Announcement of new services shortly'.
TOP APPOINTMENT BY TNT/SAB EXPRESS IN SAUDI ARABIA
U.S., Indonesian jets in standoff
July 5, 2003 JAKARTA, Indonesia - In a tense encounter above the Java sea, U.S. fighter planes went into attack mode and locked their missiles on Indonesian warplanes deployed to intercept them, an Indonesian air force official said Friday. Rear Air Marshal Wresnowiro said air force radar detected the F-18 Hornet planes maneuvering over Bawean Island off the northern coast of Java island on Thursday. Two Indonesian F-16 fighter jets intercepted the U.S. planes and warned them they were in Indonesian airspace, he said. Full Report
Intelligence chief accuses Blair of 'credibility gap' over WMD
By Paul Lashmar, Andy McSmith and James Morrison06 July 2003
Iraq's missing weapons of mass destruction are opening a dangerous "credibility gap" between the Government and the public, a former intelligence chief has warned.
The remarks by Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, former head of the joint intelligence committee, suggest that even if Downing Street wins its row with the BBC, questions about the origins of the Iraq war will remain unanswered. Dame Pauline, who is also a BBC governor, suggested as long as coalition forces fail to uncover chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, questions will be asked about why troops were sent to war. "If you tell people you are going to war because there is an imminent threat to national security, and then in the aftermath nothing is found, it opens up a credibility gap of a kind which is dangerous in a democracy," she said in an interview with BBC News 24.Full Report
myTravelChannel.com and Dnata Holidays partner to offer comprehensive online travel solutions
6 July 2003 - The region's most popular travel website, myTravelChannel.com, today launches the Dnata Holidays' mini-website, offering visitors access to an area dedicated to Dnata Holidays information and special holiday deals.
The simple, easy-to-use interactive online travel portal, myTravelChannel.com, allows visitors to discover, compare, choose and book from more than 500 airlines, 50,000 hotels and more than 750,000 car hire options world-wide as well as take advantage of exclusive deals offered by mytravelchannel.com partners like Dnata Holidays.
Leo Fewtrell, Manager, Dnata Holidays, says: "myTravelChannel.com's vision, professionalism and expertise in developing an all-embracing travel website is noteworthy and impressive. We are delighted to be part of myTravelChannel.com, the leading travel website in the region."
"With myTravelChannel.com we are even more confident that we can serve the online holiday shopper effectively by offering a hassle-free holiday option that is easily accessed, great value and efficiently served," he added.
Simon Lewis, Manager myTravelChannel.com, said: "Having a dedicated area for partners like Dnata Holidays means visitors to our site have access to information on exclusive deals and packages, which makes arranging a holiday convenient, simple and hassle-free.
"Since the re-launch of myTravelChannel.com, consumers have embraced the simplicity and convenience it gives them to research, select and book their travel. The partnership with Dnata Holidays is yet another example of our commitment to delight consumers with a wide range of holiday options and deals," Simon said. To celebrate the new partnership, mytravelchannel.com has teamed up with Dnata Holidays to offer site visitors a chance to win a five-night holiday for two.
The prize includes return economy flights from Dubai to Maldives, three nights' bed and breakfast at Soneva Fushi Resort & Spa with a seaplane transfer, and two nights' bed and breakfast at Soneva Gili Resort & Spa with a speedboat transfer. The draw date has been confirmed for Wednesday 10th Sept 2003, and the name of the winner will be broadcast live on Radio 2 during the myTravelChannel show.
