A roiling debate over the United States' ties with Saudi Arabia took an ugly turn when the Saudi defense minister, Prince Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz, publicly accused the "Zionist and Jewish lobby" of orchestrating a "media blitz" against the desert kingdom.

The Philippines has awarded a $800,000 contract to PR goliath Burson-Marsteller to restore investor confidence in the country reports O'Dwyer's PR Daily. The PR firm will do media relations, spokesperson training and develop economic materials to "enhance the sovereign credit rating and strengthen perceptions of the international business community that the Philippines is an attractive location for foreign direct investment." The country, which has emerged as a key U.S. ally in its "war on terror," last week received rifles, mortars and military trucks from the U.S. Next month, the U.S.

The Golin/Harris PR firm is helping longtime client Tyson Foods with a new public relations challenge as the company faces an indictment that alleges it conspired to smuggle illegal immigrants across the border to work in its processing plants. Tyson has a history of labor violations, including illegal use of child labor, which led to the death of a 15-year-old boy in 1999.