19 Aug, 2013

Rajasthan’s model is better than Modi’s Gujarat: CM Ashok Gehlot

Gujarat has always been a developed state. The development that is happening there is not balanced. We are giving all round development which is not happening in Gujarat. Modi is very good at marketing himself and has a strategy chalked out but the people of the country will never accept him. Read the rest: Rajasthan’s […]

19 Aug, 2013

Hate crime: British teen assaults Sikh man – Hindustan Times

The video of an 80-year-old Sikh man being punched in the face and shoved to the ground by a 19-year-old British woman has triggered outrage amid fresh concerns over hate crimes. Closed circuit television (CCTV) in the British city of Coventry in West Midlands has captured shocking footage of the woman attacking the elderly man, […]

19 Aug, 2013

Mob vandalizes art exhibition in Ahmedabad – Hindustan Times

More than a dozen men allegedly associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajarang Dal vandalized an art gallery in Ahmedabad where exhibition of Pakistan artists’ paintings was held. The members stormed gallery “Amdavad no gufa” which was created by late painter MF Hussain and a noted architect BV Doshi, on Friday after the […]

19 Aug, 2013

Mob vandalises Ahmedabad art exhibition, tears down paintings – Indian Express

A group of 20 persons vandalised an art exhibition at Amdavad ni Gufa in Ahmedabad on Friday afternoon. The group tore down more than two dozen paintings belonging to celebrated artists hailing from both India and Pakistan. It is being alleged that a group of “right wing” activists was behind the act. However, no organisation […]

18 Aug, 2013

Top Israeli official “sick” of commemorating Hiroshima, Nagasaki A-bomb victims | Japan Times

JERUSALEM – A senior Israeli government official has posted online comments on Facebook saying he is “sick” of commemorations for the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, a local newspaper reported. “I am sick of the Japanese, ‘Human rights’ and ‘Peace’ groups” over holding their “annual self-righteous commemorations for the Hiroshima and Nagasaki […]

18 Aug, 2013

5 Companies That Make Money By Keeping Americans Terrified of Terror Attacks | Alternet

August 16, 2013 | Michael Hayden, the former director of the National Security Agency, has invaded America’s television sets in recent weeks to warn about Edward Snowden’s leaks and the continuing terrorist threat to America. But what often goes unmentioned, as the Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald pointed out, is that Hayden has a financial stake in […]

18 Aug, 2013

Exclusive: WikiLeaks Cable exposes U.S. bid to penetrate Brazil’s security apparatus

Imtiaz Muqbil

Former U.S. Department of Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff cited unspecified “threats” by “ill-intentioned individuals or groups” in attempting to persuade Brazilian security ministers and officials to give the U.S. a vital foothold in the Brazilian travel, transport, trade and sports events networks, according to a WikiLeaks cable. Using touchy-feely buzzwords such as “partnerships,” “cooperation” […]

17 Aug, 2013

Indian Railways to Provide Braille Signage in Passenger Coaches

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Ministry of Railways, 16-August, 2013 – As a part of its social commitment to make Railways more friendly towards specially abled passengers, Indian Railways has decided to provide Braille stickers in coaches to facilitate visually impaired passengers. Presently coaches are provided with signage, instructions, seat numbers etc. which are mostly in the form of vinyl […]

17 Aug, 2013

Food Workers Union: Martin Luther King’s Dreams of Jobs, Economic Equality Still Unfulfilled

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– August 16, 2013 – The following is a statement issued by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) regarding the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington: “The UFCW is proud to stand with our brothers and sisters from across the country to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on […]

17 Aug, 2013

Survey Shows Uneven Economic Picture for U.S. Landscape Architecture Firms

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– August 13, 2013  – U.S. landscape architecture firms are experiencing sluggish but steady growth as they emerge from the recession, according to the American Society of Landscape Architects’ (ASLA) second quarter 2013 Business Quarterly survey. More firms reported stable or rising billable hours but have pared down their plans to hire. 82.8 percent […]

17 Aug, 2013

Assistive Wheelchair Tray Developed to Help People with Disabilities Use iPads

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– August 15, 2013 – “RoboDesk,” a motorized wheelchair tray, could provide people with disabilities with an efficient and easy-to-use method to more easily position and remove an iPad or other mobile devices without being limited by a table or moving in and out of the chair. Brad Duerstock, a Purdue University […]

17 Aug, 2013

China set to overtake US as world’s No 1 consumer – S&P Report

By Zhang Yuwei (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-08-15 – Even with the ongoing slowdown of China’s economic growth, the world’s No 2 economy is expected to overtake the US to become the world’s largest consumer market in the next five years, according to a new report by Standard & Poor’s (S&P). The report – entitled Financial Risks Are Rising as Retail […]

