12 Oct, 2013

Pope signals start of new war on Vatican corruption – The Independent

In a clear sign that he wants to be seen to be tackling endemic corruption at the Vatican, Pope Francis welcomed the Church’s highest-ranking whistleblower to a special audience today. The Pontiff last night met Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano, the Holy See’s ambassador to the US, whose letters provided the most explosive evidence to emerge […]

12 Oct, 2013

Editors on the NSA files: ‘What the Guardian is doing is important for democracy’

On Thursday the Daily Mail described the Guardian as ‘The paper that helps Britain’s enemies’. We showed that article to many of the world’s leading editors. This is what they said: Read the rest: Editors on the NSA files: ‘What the Guardian is doing is important for democracy’ | World news | The Guardian.

12 Oct, 2013

Skype under investigation in Luxembourg over link to NSA – theguardian.com

Skype is being investigated by Luxembourg’s data protection commissioner over concerns about its secret involvement with the US National Security Agency (NSA) spy programme Prism, the Guardian has learned. The Microsoft-owned internet chat company could potentially face criminal and administrative sanctions, including a ban on passing users’ communications covertly to the US signals intelliigence agency. […]

12 Oct, 2013

The Devastating Impacts of IMF-World Bank “Economic Medicine”

As the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund hold their annual meeting in Washington 11-13th October 2013 it is necessary to take a look at the state of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). |1| The history of economic development is strewn with attempts to correct the “mistakes” of development policy. The preferred method is […]

12 Oct, 2013

PressTV – US continues to gag, murder 9/11 truth-seekers

Is the US government using assault, intimidation, even murder – and killing free speech worldwide – to cover up the insider crimes of September 11th, 2001? One of the leading scientists challenging the US government’s version of 9/11, Dr. Crockett Grabbe, has gone on the record charging 9/11 cover-up forces with a series of murders […]

11 Oct, 2013

Five of the Most Common Social Media Marketing Mishaps

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IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Social media has become one of the most important marketing platforms for any business, either Web-based or not. In order to reach a wider audience and encourage content sharing, Internet marketers need to dedicate a fair amount of their efforts to marketing on social media sites. It takes time […]

11 Oct, 2013

India Post Launches ‘Instant Cash’ International Money Transfer Service

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Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, 11-October, 2013 – India Post (= Department of Posts) has signed an agreement with Wall Street Exchange (a company of the Emirates Post Group of UAE) for launch of an International Electronic Money Transfer service through ‘Instant Cash’ product of the Emirates Post Group. The service was launched here […]

11 Oct, 2013

Indian Finance Minister Cites “Defining Challenge”: How to build a competent and ethical State

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Ministry of Finance, 11-October, 2013 – The following is the full text of a speech by Mr.P.Chidambaram, Union Finance Minister, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Recapturing India’s Growth Momentum. Dr. Perkovich, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for the invitation to speak […]

11 Oct, 2013

China Flags Setting Up Infrastructure Funding Bank to Boost Links with ASEAN

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Keqiang put forward a seven-point proposal on further broadening and deepening cooperation between his country and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The China-ASEAN relations have grown to maturity and the bilateral cooperation has got on the fast track, Li said at the 16th […]

11 Oct, 2013

Reform R&D tax systems to boost innovation and help young firms, OECD Report

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Paris, (OECD media release) 10/10/2013 – Most OECD governments use tax incentives to encourage businesses to invest in research and development (R&D)  to boost innovation and drive economic growth. Others, like China, India and South Africa, are doing the same. But reforming these incentives would give countries a better return on their investment and support […]

11 Oct, 2013

Chinese Metaphysics Expert Offers Global Feng Shui Consulting

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Singapore (PRWEB) October 10, 2013 – Award winning expert in Chinese Metaphysics disciplines, Kevin Foong, now offers consulting on a global basis. The founder of Kevin Foong Consulting Group, he now offers consulting in markets such as Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Foong’s consultancy firm focuses on the teaching of Feng […]

11 Oct, 2013

UN global survey explains why so many people with disabilities die in disasters

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GENEVA, 10 October 2013, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)  – The results of the first-ever UN global survey of persons living with disabilities on how they cope with disasters, illustrates why they die, or are injured, in disproportionate numbers in disasters. An estimated 15% of the world’s population lives with some form […]

11 Oct, 2013

Indian PM: India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway Making Progress, Completion Expected by 2016

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Brunei Darussalam, 10-October, 2013 – Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has said that Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo sector of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is nearing completion, and that India will work with its partner countries to ensure that the project is completed by 2016. In his Opening Statement at the 11th India-ASEAN Summit here, Dr Singh also […]

