Syria: Leading Islamic cleric “tortured to death”
Zayed University and SAE Institute to offer accredited Mixed Media Training
June 1, 2005 Zayed University's Institute for Technological Innovation (ITI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today with Australian-based SAE Institute to outline a unique strategic educational alliance which sets the stage for a new level of vocational technology training to be offered in the UAE. Courses offered to corporate and government clients out of the ZU-ITI campus at Dubai Internet City will include digital film making, creative multimedia, digital animation, games programming, graphic design and interactive entertainment to name a few. A proposal is also being considered to include similar courses in the undergraduate ZU curriculum.
The initial discussions on the possible academic alliance between ZU-ITI and SAE Institute were held during the recently concluded Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX), which ultimately led to the signing of this MoU. "This partnership is instrumental in meeting a strong need for quality new media training in the UAE. It will help position the country and its students for international competition and success in a highly-skilled field, and the ITI is very excited about playing a role in bringing the technology and opportunity to our students and clients," affirmed Dr. Abdullah Abonamah, Professor and Director. SAE will outfit its new UAE-based campuses with state-of-the-art studios and classrooms equipped with all of the necessary hardware and software to support the high-end technological requirements of its programs. Zayed University and SAE will also be jointly engaged in actively recruiting clients in need of quality accredited employees in order to help secure placement of graduates at program completion. Other joint target objectives include equipping, training, qualifying and accrediting UAE government and private sector personnel already engaged in related industries and promoting the use of the new studio for tailored technical training courses and seminars, as well as for straight commercial use.
Romy Hawatt, SAE Strategic Business Development Executive, said: "The relationship with Zayed University is very innovative – many of these courses are being offered for the first time in the Middle East. SAE Institute will tailor and market specific educational programs by capitalizing on its internationally recognized profile and accreditation, and enhance current programs by delivering a range of exciting projects that have a commercial and career outcome for students.” “For SAE International Technology Institute, the largest audio, film and multimedia college worldwide, participation at GETEX proved to be an important branding exercise, as the college administration prepared for its entry into the Middle East. We are currently working on several other academic alliances ahead of inaugurating our dedicated campus in Dubai."
With its world headquarters in Byron Bay, Australia, SAE Institute is the world's first and largest network of audio and media education and training centers. SAE is affiliated with Middlesex University (England), Southern Cross University (Australia) and Southern Institute of Technology (New Zealand). The Institute operates over 40 campuses in 22 countries on four continents. It offers diploma and full degree programs in audio technology, recording arts, film making, 3D animation and multimedia arts. The UAE-based ZU-ITI venture is the latest addition in a long list of campus development successes.
The Institute for Technological Innovation (ITI) is a Zayed University owned and operated business center located in the heart of Dubai Internet City, the knowledge and technological hub of the region. Its training programs are designed to educate business leaders and aspiring young professionals on new and emerging technologies. The ITI targets young professionals, corporate managers, educators, entrepreneurs, consultants and analysts in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region who wish to stay ahead of the curve by understanding technological innovation and managing its impact.
Foreign Investment in Non News Category..
The foreign investment cap under non-news category has been enhanced from 74 percent to 100 percent in the case of Indian entities publishing scientific/ technical/specialty magazines / periodicals/ journals. In case where both FDI and FII investment is envisaged, the applicant may approach the FIPB/ RBI for clearance after obtaining the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of I&B. In cases involving only portfolio investment, the applicant may approach RBI for further clearance, if any, after obtaining NOC from the Ministry of I&B.Guidelines of the Ministry of Finance on FDI and portfolio investment would apply. All cases involving foreign investment shall be handled by the prescribed agencies, viz. FDI on the government approval route through the mechanism of the FIPB and portfolio investment by the RBI. Title verification shall continue to be done by the Press Registrar as per the existing procedure.
Syria : Environment lessons for children to be expanded
DAMASCUS, 1 June (IRIN) - An environmental awareness project for schoolchildren in the Syrian capital, Damascus, has been hailed a success, with plans for it to be replicated throughout the country. "I love the environment class. It teaches us how we can maintain the environment. If I see children throwing rubbish on the ground, I pick it up immediately and put it in a bin," Rasha al-Zenji, aged 9, told IRIN in Damascus.
The Syrian Environment Association (SEA) and Movimondo, an Italian NGO, recently celebrated the final stage of the project called the "Promotion of Environment Awareness in Basic Education Schools in the old city of Damascus," funded by the British Embassy in the capital. Every week, children from selected schools within the old part of the city, attend a special lesson on the environment, which includes practical elements such as an exhibition and a play.
