Kashmiri women are campaigning for election in Srinagar.
Israeli and US Hackers escalate Cyber Warfare
Israeli cyber warfare professionals targeted human rights and anti- war activists across the USA
- Central African Republic - Journalists trained as HIV/AIDS educators
- Central Africa : Regional air company to be created
- Bhavishya Jyoti Scholarships evoke big response
- Shatrugnan Sinha appeals for larger share of share of Global Aids Fund
- New initiatives on power distribution
- First World Science Festival in India next year
- NIIT makes "Programming" easy; launches special IT courses for College students
- Bolero MENA appoints Barig Siraj as General Manager for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Emirates Neon helps UAE School Student to learn design course
- UTI Bailout - positive for the Mutal Fund industry
- Messe Frankfurt ties up with EPOC to enter trade fair business in the Middle East
- MID EAST ROAD ACCIDENTS COULD BE ALMOST HALVED SAYS UK TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FIRM--AFI CITY'S PHAROAH'S CLUB QUADRUPLES SIZE OF LADIES GYM
Bhavishya Jyoti Scholarships evoke big response
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002. NIIT's Bhavishya Jyoti Scholarships (BJS), the IT education leader's most prestigious offering for the Indian student community, have evoked a big response from the market. September 9, 2002, New Delhi: The Scholarship program, that aims to reward excellence and bring IT learning at affordable price to meritorious and economically challenged students, has become a symbol of hope for India's youth.Bhavishya Jyoti Scholarships have transformed the lives of over 100,000 Indian students since their introduction over 12 years ago. The scholarships entitle deserving students for fee waivers ranging from 15-100 percent on any of NIIT's programs-- Futurz, CATS or SWIFT--series. During 2001, nearly 30,000 students enrolled for the Bhavishya Jyoti Scholarships, a sign of the fact that people still favoured a career in computers and were looking for a value buy. "This year we are expecting a 25 percent increase in the enrollments for Bhavishya Jyoti," commented Mr. P. Rajendran, Chief Operating Officer, NIIT Ltd.
"NIIT's initiatives in the last 12 months, including the introduction of four new technologies and nine new courses in its curriculum have boosted enrollments for the long term career courses. These moves have also helped NIIT improve its relative market position," Mr. Rajendran added. Computers have emerged as the 'coolest' career in a MTV study across 6 Indian metros and IT continues to offer many more promising career options than any other field. The research, encapsulated in Nasscom's Strategic Review 2002, shows that a major short fall exists in India in the area of skilled Knowledge Workers. The statistics show that there is expected to be a shortage of nearly 530,000 IT professionals in India alone during the next four years.
Shatrugnan Sinha appeals for larger share of share of Global Aids Fundkeralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
The meeting of Health Minister’s of South East Asia Region Organisation (SEARO) being organised by WHO in Jakarta , today deliberated upon Global Fund for AIDS, TB, Malaria and regional mechanism for bulk purchase of selected quality essential drugs. In the meeting the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Shri Shatrughan Sinha appealed for larger share from global fund for India. He also stated that India would be presenting its proposal for HIV/AIDS and TB before 22 September 2002.
Shri Shatrughan Sinha also emphasised the importance of availability of cost effective quality drugs for improving the health of the people in developing countries. The WHO’s Medicine Strategy involves improvement of access to essential drugs and medicines, Shri Sinha requested SEARO to continue giving technical support for implementing this strategy.The Minister also co-chaired the third session on Report of Commission of Macro-economics & Health along with the Indonesian counterpart. This was 20th Meeting of the Health Minister’s of South East Asia Region Organisation.
New initiatives on power distribution
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has started conducting Training Workshops in all regions of the country, in order to accelerate improvement on the distribution side of electricity supply system of the country. The workshops are aimed at training circle level technical officers of the utilities in formulating plans for the improvement of their sub-transmission and distribution networks. Inaugurating the first Workshop in Delhi, Shri H.L.Bajaj, Chairman, CEA, said that the power sector of the country was passing through a crucial phase, and concerted efforts of all the agencies, particularly those managing the distribution system were required at this juncture so that the power sector becomes viable and the consumer could reap the benefits of reforms.
Shri B.D.Gautam, Chairman, WBSEB, who delivered the keynote address, said that distribution reforms were intricately linked with issues of governance. He remarked that as a result of the transparency being introduced in the fixation of tariffs by the regulatory commissions, the State Electricity Boards and other distribution utilities would be compelled to reveal the true magnitude of distribution losses. Shri K.K.Govil, Director, Power Finance Corporation (PFC) informed that in a bid to expedite distribution reforms, the PFC would henceforth not insist on the guarantee of the State Government for loans for improving the distribution system.Similar Training Workshops will also be conducted in Chandigarh, Guwahati, Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai.
First World Science Festival in India next year
The First World Science Festival is proposed to be held in India early next year. To be organised by the Centre for Philosophy and Foundations of Science in collaboration with various scientific departments of the government and other scientific institutions, the events will be spread across a dozen cities of the country. Its theme will be ‘what is life’ and participated among others by Nobel laureates and world-class scientists.
The festival will aim at projecting the contemporary developments in the frontier areas of science and technology to a wider public, enthusing the youth to go in pursuit of science, stimulating debate on broader ethical implications of emerging new technologies especially relating to life and environment and encouraging dialogue within scientists and others concerned, on policy and regulation.
Two landmark events in life sciences will be commemorated during the festival i.e. the golden jubilee of the discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick and the silver jubilee of the first test tube baby. The programme will consist of lectures, panel discussions, television interviews, plays, films, exhibitions, book launches and interactive events aimed at a general audience on the one hand and seminars and conferences intended for specialists, on the other.
TIMELY COMPLETION OF PROJECTS UTMOST PRIORITY: VIJAY GOEL
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
The Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation and Prime Minister's Office Shri Vijay Goel has announced that timely completion of projects will be the utmost priority of the Government. Responsibility and accountability will be fixed for the delay at the appropriate level and incentive will be provided for completion before the schedule.
Addressing a press conference here today, the Minister mentioned that he is undertaking a tour to Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chennai to inspect projects related to Ministries of Surface Transport, Petroleum & Natural Gas and Railways to avoid long time over-run and ensure its timely completion.
There are 455 identified projects with an investment of Rs. 20 crore and more, spanning 16 ministries, with an overall cost of Rs. 2,24,075 crore. Of these, 6 projects are ahead of schedule, 147 projects are on schedule, and 151 projects are delayed. There are about 71 projects, which are in the advanced stages of completion but are held up for small problems. During the last year, 96 projects were completed at a cost of nearly Rs. 20,000 crore and about 400 projects are likely to be completed by the close of 2008.