11 Oct, 2013

UN Marks World Mental Health Day By Focusing On Well-Being Of Ageing Populations

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United Nations, 10 October 2013 (UN News Centre) – Citizens over 60 years of age must have access to social and health services to ensure their physical and mental well-being, the United Nations said today, marking World Mental Health Day. “We can all benefit from the warmth and wisdom of older generations. But while many people look forward […]

11 Oct, 2013

Time Management: Pew Research Finds Parents’ Time with Kids More Rewarding Than Paid Work

by Wendy Wang

October 8, 2013 -(Pew Research Centre) There’s no tougher job than being a parent, or so the saying goes. This sentiment seems to be confirmed by a new Pew Research Center analysis of government time use data. Parents find caring for their children to be much more exhausting than the work they do for pay. […]

10 Oct, 2013

Indigenous Peoples “Must be Represented in Climate Change Deals on Future of Global Forests”

REDD+ Safeguards Working Group Media Release

Indigenous peoples should have a permanent representative in a partnership of 75 countries that aims to decrease the global carbon footprint through reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). Asia- and Australia-based members of the REDD+ Safeguards Working Group (R-SWG), a North-South coalition of civil society and indigenous peoples’ organizations, today issued the call […]

10 Oct, 2013

US$200 million ADB loan to Upgrade Major Highway in China’s Inner Mongolia

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Asian Development Bank, 10 Oct 2013 – A major highway and rural roads in a remote northern area of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will be upgraded to support increased movement of goods and people, through a $200 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). A $200 million loan will upgrade a major […]

10 Oct, 2013

All Anti-Terrorism Measures Must Observe International Law, UN meeting hears

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United Nations (08 Oct 2013) Department of Public Information – As the UN 68th General Assembly, Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its debate on measures to eliminate international terrorism, delegates insisted that all courses of action must remain within the framework of international law. Rejecting unilateral acts against States and the use of force under the […]

10 Oct, 2013

Shanghai free trade zone heralds new strategy of reform and opening-up

By Zhang Monan

Shanghai, 2013-10-08 (China Daily) – The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, which was officially launched on Sept 29, is another strategic move in China’s latest round of efforts to boost its process of opening-up through further reform. Since China embarked on the voyage of reform and opening-up more than 30 years ago, every decade […]

10 Oct, 2013

China calls on US to stay solvent, ensure safety of massive Chinese assets

By Gao Chiangxin in Hong Kong and Wei Tian in Shanghai

(China Daily), October 08, 2013 – In its first response to the US government shutdown by a senior official, China asked the United States to solve the political impasse and stay solvent to ensure the safety of massive Chinese assets. Vice-Minister of Finance Zhu Guangyao said on Monday that China, the US’s biggest creditor, is […]

10 Oct, 2013

Chinese Golden Week overcrowding dampens holidaymaker spirit

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(Xinhua) October 08, 2013 – The National Day holiday which ends on Monday is just the latest chance to witness the characteristic overcrowding of Chinese holidays. While the world-famous tourist spots such as the Forbidden City, Great Wall, West Lake of Hangzhou and Nanjing Road in Shanghai were predictably packed with tourists, other places have […]

10 Oct, 2013

Business Travel Coalition Survey: More Airline Transparency Needed on Ancillary Service Fees

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October 7, 2013 – Business Travel Coalition (BTC) on October 4, 2013 initiated a survey of travel industry participants from around the world with respect to the highly anticipated U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rulemaking regarding the disclosure of airline ancillary fees. The survey will remain open until DOT publishes its rulemaking with final survey […]

10 Oct, 2013

Xinhua analysis: Global economy grows in low gear, entering another transition

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday lowered its forecast for global economic growth, saying the world economy has entered another transition with a set of challenges that call for new reform efforts. The Washington-based global lender cut its growth forecast for the world economy to 2.9 percent this year, […]

10 Oct, 2013

Chinese anti-corruption drive cools holiday gift market

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NANJING, 2013-10-04, (Xinhua) – Holiday season used to be boom time for gift companies in China, but the country’s frugality campaign is meaning many of them will have a hard time surviving this time around. In the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, where people swarm during Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday to buy […]

10 Oct, 2013

Emerging Asian economies expected to remain resilient, says new OECD Economic Outlook

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Brunei Darussalam, 8 October 2013 – The economic outlook for Emerging Asia (Southeast Asia, China and India) remains robust over the medium term, anchored by the steady rise in domestic demand, according to a new report from the OECD Development Centre. GDP growth in Emerging Asia is projected to moderate gradually but stay resilient over […]

9 Oct, 2013

UK e-borders scheme failing to make immigration checks – The Guardian

The Home Office’s flagship “e-borders” programme, which has taken 10 years to develop and has so far cost more than £500m, has yet to deliver significant benefits to controlling immigration and has had only a limited impact on tracking terrorists, an official watchdog has concluded. John Vine, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, […]

