13 Jul, 2013

India To Boost R&D In Bid to Become One Of Top Five Knowledge Powers

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New Delhi, Ministry of Science & Technology, 12-July, 2013 – The Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) today released a white paper on Stimulation of Private Sector’s investment into Research & Development. Union Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Mr S.Jaipal Reddy, speaking on the occasion, said business […]

13 Jul, 2013

India To Launch SMS Portal For Poor Farmers

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Ministry of Agriculture, 11-July, 2013 — An SMS portal for farmers, the Kisaan SMS Portal, will be launched by the President Mr Pranab Mukherjee on 16th July, 2013. The Kisaan Portal aims at reaching information, advisories and services through SMS to more than 12 crore (1.2 billion) farmers across the country. Being an instant and […]

13 Jul, 2013

Chinese cinemagoers tired of watching American superheroes saving the world

By Zhu Jin

Beijing, (China Daily), 2013-07-12 – It seems to be the best of times for China’s film industry. With Tiny Times raking in 263 million yuan ($42.89 million) in the last four days of June (it was released on June 27), the domestic film market registered its highest half-yearly box office returns -10.9 billion yuan in […]

13 Jul, 2013

China’s economic transformation a boon for U.S.: analysts

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BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) — As China and the United States are seeking to cast a new relationship model, the latter needs to be more prepared for a Chinese economic transformation that could create massive opportunities instead of threats, analysts have said. Concluding on Friday in Washington, the two-day annual U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue […]

13 Jul, 2013

Xinhua Insight: China’s economy caught in balancing act

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BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) — Attempting to balance economic development in the face of a global meltdown with reform efforts that will likely slow the economy is proving to be difficult for Chinese authorities. However, Premier Li Keqiang gave some suggestions on dealing with the conundrum in a speech delivered during an inspection tour of […]

13 Jul, 2013

China Tells U.S. to “Review the Past” in Defining the Future

by Xinhua writer Wang Fengfeng

WASHINGTON, July 11 (Xinhua) — U.S. and Chinese officials concluded their fifth round of annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) here on Thursday. In this first annual dialogue held after a leadership change in the world’s two major countries, the two sides forged ahead to find a new path for a new type of major-country […]

13 Jul, 2013

China eyes energy-saving, IT industries to spur domestic demand

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BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) — China is to speed up development in the energy-saving industry and promote consumption of IT-related products and services as it looks to spur domestic demand and push economic upgrading. Stimulating growth in the two sectors is a multi-purpose approach aimed at easing resource restraints, unleashing consumption potential, stimulating effective investments […]

13 Jul, 2013

India Visa on Arrival Scheme +38% in First Half 2013

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New Delhi, Ministry of Tourism, 12-July, 2013 – Visa on Arrival (VOA) scheme of the Government continues to be popular with foreign tourists. It registered a growth of 22.9 percent during June, 2013 as compared to June, 2012. During the month, a total number of 1,062 VoAs were issued as compared to 864 during June, […]

13 Jul, 2013

Samsung Offers Nearly 3,000 Teens a College Experience to Inspire Careers in Science

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RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 11, 2013–Samsung today announced its Summer Science Program, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education program for high school youth from across the United States. With Samsung’s support, nearly 3,000 teens will attend week-long immersion sessions at one of six participating universities across the country during the summer. The universities […]

13 Jul, 2013

UN Rights Chief Urges Protection For Individuals Revealing Human Rights Violations

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United Nations, Jul 12 2013 United Nations, (UN News Centre) – A senior United Nations official today stressed the need to respect the right to privacy, using the case of United States citizen Edward Snowden to illustrate the urgent need to protect individuals who reveal human rights violations. “Snowden’s case has shown the need to […]

13 Jul, 2013

Social Media at Weddings: “Consequences of hasty sharing can be catastrophic”

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SUNNYVALE, Calif.-July 11, 2013-(BUSINESS WIRE)–Wedding season is in full swing in the U.S. If you aren’t jetting off to a wedding every other weekend, chances are your social media accounts have been invaded with an overwhelming number of wedding posts and photos. You are not alone. In fact, seven in 10 twitter-using wedding guests admitted […]

13 Jul, 2013

Myanmar turns blind eye to massacre of young Muslims | The Japan Times

MEIKHTILA, MYANMAR – Their bones are scattered in blackened patches of earth across a hillside overlooking the wrecked Islamic boarding school they once called home. Smashed fragments of skulls rest atop the dirt. A shattered jaw cradles half a set of teeth. And among the remains lie the sharpened bamboo staves attackers used to beat […]

13 Jul, 2013

America’s dirty war at home – The Japan Times

Hannah Arendt identified “the boomerang effect of imperialism on the homeland” in “The Origins of Totalitarianism,” but the academic Douglas Porch has used the history of Britain, France and America to demonstrate that all the rhetoric about bringing, respectively, Britishness, liberty and freedom and democracy to the “little brown people who have no lights” is […]

