16 Mar, 2013

China launches new state-owned railway corporation

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BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) — The Chinese government has approved the establishment of the China Railway Corporation to perform the business functions of the defunct Ministry of Railways (MOR) as part of the country’s cabinet restructuring plan. The planned corporation, with a registered capital of 1.04 trillion yuan (165.73 billion U.S. dollars), will be a […]

15 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: “Rise of South” Shifting Global Power Balance – 2013 Human Development Report

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Mexico City, 14 March 2013 (UNDP Media release) — The rise of the South is radically reshaping the world of the 21st century, with developing nations driving economic growth, lifting hundreds of millions of people from poverty, and propelling billions more into a new global middle class, says the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) 2013 Human […]

15 Mar, 2013

Emerging Economies Moving from ‘Takers’ to ‘Shapers and Makers’ in New Geopolitical Landscape: WTO Chief

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy

14 March 2013 – Global value chains now span South-South lines and emerging developing countries are active in writing international trade rules rather than simply taking what they are given, WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said in an address at Bigli University, Istanbul, on 14 March 2013. Here is the full text of his speech: It […]

15 Mar, 2013

U.S. Federal employees plan anti-sequestration nationwide rallies March 20

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WASHINGTON, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Federal employees are planning to hold about 100 rallies across the country on March 20 protesting sequestration, as part of a mass demonstration organized by the American Federation of Government Employees. The events will take place outside federal agencies and lawmakers’ offices to highlight the valuable work performed by […]

14 Mar, 2013

BLACKOUT: Networks Ignore Report Finding Massive Waste In Iraq Reconstruction | Media Matters for America

Broadcast and cable news networks have largely ignored a new report which concluded that the United States’ rebuilding efforts in Iraq squandered billions of dollars due to widespread fraud, abuse, and waste. Last week, Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, released a report concluding that of the $60 billion the U.S. has […]

14 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: U.S. Report Reveals “Countless Details” of Rebuilding Iraq at US$15 mln a day

Imtiaz Muqbil

A final report on the rebuilding of Iraq following the March 2003 U.S./U.K.-led attack issued by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) has unveiled “countless details” about the mess that resulted, costing U.S. taxpayers an average of US$15 million a day. Released just before the 10th anniversary of the attack on 20 […]

14 Mar, 2013

The Impact of the Bradley Manning Case – NYTimes.com

LAST month Pfc. Bradley Manning pleaded guilty to several offenses related to leaking hundreds of thousands of documents to WikiLeaks in 2010, a plea that could land him in jail for 20 years. But Private Manning still faces trial on the most serious charges, including the potential capital offense of “aiding the enemy” — though […]

14 Mar, 2013

China: Quantitative Easing Policies Like “Quenching Thirst with Poison”

By Wang Xiaotian (China Daily)

Beijing, March 13, 2013 – China won’t engage in any “currency wars” by depreciating the value of the yuan through monetary easing policies to shore up the economy, as some major economies have done, said a former deputy central bank governor on Tuesday. “The yuan will continue to fluctuate in both directions as the central […]

14 Mar, 2013

Global Times, China: Long live The Kingdom of Bicycles!

Geoffrey Murray

Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT Beijing, Global Times, 2013-3-12 – Spring is always an ideal season for cycling. But for me, there is no fun in cycling in Beijing anymore. It’s a dangerous pastime – as I learned to my cost. As a keen cyclist who has lived in Beijing on and off since 1990, I […]

14 Mar, 2013

“Creative Australia” Launched, National Cultural Policy with A$235 Funding Support

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Canberra, 13 March 2013 (Minister for the Arts) – Creative Australia, the new national cultural policy, will create jobs and encourage a new generation of artists and creative industry business with sweeping reforms to Australian Government support for the arts, cultural heritage and creative industries. Arts Minister Simon Crean today launched Creative Australia, a $235 […]

13 Mar, 2013

Cast Your Vote: UN Survey Gives Global Public a Voice On Future Development Paths

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United Nations, (UN News Centre) Mar 12 2013 — Citizens from all over the world can help shape the future global development agenda through their participation in the United Nations survey ‘My World’, which allows them to vote on issues they believe are priorities and should be addressed by world leaders. Launched this week, the […]

13 Mar, 2013

Australia to Cut Red Tape for Visitor Visas

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Canberra, Minister of Immigration & Citizenship, 12 March 2013 – Visitor visas will be simplified and a new short stay activity visa will be rolled out this month as part of the Gillard Government’s commitment to cut red tape. The new visitor visa framework, subject to final approval of the legislation by the Governor-General, builds […]

13 Mar, 2013

Majority of British children will soon be in families ‘below the breadline’, Government warned – The Independent