The Student Show 2003 to showcase educational opportunities to serve the needs of emerging knowledge-based economies in the GCC region
July 6, 2003
With fifty per cent of the population in most GCC countries estimated to be under 25 years of age, the number of young adults seeking to boost their educational qualifications and strengthen their professional development to adapt to the region's drive towards 'knowledge-based economies' is rapidly increasing. The upcoming 'Student show 2003- the international exhibition of educational options' will offer young students from these countries a plethora of opportunities to explore such educational avenues both regionally
and internationally. This is the first Student Show for the region and it will be held from October 22 to 24, 2003 at the Dubai Airport Expo."Knowledge is what drives world economies today. Globally, there is an
increasing thrust to integrate knowledge, information and communication
technologies to aid social and economic development. These factors determine
the competitive edge possessed by both nations and individuals. GCC governments
have over the last few decades demonstrated substantial commitments to
the educational sector. The UAE has already taken the lead in creating
the infrastructure to facilitate the move towards creating a knowledge-based
economy through the setting up of the Knowledge Village. Students from
the Higher Colleges of Technology in the UAE graduate in various disciplines
including the arts, engineering, science, media and communications and
computer technology. IT education especially has become a major priority
for Dubai and the UAE in general. The IT Education Project which was launched
in March 2000 aims to produce a generation of UAE youth who are capable
of serving their country's needs," said David Domoney, Managing Director,
International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC&E), organisers of The Student
Show 2003."Most of the other GCC countries in the region allocate billions of dollars
for education and manpower training. Many students who graduate from universities
in the GCC countries opt to complement their studies by pursuing graduate
and post graduate degrees in their speciality fields abroad and governments
also support many of these choices by offering scholarships to hundreds
of students each year. All of these initiatives by GCC governments have
resulted in international educational institutions regarding the GCC region
as a key market to promote expanded access to progressive higher education.
Many of them are looking forward to participating in The Student Show 2003
to promote the educational avenues available in their institutions for
GCC students both on campus and through distance learning," he added.IC&E has been successfully conducting education shows in the region for
the past 15 years. The last Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX),
which concluded on April 11, 2003, attracted more than 300 educational
institutes and around 20,000 visitors."The Student Show has been scheduled in the latter half of 2003 since a
large number of students begin looking at options for further studies towards
the end of the year as well. IC&E has been actively involved in the education
sector and we believe that the Student Show will offer one more avenue
to the students in the UAE and the region to explore the various preferences
when it comes to choosing their future career path," added Domoney.The Student Show 2003 will showcase educational courses, audiovisual software,
distance learning courses, language laboratories, education for those with
special needs, turnkey educational & training systems, international study
guides as well as a host of other options for students of all disciplines.The event will also incorporate a Career Centre, where students can access
career guidance advice by specialist consultants. A Network Zone will serve
as a meeting place for students to exchange ideas and also interact with
their peer groups.
The Student Show 2003 - the International Exhibition of Educational Options,
will be held at the Dubai Airport Expo from October 22 to 24, 2003. The
event is being promoted throughout the UAE with the objective of attracting
an audience of more 20,000 students. The exhibition will offer an ideal
platform for international academic institutions to showcase their educational
facilities to a multinational audience of students and parents. The Student
Show 2003 is being organised by International Conferences & Exhibitions
(IC&E), which has been active in organising events in the education sector
for more than 15 years. For more informationLIBERIA: Taylor accepts asylum in Nigeria
MONROVIA, 6 July (IRIN) - Liberian President Charles Taylor on Sunday
accepted to leave his country and take up asylum in Nigeria. But he
repeated earlier demands for an "an orderly exit from power" and called on
the US to lead an international peacekeeping force into Liberia.Without giving a timetable for his departure, Taylor told reporters after
meeting Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in the Liberian capital,
Monrovia, that he wanted the peacekeepers to ensure that Liberia would not
be plunged into chaos.Taylor, clad in all white, said: "They [Nigeria] extended the invitation.
