Kerala News

 

 

June 8 2004

Kerala CPM Leader's Secret Mission in the Gulf

Kodiyeri in secret mission for Pinaray?Public personality..private mission?

DUBAI/MUSCAT- Now a days, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, a prominent CPM leader can be spotted in many parts of the Gulf region. Even some of the senior party affiliates in the concerned Gulf countries are kept in the dark about this week long secret mission, claimed to be part of a private visit with family. The normally outspoken red radical leader has been roaming around in two Gulf countries - Oman and the UAE - in what is said to be a " private visit". One source said he was touring Dubai with family to visit his daughter in Abu Dhabi. Jaleel Pattampil, a prominent journalist of Gulf Madhyamam says, the CPM leader was evasive and did not return his calls or request for an interview. According to Jaleel many Kerala politicians including the left leaders frequent Dubai to conduct certain benami deals. Full Report

Special Reports by KM Editor V.M.Sathish in Weblokam.com

RS. 800 CORE PORT-BASED SEZ NEAR COCHIN CLEARED

Approval has been given to Cochin Port Trust for setting up a port-based Special Economic Zone at Vallarpadam/ Puthuvypeen near Cochin over an area of about 448 hectares on the basis of proposal received from the Port Trust. The estimated cost of the project is about Rs. 800 crore. The project is expected to be developed by Cochin Port Trust in association with the private sector. This was indicated by Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, on the sidelines of the Stakeholders Conference on Tea here today.

Bollywood star to pick her lucky dinner partner for the 'Musafir Star Search' event

September 16, 2004

Cellucom, one of the premier distributors of mobile communication devices and accessories in the Middle East has announced that it will launch its third showroom in Dubai. Bollywood actress Sameera Reddy will officially inaugurate the new showroom at 3.00 pm on September 17, 2004. The shop will be located at Al Diyafah Shopping Centre, Diyafah Street, Satwa Roundabout.

Commenting on the new showroom, Arun Nagar, CEO, Cellucom. "We are delighted to expand our retail network with the opening of the new Satwa showroom. The new showroom will be fully equipped with our entire product range and
well-trained staff to offer to quality service to customers across the emirate, especially those staying in the Jumeirah area and beyond."

Following the showroom inauguration, Sameera Reddy will pick one lucky winner of the Cellucom-Pantech 'Dinner with Sameera' contest, to dine with her at the 'Musafir Star Search' event later that evening (September 17th) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The winner will be chosen from among customers who have purchased Pantech phones from any Cellucom or Val-U-Shop outlet, or from any dealer selling Pantech phones with Cellucom warranty.

Cellucom was recently named the UAE distributor for Pantech Co Ltd, the third largest Korean mobile phone manufacturer. Cellucom, in association with Pantech mobile phone, is sponsoring the Musafir Star Search event, as part of the promotion for the movie premiere in November.

As part of the Cellucom-Pantech promotion, customers purchasing Pantech mobile phones worth more than Dhs 500 from any of the Cellucom or Val-U-Shop outlets were also given two free passes worth Dhs 1000 to the Mussafir Star Search show. The Star Search event will see the Dubai semi-finalists showcase their talent in front of an all star panel of judges, to vie for the opportunity to dance in the Bollywood movie Musafir. The winner, an eighteen plus female, will be flown to India to take part in the India finals.

"At Cellucom, we are constantly looking at providing our customers with exciting and value-added benefits. The primary objective of the Musafir Star Search is to give people in Dubai and the rest of the Middle East the opportunity to get a chance to be part of a Bollywood movie, which otherwise would not be possible for many. This is a dream opportunity that could see the making of a new star!" said Guninder Singh, Marketing Manager, Cellucom.

Since its launch, Cellucom and its online membership-based community for mobile phone users, UClub, have hosted several innovative promotions and 'Uclubbing' events for its members, on the portal as well as on ground with the active support of its business partners. Recent events include UClub's first anniversary Snow and Dance party with Cyrus Broacha, sponsorship of the Asha Bhosle concert, the UClub 'Chix at the Mix', a night of funky house and R&B, free meal vouchers, and an evening with DJ Akhtar.

World's Greatest Cross Country Drivers Compete in Dubai

Between October 11 and October 15, the merciless sands of the United Arab Emirates will test the skills of some of the world's best cross country rally drivers as they compete in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge, the penultimate round of this year's Cross Country World Cup. But who are these masters of sand and gravel, motors and gears? Below are biographies of the top drivers participating in this year's UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge.

Stéphane Peterhansel: French, 39, made his debut on a motorcycle in 1980 and went on to achieve six victories in the two-wheel category on the most difficult cross country event in the world, the Paris-Dakar Rally. He remains the most successful rider in the history of the Dakar. In 1999, he entered the four-wheel category of the Granada-Dakar Rally and finished an impressive seventh, improving his Dakar finish to second in 2000. In 2001, he won the T1 category in Dakar and in 2002, after signing with Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, went on to clinch overall victory in the Tunisia Rally and the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge, where he drove the new Pajero Evolution / Montero Evolution.