Shri Goel told the mediapersons that some of the important reasons for delay in the execution of projects are fund constraints, delay in land acquisition and award of contracts, lack of latest management techniques and law and order problems. He said that he intends to take measures for smooth monitoring and early completion of projects. These include, release of Standard Contract Management System, tabling a Bill for the approval of the Parliament to bring modifications in the land acquisition act and provide standard rehabilitation package, regular inter ministerial co-ordination meeting for resolving problems of inter-ministerial nature and focus attention on 28 major projects contributing nearly 93% overall cost overrun in all projects.
The Minister also emphasized that some of the projects, which are at the advanced stages of execution, will be taken up at his level, to remove critical problem, if any. He would associate and encourage site visits by independent agencies. Elected local representatives may be associated in the Project Review Committee of each project in that area. Provision of making institutional arrangement for having a regular Standing Committee for monitoring of projects right from the beginning till completion, will also be considered. CMDs of mega projects will be invited at regular intervals to ensure timely completion of projects and discuss problems requiring inter-ministerial coordination.
The minister recalled that a Workshop-cum-Exhibition on MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) was organized in August 2002 in the Parliament House Annexe, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister and attended by approximately 200 MPs. It was noted with satisfaction that the overall utilization of MPLADS funds had increased from 54% in 1998 to 74% in 2002. There were, however, wide inter-state variations in the percentage utilization of released funds. A workbook was devised for keeping records of progress of the projects recommended by the MPs. Shri Goel said that many suggestions were received from the Members of Parliament, which are being considered for early implementation. However, the emphasis of the scheme will remain on building up of assets for community’s utilization. The Secretary, Additional Secretary and other senior officers of the ministry were also present at the occasion.
EFFECT OF ELECTORAL REFORMS ORDINANCE AND AMENDMENT OF CONDUCT OF ELECTION RULES
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
The combined effect of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Ordinance, 2002 promulgated on August 24, 2002 and the subsequent amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, notified in the Gazette of India on September 3, 2002 to give effect to the Supreme Court judgement of May 2, 2002 with special reference to voter’s right to information regarding the candidate he is voting for, will be that a candidate to an election to the Parliament or State Legislature would be required to furnish information regarding his conviction , if any, under Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 as per the provisions of Section 33A of the Ordinance. Under Section 8, a person is disqualified from contesting elections and for being a member of the Legislature if he is convicted for certain certified offences.
Under Section 33A of the Ordinance, a candidate would be required to furnish information whether he has been accused of any offence punishable with imprisonment for two years or more in a pending case in which a charge has been framed and whether he has been convicted for an offence other than those mentioned in Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 or sentenced to imprisonment for one year or more.
The notification issued by the Government in consultation with the Election Commission of India would now provide statutory basis for the information to be given by a candidate for which the Election Commission has issued instructions under Article 324 of the Constitution in 1998. The Election Commission of India had issued instructions to the candidates in 1997 for providing information regarding any conviction for an offence. Later on, it had revised the affidavit to be furnished by the candidates, confining information only to conviction under Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The notification issued by the Government also prescribes the form of affidavit to be given by the candidates for providing information under newly inserted Section 33A in the Representation of the People Act, 1951
ENTRE MUST BEAR BULK EXPENDITURE FOR SUBORDINATE JUDICIARY, SAYS JUSTICE JAGANNADHA RAO
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
The Chairman, Law Commission of India, Shri Justice M. Jagannadha Rao has said that the bulk of the expenditure for the subordinate judiciary must be borne by the Central Government while the State should bear only the proportionate burden arising from State statutes. Speaking at the National Conference on Legal and Judicial Reforms—the Bird’s Eye View on Balance Sheet and Projections, Shri Justice Rao said that adequate provisions for the subordinate judiciary must, therefore, be made by the Union Budget, the Planning Commission and the Finance Commission. He said this was the view of the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, headed by Shri Justice M.N. Venkatachalaiah, as well.
Talking of the expenditure to be borne for establishing and maintaining for subordinate judiciary and salaries of judicial and officers in the States, Shri Justice Rao said that in a paper presented to the Venkatachalaiah Commission, he referred to the facts that courts established by the State Governments were having to adjudiciate disputes or decide about offences created by the Central enactments made by Parliament both under List-I (Union List) and List III (Concurrent List). Elucidating his points further, Justice Rao said that in fact, the Indian Penal Code, the Transfer of Property Act, the Contract Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Code of Civil Procedure, matrimonial disputes, wills, intestacy, succession, joint family, partition, Partnership Act, contracts of carriage, bankruptcy, insolvency, trusts, evidence, lunacy, forest, adulteration, drugs, trade union, industrial and labour disputes, social security, insurance, employment, education, charities, shipping, trade and commerce, price control, electricity, law of acquisition, recovery of public demands etc. were all in the Concurrent List and governed by Central statutes. Besides, every year, Parliament made new laws which added up to the civil rights and offences being tried by the subordinate courts established by the States.
Several speakers including the President of the Bar Association of India Shri Fali S. Nariman and former Attorney General for India Shri Ashok Desai stated that the Law Commission’s reports should not be kept secret or confidential. This was the view of former Chief Justice of India, Shri Justice A.S. Anand and the senior most judge of the Supreme Court of India, Shri Justice G.B. Patnaiak as well.
PM’S DEPARTURE STATEMENT BEFORE LEAVING FOR US VISIT
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
Following is the text of the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s statement before his departure for New York for the 57th UN General Assembly, here today: "I leave today for the 57th UN General Assembly in New York. My visit coincides with the first anniversary of the brutal terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre and a number of world leaders will be in New York both to honour the memory of the victims of that tragedy and to re-affirm the determination to firmly counter terrorism.
In New York I expect to meet US President Bush and to discuss with him a wide range of bilateral issues. During my visit to USA last November, President Bush and I had agreed on a detailed roadmap for a multifaceted development of our bilateral cooperation process. I hope that this will be carried forward in my discussions with President Bush and in other meetings which the External Affairs Minister and the National Security Advisor will have with their US counterparts.
I will take the opportunity to meet a number of other world leaders and to discuss with them issues of bilateral, regional and global concern. In the present world situation, it is inevitable that the global war against terrorism – as well as our own determined efforts against cross border terrorism – would figure in my various bilateral interactions in New York. Our basic message is that the democracies of the world have a crucial role in countering terrorism together. As on my past visits to USA, I hope to meet a wide cross section of the community of Indian origin in that country to acquaint myself about the community’s perspectives on developments in India and about its progress and successes in its country of domicile.
The Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee being seen off by his Cabinet Colleagues at the airport before his departure for attending the U.N. General Assembly meeting at New York, U.S.A., in New Delhi on September 9.2002 (Monday).