The majority of British children will soon be growing up in families which are struggling “below the breadline” because of welfare cuts, tax rises and wage freezes, the Government is warned today. Within two years, almost 7.1m of the nation’s 13m youngsters will be in homes with incomes judged to be less than the minimum […]

13 Mar, 2013

China “will not copy Western political systems”

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BEIJING (Xinhua) 2013-03-12, – The newly-elected leader of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) pledged Tuesday that China will not copy Western political systems under any circumstances. “We need to steadfastly uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), adhere to and improve the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under […]

13 Mar, 2013

PressTV – Australia, Mossad base for espionage

No public official would dare go near the ‘IE’ word… Israeli Espionage in Australia. Why not? It’s because they have been complicit in Israeli spying inside their own country for decades. That’s why. They have been letting Israeli Intel recruit Aussies, both to recruit other spies amongst the many foreigners living there, but also to […]

12 Mar, 2013

If Corporations Don’t Pay Taxes, Why Should You? – Truthdig

Go offshore young man and avoid paying taxes. Plunder at will in those foreign lands, and if you get in trouble, Uncle Sam will come rushing to your assistance, diplomatically, financially and militarily, even if you have managed to avoid paying for those government services. Just pretend you’re a multinational corporation. That’s the honest instruction […]

12 Mar, 2013

New U.S. Middle East Envoy says Time For Two-State Solution Is Now

The OneVoice Movement

TEL AVIV, Israel, March 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert H. Serry, told nearly 200 audience members at Tel Aviv University today that if the peace process does not happen in the next few months, it would be the end of the two-state solution. Not […]

12 Mar, 2013

New App to Help Consumers Choose Fish That’s Not Endangered

Food & Agriculture Organization

12 March 2013, Rome – You want to know more about the fish you are eating or going to buy? Is it maybe an endangered species? AppliFish will tell you. This free mobile application developed by the fisheries and biodiversity knowledge platform i-Marine makes aquatic-related information available to anyone, anytime, anywhere. While human consumption of […]

12 Mar, 2013

Business travel by air falls amid China’s frugality campaign

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BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) — Sales of first and business class flights have dropped as China’s frugality campaign gathers pace beyond high-end dining, according to the country’s civil aviation authorities. Since December, the number of business travelers on first and business class trips fell by about 10 percent compared with the same period a year […]

12 Mar, 2013

The Fall of the House of Europe : Pepe Escobar – Asia Times Online

A detailed case can be made that the financial Masters of the Universe used the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to turbo-charge the political disintegration of the EU via a tsunami of salary cuts, job precariousness for the young, the flattening of pensions and hardcore privatization of everything. No wonder roughly 75% of Italians […]

11 Mar, 2013

Brokers of Deceit; Pathways to Peace | Foreign Affairs

In Khalidi’s view, the limits of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process were established in 1978, when Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin laid down markers for the Camp David negotiations. Ever since then, the United States, although occasionally tempted to stray from these rules, has carefully adhered to them and sometimes argued for them even more strenuously […]

11 Mar, 2013

Europeans Dominate Visitor Arrivals to Palestine in 2012

Compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil & Sana Muqbil

A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam  for the week ending 11 March 2013 (28 Rabee’ al-Thaani 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story.

10 Mar, 2013

Living With Less. A Lot Less. – NYTimes.com

My success and the things it bought quickly changed from novel to normal. Soon I was numb to it all. The new Nokia phone didn’t excite me or satisfy me. It didn’t take long before I started to wonder why my theoretically upgraded life didn’t feel any better and why I felt more anxious than […]

10 Mar, 2013

India Moves to boost Transparency in Clearing Hotel Projects

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New Delhi, Ministry of Tourism, 10-March, 2013 – Union Tourism Minister Mr K Chiranjeevi today announced a major initiative to bring in transparency in granting approvals for hotel projects and classification status to functioning hotels. Presently, the hotel promoters and owners seek approval from the Ministry of Tourism for their projects and classification from one […]

10 Mar, 2013

Japan Outbound Up 8.8%, Inbound Up 34.6% in 2012

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TOKYO (JATA Press release) – According to the estimate of outbound Japanese travel released on January 25 by the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), the number of outbound Japanese travelers in December was 1.43 million, a decline of 2.2% year on year. This was the fourth month of continuous decline since September 2012 on a […]

10 Mar, 2013

“Tourism is Key to Resolving Japan’s challenges”, JATA Management Forum told

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TOKYO, 7 March 2013 (JATA Press Release) — The Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) held the 21st “JATA Management Forum 2013” at Royal Park Hotel in Nihonbashi- Kakigara-cho, Tokyo, on February 26, 2013. The overall theme of the forum was “Growing Stronger with a Global Vision! Creating New Value”. Society has been changing rapidly […]

