickbacks and padded
contracts under the oil-for-food program. In an Interview published
by Washington Times, Balmer denied these allegations.It appears
to be part of the rift between Bremer and Ahmed Chalabi....Full
Report
Academicians, Researchers Join Hands
to Reveal September 11 Ralities..Is Saddam Right to say that Bush
is the real Criminal?
9/11
review.org Questions official Version of Twin Tower Collapse
(click to view the informative and explosive reports)
Initially the 9/11 movement started
out as skeptics questioning the official story that you heard in
the media, and asking a lot of very tough Unanswered Questions.
But in the last year, the scientists and researchers have been able
to answer with certainty many of these questions, so the focus is
shifting from Demanding an Inquiry, to publishing the results of
our own findings, to the highest level of academic excellence.And
because the War on Freedom is affecting other countries like Canada,
Britain, Germany, Australia and France, there are a lot of concerned
people who want to get at the truth about what really happened on
9/11. So on 911review.org, we do not limit ourselves to just the
events of 9/11 itself, but also on the reasons behind 9/11 -- not
just War for Oil, but also, the War on Freedom. More
Where
Michael Moore went Wrong about September 11 Read an interesting
Report
Oh, the coalition forces? So you are
an Iraqi that - you are representing the occupying forces? Saddam
asksChalabi.
The Champion of Free World Blocks Independent
Media from Saddam Hearing - More
Even though Iraq is "Liberated"
and the country is supposed to a bastion of democracy and press
freedom , a hurriedly arranged court headed by a mercenary judge
under a mercenary puppet government controlled from Washington,
did not allow much of the world's press to cover Saddam Hussein's
court appearance yesterday. An extraordinary decision by the Iraqi
judge hearing the case allowed just one western newspaper to attend
- the New York Times. Like the embedded journalists who were praising
the western advances into the Iraqi killing fields, the world has
come to know of only a fraction of what has happened in the so called
court room. Obviously, as boldly pointed out by the legitimate President
of Iraq Saddam Hussain, George Bush is conducting an innovative
election campaign misusing the western media monopolies...Read
More about the Actual Proceedings in the Court
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New
York Times admits failures in run-up to war. More
But Bush allows only one print journalist
from the New York Times to attend the Saddam Court Proceedings.
John Burns of the New York Times was the only journalist from the
western print media to witness the historic hearing, But no local
media organisations were present, and the only Iraqi journalist
there was asked to leave before the proceedings began fully.More
Saddam Court Hearing
was Shambolic. Judge is the newphew of Ahmed Chalabi, the mercenary
who is accused of treachery and espionate --
More
Rebel Writer Ponkunnam Varkey Passed
Away
by a staff reporter
KOTTAYAM - July 2: The Literary Legend
of Malayalam, Ponkunnam Varkey is no more. He passed away today,
morning at 10.30 in his residence at Perunjeri in Pambady. In the
past few days, he had been suffering from serious kidney problems.
Following sudden deterioration of health, Varkey was shifted to
Pambady hospital today morning. At the time of his last breath,
his daughter Ammu was near him. His wife Clara passed away in 1991.
He turned 94 yesterday. More
One More NRK Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) Migrates to Dubai
MUSCAT - A high Profile Executive Director
and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a diversified Omani business
group is leaving due to unknown reasons. The high profile Non Resident
Keralite businessman had been spearheading a hate campaign against
the former Indian Ambassador K M Meena. He had lobbyied vigoriously
to get Meena transferred from Muscat The diversified group which
focused on construction business, restaurants and other sectors
is one of the leading players in the Construction sector of Oman.
The CEO was a major king maker in Indian School matters . The reasons
for his unpleasant exit from the Omani group that he headed for
years is still a mystery. While some sources attribute it to declining
business and increased Omanisation, KM is exploring the real reasons
behind the exit.-Watch this space.
CONTROLLING HYPERTENSION
In the contemporary stressful lifestyle, blood pressure
is a common cause for most of the diseases. Blood pressure is the
force of blood against the walls of arteries. This action is known
as the the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) and the diastolic
pressure (as the heart relaxes between the beats). The measurement
is written with the systolic number on top and the diastolic number
on the bottom More News
Prevent Galfar group Usurpation of
Kovalam Palace
40 Crore deal for a property of 400
Crores
Thiruvananthapuram - A number of
prominent politicians have joined hands to stop the Great Palace
Theft by the Galfar group in collaboration with two state ministers.
Former state chief minister P.K.Vasudevan and other members of Kovalam
Protection Council are exerting maximum pressure on the state chief
minister A.K.Antony to preserve the Kovalam Palace as a Historical
Monument. The Galfar group claimed ownership over Kovalam palace,
after signing a dubious deal to purchase Ashoka Hotel at a throw
away price. Challenging the alleged conspiracy hatched by a Gulf
based NRK businessman in collaboration with two state ministers
to fradulently claim ownership of the palace, the state assembly
may also witness stormy session over the Palace Deal. Even though
the CPM Parliamentary leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has been lured
by the lobby, V.S.Achuthananthan, the leader of opposition remain
stubborn and has alleged that two state ministers (Kunjalikutty
and K.V.Thomas?) have vested interest in transfering the property
to the Galfar group headed by Dr.P.Mohammed Ali of Galfar group
Oman, winner of the Pravasi Bharathi award. KM had reported Kodiyeri's
secret mission in the Gulf just a few week before the beginning
of state assembly session. Kodiyeri, the CPM Parliamentary party
leader, holds important position in deciding the party stand in
the assembly. More -Keralamonitor.com
Dubai - Land of Gold and Pleasure,
but Workers Grope in Darkness
Story of six lakh workers, mainly Indians
who live without street light and civic facilities DUBAI
- Despite all round development of skyscrappers and land market
buildings that adorn Dubai, thousands of ordinary workers who toil
day and night to erect such buildings are living without proper
lighting, reports V.M.Sathish in the Khaleej Times. In an exclusive
report about the Sonapur Industrial and Labour area, the journalist
has said quoting the residents that the Dubaia Government has not
installed street light in the area, causing serious road accidents
in the night. Read the Exclusive Report by V.M.Sathish in Khaleej
Times. Full
Report
Millionaires Fill US Congress Halls
WASHINGTON - The US Congress, the domed
bastion of democracy abounds with deep-pocketed politicians whose
fortunes have made the legislative branch of government a millionaire's
club.In the 435-member House of Representatives, 123 elected officials
earned at least one million dollars last year, according to recently
released financial records made public each year. Next door in the
ornate Senate, whose blue-blooded pedigree includes a Kennedy and
a Rockefeller, one in three people are millionaires.By comparison,
less than one percent of Americans make seven-figure incomes. Read
the Full
Report
Internet Explorer is too Dangerous
to use as a browser? More
Prime Minister announces special
package to Dharmapur village in Andhra Pradesh village in Andhra
Pradesh More News
Antony Government Pretends
Ignorance about Palace Ownership
Crucial Documents missing
from Revenue Tourism Departments as Galfar group given the Hisotircal
Palace Building for a Song
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
- Crucial documents establishing the Kerala Government's ownership
of Kovalam Palace, the controversial property given by the state
and central governments, on a platter to Galfar Mohammed Ali. According
to an exclusive report in the leading Malayalam Daily Deshabhimani,
the high level officials in the state tourism and revenue departments
have played dirty role in eliminating such evidence. Tourism Minister
K.V.Thomas is allegedly one of the interested parties in the hotel
deal with the Galfar group. Full Report
and More News Read
the report in Malayalam
Gulf Air to launch flights from Ras
Al Khaimah to over 50 international destinations
30 June, 2004 Gulf Air, the national airline of
the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman and Emirate of Abu
Dhabi has announced that it is launching flights from Ras Al Khaimah
(RAK) International Airport to over 50 international destinations,
starting June 24, 2004. The announcement was made at an event held
recently at the VIP Lounge of RAK International Airport, attended
by RAK aviation authorities and senior officials from Gulf Air.
Full Report
Cellucom's online community for cellular
phone users 'UClub' celebrates its first anniversary
June 30, 2004 UClub,
the leading online community for mobile phone users in the Middle
East, is celebrating its first anniversary with a spectacular 'Snow
and Dance' party hosted by MTV Asia VJ Cyrus Broacha, in collaboration
with Sony Ericsson. The event, to be held at the Al Nasir Ice Rink,
Dubai on July 1, 2004, is open to all, with free entry to UClub
members holding a membership card. UClub (www.uclubme.com) is an
initiative by Cellucom, one of the premier distributors of mobile
communication devices and accessories in the region. Full
Report and more News
SPICY RESEARCH TO EARN FOREIGN EXCHANGE
M. Smithy*
Vanilla farmers in the southern States
have earned millions of rupees during the last few seasons. Now
they are waiting for the outcome of Indian Cardamom Research Institute’s
(ICRI) studies on vanilla. The farmers are aware of the positive
impact on their life with the possible success of this study.Full
Report and more News
Cisco Advanced IP Network
To Offer Unprecedented Services In Kuwait's Arraya Center
Dubai, UAE, June 29,
2004 - Cisco Systems today announced the deployment of a converged
voice, video and data network solution at Kuwait's Arraya Centre.
The Arraya Centre is an upscale development and the first organisation
of its kind in Europe, Middle East and Africa to deploy an Internet
Protocol (IP) telephony (integrated voice), Internet and intranet
(data) and interactive TV (video) converged infrastructure.