12 Jul, 2013

Telstra storing data on behalf of US government – Sydney Morning Herald

Telstra agreed more than a decade ago to store huge volumes of electronic communications it carried between Asia and America for potential surveillance by United States intelligence agencies. Under the previously secret agreement, the telco was required to route all communications involving a US point of contact through a secure storage facility on US soil […]

12 Jul, 2013

India Sets Up First Women-Only University

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Cabinet, 11-July, 2013 – The Union Cabinet has approved setting up a National University for Women in Uttar Pradesh by the name of “The Indira Gandhi National University for Women”. This will be the first university of the country to be established exclusively for women. The cost involved is Rs.500 crore during the 12th Plan period. […]

12 Jul, 2013

EC bid to curb European toxic waste shipments to Asia, Africa

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Brussels, 11 July 2013, European Commission Press release – The European Commission took action today to tackle illegal waste shipments that are causing damage to human health and the environment. The Commission proposed stronger legislation on national inspections of waste shipments to ensure that all Member States have similar levels of control. Around 25 % of […]

12 Jul, 2013

New EU Rules to boost cosmetics safety, combat misleading claims

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Brussels, 11 July 2013 European Commission Press release – As of today, cosmetics on shop shelves, both manufactured in the EU and imported from third countries, should be fully compliant with the Cosmetics Regulation ensuring strengthened safety standards and providing better information for the consumers. Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for Consumer Policy, said: “From daily […]

12 Jul, 2013

€600 million research to unblock European airspace congestion

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Brussels, 10 July 2013, European Commission Press release – The European Commission has today announced €600 million of new funding to unblock congestion in Europe’s airspace. The Commission is looking to head off a capacity crunch as the number of flights is forecast to increase by 50% over the next 10-20 years. The goal is […]

12 Jul, 2013

European Commission launches strategy to globalise universities, attract students

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Brussels, 11 July 2013, European Commission Press release – The international higher education landscape is changing dramatically in shape and size, with greater competition from countries such as China and India. This calls for an overhaul in the way Europe’s 4,000 universities operate – not only internationally, but also in how they deliver education to […]

12 Jul, 2013

India Sets Up First National Aviation University

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Cabinet, 11-July, 2013 – The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to the proposal for setting up of a National Aviation University (NAU) in the name of Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University at the District of Rae Bareli in the State of Uttar Pradesh. as a Central University. The Cabinet also approved the proposal to […]

12 Jul, 2013

More Chinese cities likely to curb car purchases

By LI FANGFANG

Beijing, (China Daily) 2013-07-11 – Eight more cities are likely to announce policies this year curbing the purchase of vehicles for private use, as worries about pollution and traffic congestion rise around the country, an official from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said on Wednesday. Four cities already have such curbs: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou […]

12 Jul, 2013

Did Korean culture contribute to Asiana crash? – Japan Times

The investigative report said that Park was irritated by their late departure from London. The report said that though Yoon was communicating correct information to the tower, Park spoke at him in a “derogatory” fashion, saying, “Make sure you understand what ground control is saying before you speak.” Seconds later, he barked: “Answer them! They […]

12 Jul, 2013

Japan plans easier residency status for “highly skilled professionals” – Japan Times

Japan might make it easier for “highly skilled professionals” to acquire permanent residency status so it can lure the talent it needs to rejuvenate the stagnant economy. Under discussion is cutting the minimum requirement for consecutive years of stay to three years from five, Immigration Bureau official Yusuke Takeuchi told The Japan Times on Thursday. […]

12 Jul, 2013

Neoliberalism and public unrest: Time to connect the dots – Al Jazeera English

Political and economic elites, working in tandem, have managed to neutralise the aspirations of ordinary people, in part spurring the disenfranchisement driving the protests. Whether it is the removal of subsidies protecting the poor against inflation and price shocks in Egypt, or the enormous cost of hosting high profile sporting events in Brazil at the […]

12 Jul, 2013

Jim Dean, PressTV – NSA spying never catches Israelis – Why not?