10 Mar, 2013

PressTV – UK journalists worked as spies for MI6: Investigation

Several high-profile British journalists have collaborated with Britain’s secret intelligence agency MI6 during the Cold War, a new investigation shows. According to a BBC Radio 4’s Document programme called “The ‘secret agents’ of the UK press”, reports by a Soviet newspaper 45 years ago of “leaked” MI6 documents revealing the agency’s links with leading British […]

10 Mar, 2013

‘Israelis love the peace process, but achieving peace is not their goal’ — RT Op-Edge

The majority of Israelis are in love with the process, not with the peace. They are talking a lot about peace but doing nothing, nothing in order to achieve it. They are fascinated with dialogue, with photo op, with talking, with negotiations as to say this is the goal. But it is the tool, not […]

10 Mar, 2013

Canadian traditional Chinese medicine school seeks university status

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VANCOUVER, March 8 (Xinhua) — Following six years of preparations, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) school in the Canadian province of British Columbia has applied to local educational authorities to become the first institute in the country to offer a TCM curriculum at the university-degree level. PCU College of Holistic Medicine in Burnaby, a Vancouver […]

10 Mar, 2013

China Bids to Control Burgeoning Size of Megacities

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BEIJING, (Xinhua) 2013-03-09 — Grey smog returned to Beijing again over the past two days and forced residents to wear masks outdoors. Polluting weather has hit the Chinese capital frequently since the beginning of the year. A key factor leading to the smog is exhaust from vehicles. About 5.2 million vehicles are running on the […]

10 Mar, 2013

Malaysia’s AirAsia gets Indian Govt Approval for Name of New JV: AirAsia India

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New Delhi,  Mar 10 2013 (Press Trust of India) – Gearing up to launch services in India in partnership with Tatas, Malaysia-based low-cost airline AirAsia has got the Ministry of Corporate Affairs approval for the the name of its Indian venture that is to be called AirAsia (India) Private Ltd. The name of the new […]

10 Mar, 2013

China Successful Women in ‘Double Bind’

By Yao Minji (Shanghai Daily)

March 08, 2013 – Chinese women have taken great strides, but many young women still find themselves caught in a dilemma. Growing up in an era of rapid economic and social development, they are more aware of gender issues than their mothers, so they feel more pressured in the traditional patriarchal society. As an only […]

10 Mar, 2013

Credit card nation: Till debt do US apart by Chidanand Rajghatta – The Times Of India

There are nearly 200 million credit card holders in the United States, according to data from the Census Bureau, which means more than 60 per cent of the population is “plastic-ky” or “pla-sticky”. Then there are debit cards, prepaid cards, and other assorted synthetic instruments. The average American credit cardholder has 3.5 credit cards, with […]

10 Mar, 2013

After Shah Rukh Khan, Irrfan Khan ‘humiliated’ at US airport – Indian Express

The actor, who is currently starring in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s ‘Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns’, says he is tired of facing this everytime he travels to the US. “The policemen with big guns just take you to a room and ask you to sit. They don’t allow you to speak to anybody, nor use cellphones. And […]

10 Mar, 2013

Unilever CEO: Companies Need to Rebuild Citizens’ Trust

We remain convinced that businesses that both address the direct concerns of citizens and the needs of the environment will prosper over the long term. Companies need to show leadership to rebuild citizens’ trust – currently at an all time low. This thinking lies at the heart of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan USLP and […]

9 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: Survey On U.S. Employers’ Response to Shifting Health Care Landscape

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NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– March 07, 2013 – Employers remain committed to providing active employee health care benefits in the near future, according to findings from the annual Towers Watson/National Business Group on Health (NBGH) Employer Survey on Purchasing Value in Health Care, but are responding to changes influenced in part by health care reform with […]

9 Mar, 2013

Sequestration: U.S. Security Personnel Fret About Their Job Security

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– March 07, 2013 – The FBI Intelligence Analysts Association (FBI IAA) calls on the nation’s leaders to work together to end sequestration. If it continues and furloughs go into effect, the FBI and other national security and law enforcement agencies will be hindered from protecting the American people. FBI Director Robert S. Mueller […]

9 Mar, 2013

Canadian CAs’ Optimism Dips In Wake of Concerns Over U.S. Economy

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TORONTO, March 8, 2013 /CNW/ – Optimism about the national economy is down among Canada’s executive chartered accountants for the second straight quarter, according to the latest CICA Business Monitor (Q1 2013). Only 26 per cent of those surveyed in the first quarter of 2013 are optimistic about how the Canadian economy will perform over […]

9 Mar, 2013

India Lists Funding Efforts to Attract Its Overseas Scientists Back

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Ministry of Science & Technology, 07-March, 2013 – The Ministry of Science and Technology is implementing several initiatives, including fellowships, to attract Indian scientists who have settled in various parts of the world for pursuing scientific research in India in their respective field of expertise as well as in home country research programs. Details are […]