NIIT makes "Programming" easy; launches special IT courses for College students
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
September 6, 2002, Cochin: IT training pioneer, NIIT, is introducing a series of special programs to suit the IT training needs of the college students. Realizing that IT is becoming an essential component of the existing education curriculum, NIIT is offering programming languages courses at its 2537 education centres across India.Students enrolled for Bachelor's programs in Science, Commerce, Arts or even BE, BCA and MCA, need to master C, C++, Linux, SQL etc as a part of their curriculum. The new short-term programs introduced by NIIT, ranging from 14 hours to 72 hours, have been competitively priced to make them truly affordable. These programs are priced at Rs 800 to Rs 3500.
"NIIT programs provide the right blend of theory and practice. They offer students the advantage of mastering these valuable technologies and thus enabling them to perform better in their college exams," said Mr Pradeep Narayanan, Sr V P and Head of NIIT's Education Business."Through these new programs, we strive to complement the IT skill development needs of students pursuing studies in the formal sector", added Mr. Narayanan.NIIT has forged alliances with technology leaders like IBM, Citrix, Computer Associates, Microsoft, and Oracle to offer their state-of-the-art technology programs.
Bolero MENA appoints Barig Siraj as General Manager for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
Bolero MENA has recently announced the appointment of Barig Siraj as its General Manager for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in a move to strengthen the leadership structure and direct the organization towards one of its primary objectives of introducing the bolero.net global system to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries.
Siraj, a Saudi national, is a senior level, multi-disciplined professional who will be working out of the Jeddah office in the Western Region. He will be responsible for setting up, implementing and launching bolero.net into the Saudi Arabian market. He will also put together and manage a multi-disciplinary team of highly qualified professionals who will assist him in achieving his strategic objectives. Siraj will liaise directly with the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee regarding business requirements and strategy.
"The induction of Siraj as the General Manager for our Jeddah office is aimed at spearheading Bolero MENA's entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and at demonstrating the company's commitment to moving the region to the forefront of the technological wave. With his multi-disciplined experience in IT, his international business exposure as well as his proven success at handling challenging positions for different organizations, Siraj is the ideal professional to manage and direct Bolero MENA in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are delighted to welcome Siraj to our team," said Hussein Rifai, CEO, Bolero MENA.
"Bolero MENA is pursuing an aggressive growth strategy as it continues to provide local and regional businesses with a globally focused solution that will help them connect their whole supply chain in the most cost-effective manner. Siraj has an impressive job profile that will surely add value to Bolero MENA's business philosophy. The experience he has gained in the United States and Italy, combined with his knowledge of the local market, will give Bolero MENA an added edge when it comes to convincing local businesses that, to remain competitive in the global arena, they should embark on a new way of doing business through bolero.net," Rifai added.
Siraj, whose last assignment was with Arabia Online Ltd as Chief Technology Officer, a role that requires combining technical knowledge with business and strategic know-how - brings with him diverse experience that covers online portals, broadcast media, Islamic banking and airlines. He has lent his management skills to multi-million dollar ventures and has displayed tremendous skills that help integrate innovative technologies into practical enterprise solutions. Among his earlier positions were Assistant General Manager of the Broadcast Center at Arab Radio & Television (ART); Information Technology Manager with Al Baraka Investment and Development Company and Information Systems Specialist with Saudia Airlines. He holds a Master's of Science Degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara and has a certificate in executive management from Wharton Business School. He has worked and lived in Saudi Arabia, Italy and the United States.
"I am delighted to take up this new position at Bolero MENA," said Siraj. "I have always built up the organizations where I have worked and now I am in a position to introduce a truly revolutionary method of doing business to all the companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I am also proud to be managing and directing such an organization toward its primary technological objectives. As I consider myself a technically competent manager who can deliver workable business solutions, it is going to be a real pleasure to work with a company that shares my passion and love for innovation. I am looking forward to being at the forefront of what promises to be a huge technological and business revolution. I am also very happy to be back in my home town after being away for five years."
Bolero MENA was launched in May 2002 to boost electronic trade in 21 countries in the region, by offering the highly respected bolero.net System from Bolero International, the global company that provides a secure electronic document transfer for global trade. Bolero MENA is based at the Dubai Internet City with four regional offices in Cairo, Riyadh, Amman and Istanbul. Bolero International Ltd was set up in 1998 to provide a secure, electronic document transfer system to automate, simplify and streamline the information flow associated with global trade. Over the past two years, over 500 companies and industry organizations around the world have worked together to review the functional and legal capabilities of the Bolero service.
bolero.net's members include four of Japan's largest trading houses, Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsui and Nissho Iwai, along with German mail order company Otto Versand, Japanese cargo operator 'K' Line and Cargill, the US commodities trading organization. Banks that have signed up with bolero.net include ABN Amro, Bank of America, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, BNP Paribas, Chase Manhattan, Citibank, Commerzbank, Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank, DBS, Fuji Bank, HSBC, National Westminster Bank, OCBC, Sakura Bank, Sanwa Bank and Société Générale.MID EAST ROAD ACCIDENTS COULD BE ALMOST HALVED SAYS UK TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FIRM
GULF TRAFFIC TO LAUNCH INTELLIGENT ROAD STUDS INTO THE REGIONkeralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
The introduction of new and proven technology in road delineation could help significantly improve the Middle East's road safety record, according to one of the world's leading traffic management systems specialists. England based Astucia (UK) Ltd, one of 100 exhibitors to participate at
October's Gulf Traffic event in Dubai, says international experience shows that latest road delineation technology can help curb the region's road accidents."In one of Malaysia's major expressways, there has been a 40% reduction in accidents over the past six months, as a result of solar powered Intelligent Road Studs installation," said Ilyas Sharif, Director
Astucia. "In Norfolk, UK, the annual frequency of accidents has been reduced from 7.3% to 2.3%, following the installation of Intelligent Road Studs. Serious accidents were reduced from 36% to zero over a two-year period."Independent studies carried out in different parts of the world, including The Netherlands, clearly verify that Astucia solar-powered studs, that operate from dusk to dawn and could last up to 20 days on a
single charge, are a true alternative to expensive street lighting and provide far better road delineation.Road safety will be a key issue at Gulf Traffic, the region's major vertical conference and exhibition (Confex) for the traffic and transport industry. "Road safety is high on the agenda of most Middle East governments as the current total road network of 610,838 kms continuous to expand," said Davyd Farrell, Exhibition Manager, IIR Exhibitions & Conferences, organisers of Gulf Traffic. "The region's 10.2 million vehicles coupled with explosive population projections, has led to heavy government
investments in road safety improvements."At Gulf Traffic, Astucia will launch into the Middle East its innovative and advanced range of Intelligent Road Studs, including an emergency and hazard warning light system for motorists as a direct replacement for conventional warning triangles. "The warning light product, HazLightT Compact, is a lightweight, compact secondary set of optical warning studs, providing superior visibility
and rapid deployment for emergency services such as the police and the fire brigade. A smaller version, HazLightT Micro, is available for private motorists as well," said Sharif.Astucia says that its products have revolutionised pedestrian crossing safety in the USA. "In Orange County, California, with over 427 million vehicle crossings since the installation of LED-based studs, the number of reported accidents has dropped by 80% when compared to uncontrolled pedestrian crossings," said Sharif.