The field reports from Afghanistan and Iraq involved Israelis being picked up as contractors doing very nasty things, and yes, doing them even to American troops. None of that stuff made its way into the leakers shocking release pile. We have people who wrote some of those reports, and they were major headlines. My verdict? […]

12 Jul, 2013

Executive Travel Directors Reveals 4 Reasons to Outsource Travel Staff

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Chicago, IL (PRWEB) July 10, 2013 – Over the years, meeting planners have assumed more and more responsibilities in the already taxing program coordination process. While letting go of the reins on such an involved project may be a little worrisome, partnering with a third-party staffing supplier can take a lot of administrative stress off […]

12 Jul, 2013

China issues timetable for govt info disclosure, foreign travel included

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BEIJING, 2013-07-10, (Xinhua) – The State Council, China’s Cabinet, on Wednesday issued a timetable for disclosing government spending on receptions, vehicles and overseas trips, as well as information on investigations into major accidents. According to the State Council’s plan, provincial governments should disclose their spending on the three items starting from 2013, and municipal and county […]

12 Jul, 2013

American Intellectuals’ Widespread Failure to Stand Up to Billionaires and Authoritarian Power | Alternet

Given the considerable resources in the United States spent to subsidize intellectual work, why are so many intellectuals—journalists, academics, writers—not critiquing the many hierarchical institutions and not highlighting the disastrous consequences of these systems? Why are so many intellectuals instead providing support for the institutions and systems? Why is the majority of intellectual work in […]

11 Jul, 2013

11 Big Myths About the Economy That Are Destroying America | Alternet

As we can see from the current dismal state of economic affairs, economies are incredibly complex systems, and policymakers who are forced to act in the face of this uncertainty and complexity want guidance. And over the last half century, neoclassical economists have not only been more than happy to offer it, but largely been […]

11 Jul, 2013

Travel to benefit by more competition in mobile communications, says OECD

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Paris, (OECD media release), 11/07/2013 – OECD countries must ensure mobile markets remain open and competitive in order to sustain innovation and meet rising demand for data services, according to a new OECD report. It indicates that travel could be a major beneficiary of this. Communications Outlook 2013 says that revenues from data services are […]

11 Jul, 2013

Chinese institutions eyeing properties abroad

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Shanghai, 2013-07-11, (China Daily) — Limited investment options and abundant liquidity are prompting Chinese investors to look abroad for alternative opportunities, and a real estate consultancy is forecasting that mainland individuals will put up to 1.1 trillion yuan ($179 billion) into global real estate markets. Chinese individuals, property developers and institutions have increased their holdings […]

11 Jul, 2013

Orchestra Maestro Zubin Mehta To Receive 2013 Tagore Award For Cultural Harmony

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New Delhi, Ministry of Culture, 10-July, 2013 – The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony, 2013 is being conferred on the noted Maestro, Zubin Mehta. A High-level Jury under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and comprising the Chief Justice of India, Justice Altamas Kabir, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Mrs. Sushma Swaraj […]

11 Jul, 2013

India Plans New Initiatives to Boost Handicraft Sector

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New Delhi, Ministry of Textiles, 10-July, 2013 – Dr. Kavuru Samba Siva Rao, the Minister of Textiles today chaired a meeting with the members of All India Handicrafts Board comprising of officials from different Ministries and Departments of Central and State Governments, apart from the non-official members with diverse backgrounds and experiences representing almost all […]

11 Jul, 2013

China: US’ “double standards on global network security must end”

Author: Jia Xiudong, Edited and Translated by Zhang Qian

Beijing, (People’s Daily Online) July 10, 2013 – The Prism incident has exposed a worldwide problem of network security. Long-term, large-scale network monitoring and data theft by the United States in other countries has aroused international concern and provoked international reflection on network security rules. Few countries would now disagree on the importance of ensuring […]

11 Jul, 2013

China Offering Grants to Lure Native Talent Back Home

By Zhao Xinying

Beijing, 2013-07-11, (China Daily) – China is offering financial grants and other benefits to boost its ability to lure top experts in science and engineering back home from posts overseas. Zhan Wenlong, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it is making full use of recruitment plans such as the One Hundred Talents Program […]

11 Jul, 2013

Anti-Tobacco Advertising Measures Growing Strongly Worldwide – WHO Report

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10 July 2013 | Panama City, Panama (World Health Organization) – At 2.3 billion, the number of people worldwide covered by at least one life-saving measure to limit tobacco use has more than doubled in the last five years, according to the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2013. The number of people covered […]

11 Jul, 2013

Australia sets up A$36m centre to support businesses in the Asian Century

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Canberra, 08 Jul 2013 (Australian government media release) – Australia’s small to medium-sized businesses will get the support they need to take up new opportunities in Asian markets under a new $36 million national investment unveiled today. Trade Minister Richard Marles and Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr said the new National Centre for Asia Capability […]

11 Jul, 2013

Singaporeans To Hit the Road in First Four-Day National Day Weekend In Over A Decade!