17 Aug, 2013

Chinese millionaires report features first “Happiness Index”

By Shi Jing in Shanghai (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-08-15 09:17 – At a time of economic slowdown combined with market uncertainties, Chinese millionaires’ confidence in the country’s economy in the next two years has dropped for a second consecutive year, according to the GroupM Knowledge-Hurun Wealth Report 2013. The report was co-released by the media investment management firm GroupM China and the […]

17 Aug, 2013

Beijing-Tokyo dispute will have “serious ramifications” for ASEAN

By Kavi Chongkittavorn (China Daily)

Bangkok, 2013-08-15 – The intensifying hostility between China and Japan and the increasing mutual distrust between their people will have serious ramifications on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. For the past three decades, the two Asian giants’ stable relations have helped generate huge volumes of trade and investment and propelled the region’s economic progress. […]

17 Aug, 2013

In U.S., 15% of Women Feel Unfairly Denied a Promotion – Gallup Poll

by Elizabeth Mendes

WASHINGTON, D.C. August 16, 2013 (Gallup Polls) — Fifteen percent of U.S. working women say they have at some point felt passed over for a promotion or opportunity at work because of their gender, while 85% say they have never felt that way. These perceptions are similar by age, educational attainment, and employment in a […]

17 Aug, 2013

The Next Big Thing: Asia <> Africa Travel

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – With the industrialised countries more or less saturated as generators of global travel, and intra-Asia/Pacific travel booming, sights are turning towards what is likely to be the next big source market for Asia by the end of this decade: Africa. The groundwork for this boom to come is being laid now. One step […]

16 Aug, 2013

Modi’s speech laid bare his conceit, lack of etiquette – Dileep Padgaonkar

The one who takes the cake for violating every norm, convention and etiquette that public figures are expected to respect on Independence Day is Narendra Modi. He had the gall to announce that the nation should decide whose address was more effective: his own in Bhuj or the Prime Minister’s address from the ramparts of […]

16 Aug, 2013

British Museum confirms identity of stolen Egyptian artefact – Ahram Online

In 2011, the British Museum identified four relief fragments as stolen. These came from the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, but that theft had occurred back in the 1980s. Except these six objects, no other stolen objects have come to the attention of the museum experts since the 2011 revolution. “I have little doubt, though, […]

15 Aug, 2013

China asks: Who gave America the right to launch network assaults?

By Shen Dingli

Beijing, (People’s Daily Online), August 14, 2013 – Edward Snowden revealed the fact of large-scale telecom monitoring at home and abroad by the United States, confirming people’s previous assumptions. However, the world was still shocked by the depth and the breadth of the monitoring. In response to the numerous questions put to the United States […]

15 Aug, 2013

How bird-cage making, a Malay Muslim art, strives to build peace in South Thailand

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Yala, (World Bank Update) August 13, 2013 – Three years ago, Ban Kue-meng was just another rural town in Thailand’s Yala province. These days, it is known as the home of some of the best bird cage makers in the country. Bird cage making, a Malay Muslim art in Thailand’s southernmost provinces (known locally as the […]

14 Aug, 2013

Forget the beach, try an on-the-job vacation | The Japan Times

Forget the beach, try an on-the-job vacation by Masaaki Kameda KidZania, the theme park where children can role-play professions such as doctor or firefighter, has proved popular around the world: entertainment centers are now operating in 10 countries in addition to Japan, including Mexico, Indonesia and Portugal. Similarly, in Tokyo, there is a business that […]

14 Aug, 2013

UNHCR appeals for dialogue following more anti-Muslim violence in Myanmar

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GENEVA, 13 August (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) – The UNHCR on Tuesday called for measures to prevent further violence in the wake of the latest clashes between displaced Muslims and security forces in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. “The clashes last Friday have left one man dead and about 10 people injured,” UN refugee agency spokesman […]

14 Aug, 2013

Marking Youth Day, UN Officials Spotlight Rights And Potential Of Young Migrants

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United Nations, Aug 13 2013 (UN News Centre) – Marking International Youth Day, United Nations officials today highlighted the plight as well as the contributions of young migrants, who often face hard conditions away from their homes. “It is important to emphasize the positive contribution young migrants make to societies of origin, transit and destination […]

14 Aug, 2013

UN Experts Urge Israel To Stop Harassment Of Palestinian Human Rights Activist Issa Amro

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GENEVA (13 August 2013) Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – – A group of United Nations independent human rights experts* expressed deep concern at the alleged ongoing judicial harassment, intimidation and abusive treatment directed against Issa Amro, a prominent Palestinian human rights defender. Mr. Amro was arrested and detained 20 times […]