The old city area of Damascus is an historic landmark and the authorities are encouraging locals to preserve the area and keep it clean. "The environment class has changed my daughter's behaviour. She has prompted her family to be involved in maintaining the environment. When we go to a public park she prevents her sisters from picking flowers and always advises people not to destroy the nature," Najat, Rasha's mother, told IRIN. Project leaders say the message is very clear.
"We all have a responsibility to do our bit to protect the environment," Movimondo representative in the Middle East, Marie-Helene Kassardjian, told IRIN. "I am satisfied with the results we have reached. However, more work is needed on the environment," she added. The NGO provided technical assistance by training SEA volunteers to teach 540 schoolchildren in the old city of Damascus. Children are the best tool to reach adults because children can share what they have learned with families and relatives, she explained.
The first stage of the project was implemented in 2004 and focused on recycling materials such as plastic, bottles, glass and paper. While the second stage of the project, which ended in May 2005, was aimed at preserving Qassioun Mountain and the Barada River, which runs through Damascus.A play written and acted out by children reminded people how Damascus once was, when the mountain was covered with trees, the air was clean and the Barada River was clear. In addition, an exhibition included drawings and a number of devices made from recycled materials to measure rainfall and air pressure. "We chose the old city of Damascus as a starting point. Then the project will be expanded to cover the city as a whole," Mai al-A'ssar, deputy chairperson of SEA, told IRIN "The topic of the environment is integrated into all school curriculums in Syria. However, the MoE is making relentless efforts to heighten the awareness in schools across the country," a source from the MoE told IRIN.
EGYPT: Human rights groups criticise referendum
CAIRO, 31 May (IRIN) - Human rights organisations in Egypt have reservations about the fairness of amendments to the country's constitution and consider they constitute a continuation of the violation of political and civil rights.Earlier this year, Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, asked parliament to review article 76 of the constitution to allow, for the first time in Egypt, direct competitive presidential elections. Mubarak has ruled the country for nearly 25 years and the next general election is due in September.In the past, the country has held a referendum every six years posing the question of whether or not Mubarak should continue as president.Egyptians voted on 25 May in a referendum on proposed constitutional amendments and according to government statistics, some 83 percent of the poll was in favour of the proposed changes. There were no international observers in attendance at the ballot. Opposition movements boycotted the referendum and demonstrated on the streets, saying the amendment imposed limitations on possible election candidates."These amendments cripple any candidate from nominating himself," director of the Hesham Mubarak Centre, a local human rights organisation, Ahmed Seif, told IRIN in Cairo.
Under the terms of the amendment, presidential candidates should be members of a political party that has been registered for at least five years. In addition, nominees need 250 signatures from members of the People's Assembly (lower house), Shura Council (Upper House) and local councils. Seif also had reservations over the manner in which the referendum was conducted.
"The way the question was posed put voters in a critical position as it limited the choice between having an amendment in the current form or keeping the constitution as it is," he explained. "What if people want an amendment but they don't want the proposed article?" Seif questioned. According to Mahmoud Aly, director of the Egyptian Association for Democratic Transformation, the amendments constitute a limitation to free elections and not a regulation of them, as state officials claim.
He confirmed that in view of the current political environment in Egypt, opposition parties would never be able to acquire the minimum requirements for entering presidential elections. "We all know that legislative elections in Egypt are corrupt and witness severe state intervention. I don't think that this situation will change anytime soon," he told IRIN.
He added that these amendments could be suitable if the political environment in Egypt was more democratic and transparent. However, he insisted that the minimum requirements for nomination were too difficult to acquire. "Everyone should have the right to nominate his or herself. This right can be regulated by minimum conditions such as the age of the candidate. In light of this, the current amendment is a limitation and not a regulation," he added. Fadi el-Qadi, Regional Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch (HRW) told IRIN that a referendum was not sufficient for real democratic transformation in Egypt.
"In my opinion, there should have been a serious and in-depth review for the whole electoral system," he said, adding that this was a violation of civil and political rights as there was an obvious intervention in the people's right to choose.
Additionally, Egypt has been governed under a state of emergency for more than 24 years with the exception of a few years as a result of wars and a period of militant unrest in the 1990s. Mahmoud Aly insisted that the continuation of the emergency law in Egypt would hinder any real democratic transformation. Under the emergency law, civil and political rights are constantly being violated and the right to demonstrate and assemble peacefully is banned. In addition, the law gives executive authorities complete power over all other bodies. The present government maintains, however, that it is still a necessary security measure.
DOHMS Provides mobility with wireless computing in Dubai hospitals
Unique solution in the region aimed at providing wireless access to patient care services in DOHMS hospitals
Dubai, May 31, 2005 - The Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS) has introduced wireless patient bedside computing at three of its hospitals in Dubai using Cisco Medical Grade Network portfolio of technologies. The network is already implemented at the Rashid, Dubai and Al Wasl hospitals from the beginning of 2005. Between January and April 2005, doctors at the three hospitals have used the wireless networks to serve 14,500 inpatients at bedside. Doctors used the Physician Order Entry (POE) system to electronically requisition various services such as radiology and lab requests. The system implemented by Cisco Systems, facilitates secure wireless networking which enable physicians greater mobility in patient wards and most importantly, instant access to patient information, lab results and X-rays by means of a laptop.