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Singapore – 11 July, 2013 – With the upcoming consecutive Hari Raya Puasa and National Day holidays on 8 and 9 August, the region’s online travel agent, ZUJI, has identified six of the top short-flight-time destinations from around the region, and six of the top long-haul flights to Europe for travellers willing to tag a […]

11 Jul, 2013

Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh: People of the West Must Stop Backing their Governments’ “Sick Games”

Citizens of Western Countries must demand that their governments stop supporting this sick game of divide and conquer that also fosters Christian, Islamic and Jewish fanaticism. Long-term, there will be separation of religion from state politics whether in Palestine Israel as a “Jewish state” or in Egypt or elsewhere. We will have our own renaissance. […]

11 Jul, 2013

1,460 Indian lawmakers facing criminal cases: Survey – The Times of India

Imtiaz Muqbil

NEW DELHI: A total of 1,460 MPs and MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits submitted to Election Commission before contesting elections. An analysis of affidavits filed by 4,807 sitting MPs and MLAs carried out by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch ( NEW) in the wake of today’s […]

11 Jul, 2013

UN Secretary-General: “Dangerous Polarization Taking Place Within Myanmar”

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United Nations, Jul 10 2013 (UN News Centre) – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today told a group of Myanmar’s international partners that continued support will be vital for the country, which has taken some important steps in the past year, but faces a number of challenges, including national reconciliation and communal violence. “The Government and people […]

11 Jul, 2013

Failing duty to protect Great Barrier Reef – Sydney Morning Herald

For millions of people overseas, the reef is their lasting memory of visiting the country, and reef tourism rakes in more than $5 billion a year from its human visitors. Whether we like it or not, Australians have a responsibility for looking after the reef. And we are letting it slip away. That’s crystal clear. […]

11 Jul, 2013

New Questions About Sheldon Adelson’s Casino Operations in Macau – ProPublica

A few days after Las Vegas Sands fired the president of its Macau casinos in July 2010, the company copied the hard drives of his office computers and moved the data to its headquarters in Las Vegas. In the months that followed, the company now acknowledges, its lawyers reviewed those records as they prepared to […]

11 Jul, 2013

Exposed: US bankrolling of anti-Morsi activists – Al Jazeera

Berkeley, United States – President Barack Obama recently stated the United States was not taking sides as Egypt’s crisis came to a head with the military overthrow of the democratically elected president. But a review of dozens of US federal government documents shows Washington has quietly funded senior Egyptian opposition figures who called for toppling […]

10 Jul, 2013

Australia launches world-first technology to help vision-impaired enjoy live theatre

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Canberra, (Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers), 9 July 2013 – From today, a cutting-edge new app will enable people who are blind or vision impaired to enjoy live theatre by providing high-quality audio descriptions on their mobile devices, including smart phones and tablets. Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers Amanda Rishworth today launched the […]

10 Jul, 2013

Seven Things Really Beautiful People JUST DO

Bethany Londyn, CEO of ShopAddiKt

Portland, OR (PRWEB) July 09, 2013 – First lets discuss the definition of Beautiful: According to Merriam-Webster: 1- Pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically 2- Of a very high standard; excellent. So based on this definition, obviously beauty is in the eyes or senses of the beholder as it come in various forms for every […]

10 Jul, 2013

Global Corruption Barometer: Bribery still very high but people ready to fight back

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Berlin, 9 July 2013 (Transparency International) – More than one person in two thinks corruption has worsened in the last two years, according to the world’s largest public opinion survey on corruption from Transparency International, but survey participants also firmly believe they can make a difference and have the will to take action against graft. […]

10 Jul, 2013

Latin American Nations Voice Concerns To UN Chief Over Rerouting Of Bolivian Leader’s Plane

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United Nations, Jul  9 2013  (UN News Centre) – Five Latin American nations voiced their concerns to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today about the recent incident in which the aircraft carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales was not allowed by several European nations to fly over their airspace on suspicion that United States whistleblower Edward Snowden was […]

10 Jul, 2013

British public wrong about nearly everything, survey shows – The Independent

A new survey for the Royal Statistical Society and King’s College London shows public opinion is repeatedly off the mark on issues including crime, benefit fraud and immigration. The research, carried out by Ipsos Mori from a phone survey of 1,015 people aged 16 to 75, lists ten misconceptions held by the British public. Read […]

9 Jul, 2013

Privacy Rights Group Petitions U.S. Supreme Court to Halt NSA Surveillance

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 8, 2013) (epic.org media release) — The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has filed an emergency petition with the United States Supreme Court in order to stop the NSA’s surveillance of domestic telephone communication records. EPIC said that the “ongoing collection of the domestic telephone records of millions of Americans” had created […]

9 Jul, 2013

Indian External Affairs Minister Visits Palestine, Grants $1M in Budget Support

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RAMALLAH, July 4, 2013 (WAFA) – E. Ahamed, Indian minister of state for external affairs, who is on an official visit to Palestine, Thursday met with Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Ramallah, during which he handed over Hamdallah a cheque of one $million as part of the budgetary support pledged by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan […]

