Senate report: No Saddam, al-Qaida link Rockefeller: Bush Duped Public On Iraq -The 9/11 conspiracy plots thicken - U.S. Cuts Ties With Iranian State-Owned Bank - False Flag Operations: Declassified Military Documents Show US Government Planned Terrorist Attacks Against its Own Citizens -Qatar to give US $40 million for Katrina relief Saudi Arabia's Religious Police Issue Ban on Pet Cats, Dogs -Hindu priest held in rape of teenager during 'ritual' India, Oman For FTA With GCC -7 Air-India employees arrested for theft -Cyber crimes bring big business for detectives - Kareena fan blames Bacchus for his crime - India has no hand in Baloch unrest' - ‘I will be shot if I step into Dubai’, says Swati Pal -Dubai?in €1bn Swiss aerospace deal - Falcon Telecom to connect Middle East and India -GCC Employers prefer female candidates -EU: Iran nuclear talks productive - Taj hotels announces a Golf Resort project in Qatar Friday, September 10, 2006 Indications add up to government conspiracy Gen. Mahmoud Ahmed, the head of the Pakistani intelligence service, was in Washington when the attacks occurred, conferring with government officials. The Indian press subsequently implicated him in wiring $100,000 to Mohamed Atta, the lead hijacker. When the story broke, he was pressured into retirement at U.S. insistence. His link to the attacks was never pursued. Read the full Report about September 11 September 11, 2006 Murli Deora, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas is leaving today for Vienna to attend the 3rd OPEC International Seminar. The Visit assumes significance due to the rising role of India in the global hydrocarbon economy. The role of OPEC is to coordinate their oil production policies of its Member Countries in order to help stabilise the oil market. It holds regular meetings of its Member countries along with petroleum and economic experts, country representatives and special purpose bodies such as committees to review the status of the international oil market, forecasts for the future in order to agree upon appropriate actions which will promote stability in the oil market. At this seminar, the Minister will reiterate India’s commitment to achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals in a time bound manner. Shri.Murli Deora will emphasize on the negative impact of high energy costs in having the progress towards meeting the Millennium Development goals in the least developed countries and other developing countries. On the sidelines of the seminar, Shri Murli Deora will have bilateral meetings with Ministers of major oil producing countries to discuss issues with a view to enhance hydrocarbon cooperation. Also, meetings may be held with International Companies to explain the offering of domestic acreage under NELP-VI currently underway. Shri Murli Deora will thereafter proceed to United Kingdom to address the 5th Annual Eurasia Conference being held at University of Cambridge. He will speak on the various issues that can enhance the business prospects with Eurasian countries and share India's experience in the Eurasian region. The visit of the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas will help in expanding hydrocarbon cooperation with oil producing countries, inviting participation in NELP VI and encourage investments into the hydrocarbon sector into India. This will go a long way in establishing India's presence on the global energy scene.During this visit, Shri Murli Deora will be accompanied by Secretary (P&NG), Chairman, IOC; Managing Director, OVL as well as other government officials. SPI and Lifestyle Homes Open House in Doha September 5, 2006LifeStyle Homes & Properties, under the full operation and management of Sabban Property Investments (SPI), will host a first-of-its-kind ?Open House? at the offices of Lifestyle Homes in Doha on September 10th, 2006, to provide potential investors and the general public, an opportunity to discuss in detail various aspects of the prestigious Sabban Towers on The Pearl-Qatar. Organising this Open House is part of the customer-centric strategy adopted by SPI and Lifestyle Homes to broaden channels of communication and create a transparent relationship with existing and potential customers. Highlights of the event, which will last three days, include interactive sessions with SPI?s Managing Director and discussions on layout, pricing and the recently announced exclusive mortgage scheme for the Sabban Towers. In addition, special tours to the construction site of the project will also be arranged for current and potential investors. Commenting on the Open House, John Browne MBE, Managing Director of Sabban Property Investments, said, ?This is the first time that a property developer in Qatar is introducing such a forum for clients and the general public, and we are pleased to set new trends in this evolving market. We felt that it was important to provide a platform for the public and potential clients to fully understand all elements of an exclusive property such as Sabban Towers.? ?Participants in this event will be provided with all the information related to the Sabban Towers, in addition to a chance to clarify specific queries about the development. This will go a long way in helping them make their investment decision,? he added. SPI, together with Commercialbank, recently introduced an innovative mortgage scheme for the Sabban Towers that will enable customers to own their apartment in the development with minimum financial burden. The scheme was launched at a special seminar that was organised for the general public. The attractive plan requires the customers to pay 10 per cent to reserve the apartment, with no other capital payments completion of the project when the customer pays a final 10 per cent. The bank then pays the balance and it is only after the completion of the project that the customer begins making payments towards the capital and interest. The Sabban Towers are on schedule for their targeted completion date of first quarter of 2008. The Sabban Towers community, designed in European-Mediterranean architecture, is unique as all three towers will be built on one podium leading to significant economies of scale and the ability to offer better facilities. Sabban Towers provide prestigious residential apartments and luxury penthouses, with picturesque views of the sea and marina. The amenities of the towers include swimming pool, Jacuzzi, child day care, function rooms, squash and multi-sport courts, spas, gyms and landscaped garden areas. Adel Roda, Operations Manager for Lifestyle Homes & Properties, said, ?The overriding objective of organising this Open House is to take customer relationship to new levels. The entire program is designed keeping customer requirements in mind, and we are confident that the event will receive an overwhelming response.? Lifestyle Homes & Properties, under the full operation and management of Sabban Property Investments in Doha, Qatar, offers a range of services to its customers that encompass consultancy, real estate agency and leasing services. It has also developed an in-house customized reservation and sales