We embrace and accept it. We invite the US to come full force and assist
in bringing peace back to Liberia.""But we believe that it is not unreasonable to request an orderly exit
from power," Taylor added. "We are talking about necessary action to
prevent chaos and disruption in Liberia."But in an indication of Taylor's plans, the Field Commander of the
country's armed forces, General Roland Duo, told reporters earlier that
Taylor had officially informed the army to expect a new government by 15
July.Obasanjo, standing side-by-side with Taylor in flowing robes, told
reporters that although he had offered asylum to the Liberian leader, he
would not accept to be "harassed" over it."We extended an invitation on behalf of the government and people of
Nigeria for President Taylor to come to Nigeria. The condition is that
Nigeria and I will not be harassed by anybody or any country for showing
this humanitarian gesture, a gesture that is very necessary for us to
solve the problem of this country."Pressure for Taylor to resign however continued. US President George Bush
was quoted by international news agencies as saying in a Saturday radio
address that Taylor must leave. "And I am not going to take no for an
answer," Bush said ahead on a trip to Africa.General Duo said: "We are now not interested in continuing to fight or to
gain extra territory, but to await the peacekeepers to whom we will
disarm. The President has informed us that there will be a new interim
government from 15 July."Taylor also ordered that each Liberian government soldier be paid "a
farewell compensation" of $11,000 Liberian dollars (about US $200).On Saturday evening, Taylor met senior members of his political party and
told them he would heed President Bush's call to leave power. "I do not
want to get into a confrontation with America, which is the greatest
country in the world," sources at the meeting quoted Taylor as saying.He repeated earlier demands that an indictment against him by a
UN-backed court in neighbouring Sierra Leone for crimes against humanity
be rescinded. Taylor was indicted in March for crimes allegedly committed
during a decade of war in Sierra Leone.Taylor, other sources within Taylor's office told IRIN, cleared out his
office on Saturday afternoon, before his political colleagues. Late in
the evening, a chartered jet aircraft flew out his personal property from
Liberia's international airport.In Germany, officials said a team of US military experts would fly to
Liberia to assess the situation on Sunday before the US decided whether to
commit peacekeeping troops to Liberia. "We are forming a humanitarian
assistance survey team to leave for Liberia today," said John Tomassi, a
spokesman for the US European command in Stuttgart, told Reuters."It will probably be a team of 10 to 15. We're still assembling the team
right now. Once everyone's together they'll take off," Tomassi said. "It
is a humanitarian assistance team and will report back on the situation so
the commanders will be able to make a better decision on what to do next."Taylor's supporters staged a peaceful demonstration outside the
Monrovia airport before Obasanjo arrived. They carried banners that read:
"Upon the leaving of our President, what is our future?" and "US
government, Please tell us our future in the absence of President Taylor"Monrovia was quiet on Sunday for the seventh day, after a truce between
Taylor's fighters and rebels fighting to topple him, resurrected a 17 June
ceasefire. The rebels who reached the gates of the city two weeks ago,
said they withdrew to avert a humanitarian disaster and allow ongoing
peace talks in Ghana to proceed.
.Police seize two million tapes in Egypt's biggest ever piracy raid
Egyptian authorities commended over largest ever raid in the Middle East
July 6, 2003
Police from the Giza Security Department in Egypt have seized nearly two million counterfeit music cassettes in the largest ever music piracy seizure in the Middle East.
IFPI, representing the global recording industry, today commended the Egyptian authorities for their commitment to tackling the country's very high level of music piracy. Next to the Lebanon, where the piracy rate is almost 70%, Egypt has one of the highest piracy rates in the Middle East region at about 50%.Gen. Ahmed Fouly, Senior Consultant, IFPI, Egypt said at a press conference in Cairo: "This is excellent work by the Egyptian police, which has resulted in the dismantling of a major network of pirates. Egypt has one of the biggest consumer markets in the Middle East, but this potential is presently being stunted by rampant music piracy. The Egyptian authorities are now showing they take protection of Intellectual Property Rights seriously and are committed to the fight against music piracy."
IFPI, in cooperation with members of the Egyptian Central Association of Audio Producers (ECAAP) assisted the Egyptian authorities in coordinating the seizure, which followed a month-long surveillance of the illegal music copying operation. The cassettes were all Arabic titles owned by various Egyptian record production companies.
Police who raided the apartment in Giza found culprits actively engaged in the duplication and printing process. Along with the almost two million counterfeit cassettes, one million inlays, one million plastic tape covers, six duplication machines and two printing machines were also confiscated. Police arrested one of the accused at the scene and impounded a van used to distribute the counterfeit cassettes. There is an ongoing investigation into other suspected pirates believed to be involved in the illegal manufacturing operation. The case has been presented to the Prosecutor's office, which has ordered a committee from the Censorship Department to examine the seized music selection and report to the court.
Egypt's high piracy rate has been highlighted by the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) in its recent report to the US Government as part of the Special 301 review process. The report says: "Retail piracy of entertainment software, business software, music, and motion pictures (including, more recently, on digital carriers like VCD, DVD, and CD-ROM) continues to cause great harm to US and Egyptian copyright owners."
Although Egypt remains on the US Government's 'Priority Watch List', some progress has been made. The government passed Law 82/2002, better known as the IPR Law, in June 2002 for the protection of intellectual property rights.
"The new IPR Code provides a firm basis for the protection of works and producers of sound recordings, and allows for immediate enforcement against pirates," the IIPA report said.
Egypt is the traditional heartland of Arab pop music, boasting the majority of the region's songwriters and musicians and its largest population. Most artists prefer to come to Egypt to produce their records because most of the composers are there, and it is easy to find musicians.