9 Jul, 2013

IATA opposes Hyderabad airport’s proposed 100% hike in landing fees

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New Delhi, July 8, IRNA — Civil aviation industrys apex body, International Air Transport Association (IATA) has opposed the GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHAIL) plan for an 100 per cent increase in international aircraft landing fee. The move will hurt airline operations, IATA has said, requesting the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) to […]

9 Jul, 2013

China’s Ping An Insurance to buy Lloyds Building in London: Savills

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LONDON, July 8 (Xinhua) — Ping An Insurance Group agreed to purchase the Lloyds Building from Commerz Real, a German closed-end fund, for 260 million pounds (388 million U.S. dollars), London-based property broker Savills said Monday. The transaction represents the first purchase by a Chinese insurance company in Britain. The Lloyds Building, a landmark property […]

9 Jul, 2013

Chinese job seekers abroad urged to look before they leap

By HE DAN

Beijing,  (China Daily) – Beijing, July 08, 2013 – Chinese people seeking employment abroad should sign proper contracts, receive safety training, research their destination countries thoroughly and only work through companies qualified to supply staff abroad, experts say. Huang Leping, director of the Beijing Yilian Legal Aid and Research Center of Labor, an NGO dedicated […]

9 Jul, 2013

Travel, MICE cuts included in Chinese govt’s austerity campaign

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BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) — The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has issued a circular ordering China’s central government agencies to cut their general expenditures in 2013 by 5 percent, a move to push the frugality campaign launched by the country’s new leadership. According to the circular, a whole slew of fees shall be cut, including […]

9 Jul, 2013

China Exclusive: Study tours suspended after Asiana plane crash

by Xinhua Writers Hu Tao, Yu Jingjing, Feng Yuan

HANGZHOU, July 8 (Xinhua) — Overseas study tours have been suspended after Saturday’s plane crash in San Francisco, which killed two Chinese girls from east China’s Zhejiang Province. Quzhou Municipal Education Bureau in Zhejiang has told schools and related agent institutions to suspend all summer camps and study tours. Two teenage girls from a middle […]

9 Jul, 2013

Jobless Chinese Youths Turning to Booming Security Industry

By WU NI

Beijing, (China Daily) – July 08, 2013 – When Bu Yanchuan graduated from Nanjing Normal University in 2009, he didn’t dare tell his parents and friends that he could only find a job as a security guard with a meager salary of 2,500 yuan ($408) per month. Now, the 26-year-old with a degree in international […]

9 Jul, 2013

Social, Economic Inequalities Will Trigger Future Crises – UN Secretary-General

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United Nations, Jul  8 2013 (UN News Centre) – Senior United Nations officials today emphasized that the international community must tackle social and economic inequalities between regions and within countries, adding that this is crucial to achieve sustainability and avert future crises. “If inequalities continue to widen, development may not be sustainable,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon […]

9 Jul, 2013

China Daily Commentary: Lessons from Egyptian irony

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The difficulty in judging Egypt’s latest political development stems from confusion over what kind of democracy to embrace July 08, 2013 (China Daily) – The Egyptian military’s decision to remove President Mohamed Morsi from power and suspend the constitution was said to be a response to days of mass street protests demanding the president step […]

9 Jul, 2013

Bill Blum: America’s Most Secretive Court May Also Be the Most Conservative – Truthdig

By the end of this month, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is expected to issue what could be the most important order in its 35-year hidden history, ruling on a motion filed by the ACLU that asks the court to publish all of its prior opinions evaluating the meaning, scope and constitutionality of Section 215 […]

9 Jul, 2013

Alexander Reed Kelly: Truthdiggers of the Week: NSA Protesters

The current administration acts as though it is against the principles upon which the nation was founded. And one asks: Where’s the outrage? This Fourth of July it was in the streets of more than 100 American cities. Hundreds, possibly thousands of people took part in a nationwide rally against the government’s policy of domestic […]

9 Jul, 2013

Study: Many young assault victims have illegal guns and ready to use them – Michigan Radio

A study of young assault victims in Michigan finds many are at high risk for gun possession and aggression. The University of Michigan Injury Center conducted a survey of young people treated for assault injuries at an emergency department in Flint. Gun violence kills more teens and young adults than anything except auto accidents, according […]

9 Jul, 2013

Evo Morales to RT: Plane-grounding debacle will never be forgotten in South America

Morales blamed Washington for masterminding the audacious scheme. “At 3 or 4 pm we are forced to land the plane in Austria. At 6 pm the US ambassador delivers an extradition request in Bolivia, which is proof that is the work of the US, who used European countries for their aims,” said Morales. “My first […]