He added that a Parisian accident 'black spot' in Gennicourt (a roundabout) - has been transformed to a zero-accident area during night time since the installation of sophisticated strobing Intelligent Road
Studs in 1998. At Gulf Traffic, Astucia want to meet with local transport and traffic consulting engineers, police officials, potential distributors or agents. In addition to exhibiting its range of innovative Intelligent Road Studs, Astucia will also organise daily seminar to highlight the
benefits stemming from the introduction of solar powered Intelligent Road Studs in the region.Astucia will be amongst the ten UK transportation and traffic specialists to exhibit their products and services at Gulf Traffic. The sold-out event has also received exhibitor confirmations from as far
as the USA and New Zealand, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Some 350 Middle East and international delegates from the transport sector are also expected to attend a multi-speaker conference which will have three distinctive segments dedicated to mass transit, with particular emphasis on Mass Transit, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and Urban Planning.Gulf Traffic 2002 has embarked on a visitor marketing campaign targeting the GCC, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Iran as well as India and Pakistan. Government departments encompassing traffic police, transport and public works ministries will be the focus of the campaign, which will also include urban planners, network developers, component suppliers and specifiers.
UTI Bailout - positive for the Mutal Fund industry
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
The month gone by was punctuated by the rumbling in the Unit Trust of India. The ministry of Finance, which till recently was reluctant to fund the shortfall in the UTI schemes finally decided to do so, in the larger interest of the fund industry. The Government has decided to fund the shortfall in the various assured returns schemes. The equity markets reacted to the development with a positive upswing. For the one-month period ended August 02, the BSE Sensex point to point return improved to 6.36% from negative 10.26% as on the last month end. On the one-year basis however, the Sensex is still in negative terrain with negative 3.21% returns. The Midcap stocks, which have caught the investors fancy in the past, seem to be losing out. The one-month return for the CNX MIDCAP was just 1.08%. The bourses also witnessed renewed interest in the software stocks.
In the General Equity Funds The top three positions remain unchanged. Pioneer ITI Prima Fund continued to hold RRR-1 position at the top of the table. Reliance Vision Fund, which entered the peer group last month, has retained the RRR-2 ranking while Zurich India Equity Fund is at RRR-3 position. The select growth funds have been outperforming the popular indices. The growth schemes continue to be top performers on the basis of one-year average return. The thirty-four opened end equity funds gave a return of 23.24% for the year to Aug 02. The market news doing the rounds is that the equity markets are poised for better days on the back of Government agreeing to fund the shortfall in the various schemes of the UTI. Since the beginning of this financial year the growth funds have given positive average returns- a good sign for the equity funds which have been out of reckoning for sometime.
Debt Schemes the Sundaram Bond Saver and the SBI Magnum Liquibond Income have retained their RRR-1 and RRR-2 rank for the year to Aug 02 also. The Reliance Income Fund has moved up by two notches to the RRR-3 rank. The funds have continued to increase their average portfolio maturity. The fund with longer average maturity carries higher volatility.
Among the Gilt schemes, the Alliance Govt Securities Long Term Plan - Growth, which was ranked number one in July-02, has moved out of the RRR Aug-02 because its corpus has fallen Rs 250 million. SBI Magnum Gilt Fund - Long Term - Growth, DSP Merrill Lynch Govt Sec Fund (Plan A) - Growth and HDFC Gilt Fund - Long term Plan - Growth have moved by a notch to attain the top three positions in RRR Aug-02.
The average return for the sample of 14 schemes in our universe has continued to decline. The one year return for the schemes which was at 15.58% as at the end of the July has declined to 13.84% as at the end of August 02 end. However, the recent rally in the gilt prices has contributed to positive return for the gilt schemes. From a negative of 2.59% for the three month period as at the end of June 02, these scheme have covered a lot of ground to come with positive return of 3.28%. The Gilt short-term funds have been excluded from the ranking universe.The Software Sector funds too have seen their returns surge on renewed interest in the frontline stocks. Kotak Mahindra's K- Tech Fund is at 1st rank in Sector - Technology Funds. Alliance New Millennium Fund - Growth and UTI Growth Sectors Fund - Software Fund have retained RRR-2 and RRR-3 positions respectively. The one-year average return has increased from 4.92% to 23.26% for the year to August 02.
In the Balance Scheme category there has been a reshuffle among the top three, Pioneer ITI Balanced Fund has moved up by a notch to RRR-1 pushing Zurich India Prudence Fund to RRR-2 rank for August 02. HDFC Balanced Fund is again at RRR-3 position. The average one-year return has increased from 13.04% as at July 02 to 16.84% as at August 02.
In the Liquid Funds category, for one year ending August 02 period Alliance Cash Manager - Growth tops with RRR-1. Sundaram Money Fund - Growth is down one place to RRR-2. DSP Merrill Lynch Liquidity Fund has retained its RRR-3 rank for this month also. For the six months period, Zurich India Liquidity Fund Investment Plan - Growth is up 7 notches to RRR-1. Alliance Cash Manager and Sundaram Money Fund have both moved down one rank to RRR-2 & RRR-3 respectively. Similarly for the shorter three months period, Zurich India Liquidity Fund Investment Plan - Growth is at RRR-1position. Prudential ICICI liquid Plan is up a notch to RRR-3 and Alliance Cash manager has moved down two notches to RRR-3 for August 02. The general uncertainty surrounding the various investment types has contributed to the popularity of the liquid and money market funds. The corporate are the most active in this segment. However, the excess liquidity in the markets has been exerting downward pressure on the return of these funds. On one year basis the average return has been 7.19% same as it was at the last month end. On the shorter three months, however, there is a small decline of 0.02% to 1.73%. Among the Index Funds category, ranked on the basis of tracking error, the top three funds are IDBI Principal Index Fund, UTI Nifty Index Fund and Franklin India Index Fund.
AFI CITY'S PHAROAH'S CLUB QUADRUPLES SIZE OF LADIES GYM
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
Pharoah's Club, the integrated sports and leisure complex at Dubai's Wafi City, will open in October a new ladies-only gym, which, at 82.5 square metres, is almost four times the size of its previous one. The move follows a major renovation programme which also sees Pharoah's expand its ladies-only aerobics room, a dedicated mixed aerobics facility and a heavyweight centre.