14 Aug, 2013

Visa Global Travel Study: Americans Plan to Spend 40% More on Next Foreign Trip

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FOSTER CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–August 13, 2013 – According to the Global Travel Intentions Study 2013 by Visa Inc. U.S. travelers crave culture, are tech savvy and plan to significantly increase their travel budget on their next international trip. Findings revealed that travelers plan to spend 40 percent more on their next international trip compared to […]

14 Aug, 2013

Are Rohingya the world’s most unwanted people? – Sydney Morning Herald

Kutupalong New Camp, Bangladesh-Myanmar border: Mohammed Rahim* has walked an hour to talk to us, from the green slopes of western Myanmar where he lives, down through the jungle, past the razor-wire fence and the border checkpoints, to this small wooden hut in Bangladesh. From the window where he sits, the 18-year-old can see the […]

14 Aug, 2013

Report: Small Businesses “Uniquely Vulnerable” to Climate Change, Extreme Weather

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 25, 2013 – U.S. small businesses – widely recognized as the backbone of the U.S. economy – are particularly at risk from extreme weather and climate change and must take steps to adapt, according to a new report from Small Business Majority and the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC). Titled “Climate […]

14 Aug, 2013

US to target tax-evading Americans in the Gulf | Arab News

The United States Internal Revenue Service is inching toward implementing a tax law targeting US taxpayers holding unreported foreign financial assets. The law will have a far-reaching impact on American expatriates who have accounts with financial institutions in the GCC. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act FATCA, signed into law by President Barack Obama in […]

13 Aug, 2013

New York Judge’s Ruling Opens Door To Combat Racial Profiling In Travel

Imtiaz Muqbil

In a move that is set to have a significant impact on the conduct of security personnel at airports and right across the travel & transport system, a judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on Aug 12 that the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk policy has led […]

13 Aug, 2013

HK PolyTech Univ Invites Applications for Ph.D. Scholarships

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Hong Kong, 13 Aug 21013 – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) invites expressions of interest from graduates, irrespective of country of origin and ethnic background, with evidence of academic excellence, research ability and potential, and good communication, interpersonal and leadership abilities for full-time PhD study in Hong Kong within the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship […]

13 Aug, 2013

China Mulls Ways to Boost Safety of Its Overseas Travellers, Residents

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BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — A Chinese national has returned to safety after Thursday’s attack in Afghan capital Kabul that killed three Chinese self-employed business people. Another Chinese citizen is still missing. The incident drew wide attention from home and abroad, as the issue of the safety of Chinese nationals overseas becomes more and more […]

13 Aug, 2013

SR2.2bn reservoir to solve Jeddah’s water woes – Arab News

The National Water Company announced on Sunday that it was building a strategic water reservoir in Jeddah at a cost of SR2.2 billion with a capacity of 6 million cubic meters to meet requirements of the city’s growing population. The water storage facility is being built in Briman. The project’s first phase, which is designed […]

13 Aug, 2013

Real cost of U.K. benefits squeeze: £1,600 per family – The Independent

Welfare cuts that are meant to get the jobless back to work are driving down the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people who are in no position to find a job, an assessment of the Coalition’s welfare reforms says today. Researchers, who have used data to forecast what will happen to the 1.18 […]

13 Aug, 2013

Asian Century Rising: Will India become a “strategic vassal” of the U.S.?

By Fu Xiaoqiang

Beijing, (Global Times), August 12, 2013 – US Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to India in late July has moved New Delhi closer toward an alliance between these two nations. Although the US and India share common interests in containing China, their strategic goals and policy paths are quite different. Illustration: Liu Rui/GT To a […]

13 Aug, 2013

Radiation fears forced postponement of Japan visit by U.S. students | The Japan Times

By BRIAN VICTORIA, Yellow Springs, Ohio In April of this year I was forced to make one of the most difficult decisions of my teaching career at the tertiary level: I was forced to recommend to the university authorities where I was employed that they postpone their planned Study Abroad Program in Japan scheduled for […]

12 Aug, 2013

1 Million Japanese school students sign nuke abolition call | The Japan Times

NAGASAKI – A students’ group in Nagasaki Prefecture said Sunday it has collected more than 1 million signatures from senior high school students calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons since it started gathering them in 2001. At a meeting in Nagasaki the same day of about 50 former and current members of the group, […]

12 Aug, 2013

40% of Indian airport staff fail explosives screening test – Indian Express

A little over 40 per cent of security personnel posted at airports across the country, who are supposed to detect explosives and suspicious objects in the hand baggage of passengers, fail to do their job, a test conducted by the country’s aviation security regulator, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), has found. The X-ray […]

12 Aug, 2013

Can the American image be salvaged – Al-Ahram Weekly

Egyptian American relations on the official level have seen worse times than these tense moments. But it is on the public level that The American image in now seeing its worse. For the Obama administration to start dealing with this heavy task, it has first to stop being on the wrong side of history trying […]

12 Aug, 2013

China Hosts 6th UNWTO Conference on Silk Road Tourism

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 12 August 2013 (05 Shawwal 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story.