Full Report
/ More News
SYNTAX re-brands and redesigns The
Jordan Times newspaper
Amman, 28th June 2004 Amman
- SYNTAX, the Amman, Jordan based multidisciplinary design, media
and technology consultancy has recently completed the re-branding
and redesign of Jordan's leading English language daily, The Jordan
Times. The new design of the paper appeared on newsstand April 13,
2004 and has thus far generated an overwhelmingly approving reaction
form readers and the media industry in Jordan.Over the past few
years, Jordan has been witnessing a publishing frenzy of sorts,
with new Arabic and English titles appearing and transforming the
magazine and newspaper landscape in the Kingdom.Full
Report MoreNews
Indo
US Agricultural and Biotechnology Cooperation
India
and United States have decided to increase cooperation in agricultural
bio-technology research and development. A Letter of Intent to this
effect was signed by the Minister for Science and Technology and
Ocean Development Shri Kapil Sibal and the Ambassador of the United
States to India Mr. David C Mulford here today.More
News
GOLD COIN SCAM WOUND
UP BY DTI
LONDON - A company that sold unusual
gold coins to the public, but never delivered the goods, has been
wound up in the High Court.Credit First Bullion
Ltd of Upper Grosvenor St, London, ran a telesales operation and
secured a number of sales for collectible gold coins. The coins
were not sent to the customers, despite the company having sold
them for 700% of their market value. More
MRP Owner to report to the ROP by 10
A M Today
MUSCAT -June 28 2004 It is not only
the workers, but a number of creditors who have supplied construction
materials and other services to Muhammed Ruzaiki and Partners (MRP),
a company that belongs to the direct brother of Galfar P.Mohammed
Ali are running from pillar to post to recover the outstanding payment.
While the company workers have been agitating over non payment of
salary, the law enforcement authorities are tightening their grip
over the company owners. More
UAE Internet Media
Monitored, Censored through Proxy Sites: RSF
Report on Internet Freedom in Saudi UAE Qatar and
India
The UAE has systems to monitor to monitor
e-mail and Web activity, which leads users to censor themselves
and avoid mentioning religion, morality, friendly countries or members
of the ruling families. The UAE has had a kind of Silicon Valley
- the tax-free Dubai Media City, occupied by 100 or so mostly foreign
media, computer and new technology firms - since January 2002. The
pan-Arab satellite TV network Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC)
has moved there from its London base.But this gives a false impression
of openness. Emirates Internet and Multimedia (EIM), part of the
state telecom firm Etisalat, is the country's only ISP. The Internet
is also still hampered by filtering that goes far beyond pornographic
sites. Privacy International says Internet traffic in the UAE passes
through several proxy sites which have filters installed. Censored
pages are not the same on each proxy, which would explain why some
sites are inaccessible only from some places. Full Report and More
News about Internet Freedom in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and India
Click
KM Reader Says While Times
of Oman Praise, KM Reports the Real Truth
Dear Editor, It is
really an irony that while Times of Oman in this Thursday Magazine
has written volumes about Galfar company's good Health Safety and
Environment function (drinking water) and why A/C should not be
given to employees, since they will become soft and can't take the
heat!!!, KM on the very next day is reporting non-payment of salary
by the company. Thanks to your portal we come to know the real truth.A
reader from Muscat - by Email.
Newspapers' Scandal Hits Wall Street
Showing inflated circulation figures
is nothing new in newspaper industry but shareholders are offloading
newspaper scrips..Full
Report
Special Investigative Report by
KM editorial team Dubai& Aswathi Nair( Kerala) on Growing
Cyber Sex Culture among Keralite Girls and Gulf Malayalis
DUBAI-Even though the Kerala society
is overtly conservative and the taboo surrounding sexual relation
between opposite sexes is still strong, the Internet is revolutionizing
man-woman relationship.This is more evident in Kerala chat rooms,
especially the most popular Kerala Chatrooms hosted by the multinational
company Yahoo.com. While Yahoo officially denies facilitating the
transmission of explicitly sexual video contents, many Keralites
using the room are using the same for cyber sex. A casual visit
to the Kerala rooms will reveal that many young men and women use
the chat room courting romantic partners to indulge in cyber sex.
Sarika, a 24 years old post graduate with a B.Ed degree is the elder
daughter of an engineer working for the Public Works Department.
She is waiting for her posting soon and often feels bored at home.
The family has taken an Asianet net connection, which offers a cheap
means to get connected 24 hours. A frequent visitor to yahoo Kerala
and other rooms, she has developed warm friendship with many male
friends especially from the UAE, Middle East and USA. "I have
a friend in Abu Dhabi who regularly sends me erotic stories and
photographs. Sometimes he sends sex video clips too," she says.
Read the Full Report
DNRD achieves faster visas through
electronic link with Ministry of Labour More
News
New Indian route for SriLankan Airlines
Carrier also announces plans to extend east and west in 2004More
News
| Sharqiya letter by Madhu Nambiar |
No trace yet about the six missing Keralite fishermen
in Oman
Sur, Oman; May 27: Search at sea for the six missing
Keralite
fishermen in Omani sea is reported in vain. It was on Sunday the
23rd May all the six fishermen hailing from Kollam District in Kerala
set out for fishing in their sponsor’s fishing boat.They were
supposed to return on Monday the 24th May morning, but not returned.R.O.P.
helicopter searched at the sea returned with out any trace of the
missing fishermen. More
Saudi Arabia Continues to Harass Political Prisoners,
Torture Rampant, alleges Amnesty International
LONDON -Hundreds of suspected religious
activists, critics of the state and protesters, including women,
were detained following waves of arrests carried out throughout
most of the year. Dozens of them were detained after their forcible
return to Saudi Arabia by other governments, including Sudan, Syria,
the USA and Yemen.
. Full Report Report
on Human Rights scenario in Middle East
Thousands of doctors named by police
in Glaxo corruption case
Over 4,000 doctors face charges in
Italian drugs scandal
Pharmaceutical multinational Glaxo
Spend millions of dollars to bribe doctors to influence their prescription
patterns. According to investigations by the Italian Police, the
company spent ¤228m (£152m) over four years, to gift
high tech cameras, stereo systems, computers, books, wines, gadgets
and plain cash at more than 4,000 Italian doctors to keep them sweet
and dissuade them from prescribing products from the firm's competitors.
Nearly 3,000 more doctors and glaxo employees are under investigation,
-More
from the Guardian
UAE, Kuwait, Bahraina continues to
Detain Political Prisoners: AI
LONDON - Scores
of political detainees continued to be held in the UAE without charge
or trial for more than two years in the context of measures taken
by the authorities to combat "terrorism"A
Philippine national, the Reverend Fernando Alconga, was arrested
in Dubai in November 2002 for handing out material on Christianity
to a Muslim man in a public place. He was released on bail after
being detained for more than a month. In April he received a suspended
prison sentence of one year and was deported to the Philippines
in July. Full Report
India's
Right Records Worst Under BJP Rule, Says AI
Iyad Allawi, a former member of Saddam
Hussein’s Baath party and CIA Informer, was chosen as the New
Puppet prime minister of Iraq yesterday.
Full Report from the Arab News
A Special Investment Scheme
for Resettlement of NRIs from GCC Countries
Reduce Airfare in Air India and Indian Airlines and
Introduce open Air Policy
SHARJAH - The majority of Indians working in AGCC
countries earn less than Dh.1500 (Approximately Rs. 18,800). They
landed in these countries by paying hefty service charge to recruiting
agents or middlemen by pledging or disposing of whatever little they
had. These NRIs sacrifice even basic necessities to save the maximum
possible from their meagre earning to look after their dependents.
Major portion of their earning have been remitted to the dependents.
They have to keep aside 25% of their earning for air ticket and other
things to visit their families once in two years. Living alone and
away from their dear ones put tremendous pressure on them psychologically.
Relatives back home spend their hard-earned money without the knowledge
of the hardship and insecurity of their job. The tiny state of Kerala,
received remittance of RS 95, 000 crore in the last 25 years from
NRIs. More
We Are Systematically Reorganising KM
It has been a Herculean task to maintain this website regularly with
minimum resources and manpower. A number of complaints were reaised
by our regular viewers about the site structure. We are now starting
an archive system which will link you to some of the important pages
in the recent past. We will try togive you a professional looking
website as and when our resources permit that..Till then bear with
us..Click to view the Archives.
Blair tried to block US inquiry into Weapons of Mass
Destruction?
Downing Street attempted to block the White House
from holding a bipartisan inquiry into the failure to uncover weapons
of mass destruction in Iraq because Tony Blair was in "denial"
about the issue, a new book discloses today. Read the full Report
from the Guardian UK More
Mani Shankar Aiyer Reiterates the Human Face of Economic
Reforms
Volatile Oil Price is a concern for all
New Delhi - Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar, Minister of Petroleum & Natural
Gas and Panchayati Raj has emphasized the need of human face of economic
reforms in the country which should lead to the benefit reach the
poorest of the poor. Speaking while giving away National Petroleum
Management Awards here today, Shri Aiyar described the volatile oil
prices in the international market a matter of concern for all the
countries More
Coping with the Summer Heat -special
Feature.
It is summer time once again. In this season one indulges more in
outdoor activities. But summer is not fun all the time. Scorching
sun and heat exposure adversely affect the body that lead to heat
disorders such as exhaustion, profuse sweating, muscle cramps, nausea,
loss of appetite, fatigue, headache and heat stroke. Most of these
disorders are preventable. But if not diagnosed and treated in time
they can be fatal. More
India Retains the membership of the Executive Board
of IEF Forum
NEW DELHI - After the 9th International Energy Forum
(IEF) meeting in Amsterdam on 24.5.2004, the Executive Board (EB)
of International Energy Forum Secretariat (IEFS) decided that India
will continue to be a member of the EB of IEFS for a period of 2 more
years uptil the next IEF meeting. IEF provides a platform for biennial
meetings of the Ministers from the oil producing and consuming countries.
The Ministerial dialogue in the IEF has its focus on security of energy
supply and demand, as well as on the links between energy, environment
and economic development. Representatives from over 60 countries participated
in the 9th IEF meeting in Amsterdam between 22nd and 24th May 2004.
