American Business Establishments in the Arab World hide their US connection.
Western Companies keen to do business with Iraq, abandons Compensation Claims.
 
 
Major reshuffle in the Central Cabinet, many aspirants have been excluded
 
New Delhi; July 1, 2002. The President of India has accepted, on the Prime Minister’s recommendation, the resignation of M.Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of Rural Development, Arun Jaitley, Minister of Law, Justice & Company Affairs, Dr. C.P.Thakur, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, V.Dhananjaya Kumar, Minister of State for Textiles, . Maneka Gandhi, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics & Programme Implementation and Muni Lall, Minister of State for Labour from the Council of Ministers with immediate The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has appointed the following as Members of the Council of Ministers:-
 
CABINET MINISTERS
K. Jana Krishnamurthy
Balasaheb Vikhe Patil
Sahib Singh Verma
Shatrughan Sinha
The President Shri K.R Narayanan administering the oath of office of the Cabinet Minister toShatrughan Sinha at a Swearing-in-Ceremony in New Delhi on July 1, 2002.
 
MINISTER OF STATE (Independent Charge)
N.T.Shanmugam
 
MINISTER OF STATE
Anant Gangaram Geete
Basangouda R Patil
A.K.Moorthy
Dr. Sanjay Paswan
pad Yesso Naik
Su.Thrunavukkarsar
Vinod Khanna
Nikhil Kumar Choudhary.
 
The President administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the above Members of the Council of Ministers at a ceremony held in the Rashtrapati Bhawan, today.

Philippino Accused of Killing Pakistani Driver facing Trial.

Riyadh: July 1, 2002. The Saudi police have arrested a Philippino worker, who is allegedly involved in killing a Pakistani taxi driver and stabbing another Pakistani. According to senior Philippines Embassy officials in Riyadh, the Filipino is in Malaz Jail of Riyadh city awaiting trial. Reports say a minor dispute resulted in the murder of the cab driver and severe injuries to another driver, arose out of misgivings about the motive behind the crime. Reynaldo Cortez alias Fahd, has embraced Islam, according to Philippines Embassy official who said quoted the police statement recorded .

Cortez has alleged that "the Pakistani driver grabbed his hands after gesturing in an indecent manner. This resulted in a heated argument and the Filipino was first stabbed in his right thigh", said the diplomat, adding that Cortez then somehow overpowered the cab driver and stabbed him to death. Embassy officials ruled out the theory that the alleged Filipino murderer was insane or suffering from depression.

A senior police officer was quoted as saying that the Filipino worker fled in the taxi of the deceased Pakistani driver, but in panic hit a limousine driven by another Pakistani. The second driver was also stabbed after he refused to budge and hand over his taxi to the suspect.. The second Pakistani survived the attack. According to media reports, the number of crimes involving Philippino expatriates in Saudi Arabia has been increasing. A Filipino murderer Joetilo Cabanero paid blood money to the victim's family.

Rowena Fuente-bela and her daughter are in a Riyadh jail for possessing a fake iqama and marriage certificate. An American couple were stabbed to death by a group of Filipinos in Riyadh. In 1997, a Filipino fashion designer was killed by his compatriots in Alkhobar and earlier in 1994, three Filipinos stormed the house of a Saudi millionaire, Saleh Al-Rajhi, and held his family hostage and killed Al-Rajhi's two-year-old boy before police stormed the house shooting two hostage-takers dead. An Arab News report said that 39 Filipino workers, 22 of them female, are in Al-Nissa and Al-Hair jails.

UAE Deports Muthappa Rai, Indian Fugitive

Narayana Rai Muthappa Rai Nettala, a fugitive wanted in India for various crimes committed in the State of Karnataka has been successfully deported from UAE by CBI Interpol India. He was wanted for at least 18 crimes committed in Bangalore, Mysore and other places in Karnataka.

The crimes for which he was wanted included murder, attempt to murder, use of illegal arms and use of explosives. The CBI got an Interpol Red Corner Notice issued against him in June, 2000 in pursuance of which he was arrested by UAE Authorities recently. The UAE Authorities on the request of CBI Interpol India has deported him through Interpol India. He was brought to New Delhi by a team of India Interpol Officers and handed over in Bangalore Police for further investigation and to face trail for various cases against him.

American Business Establishments in the Arab World hide their US connection.

Jeddah: keralamonitor.com It is tough time for American businesses to flourish in the Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia where the anti American feeling is very strong. American Homes Furniture (AHF) on Madinah Road, Jiddah has been a landmark store in the city, which is identified with the American influence in the Kingdom. AHF has suddenly removed the word "American" from both the Arabic and English signs on the front of its shop. Similarly, the House of Donuts removed the "American" from its "American Pastry" logo, and the "Americana" brand advertised on Arab TVs across the Middle East has suddenly added a sentence to its commercials: "Americana is one hundred percent Arab owned." All these business strategies are a direct result of declining sales in the light of the Arab boycott on US goods.

In order to compensate for the sharp decline in sales through Western junk food outlets like McDonalds, Burger King etc, the multinational company Cocola has adopted a new sales promotion. As part of the global football promotion campaign, most of the Coco Cola bottles carry a cap which offer 50 per cent discount on meals from McDonalds outlets. Ever since the Arab call to boycott American multinational products, sales have been dwindling in such outlets. Despite the football promotion, Mc Donald sales are not going up.