8 Oct, 2013

Indian Ambassador Anil Wadhwa: Remember Gandhi’s Warnings of the Seven Sins

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Remarks by Indian Ambassador to Thailand Anil Wadhwa on the occasion of the 144th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, on 2 October 2013 at Thai-Bharat Cultural Lodge, Bangkok President of Thai-Bharat Cultural Lodge Professor Srisurang Poolthupya, Dr. Dhanet Charoenmuang, Advisor of the Minister of Education, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, 1.        I […]

8 Oct, 2013

Survey Charts Online Queries for Boutique & Lifestyle Hotels

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London (PRWEB UK) 7 October 2013 – There were three times as many online searches for Lifestyle & Boutique hotels in the UK than there were for those located in short-haul and long-haul destinations combined, reveals the latest analysis of specialist hotels search data from independent digital marketing agency, Greenlight. The agency’s “Boutique Hotels Sector […]

8 Oct, 2013

First high-level meeting to move beyond GDP in Asia, calculate “Value of Nature”

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8 October, Bangkok (UNEP Media release) – Statisticians, economists, ecologists and policy makers across Asia are convening in Bangkok from today until 10 of October to look at ways to calculate the value of natural resources that could reshape the way country success is measured. The conference included technical discussions on “green accounting” systems and […]

7 Oct, 2013

Latest ITU Tech Stats Released: 30% of Global Youth Are Now ‘Digital Natives’

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Geneva, 7 October 2013 (ITU media release) – Mobile broadband over smartphones and tablets has become the fastest growing segment of the global ICT market, according to ITU’s flagship annual report Measuring the Information Society 2013. New figures released today show buoyant global demand for information and communication technology (ICT) products and services, steadily declining prices […]

7 Oct, 2013

Gallup Poll: Americans See Current Shutdown as More Serious Than in ’95

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -October 4, 2013 – (Gallup poll) – As non-essential parts of the federal government remain closed, 70% of Americans view the shutdown as a crisis or a major problem, even higher than the 56% saying the same at the height of the last shutdown in 1995. Leaders looking to gain ground in public […]

7 Oct, 2013

IVU World Vegfest, Asian Vegetarian Congress open in Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur (PRWEB) October 06, 2013 – The 41st IVU World Vegfest, 6th Asian Vegetarian Congress was inaugurated in Malaysia today with  His Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda as the key speaker expounding on ‘Awakening the Biomemory through Right Eating’. The World Vegfest was attended by guests of honour from the International Vegetarian Union, Asian Vegetarian Union […]

7 Oct, 2013

Ending injustice only way to fight terrorism – Arab News

In the aftermath of the (Nairobi) attacks, the media, old and new, have provided round-the-clock coverage. The Nairobi event received special attention because it lasted for three days and also because many of the victims were Westerners. As their identities became known interviews were conducted with their distraught relatives. Heartbreaking stories were told of young […]

7 Oct, 2013

Who leads the 21st century Asia-Pacific? Certainly not the US – Jakarta Post

Events over the past week and the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders summit have confirmed what most people already knew but were hesitant to openly admit: It is China, not the United States, who is the leader of the Asia-Pacific region in the 21st century. We expect no game-changing outcomes from the APEC Summit, […]

7 Oct, 2013

Chinese President Visits Indonesia, Malaysia; Launches New Era of Bilateral Relations

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 07 October 2013 (02 Dhul Ḥijjah 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ MAJOR UPCOMING TRAVEL & TOURISM EVENTS IN MALAYSIA, TRULY ASIA The World Tourism Conference […]

7 Oct, 2013

European Day of Languages: How to say “I Like You” in 24 Languages

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Brussels, European Commission Press release – How do you say ‘I like you’ in 24 languages? This very useful information is brought to you by the European Commission on the occasion of the European Day of Languages (EDL) which was marked on 26 September 2013. It’s the minimum you’ll need to know if you’re planning […]

7 Oct, 2013

Early warning: Averting the next looming threat to ASEAN peace & prosperity

Imtiaz Muqbil was the only travel industry media to cover this historic conference.