12 Aug, 2013

The backlash begins: I want to shop where no one knows my name

By Diana Elliott

Is it seriously possible to do anything anonymously these days? Shop assistants ask me my name before letting me use the change room. If I buy something, I’m asked for my home address, email and birthday so they can put me on their ”mailing list” (spam). And then the most ignominious of all – my […]

12 Aug, 2013

Anger mounts over Israel’s ‘Ramadan permits’

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Ramallah, 06 August  2013 (IINA) – Palestinians have expressed anger at the timing of a decision by Israel to issue more than 200,000 entry permits during the holy month of Ramadan, which they say is geared towards boosting the Israeli economy. Store-owners in the West Bank say they will be badly hit as up to one million […]

11 Aug, 2013

Three Biggest Lies About Lowering Corporate Taxes

Instead of spending August on the beach, corporate lobbyists are readying arguments for when Congress returns in September about why corporate taxes should be lowered. But they’re lies. You need to know why so you can spread the truth. Read the rest: The Three Biggest Lies About Why Corporate Taxes Should Be Lowered.

11 Aug, 2013

Lavabit Owner’s Farewell Warning: Don’t Trust Your Data to U.S. Companies – Truthdig

The owner and CEO of the secure email service reportedly used by Edward Snowden decided to shut down Thursday rather than help the U.S. spy on his customers. According to The Guardian: “Lavabit, an email service that boasted of its security features and claimed 350,000 customers, is no more, apparently after rejecting a court order […]

11 Aug, 2013

Chinese Medicine Fair to be held in HK, 15-17 Aug

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Hong Kong, Aug 8, 2013 – (ACN Newswire) – About 140 exhibitors and 20 expert speakers will present the latest Chinese medicine and health products, solutions and intelligence at the 12th edition of the International Conference & Exhibition of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM), 15-17 August. Jointly organised by the Hong […]

10 Aug, 2013

City of Confucius gets first international hotel

By Xu Lin

2013-08-10, (China Daily) – It is a sprawling traditional Chinese pavilion topped by grey roofs with tiers of overhanging eaves. This is the latest Shangri-la Hotel in China, opened on Aug 1 in Qufu, home of Confucius. With an area of more than 50,000 square meters spread across two streets corners, the hotel allows guests […]

10 Aug, 2013

On Eid, Ahmedabad mall charges entry fee from Muslims – Times of India

AHMEDABAD: A trip in the celebratory spirit of Eid turned out to be an experience in discrimination for many Muslims in Narendra Modi’s Gujarat. The Himalaya Mall, among the five biggest malls in Ahmedabad, on Friday announced a fee of Rs 20 from visitors from the minority community, to be returned to them only if […]

10 Aug, 2013

An Island Where People Live the Way We Used To | The Japan Times

by Amy Chavez Perhaps the best thing about living on a small island in Japan of just 583 people (258 men and 325 women) is that you can walk out your door and kiss the online world goodbye. Here, most people don’t walk around glued to their cellphones, the majority don’t even have smartphones, and […]

10 Aug, 2013

2nd Congress of Indonesian Diaspora to open Aug 18

Jakarta Post

Jakarta, August 10 2013 – Indonesia will organize the 2nd Congress of Indonesian Diaspora (CID II), the biggest gathering of Indonesians living overseas, in Jakarta to connect and unite into one big family and increase the contribution of Indonesian Diaspora to the nation, the Foreign Ministry says. “The Congress of Indonesian Diaspora aims to increase […]

10 Aug, 2013

Registered Overseas Indian Citizens Total 1.37 million

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Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, 07-August, 2013 – A total of 1,372,624 Overseas Indians have been registered as overseas citizens of India (OCIs) as of 31.07.2013. The highest number of 520,055 Overseas Indians in USA have been registered as OCIs followed by U.K. (307,822,) Australia (133,755) and Canada (114,748). As reported by 107 Indian Missions […]

10 Aug, 2013

UN Stresses Importance Of Honouring Treaties With World’s 370m Indigenous People

Compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil

United Nations, Aug 9 2013 (UN News Centre) – Marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, United Nations officials today urged governments to honour the treaties and agreements established with their indigenous groups, stressing that respecting official policies is the only way to maintain peace and advance development. EDITOR’S COMMENT Travel Impact Newswire […]

10 Aug, 2013

Separation trouble spreads in northeast India after Telangana decision – Hindustan Times

Earlier this week, a cartoon in an Assamese daily showed two persons standing on a sandbar in the Brahmaputra with one saying to the other: “Thank god, this river hasn’t yet been divided”. The cartoon was referring to violent statehood agitations across Assam that the UPA’s endorsement of Telangana triggered. It was also a reminder […]