9 Mar, 2013

India Launches Its Own National Internet Registry

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Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, 07-March, 2013 – Mr Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology launched the portal of National Internet Registry (NIR) here today. Speaking on the occasion Mr Sibal pointed out that unless this platform is inclusive, we will not be able to empower the people. He underlined that […]

9 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: TripAdvisor Report Projects Rise in Traveller Spending, Accommodation Profitability

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NEWTON, Mass., March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — TripAdvisor®, which claims to be the world’s largest travel site*, today announces the results of the world’s largest accommodation and traveler survey¹ – the TripBarometer by TripAdvisor. This study, conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by independent research firm StrategyOne, a division of Edelman Berland , will be biannual and […]

9 Mar, 2013

WHO Fact Sheet: Violence Against Women – Worse Than Terrorism?

World Health Organisation

International Women’s Day commemoration March 8. World Health Organisation Fact sheet N°239 November 2012 Key facts: Violence against women – particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women – are major public health problems and violations of women’s human rights. A WHO multi-country study found that between 15–71% of women aged 15- 49 years […]

9 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: The Art Market 2012 – a Dialogue between East and West

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SAINT-ROMAIN AU MONT, FRANCE, Mar 7, 2013 – (ACN Newswire) – For this study of the global art market in 2012, Artprice has formed an alliance with Artron, a leading information service on the art market in China within the Greater Asia region, in order to provide the best possible overview of the art auction […]

9 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: UNCTAD Report on Impact of Israeli occupation on Palestinian Economy

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Rome, 08 March 2013 (UNCTAD media release) – The United Nations Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian Peopletook place at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome on 27 and 28 February 2013. It was organized by the United Nations Division for Palestinian Rights. Mahmoud Elkhafif, Coordinator of UNCTAD’s Assistance to […]

9 Mar, 2013

Xinhua Insight: Doubling income is easy, narrowing regional gap is anything but

by Xinhua writers Cheng Yunjie and Zhang Yao

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) — Legislators attending an ongoing annual legislative session are discussing one of China’s greatest challenges: narrowing the country’s wealth gap. In the eyes of legislators from underdeveloped regions, doubling the average income is easy, but narrowing the yawning wealth disparity is anything but. Xia Qingfeng, mayor of the city of Tongren […]

9 Mar, 2013

Late Sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar Conferred India’s Inaugural Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony

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Ministry of Culture, 07-March, 2013  – Indian President Mr Pranab Mukherjee here today conferred the first ever Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony, 2012 on Sitar Maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar at Rashtrapati Bhawan in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Cultural Harmony and Universal Values. Since Pandit Ravi Shankar passed away on 11th December, 2012, the […]

8 Mar, 2013

How the Economic Slump is Affecting U.S. Small Businesses

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– March 04, 2013 – U.S. small business employment increased slightly in February, with employees earning more money and working more hours. Small business revenues continue to drop, with the retail industry seeing the largest decline. Those are among the findings of the monthly Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU) Small Business Employment and […]

8 Mar, 2013

Landgrabs Sending Many Myanmar Villagers From the Frying Pan Into the Fire, Reports Show

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – As investors rush into Myanmar, human rights and ethnic groups are stepping up warnings that rampant landgrabs, social injustice and a rule-of-law vacuum are pushing the country from the frying pan into the fire. Whereas in the past, only military dictators were the problem, they have been joined by business conglomerates and local […]

8 Mar, 2013

Older workers – Europe cannot assess if programmes actually help, say EU Auditors

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Luxembourg, 5 March 2013 (European Court Of Auditors Press Release) – Increasing the employment rate of older workers is part of the EU’s strategic goals. But a new report by the European Court of Auditors has found that neither the Member States nor the Commission are in a position to establish how many older workers […]

8 Mar, 2013

A Look at U.S. Public Opinion on Drones | Pew Research Center

Drone strikes against terrorists abroad are supported by a majority of Americans but they draw widespread opposition in most other countries surveyed. A Pew Research Center survey conducted Feb. 7-10, 56% of Americans said they approved of the U.S. conducting missile strikes from drones “to target extremists in countries such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.” […]

8 Mar, 2013

Indian River Clean-up Plans Showing Mixed Results

Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Environment and Forests, 05-March, 2013 – Ganga Action Plan (GAP) is being implemented since 1985 for undertaking pollution abatement activities in the identified polluted stretches of river Ganga through implementation of works like interception and diversion of sewage, setting up of sewage treatment plants, low cost sanitation works, crematoria work etc. Total Sewage […]