With a market share of about 93%, music cassettes remain the most popular music format in Egypt. IFPI estimates that the level of piracy of Arabic music is about 50% and the percentage for international music repertoire is slightly lower. About 80% of the total legitimate market is Arabic repertoire with the international repertoire taking 20% of the market share.
The international recording industry would like to boost local talent by developing Arab singers and musicians and marketing them internationally. However piracy stunts the growth of this potentially lucrative cultural product, both domestically and internationally.
The recording industry invests hundreds of millions of dollars, up to 15% of its turnover in some countries, in new talent. This investment has risen steadily over the last decade, and local repertoire accounts for nearly 70% of the global music market.
IFPI estimates the illegal copying of sound recordings represents a US$4.3 billion a year, organised criminal trade across the world. IFPI, which represents the companies that produce and distribute more than 90% of all sound recordings by Arab artists, leads the fight against music piracy globally. IFPI has a membership of more than 1,500 record producers and distributors in over 70 countries. It also has national groups in 46 countries.
IFPI represents its members at three levels - international, regional and national. IFPI Secretariat in London is responsible for coordinating international strategies in the key areas of the organisation's work - anti-piracy enforcement, technology, lobbying of governments and representation in international organisations, legal strategies, litigation and public relations.
It is also the recording industry's most authoritative source of market research and information, providing a comprehensive range of global industry statistics. The organisation devotes a substantial amount of time and resources to fighting music piracy in all its forms. But crucially, they depend on the support of governments and public authorities such as police, customs, prosecutors and the judiciary.
UBM Partners with Health Tech Experts to Strengthen Jordan’s Regional Medical Capabilities
First complete HMIS solution delivered by UBM and Balsam Healthcare to streamline Levant and Jordanian health care sectorAmman, 6 July 2003 UBM (United Business Machines), an authorised IBM Business Partner, today announced its partnership with Saudi-based Balsam Healthcare Corporation, to
provide e-Oasis, a complete Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) to
the Jordanian health care sector. The integrated solution will be the first-of-its-kind to be available in Jordan and will provide hospital management with fast access to information leading to greater efficiencies. The application can scale to suit all hospital sizes and will be implemented and supported by UBM in Jordan.“UBM has historically supported the health care sector by deploying a variety of solutions to Jordanian hospitals. We are excited to be the first to support a complete end-to-end solution that will lead to greater access to information and better management in the sector. Today IT plays a key role in the growth of health care as hospitals are depending on advanced solutions to better serve patients with more professional services,” said
Mustafa Rugibani, chairman of UBM. “Our partnership with Balsam, a well-known healthcare corporation, will enable us to further facilitate the tasks of hospitals in Jordan, which has become a regional center for health care services. We are particularly happy with the solution as it was tailored and built according to the recommendations and the requirements of professional doctors.”The integrated Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) has functional modules which range from: personal & administrative, patient, financial and departmental functions. It is available in Arabic and English and is suitable for hospitals from 50 to over 10,000 beds occupancy. Over 57 well-known hospitals in the Arab region, Europe and Africa are already using this full-package solution which facilitates the responsibilities of all
departments throughout the hospital.“Our goal at Balsam is to facilitate the IT requirements of hospitals, therefore we work very closely with the recommendations of experienced doctors, engineers and financial consultants to develop solutions and systems to contribute to the growth of this sector,” said Dr. Saleem Bin Mahfoz, general manager of Balsam healthcare Corporation. “ Our solutions are used throughout leading hospitals in the Arab region, Africa and Europe
and see a lot of potential for growth in the Jordanian health care market.
We believe that our partnership with a company of UBM’s calibre will enable
us to provide our high-quality services successfully in Jordan and across
the Levant.”A seminar held recently in Jordan to launch the HMIS solution saw
participation from high-level representatives from the Jordanian health care
sector. At the event Balsam Healthcare and UBM shared the benefits of the
system and the President of Red Crescent, Dr. Mohammad Al-Hadid, endorsed
the use of IT in furthering medical care in the region. Participants
expressed interest in the new system which is proven to raise efficiency and
enhance hospital services.United Business Machines (UBM) is an authorized IBM Business Partner for the
entire range of IBM products and services in Jordan, Palestine, and Iraq.
