SaafNations ( A Global Forum for Citizens of Humanity )

T who HE name of Sant Singh Chatwal, the controversial US-based hotel magnate, who was, until a few months ago, facing trials for alleged bank fraud, is understood to be among those recommended by the UPA government for the January 26 Padma awards this year. Sources confirmed to The Sunday Express that Chatwal is among the 17 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) whose names have been recommended by the selection panel and sent to President Pratibha Patil for approval. The move to recommend Chatwal has raised consternation among a section in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since the agency filed four chargesheets against the hotelier for an alleged $9-million fraud case connected with the State Bank of India.The businessman was even briefly arrested in Mumbai but he got bail and left the country. Officials recall that the hotelier was acquitted by the special Mumbai court in one case in 2008 and there was a serious difference of opinion in the CBI on whether an appeal should be f...

China Daily, January 14, 2010 Corruption and bribery cases involving officials connected to major engineering projects have grown by 31 percent annually since 2006, a top anti-corruption official with the city said. Zhu Xiaoqin, head of the anti-corruption bureau of Beijing People's Procuratorate, told METRO that from 2006, 146 officials - 34 of which are senior officials - in 135 corruption and bribery cases have been charged by the procuratorates. Among the cases, 101 relate to cases with more than 100,000 yuan. These major cases have seen an average increase of 7.9 percent annually. Zhu said State-owned enterprises account for the majority of the cases, with real estate companies the main culprit. Close behind are government departments such as urban infrastructure management, construction committees, planning committees, civil affairs, and civil defense departments. They are most likely to contain corrupt officials, Zhu said. Meanwhile, group bribery cases are also increa...

January 7, 2010 Monique Perry Danziger , 202-293-0740 Washington, DC — Global Financial Integrity (GFI) released today a statement-dubbed the New Haven Declaration-which debuts a new partnership between humans rights and financial transparency advocacy groups. Today's announcement follows a meeting of prominent human rights and financial transparency organizations at Yale University in early December, 2009. The groups discussed the link between illicit financial practices, secrecy in global finance and their adverse impact on human rights. "The links between human rights and financial transparency are undeniable," said GFI Director Raymond Baker. "An estimated $1 trillion is siphoned out of poor countries annually. Further, some 18 million people die each year from causes stemming from economic deprivation. Of these, ten million are children under the age of five who die from diseases for which vaccines are available." "The New Haven ...

If You Cross The North Korean Border Illegally You Get 12 Years Hard Labor. If You Cross The Iranian Border Illegally You Are Detained Indefinitely in Prison. If You Cross The Afghan Border Illegally, You Get Shot. If You Cross The Saudi Arabian Border Illegally You Will Be Jailed. If You Cross The Chinese Border Illegally You May Never Be Heard or Seen Thereafter. If You Cross The Venezuelan Border Illegally You Will Be Branded A Spy And Your Fate Will Be Sealed. If You Cross The Cuban Border Illegally You Will Be Thrown Into Political Prison To Rot. If You Enter Britain Illegally You Will be Arrested, Prosecuted And Sent To Prison And Deported. But If You Enter India Illegally You Get A Ration Card, Voter Identification, Passport, Subsidy, Job, A Drivers License, Identity Card, Job Reservation, Special Privileges, Credit Cards, Subsidized Rent Or A Loan To Buy A House, Free Education, Free Health Care, A Lobbyist In New Delhi to look after your interests And Voting Rights! AND if U r...