8 Mar, 2013

The Worst Mistake in U.S. History — America Will Never Recover from Bush’s Great Foreign Policy Disaster | Alternet

Having noted the ease with which a numbed American public patriotically looked the other way while our wars followed their particular paths to hell, our leaders no longer blink at the thought of sending American drones and special operations forces ever farther afield, most notably ever deeper into Africa, creating from the ashes of Iraq […]

8 Mar, 2013

UK Universities ignoring binge drinking culture – The Independent

UK Universities are failing in their duty of care to undergraduates by ignoring the binge drinking culture and failing to help young people settle into student life, according to head teachers. A survey of school leaders at both private and state schools revealed almost universal concern over the level of pastoral support on offer at […]

8 Mar, 2013

Israel denies entry to pro-Palestinian American Jew | Haaretz

A Jewish-American pro-Palestinian activist who is married to an Israeli woman was not allowed to enter the country with his pregnant wife. An Israeli court rejected his petition to cancel the order against his entry Tuesday, and he is expected to be put on a plane back to the United States Wednesday night. Adam Shapiro, […]

7 Mar, 2013

Int’l Women’s Day Poll: How do Travel & Tourism Ads Portray Women?

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok — The world marks International Women’s Day on March 8. In the Asia-Pacific, commemoration of International Women’s Day will be dedicated to ending violence against women and girls. A statement by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific says, “Globally, up to seven in ten women will be beaten, raped, […]

7 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: Indian Well Being and Female Security Indices

TSMG Media Release

Mumbai, March 5, 2013: Tata Strategic Management Group, the largest Indian-owned management consulting firm, today published the 2013 edition of Well Being Index (WBI) and Female Security Index (FSI) for India. Two clusters: Punjab, Delhi, HP, Haryana, and Kerala, TN, AP were ranked at the top of the WBI while Chhattisgarh, Assam, Jharkhand and Bihar […]

7 Mar, 2013

Chinese Project 15% Growth in Investments Abroad in 2013

By DING QINGFEN (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-03-06 – China’s outbound investment is expected to grow by 15 percent this year, according to a report issued on Tuesday by the National Development and Reform Commission. The nation’s top economic planning agency said China will “adopt a more proactive opening-up policy this year”. China’s outbound direct investment in the non-financial sector, which […]

7 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: Report warns of rampant elephant poaching, illegal ivory trade

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Bangkok, 6 March 2013— Populations of elephants in Africa continue to be under severe threat as the illegal trade in ivory grows – with double the numbers of elephants killed and triple the amounts of ivory seized, over the last decade. According to a new report entitled “Elephants in the Dust – The African Elephant […]

7 Mar, 2013

Australian diplomats broke rules on Zygier as case was flicked to ASIO

Fairfax Media understands that ASIO and Mossad had a deal not to use each other’s nationals as spies but that the Israelis broke the agreement by recruiting Mr Zygier and at least two other dual citizens. Relations had also plummeted because of Israel’s use of forged Australian passports in the assassination in Dubai of Hamas […]

6 Mar, 2013

Obama and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: It’s Time to Act | Inter Press Service

As President Barack Obama travels to Israel and Palestine in the spring, Washington’s unconditional backing of Israel could soon begin to harm U.S. interests and security in Arab Muslim countries. Recent Pew and Gallup polls show animosity toward the U.S. in many Muslim countries has deepened since he took office with most respondents citing U.S. […]

6 Mar, 2013

Eurobarometer Survey: People Still Travelling But 88% Stayed Within the EU

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Brussels, 6 March 2013, European Commission Press release – The tourism sector is one of the few sectors that have continued to grow and create jobs, despite the crisis. Seven out of ten Europeans travelled in 2012 (the same proportion as in 2011). And of EU holiday makers, as many as 88% spent their vacations […]

6 Mar, 2013

Study: Adults With Learning Disabilities Must be Listened to on Abuse

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CARDIFF, March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Society must be better at listening, believing and doing something when people with learning disabilities say they’ve been abused. That is the message to come out of a unique piece of research undertaken by adults with learning disabilities. Launched today, 6th March, by the Unit for Development in Intellectual […]

6 Mar, 2013

Australian Green Light for Environmentally-strict Island Tourism Project

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Canberra, 05 March 2013 (Ministry of Tourism) – In a significant boost for investment in Australian tourism, the Federal Government has given the green light to Queensland’s Great Keppel Island’s redevelopment project that will see it feature the first ‘Green Globe certified’ tourist resort in the Great Barrier Reef. The island will feature a beachfront […]

6 Mar, 2013

U.S. Fed Refuses To Protect Consumers & Merchants From Banks’ 500% Mark Up On Debit Card Swipe Fees