9 Jul, 2013

10 Most Shocking Things the FBI Has Done Since 9/11 – Alternet

The number of U.S. persons on the No Fly List has more than doubled since 2009, and people mistakenly on the list are denied their due process rights to meaningfully challenge their inclusion. In many cases Americans only find out they are on the list while they are traveling abroad, which all but forces them […]

9 Jul, 2013

The New York Times and the NSA’s Illegal Spying: CounterPunch

The first duty of the press is to obtain the earliest and most correct intelligence of the events of the time, and instantly, by disclosing them, to make them the common property of the nation. The statesman collects his information secretly and by secret means; he keeps back even the current intelligence of the day […]

9 Jul, 2013

Chris Hedges: What Global Trends Have In Common with “Moby Dick” – Truthdig

In our decline, hatred becomes our primary lust, our highest form of patriotism and a form of eroticism. We are made supine by hatred and fear. We deploy vast resources to hunt down jihadists and terrorists, real and phantom. We destroy our civil society in the name of a war on terror. We persecute those, […]

9 Jul, 2013

Hitting the reset: NSA spying targeted BRICS — RT News

Members of BRICS featured high on the list of countries singled out for special consideration by the National Security Agency’s intensive Prism program, which collected data on billions of telephone and internet records globally. An article published at the weekend in Brazil’s O Globo newspaper makes the observation that “Brazil…appears to stand out on maps […]

9 Jul, 2013

Anti-Muslim riots haunt shattered Myanmar city – DAWN.COM

MEIKTILA, Myanmar: The thugs ordered Kyaw not to look as they killed his classmates, but the terrified teenager still caught glimpses of the merciless beatings as a wave of anti-Muslim killing engulfed his school town in central Myanmar, leaving dozens dead. “They used steel chains, sticks and knives… there were hundreds of people. They beat […]

8 Jul, 2013

In China, thinking small begins to yield results

By WANG CHAO and LIU LU

Beijing, July 08, 2013,  (China Daily) – You can spot them all across China in different shapes and sizes, ranging from small restaurants, hair salons and shops to a host of enterprises that make a variety of goods. Though these micro and small enterprises have been largely inconspicuous, they are often the essential springboard for […]

8 Jul, 2013

Samsung Heads Asia’s Top 1000 Brands for Second Year

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HONG KONG, July 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Samsung has claimed the number one spot in the Campaign Asia-Pacific 2013 Asia’s Top 1000 Brandsreport, the biggest and most influential survey of the brands that consumers most value in the region. It marks the second consecutive year that Samsung has clinched the coveted top spot, signalling that […]

8 Jul, 2013

July 23 deadline for Emirates Future Artists competition, US$5,000 prize

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 08 July 2013 (29 Sha’baan 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story. ============ ISLAMIC TRAVEL NEWSWIRE EXTENDS ALL READERS FELICITATIONS FOR THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN 1434 Ramadan Mubarak. […]

7 Jul, 2013

European Parliament to probe US surveillance, seeks more whistleblower protection

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Brussels, 04-07-2013, European Parliament Media release – Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee will conduct an “in-depth inquiry” into the US surveillance programmes, including the bugging of EU premises and other spying allegations, and present its results by the end of this year, says a resolution passed by the full House on Thursday. Parliament’s President and political […]

7 Jul, 2013

Ageing populations are an opportunity, not a threat, “if coupled with smart policies”

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Geneva, UN Economic Commission for Europe, 01 July 2013 – Current population dynamics in Europe, North America and Central Asia must be seen as an opportunity, not a threat, senior officials of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) said at the opening of the high-level ICPD regional […]

7 Jul, 2013

World Meteorological Report: 2001-2010 Was a Decade of Climate Extremes

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GENEVA, 3 July 2013, (World Meteorological Organization) – The world experienced unprecedented high-impact climate extremes during the 2001-2010 decade, which was the warmest since the start of modern measurements in 1850 and continued an extended period of pronounced global warming. More national temperature records were reported broken than in any previous decade, according to a […]

7 Jul, 2013

Powerful Posters Bring Wildlife Protection Message to Millions on Shanghai Metro

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Shanghai, 1 July, 2013 (UNEP Media release) – A major poster campaign aimed at sensitizing the public to the true cost of illegal wildlife products such as ivory and rhino horn is reaching millions of travellers on the Shanghai metro system each day. The recent spike in elephant killings in Africa, now at their highest […]

7 Jul, 2013

Chomsky: How Do We Defend Ourselves from the Corporate and Imperial Forces That Threaten Us? | Alternet

The legitimacy of borders – of states, for that matter – is at best conditional and temporary. Almost all borders have been imposed and maintained by violence, and are quite arbitrary. The Lebanon-Israel border was established a century ago by the Sykes-Picot Agreement, dividing up the former Ottoman Empire in the interests of British and […]