procedure software to automate a large part of the sales process. Sharjah Tatweer Forum launches its first Tatweer Leadership Programme for UAE Nationals September 4, 2006 -Sharjah Tatweer Forum launched its first Tatweer Leadership Programme in the presence of several heads of government departments and other dignitaries at Coral Beach Hotel in Sharjah today (September 4, 2006). A total of 17 delegates drawn from UAE National men and women with an aptitude for leadership, are participating in the initiative. Inaugurating the programme, H.E. Ahmed Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry said: ?This is a happy occasion for us, as we set out to hone the leadership and management skills of our youth. The future of our land and its people rests in the abilities of today?s generation to lead and guide the development and progress of our country and the Tatweer Leadership Programme is a welcome initiative in this direction. The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry extends all its support to the Forum and the Sharjah government towards fulfilling the vision of our leader and Ruler of Sharjah, H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi.? Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Hussain Al Mahmoudi, Chairman of Sharjah Tatweer Forum said: ?This is indeed a proud day for the Sharjah Tatweer Forum, as it marks the first step towards achieving our goal of building a reservoir of leaders among UAE youth who will lead future business initiatives and develop profitable linkages between private and public sector organisations.? The candidates have been chosen from among UAE Nationals working in various public and private sector organisations after a careful selection process. The Forum is an ambitious initiative of the Sharjah emirate, working towards building UAE Nationals? skills, fostering partnerships between private and public sectors and promoting economic development. The Tatweer Leadership Programme will be conducted in 12 sessions of two days each and will feature visits to local organisations, lectures by visiting speakers; social events such as business breakfasts and dinners; presentations; individual research and sharing of information; group work; oral discussions, psychometric assessments and written materials. During the six-month long programme, candidates will be exposed to emerging concepts and effective approaches in customer relationship management, strategic thinking, organisational development, leadership and team building, analytical thinking and problem solving, executive coaching and mentoring and the use of psychometric assessment in selection and development of human resources. ?Participating UAE Nationals will greatly benefit from the Tatweer Leadership Programme as it allows them the opportunity to learn about governance and business, meet decision-makers and explore their own potential. It thus encourages them to give their best towards achieving the sustainable development and economic growth of Sharjah and the UAE,? Al Mahmoudi added. Formed under a decree issued by H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah and Member of the UAE Supreme Council, the Forum works towards developing the skills and competencies of National youth in Sharjah, building partnerships between the private and public sectors, encouraging entrepreneurship, innovation and excellence in business and administration and ensuring the emirate?s overall progress. TOUCHMATE available across 38 ENOC/ EPPCO convenience stores September 7, 2006 In a bid to consolidate its market position in the UAE, TOUCHMATE, a subsidiary of Quality Group of Companies and a leading manufacturer, exporter and distributor of a wide range of branded computers, accessories and peripherals in the Middle East, has entered into an agreement with ENOC/ EPPCO, following which TOUCHMATE’s computer accessories are now available at 38 convenience stores of ENOC/ EPPCO in Dubai and Northern Emirates. Through these outlets, TOUCHMATE is offering nine products including headphones, speakers, USB drives, MP3 players and Sim card back ups. The company plans to extend the scope of this partnership to include more than 60 stores by the end of 2006. Vasant Menghani, Managing Director, TOUCHMATE, said, “Our decision to sell our computer accessories through ENOC/ EPPCO convenience stores was driven by our goal of making some of our products available at easily accessible locations for customers. We signed the contract with ENOC/EPPCO in July this year and right now we have our products available in 38 convenience stores in various parts of the UAE, and we are working on plans to double this number by the end of the year. Our strategy of targeting convenience stores seems to be paying off, since we already received a re-order request with a 30 per cent increase in supplies. Further, we expect a 10 per cent hike in sales every month in these outlets.” “ENOC/ EPPCO have been strategically increasing the focus on their convenience stores, which have been doing exceedingly well as mini markets. The quality of customer service demonstrated by the staff at these stores is certainly worthy of mention, which further reinforces our decision to partner with ENOC/ EPPCO,” he added. Ahmed Al Mulla, Convenience Stores Manager- ENOC/EPPCO, said, “In the recent years ENOC/ EPPCO has successfully positioned itself as more than just a petrol station. The utility of our convenience stores across the country has been invaluable to thousands of customers each day, especially in locations which are not in proximity to super markets or hyper markets. The availability of TOUCHMATE’s computer accessories in our stores will add to the value of our offerings, as TOUCHMATE products are known for its quality, reliability and cost-efficiency.” “TOUCHMATE is focused on maximising the availability of both its IT consumer products and products meant for enterprises. We look forward to strategically strengthening our distributor network in the country and in the process capitalise on the market demand for high quality, value-for-money IT products,” said Menghani. TOUCHMATE’s software division recently launched an innovative document management solution called Passport & Visa Control Software, Version 6.1 (TMPVC), which converts important paper-based documents into searchable electronic files. The solution is ideally suited for public relations officers and personnel from the human resources and administration departments of Small and Medium Business (SMB) enterprises and the Small Office Home Office (SOHO) segment as it helps keep track of various employee-related documents. TOUCHMATE Middle East, founded in 1988 by Quality Group, has today evolved to become one of the leading manufacturers, exporters and distributors of branded computers, accessories and computer peripherals. With major partners including Carrefour, Costless, Plug-Ins, Geant, Sharaf DG, CompuMe and Hyper Panda, and associated with and supported by brands like Microsoft and Intel, TOUCHMATE has developed a significant image among its buyers, gaining more than fifteen million satisfied customers globally.