More
Report 2004: War on global values --
attacks by armed groups and governments fuel mistrust, fear and division
(London) Governments and armed groups have launched
a war on global values, destroying the human rights of ordinary people,
Amnesty International said today as it released its annual assessment
of human rights worldwide. Launching the Amnesty
International Report 2004, the organization said that violence by
armed groups and increasing violations by governments have combined
to produce the most sustained attack on human rights and international
humanitarian law in 50 years. More
Indian School Seeb Building MOU cancellation to help
Private School
Many parents of a private
school near Seeb who were keen to withdraw their children after completing
the new building in Seeb are disappointed now
MUSCAT - The future of Indian school Seeb has plunged
in to darkness after cancellation of MOU signed under patronage of
previous Indian Ambassador Mr. Meena - with a private firm to build
New school Building with a big ground & recreational facilties.
At present school functions in 3 different premises
& parents are finding it very difficult to drop their children
at different locations. The condition of existing buildings &
class rooms is pathetic. There is no open space for games & recreational
activities. There is an urgent need of custom built school & previous
School Committee along with the Board & under the patronage of
previous Indian Ambassador had already completed all the formalities
for the construction which should have started & completed by
the beginning of the academic year , April 2004.
More
Saudi,
Bangladeshi arrested for taking Nude Pictures of Girls
A gang of two have been luring small girls into groceries
and taking nude photographs to be sold through the Internet and studios.
The duo have been luring two sisters of ten years and below to their
grocery shop in Ajman, attracting them with icecreams and choclates.
According to the Gulf News, the Bengali dominated area has been notorious
for such crimes. The UAE Police is investigating whether the girls
have been sexually abused by the Saudi and Bangali duo...Watch this
space. or read Gulf News
Dont Impose Tax Burden on Poor NRIs - Pravasi Bandhu
Non Residents Indians, mainly Indian workers from
GCC countries are one of the major sources of foreign currency reserves
in India. Last year the NRIs remitted a total of US$ 20 billion, out
of that 75% are from Indians working in the GCC countries. During
the foreign currency crisis NRIs were extended their full support
to the country by investing in India Development Bonds, Resurgent
India Bonds and India Millennium Deposits.Please dont tax us..Pravasi
Bandhu pleads with Manmohan Singh, RBI Governor..More
U.S., Britain Still Responsible for Security After
June 30
(New York, May 24, 2004) -- The United States and
Britain will retain ultimate responsibility for security and human
rights in Iraq following the proposed “transfer of sovereignty”
on June 30, Human Rights Watch said today. U.S. President George W.
Bush is expected to announce today his plan for an interim Iraqi government
until elections can be held next year. More
US intelligence fears Iran duped hawks into Iraq war
An investigation has been launched in Washington into
whether Iran played a dubious role in manipulating the US into the
Iraq war by passing on bogus intelligence through Ahmad Chalabi's
Iraqi National Congress, reported the Guardian of UK. Full Report
from the Guardian
GCC Plans for Unified ID Cards for
nationals.
RIYADH, 26May 2004 — The Gulf Cooperation Council
is planning to introduce unified Identity card for the GCC nationals,
reported Arab News from Riyadh. The report said the cards will be
readable in all Gulf states. The cards will use smart card technology
and have common security features and accessing devices.Saudi Arabia
and Oman have started working on the ID project, the report said.
Bahrain will be issuing the ID cards with all the features incorporated
from day one. Bahrain will start issuing the cards to its citizens
in the next two months, Arab News said quoting a statement from the
GCC General Secretariat. The common GCC ID card will also store fingerprints
and details of passport, driver’s license and medical records.
It is slated to facilitate movement of GCC nationals among member
states for work and business purposes. Plans are also under way to
ease travel restrictions for foreigners, which have been hampering
the movement of hundreds of thousands of expatriates living in the
six Gulf countries.
FileNet expands in GCC markets through partnership
with EBLA
May 26, 2004 FileNet, a global leader in Enterprise
Content Management (ECM) solutions, has announced an aggressive expansion
strategy for the GCC markets, driven by a more focused partnership
with EBLA Computer Consultancy Co., FileNet's master Value Added Reseller
(VAR) for the Gulf countries. More
Delegation from Algeria's Ministry of
Justice visits Dubai eGovernment to study Dubai's experience
DUBAI May 25, 2004 A delegation from
Algeria's Ministry of Justice paid a visit recently to Dubai eGovernment
to study Dubai's experience in delivering public services through
electronic channels. The Algerian officials were introduced to the
state-of-the-art back-end systems that drive Dubai eGovernment and
briefed on the goals and achievements realised so far. The visit was
coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).More
News
New York Times Report on Michale Moore's
Candid Camera
Whatever you think of Mr. Moore, there's
no question he's detonating dynamite here. From a variety of sources
— foreign journalists and broadcasters (like Britain's Channel
Four), freelancers and sympathetic American TV workers who slipped
him illicit video — he supplies war-time pictures that have been
largely shielded from our view. Instead of recycling images of the
planes hitting the World Trade Center on 9/11 once again, Mr. Moore
can revel in extended new close-ups of the president continuing to
read "My Pet Goat" to elementary school students in Florida
for nearly seven long minutes after learning of the attack. Just when
Abu Ghraib and the savage beheading of Nicholas Berg make us think
we've seen it all, here is yet another major escalation in the nation-jolting
images that have become the battleground for the war about the war.
Full
Report
American Right - Wrong ---Fahrenheit
9/11
"I fully expect the right wing and
the Republican Party to come at me and this film with everything they’ve
got. They will try, as they have unsuccessfully in the past, to attack
me personally because they cannot win the debate on the issues the
film raises—namely, that they are a pack of liars and the American
people are on to them. And, if the early screenings of “Fahrenheit
9/11” are any indication, those who see this movie will never
view the Bush administration in the same way again. Even if you already
can’t stomach George W. Bush & Co., I think this movie will
take you to places you haven’t gone before, with laughter and
with tears.More
Killer
of investigative journalist who exposed Major bank scais arrested
in Canada
Manchester United in New Payment Scandal:
The Independent Report
The murky dealings of Manchester United.
World's richest club in crisis over agent payments. Sir Alex Ferguson's
son paid massive commission. Manager's future in doubt after damning
report by the Independent of UK More
Indian School Seeb goes Private as E
Ahmed Becomes Minister
E Ahmed, the only successful
UDF candidate from Kerala is being administered oath by President
Abdul Kalam..More
MUSCAT - The Seeb Indian community School,
which was created after a protracted struggle between the former Indian
ambassador to Muscat K M Meena and a coterie of Indian businessmen
with political patronage, is all set to go to the private hands. According
to KM sources, a Memorandum of Understanding signed to construct a
school building that can accommodate the growing number of students
is already cancelled and the Indian ambassador in Muscat, Talmiz Ahmed
is working covertly with the Indian school board which consist of
private school lobby representatives to convert the community school
into a private business venture. It may be recalled that the former
ambassador Meena was prematurely transferred from Muscat due to the
influence of E Ahmed, Kerala Muslim League leader, who is the lone
UDF candidate got elected in the recent parliament elections. The
school which mainly caters to the low income earning Non Resident
Keralites industrial workers residing in the Seeb Al Ruwail industrial
area has been a major embarrassment to other Indian schools in Oman
which charge very high fees without any reasoning. Another adjacent
school - the Indian School Al Ghurba -is controlled by E Ahmed and
a cotery of business lobby. Raeez Ahmed, son of the new ly swon in
Central Minister, is the president of Indian school Al Ghubra , which
is credited with the unique position of charging the highest fees
charged by any Indian Schools in the Gulf. P C Thomas, former Minister
of Law, E Ahmed and a number of Indian politicians had lobbied to
run the school as a private venture. More
Car
Theft Increasing in the Holy City.
Discussion - BJP Defeat - Congress Succees
- Different Views
VIEWS - The BUBBLE
finally burst. The MASK is ripped open. The insides stink.
The Great nation India and the proud citizens of this great land have
finally escaped the Insult heaped on them by this pack of jokers(BJP)
Here are some of there
sick mechanisms:STRATEGY 1.Degrade women 2.Break families 3.Abuse
children 4.Religious/caste divide 5.Stab the great resilence of the
citizens 6.Blindfold justice.ELECTION MANIFESTO: 1.Fool the minorities
2.Trottle the Allies 3.Cheat the Indian citizens 4.Insult the Constitution
5.Honour the Anti-socials 6.Saffron wash their black deeds 6.Hide
behind a helpless/hapless old man.LEADERS 1. Old and Visionless men
2.Rudderless stammering spokesmen 3. Loudmouth women(who do not know
the meaning of Citizenship, truth of the Constitution, value of National
pride and more so the very value of womanhood) 4.Butchers 5. Chariot
drivers 6.Few youngsters (to beat the drums and blow the horns) AMBITION1.Rule(by
hook or by crook) 2.Blacken the nation 3.Destroy the good 4.Travel
and make merry at the cost of the Indian economy 5.Entertain the neighbours
and humour the world 6.Lead the nation into Oblivion.
Counter Views This
perverted political analyst and his tirade does not deserve a response.
These are the guys who will be satisfied even with a pet dog from
10 Janpath becoming India's prime minister. They are so sub-servient
to the dynasty that it does not matter whether the new 'madom' is
barely literate when stalwarts like Manmohan, Pranob, Jairam Ramesh
and Chidambarams are much more qualified. We have all seen the 'drama'
on the TV. They all should be given oscars!!God alone can save India
as long as these stupid guys are arround. More
from the KM Discussion forum.
IBM Middle East Launches Lotus Workplace
in the Region
Dubai-UAE, 24th May 2004 -- IBM Middle East announced
today a new middleware software-based model that brings together the
unique qualities of Web-based computing and traditional PC desktop
environments, providing customers with a single, more flexible and
secure way to access, share and manage business applications and data.