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–March 05, 2013 – The Federal Reserve refused today to protect consumers and merchants from a 500 percent mark-up levied by banks and credit card companies every time someone swipes a debit card. The fees directly impact the cost of consumer prices and merchants’ ability to hire employees and keep their doors open. A […]

6 Mar, 2013

China Loans US$200 mln for Railway Project in Sri Lanka

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COLOMBO, March 4 (Xinhua) — China’s Exim Bank has agreed to lend Sri Lanka 200 million U.S. dollars to finance a railway project, the Finance Ministry said in a statement here on Monday. The loan will be given to the Sri Lankan government under a Preferential Buyer’s Credit facility to finance the Matara- Beliatta Section […]

6 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: ADB Anti-corruption Report Lists Private Sector’s Heinous Creativity

Imtiaz Muqbil

MANILA, 4 March 2013 – Private companies, which regularly rail against public sector corruption and fraud, are themselves resorting to the same dirty tricks in attempts to access the millions of dollars worth of loans and grants disseminated annually by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), an official bank report shows. The Annual Report released on […]

6 Mar, 2013

Watching the Watchers: Israeli Espionage in U.S.

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–March 05, 2013 – On March 21, 2012 U.S. prosecutors played FBI surveillance video in court of former NASA employee Stewart Nozette agreeing to sell U.S. government secrets to Israel. Nozette was then sentenced to thirteen years in prison. The FBI surveillance video, obtained by the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep) under […]

6 Mar, 2013

Toyota Launches ‘Toyota i-Road’ Personal Mobility Concept at Geneva Motor Show

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Toyota City, Japan, Mar 4, 2013 – (JCN Newswire) – Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has unveiled the “Toyota i-Road” personal mobility concept at the 83rd Geneva International Motor Show(1) now under way in Geneva until March 17. The concept, a three-wheeler with motorcycle-like maneuverability, is ideally suited for short-distance urban travel and was designed to […]

5 Mar, 2013

China’s Home-Grown C919 Jumbo Jet Plans Global Takeoff in 2014

by Xie Weiqun and Zhao Zhanhui, People's Daily

Beijing, March 04, 2013 – China’s C919 jumbo jet is expected to begin its maiden flight in 2014, said Wu Guanghui, vice president of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and chief designer of the C919. Wu, also the member of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said this on Monday. “This is China’s first […]

5 Mar, 2013

Chinese Upset by Behaviour of Some Of Their Fellow Travellers Abroad

By Yu Jincui (Global Times)

March 04, 2013 – A February 22 post on Weibo shed some unkind light on the image of the “ugly Chinese” recently. Wen Fei, a Chinese woman working in Paris, posted a description of her encounter with some behaviors that give a bad name to Chinese overseas travelers. The incident took place on an Air […]

5 Mar, 2013

Booz Allen Awarded US$11 billion U.S. Homeland Security Contracts

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MCLEAN, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– February 28, 2013 — Booz Allen Hamilton today announced it was awarded two, five-year contracts under the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Technical, Acquisition and Business Support Services (TABSS) $11 billion multiple-award, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract vehicle. The wins, awarded on November 30, 2012 and February 15, 2013, are to support […]

5 Mar, 2013

FREE Download: McKinsey Institute Report on Financial Globalization: Retreat or Reset?

by Susan Lund, Toos Daruvala, Richard Dobbs, Philipp Härle, Ju-Hon Kwek, and Ricardo Falcón

March 2013 (McKinsey Global Institute) – For three decades, the globalization of finance appeared to be an unstoppable trend: as the world economy became more tightly integrated, new technology and access to new markets propelled cross-border capital flows to unprecedented heights. But the financial crisis brought that era of rapid growth to a halt. Drawing […]

5 Mar, 2013

Popular Resistance: Rethinking South Africa by Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh

We were given tours of places like the Apartheid Museum, the Voortrekker monument, the Freedom Park, the Diepsoot Township/settlement, and Mandela’s house. At the Apartheid Museum we were painfully reminded of all the suffering and indignity of the era. The killings, economic injustice, and human rights violations were then rampant as they are today in […]

5 Mar, 2013

Imtiaz Muqbil’s Columns in Lookeast Magazine

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Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil writes two columns a month in Lookeast magazine, one of Thailand’s leading consumer travel publications. Here are some of the recent columns: Thammasat University – A Must-see Destination Russian Visitors To Thailand: Women Outnumber Men The Next Big Thing: Northeast Thailand China is Now Dominant Force in Thai […]

5 Mar, 2013

Wild and Precious’ Plants and Animals in Focus at CITES Photo Exhibition in Bangkok

UN Environment Program Press Release

Bangkok, 03 March 2013 – Vibrantly-coloured snakes, predatory sharks, and delicate orchids are among the flora and fauna featured in a new international photography exhibition and publication launched today to mark the 40th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the 16th Meeting of the […]