"Enabling wireless access to patient history records and online orders for lab tests represents the core module of our ambitious project in introducing full digitisation of inpatient services in our hospitals,” said Sina AbdulAziz Khoory, IT Director, DOHMS. “This is a historic step that will transform the entire system of delivering patient care through wireless technology that is compatible with all types of mobile devices.”
“Before executing the system, we took into consideration the need for a solution with strong authentication and good encryption, as DOHMS places supreme importance to the privacy of the patient’s medical history data. We found that Cisco Systems’ combination of hardware, software and configuration expertise was ideally suited for our requirements," Khoory added. "In collaboration with Cisco Systems we have successfully implemented a solution in which the doctors are able to make maximum use of user-friendly wireless networking tools to enhance patient care at the bedside, eliminating associated voluminous paperwork and further speeding up processes."
More than 120 laptops residing on carts are linked to the DOHMS network through 160 Cisco Access Points, with full security provided by the Cisco Healthcare Protect and Secure networking solution that controls authentication and authorisation and maintains an accounting of all users accessing the network, to trigger an immediate response to any security threat.
Commenting on the implementation of Cisco Medical Grade Network at DOHMS, Ghazi Atallah, General Manager, Cisco Systems Middle East, said "Cisco Medical-Grade Network is a framework to help hospitals design an IT infrastructure which will deliver high-quality medical care for the 21st century. Often, hospital networking requirements are not integral to the healthcare business requirements. The Medical-Grade Network converges voice, video and data to decrease maintenance and network administration costs, increase staff productivity and support the seamless delivery of device and location-independent applications.”
“The DOHMS project is very unique in the GCC and Cisco Systems is working with several other medical departments across the region to implement the Medical Grade Network enabling full digitisation of patient care services, ” Atallah added.
The solution implemented in DOHMS is designed to help hospital professionals share information more efficiently, establish the highest possible levels of security and reduces administrative, maintenance, troubleshooting and training costs. More significantly, the solution incorporates robust products that protect the network against outages, service degradations and security breaches.
The new wireless patient care system was implemented in partnership with Emirates Computers. Emirates Computers’ role included the implementation, and coordinating its cabling, laptop, server and network teams without disruption to the existing DOHMS network.
"Emirates Computers deployed its best teams to successfully implement the prestigious project, in close collaboration with DOHMS and Cisco Systems. The challenge was not only to meet the tight implementation deadlines but also to use all our expertise to maintain the highest standards and match the demands of the solution," said Saeed Agha, Networking and Securities Unit Manager, Emirates Computers. Cisco hardware and software used in the project included 160 Cisco Wireless Access Points, 21 Cisco Catalyst Access Switches, CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine 2.5 and Cisco Secure Access Control Servers 3.2 for Windows.
One of the largest container ships in the world arrives at Jebel Ali Port
The superior infrastructure facilities at the port helps in easy handling of the 8238 TEU capacity MSC Rachele
May 31, 2005 Dubai Ports announced the arrival of MSC Rachele, one of the world’s largest container ships at the Jebel Ali Port. The 335 meter long vessel has a capacity of 8238 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) and arrived from Antwerp port in Belgium en route to Singapore. The high quality infrastructure facilities and equipment at Jebel Ali Port ensured the smooth and efficient handling of the mega container vessel. Commenting on the arrival of the vessel, Jamal Majid bin Thaniah, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Ports Authority, said: “We are proud to welcome MSC Rachele to our port. The arrival of a ship of this stature underlines the remarkable facilities at Jebel Ali Port, which is one of the busiest ports in the world. Early this year we acquired four new Tandem lift gantry cranes, and nine more of these cranes will be added by next week to take the total number of gantry cranes at Jebel Ali to 39. In addition, 24 new Rubber Tyer Gantries (RTG) will be acquired in the coming days to take the total tally to 104.”The Chinese manufactured gantries are the largest of their kind in the world and the first of their type to be installed in the Middle East. These state-of-the-art gantries are characterised by their speed and flexibility. The Crane can lift up to 80 tons in weight, with the ability to load and unload super vessels that have a capacity of 12,000 TEUs.