Mahidol University, Salaya Campus, Thailand – Regardless of how many highways and airports emerge in ASEAN, or how many telecommunications, single-visa and energy and currency swap deals the ASEAN leaders sign, the real bridges of peace and prosperity will be built only if they can overcome the looming threats of religious/ethnic discord. Discussions at an […]

6 Oct, 2013

U.S. Gov’t shutdown leaves some tourists stranded near Yellowstone – Yahoo News

About 15 tourists are staying in Cooke City, one of several tiny gateway towns leading into Yellowstone National Park. Hopefully, they are enjoying their visit in the scenic area. That’s because thanks to the ongoing federal government shutdown, the tourists are literally trapped inside Cooke City. “We’re trapped,” Bill Anderson, 70, told the Bozeman Daily […]

5 Oct, 2013

U.S. Gov’t shutdown Already Taking a Toll On Small Tour Companies

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Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) October 05, 2013 – Bindlestiff Tours operates from its home-base in Las Vegas to provide unique “adventure-tour” services to visitors and tourists from both the United States and the world through their website. Popular with foreign visitors from Europe and stretching as far as Sri Lanka and India, Bindlestiff Tours allows […]

5 Oct, 2013

Overseas Migration Fuels Western Australia Population Growth

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Canberra, 26 September 2013 – Net Overseas Migration continues to fuel Western Australia’s population growth, accounting for almost two thirds (63 per cent) of the state’s total growth in the year to 31 March 2013, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). “WA’s population nudged 2.5 million people at the […]

5 Oct, 2013

Australia releases revised directory of family and domestic violence statistics

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Canberra, 03 Oct 2013 – The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today released the updated Directory of Family and Domestic Violence Statistics, aimed at improving the evidence base for family, domestic and sexual violence. The 2013 directory provides a detailed analysis of national and state and territory based data collections, encompassing both survey and administrative […]

4 Oct, 2013

Heritage Bank Survey: How Far Australians Go To Save a Dollar in 2013

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(PRWEB) October 04, 2013 – Heritage Bank today released surprising results about our nation when it comes to how far people will go to save a dollar in 2013. The research was conducted as part of the Bank’s Number 1 for Value campaign, being rolled out across Queensland this month. Research covered a number of […]

4 Oct, 2013

Thai King’s ‘Sufficiency Economy’ theory goes global – The Nation

It has taken a long time for people at home and abroad to understand and appreciate His Majesty The King’s “Sufficiency Economy” theory. The term in English is oblique; in Thai, as in “Por Pieng” literally translated as “Just enough”, it is misleading. “Just enough” for whom? Is it anti-capitalist, anti-wealth, anti-progress or and anti-modernity? […]

4 Oct, 2013

UK spy agency faces legal action over mass surveillance

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London, 03 Oct 2013, (Media release) — Today Big Brother Watch, working with the Open Rights Group, English PEN and German internet activist Constanze Kurz, has announced legal papers have been filed alleging that GCHQ has illegally intruded on the privacy of millions of British and European citizens. We allege that by collecting vast amounts of […]

4 Oct, 2013

Exclusive: Iraq still using bogus bomb detectors – and thousands pay the price – The Independent

Bogus bomb detectors are still being used in Iraq five months after a British businessman who supplied the devices was found guilty of fraud. More than 4,500 people are estimated to have been killed in Iraq – 979 of them in September alone – since James McCormick, a former policeman, was convicted at the Old […]

4 Oct, 2013

Security “threats” creating Israeli military millionnaires | The Guardian

Demobbed geeks once overshadowed by gun-toting commandos have made the most of their expertise in cybersecurity, data storage, mobile communications and analytical algorithms to help transform the basis of Israel’s economy from orange groves to mobile-phone apps. Israeli inventions include instant messaging, the USB memory stick, the firewall and the secure data links that enable […]

3 Oct, 2013

US retailers withdraw ‘Osama bin Laden’ costume after Sikh complaints – The Independent

US retailers including Amazon and Walmart have pulled a turban-and-beard Halloween costume off the shelves after complaints that it looked like an Osama bin Laden costume. The decision to remove the costume followed complaints by the Sikh Coalition, a US-based Sikh advocacy group which sent letters and made phone calls to the retailers asking them […]

3 Oct, 2013

$700 Million ADB Loan to Spur Crucial Private Investment in India Infrastructure

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3 October 2013 – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $700 million in loans to support the Indian government’s efforts to accelerate investment in the infrastructure that the country urgently needs to ensure strong economic growth. “Poor infrastructure is one of the biggest drags on growth and development in India and there is a large […]

3 Oct, 2013

British passport is No.1 for visa-free travel – The Independent

The British enjoy the widest range of visa-free travel on the planet. Along with citizens of Finland and Sweden, holders of UK passports are able to visit 173 of the world’s nations without applying for a visa. The annual 2013 Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index ranks countries according to the number of nations their […]

3 Oct, 2013

US govt shutdown: Germany, UK issue ‘travel warning’ Obama cancels Asia trip – Times of India

WASHINGTON: Germany and Britain became the first countries to issue a “travel warning” for the United States as the government shutdown in America entered the second day on Wednesday with no sign of resolution. Feisty Democrats and hardline Republicans stuck to their guns, the former rejecting proposals from conservatives to fund re-opening of just parts […]