More News
New Look Powerful IBM in Middle East
DUBAI - 25th May, 2004 Just a few months after the
arrival of the new-look BMW X5, the latest version of the best-selling
Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV), the new high performance BMW X5 4.8is
makes its debut in importerships across the region. "The
award-winning BMW X5 enjoys a huge success story in the region with
record sales of over 7,500 units since its launch in 2000. Now, this
exceptional market performance will be heightened with the new on
and off road high performance X5 4.8is," said Guenther Seemann,
Managing Director BMW Group Middle East.More
News
Middle East Telecom Liberalisation key agenda of CONNECT
- Telecoms Summit in Dubai
DUBAI - May 25, 2004 - Liberalisation spells a revolutionary
change in the Middle East telecoms sector, with several GSM operators
in the region welcoming new players for the first time. The consequences
of competition on incumbent operators' market position, and the impact
this will have on the pricing and value-added services offered to
customers will be the prime focus of discussions at CONNECT - The
International Telecoms Summit. More News
SHIPPING EXPERTS TO CONVERGE ON DUBAI FOR SEATRADE
MIDDLE EAST
DUBAI Monday, May 24, 2004. International shipping
industry leaders from upwards of 15 countries are to address Seatrade
Middle East Maritime conference, to be held from December 6-8 at the
Dubai World Trade Centre.Global experts from countries such as Iran,
Pakistan, the UK, China, the UAE, India, Thailand, Hong Kong, the
USA, Sweden, the Bahamas, Mauritius, Monte Carlo and Monaco are to
take the platform at the most powerful shipping industry meet yet
seen in the Middle East.
UK
insists it will boycott trial if Saddam faces death penalty
Manmohan Singh, the New Prime Minister Cabinet formed
More
The Marine's Tale: 'We Killed 30 Civilians
In 6 Weeks. I Felt We Were Committing Genocide
"In a month and a half my platoon
and I killed more than 30 civilians," Mr Massey said. He saw
bodies being desecrated and robbed, and wounded civilians being dumped
by the roadside without medical treatment. After he told his commanding
officer that he felt "we were committing genocide", he was
called a "wimp". Several members of his platoon expressed
concern that so many civilians were being killed, but Mr Massey says
he told them: "We've got a job to do." Finally, however,
he voiced his own doubts to his commanding officer. "I told him
I felt like we were committing genocide in Iraq, that we were doing
harm to a culture. He said nothing and walked away. I knew my career
was over." Later, he says, his superior poured abuse on him,
saying, "You're a poor leader. You're faking it. You're a conscientious
objector, you're a wimp."
Full Report from Rense.com
IT Ghost Danger - Record and retrieve
everything typed, including emails, chatroom activity, instant messages,
website addresses, search engine searches and more with plug-in keylogger.
Find out about the KeyGhost SX Full
Report
Hashmite kingdom to host major annual
festival set in ancient surroundings of spectacular scenery and historical
sights
Dubai, UAE, 23 May, 2004: Travellers
from across the Middle East and overseas will be able to enjoy dance,
music and theatre in the ancient surroundings of Jerash this summer
as the most renowed festival in Jordan gets underway.Taking place
from July 21st to August 7th 2004, the Jerash festival has become
popular with guests staying at the InterContinental Amman who are
lured by the line up of unsurpassed talent on show. Many international
artists, musicians, poets and celebrities will be showcasing their
unique talents in this event which will be held in what was originally
known to be the Roman City of Jersho. More
Saudi Arabia to Nationalise IT, Healthcare
and Construction Sector Work Force
Saudi Government is targeting the IT, construction
and health care sectors as part of a new strategy to create20 , 000
jobs for Saudis this year. It implies more job loss to Indian expatriates
in Saudi Arabia. “In 2000 , the labor forces of the region totaled
some 104 million workers, a figure expected to reach 146 million by
2010 and 185 million by2020 . Given this expansion, the economies
of the GCC region will need to create some 80 million new jobs in
the next two decades,” Reports Arab News, the premier English
daily from Saudi Arabia..Full
Report from Arab News
Bahrain Pimps Arrested for Delivering Girls to Saudi
Customers
The arrested girls had been dancing with Saudi men
in the house and then each had gone into separate rooms for sex, for
which they were paid2 , 000Saudi riyals each. Story of Saudi -Bahrain
Sex Link. Gulf Daily News report on Bahraini man acting as pimp for
Saudi customers..Full
Report
German Shot Dead in Riyadh
One more Western target is hit in Saudi Arabia. A German
national has been shot dead outside the Arab National Bank in Riyadh..More
Hertz UAE Receives Prestigious Middle East North Africa
Award
The Hertz UAE team celebrates its MENA award. (click
for expanded view)
Dubai, UAE, 20 May, 2004: Hertz UAE received a big
pat on the back during the first MENA (Middle East and North Africa)
Travel Awards ceremony held in Dubai last week.
More
Al
Yousuf Motors receives awards from Daihatsu Motor Co.FSC
launches ultra-portable LIFEBOOK S7010 powered by Intel processor
Rumsfeld
bans camera phones
Dubai, UAE, May 23, 2004 - Showtime is
kicking off the first weekend in June with some hot new movie premieres.
Viewers will be laughing, crying, falling in love and sitting on the
edge of their seats watching an array of films that include Frida,
Dark Waters, The Four Feathers, Kiss the Girls, D-TOX, White Oleander
and Wakin' Up in Reno. And that's just the first weekend!
RIKAZ SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH POLYSTAR TO
MANAGE CITY FANAR DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS
DUBAI -19/5/04 Leading Saudi Arabian property development
company RIKAZ has appointed Property Development and Management Company,
PolyStar Incorporated, to manage its flagship City Fanar project -
a unique water front 'Future City' destination, built around a 300,000
square metres manmade lagoon in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. More
Jordan's National Arab Motors (KIA) Boosts
Customer Support with CRM More
Build & Supply Exhibition sees British
companies joining forces in Dubai to boost regional business links
Dubai, UAE, 23 May, 2004: Britain is
preparing for a show of strength at next month's Airport Build and
Supply Exhibition in Dubai in a bid to capitalise on billions of dollars
worth of airport development in the Middle East.The extent of the
British offering to the airport development sector will be highlighted
by ten companies appearing under the banner of the British Airports
Group in the three day exhibition, organised by Streamline Marketing
and opening at Airport Expo Dubai on 7 June.
More
Huge Oil and Gas Reserves Found in
Syria Egypt Main Reason for US targeting Damascus?
Shell Egypt announces western desert
oil discovery 20/05/2004 Shell Egypt NV (Shell) announced today that
its Sheiba 18-3 discovery well in the Northeast Abu Gharadig (NEAG)
Concession successfully tested up to 1,600 barrels of 36 degree API
oil per day and 0.9 million cubic feet of gas per day. The well flowed
from perforations between 2,114 and 2,134 metres in the Bahariya Sandstone.
Sheiba 18-3 is the first commercial oil discovery in the Eastern part
of the NEAG concession in the Western Desert.More
G-7
Ministers Will Ask Oil Producers to Raise Output
M E D I A M O N I T O R
Is this journalism?? Times of India/Bennett Coleman
Sells Front Page News Space Mid-Day
By: Hemal Ashar May 11, 2004
MUMBAI - Would you like to be in the news? Want a
picture on the front page of Bombay Times? Just pay and get it, says
Hemal Ashar How does it work? Before she took over as editor of Bombay
Times this week, Vinita Nangia was the editor of Medianet. You may
well ask what that is. Last year Bennett, Coleman & Co announced that
they would sell editorial space. Effectively you could pay and be
featured in the column centimetres that pass for news in the paper.
This ‘paid for’ news would be distinguished
from ‘genuine’ news by a pointer at the bottom mentioning Medianet,
said the company. However, soon after the launch, the discreet Medianet
at the bottom disappeared, equally discreetly. Now, there is no telling
which piece of news was paid for and which wasn't. Mid Day has since
found out that a front page photograph in Bombay Times is priced at
Rs 1,254 per square cm. This means a 240 sq cm photograph on the front
page in Mumbai costs Rs 3,00,960. The rate gets progressively lower
with more insertions. The straight Q/A feature, also on the front
page of the Bombay Times, is also up for sale. The 160-sq-cm article
is on the lower part of the page and called the anchor in journalistic
parlance. So if you want to be interviewed for that section, be ready
to shell out Rs 1,91,520. In the picture Pradeep Hirani of Kimaya
Gallery, Juhu whose gallery was featured on the front page of Bombay
Times on Saturday, May 8, 2004: “My public relations agency had a
budget for it. Beyond this I do not wish to say anything more on this
subject.”Full Report
Washington
Post Releases More Prisoner Abuse Pictures
The Newspaper has published
offical English translations of previously secret sworn statements
by detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq More
Video of Prisoner Abuse from Washington
Post -- Click
here
Reporters Without Borders appalled at account of torture
suffered by three Reuters employees in Iraq
Reporters Without Borders has written to tell US
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that it is "appalled" by the revelations
from Reuters about the torture at the hands of the US Army of three
of its employees in Iraq. The international press freedom organisation
also condemned the Pentagon's "lax attitude and total lack of openness
in the case. Unsatisfactory replies and the obvious failure to hold
any effective investigation, despite repeated requests from the British
news agency, do no reflect well on the American government," it said.
"The accounts given by the Reuters journalists are overwhelming. The
facts reported are extremely serious. However the US Army, apparently
believing itself above the law, for months have not deemed it necessary
to interview the three victims" said the organisation.
More News
Abuse of Reuters Reporters in Iraq
by US Soldiers..