10 Aug, 2013

“Clean Government” policy: China says official spending now largely checked

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BEIJING, 2013-08-09 (Xinhua) – A regulation proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on major measures to slash government spending has been properly and effectively implemented, the government said on Thursday. However, violations have not been eliminated, according to the statement, which added that the State Council, or China’s cabinet, will work with relevant authorities to […]

10 Aug, 2013

Indigenous canoe trip celebrates 400-year-old peace treaty

UN News Centre

United Nations, 9 August 2013 – More than 200 indigenous and non-indigenous canoe paddlers arrived in Manhattan today, after having travelled for almost two weeks down the Hudson River from upstate New York, to take part in an event at the United Nations to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on Aug […]

9 Aug, 2013

Johannesburg Tops African Millionaires List

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JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) –Johannesburg, the commercial capital of South Africa, is home to far more dollar millionaires than any other city in Africa, research has found. The “city of gold” topped the continent’s rich list with 23,400 millionaires at the end of 2012, according to New World Wealth, a consultancy based in Oxford in […]

9 Aug, 2013

HR Chiefs Recount Best and Worst of Job-Seekers’ Tactics and Antics

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CHICAGO, Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ –Would you hire job seekers who sang their interview, dressed as a clown, or printed their resume on a chocolate bar?  CareerBuilder asked 2,076 hiring managers and human resource professionals nationwide to share the most memorable methods candidates have used to stand out from the crowd, and whether their creativity […]

9 Aug, 2013

Chinese analyst: U.S. “goof-up” in Egypt will create more trouble for years

By Chu Zhaogen (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-08-09 – Violence in Egypt has escalated since the army moved ousted president Mohamed Morsi to a secret location, where he is being held on accusations for having “conspired” with Gaza-based Hamas to carry out “hostile acts” inside Egypt. The bloodshed in late July, which followed by nationwide protests and clashes between Morsi’s supporters […]

9 Aug, 2013

Four shot in Texas in another U.S. homegrown terrorist rampage

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DALLAS, 2013-08-08, (Agencies) — A suspect in the fatal shootings of four people in two Dallas-area homes was in custody Thursday as police tried to determine what prompted the attacks just minutes apart and whether an explosive was used. Four people were wounded in the late Wednesday shootings. Investigators arrested Erbie Bowser at the second […]

9 Aug, 2013

China’s slowdown worries “overblown”

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Beijing, (Xinhua)  August 09, 2013 – Worries triggered by the recent slight slowdown in China’s economic growth are “overblown,” but Chinese policymakers need to continue pushing forward key reforms to facilitate its economic restructuring, a China expert said Thursday. China is still among the fastest growing economies in the world, and only a handful of […]

9 Aug, 2013

Chinese security expert: U.S. exaggerating “terrorism” threat

(People's Daily Online)

Beijing August 09, 2013 – The U.S. recently announced the closure of a number of its embassies in the Muslim world until the end of Ramadan, claiming that it faced “the most serious terrorist threats since September 11 attacks”. It is standard procedure for the U.S. to issue occasional alerts to its overseas agencies. But […]

9 Aug, 2013

T-Mobile faces lawsuit over Geolocation of Cell Phones Patent

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NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — North South Holdings Inc. (“North South”) — an intellectual property development company, today is announcing that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, Guidance IP LLC, filed a complaint against T-Mobile USA, Inc. for alleged patent infringement. The complaint is filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District […]

9 Aug, 2013

Privacy Int’l to challenge telecoms firms over surveillance cooperation | The Guardian

BT and Vodafone are among seven large telecoms firms which could be pulled into a legal challenge under human rights law for cooperating with GCHQ’s large-scale internet surveillance programs. Lawyers for the group Privacy International, whose mission is to defend the right to privacy, have written to the chief executives of the telecoms companies identified […]

9 Aug, 2013

China’s obesity rate growing

By Sun Xiaochen and Lei Lei (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-08-06 – More Chinese people aged 20 to 39 are becoming overweight and their athletic ability is declining, according to a national survey released on Monday. The survey of more than 43,000 adults found that more than 11 percent of people aged 20 to 39 are obese, an increase of 2 percentage points since […]

9 Aug, 2013

Index shows rise in global acceptance of Chinese yuan

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Beijing, 2013-08-07 – A major index measuring global acceptance of the Chinese currency rose 4.8 percent in June from the previous month. The Standard Chartered Renminbi Globalisation Index reached 1,050 in June, up 65 percent year-on-year, withstanding macro and market uncertainties, the bank said on Wednesday. The bank said the rise was mainly driven by […]