3 Oct, 2013

Chinese tourists affected by US govt shutdown

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LOS ANGELES, 2013-10-02, (Xinhua) – On the first day of US federal government shutdown, a Californian resident may not feel the impact, but many Chinese tourists are sad and their tour guides are nervous. Tony Lu has run a travel agency in Los Angeles for 20 years. Four tourist groups from China’s mainland organized by […]

3 Oct, 2013

Newport Beach Police Bosses Used Island Hotel As Free Partying Pad: Lawsuit

Orange County billionaire Don Bren’s Island Hotel gave multiple command-staff officers at the Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) free suites, massages, spa services, booze and food, as well as agreed to erase hotel-surveillance footage when the cops didn’t want any record of who they were partying with in rooms. Those allegations are contained in a […]

2 Oct, 2013

FREE Download: FAO Report says global hunger down, but millions still chronically hungry

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1 October 2013, Rome – Some 842 million people, or roughly one in eight, suffered from chronic hunger in 2011-13, not getting enough food to lead active and healthy lives according to a report released by the UN food agencies. The number is down from 868 million reported for the 2010-12 period, according to the […]

2 Oct, 2013

FREE Download: New Index Identifies Countries’ Ability to Develop and Nurture Human Capital

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New York, USA, 1 October 2013 – The World Economic Forum’s first Human Capital Index has identified the most successful countries in the world when it comes to maximizing the long-term economic potential of their respective labour forces. The Index, which measures countries on their ability to develop and deploy healthy, educated and able workers […]

2 Oct, 2013

Top 7 Interview Techniques – From Nearly 100 Years of Scientific Research

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–September 30, 2013  – Harvard University professor and Cangrade’s Senior Vice President Dr. Greg Willard completed an extensive review of nearly 100 years of job interviewing techniques and identified the ones that have lead to the best results. This research provides 7 simple steps to conducting an excellent interview. “There are many articles […]

1 Oct, 2013

Recovering alcoholics welcome in Brunei, says Sultanate’s top tour operator

Imtiaz Muqbil

BANGKOK – Millions of recovering alcoholics around the world are being invited to take their next holiday or hold their next big event in one of the world’s few publicly ‘dry’ destinations – Brunei Darussalam. Michael Lee, Managing Director of Freme Tours & Travel, based in the Bruneian capital of Bandar Seri Begawan, says the […]

1 Oct, 2013

Australian releases guide for mobile app developers, urges them to put privacy first

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30 September 2013 –  The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has today released Mobile privacy: A better practice guide for mobile app developers. With 6 in 10 Australians choosing not to use a smartphone app because of concerns about the way personal information would be used [1], the Guide will assist mobile app developers […]

1 Oct, 2013

China honours 50 foreign experts with Friendship Awards

By Lei Lei and He Dan

Beijing, 2013-09-29 (chinadaily.com.cn) – For Craig Joseph Heck, winning a Friendship Award is an once-in-a-lifetime experience, celebrated when he was one of 50 to receive China’s top award for foreign experts at the Great Hall of the People on Sunday afternoon. After winning an award from the local government in Wuhan last year, the 54-year-old […]

1 Oct, 2013

Chinese airlines hit by 80 false terror threats this year

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Beijing, (Xinhua), September 29, 2013 – Chinese airlines and airports have suffered more than 80 cases of false terrorist threats so far this year causing panic among the public, a court official said Sunday. Those involved in fabricating and deliberately spreading false terrorist threats will receive harsh punishments ranging from detention to a jail term […]

1 Oct, 2013

Xinhua Insight: China’s new tourism law to upgrade industry

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NANNING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) – He Yuhan feels both happy and disappointed while visiting Detian Waterfall on the China-Vietnam border, eleven years after her first visit. Back in 2002, the then 15-year-old girl traveled from Beijing to admire the breath-taking waterfall. Located in Daxin County in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it is the […]

1 Oct, 2013

China Focus: Tourism to be leading industry along Silk Road

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XI’AN, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) — Tourism will become one of the leading industries along the Silk Road economic belt, which covers western China, central Asia and Europe, according to officials and experts. The road has great charm and tourism will be a leading industry for the Silk Road economic belt, said Pavlos Geroulanos, former Greek […]

1 Oct, 2013

PATA UK Chapter Chairman: APD issue has expired its shelf-life, time to move on

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – The chairman of the PATA UK chapter has signalled PATA CEO Martin Craigs to cease going on about the UK Air Passenger Duty, saying the issue has run out of shelf-life. In a wide-ranging interview, Mr. Chris Lee said the UK government has not responded to Mr. Craigs and other travel industry leaders […]