“MSC Rachele is the largest container vessel to have entered the shores of Dubai, enhancing Dubai’s image as one of the leading global maritime trade centers. The handling of vessels such as these, substantiates our efforts to further expand our facilities and services at the port,” added Thaniah. Jebel Ali Port has expanded its berthing facilities, with a maximum berth depth of 17 meters. This scale of expansion at the port ensures the efficient handling of a variety of container vessels, arriving from around the world. MSC Rachele is owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) that was founded in 1970. MSC is the second largest carrier in the world, operating 261 container vessels with an intake capacity of 695,287 TEUs. The company is expecting to further this growth to 272 vessels and 780,000 TEUs by end of 2005.Dubai Ports, which includes Port Rashid and Jebel Ali Port was recently ranked among the top 10 container ports of the world, in terms of container traffic, which touched 6.42 million TEUs in 2004. Further, the port also achieved a remarkable growth rate of 25 per cent last year.
“The strategic geographic location of Dubai Ports has enabled it to act as an important maritime link between the Far East and the western countries. We recognise the need to always maintain excellent port conditions, to continue to attract heavy maritime traffic in a competitive trading environment. Shipping companies are on the constant lookout for improved technology and facilities at ports and we have been able to fully cater to the requirements of our regional and international clients in this regard,” remarked bin Thaniah. “Looking ahead, we will continue to set key strategies to meet the rising world demand and ensure that huge vessels like MSC Rachele can benefit from the state-of-the art facilities at Jebel Ali Port,” concluded
Thaniah.IRAQ: Iraqi journalists complain of censorship
BAGHDAD, 29 May (IRIN) - Iraqi journalists say they are being censored by the US-led Coalition forces and the Iraqi government because of the topics covered by them in newspapers and on television.The Iraqi Association of Journalists (IAJ) said they have been accused of collaborating with insurgents after trying to report on both sides of the ongoing conflict. Based on the IAJ information, eight journalists have been detained since March 2005 by US forces, accused of being a security risk to the Iraqi people and the military.
Two of the journalists detained by US forces had written articles on the lives of insurgents, after having spent days shadowing them. "We were living without press freedom during Saddam Hussein's regime and today there is not much difference. Journalists are being held by US forces for doing their job when they write about opposing views," Kamal Aidan, a senior official from the IAJ, told IRIN in Baghdad.
In addition, Aidan pointed out that 85 journalists and media staff have been killed in Iraq since March 2003. Of this number, some 62 were Iraqis. The total also included 14 deaths at the hands of US troops, which encouraged the IAJ, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to demand independent reports on the circumstances.
"Journalists are not just being targeted verbally or politically, they are also being targeted for real in Iraq. The ignorance and immaturity of the US military which does not make differences [differentiate] between the insurgents and the press has been adopted brutally against the media in our country," Ahmed Abdul-Satar, an Iraqi journalist working for a French media organisation, told IRIN.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) called for measures to improve the safety of journalists in April. "Journalists working in Iraq have shown impressive courage in carrying out their professional duty to collect and disseminate information," UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said after a cameraman was killed and a reporter wounded as they arrived at the scene of an explosion in Mosul, northern Iraq, on 23 April.
Lt. Col. Steve Boylan, spokesperson for US forces, told IRIN that journalists arrested were considered a security risk. The IFJ is also demanding that US Coalition forces and Iraqi authorities free the eight Iraqi journalists, most of whom are working for Western media.
"These arrests were without formal charges and they do not have the right to do that. Journalism in Iraq is in a very deep crisis and these people should be released immediately as it has been considered an injustice against the freedom of journalists around the world," Aidan White, IFJ's general secretary, told IRIN.
"We cannot write with freedom anymore because if you write against them [US forces and Iraqi government] you are going to be considered automatically against them and face the possibility of being closed down. The safety of journalists and press freedom should be at the top of the agenda for action in the coming months to guarantee our freedom in writing and transmitting true news," editor of a local Iraqi newspaper, the al-Baghdadi, Abdullah Kareem, told IRIN.
On the other hand, some also complained they were censored by insurgents. Threats have been sent to many Iraqis working with the Western media or because some people believed their articles were skewed against local insurgency groups. "We are in a country where you do not know who is your friend and who is your enemy. We are in a middle of a battle where you have to take the risk to transmit true information and to fight for our rights, no matter if your enemy is the resistance against the US troops," Aidan said
Focus : Iraq Child Labour
Child Labour Rampant in Iraq as many Families Dont Send Children to School
BAGHDAD, May 2005 (IRIN) - Eleven-year-old Mahmoud al-Obaidi walks seven km every morning to get to work at a carpentry factory in Baghdad so he can save his bus fares.Al-Obaidi is the only male in his family of four, as his father disappeared five years ago and he works to support his family. On average he spends nearly 10 hours a day in the factory earning a living. "I didn't have a choice. Work was the only option. I cannot deny that I would like to be at a school, learning like other children. But I know the responsibility that I have to carry," al-Obaidi told IRIN, as he walked to work. He boy is only one of thousands of Iraqi children forced by poverty to work at an early age.More than a million youngsters work often enduring hazardous conditions, as well as being vulnerable to sexual abuse and violence, according to a report released at the end of 2004. The report was based on a nationwide survey in which 19,610 Iraqis participated. The project was a joint effort between the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and several Iraqi ministries, including the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Public Works and Social Affairs (MoPWSA) and the Ministry of Education (MoE).