"We have been receiving increased demand, particular from UAE national women, and we are committed to meeting their needs," said Neil Hewerdine, Health & Leisure Manager, Wafi City. "The new gym provides the privacy and confidentiality which is essential to many of our national women members. "An additional advantage is that the ladies-only gym will now have a passage through to a ladies-only aerobics studio. The gym uses a huge overhead window to deliver good natural light which is a strong motivation in an exercise scenario."
Pharoah's has bought in a host of new Icarian exercise equipment for the new ladies-only gym, which will also have a dedicated cardio theatre with four TV screens. "In total 21 new pieces of exercise equipment are being installed including treadmills, steppers, bicycles, benches and dumb-bell racks,"
explained Hewerdine. Pharoah's will continue with its ladies-only sessions throughout the club on Wednesday and Sunday mornings between 8.30am and 1pm. "These have proved extremely popular because they offer the ultimate in privacy and we will maintain them," said Hewerdine.The renovation has also freed up more space in Pharoah's mixed gym. "This is now being utilised to provide a facility for those wanting to work out with heavy weights and a dedicated aerobics studio," said Hewerdine. "The availability of two aerobics studios will now see us boost our weekly class offerings from 24 to 54 a week." Wafi City's Advantage card holders are entitled to 15% off any exercise
class at Pharoah's club from 19th October 2002 onwards.Messe Frankfurt ties up with EPOC to enter trade fair business in the Middle East
New company EPOC Messe Frankfurt aims to enhance existing fairs and explore new themes for Arab market
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.Messe Frankfurt, the third largest trade fair organizer in the world announced its merger with Dubai-based EPOC to form a new company called EPOC Messe Frankfurt, at a press conference in Dubai yesterday (September 08, 2002). The new company has been established to tap the expanding trade fair business in the Middle East, enhance standards of existing exhibitions and explore new areas for the Arab market. The formation of EPOC Messe Frankfurt marks the German parent company's first major foray into the fast growing trade fair and exhibition scenario in the Middle East and is a significant step in its global expansion plan.
Addressing the press conference, Dr. Michael Peters, Member of the Board of Management, Messe Frankfurt, said: "Messe Frankfurt regards this merger with EPOC as a strategic step to make inroads into the trade fair industry in the Arab World. There has been a tremendous increase in the number of international trade fairs and exhibitions in the Gulf and Middle East in recent years and we feel that this is the right time to explore opportunities in this region."
"Germany has been a pioneer in hosting some of the most reputed trade fairs in the world. Historically, the city of Frankfurt is known as the oldest trade fair city in the world, having hosted history's first-ever fairs as early as the 12th century. Today, 16 of the world's leading fairs are held at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. Messe Frankfurt has been continuing this tradition by taking the German trade fair expertise to the farthest corners of the world. Its leadership status is proved by its record revenues which stood at Euro 318 million in 2001, with a record profit of Euro 28 million," he added.
Dr. Peters explained that, EPOC Messe Frankfurt would initially be managing a portfolio of trade fairs in Dubai with a focus on consumer goods. "Our ultimate goal is to expand our base in this important market by enriching the existing exhibitions, and more importantly, sounding out new themes customized to suit the Arab markets."
The existing trade fairs that will be managed by EPOC Messe Frankfurt are Hardware and Tools, Houseware and Hometech, Materials Handling and Distribution, Toy Fair, Autotech and GardenX.
Hailing the position of EPOC in trade fair management in the region, Dr. Peters said: "EPOC has been conducting a variety of trade fairs here in recent times. I am confident that a combination of EPOC's market knowledge and Messe Frankfurt's specialist skills spells a new approach to the business of managing fairs and exhibitions in this region."
Geoff Dickinson, Managing Partner, EPOC Messe Frankfurt, said: "The Middle East market has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past few years due to accelerated economic growth. The number of trade fairs has increased manifold, attracting participants from across the globe and this has created the need for more advanced expertise to manage trade fairs according to international standards.
"Messe Frankfurt's entry into this market has great significance to the trade fair activity in the region because the company brings with it the trademark German touch and a wealth of experience. The city of Frankfurt is universally recognized as a major hub for trade fairs and Messe Frankfurt has been playing a critical role in this success. As a global player, Messe Frankfurt has unmatched strengths in trade fair management that would be highly effective in further raising standards in this market. EPOC Messe Frankfurt is thus poised to add value and a spirit of innovation to trade fair management in the region. The immediate task is to enhance the existing EPOC-organised events. Ultimately, the larger vision of EPOC Messe Frankfurt will be seen in its ability to conceptualise and execute new trade fairs tailored to this market," Dickinson added.
Michael El Nayal, Managing Partner, EPOC Messe Frankfurt, said: "This merger is set to enrich the trade fair industry by raising standards and expanding the participant and visitor base in different exhibitions. As one of the most successful trade fair companies in the world, Messe Frankfurt operates across the globe through a network of subsidiaries. The company is now ready to add Middle East to its illustrious list through this merger with EPOC."
Dubai-based EPOC has been organizing several exhibitions in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East and the USA. It is backed by an extensive network of worldwide sales agents and uses the services of top-grade suppliers for stand and contracting services and event publicity.
Commenting on EPOC's role in the region's trade fair activity, Nayal said: "EPOC has built a formidable network and a strong reputation in the area of trade fair management, leading to an extensive knowledge of the market. This alliance which will give us access to the advanced techniques of Messe Frankfurt, will further strengthen our position and enable us to offer exhibiting companies enhanced services and adequate exposure."
Messe Frankfurt, which organized over 100 events worldwide in 2001, reported revenues of Euro 318 million. During the year, 36,098 exhibitors and 2.2 million visitors attended the 38 fairs, exhibitions and public events in Frankfurt. Outside Germany, the company's subsidiaries organized a total of 48 fairs in Europe, Asia, America and Africa. At the end of 2001, Messe Frankfurt had 11 foreign subsidiaries, which were joined by new ones in Paris, Shanghai and Moscow in the first half of 2002 plus 49 Representative offices world-wide.
Emirates Neon helps UAE School Student to learn design course
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
Emirates Neon, the UAE's signage and outdoor advertising market pace setter, has answered an appeal from Dubai's Jumeirah College to help students, who returned to school today, to learn about design applications. The company has supplied the school's Design and Technology Centre with
refurbished signs, to be used as teaching aids, after being approached by the college's Head of Design and Technology, Don Sankey. "Driving along the Sheikh Zayed Road I wondered what happened to the old advertising signs when they were replaced. I got in touch with Emirates Neon and during a visit to their factory they agreed to supply a number of signs and other materials which can be used by the students," said Sankey."Now, when I talk to the students I can use physical examples to stimulate their interest and visibly demonstrate the important role design plays in our lives." As well as supplying unused material, Emirates Neon has agreed to host student visits to its factory during the new school year. Sankey is also confident the firm will join the college's work experience programme.