A detailed chronology reveals that the
Reuters Baghdad bureau chief, Andrew Marshall, received an e-mail
from the military on Jan. 29 containing an executive summary of the
U.S. investigation and its final results, which claimed no abuse of
the staffers -- while the investigation, according to the Pentagon,
was still underway. And none of the three Reuters detainees had been
interviewed by the military. "The suggestion that Reuters has
not been prepared to go public on this story until now is just not
true. Since the incident first occurred in early January, we have
been open about and consistent in our efforts to secure a fair and
independent investigation into the incident. ... Reuters took significant
steps to provide information and evidence to the Pentagon and field
commanders in this case. This includes testimonies of the three individuals,
which we have no reason to doubt. These testimonials took place many
months before any prisoner abuse claims became public. Full
Report from Editors and Publishers
Revolutionary leader E K Nayanar expired
Senior Communist leader and the former
Kerala Chief Minister E.K.Nayanar is no more. He had been undergoing
treatment at the All India Institue of Medical Science, New Delhi.
He died at 5 p m in the AIIMS where he was undergoing treatment after
a severe heart attack. The funeral will take place tomorrow. More
CBSE Class XII Results to come out on
Sunday
21:7 IST CBSE will declare results of
Senior School Certificate Examination 2004 (Class XII) of Ajmer, Chandigarh
and Chennai regional offices on May 23, 2004 at 8:00 a.m. The Regional
Offices cover Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra
Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh, Tamil
Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Pondicherry,
Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep. On Internet
results can be seen on www.results.nic.in, cbseresults.nic.in, www.cbse.nic.in.
Results are also available on www.htpace.com, www.results.siffy.com,
www.amarujala.com and www.southindia.com. Results can also be obtained
through SMS. All GSM cellular network phone can dial CBSE rollno send
SMS to 8888, CBSE rollno send SMS to 6388, CBSE rollno send SMS to
4545, CBSE rollno send SMS to 7827. BSNL Chandigarh subscriber should
SMS to 6666, Hutch Idea Smart and Reliance subscribers can SMS to
5556. Subscriber of Reliance CDMA phones should send SMS CB10 rollno
to 1234 or 3926 and CB12 rollno to 1234 or 3926.
Manmohan Singh is the Next Prime Minister of India
Dr.Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India More
New Delhi - Manmohan Singh was tonight appointed Prime
Minister of India to head the first-ever Congress-led coalition at
the Centre after Sonia Gandhi rejected appeals to take up the top
post, and instead got her party to back the distinguished economist,
declaring that the country "is safe in his hands".More
Kerala Monitor Numero One in google Search
for Gulf Malayalis
DUBAI - Kerala Monitor is coming as the
first website for any Google Search for Gulf Malayalis, Dubai Malayalis,
Qatar, Oman UAE Saudi Kuwait Bahrain Malayalis. Just try searching
Gulf Malayali, Dubai Malayali or Muscat Malayali or a combination
of Malayali and Gulf country name, you will find Keralamonitor either
in number one or number two position in the search result. No minor
achievement for a portal which was started with a few pages, no supporters
and lot of powerful enemies. Now we can proudly say that the most
effective search engine in the world picks up the domain name http://www.keralamonitor.com
from millions of websites all over the world and thousands of Kerala
Portals that crowded the world wide web. Thank you visitors for the
encouraging result. We are not going back as many pessimists predicted.
The march is on and KM editor reiterates our commitment to continue
the same path that we have chosen - a noble path different from other.
V M Sathish -Editor Kerala Monitor.
Al Bustan Palace -Intercontinental Muscat
Wins Prestigious International Awards
One of the Middle East's most stylish hotels receives
awards for Best Design and Best Rooms Dubai,
UAE, 19 May, 2004: The Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat has
reinforced its place among the world's finest hotels and resorts by
earning two prestigious awards from the readers of the influential
Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the United States. More than 32,000
readers of the magazine participated in an annual poll in which the
hotel, known as one of the region's most stylish, was awarded first
prize in the Best Hotel Design and Best Room categories for the Middle
East. More News
Anju Bobby George in Doha IAAF Super Grand Prix Circuit
Sapna Anu B George.
DOHA - Anju Bobby George the World No. 3 ranked athlete
in long jump, moved closer to her dream of surpassing all records,
and creating a name for herself after her resounding performance in
the IAAF Super Grand Prix Circuit in Doha. Arriving In Doha as the
world No. 7, her extra ordinary performance of leaping to a distance
of 6.82 meters thus breaking her own record of 6.74 meters cleared
the deck for re-writing the ranking list, for her to ascend as the
World No.3 athlete in long jump. More
News
Bosch Car Service in the
region set to increase from six to 20 outlets by the end of the year
and More news
Kalamandalam Arts HSS Thrissur and Model Technical
HSS, Kaloor bag majority of ranks
Thiruvananthapuram May 18: - State Education minister
Naalakathu Soopy announced the Higher Secondary Plus two results today
morning. Out of 3,08,446 students who wrote the HSC exams, 1,82,264
students passed - 23,833 with distinctions, 59,895 first class and
52,489 second class. Emin.A.Rahman of St. Josephs GHS, Kozhikode with
a grand total of 584 marks, bagged the first rank in Science group.
Emin was also the 15th rankholder in the SSLC examinations. The second
rank in the Science group of 583 marks was shared by Lini.K.S, Cottonhill
GHS, Thiruvananthapuram and Soumya. M.Nambishan, of Vivekodayam BHSS,
Thrissur. More News
American Soldiers Forcing three Reuters Journalists
to Put their Finger in the Anus and made them Lick it!
Three Iraqi reporters of Reuters, the International
News Agencies have come out with new revelations of humiliation and
harassment from the US Occupation Forces in Iraq. According to the
reporters, the US Forces forced them to insert a finger into their
anus and then lick it.They were also forced to put shoes in their
mouths, particularly humiliating in Arab culture. Well the United
States of America, the champion of liberty and media freedom, send
its soldiers to liberate Iraq and give them more freedom. Read
the Full Report from Reuters
New Secret US Move to Dump WMD in Iraq, Reports MHS.
Quoting an Iraqi source close to the Basra Governor’s
Office Mahr News Agency reported that a large part of the WMD, which
was secretly brought to southern and western Iraq over the past month,
are in containers falsely labeled as containers of the Maeresk shipping
company (Main promoter of Salalah Port Services Ltd, Muscat?) and
some consignments bearing the labels of organizations such as the
Red Cross or the USAID in order to disguise them as relief shipments.
Any container movement through the Salalah Port? Full
Report
Health, Police Authorities Rule Out
Existence of alleged Nurse Gang Spreading Aids infection in Oman UAE
By V M Sathish
DUBAI - A week after a Libyan court condemned five
Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death by firing squad
for infecting patients with the AIDS virus, the UAE authorities have
said that there is no AIDS gang spreading the fatal disease in the
Emirates. According to international news agencies, an accused Bulgarian
doctor, received four years in prison for changing foreign currency
on the black market. He stood trial for infecting patients with AIDS,
but his verdict did not mention that charge. Nine Libyan hospital
officials were acquitted of negligence. The gang has allegedly infected
children with AIDS virus. Following this report from international
agencies and the spread of AIDS scare through the Internet, Email
and SMS messages, the UAE Police came out with a strong statement
denying the existence of any such gang of nurses in the Emirates.
In Oman also such rumours have been spreading through the Internet
and email..Full report
Woman Vs Woman - Sonia Proposes, Sushama Disposes?
More
NOKIA launches Concept Store in Abu Dhabi Mall
Abu Dhabi, UAE, May 18, 2004 - Nokia today inaugurated
its first dedicated Nokia Concept Store in the UAE. Located in the
Abu Dhabi Mall, Nokia's Concept Store is a three-dimensional manifestation
of the Nokia brand. It will offer the highest levels of customer service
and house the most comprehensive portfolio of Nokia products. The
Nokia Concept Store will also stock exclusive products, such as the
7200 Limited Edition which was officially launched in the UAE today.
A New Concept in Mobile Shopping Nokia's Concept
Store embodies the total Nokia brand experience. The Nokia Concept
Store is exclusively dedicated to Nokia phones, mobile enhancements,
ring tones, graphics, games, software and exclusive merchandise.
More News
Dubai eGovernment's AskDubai contact center handled
over 60,000 calls and 1,200 emails
May 18, 2004 Dubai eGovernment's AskDubai Contact
Centre handled more than 60,000 calls and 1,200 emails since its launch
in June 2003 and until April 2004. In addition, it initiated more
than 20,000 outbound calls, 550 online chats and over 50 faxes. These
figures were provided by Mahmood Al Bastaki, Business Process Re-engineering
Consultant, Dubai eGovernment, while speaking at a seminar on Regional
Call Centre Trends in Dubai. . More News
RBI Governor Announces New Credit Policy
Dr. Y. Venugopal Reddy, Governor, RBI, in a meeting
with Chief Executives of major commercial banks today presented the
annual policy Statement for 2004-05. The Statement follows the pattern
already set in the previous years. Broadly, the Statement covered
a review of macroeconomic and monetary developments with several analytical
and structural issues concerning financial sector and monetary policy..
More
Starcom MediaVest
Wins Yahoo! Middle East Online Award
First Rank Girl Dhanya Wants to Pursue
Medicine
This rank is by the grace of god, the prayers of my
parents and the inspiration given by my teachers, says Dhanya G, the
Nirmala Bhavan girl bagged First rank for SSLC exams Thiruvananthapuram
May 17: It is a festive occasion for all who are close to Dhanya,
who bagged the much coveted first rank for this year's SSLC examinations.
Sweets and laddoos are being distributed to everyone. Dhanya.G. is
the meritorious student of Nirmala Bhavan Higher Secondary School,
Kowdiyar, Thiruvananthapuram who bagged 591 marks for the SSLC exams,
leaving behind all other 4,69,702 students who wrote the examination
Dhanya is the daughter of R.Radhakrishna Pillai and Girijadevi.M.
