India demands quick answers on ill treatment to its nationals
New Delhi,Wednesday, March 12, 2003: With no explanation forthcoming from the Malaysian Government over last Sunday's ill-treatment meted out to 270 Indian nationals, mostly IT professionals, in Kuala Lumpur, India today asked Malaysia to provide quick answers to why such action was resorted to. New Delhi request for a speedy response was conveyed by the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to the Malaysian authorities. It was stressed that the entire incident needed to be looked into."Certainly, the issue is very much on the table," External Affairs Ministry spokesman told reporters observing that "this incident is causing a shadow on bilateral relations".
Of the 195 Indian nationals taken to the police station last Sunday, 192 have since been released after it was ascertained that all of them carried valid visas and work permits. Three of them including two IT professionals still remain in the custody of the Malaysian police.Contesting remarks made by visiting Malaysian minister Mohd. Nazri Abdul Aziz that the action was part of the drive against illegal immigrants, the spokesman said the campaign was basically aimed at unskilled workers pouring into Malaysia from other countries and not against highly qualified persons many of whom had been given SMART cards issued by the Malaysian authorities with proper employment visas. "To equate this category with illegal immigrants is wrong", he said. Asked why the Malaysian police had resorted to such action, he said "I wouldn't like to hazard a guess but we would like to get to the bottom of it".
India denies reports of US offering it a piece of Iraq pie
New Delhi,Wednesday, March 12, 2003: India today denied news reports suggesting that the US has offered it a piece of Iraq pie after the ouster of President Saddam Hussein if New Delhi holds its counsel in the event of an attack on Baghdad. We deny that any such conversation has taken place between the US and India," External Affairs Ministry spokesman said in response to a question on comments attributed to US Ambassador Robert Blackwill in this regard. The US Embassy also issued a statement that Washington never linked the Indian Government's position on the question of Iraqi disarmament of its weapons of mass destruction with India's role in Iraq after Saddam Hussein. "The assertions made in this regard are absolutely untrue," it said. "Such a linkage has not been made by the US in the numerous high-level conversations on Iraq that have taken place between New Delhi and Washington over the past several months," the embassy said.
Photographers from Bahrain, Qatar and UAE win the EPSON Digital Vision 2003 Middle East competition
Winners will compete at the international event to be held in April
March 12, 2003
Photography enthusiasts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE sent
entries for the EPSON Digital Vision Competition 2003, one of the biggest
international competitions of its kind, which attracts entries from all
over the world. The competition was organised for the second time in the
Middle East by EPSON.Nidaa Abdul Al-Rumaihi from Bahrain, won the award in the professional
category for her entry, 'Work Time'; the amateur category award was won
by Lyndon Ashmore from Dubai for the entry, 'Thriving in the desert' and
the Qatar camera club member Faisal Abdullah Kandari, won in his category
for the entry 'Under the door.'The competition theme for 2003 is 'Locality.' Photographers submitted images
that reflect on how they perceive their community and surroundings, whether
it is through landscape, people, environment or nature. The competition
within the Middle East included three categories: professional photographers,
amateur photographers and camera clubs. All entries were displayed at an
exhibition organised at the Barajeel Ballroom B, Fairmont Hotel, Sheikh
Zayed Road, on March 12.Photographers and camera clubs within the UK, Middle East, Republic of
Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and South Africa will vie for the honours
at Digital Vision Competition 2003. A panel of photography experts judged
the Middle East entries and the winning entry is being forwarded to the
United Kingdom for international judging in April.The local panel of judges included Kieran Potts, Editor Photography Middle
East; Matiur Rahman, Chief Photographer, Khaleej Times; Walid Kaddora,
Chief Photographer, Al Bayan and Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, EPSON
Middle East. Pictures were assessed on composition; technical merit and
the overall image."The response from photographers in the region has been very encouraging.
The entries demonstrate the high calibre of excellence that is prevalent
in the Middle East. They also provide a fascinating insight into the rarely
seen facets of the Arab culture and traditions. EPSON decided to hold this
competition for the second time in the Middle East in recognition of the
talent and creativity that exists in the region," said Khalil El-Dalu,
General Manager, EPSON Middle East."We hope both the camera club members and photographers will benefit from
the international exposure that this prestigious EPSON Digital Vision Competition
provides them. Such competitions provide photographers the chance to come
together and exhibit their interpretation of a certain theme using the
digital medium to create unique works of art," he added.EPSON's Digital Vision Competition 2003's international judging panel includes
esteemed photographer Lord Patrick Lichfield; Jon Tarrant - Editor of the
British Journal of Photography; Nick Butler - Managing Director of EPSON
UK Ltd; along with international digital-picture magazine editors and senior
photographers.The first 50 entries from professional photographers have received an award
winning EPSON Stylus(tm) Photo 950 inkjet printer. The winning professional
photographer from each country receives the highly acclaimed EPSON Stylus(tm)
Photo 2100.The first 50 camera clubs entering have received an EPSON Stylus(tm) Photo
830 inkjet printer, with the winning camera club from each participating
country receiving the EPSON Stylus(tm) Photo 2100. The winning entry in
the amateur photographer category received the EPSON Stylus Photo 950.
The overall international camera club winner and the overall international
professional photographer winner will each receive an EPSON Stylus(tm)
Pro 7600 large format printer.