9 Aug, 2013

Report outlines state of Aussie public health & welfare

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Canberra, 08 Aug 2013 – Australians are living longer, are better educated and extending their stay in the workforce, but some people continue to be disadvantaged, according to the latest welfare report card from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). From the latest figures available, Australian governments spent an estimated $119 billion on […]

9 Aug, 2013

Another Israeli Move to Wipe Palestine Off the Map – Al Jazeera English

Israel has given preliminary approval for the construction of more than 800 new homes in Jewish settlements on the occupied West Bank, an Israeli official has said. Guy Inbar, the spokesman for Israel’s military-run Civil Administration in the West Bank, said on Thursday that initial plans to build 800 new settler homes were approved a […]

8 Aug, 2013

Health & Wellness Update: Chiropractors Encourage Backpack Safety for Students

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BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Aug. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Over 79 million students carry a backpack to school each day. However, most students are unaware of the potential hazards such as neck and back problems that come with the improper use of backpacks. To avoid long-term injuries and prepare students for the fall, Minnesota chiropractors encourage families to […]

8 Aug, 2013

Ramadan a chance to reflect on charity, selflessness – William McKeith, SMH

By William McKeith For the first time in my life I have spent Ramadan working among the Muslim people of Lakemba. As a non-Muslim, who has lived and worked with mainly Christian and secular families, and had very little exposure to the Muslim faith, this holiest month in the Islamic Lunar calendar has concentrated my […]

8 Aug, 2013

Diabetes will soon be Australia’s number one killer – Sydney Morning Herald

Going blind. Getting your leg cut off. Kidneys packing up. Dying of a heart attack. The implications of being diagnosed with diabetes are shocking. Yet it seems many of us keep ignoring the alarm bells, with rates of diabetes soaring across the globe. This disease is big. It’s growing. It’s scary and it’s very expensive. […]

8 Aug, 2013

Survey reveals extent of social segregation in UK – The Independent

Just one in 10 Britons has a best friend from a different ethnic background, according to research which reveals that racial segregation is still a major issue in the UK. The polling for The Challenge Network, which aims to encourage integration through youth and community groups, found that Britons are in fact 8 per cent […]

8 Aug, 2013

A Fukushima fisherman’s tale: Radioactive Water Poisoning World’s Oceans – The Independent

Just 27 miles up the coast from this small harbour town, radioactivity from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant leaks into the ocean, and into the sardines, mackerel and squid that three generations of Mr Ichida’s family once caught. Engineers are fighting what appears to be a losing battle to stop the leaks from worsening. […]

8 Aug, 2013

India protests racial/ethnic profiling of travellers, cyber-intrusions

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New Delhi, 7 August 2013 (Press Information Bureau and Travel Impact Newswire) – The Indian government has protested the growing number of incidents involving the racial profiling and harassment of Indian travellers at airports around the world. It has also declared as “unacceptable” the “violation of Indian laws relating to the privacy of information of […]

7 Aug, 2013

Who wants to be a whistle-blower? – The Hindu

Both the verdict against Mr. Manning as well as the treatment meted out to him by the military since his May 2010 arrest leave troubling, unanswered questions about the Obama administration’s continuing belligerence towards not only free journalism in this country but freedom itself. Judge Lind’s decision to hand out a guilty verdict under six […]

7 Aug, 2013

10 Ways to Reduce the Threat of Terrorist Attacks on Americans | Alternet

10. Spend foreign aid money on education, healthcare and lifting people out of poverty. For a fraction of the money we keep wasting each month on the failed war in Afghanistan or supporting the already wealthy Israeli military, we could be building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, helping Yemenis find a solution to their water […]

7 Aug, 2013

Restaurants’ displays of fake food are real deal for tourists | The Japan Times

Alberto Pellegrini doesn’t speak or read Japanese, a deficit that threatened to leave the Italian tourist starving in a nation famous for its gastronomic delights. Fortunately for the hungry honeymooner, restaurants across this food-obsessed nation — where English menus range from sparse to nonexistent — often display their wares in the form of intricately made […]

7 Aug, 2013

Study: US debt is over $70 trillion, six times more than declared – RT USA

The United States has accumulated over $70 trillion in unreported debt, an amount nearly six times the declared figure, according to a new study by University of California-San Diego economics Professor James Hamilton. The unique aspect of Hamilton’s study is that he examines federal debt that has not been publicly released, specifically the government’s support […]

7 Aug, 2013

Survey: Most Travel Managers Not Adjusting Corporate Policy In Light Of “Terror Threat”

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August 6, 2013, RADNOR, PA, (Press Statement): The Business Travel Coalition (BTC) today released results of a survey of travel managers designed to determine what travel policy changes and other support travelers are receiving in light of news of a major terror threat. Introduction Given the new intelligence suggesting that Al Qaeda may launch attacks […]