6 Jul, 2013

Actress Rituparna Sengupta harassed at Toronto airport | GulfNews.com

Kolkata: Leading Bengali film actress Rituparna Sengupta was harassed for hours at Toronto Pearson International Airport despite having a valid visa and other travel documents, the celebrated artist alleged Saturday. Sengupta, now in Canada to attend a Banga Sammelan, broke down during her ordeal Thursday as she was kept waiting for five and a half […]

6 Jul, 2013

India Taps Kuwaiti, UAE Funds to Finance US$1 Trillion Infrastructure Projects

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Ministry of Finance, 05-July, 2013 – Mr Arvind Mayaram, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance said that Infrastructure Debt Funds (IDFs) are going to play a key role in the financing of the overall requirements of Infrastructure funding. He added that higher ratings would make an IDF competitive in the refinancing market. Mr […]

6 Jul, 2013

Renovated gallery of Decorative Arts reopened at National Museum, New Delhi

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New Delhi, 5 July 2013 – Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Union Minister of Culture here today re-opened the renovated gallery of Decorative Arts-I at the National Museum. Decorative arts are those arts related to the design and decoration of objects of utility. Artifacts of this group are crafted for daily, ceremonial and religious uses from a […]

6 Jul, 2013

Australia says passenger movement charge helping fund tourism development

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04 July 2013 – Australian Tourism Minister Gary Gray said 20 per cent of the additional revenue raised by the passenger movement charge was given back to the industry through grants. This includes the four-year $48.5 million Asian Marketing Fund and the $48.5 million Tourism Industry Development Fund, which help to stimulate tourism demand by […]

6 Jul, 2013

Australia Takes First Asian Century Step, Launches Indonesia Country Strategy

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CANBERRA, 2013-07-05 (Xinhua) – Visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Friday launched Towards 2025: Indonesia Country Strategy, part of the Australia in the Asian Century initiative in Indonesia capital Jakarta. The strategy outlines how Australians can harness and develop the skills needed to deepen and strengthen the engagement with the country’s important northern neighbor, […]

6 Jul, 2013

India Promulgates Ordinance To Boost Food Security for the Poor

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President’s Secretariat, 05-July, 2013 – The President of India, Mr Pranab Mukherjee promulgated the National Food Security Ordinance, 2013 today. The Ordinance is a historic initiative for ensuring food and nutritional security to the people. It gives right to the people to receive adequate quantity of foodgrains at affordable prices. The Food Security Bill has […]

6 Jul, 2013

China Issues Guidelines to Stabilise Capital Flows

By CHEN JIA and ZHENG YANGPENG

Beijing, (China Daily), 2013-07-06 — A specific guideline to stabilize capital flows was issued by the central government on Friday. It particularly encourages more private funds to take part in reform of financial institutions at various levels. The State Council, or the nation’s cabinet, said China’s financial system and economy are “stable and sound”, with […]

6 Jul, 2013

Multinationals in China face increased scrutiny

By WANG ZHUOQIONG and LIU JIE

Beijing, 2013-07-06, (China Daily) – China is expanding its investigations into the food, dairy and pharmaceutical industries, raising questions about whether the days of “supranational treatment” for multinationals have ended. The investigations signal that these companies face increased scrutiny of their operations in the country. The State Administration for Industry & Commerce is investigating the […]

6 Jul, 2013

Chinese Retail Industry Projects Steady Growth

By Li Jiabao

Beijing, 2013-07-05 (China Daily) – Despite China’s slowing economic growth, the retail industry in the world’s second-largest economy will maintain sustainable growth in the medium and long term, commerce officials said on Thursday. Meanwhile, the industry is undergoing a transformation and the government will make more efforts to enhance its quality and efficiency and to […]

6 Jul, 2013

China, Pakistan ink landmark transport pact to access Gwadar Port

By LI XIAOKUN and ZHANG YUNBI

Beijing, 2013-07-06, (China Daily) – China and Pakistan signed an agreement on Friday on the blueprint for a huge transport project linking northwestern China to the Arabian Sea. Observers said the project, named the “China-Pakistan economic corridor”, will open a new route for China’s goods and energy. It will also give a strong boost to […]

6 Jul, 2013

European Alliance for Apprenticeships Launched to Help Alleviate Youth Joblessness

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Brussels/Leipzig, 2 July 2013 – European Commission Press release – The European Alliance for Apprenticeships is launched today by Commissioners Androulla Vassiliou (Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth) and László Andor (Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) at the 2013 WorldSkills competition in Leipzig, Germany. The Alliance will help to fight youth unemployment by improving the quality […]

5 Jul, 2013

How I Joined Glenn Greenwald and Amy Goodman as an Official, Self-Hating Jew | Alternet