"It is vitally important companies, such as Emirates Neon, get involved with local schools. It is of enormous benefit to the students, who get practical experience in the work place. Meanwhile, firms broaden their recruitment base by engaging the interest of prospective employees at a young age," said Sankey. Emirates Neon's Executive Director Rehan Merchant, himself a former design and technology student when at school, understands the key role hands-on experience plays in educating designers of the future.
"By helping to stimulate the interest of students in the function of design we are not only fulfilling our social role in the community but also ensuring a bright future for the industry," said Merchant. "If some
of the students consider the signage or graphic design sector as a possible career then that will be a bonus." Emirates Neon has been in the signage and outdoor advertising since 1976. It employs 310 people at its UAE headquarters. Among the company's UAE clients are Dubai Municipality, Dubai Civil Aviation, the Dubai Shopping Festival, Jebel Ali Free Zone, major hotels, shopping centres
and blue-chip multi national companies.Central Africa : Regional air company to be created
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
BANGUI, 9 September (IRIN) - The civil aviation ministers of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African states (CEMAC) have decided to create a regional air company that would provide both internal and international flights. At their meeting of 30 August in the Central African Republic (CAR) capital, Bangui, the ministers established a committee of experts chaired by Toby Kotazo, CAR Minister of Transport.
"The mission of the committee is to find strategic partners, a name and a logo for the company, and to write a complete report to be submitted in December to the heads of state," Guy Blaise Ouaby, CAR director of civil aviation and meteorology and one of the experts, told IRIN. After the bankruptcy of Air Afrique, the subregion in general and CAR in particular have suffered serious problems of communication and commercial exchange. "CAR has major problems of communication, the investors cannot move when and where they wish, and commercial exchange is hindered," Ouaby
said.Four international air companies, namely Air France, Cameroon Airlines, Sudan Airways and Benin Golf provide an international flight service to CAR, while domestic flights are provided by two local private companies, Minair and Via Air. The CEMAC company would provide flights both within the CEMAC zone and the exterior. "In the beginning we will rent planes," said Ouaby, who hoped that the company would become reality early next year.
Central African Republic - Journalists trained as HIV/AIDS educators
keralamonitor.com September 9, 2002.
BANGUI, 9 September (IRIN) - Fifty radio and television reporters are receiving training on HIV/AIDS and the techniques of educating the population in the Central African Republic (CAR). They are members of a journalists' network - Reseau des Communicateurs de Lutte contre le Sida - which campaigns against the disease. The seminar, which began on Tuesday and will end on Saturday, is
financially supported by the UN Development Programme. "As a network of journalists, we feel it is our duty to take action against HIV/AIDS both in urban and rural areas," Rene Madeka, a reporter for Radio Notre Dame and secretary general of the journalists' network, told IRIN.Madeka said the seminar aims at informing the journalists about HIV/AIDS so that they can better educate the population using their media. "The CNLS (Comite National de Lutte contre le Sida) has provided HIV/AIDS experts to train us," he added. Apart from the state-owned Radio Centrafrique and Television Centrafrique, CAR has three private radios - Radio Notre Dame owned by the Catholic Church, Radio Nehemie of the Protestant Churches and Radio Ndeke Luka of Fondation Hirondelle. According to a UNAIDS report produced in June 2002, 12 percent of the CAR population are HIV positive, making it the most affected nation in the sub-region and the 10th most affected in the world.
ISRAELIS AND U.S. ESCALATE CYBER WARFARE
by MICHAEL GILLESPIE
Israeli cyber warfare professionals targeted human rights and anti- war activists across the USA in late July and August [2002] temporarily disrupting communications, harassing hundreds of computer
users and annoying thousands more.The Israeli hackers targeted Stephen "Sami" Mashney, an Anaheim,
California, attorney active in the effort to raise awareness of the
plight of Palestinians."People have found an alternate way to communicate through the
Internet," Mashney, a Palestinian-American, told the Washington
Report on Middle East Affairs, "and this attack is backfiring on the
hackers. Many people are being educated."Mashney, who co-manages a popular pro-Palestinian e-mail list hosted
by Yahoo! logged onto his Internet accounts on July 31 to find
hundreds of e-mail messages from angry Americans. He quickly realized
that hackers had appropriated or "spoofed" his e-mail addresses and
identity and sent out a message titled "Down With America" in his
name. The message named and included contact information for 16 well-
known human rights activists and falsely claimed the activists wished
to be contacted by anyone desiring advice or assistance in fomenting
and carrying out anti-American, anti-Christian, or anti-Jewish
activities. In an obvious attempt to damage Mashney's reputation, the
hackers appended his name, law office telephone number and website
address to the spurious e-mail.As Mashney was looking up the telephone number of the local FBI
office to report the hackers' crime, his phone rang. It was the FBI
calling, from Washington, with questions about the forged e-mail
message. Mashney later met with FBI agents in California."I answered all their relevant questions," said Mashney, who notes
that the hackers' attacks continued unabated for weeks and expanded
to include other new and innovative methods of harassment that were
used against many other activists associated with Free PalestineDr. Francis A. Boyle, professor of International Law at the
University of Illinois College of Law, is a human rights activist who
served on the board of Amnesty International USA. A member of Free
Palestine and other activist lists, Dr. Boyle was also targeted by
Israeli hackers who sent counterfeit e-mails in his name. Again, the
hackers' intention was to sow confusion, provoke animosity, damage a
reputation and restrict ability to communicate. When Boyle returned
from a vacation in mid August, he found 55,000 e-mails waiting for
him. Like Mashney, Boyle spent days sorting through the messages,
writing personal apologies to those offended by the bogus e-mails,
and deleting thousands of bounced messages. Unflappable, Boyle takes
it all in stride."You can't keep the Irish down," wrote Boyle in an e-mail message to
this reporter.Israeli hackers also targeted Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, associate professor
at the Yale University School of Medicine. The hackers forwarded to
some 1,500 members of the Yale community e-mails that Qumsiyeh had
sent to a private list of activists. Many of his university
colleagues were annoyed, but Qumsiyeh, too, feels that the hackers
are doing the Zionist cause more harm than good. Qumsiyeh said the
hackers' efforts have generated new networking opportunities among
activists and groups who did not know of each other's existence
before the hackers targeted them.Monica Terazi is Director of the New York office of the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). Terazi's e-mail privileges were
yanked by Yahoo! for a time after hackers "spoofed" her e-mail
address and identity to send a message to some 80 Yahoo! groups.