The boycott of US goods by Arabs angered by Washington's Middle East policies has led to a sharp fall in American exports to Saudi Arabia. According to US Official figures exports plunged by 33 percent to $2.8 billion between September and March. In the first quarter of 2002, exports fell 43 percent to $986 million from $1.74 billion a year earlier.
Most of the Saudi consumers have shifted loyalty to European and Japanese brands encouraged by campaigners wearing Palestinian checkered headscarves who have distributed leaflets at mosques, schools and shopping malls, residents said. Many groups urge Arabs to boycott US household items, vehicles, food and beverages, fast-food restaurants and tobacco in protest at Washington's pro-Israel bias.

Western Companies keen to do business with Iraq, abandons Compensation Claims.

Dubai: Keralamonitor.com The Western multinational companies have been changing their business strategy in the Middle East. According to one unconfirmed report, about 185 international companies have quietly dropped a total of $2.9 billion in compensation claims due from the Iraqi government, according to U.N. records. These companies, including multinationals such as Daimler Chrysler AG and Glaxo Smith Kline PLC, have effectively walked away from millions of dollars in cash that is rightfully owed them by the Iraqi government. A combination of Iraqi pressure and the companies' desire to continue business with the oil-rich nation are the major factors that influence their decision.

The U.N. has granted Iraqi government tremendous influence in awarding lucrative contracts to rebuild Iraq's devastated infrastructure and to supply aid to the Iraqi people. These contracts are part of the U.N.'s "oil-for-food" program, under which Iraq is allowed to sell its oil, provided it uses the proceeds for humanitarian assistance and reparations. When Iraq discovered in 1998 that many of the companies bidding for aid contracts also had filed war-related damage claims, it began telling them that dropping claims was a precondition for winning aid contracts. In the past three months alone, at least four Western companies have dropped damage claims, reducing Iraq's potential liability by about $100 million. Though Iraq agreed to pay reparations when the oil for food program was instituted in 1991, it has consistently complained that the rules are unfair because they don't allow Iraq to challenge the validity of damage claims or have input into how most of them are resolved.

The German Company DaimlerChrysler had filed some $30 million in claims against Iraq, stemming from losses related to vehicles and spare parts. Early last year, the automotive giant withdrew its claims - making the request through the government of its home country, Germany, as is required by U.N. rules. Over the next seven months, Iraq awarded the company six contracts for trucks and spare parts totaling $13 million; Daimler now is negotiating to sell 100 more trucks. The Iraqi government specifically promised Daimler that, if it agreed to drop its claims, it would stand a better chance of winning contracts.
In February 2000, the British drug giant now known as GlaxoSmithKline withdrew a $1 million claim against Iraq, which had stemmed from the seizure of pharmaceutical goods by Iraqi forces in Kuwait. After dropping its claim, Glaxo received a series of contracts, valued at a total of $27.7 million to date, to provide medicine to Iraq.

Since the start of the war-reparations program, claimants have sought a total of $322 billion. The U.N. Compensation Commission slashed or disallowed many of those claims, approving nearly $38 billion to date. Of that amount, $23 billion was earmarked for corporations, which thus far have received $3.6 billion. Under the reparations program, companies and individuals are expressly permitted to withdraw their claims "at any time," without explanation. Iraq which doesn't have representation on the Governing Council, is required to hand over billions of dollars to companies without having a right to challenge the merits of their claims.

Sub-Inspector, Police Officials killed editor of 'Kranti Journal'

Gulbargha; The Principal District and Sessions Judge at Gulbarga has convicted 9 accused persons namely, Maruthi Devappagaonkar, Police Sub- Inspector; Mallak Jappa Chinnappa Totad, Police Sub-Inspector; Sidram, Police Constable; Yoginath, Police Constable; Babu Bhivarappa, Police Constable; 4 private persons i.e Syed Rafik Ahmad; Malli Nath; Ambunna alias Ambu & Bhim Rao and sentenced them to undergo 3 years Rigorous Imprisonment with a fine of Rs.7500/- each.

A complaint was lodged in a local Police Station, Station Bazar, Gulbarga against 8 to 10 unknown persons on 15.2.1984 that M Siddaranesh, Editor of "Karanti" Newspaper, Gulbarga was attacked by them when he was returning to his house at 10.30 PM on 14.2.1984 in his Fiat Car. He had sustained stab-injury and was taken to Govt. Hospital, Gulbarga where he was declared dead at 11.15 PM same day he Doctor attending to him.
The CBI registered the case on 12.4.84 on the request of Govt.of Karnataka. The investigation revealed that the deceased Editor used to publish derogatory and defamatory articles against the local Police and the intensity of such publicity became more intense ever after 27.8.83 as on 26.8.83 he had been beaten up by Sub-Inspector H C Totad and was locked up in Police Station on various charges.

The investigation further revealed that the accused police personnel had hatched a criminal conspiracy along-with other private accused persons to take away the life of deceased Editor due to such intensive derogatory and defamatory articles published by him from 27.8.83 to 11.2.84 against Police of Gulbarga including the accused. One of the accused constable procured a cycle under the instructions of another accused Sub Inspector Maruthi Gaunkar and thrown the same in front of the car of deceased Editor as he used to go home in the night after attending the office work. As the car stopped, he was dragged out from the car and was attacked by the accused persons with sharp edged weapon. He died in the Govt. Hospital due to injuries on the same day. The CBI filed charge-sheet in the Designated Court, Gulbarga on 20.9.85 against the accused persons. The Trial court found all the accused persons guilty for the offence and convicted them.