Full Report
Car bomb kills head
of Governing Council in Iraq
Remya.K and Dhanya.C share first rank
in SSLC exams 6 out of 9 girls among SSLC rankholders
(click photo for expanded view)
First rank holder , Dhanya.C. with her proud mother Girijadevi.M,
father R.Radhakrishna Pillai and brothersGirish
and Kannan More School News
Thiruvananthapuram May 17: SSLC results for the year
2004 was announced today by Minister Naalakathu Soopy at 10.00 A.M
at Darbar Hall here. Two girls from Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram
shared first rank. 6 out 9 rankholders are girls. Of the 4,69,704
students who wrote the exams, 3,25,200 passed. 30,388 students got
distinction, 83,750 students got first class and 69,100 students acquired
second class .Full Report
More
from SSLC Rank News of Weblokam.com
American Soldiers Rape "Iraqi Babes" Liberated
from Saddam Hussaain
To
Rape Iraqi Muslim Woman George Bush is as Crazy as Saddam?
Photos Show Rape of Iraqi Women by US
Occupation Forces
Reports of sexual violence and abduction
of women and girls abounded in Baghdad during the early days of the
occupation . . . A large number of the abductions and rapes were committed
and filmed by hired mercenaries of the Pentagon and many of these
photographs and videos wound up in for-pay pornographic websites based
in the United States. One of these websites has shut down ever since
La Voz de Aztlan made this information public. On May 22, 2003, in
Baghdad, a nine-year-old girl was abducted from the stairs of the
building where she lived, taken to an abandoned building nearby, and
raped. A family friend who saw the young girl immediately following
the rape informed international human rights groups. The report quotes
the family friend, "She was sitting on the stairs, here, at 4:00 p.m.
It seems to me that probably they hit her on the back of the head
with a gun and then took her to [a neighboring] building. She came
back fifteen minutes later, bleeding [from the vaginal area]. [She
was still bleeding two days later, so] we took her to the hospital.Full
Report
The Roots of Torture The road to Abu
Ghraib began after 9/11, when Washington wrote new rules to fight
a new kind of war.
A NEWSWEEK investigation
Bush Promised to Save Iraqi Woman From Rape, Torture
by Saddam Hussain
"The Iraqi Government uses rape
and sexual assault of women to to extract information and forced confessions
from detained family members; to intimidate Iraqi oppositionists by
sending videotapes showing the rape of female family members; and
to blackmail Iraqi men into future cooperation with the regime,"
said a US State Department Document on Iraqi Woman, before sending
US mariners and Soldiers to "Liberate" Iraq. " Some
Iraqi authorities even carry personnel cards identifying their official
"activity" as the "violation of women's honor." said the U.S. Department
of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2001, March 2002;
Iraq Research and Documentation Project, Harvard University Torture.
"Full Report
Leadership debate identifies necessary
qualities and burning issues for business and political success
DUBAI - 12th May 2004 Arabia's integration into the
global economy and the management of its human capital are two key
challenges facing both corporate and government leaders, according
to regional business heads. In the build-up to the Leaders in Dubai
conference, to be staged at the Dubai International Convention Centre
(DICC) on November 29-30 2004, a panel of experts debated issues of
leadership, alongside the conference's project director Sheena Dunne.
.More News
Jeevan TV celebrates its 1st Anniversary "Jeevan Ananthapuri
Event" inaugurated
by R.S.Priya (KM Bureau Trivandrum and V M Sathish Dubai)
Thiruvananthapuram/Dubai -May 15: A grand and colourful
ceremony was organized at the University Senate Hall here on May 15th
by Jeevan TV, the youngest TV channel in Kerala, to celebrate its
first anniversary. Celebrities from diverse cultural fields like cinema,
music, and literature attended the glittering function. Even though
the event entitled "Jeevan Ananthapuri Event" was to be inaugurated
by Aranmula Ponnamma, she couldn't turn up and the event was inaugurated
by the all-time popular actor, Madhu. Others like the famous poet
and lyricist P.Bhaskaran, Social thinker Guptan Nair and Jeevan TV
Managing Director, Baby Mathew attended the inaugural function, which
was attended by a celebrity studded audience. More Reports and Photographs.
More News and Photo
DUBAI FESTIVAL CITY STRENGTHENS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DUBAI - 15th May 2004 Dubai Festival City, the waterfront
'city-within-a-city' under development on the banks of Dubai Creek,
has appointed five new directors as the centreplace destination gains
momentum in its first construction phase. "These five will oversee
and guide a number of areas of the development," said Mr Omar Al Futtaim,
CEO of the Al-Futtaim Group, developers of the Dubai Festival City
Development. "As momentum builds, there are significant factors that
will need to be addressed at a board level and the appointment of
these highly experienced and professional directors will ensure we
are prepared for the elevation of activities in a number of arenas.More
News
Danish medics reported seeing tortured Iraqis
Danish army medics in Iraq reportedly saw two prisoners
at a British field hospital who had been beaten, one of them to death,
the Danish Defence Ministry said on Friday. According to New Zeland
Herald, the same was reported to the British Authorities. Read
More
Philiphs
American President Send US Soldiers to
Teach Iraqis How to Masturbate?
More reports showing American's true
colour are coming out. According to the latest reports, the detainees
were ordered to strip and masturbate, their heads covered with plastic
sandbags. "One soldier stomped on their fingers and toes,"
reported the International Herald Tribune.."Frederick and Graner then
tried to get several of the inmates to masturbate themselves," Sivits
recounted. Full
Report
1963: American-British Assassination
of the Leader of Iraq Full Report
In July 1958, Gen. Abdul Karim Kassem
overthrew the monarchy and established a republic. Though somewhat
of a reformist, he was by no means any kind of radical. His action,
however, awakened revolutionary fervor in the masses and increased
the influence of the Iraqi Communist Party. Full
Report
Prometheus Methods Tower Services Inc., the business
that cost Nick Berg his life in Iraq, has no records with the Pennsylvania
Department of State. More
Nehru Dynasty Back to Power in New Delhi
..But Kerala Rejects Leader's Dynastic Dreams
Marxist Front LDF sweeps Kerala with 18 Seats as Congress
Eats Dust
Thiruvananthapuram May 13: In the Lok Sabha elections,
Marxist-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has bagged an unprecedented
18 seats out of the total 20 seats in Kerala. The United Democratic
Front (UDF) led by Congress received major jolt with single seat,
that also due from to its alliance with the Muslim League in Ponnani.
For the first time the electoral history of Kerala, Congress could
not get even a single seat in Kerala due to serious infighting and
nepotism. .More News
American Intelligence Did the Behading Act to Divert
Public Attention?
More
CIA did it to take the heat off the Pentagon"--NBC
reporter
New Photos Show Iraqi Muslim Woman Asked to Expose
their Breast to American Soldiers
Graphic new photographs and videotape of the abuses
at Abu Ghraib prison including images of dead Iraqis, prisoners being
brutalised, tortured and forced to have sex, and female detainees
being forced to expose their breasts have stunned members of Congress
who saw them in a secure briefing room on Capitol Hill, Reported the
Age More
Is Zarqawi Really the Culprit? Evidence tying an Al Qaeda-linked
terrorist to the latest Iraqi bombings is murkier..Reports
the News Week
Contractors Parents Blame Bush, Rumsfield for the
Behading
.."That's really what cost my son his life, the fact
that the United States government saw fit to keep him in custody for
13 days without any of his due process or civil rights" -- Mr Berg.
Parents of a US contractor executed by Islamic militants in Iraq are
blaming the Bush administration for his death, saying that US authorities
had contributed to the tragedy by unlawfully detaining their son for
nearly two weeks before his disappearance.More
Contractors Behead Fellow Contractor: It is Yet Another
American Ploy to Divert Global Media Attention from the Iraqi Prison
Abus Scandal ..More
Qatar Central Bank implements National Payment Gateway
using 'PayONE' secure e-payment solution from STS-
DUBAI -May 13, 2004 As the government of Qatar moves
towards offering e-services in every sphere of life, Qatar Central
Bank (QCB) has announced that it will implement a National Payment
Gateway using the revolutionary 'PayONE' secure online payment solution.
The solution, provided by BusinessONE, a division of the STS Group,
is based on an electronic wallet system that will enable debit and
credit card holders, as well as bank-account owners, to make online
payments for e-Commerce and e-Government transactions, safely and
in real-time. STS-BusinessONE is a leading regional provider of end-to-end
electronic payment and transaction technology solutions to banks and
financial institutions.More
Muscat Keralolsavam Started --More
SEATRADE WEIGHS ANCHOR IN DUBAI LEADING SHIPPING INDUSTRY CONVENTION
ORGANISERS
DUBAI 13th May 2004 Seatrade, the world's leading
shipping convention organisers and publishers, has opened an office
in Al Jadaf, Dubai to further its Middle East ambitions.More
KM Special Report - One More Rescue Mission
Succeeds
George Family Leaves Oman Peacefully
with Support of Philanthropists and Social Workers
Ending a period of harassment
lasting one and half years, the three member George family - George,
wife and the young daughter - is leaving Muscat by Oman Air Cochin
flight to night. The family has been escorted by leading social workers
of Muscat. However, established and recognised institutions like the
Christian Church, the Indian Social Club Linguistic Wings (Malayalam
Wing) and even the local media like the Times of Oman have been keeping
a safe distance from the issue. As earlier reported by KM on various
occasions, the house arrest and attempts to sexually exploit an young
Malayali girl is part of a major international racket which operates
from Kerala and the Gulf region. While one more case is exposed due
to the vigilence of some people, several other cases go unnoticed.
More News about George Family Case
We Dont Need
Any Ones Goodwill Certificate!