5 Mar, 2013

Silk Road Journeys: Uzbeks Target Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia

Imtiaz Muqbil

BANGKOK – A 12-member tourism delegation from Uzbekistan visited Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore last week in a bid to raise the profile of the Silk Road country and boost travel between Southeast Asia and Central Asia. It was the second roadshow in as many years. Last year, the delegation visited Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. This […]

5 Mar, 2013

Indian VP Releases “Excreta Does Matter” Report, Calls Waste Water “A Ticking Health Bomb”

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Vice President’s Secretariat 04-March, 2013 – The Vice President of India, Prof Dr M. Hamid Ansari has said that India must work towards conserving water to minimize the generation of waste water. Addressing at the “Second Anil Agrawal Dialogue on ‘Excreta does Matter” organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) here today, he […]

5 Mar, 2013

China’s WTO Rep Warns of Increased Trade Friction with Europe, US

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BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) — China should be mindful of increased trade frictions with European countries and the United States, the Chinese representative to World Trade Organization (WTO) warned on Monday. “China must remain alert to the intensity, measures and involved industrial sectors concerning trade restrictions on China,” said Yi Xiaozhun, permanent representative of China […]

5 Mar, 2013

US is the Don Corleone of International Politics — RT Op-Ed

The US corporate over-world has always worked closely with the CIA, the State Department and the Pentagon promoting the overthrow – known as “regime change in rogue states” – of governments that do not automatically align to US interests; or, better said, of governments that do not automatically align with the interests of the supra-national […]

5 Mar, 2013

Sequestering American Exceptionalism: Asia Times Online

The United States is moving against the tide of history in attempting to maintain its self-appointed world policeman role. The development of international institutions and law are more than a century in the making and will no doubt require another century to secure. But the “American Century” is most certainly coming to an end. The […]

4 Mar, 2013

European Commission launches Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs

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Brussels, 4 March 2013, European Commission, Press release – Commission President José Manuel Barroso today called on Europe’s digital businesses, governments, training and education sectors to join a Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs to address up to 900,000 job vacancies expected to exist in Europe in Information and Communication technologies (ICT) by 2015. Despite the […]

4 Mar, 2013

U.S. Housewares Company Forecasts Kitchen Trends For 2013

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ROSEMONT, Ill., March 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — World Kitchen, which claims to be America’s leading housewares company, forecasts kitchen and dinner table trends as the 2013 International Home and Housewares Show commences today in Chicago.  Highlighting style and functionality, the family of World Kitchen brands delivers on-trend solutions to consumers this year. “A new year […]

4 Mar, 2013

Qatar-Oman Joint Tourist Visa for 33 Countries

Compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil & Sana Muqbil

A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 04 March 2013 (21 Rabee’ al-Thaani 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story.

4 Mar, 2013

Open Letter by Civil Liberties Group to Indian PM on Hyderabad Blast

So, Mr. Prime Minister, people of this country are wondering as to why the investigative agencies are fighting and competing with each other to investigate the Hyderabad blasts? Why the Hyderabad police are not allowing NIA to investigate the case? The Hyderabad police have already failed in solving the Makkah Masjid bomb blast and twin […]

3 Mar, 2013

Oxfam Survey Slags Big Brand Food Multinationals for Exploiting Land, Labour

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London, 26 Feb 2013 (Oxfam Press releases) – The “Big 10” food and beverage companies – that together make $1 billion-a-day – are failing millions of people in developing countries who supply land, labor, water and commodities needed to make their products. Behind the Brands – part of Oxfam’s GROW campaign to fix the broken […]

3 Mar, 2013

Bradley Manning’s Full Statement: My Goal was to Spark Domestic Debate on Iraq war

I believe that if the general public, especially the American public, had access to the information contained within the CIDNE-I and CIDNE-A tables this could spark a domestic debate on the role of the military and our foreign policy in general as [missed word] as it related to Iraq and Afghanistan. I also believed the […]

2 Mar, 2013

Lead Lawyers Appointed to Sue US Online Travel Sites, Hotel Chains for Price-Fixing

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SEATTLE, March 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, a consumer-protection law firm, today announced that it has been named interim lead counsel in a price-fixing class-action lawsuit brought against several online travel sites including Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE); Travelocity; Booking.com, a subsidiary of Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN), as well as many of the […]

2 Mar, 2013

Finding Peace & Calm in the US: California Retreat Offers Yoga Vacations

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San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 02, 2013 – The Yoga retreat in California offers year-round Yoga vacations in a calm environment, allowing visitors to enjoy the benefits of Yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, and healthy vegetarian food. As the Yoga retreat environment, Swami Sitaramananda said, “The retreat environment is conducive to rapid progress in regaining health, […]