30 Sep, 2013

Are branding gurus driving confused cabbies crazy?

by Punam Mohandas

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” So spake my ole pal, Shakespeare. Ahh, but he didn’t have to do battle with cabbies in Bangkok or Mumbai now, did he?! Cab drivers know all the little back alleys and short cuts and are kings […]

30 Sep, 2013

Involvement in the arts has wide-ranging benefits for young people – Research Study

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Canberra, 27 September 2013 (Australian Council for the Arts) – Students who are involved in the arts have higher school motivation, engagement in class, self-esteem, and life satisfaction, researchers discovered. The results, published in the latest issue of the prestigious Journal of Educational Psychology, found students who participate in dance, drama, music, and visual arts […]

30 Sep, 2013

Islam Thrives in the Alpujarras Mountains of Spain

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 30 September 2013 (24 Dhul Qa’dah 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story.

30 Sep, 2013

Strong tourism season gives Europe an economic boost and much needed jobs

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Brussels, 27 September 2013, European Commission Press release – Despite the economic crisis, Europe remains one of the favourite destinations. International tourist arrivals in Europe grew by 5 % during the first half of 2013, with best results recorded in Central and Eastern Europe (+ 9 %) and Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+ 6 %)1. […]

29 Sep, 2013

Smoking costing U.S. employers $278 billion annually in absenteeism, healthcare

by Dan Witters and Sangeeta Agrawal

WASHINGTON, D.C. -September 26, 2013 – Gallup Polls – Workers who smoke cost the U.S. economy an estimated $278 billion annually in lost productivity due to absenteeism and extra healthcare costs. This figure is based on an analysis of the cost of extra missed workdays due to poor health, partial absenteeism due to smoke breaks, […]

29 Sep, 2013

Schiphol Airport to relieve traveller hassles by ending security checks at individual gates

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Brussels, 27 Sept 2013 (Europa media release) –  The European Investment Bank (EIB), Europe’s long-term lending institution has agreed to provide a EUR 200 million loan to Schiphol Group to finance significant transformation of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. This will improve passenger experience at the airport through construction of a central security screening facility, ending the […]

29 Sep, 2013

India Expands Inter-City AC Double Decker Train Services

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Ministry of Railways, 27-September, 2013 – The AC Double Decker train between Habibganj and Indore, the first ever such train service in the state of Madhya Pradesh, was flagged off by the Minister of State for Railways Mr Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury at Habibganj railway station in Bhopal on 27 September 2013. This LHB AC Double […]

29 Sep, 2013

Chinese Golden Week Travel: Bangkok leads top 10 searched destinations

By Xu Lin

Beijing, 2013-09-26 (chinadaily.com.cn) – As the National Day week-long holiday period approaches, travel search site Tianxun.cn released findings about popular searches from Aug 1 to Sept 30 over the past three years. It shows that Bangkok remains at the top of searched destinations for the third year running, but Taipei, Los Angeles and Singapore have […]

29 Sep, 2013

Chinese govt departments adopt more frugal meetings to cut waste, extravagance

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Beijing, 2013-09-25, (China Daily) – In a fresh show of resolve to fight extravagance and promote frugality, central Party and government departments will have to cut their cafter a new regulation comes into effect on Jan 1. A regulation issued by the Ministry of Finance on Monday sets stricter standards for the size, duration and […]

29 Sep, 2013

Gallup Poll: Globally, Men Twice as Likely as Women to Have a Good Job

by Jenny Marlar and Elizabeth Mendes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 27, 2013 — In every region of the world, men surpass women when it comes to having a “good job” — that is, full-time work for an employer, or what Gallup refers to as the Payroll to Population (P2P) employment rate. Worldwide, the P2P employment rate for men is 34%; it […]

29 Sep, 2013

N.S.A. Gathers Data on Social Connections of U.S. Citizens – NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — Since 2010, the National Security Agency has been exploiting its huge collections of data to create sophisticated graphs of some Americans’ social connections that can identify their associates, their locations at certain times, their traveling companions and other personal information, according to newly disclosed documents and interviews with officials. The spy agency began […]

29 Sep, 2013

BBC News – Americans giving up citizenship to flee the taxman

Goodbye, US passport. That’s not a concept that Americans contemplate lightly. But it’s one that many of them seem to be considering – and acting on. The number of expatriates renouncing their US citizenship surged in the second quarter of 2013, compared with the same period the year before – 1,131 cases to 189 in […]

28 Sep, 2013

Philippines 45-day gun ban starts Sept 28 | Manila Bulletin

Authorities have imposed a 45-day gun ban starting Sept. 28 to Nov. 12 for the coming barangay elections on Oct. 28. The gun ban period covers 30 days before and 15 days after the elections. Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said they will also set up check points nationwide. He said individuals who […]