Since its establishment in October 1995, the company has become a leading
Jordanian IT solutions provider. UBM is dedicated to providing its
customers with leading-edge technologies from IBM, combined with world-class
business solutions from: JD Edwards, CISCO, and Diebold.INMARSAT SATELLITE CONTROL DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO OFFER UNRIVALED SUPPORT TO SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY
Tracking, Telemetry and Command network successfully supports back-to-back transfer orbit operations of two different satellites
Dubai – UAE, July 6, 2003 - Inmarsat Limited, the Total Communications Network, today announced that its Satellite Control Department has provided launch support activity for Astrium, Europe’s number one space company, less than two days after completing launch activity for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This latest mission brings the number of external support launches to 10, building on Inmarsat’s 23 year heritage in designing, implementing and operating satellite networks.
As part of the Satellite Control Department, Inmarsat’s Transfer Orbit and
Payload testing support (TOPS) service offers flexible contracting and proven capability to provide post-launch transfer-orbit operations via Inmarsat’s Satellite Control Centre in London and three tracking, telemetry and control (TT&C) stations in Italy, China and Canada. Inmarsat TT&C support is a multi-faceted operation supporting customer-specific requirements including telecommand and telemetry, tracking and ranging of satellites, flight dynamics and voice and data links via Inmarsat’s communications network.
The launch of the Astrium Hellas-Sat satellite took place on May 13th on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is the first telecommunications satellite for Greece and Cyprus and will be used to broadcast Direct To Home TV and broadband services as well as the next year’s summer Olympic Games from Athens. This launch was the tenth contract for the Inmarsat team and includes eight days of mission support, in which the spacecraft is manoeuvred into position, plus a further 26 days on-station support in its final position. Five days earlier, the Inmarsat TOPS team started supporting the launch of the ISRO GSAT-2 satellite, the fourth under a multi-satellite support contract between Inmarsat and ISRO.
Richard Denny, Inmarsat's vice-president, Satellite and Network Operations division said, “The Hellas-Sat satellite is the tenth external launch project for our TOPS programme and second in the space of a few days for our team. Being selected by world-class companies such as Astrium, and international space organisations such as ISRO, to provide support services is testament to our ability to provide world-class support services for leading satellite operators. Our teams have shown the expertise, experience and capability to lead the field and we are excited about working with many more companies moving forward.”
The Inmarsat Satellite Control Centre in London that manages the TOPS programme, was recently reopened by UK Science and Technology Minister, Lord Sainsbury. This state-of-the-art facility had a major redesign and refurbishment in advance of the launch of the first of Inmarsat’s latest generation of satellites, Inmarsat-4 in 2004..can u help me?
Date: 5 Jul 2003 15:37:07 -0000
Dear Sir,
Let me introduce myself as Akhila an eight years old girl from a village of
Kerala in India. I lost my right hand completely in a bus accident on 11th
September 2000.Now I am a one handed girl.My father took me to Pune Artificial Limb Centre for an artificial hand.
But they send us back insisting that Indian technology can not help me, and
also advised to try in Germany. Living without the right hand for two and
half years itself affected my back bone. If the balance of body can not be
maintained by implanting an artificial hand my life would be miserable by
damaging my Spinal Cord.
At this time a German institution -OTTO BOCK HEALTH CARE CENTRE offered me
a functionable electrical hand. My father took me to their Mumbai Branch
.But it would cost us 4 Lakhs Rupees at first and 2 Lakhs Rupees each
every two and half years for replacement. This replacement should be
continued till I become 20 years old. The overall expense may come to 15
Lakhs Indian Rupees. My father as a Primary ..School teacher can not afford this amount. We are so poor. As a result of my tragedy my father became a Heart patient and implanted a Pace Maker for living at the age of 37.
I won the Second Rank in National Level for PCM Scholarship recently by
writing only one my left hand. I was a right handed girl till I met with my
tragedy. I wish to continue my studies and to get involved in all
Co-Curricular activities like any other child of my age. An artificial hand
is quiet necessary for all my dreams to come true. So I request you help me
as you can to fulfill my ambitions. Expecting a positive replay and help.
Thanking you,
AKHILA. B.S,
B.S NIVAS
VANDIPURA
KOONAMVENGA P.O
PANAVOOR [VIA]
NEDUMANGADU
THIRUVANAMTHAPURAM
KERALA
INDIA. 695568,