Terazi, like Mashney, spoke with the FBI about the new Israeli cyber
warfare tactics, which have piqued the interest of Internet
communications professionals. For a story published August 23, Terazi
wrote to Wired News reporter Noah Shachtman: "While these e-mails are
a nuisance, offensive and intimidating, the FBI didn't find anything
illegal: There haven't been threats that rise to the level of a hate
crime, no money has been stolen, public safety has not been
endangered and, as far as we can tell, our computers have not been
hacked or 'technically intruded into' as one agent put it." The
offensive messages are all protected by the First Amendment, said
Terazi.By mid August, the Israeli hackers had begun to target activists in
Iowa, where it seems the Israeli hackers have "technically intruded"
into computers. It is also likely their helpers here have forwarded
addresses from private lists to Israel. Iowa activists report that
people and organizations on their private e-mail lists: family
members, friends, acquaintances, media contacts, government
officials, interfaith relations organizations, activists and activist
organizations suddenly found themselves receiving tens, hundreds, or
thousands of anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian "spam" e-
mails per day. Many on private e-mail lists reported receiving anti-
Arafat cartoons and racist diatribes, along with e-mail that
aggressively connected to a website that took control of their
computers, turned the screen white and made it necessary to shut down
and re-start the computer. Some also reported that their e-mail
addresses had been "spoofed" and their on-line identities
appropriated for the distribution of racist messages.Darrell Yeaney, a Presbyterian campus minister who retired after
serving at the University of Iowa, is active in Friends of Sabeel, an
ecumenical Christian organization that supports the ministry of
Sabeel, the center for Palestinian Ecumenical Liberation Theology. He
and his wife, Sue, now serve as co-moderators for the Middle East
Peacemaking Group in Iowa. The Yeaneys report that the hackers
appropriated their address and sent out spurious e-mail in their
names.Ames-based activist, author and editor Betsy Mayfield, whose work has
appeared in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, was busy
with plans for a mid-September Des Moines film festival, "Boundaries:
The Holy Land," when the hackers turned their attentions to her
computer.Several Ames women whose only association with the crisis in the Holy
Land is their commitment to the Ames Interfaith Council (AIC)
reported being shocked by the sudden appearance of pornographic e-
mail and racist diatribes on their computer screens.Many Iowans were targeted for harassment by the hackers and hundreds
of others suffered varying degrees of inconvenience because they were
somehow connected to the cause of peace and justice in the Middle
East. Similar scenarios played out in other states across the USA.The scale of the Israeli cyber warfare campaign, the number of
targets and the variety of techniques used, coupled with specifically
targeted intrusions calculated to provide additional target addresses
for the application of the hackers' various forms of harassment,
suggest a sophisticated, coordinated, government-sponsored program
designed to impact directly upon the communications abilities of the
human rights and pro-Palestinian anti-war activism communities in the
USA.When the Israeli hackers "spoofed" the AIC's e-mail address, they
invited a response they did not expect. Because the AIC list was
hosted by Iowa State University (ISU), because the world's first
electronic digital computer was invented at ISU in a Physics
Department laboratory in the early 1940s, and because he has
represented the ISU Muslim Student's Association on the AIC cabinet,
ISU Physics Department computer administrator Dr. Bassam Shehadeh
decided to track the hackers down."The hackers access the internet via an ISP called Palnet.com on the
West Bank," said Shehadeh.When Palnet.com did not respond to his repeated e-mail enquiries,
Shehadeh called the company, informed their representative that
Palnet facilities were being used to interfere with communications at
a state institution in the USA, and demanded an explanation. He
provided information that enabled Palnet technicians to identify the
phone number of the customer harassing Iowans."Everyone here is a victim but the hackers," said Shehadeh. "The
hackers use stolen identification to get access to Palnet."Shehadeh said the contact line the hackers used for at least one
message to the AIC list address was an Israeli number in West
Jerusalem or one of the surrounding settlements. A Palnet
representative also told Shehadeh the hackers have used several lines
and methods to access Palnet's facilities."Afterwards, the hackers compromise another service system here in
the USA by passing the e-mail message with Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol (SMTP), using HELO verb. The hackers don't have a valid
principal host but overcome that by using a bracketed Internet
Protocol number (IP address) at a location anywhere on the Web. Web
hosting servers tricked into transferring these e-mails include
Digital Cube, Inc., Verizon DSL Network, and Iowa Online Web Access
located in Washington, Iowa," said Shehadeh.Shehadeh and other computer professionals working in the USA report
that ISPs and companies with IP addresses are typically very
cooperative when notified that their equipment is being misused. Most
act promptly to end the hackers' access.Given widespread and systematic destruction of electronic
communications facilities by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) in the
West Bank in recent months, the continued existence of Palnet
facilities suggests that the Israeli government had reason to permit
Palnet's continued operation and raises questions about the ability
of Palnet's owners to refuse service to Israeli hackers or otherwise
interfere with their activities.This particular campaign in Israel's cyber war seemed to have been
curtailed, at least temporarily, on August 29, soon after Shehadeh
tracked the hackers to the West Bank ISP and, finally, to an Israeli
phone number, while other computer professionals in the USA, along
with some of the targeted activists themselves, quietly contacted
management representatives at various IP addresses around the globe
and notified them that their facilities were being abused.ISRAELIS AND U.S. ESCALATE CYBER WARFARE
http://www.aztlan.net/cyberwar.htm
by ERNESTO CIENFUEGOS
Aztlan Communications Network (ACN)LOS ANGELES, California, USA, 9 September 2002 (ACN): Computer
hackers based in Israel in conjunction with Zionists and certain Jews
in the United States have just launched a new "cyber war" offensive
against human rights and anti-war activists and organizations in the
U.S. that are in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle and oppose
the Zionist occupation of Palestine. There are now thousands of
organizations and individuals on the World Wide Web that have been
targeted and whose communications disrupted by a variety of
sinister "cyber war techniques."Our publication, La Voz de Aztlan [ http://www.aztlan.net ], has been
one of their primary targets after the ADL of B'nai B'rith published
a series of lies aimed to discredit our staff writers and our
publisher on their website. We have just learned that the Israeli
government as well as a variety of U.S. Zionist organizations are
actually funding the activities of well trained "cyber terrorists"
bent on destroying the freedom of expression for everyone but
themselves.There are two levels of cyber warfare that the Zionists are carrying
out. The first level is out in the open and consists of efforts to
legitimately take control of the Internet through the passage of
bogus legislation aimed at implementing their controls over the
Internet and by taking financial control of Internet portals such as