How could such an asymmetrical conflict – with one of the most sophisticated armies in the world pitted against a stateless, powerless people – be viewed and dismissed by so many in America as a dumb conflict between two ideologically-bent peoples? Lists like the one I’ve been included on and the principles that underlie it […]

5 Jul, 2013

Glenn Greenwald: Top Officials Are Lying to Our Faces About U.S.Govt Spying | Alternet

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What kind of journalist – or citizen – would focus more on Edward Snowden’s tonal oddities and travel drama than on the fact that top US officials have been deceitfully concealing a massive, worldwide spying apparatus being constructed with virtually no accountability or oversight? Just ponder what it says about someone who cares more about, […]

5 Jul, 2013

African-Americans Compare Treatment of Palestinians to U.S. Segregation Laws

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WASHINGTON, July 2, 2013 (WAFA) – African Americans, including Angela Davis and actress Lisa Gay Hamilton, released a statement reaffirming parallels between Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and discrimination against African Americans living under Jim Crow in the United States, a press release by the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation said on Monday. The […]

5 Jul, 2013

EU Contributes €2.4M for Preservation of Palestinian Heritage in Jerusalem

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JERUSALEM, July 3, 2013 (WAFA) – The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) signed on Tuesday a €2.4 million agreement with Al-Quds University aimed at the preservation of Palestinian cultural heritage in Jerusalem’s Old City, an EU press release said. The agreement was signed in the presence of Michael Köhler, director […]

5 Jul, 2013

Activists Protest G4S Security Company’s Cooperation with Israel

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BRUSSELS, July 1, 2013 (WAFA) – Dozens of activists took off to the streets of Brussels on Friday to inform people about a British-Danish security company based in the UK that is involved in the detention of Palestinian children. The activists denounced the fact that G4S, a private military and security company that is allegedly […]

5 Jul, 2013

U.S. still dodging key question on Snowden’s revelations

By Chen Weihua

Beijing, 2013-06-28, (China Daily) – Yahoo News has done an interesting analysis of the 444 briefings through June 18 by White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and found 13 distinct ways in which he dodges reporters’ questions. For example, he replied with “I don’t have the answer” 1,905 times; “I would refer you to someone […]

5 Jul, 2013

Value of education rises in crisis but investment in this area is falling, says OECD report

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PARIS, 25/06/2013 (OECD News release) – The jobs gap between well-educated young people and those who left school early has continued to widen during the crisis. A good education is the best insurance against a lack of work experience, according to the latest edition of the OECD’s annual Education at a Glance. Unemployment rates are […]

5 Jul, 2013

Vietnamese Websites fined for granting on-line visas illegally

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Hanoi, 01/07/2013 (Vietnam News Agency) – Information and Communications inspectors have punished websites using the gov.vn domain name for granting visas illegally. Vietnamvisa.gov.vn had its domain name registered by the People’s Committee of the Dang Xa Commune in Gia Lam district, visavietnam.gov.vn was registered by the Statistics Office of northern Bac Giang Province’s Luc Ngan […]

5 Jul, 2013

Ratio of youths among Korean working population falls to all-time low

By Kim Rahn

Seoul, (Korea Times), 01 July 2013 – The nation’s workforce is getting old, with people aged between 15 and 29 taking up 15.1 percent of the total working population, the lowest in 30 years, according to Statistics Korea, Monday. The trend is expected to continue because the portion of the young will reduce in the […]

5 Jul, 2013

Loving partner, money, social activity key to happiness – study

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Press Trust of India, Melbourne  July 2, 2013 – A loving partner, a household income of up to USD 100,000 and finding a purpose in life is the new “golden triangle of happiness”, a new Australian research has claimed. Having a good intimate relationship was rated higher than money and being fat was no barrier […]

5 Jul, 2013

Amnesty Int’l: US bid to hunt down whistleblower “gross violation of human rights”

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2 July 2013, (Amnesty International media release) — The US authorities’ relentless campaign to hunt down and block whistleblower Edward Snowden’s attempts to seek asylum is deplorable and amounts to a gross violation of his human rights Amnesty International said today. “The US attempts to pressure governments to block Snowden’s attempts to seek asylum are […]

5 Jul, 2013

Europe Plans To Change Rules To Allow State Subsidies For Airports, Airlines

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Brussels, 3 July 2013, European Commission – In a major policy shift, the European Commission has initiated a review of EU state aid rules so as to pave the way for public financing of airports and start-up aid to airlines. The draft review proposal has now been placed for public comment. The following are the […]

4 Jul, 2013

STOP using Google, Facebook if you fear US spying, says Germany | Mail Online

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Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that ‘whoever fears their communication is being intercepted in any way should use services that don’t go through American servers.’ Friedrich says German officials are in touch with their U.S. counterparts ‘on all levels’ and a delegation is scheduled to fly to Washington next week […]