Nearly 250 students aged between nine and 14 dropped out of school to begin work between January and March, according to a report by the MoE. Officials say that number is likely to increase following the downturn in the country’s economic fortunes in the post-Saddam era.“Our children are leaving schools and they represent the future of Iraq. If the government guarantees a better life for their families for sure they won’t have to work and for this reason urgent action should be taken by the new Iraqi government,” a senior official at the MoE, Khalid Youssef, told IRIN.
CHILDREN WORKING TO SURVIVE
The main reason for child labour in Iraq is poverty. Nearly 25 percent of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, according to the interim government.There is also a strong culture of child labour in Iraq. Even with free schools and universities in the country, many families won’t allow youngsters to attend school, saying that it is important for them to go out and work as early as possible according to experts.“I believe that we marry and have children to alleviate our lives from work. My father made me work at the age of nine and I sent my children to work when they were 10. There is nothing wrong with that, especially for families who do not have good financial support like mine," Omar Adnan, a father of three, told IRIN. Most street children in the capital work and can be seen selling cigarettes, newspapers and other small household items.Markets and industry also employ large numbers of children who are usually forced undertake dangerous, arduous jobs for low pay, enduring long hours, according to the Ministry of Industry (MoI) and Ministry of Trade (MoT).
STATISTICS
According to the 2004 survey, nearly 1,300,000 children, aged between eight and 16 were working. This represents 6.1 percent of the country's population.In addition, the survey revealed long working hours, with 27 percent of children working for more than eight hours daily.Those who start working at an early stage were found to be mainly from the rural areas, the survey said, because of more harsh economic conditions there. "The lack of security and political uncertainties have left economic activities stunted and social safety nets disrupted, while unemployment and poverty have deepened. Under these circumstances, more children and youths have been driven to work or beg on the streets, or toil at various labour sites, often under hazardous conditions, in order to supplement dwindling family incomes,” a spokeswoman for UNICEF, Ban Dhayi, told IRIN from the Jordanian capital, Amman.
Some of these children and youths are the sole breadwinners of the family due to the death, disability or unemployment of their parents, Dhayi added.“Working children were already researched and documented in northern Iraq and were seen in southern and central Iraq before the war, but the socio/economic circumstances of Iraq following the war in 2003 are seen to have pushed more children to the streets and worksites,” the UNICEF official said.Many children also make a living through drugs and prostitution, perceived to be easier ways of earning money, according to the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS)."Children should be in schools and not on the streets or working in dangerous places where no one will take responsibility for them," a spokeswoman for the IRCS, Firdous al-Abadi, told IRIN.
HAZARDOUS WORK
Nearly nine percent of child workers had been injured, according to the UNICEF 2004 survey and nearly 58 percent of working children interviewed had suffered violence. Doctors in the capital said they treat at least one child injured at work every day, most hurt by exposure to dangerous chemicals. Dr Haydar al-Yassin, at the Yarmouk hospital, the largest emergency facility in the country, told IRIN that it is common for employers to lie about how the injuries were sustained, so they don't have to take responsibility. "Children work in hazardous environments and there is no law to protect them. Sometimes the child dies in hospital due to the injuries. Last week we had a case where a child's entire body was burned after a gas cooking cylinder exploded in a kitchen at a local restaurant," al-Yassin explained. The MoH also reported that sick children only seek medical help after becoming seriously ill. In addition, a January 2005 study by the MoH, in partnership with the MoPWSA, found that nearly 55 percent of children, who work in rural areas, suffer from skin diseases. Those in workshops and large industries also showed high incidences of respiratory problems following exposure to harmful chemicals and gases.
GOVERNMENT ACTION
Projects to prevent the abuse of working children and to promote more schooling have been implemented.
In April, the government banned shopkeepers and industry from employing children under the age of 14. Those who do not obey the law may be subjected to huge fines. The penalty varies from US $100 to $300 but persistent offenders may be closed down. Whether the law will be implemented remains to be seen. In addition, youngsters found working in these industries may receive a payment of $50 and continued support from the government, so that they do not have to go back to work and can return to their studies.
"Our ministry has had success and hundreds of children have returned to schools and left work where they were being abused and were receiving poor salaries," minister of public work and social affairs, Leila Abdul-Lattef, told IRIN. The MoPWSA also supported the opening of Mercy House in Baghdad, a place where the poorest children and most disadvantaged members of Iraqi society are offered assistance.