28 Sep, 2013

Seymour Hersh: Story About Killing Osama Bin Laden is One Big Lie | Alternet

September 27, 2013 | Seymour Hersh has got some extreme ideas on how to fix journalism – close down the news bureaus of NBC and ABC, sack 90% of editors in publishing and get back to the fundamental job of journalists which, he says, is to be an outsider. It doesn’t take much to fire […]

28 Sep, 2013

MoD study sets out how to sell wars to the public | The Guardian

The armed forces should seek to make British involvement in future wars more palatable to the public by reducing the public profile of repatriation ceremonies for casualties, according to a Ministry of Defence unit that formulates strategy. Other suggestions made by the MoD thinktank in a discussion paper examining how to assuage “casualty averse” public […]

27 Sep, 2013

Yet another doctored riot – Hindustan Times

By Harsh Mander, Director, Centre for Equity Studies People of diverse faiths who live together do not spontaneously turn against each other. There are three requisites for mass communal violence to occur. The first is the deliberate manufacture of hatred. The second is the manufacture of a ‘riot’. The third is a complicit State: no […]

27 Sep, 2013

Most pilots admit they have fallen asleep on duty – The Independent

Of the 500 commercial pilots polled, 43 per cent said they believed their abilities had been compromised at least once a month in the last six months by tiredness, with 84 per cent saying it has been compromised at some stage during the past six months. Also, 31 per cent did not believe their airline […]

27 Sep, 2013

Asia falls in global wealth list | The Japan Times

HONG KONG – Some 300,000 people joined Asia’s millionaire ranks last year, according to a new world wealth report that also found the region slipped behind a rebounding North America. The report, released Wednesday by CapGemini and Royal Bank of Canada, is the latest of several recent surveys highlighting the strong rise in the region’s […]

27 Sep, 2013

More nations to get visa breaks | The Japan Times

The Abe administration plans to relax visa requirements for Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos by the end of the year to help increase tourism, government sources said. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to unveil the plan next Tuesday at the same time he announces his decision on raising the consumption tax to 8 percent, the […]

27 Sep, 2013

The reason why Nokia and BlackBerry died – Times Of India

Nokia and BlackBerry are finished. The BlackBerry and Nokia that you and I knew are gone. They had their glory days. They ruled the market. They sold products that millions used. Those days are gone. So what killed Nokia and BlackBerry? I am sure books will be written on their demise and they will be […]

27 Sep, 2013

Goa, Kerala most advanced states; Gujarat among ‘less developed’ – Hindustan Times

The Raghuram Rajan panel report has made a case for ending the ‘special category’ criteria for providing additional assistance to poorer states, as it ranked Goa and Kerala as the most advanced states and Odisha and Bihar the least. The committee, headed by the then chief economic advisor Raghuram Rajan (now RBI governor) which was […]

27 Sep, 2013

The Palestinian village Israel has wiped off the map – The Independent

On 16 September the army destroyed Makhul at 5am, ordering residents to vacate so that the bulldozers could demolish the corrugated-metal dwellings and animal sheds. Some residents trace their presence at the site to before Israel’s victory in the 1967 war, though Israeli officials said most had dwellings in other locales and lived there just […]

27 Sep, 2013

The most honest cities in the world – The Independent

Would you hand in a lost wallet or would you keep it? According to the results of a new experiment, more people are likely to hand in a wallet in Helsinki, Finland than in any other city in the world. Eleven out of 12 wallets were returned to their owners in the Scandinavian city. As […]

27 Sep, 2013

Geopolitical instability tops the list of risks to growth: McKinsey Global Survey results

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September 2013  (McKinsey & Company) – Global executives are increasingly positive about the direction of the world economy, though in our latest survey on economic conditions,1 the source of their optimism has shifted away from emerging markets and toward the developed world. For the first time since we posed the question 18 months ago, respondents […]

27 Sep, 2013

2020 Olympics Games planners target airport access | The Japan Times

Sep 23, 2013 – Before hosting the 1964 Summer Olympic Games, Tokyo carried out an unprecedented upgrade of its transportation system that gave the capital a bullet train system, elevated highways and a monorail connecting the city with Haneda airport. Giving a similar boost to the infrastructure before the 2020 Games may be tricky, as […]

27 Sep, 2013

As support grows for internal overhaul, PATA comms manager exits

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – The communications manager of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, Ms Halona Padiachy, has resigned after only four months in the job. Her departure, effective immediately, comes just weeks after PATA CEO Martin Craigs publicly declared at the UN World Tourism Organisation General Assembly in Zambia that “the media must be confronted”. Ms Padiachy […]

