OFFBEAT MAIL

Despite regional political turmoil and the continuing global economic slowdown, demand for foreign workers remains high in the Gulf region, according to a study sponsored by Western Union (NYSE:WU), a leader in money transfer and global payment services. "Despite the political uprisings and civil unrest in some parts of the Middle East and North Africa, the region is still witnessing moderate growth, and in the Gulf countries there is an even stronger imperative to sustain economic growth and meet social needs. We expect opportunities for international workers to remain strong and with that remittance flows from host to home countries," said Jean-Claude Farah, Western Union's Senior Vice President for the Middle East and Africa. "The Asia Pacific region has been a significant source of labour for Gulf countries -- led by India, Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and Nepal.  This study should instill greater confidence for global worke...

The Iraqi parliament is close to sealing a consensus that would somehow give each Iraqi citizen a share of the revenues generated from the exports of the country's rich oil resources. Contrary to recent reports that appeared in various media outlets, most of those who will benefit from this new development are the population in the regions of Iraq, where most of the big crude oil reserves are being extracted for domestic consumption and exports. In a CNN broadcast today, Hamid al-Bayati, Iraqi permanent representative to U.N., says the parliament is expected to decide within a week's time on the oil sharing agreement that will give the regional government a good share of the oil revenues. This is contrary to reports that the big oil companies will have a say in the extraction of the crude reserves in Iraq. In this way, the people in the region can make use of the revenues from the sale of crude oil, he said. Recently, a law was proposed to give at least five major oil companies...