AOL [America Online] and other major Internet Service Providers.In addition, Zionist conspirators are diligently working on
specialized software aimed at filtering out lists of websites that
they deem threatening to their interests. They than "push" and sell
the filtering software to school districts, libraries, the military,
government agencies, the corporate sector and a host of other
entities. This effectively blocks millions of U.S. Internet users
from viewing those websites critical of Zionist policies. The problem
is worst in other counties where Zionists have influence such as in
Australia. La Voz de Aztlan has received three e-mails from
Australian citizens informing us that all of a sudden they can not
access our website.One principal Zionist organization taking this "out in the open"
effort to control the Internet is the Weisenthal Center of Los
Angeles. The Weisenthal Center's primary operative in the effort is
Rabbi Abraham Cooper. Rabbi Cooper has spent millions of dollars
lobbying the U.S. Senate and has already been effective in having the
U.S. Congress pass a series of repressive measures that have in large
measure impeded alternative and independent information services from
publishing certain articles, editorials and opinions critical of
Zionism. Some of the money used by Rabbi Cooper actually comes from
unsuspecting California taxpayers. A former California Speaker of the
Assembly admitted shamelessly that he put together over $18 million
dollars for Rabbi Cooper. The scam used by the rabbi is to inflict
guilt on certain legislators because of the holocaust and to pretend
that he is doing it to combat "hate" and so-called "anti-semitism".The other level of "cyber warfare" being utilized by the Zionists is
right down evil and dirty. It is hidden, covert, malicious and in
many cases clearly criminal. The victims now number in the thousands
and increasing.Most of the victims are U.S. citizens of the Islamic faith as well as
Arab-American and U.S. Palestinian organizations struggling for human
rights. An article by Michael Gillespie published in the "Washington
Report on Middle East Affairs" [ http://www.wrmea.com ] describes a
number of incidents and victims. One victim pointed out by Michael
Gillespie is Stephen Mashney of Anaheim, Alta California. Mr. Mashney
is an attorney active in the effort to raise awareness of the plight
of Palestinians and for this he was targeted by the well funded and
trained network of Israeli and U.S. Zionist computer hackers.Mr. Mashney was the victim of a favorite dirty trick used by the
Zionists. The hackers sent out a message using his name and e-mail
address titled "Down With America". Mr. Mashney who hosts a pro-
Palestinian mailing list realized something was wrong when he started
receiving hundreds of hate e-mails from infuriated Americans. The
malicious and evil "Israeli/U.S. Zionist hacker's network" included
in the message the home addresses as well as home telephone numbers
of other pro-Palestinian rights activists. The faked e-mail message
sent by the hackers, in addition, included as a signature, Mr.
Stephen Mashney's law firm address, telephone number, e-mail address
and website URL.Other victims of this same Zionist dirty trick are two professors at
U.S. universities. The first is Dr. Francis A. Boyle, professor of
International Law at the University of Illinois. Dr. Boyle is, in
addition, a respected Palestinian human rights activist who has
served on the board of Amnesty International USA. The fake e-mails
sent in his name have done extensive damage to his excellent
reputation and has disrupted his ability to communicate on the
Internet. The other is Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh who is an associate
professor at the Yale University School of Medicine. The Zionist
hackers sent out hundreds of libelous e-mails to selected members of
the Yale community designed to damage his reputation and to diminish
his credibility within the Yale University community.Among some of the human rights organizations targeted by the Zionists
for the "fake e-mail dirty trick" are the [ InformationTimes.com ,
InfoTimes.net , YellowTimes.org , CounterPunch.org ,
CommonDreams.org , WhatReallyHappened.com ] American-Arab Anti-
Discrimination Committee (ADC) of New York. Monica Terazi, its
Director, had her Yahoo e-mail account revoked after the Zionist
hackers sent counterfeit messages in her name to numerous Yahoo e-
mail groups.[ADC ( http://www.adc.org ) Website was hacked and damaged by anti-
human rights, anti-civil liberties and anti-freedom suspected
Zionists on Sunday, 8 September 2002, who illegally changed the HTML
codes of the ADC home page. Click here to see how anti-American, anti-
Palestinian, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim suspected Zionists
fraudulently hacked and defaced the ADC Website's original and
official front page: http://www.infotimes.net/adc.htm ]The "Israeli/U.S. Zionist hacker's network" is utilizing other more
sophisticated hacking techniques to disrupt the ability of human
rights activists to communicate. One is to implant a small "trojan
horse" program on the hard disk of their victims such as the well
known SubSeven Trojan. The "trojan horse" is first sent as an
attachment on an e-mail. If the unsuspecting victim clicks on the
attachment, the program activates itself and opens up certain "ports"
on the computer. Later, with another program, the hacker can connect
to the victim's computer and download any sensitive file such the
victim's mailing list. One can imagine what havoc a Zionist hacker
can cause by having complete access to all their victims most
sensitive files. La Voz de Aztlan has detected hundreds of attempts
to intrude into our hard disk after being sent "trojan horse
programs," which thank God our "firewall" detected.Last month, the Zionist hackers from Israel started targeting
activists from the state of Iowa. In these incidents, the hackers
were actually able to intrude and to remotely take possession of
their victim's computers. They utilize the sensitive information
obtained, such as private lists with names and e-mail addresses, to
generate a vast amount of evil deeds. Among the victims in Iowa is
Darrell Yeaney, a Presbyterian campus minister active on the Middle
East Peacemaking Group. Another is author and editor Betsy Mayfield
whose work has been published in the Washington Report on Middle East
Affairs and is active at the Ames Interfaith Council (AIC). Several
women at Ames Interfaith Council also reported that they were shocked
and disgusted when all of a sudden they were exposed to pornographic
and racist text and images on their computer screens. Apparently, the
Ames women were victims of a Zionist "trojan horse" takeover of their
computers.Iowa State University Physics Department computer expert Dr. Bassam
Shehadeh was able to trace the origin of the cyber attacks. He
determined that the hackers were accessing the internet via an
Internet Service Provider called Palnet.com located on the West Bank.
The Zionist hackers were utilizing stolen identifications and
passwords to get access through Palnet.com.Michael Gillespie wrote in the Washington Report on Middle East
Affairs that "The scale of the Israeli cyber warfare campaign, the
number of targets and the variety of techniques used, coupled with
specifically targeted intrusions calculated to provide additional
target addresses for the application of the hackers' various forms of
harassment, suggest a sophisticated, coordinated, government-
sponsored program designed to impact directly upon the communications
abilities of the human rights and pro-Palestinian anti-war activism
communities in the USA." La Voz de Aztlan agrees totally with this
assessment. We attribute the particularly viciousness of the "cyber
war" being waged against our publication to the fact that we have
taken a pro-Palestinian editorial policy and have come to the same
conclusion.