Colin McRae: British, 36, began his rallying career in 1986, but didn't win his first World Rally Championship (WRC) rally until 1993. In 1995 he won the WRC drivers' title. He ended his WRC career last year, after participating in a total of 138 races, winning 25 of them. It was at the end of 2003 that he decided to move from WRC racing to Cross Country rallying with his entry in the Paris-Dakar Rally. He finished 20th, but won two stages. This year he will participate in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge.

Hiroshi Masuoka: Japanese, 44, started his exciting off-road racing career in 1979 when he was an employee of Ralliart, Inc. Masuoka attempted the Paris-Dakar for the first time in 1987. In 1990, he claimed an impressive T2 category win (10th overall). During the 1990s, he steadily built a magnificent record in the legendary African classic. He gained valuable experience in the 2000 Baja 2000, where he won the 3I class. The experience helped Masuoka in Dakar and in 2002, on his 15th attempt; he stayed on top for 12 straight days to take his first overall victory.

Jutta Kleinschmidt: German, 42, is one of the Cup's few women drivers. She became a motor sport professional in 1992 after giving up a career as an engineer. She tackled her first desert rally in a car, as co-driver to Jean-Louis Schlesser. Soon she was behind the wheel of a buggy, competing in Tunisia in 1994. In 1997 she made history as the first woman to win a stage of the Paris-Dakar Rally. At the end of 1998 she started for Ralliart Germany at the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge. In 1999 she improved her Paris-Dakar performance, finishing third. Kleinschmidt finally won the Paris-Dakar Rally in 2001.

Jean-Louis Schlesser: French, 56, is considered one of the greatest racing legends. In 1978 he won the French F3 title. In 1981, he began participating in European Formula Three and then moved to Formula Two. In 1984 he moved to the French Touring Car Championship, where he won the title the following season. In 1988, Schlesser made his Formula 1 debut, and then switched to the FIA World Cross Country Championship in 1992, driving a buggy he created himself. He went on to be crowned FIA World Champion five consecutive years beginning in 1998 and won the Dakar rally in 1999 and 2000. He also has collected five UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge victories since 1994.

Cyril Despres: French, 30, got his start in motorcycle competitions during the mid-1990s. Over the years he has won numerous races and championships. He first participated in Dakar in 2000, finishing 16th, improved to second place in 2003 and finished third this year. He also has won the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge for the past three years.

Alfie Cox: South African, 41, launched his motorcycle racing career in 1997 and only four years later placed fifth at Dakar, then second in 2002. He has participated several times in the UAE Marlboro Desert Challenge, taking second place two years in a row in 2002 and 2003.

GULF AIR APPOINTS NEW GENERAL MANAGER UAE

Click image for detailed view.

Manama, Bahrain: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sultanate of Oman and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, has announced the appointment of Khalifa Al Rayes as General Manager UAE with effect from 1 September this year. Mr Al Rayes, a Qatari national, will move from Germany, where he was the Gulf Air Area Manager for Germany for three years prior to this appointment, which is based in Abu Dhabi. "With responsibility for all aspects of our operation in United Arab Emirates, Khalifa's appointment comes at an exciting time, given the vigorous initiatives that are underway to meet the challenges of the aviation industry in the present competitive climate," said John Butler, Vice President Marketing and Sales at Gulf Air.

Khalifa's career in the aviation industry spans 15 years. A graduate in Business Administration and Marketing from Denver University, Colorado, he brings a wealth of in-depth experience in customer service, sales and marketing tone of Gulf Air's key markets.

"The current market is extremely challenging. This is particularly the case in the Emirates, where we have to deal with several new airlines and a very diverse customer base," said Mr Al Rayes. "However, I have a tremendous team of people and am looking forward to getting out into the field to meet these challenges with them."

Gulf Air was founded in 1950. Today, it is owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain, Oman and the UAE and is the only truly pan Gulf carrier in the region. The airline's network stretches from Europe to Asia and covers more than 50 cities in 32 countries. The fleet is one of the most modern in the Middle East and comprises 35 aircraft.

The airline is in the second year of a three-year strategic recovery programme, headed by President and Chief Executive, James Hogan. The airline's aim is to further evolve by taking its renowned cultural strengths, technical expertise, modern fleet and professional management team which have been developed over more than half a century, into a global competitive environment.

Gulf Air was recognised with the prestigious Airline Turnaround of the Year Award by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) in 2003 and it was selected as a one of the leading and most recognised brands in the UAE by the Superbrands Council. The airline also received the top honour of a platinum award for being voted the Best Middle East and North Africa Airline at the 2004 Arabian Travel Market's inaugural MENA Awards. The airline also was named the winner of the Excellence in Quality Improvement category of the 2004 Skytrax Airline Excellence Awards, the world's largest survey of passenger attitudes towards airlines.