7 Aug, 2013

Health & Wellness Update: WHO releases guidance on managing post-trauma stress

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6 August 2013 | GENEVA – (World Health Organization) WHO is releasing new clinical protocols and guidelines to health-care workers for treating the mental health consequences of trauma and loss. Mental disorders are common, disabling and usually untreated, and WHO’s “Mental Health Global Action Programme (mhGAP)” was developed in 2008 to scale-up care for mental, […]

7 Aug, 2013

Finalists named for Europe’s most inspirational, innovative regional projects awards 2014

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Brussels, 6 August 2013, European commission media release – The finalists for the RegioStars 2014 awards which honour Europe’s most inspirational and innovative regional projects were published today in Brussels. The RegioStars Awards Jury singled out 19 finalists from 80 projects supported by EU Regional Funds on the basis of four key criteria: innovation, impact, […]

7 Aug, 2013

Across Europe, phone call rates differ by 774%!!

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Brussels, European Commission Press release, 6 August 2013 – Mobile users across the European Union face huge price differences for the same services. The biggest price difference is in domestic mobile calls – a 774% difference between Lithuania, the cheapest country, and Netherlands, the most expensive. These price differences cannot be explained by differences in […]

7 Aug, 2013

A Palestinian Speaks in Hiroshima: War is a way rich get richer at expense of the poor

Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh

Hiroshima, Aug 6, 2013 – I and Oliver Stone both spoke at Hiroshima on the anniversary of the first nuclear bombing in human history and we are slated to speak in two days at Nagasaki on the anniversary of the second nuclear attack. My speech is below. These remain the most starkest of acts of […]

7 Aug, 2013

Communist Party of China to maintain high pressure on corruption

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BEIJING, (Xinhua)  August 06, 2013  — For those questioning whether the Communist Party of China (CPC) is serious about its anti-corruption drive, the growing number of officials under punishment has shown the party’s zero-tolerance to such wrongdoing. Four court officials in Shanghai were suspended from their posts last week and investigated after alleged hiring of […]

7 Aug, 2013

Give Chinese overseas tourists a break

By William Daniel Garst

(China Daily), August 06, 2013 – If China’s media is to be believed, Chinese tourists visiting foreign countries have become the new “ugly Americans”. Hardly a day goes by without some report of boorish and culturally insensitive behavior on the part of Chinese traveling overseas. For example, some “rude Chinese tourist” stories published online go […]

6 Aug, 2013

ADB, Australia, Korea To Support New Transport Link in Mekong Delta

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5 August 2013 (ADB Media release)— The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will lend $410 million to Viet Nam to build sections of a second arterial highway connecting Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta and southern coastal regions. Lao Bao (Lao BaÒo) international checkpoint linking Viet Nam to Lao PDR. Photo: ADB “Viet Nam […]

6 Aug, 2013

Newly Expanded Colombo Port To Make Sri Lanka Into Competitive Shipping Hub

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COLOMBO, (ADB Media release) 5 August 2013 — The newly expanded Colombo Port formally opened for business today, a move that will allow Sri Lanka to regain its role as a leading South Asia trans-shipment hub. Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa opened the port, which was also attended by Xiaoyu Zhao, Vice-President at the Asian […]

6 Aug, 2013

British Company Launches “Chocolate Tourism”

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London, United Kingdom (PRWEB) August 05, 2013 – The $100 billion global chocolate and culinary tourism industries are being collided together by British company City Delights Ltd with their creation, ‘Chocolate Tourism: Delivered to you’. The revolutionary concept of City Delights is to capture the experience of tasting the very best local hand-made chocolates, but […]

6 Aug, 2013

Surveillance backlash: U.S. cloud computing industry could lose $22-$35 billion

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Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) August 05, 2013 – The United States is the international leader in cloud computing, dominating every segment of the nearly $130 billion industry. However, recent revelations about the extent to which the National Security Administration obtains data from third-parties through the PRISM program, may lead to significant changes in the global cloud […]

6 Aug, 2013

Glenn Greenwald: Is the U.S. Exaggerating Terror Threat to Silence Critics of Surveillance? | Alternet

For eight straight years, literally, Democrats, every time there was a terrorist alert or a terrorist advisory issued by the United States government in the middle of a debate over one of the Bush-Cheney civil liberties abuses, would accuse the United States government and the national security state of exaggerating terrorism threats, of manipulating advisories, […]

6 Aug, 2013

US gurdwara attack victim’s son bonds with repentant racist – Hindustan Times

Six weeks after a white supremacist gunned down Pardeep Kaleka’s father and five others at a Sikh gurdwara in the US last year, Kaleka was skeptical when a former skinhead reached out and invited him to dinner. But Kaleka accepted, and he’s grateful he did. Since then, the grieving son and repentant racist have formed […]