Street children, who beg or are forced to work, receive support at the centre, which offers education and protection from abuse and violence. The MoPWSA has also asked the new Iraqi government to ensure children are protected under the new constitution. "The abuse on the streets against children’s rights is frequent and we will continue our work to change this and bring security and a better future for each Iraqi child," Abdul-Lattef added.
Mott MacDonald wins new contract for Delhi Metro
Mott MacDonald’s Indian company, Dalal Mott MacDonald, has been awarded the detailed design for Mandi House metro station by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The £9 million project is part of Line 3 of the new Delhi Metro. Mandi House station is a single level underground station 27 m wide at each end increasing to 57 m in the middle with 185 m long side platforms. A mezzanine level midway along the platforms provides ticketing and plant room space either side of the tracks with a single bridge connecting the two halves of the station at mezzanine level for circulation. There are four entrances, two escalators and four lifts.
The station is located under Sikandra Road, an important and busy thoroughfare. In order to minimise traffic disruption, much of the station is to be built top-down which means the diaphragm wall panels are built from ground level and will form the permanent walls of the station. Excavation is then made to the underside of the roof level and the roof constructed. The ground level roads are then restored while construction proceeds underground with a smaller site area on the surface. The presence of many utilities crossing the station adds to the complexity of the roof structure. Working to a tight schedule to suit the construction programme, Dalal Mott MacDonald’s role involves developing the detail design for all structural and architectural elements of the project. Electrical and mechanical design is being undertaken by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which also prepared the outline structural and architectural designs. Construction of the station is already underway and is scheduled to be completed by May 2006
YEMEN: Polio cases soar to 179
Government and UNICEF officials announce another rise in polio cases.
SANA, 30 May 2005 (IRIN) - The number of confirmed polio cases in Yemen has soared to 179 as a massive immunisation campaign gets underway on Monday, the Yemeni Public Health and Population Minister, Dr Mohammed al-Nomee, announced in the capital, Sana. The polio outbreak in Yemen was confirmed in mid May after 18 cases were reported, following the completion of a routine national immunisation programme conducted in April. "The number of confirmed polio cases has reached 179 across 11 provinces. The governorate of Hodeidah [226 km in the west] was the worst affected area with 134 cases," al-Nomee told IRIN on Sunday.The minister said that his department along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) would start a three-day nationwide vaccination. This sweep will be the first of two-rounds and will target some 5 million children below the age of five using some six million vaccination doses.
Yemen's Ministry of Health (MoH), along with UNICEF and the WHO, is promoting awareness through the media, schools, mosques and community leaders to motivate parents to bring their children in for vaccination. More than 36,000 workers are set to participate in the house-to-house programme. "The number of polio cases could increase to 200, as many more suspected cases are still being investigated," WHO representative for Yemen, Dr Hashim Al-Zain said. He denied there were conflicting reports about the number of cases in the country. According to the health minister, the results showed that of the examined samples, 76 cases had tested negative.
The worst affected governorates were reportedly in Hodeidah in the west, Sana and Taiz in the south, along with Hadramawt in the east and Amran in the north. Al-Nomai and UNICEF communications coordinator, Naseem Ur-Rehman, denied reports that the reason for the increase in cases was caused by a lack of safe vaccines. "The safety of the vaccines is completely ensured from their entrance to the country to their delivery to the children's mouths," Ur-Rehman told IRIN. He urged the media to contribute to making the campaign a success. Dr al-Nomee, the health minister, called on the media to convey the truth and not report rumours about unsafe vaccines.
"This is really not good as it scares people. This makes our campaign very difficult and helps exacerbate the disease," he said. It has been reported that the crippling disease spread from Nigeria to 12 other African countries, including Sudan. From there, a case was imported to Saudi Arabia, health officials said. "I think this virus was definitely brought to Yemen, because we had no problem [with polio] for the last six years. If the virus was indigenous we would have seen it within the last six years," the Yemeni health official explained earlier. Polio is a highly infectious viral disease which invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. There are only six countries in the world considered polio-endemic: Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Niger, Afghanistan and Egypt. A total of 1,266 cases of polio were reported world-wide in the year 2004, according to the WHO. Yemen was designated polio free by WHO in 1996.