This
email KM received between 9 and 10 PM on May 11, 2004 from the Young
Daughter of George, who was trapped in a racket in Muscat! In
the News K M
To, Dear sir, i am the daughter of Mr
George Thomas one who was trapped by Mrs Nirmala Joboie. i would like
to sincerely thank all those who are behind this website and who have
helped us to escape from this pathetic situation. with the help of
ur website we were able to get the help of other social workers. Your
website have been a real helping hand for us and i truely pray to
God that it will continue to do so. your website have been a true
role model for other websites. without the support of your website
we wouldn't be able to reach india safely.i would also like to thank
all the social workers for their full support and guidance . And i
pray that u will continue to help all the others have been trapped
like us. More Appreciation Letters
MY FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE MORAL
SUPPORT . YOURS SINCERELY George & family
Malayala Manorama lifts and publishes
KM Exclusive Photograph!
Malayala Manorama is a well known
newspaper from Kerala with more than 100 years publishing history.
However, when it comes to reporting such events from the Gulf, it
is normally the last one. But the credit for publishing the report
always go to the Manorma family. In this case, Malayala Manorama has
shamelessly lifted and published an exclusive photograph of George
posted by Kerala Monitor.com . Even the news report published by Malayala
Manorama one week after KM published it is a reproduction of KM report.
Malayala Manorama has not send any of its photographers to Badr Al
Samaa hospital to take a photograph of Mr. George, who was lying in
the hospital bed for a long time. George family, the hospital authorities
and others associated with the case say they did not see a Manorama
Photographer around. It was KM which published this photograph taken
by one of KM well wishers in Muscat and Manorama has just lifted this
KM photograph, without attributing any credit to it. Well Manorama
sets the standard for Kerala media! KM is small and MM is too big
which will not publish even a classified advertisment for seeking
journalists to keralamonitor.com.! More
News
GULF AIR OPERATES MORE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS FROM
MUSCAT
Muscat, Oman- 11 May 2004] Gulf Air,
the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman
and Emirate of Abu Dhabi, will expand its global network and increase
flight frequency to accommodate the growing number of travellers to
and from Oman. Gulf Air announced new flights, as well as an increase
in flight frequency from Oman to popular destinations in the Subcontinent,
Middle East and Europe. More News
Zero Discounting but for Indian School
Agents Special Discount from NTT! Indian Airlines? -- Watch this space.
Muscat Terry Fox Fun Grand Success!
MUSCAT - 11 May 2004. The fourth Muscat
Terry Fox Run that took place on the 23rd January 2004 was once again
a tremendous success thanks to the support of companies, institutions,
independent groups, schools, the media and individuals. The final
proceeds totaling OMR 14, 120 were recently handed over to Dr. Mansoor
Al Manthari from the Department of Breast Cancer at the Sultan Qaboos
University Hospital. The cheque was handed over by the proud Run Organiser
Line Brunswyck, and Torbjörn Bodin, General Manager of the Radisson
SAS Hotel, Muscat.
Eight Indian School Students Die in Jeddah
Bus Accident
In yet another tragic school bus accident six students
including six Malayalis died in Jeddah yesterday. The accident occured
due bus tyre burst. The bus driver, Habeeb Rahman, from Kerala and
his children comprise the main victims. Details in Arab News..www.arabnews.com
Reporters Without Borders urges release of newspaper
editor
JORDAN - 11 May 2004 Reporters Without Borders has
condemned a Jordanian legal decision to detain Fahd Al-Rimawi, editor
of the bi-monthly Al-Majd, for two weeks for infringing Article 118
of the criminal code by "harming relations with a brotherly country",
namely Saudi Arabia. The international press freedom organisation
called for his immediate release and termed his arrest a "serious
press freedom violation." The state prosecutor Mohannad Hijazi decided
on 10 May 2004, to have Al-Rimawi held in the Al-Juedia prison in
the south of the country, pending his appearance before the state
security court for "harming relations with a brotherly Arab country"
Full Report
Oman Ministry of Heritage intensifies campaign against
software piracy
Several companies using pirated software raided at COMEX Oman 2004
May 9, 2004 Oman authorities intensified
their campaign against traders and companies using pirated software
across the Sultanate, in a bid to protect Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) and reduce software piracy.As part of the campaign, the authorities
raided several companies selling pirated software during the recently
held COMEX 2004, Oman’s leading IT exhibition, and seized copies
of pirated software. Full Report and More
News
NATO - Western Troops Sexually Abuse
Muslim Women in Kosova
Trafficked women and girls are exposed
to a series of human rights abuses, including abduction, deprivation
of liberty and denial of freedom of movement, torture and ill-treatment,
including psychological threats, beatings and rape. Young women and
girls, often vulnerable because of economic deprivation or for having
already been physically abused, are easy targets. They dream of a
better life which the traffickers use when they offer them "work"
in the West. Instead of getting a proper job the women and girls find
themselves trapped, enslaved, forced into prostitution. According
to reports the number of establishments in Kosovo where trafficked
women and girls may be exploited has increased from 18 in 1999 to
over 200 in 2003. Full Report
Five year old Expatriate
Girl Brutally Murdered in Saudi Arabia More
Suhail Bahwan Group to Open $10 Million
BMW Showroom in Oman
DUBAI -
Al Jenaibi International Automobiles, a division of the Suhail Bahwan
Group and the exclusive importer for BMW Group cars and motorcycles
in the Sultanate, is to open its new, $10 million state-of-the-art
showroom and after sales centre in the early summer..
Full Report
Shocking new evidence of the dangers of GM crops Genetically
modified strains have contaminated two-thirds of all crops in US More
Nokia Announces Ashen for the N-Gage Mobile
Game Deck
DUBAI - May 10, 2004
Nokia today announced Ashen, its third self-published title for the
N-Gage™ mobile game deck. Exclusively for the N-Gage game deck,
Ashen is a 3D gothic-horror-themed, first-person shooter that pits
mobile gamers against a host of enemies. In addition to exciting single-player
action, up to four people can play in deathmatch mode via Bluetooth
wireless technology. Full Report and
More News
Despite Al Qaeda Terrorism
targeting Hotels, Restaurants Saudi Arabia's Hotel Business is still
booming, writes V M Sathish in the International Herald Tribune
Recent reports from Saudi
Arabia indicated that terrorists are targeting Western hotels and
restaurants. Shooting incidents occurred around local American fast-food
outlets and American hotel chains. Recent terror attacks that killed
seven people, including American and British civilians, included a
gun battle outside the Holiday Inn.Click
for Full report
Intercontinental Priority
Club in Alliance with Gulf Air
From left to
right: Chris Moloney, Chief Operating Officer, InterContinental Hotels
Group, Middle East and Africa with John Butler, Vice President Sales
and Marketing, Gulf Air celebrating the addition of Gulf Air Miles
benefits to the Priority Club Rewards programme during Arabian Travel
Market 2004. Full
Report
8 Years old Suraj, Emirates
School Sharjah Needs Help
Suraj Suffers from
a major ailment. He needs an urgent marrow transplantation which is
quite expensive. His father cannot afford to meet the medical expenss.
Full
Report
US
soldiers abused young girl at Iraqi prison'
"They
brought a 12-year-old girl into our cellblock late at night. Her brother
was a prisoner in the other cells. "She was naked and screaming and
calling out to him as they beat her. Her brother was helpless and
could only hear her cries. This affected all of us because she was
just a child. Full Report
Palm
sells 780 apartments in 48 hours!
Dubai -May 8 2004
Nakheel, developers of The Palm and IFA Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary
of Kuwait based International Financial Advisors (IFA), have announced
that the 780 freehold apartments on their joint venture Golden Mile,
on the Palm, Jumeirah were sold within 48 hours of them being placed
on the market. Full Report
USA: Pattern of brutality and cruelty -- war crimes at Abu Ghraib:
AI
In an open letter to US President George W. Bush today,
Amnesty International said that abuses allegedly committed by US agents
in the Abu Ghraib facility in Baghdad were war crimes and called on
the administration to fully investigate them to ensure that there
is no impunity for anyone found responsible regardless of position
or rank. Amnesty International said that it has documented a pattern
of abuse by US agents against detainees, including in Iraq and Afghanistan,
stretching back over the past two years.Full
Report
Adobe
Systems reports 43 percent growth in revenue for 2004 Full
Report
Stubbing Out the Tobacco Menace
E.C. Thomas*
The anti-tobacco
movement in India is gaining momentum. The government has enforced
a new law to combat the tobacco menace. The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco
Products Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and
Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution Act, 2003 has been enforced
to the delight of non-smokers. This is an important step in the movement
against tobacco menace and anti-smoking campaign in the country. The
law banning tobacco advertising has come into force from May 1, 2004.
It is now illegal to smoke in public places and on public transport.