6 Aug, 2013

2nd World Hindu Economic Forum to be held in Bangkok, Aug 10-11

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Bangkok – The 2nd World Hindu Economic Forum will be held in the Thai capital during August 10-11, 2013 under the theme, “Making Society Prosperous – Strengthening Economy and Shaping Future.” World Hindu Economic Forum is an initiative to create and synergize positive and mutually beneficial networking among Hindu entrepreneurs, investors, industrialists, businessmen, professional, bankers, […]

6 Aug, 2013

China People’s Daily: Time to break the hegemony of western discourse

Edited and translated by Zhang Qian, People's Daily Online

(People’s Daily Online), August 05, 2013 – Reading the recent policy speeches of western leaders might create the impression that most of the content concerns the domestic economy, the management of which is indeed a current and pressing task. However, closer inspection reveals an ongoing insistence on promoting ‘western values’ to the world. What lies […]

6 Aug, 2013

Ex-spy ‘Falcon’: Surveillance state only just beginning to flex its muscles – CNN.com

Transparency, public disclosure, and open debate will be stifled as America becomes the world’s first cyber-superpower. And politicians of both parties will go on fearing to resist lest they be blamed should a cyber-attack happen. Our surveillance state is only just beginning to flex its technological muscles. We have nothing to lose but our civil […]

6 Aug, 2013

Opinion: We’re living ‘1984’ today – CNN.com

CNN — It appears that the police now have a device that can read license plates and check if a car is unregistered, uninsured or stolen. We already know that the National Security Agency can dip into your Facebook page and Google searches. And it seems that almost every store we go into these days […]

5 Aug, 2013

Japan Tourism agency wants to make food, cosmetics duty-free | The Japan Times

The Japan Tourism Agency will propose adding food and cosmetics to the list of duty-free items for foreign travelers as part of its fiscal 2014 reform plan, agency sources said Sunday. The proposal is aimed at attracting travelers to mitigate the impact of the first stage of the sales tax hike planned for next April. […]

5 Aug, 2013

Ahead of Youth Day, UN chief hears concerns from young people worldwide

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United Nations, (UN News Centre) 5 August 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today held an interactive dialogue with young people across the world and launched an online United Nations Platform for Youth in conjunction with his Special Envoy on this issue. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas “Your generation is the largest the world has ever known,” Mr. […]

5 Aug, 2013

Punk Rockers break Myanmar’s silence on anti-Muslim attacks – The Hindu

Punk rockers draw double-takes as they dart through traffic, but it’s not just the pink hair, leather jackets or skull tattoos that make these 20-somethings rebels- It’s their willingness to speak out against Buddhist monks instigating violence against Muslims while others in Myanmar are silent. “If they were real monks, I’d be quiet, but they […]

5 Aug, 2013

U.S. foreign policy: You reap what you sow – pravda.ru

So the big picture these days is the lobbies, whose foot-soldiers are NATO and whose general command is the FUKUS Axis, centred on Washington using proxies to conduct their policies, funding and harbouring terrorists on their own lists of proscribed groups, using these to destabilize sovereign states. It is illegal, under international law. This is […]

5 Aug, 2013

Asian tourism market worth A$20 bln for Australia by 2020

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CANBERRA, August 4 (Xinhua) — The Asian region could collectively be worth more than 20 billion AU dollars (17.8 billion U.S. dollars) to Australia’s tourism industry by 2020, a media release by Tourism Minister Gary Gray quoted him as saying on Sunday. Gray said Tourism Australia would receive 12.5 million AU dollars (11.1 million U.S. […]

5 Aug, 2013

Regal Riverside Hotel Hong Kong Launches New Halal Kitchen

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Hong Kong – Regal Riverside Hotel has announced that its newly launched Halal kitchen in L’Eau Restaurant has been awarded the Halal Certificate by The Incorporated Trustees of The Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong. After several rounds of inspection and verification, the newly built kitchen has met the criteria for certification as Halal.  It […]

5 Aug, 2013

Truthdigger of the Week: Bradley Manning – Truthdig

Is there anything to envy about someone who sacrifices all the worthwhile possibilities of life for the chance to save the rest of us? In the future, American justice decrees, Manning will never know the pleasures and terrors of dating in what remains of his 20s. He won’t enjoy long walks and leisurely picnics, the […]

5 Aug, 2013

Bill Blum: The Surveillance State Is as Strong as Ever – Truthdig

The harsh treatment of whistle-blowers will likely continue into the foreseeable future in pace with the needs and expansion of the surveillance state itself. In the aftermath of last month’s defeat of a proposed amendment to the Patriot Act that would have placed new limits on the National Security Agency’s ability to track phone records, […]