27 Sep, 2013

Australia ends “nasty surprises” for its citizens using int’l mobile roaming

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Canberra,  (Australian Communications and Media Authority) – From Friday 27 September 2013 there will be fewer surprises for Australian consumers using international mobile roaming services. The Australian Communications and Media Authority’s International Mobile Roaming Standard takes effect from this date, although the implementation of the standard’s various components is staged. From tomorrow, all Australians travelling […]

27 Sep, 2013

Ageing population looms as 400 Beijing citizens turn 60 every day: report

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Beijing, (Xinhua) September 25, 2013 – Beijing is faced with rapid growth in its elderly population, with 400 more people reaching the age of 60 every day, according to a report by the city government. The capital will see an estimated increase of 100,000 senior citizens every year until 2020, which highlights the huge challenge […]

26 Sep, 2013

Incheon Airport Breaks Ground on Terminal 2, will set global benchmark in traveller comfort

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INCHEON, South Korea, Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Incheon International Airport  (ICN), the country’s busiest airport, and the only airport in the world to be voted best in the world by Airports Council International for eight consecutive years, breaks ground on Terminal 2. Gensler, as the collaborating design architect with the HMGY (Heerim-Mooyoung-Gensler-Yungdo) Consortium, designed […]

26 Sep, 2013

Study: Average Restaurant Patron Waits 23 Minutes During Busy Times

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Dallas, TX (PRWEB) September 26, 2013 – Restaurants have wait lists an average of 6.6 hours per week, with parties waiting nearly half an hour on average for a table, according to data from a new study. The survey of 267 restaurant owners and managers was released today by Long Range Systems, LLC (LRS), a […]

26 Sep, 2013

How to Beat the Debt Problems That College Students Usually Face

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Dallas, TX (PRWEB) September 26, 2013 – As if student loans are not enough, National Debt Relief reveals that there are actually two debt problems that college students usually face. The leading debt settlement company released an article on their website last September 22, entitled “2 Debt Problems Your Child Have To Deal With In […]

26 Sep, 2013

Survey: MillionaireMatch Men Prefer to Date Non-Millionaires, While Millionaire Women Prefer Rich Guys

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Los Angeles (PRWEB) September 26, 2013 – In a random sample of nearly 15,000 survey respondents from the luxury dating site MillionaireMatch.com, a new survey reveals that millionaire men are much more likely to seek out non-millionaires; only 8.2% preferred millionaires and 12.2% had no preference either way. But, interestingly, 84.5% of millionaire women prefer […]

26 Sep, 2013

Syria war a lucrative business for gun merchants

Damascus, 25 September 2013 (IINA) – While most Syrians get poorer with every day of war, Aleppo’s main gun seller Abu Mohammad is doing just fine by selling firearms, including rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and even swords. “War is great business,” said the northern city’s only gunshop owner, as he laid several hand grenades out on […]

26 Sep, 2013

Students offer practical ideas to boost tourism | The Japan Times

Creating a credit-card friendly market, providing round-the-clock public transportation and supporting travelers in multiple languages would go a long way toward increasing overseas visitors to Japan, international students advised the tourism ministry Wednesday. Speaking at the ministry’s first roundtable meeting of its kind, 12 students from eight countries presented their ideas to administration officials and […]

26 Sep, 2013

U.S. security agency bugged Indian missions in D.C., U.N. – The Hindu

Two of the most important nerve-centres of Indian diplomacy outside the country — the Permanent Mission of India at the United Nations and the embassy in Washington, DC — were targets of such sophisticated bugs implanted by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) that entire computer hard disks might have been copied by the American […]

26 Sep, 2013

Messiah Modi by Juggle-Bandhi : Jug Suraiya’s blog-The Times Of India

To his fans, Modi is like a Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, or a Baba Ramdev, but with the added attribute of political muscle which will haul this country out of the Kalyug into which it has been plunged and lead it to the promised realm of Ram rajya. This near deification of their hero is […]

25 Sep, 2013

Create cinema which builds a tolerant, harmonious India, President tells Indian film industry

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President’s Secretariat, 24-September, 2013 – The President of India Mr Pranab Mukherjee called upon the film industry to create Cinema which contributes to social transformation and moral upliftment. He was speaking on the occasion Centenary celebrations of Indian Cinema organized by Government of Tamil Nadu and South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce today (September 24, […]

25 Sep, 2013

UNCTAD Report Urges Harmonised Steps In ASEAN To Reap Potential Of E-Commerce

UNCTAD Media release

Geneva, 25 September 2013 – Countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), already well advanced in using e-commerce, should boost the development payoff of these technologies by taking steps to build consumer trust (see table 1 below), address payment fraud, and overcome difficulties in assessing the quality of products offered online, a […]