QATAR AIRWAYS PREPARES FOR NEW ALEXANDRIA ROUTE
Thrice-Weekly Non-Stop Flights To Egyptian Port City
30 May 2005 Doha, QATAR – Qatar Airways has announced the schedules for its new flights to the Egyptian port city of Alexandria being launched on June 9. The city will be served non-stop three-times-a-week from Qatar Airways’ operational hub of Doha, capital of the State of Qatar. The route will be operated with an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in First and 132 in Economy. Alexandria, one of the oldest cities in Egypt, becomes Qatar Airways’ third Egyptian point to be served from Doha, following the successful route launches of Cairo and Luxor. To celebrate the route launch, Qatar Airways is offering members of its Privilege Club frequent flyer programme with double Qmiles for the first full month of the new Alexandria flights. As part of its new service, Qatar Airways is also offering a complimentary coach transfer service for passengers between Alexandria and Cairo.
Known as the ‘Pearl of the Mediterranean’ Alexandria is Egypt’s second largest city and main port with an ambience and cultural heritage far different to rest of the country which has more of a Middle East flavour. The city is located around 160 miles from the Egyptian capital, Cairo. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria is one of the most notable summer resorts in the Middle East and also home to the ancient relics of the underwater city of Cleopatra’s Palace. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the airline was committed to the Egyptian market, reflected by the launch of its third destination in the country.
“Cairo and Luxor have proved to be very important and busy routes for Qatar Airways attracting both business and leisure travellers.“We are now delighted to add Alexandria as our third point in Egypt and serve the growing needs of our passengers, many of whom will be travelling from neighbouring Middle East markets to Egypt, but also from our destinations across Asia and in South Africa,” he added. “Alexandria is the second of our three new routes next month as we launch Mashad in Iran on June 1 and Athens on June 15 in line with our expansion plans. These three new routes alone will take our global network to 65 destinations worldwide.” Award-winning Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 40 all-Airbus aircraft to 62 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Indian sub-continent and the Far East.
Indian Airlines flight Cancellation Leaves 150 Passengers in the Dark...
SHARJAH – About one fifty passengers who were supposed to travel by the Indian Airlines flight number IC 596 from the Sharjah International Airport had a virtual nightmare as the flight which was scheduled to take off at 2 AM did not fly. Irritated passengers, at least fifty of them, who were waiting for their boarding pass with heavy luggage, said the airline treated them rudely without informing them about the flight cancellation. "When we reached the airport at 10 PM to board the flight scheduled to fly at 2.10 AM on Monday, the monitor said the flight was delayed," says Haneefa, one of the passengers. They said the airline officials called the police to remove them from the airport. According to Indian Airline officials, the flight will carry all the 150 stranded passengers today and the flight cancellation was because one aircraft did not reach from Calicut, India.
"There were families with kids and the airline did not show any modesty to accommodate the stranded passengers in hotels. While some passengers from Sharjah and Ajman could go back, those who came from Fujiarah and Ras Al Khaimah were virtually stranded in the airport "When we asked the counter staff about the reasons for not giving prior information, they told us to wait for the manager, who came by 11 P.M. "Later on the airline said the flight is cancelled and fifty passengers who were going to Kochi and Kozhikkodu in Kerala were virtually stranded in the airport," said another passenger. The summer vacation started and it is peak time for airlines operating to Indian destinations, especially Kerala, from where large number of expatriates live and work in the UAE.
"There were three families with small kids and the airline did not offer hotel accommodation. The officials said the travel agents were supposed to inform passengers about the flight cancellation," said passengers. "In addition to 150 people who were booked for IC 596, twenty passengers who were supposed to travel on Saturday were also in the airport because they were offloaded from the flight due to overbooking," said the passengers.
According to international civil aviation norms, passengers who are unable to fly due to overbooking or flight cancellation are to be given hotel accommodation or advance notice. A passenger who was rushing to attend his father's funeral was sent through another flight. Two workers whose visas expired were also sent through other airlines. "When we approached the counter staff and the airport manager, they advised us to go to the city office of Indian Airlines. They refused even to take our luggages. It was only when the passengers turned violent that the airline staff accepted the luggage.
BEA eSupport site named one of ASP’s Ten Best Web Support Sites of 2005
This is the second time in three years that BEA has made the Ten Best list
May 30, 2005 BEA Systems, a world leader in infrastructure software, has announced that its eSupport site has been named as one of the “Ten Best Web Support Sites of 2005” by the Association of Support Professionals (ASP), a prestigious listing that recognizes excellence in online service and support. Diyaa Zebian, General Manager, Middle East & Egypt, eSolutions BEA said “BEA’s eSupport web site has been named, for the second time in three years, as one of ASP’s Ten Best Web Support Sites. This is the outcome of our efforts to provide the best online service and support to our customers, to better satisfy their requirements. The recognition reinforces the fact that BEA is clearly on the leading edge of web support, demonstrating a good understanding of the needs of our customers.”