Full Report
InterContinental Hotels Group wins
Award for the Best Middle East Hotel
Dubai, 06 May, 2004: Business travellers have
named InterContinental Hotels Group as their first choice when travelling
in the Middle East.The hotel group received the award for Best Hotel
Group in the Middle East at yesterday’s Business Traveller Middle
East Awards. In addition to the main award, the InterContinental Phoencia
in Beirut won the best business hotel in the Middle East as
well as a second award as best business hotel in Lebanon. Full
Report and More News
NEW
US $430 MILLION SHIPPING JOINT VENTURE SETS SAIL Full
Report
New Indian
route for Sri Lankan Airlines
Dubai,
May 2004 : SriLankan Airlines will begin flights to Calicut, the historical
city in southwestern India, from July 1, becoming the first non-Indian
airline to operate regular services to Calicut’s International
Airport. Calicut will be SriLankan’s tenth destination
in India and will be serviced by four flights per week on Mondays,
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The 90-minute flight to Calicut,
Flight UL169, leaves Colombo at 0900 hours and arrives in Calicut
at 0950 hours. Full Report
CBI should have autonomy for effective investigation: Justice Verma
New Delhi May 6: The former Chief Justice of India
and the former Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission, Justice
J.S. Verma today said that in the absence of faithful discharge of
their role by all the law enforcement agencies, genuine rule of law
is an illusion. He said that rule of law is the bedrock of democracy;
hence its significance is evident. Full report
CBI
award for the best investigating officer and best detective constable
of CBI
CBI files chargesheet against Maharashtra police official inTelgi
Case
New Delhi May 4: The Central Bureau of Investigation
has filed a chargesheet against A.B.Sonwalkar, Assistant Police Inspector
(API) of Maharashtra Police in the court of ACMM, 19th Court, Esplanade,
Mumbai in the multi crore counterfeit Govt. Special Adhesive Stamps
sold by accused Abdul Karim Ladsahab Telgi & others. Full
report
SriLankan earmarks Dubai
route for increase in frequency
Dubai,
May 2004 : SriLankan Airlines has set its sights on double daily Dubai
services to complement a growing Middle East
and Gulf network.Barry Brown, the carrier’s
regional manager for Europe, Middle
East and the Americas,
said: Full report
.50% OF NAKHEEL & IFA
“GOLDEN MILE” PROJECT SOLD IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS
5th May 2004 Nakheel, developers
of The Palm and IFA Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Kuwait-based
International Financial Advisors (IFA), have announced that 50% of
the 780 exclusive freehold apartments on Golden Mile, Palm, Jumeirah
have been sold within less than 24 hours of going on sale at the Arabian
Travel Market in Dubai Full
report and More Newws
Pravasi
Bandhu Says India falling back in Debt Trap
India had again fell in to the trap of another loan
deal of $4b with World Bank for major road linking program called
India Connect. Whenever India borrow from WB it always with strings,
demands and compulsions and unreasonable interest rate of many fold
of current LIBOR. More News
Job
Vacancy in Saudi for Doctors, Nurses and Paramedical Staff
Thiruvananthapuram May 5: Applications are invited
for the posts of doctors, nurses and technicians from among muslims
in the Mecca-region Health Ministry of the government of Saudi Arabia.
The interview for the posts will be conducted on May 30 th in Bangalore.
More News
UAE UNIVERSITY, IBM TEAM TO DESIGN
CAR SAFETY DEVICE
Power Architecture “Smart Box”
Reduces Vehicle Accidents, Injuries
PARIS, May 6, 2004 - Noting that one person is injured
every two hours in a road accident in the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
a leading university there announced today it will work with IBM on
a device aimed at reducing traffic collisions. United Arab Emirates
University, pointing to government traffic studies, said the country
has seen a steady climb in the number of auto-related fatalities in
the past few years. In addition to those people injured, there is
one death on UAE roads approximately every 15 hours. More
News
AUSTRIA PLANS TO EXPAND ATM PRESENCE INTEREST IN 2005 EVENT
TAKES OFF
DUBAI May 5, 2004
As Arabian Travel Market 2004, the largest in the annual series of
the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism show, entered its
second day at the Dubai World Trade Centre, exhibitor plans to expand
their presence at next year’s show began to emerge.
More News
Millionaire Pastore Found Guilty of Sexual Offences
LONDON - A millionaire church minister has
been found guilty of sexually assaulting a member of his congregation.
According to Reuters Pastor Douglas Goodman, who lived a rock-and-roll
lifestyle and enjoyed "pop star" status in his church, was
convicted of abusing a 24-year-old member of his choir. Full
Report
Bombay
sisters offer special Swati Tirunal Jayanthi musical feast
Special report by R S Priya
Thiruvananthapuram May 4: The popular Bombay Sisters
-Saroja and Lalitha -filled the hearts of music lovers here with joy
and refreshment with their beautiful vocal recital. With Sreekanth
on Violin, Palladam Ravi on Mridangam and Sukanya Ramgopal on Ghatom
there was more flavour to the Swathi Tirunal Jayathi, which was inaugurated
here yesterday evening at the Karthika Tirunal theatre by the State
Culture Affairs Minister G.Karthikeyan. Full
report
Indians were abused, treated
like Slaves in US kichens in Iraq
“We
were slaves in the American kitchens. We barely got two hours of sleep.
Any slip-ups and we were tortured for days,” Hameed said.
read
the full report
KM Speciala from Dubai
An exclusive KM Photo A bus on fire
in Al Zaabeel area of Bur Dubai
Job Vacancy in Qatar
Thiruvananthapuram May 4:Applications
are invited for the post of Civil Foreman to a private contracting
and trading company by O.D.E.P.C More
Keralites Trapped in Iraq return home..
Four
Keralites who were 'cheated' by job agents and taken to a US military
camp in Iraq have managed to reach home here after going through the
nine-month-long ordeal in the camp as slaves Full
Report
Private
military companies in Iraq: profiting from colonialism
3 May 2004 - Operating behind a
veil of state and corporate secrecy, dozens of private security firms
with intimate connections to the American political establishment are
playing a crucial role in the US occupation of Iraq. The wholesale contracting
of military work to these companies is one of the most outrageous forms
of war profiteering taking place under the auspices of the Bush administration.
Modern-day mercenaries are amassing vast fortunes assisting the US ruling
elite to establish a puppet regime in Iraq, repress the Iraqi people
and plunder the country’s resources. Full
Report
Americans say
they face terrorist threat in the Gulf, all over the world.
The Department of State remains concerned
by indications that Al-Qaida continues to prepare to strike U.S. interests
abroad. Al-Qaida and its associated organizations have most recently
struck in the Middle East and in Europe but other geographic locations
could also be venues for attacks. Future Al-Qaida attacks could possibly
involve non-conventional weapons such as chemical or biological agents
as well as conventional weapons of terror. We also cannot rule out
that Al-Qaida will attempt a catastrophic attack within the U.S. Full
Report
Torture
commonplace, Guardian report says quoting inmates' families
Luke Harding of the Guardian
reported from the Abu Ghraib prison, near Baghdad, where stories of
US guards routinely abusing prisoners come as no surprise to Iraqis
full
report
New high tech Methods to fight Crime
Dubai, UAE, 3 May, 2004: The
second Middle East Police and Law Enforcement Exhibition (MEPLEX)
opened today, with a major gathering of police forces, Interior Ministry
officials, security industry suppliers and international experts assembling
within the secured premises of Dubai Police Academy for the important
three-day event.Held under the patronage of H.H.General Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Defence Minister
and Head of Dubai Police and Security, the event is organised by event
management and marketing specialists Streamline Marketing, Full
Report
Arabian Travel Market to attract thousands
from 95 countries
DUBAI May 3, 2004 Arabian
Travel Market, the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism
show which gets under way at the Dubai World Trade Centre tomorrow,
has registered unprecedented growth with 30% more occupied floor space
than last year, over 1,400 exhibitors from 55 countries and a visitor
pre-registration profile spanning 95 nations. The 11 th in the annual
series and spanning some 11,800 square metres, Arabian Travel Market
2004 is the largest ever and organisers Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE)
say further growth is on the cards for next year. Full
Report
Nakheel & IFA Launch the
Marketing of the "Golden Mile" Jumeirah
$ 300 million Cost of
the Project
Dubai 3 rd May 2004 Nakheel, developers of The Palm,
and IFA Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Kuwait-based International
Financial Advisors (IFA), will launch the highly-anticipated sale
of its joint venture luxury, waterfront Golden Mile apartments on
The Palm, Jumeirah in Dubai , United Arab Emirates at the Arabian
Travel Market from 4 – 7 May. International demand for the exclusive,
waterfront properties has been running at a premium since news of
the joint venture project made global headlines two months ago. Sultan
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Nakheel said “There has already
been intense world-wide interest in the Golden Mile and we are confident
of a swift response to this latest Palm, Jumeirah sales opportunity
Full Report
ZIAD AL HAREMI APPOINTED AS
DIVISIONAL MANAGER CO MM ERCIAL
OMAN AIR
MUSCAT In line with its Omanisation policy, Oman
Air recently appointed Mr. Ziad bin Karim bin Ahmed Al Haremi as Divisional
Manager Commercial. Ziad obtained his University Degree in Aviation
Technology from Embry Riddle University in the USA in 1984. He also
has a Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance and a Private Pilot License.
He has attended several training courses, lectures and workshops covering
various aspects of the aviation industry especially pertaining to
the Commercial field. Full Report
Saudi Arabia bans small companies from recruiting
foreign workers
Saudi Arabia banned small companies from recruiting
foreign staff “Labor offices have been instructed to prevent
small companies with fewer than 10 workers from recruitment”
of foreign staff, Arab News siad quoting Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi
.Full
Report
Oxygen appointed Middle East
partner to deliver internationally acclaimed TMI courses
May 3, World Press Freedom Day
More
than 130 journalists are currently imprisoned around the world just
for doing their job. Forty-two were killed in 2003 in the course of
their work or because of their opinions. The Reporters Without Borders
annual report lists the attacks on press freedom worldwide in 2003.
42 journalists were killed during the year, mainly in Asia and the
Middle East (especially the Iraq war). It was the most since 1995.
766 others were arrested, at least 1,460 physically attacked or threatened
and 501 media censored. More
Social Organisations should bear
part of the treatment expenses
MUSCAT Now it is the turn of social organisations to foot the medical
bill. Badr Al Samaa has been treating George free of cost for one and
half months. Now it is the turn of the social organisations in Oman
and the UAE to pay for the latest surgery and other treatments. After
all the hospital is a private business, and through charity alone it
cannot sustain business. While everybody should appreciate the manner
in which the hosptial management has tackled an issue, they should not
be burdened with the entire cost of treating George. What is the Christian
Church doing? Dont they have any moral obligation to take care of a
Christian family in distress? What are the other social clubs doing?
Wasing all their money on Keralolsavams and Cultural Shows? ISC is sleeping?
K E R A L A M O N I T O R M E D
I A M O N I T O R
May 3 is observed as World Press Freedom Day
every year under the aegis of the United Nations. In a message, the
UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, has said that information is,
undoubtedly, a source of power. Those who have access to a free and
independent media have more options. The World Press Freedom Day is
an important reminder of the contribution that journalists play in
the information age, especially in the protection of human rights
and in promoting development. More