2 Mar, 2013

Gallup Poll: Americans’ Reactions to Sequester Include “Bad,” “Disaster”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans are much more likely to use negative words or phrases — including “bad,” “disaster,” and “God help us” — than positive ones to describe their views on the federal government budget sequester. These responses are from an open-ended question Gallup asked Americans on Feb. 25-26, as politicians and the media heightened […]

2 Mar, 2013

India’s Handloom Weaver Loans at Low Rate “to be a Game Changer”

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Ministry of Textiles, 01-March, 2013 – The Union Minister for Commerce, Industry & Textiles Mr Anand Sharma has welcomed the announcements made by the Finance Minister on textiles sector in his Budget Speech yesterday. Mr Sharma, while delivering the keynote address during the one-day conference on National Consultation on Handloom sector, here today said that […]

2 Mar, 2013

Attack on Mosque Illustrates Relationship Between F.B.I. and Muslims in Bay Area – NYTimes.com

Early one morning in 2007, Muhammad Chaudhry showed up at the Islamic Center of East Bay in Antioch, Calif., and found seven bullet holes in one of the building’s front windows. Soon, agents from the San Francisco office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrived and documented it and previous incidents at the center. In […]

2 Mar, 2013

UK Doctors: urgent action on alcohol needed | The Guardian

Doctors’ leaders want tough action to limit the sale and promotion of alcohol, including cigarette-style graphic warnings and an end to drinks firms sponsoring sport, to tackle the growing toll of drink-related problems. A coalition of medical organisations, including those representing GPs, A&E doctors and surgeons, urges ministers in a new report to implement an […]

2 Mar, 2013

Sky Aviation takes delivery of its first Sukhoi Superjet 100 | The Jakarta Post

Last year’s crash involving a Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100) that claimed the lives of 45 was heartbreaking, but Sky Aviation president director Krisman Tarigan says that he is optimistic its first Russian aircraft will provide customers with safety and comfort, and attract a full complement of passengers in the first quarter of its operation. […]

2 Mar, 2013

Meet the real ‘neo-libs’ of Indonesia | The Jakarta Post

Traditional markets may be coming under a lot of pressure from the modern, big-money supermarkets and hypermarkets, but small traders know a thing or two about surviving the competition. And that may just be their saving grace. Anyone looking for evidence of how a free market operates based on the forces of supply and demand […]

2 Mar, 2013

Jet-set life takes off for China’s super-rich

By Shi Yingying in Shanghai (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-02-25, (China Daily) – Four of Europe‘s top museums, namely the Louvre, Pompidou Center, Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, plan to close their doors to exclusively welcome a group of 10 travelers from the Chinese mainland on March 10. A Shanghai resident who called himself Charles Wang is one of the travelers who […]

2 Mar, 2013

China’s Billionaires on Rise

By WANG ZHUOQIONG (China Daily)

Beijing 2013-03-01, (China Daily) – China has had more billionaires created by its stock markets this year than in the United States – 212 compared with 211 – a new survey revealed on Thursday. According to the latest Hurun Global Rich List 2013, there were 1,453 people in the world with personal wealth of $1 billion or […]

2 Mar, 2013

India Proposes Adding 16 Countries, 6 Airports to Visa on Arrival Facility

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Delhi, Ministry of Tourism, 01-March, 2013 – Union Tourism Minister Mr K Chiranjeevi met the Union Home Minister Mr Sushilkumar Shinde here today and submitted a proposal to extend Visa-on-arrivals to 16 more countries. The Ministry of Tourism strongly believes that the “Tourist Visa – on – Arrival (TVOA)” facility for those countries, which are […]

1 Mar, 2013

World has Failed the Promise of “Never Again”: UN Adviser

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United Nations, Feb 28 2013 (UN News Centre) – The number of situations around the world that clearly indicate a risk of mass atrocities has possibly never been higher, demanding urgent preventive action, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide said today. “We recognize the signs, we sound the alarm, but yet […]

1 Mar, 2013

ITB 2013 Curtain-Raiser: Three Over-Arching Challenges Facing Europe

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Dublin, 25 February 2013 (European Commission Press release) – Speech by Olli REHN, Vice-President of the European Commission and member of the Commission responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, at the Interparliamentary Meeting. Thank you for the invitation to this meeting of chairpersons of Finance Committees. The theme of this discussion is […]

1 Mar, 2013

ITB 2013 Curtain-Raiser: Homelessness in Europe at Unprecedented Levels

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Leuven, 1 March 2013 (European Commission Press Release) – Speech delivered by László ANDOR, European Commissioner responsible for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the Irish Presidency Conference on Homelessness. First of all, I would like to thank the Irish Presidency for this very timely initiative. This informal Roundtable will allow us to discuss how […]