According to the ASP, the “Ten Best” sites provide exceptional online support for software, hardware, and other technology products. The awarded winners are selected by a panel of Judges, using a scoring system that is based on 25 separate performance criteria, of which includes overall usability, design, navigation, knowledgebase, search implementation, interactive features, personalization and site development change. “In today’s Internet-based society, the ability to continually develop, foster and improve processes that promote delivery of support applications across and beyond the enterprise can be critical,” said Zebian. “BEA eSupport builds on the BEA Customer Service Solution framework, which leverages the WebLogic Enterprise Platform that includes an integrated CRM back-end, a search engine, and knowledge management. This Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) design and strategy is designed to allow new services to be added in order to help businesses quickly respond to requirements.”
One of the main features of eSupport is Support Patterns, which can help reduce the time spent diagnosing problems to get to the root cause and the correct fix. Support Patterns are designed to help improve a technical team’s productivity and efficiency in supporting the BEA software infrastructure. BEA maintains a library of Support Patterns that can resolve the most common problems, system behaviours, and issues.The Association of Support Professionals is an international membership organization for customer support managers and professionals. In addition to its annual "Ten Best" awards, the ASP publishes research reports on a wide range of support topics, including support compensation, services marketing, and fee-based support.
KAVARATTI GETS DRINKING WATER FROM ARABIAN SEA
Sitanshu Kar*
For centuries, inhabitants of the picturesque coral island of Kavaratti in Lakshadweep have lived with an existential paradox- they have woken up every morning to the sight of the vast expanse of the Arabian sea but have never had enough potable water from local sources to sustain themselves. Various methods e.g., rain water harvesting, setting up of reverse osmosis plants have been tried but none so successful.The situation, however, changed on May 23, 2005 when a 100,000 litres per day capacity Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) Plant was dedicated to the people of the island by the Minister for Power, Shri P.M. Sayeed and the Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, Shri. Kapil Sibal. Built at a cost of about Rs. 5 crores, the Plant was designed and set up by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), a Chennai based R & D institute under the Department of Ocean Development in a record time of 90 days. The inhabitants were a little wary, going by their past experiences, as two reverse osmosis plants set up to convert sea water to potable water had shut down. The emphatic assurance about the longevity of the new Plant, came from Shri Sibal who said that the LLTD technology is based on sound scientific principles and the Plant will be there to serve the community for a long time to come. “The Plant will use only 1% of the incoming warm water for ‘boiling’ and the rest will be discharged to the sea, thereby, precluding the possibility of higher concentration of salts in the discharged water”, says Dr. S. Kathiroli, Director of NIOT.
Indeed, history of sorts was made when this plant became operational. It is the first of its type in the world. The LLTD process uses a combination of warm sea water at about 28-30 degrees Celsius and deep sea cold water of about 13 degrees Celsius, pumped from a depth of 350 metres. Warm saline water is made to boil at room temperature in a specially designed vacuum flash chamber. The resultant water vapours are then condensed using cold deep-sea water to produce safe fresh water confirming to BIS/WHO standards. The water thus produced is so clean that some minerals are added to make it potable. With a population of about 11, 000 in the island, the Plant will be able to provide about 10 litres per capita of potable water to the people.
This technology was first tested under laboratory conditions at NIOT by developing a 5000 litre/day capacity pilot plant. During February this year, the scientists used actual deep-sea cold water for the first time and produced fresh water on a barge mounted desalination plant, off Tuticorin in Tamilnadu. The cold water was also tested for air conditioning the barge. Kavaratti island provides an ideal setting for this technology where cold sea water is available to the coast. The island, made by coral reefs, slopes down to 350 metres depth at a distance of about 400 metres from the shore and does not have a regular source of fresh water. This environment friendly, low cost technology, which is relatively easy to maintain, will be a boon not only to the local islanders but also in other water deficient islands and coastal areas around the tropics.
The technology is also relatively clean from environment point of view as it does not require any pre-treatment of feed water and produces no chemical or thermal pollutants, thereby, making it most suitable for islands having fragile eco-systems. As the cold deep sea water is rich in nutrients, it will attract marine organisms and fishes. Thus, ‘mariculture’ can be an additional economic byproduct of this technology apart from using cold water as an eco-friendly coolant for air conditioning in hot and humid tropics.
India’s coastline stretches to about 6,500 km and there are two island territories. Coastal urban areas where safe drinking water is in short supply and required sea-depth is not available, may use such desalination plants with a million litre/day capacity. The production cost, which is about 25 paise per litre in case of Kavaratti plant, can be further brought down to about 14 paise per litre if the capacity is increased to 2 lakh litres. Higher capacity desalination Plants such as 10 million litres per day capacity floating moored ones can be set up for coastal urban areas, where production cost will come down to as low as 3-6 paise per litre. That’s the way the Department of Ocean Development is going to address the problem of acute shortage of water in the rest of the inhabited islands of Lakshadweep as also in the Andaman & Nicobar islands and in the coastal areas in the coming days.