23 Aug, 2012

Shoppers Leave Stores, Buy Online for Discounts as Low as 2.5%

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ST. LOUIS – August 20, 2012 – (BUSINESS WIRE)–Forty-five percent of customers shopping in-store at brick and mortar locations will walk out and complete their purchase online for a discount as low as 2.5%, new research from GroupM Next examining the showrooming trend reveals. This number jumps to 60% of shoppers who will leave and […]

23 Aug, 2012

Hotel Chain Survey Reveals Mobile Device Habits of Business Travelers Worldwide

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STAMFORD, Conn.- August 20, 2012 -(BUSINESS WIRE)–When today’s road warriors hit the trail, they are armed with three or four mobile devices to help them stay connected to office and home. They are more inclined to carry a tablet than a laptop. And, when these business travelers communicate with the home front from their hotel […]

23 Aug, 2012

Israel Needs to Step Up Fight Against Jewish ‘Settler Terrorism’ – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Seventeen mosques have already been torched within Israel proper and across the Green Line. Graffiti such as “Muhammad is a Pig” has been sprayed on the walls of mosques. Muslim cemeteries have been desecrated. Thousands of olive trees have been uprooted or set on fire. Property has been vandalized. If that were not enough, the […]

22 Aug, 2012

Nazi extremists infiltrate US military — RT

Suspected Sikh temple shooter Wade Page served in the US military and also identified himself as a white nationalist. He wasn’t alone, though — violent extremists are believed to be doing a large chunk of their training under Uncle Sam’s command. Although the man authorities believe was single-handedly responsible for the shooting that left six […]

22 Aug, 2012

What does Sikh massacre say about violence in America? – CNN.com

Amardeep Kaleka: Injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere. This attack was predicated on hate. Too many hate groups exist right here in the United States, and terror can take many forms: from school bullies to conservative radio hosts spreading fear and distortions to racists spewing hate. And, of course, to psychotic loners. Violence has become […]

22 Aug, 2012

PressTV – Planned war on Iran and the General who said No!

Today, General Dempsey, Chairman of America’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the man who flew to Tel Aviv and informed Netanyahu that America wanted no part of his scheming against Iran was the subject of an assassination attempt in Afghanistan. This wasn’t an act of terrorism or Taliban militants. It was a “mob hit” against someone […]

22 Aug, 2012

Peter Jenkins, Asia Times Online : Will Iran be US’s Melos?

Foreign policy communities in the US, Israel and the United Kingdom have lost sight of the importance of upholding international law to preserve the post-1945 international system, which underpins Western security and prosperity. They have reverted to the belief in Realpolitik of an earlier age: state military power is a legitimate instrument for resolving disputes. […]

22 Aug, 2012

U.N. Agencies Warn of Impact of Growing Droughts

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21 August 2012 (WMO/UNCCD) – The drought gripping the United States of America and the ripple effects on global food markets underline the vulnerability of our inter-connected world to a natural hazard that is expected to increase in future. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and other UN agencies […]

22 Aug, 2012

NYPD Muslim Spying Admission Reveals: Millions Spent, No Leads Generated

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(NEW YORK, NY, 8/21/12, CAIR Press release) — The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today said that a recent admission by the New York Police Department (NYPD) that its program of spying on the Muslim community produced no criminal leads and did not result in a single terror-related case demonstrates […]

22 Aug, 2012

Historic Pact Opens New Road Transport Route Between China, Viet Nam

Imtiaz Muqbil

22 August 2012  (ADB Press release) – For the first time, buses and trucks will be able to cross overland between the rugged southern regions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the remote northern regions of Viet Nam using a 1,300 kilometer route spanning from Ha Noi to Shenzhen made possible through a […]

22 Aug, 2012

Palestinians To Make Fresh Bid for Nationhood – Inter Press Service

A year after their bid for statehood flopped in the United Nations’ Security Council, the Palestine Liberation Organisation is again planning to seek an upgrade in UN status. On Sep. 27, the PLO will approach the UN General Assembly in hopes of becoming a non-member observer state. If their bid is successful, the Palestinians will […]

22 Aug, 2012

Which sectors can weather the economic crisis? – DW.DE

Business prospects for 2012 are bad. It’s not just Europe that’s in crisis. Emerging economies are also slowing down. But there are a number of sectors and countries able to flourish, despite these conditions. The bad news first: Analysts don’t know which industry branch is going to flourish. They say everything is much too interconnected, […]

22 Aug, 2012

Earth approaches an irreversible tipping point – DW.DE

Current global consumption levels could result in a large-scale ecosystem collapse, according to a study conducted by a team of 22 international scientists. The researchers compared the biological impacts of major shifts in the state of the planet and published their results this week in the journal Nature. The researchers determined that population growth, destruction […]

22 Aug, 2012

New Deal for Shipworkers: UN Treaty To Take Effect in 12 Months

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21 August 2012 (ILO News Release) – A comprehensive range of labour standards for the world’s 1.2 million merchant sailors, covering decent working conditions and health and safety issues, is now set to go into effect following its final two required ratifications, the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) announced today. The ratification of the […]

22 Aug, 2012

Family formula a smash hit for many German businesses – DW.DE

In spite of a handful of recent, spectacular bankruptcies by German family businesses – including drugstores chain Schlecker – such firms are generally more successful than others in Germany. Of the 2.058 trillion euros in revenues generated by Germany’s 100 biggest companies last year, family business accounted for 915 billion euros in annual turnover. via […]

22 Aug, 2012

US conducts experiment on survival on Muslim world – English pravda.ru

It seems that the U.S. is conducting an experiment on survival on the Muslim world, constantly keeping it in a boiling state. First, the collapse of Yugoslavia under the genocide sauce of Bosnian Muslims, then the creation of semi-state entity of Kosovo that has become a nightmare for Europe. The Islamic world has “swallowed” the […]

21 Aug, 2012

Va. veteran detained after strident Facebook posts

Raub’s mother, Cathleen Thomas, said by telephone that the government had overstepped its bounds. “The bottom line is his freedom of speech has been violated,” she said. Thomas said her son, who served tours as a combat engineer in Iraq and Afghanistan, is “concerned about all the wars we’ve experienced” and believes the U.S. government […]

21 Aug, 2012

China: U.S. Must Hand Over Internet Control To The World

Imtiaz Muqbil

Although the travel & tourism industry has moved rapidly to capitalise on the business-generating opportunities of the Communications and Information Revolution, it is lagging way behind in understanding how this same revolution is impacting on safety, security, privacy, health, society and fundamental democratic human rights. Actions being taken, or sometimes not taken, by governments, multinational […]

21 Aug, 2012

App Delivers Real-Time Web and Social Network Content About Visited Spots

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BOULDER, Colo.- August 20, 2012-(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tagwhat, the mobile tour guide for the world, today announced the launch of the Tagwhat Superslider and Travel Log. With the Tagwhat Superslider, the multimedia stories Tagwhat currently provides to your smartphone about the places around you will be supplemented with real-time feeds from Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare related to […]

21 Aug, 2012

Travelocity Reveals Top 10 Most Popular Destinations for U.S. Labor Day Weekend

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SOUTHLAKE, Texas–August 15, 2012–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Labor Day weekend is quickly approaching, and many travelers are looking to get away one final time before summer ends. Travelocity analyzed its Labor Day booking data to find the price to beat as well as the most popular Labor Day destinations, and some spots that are gaining in popularity this […]

21 Aug, 2012

Skyscanner: Five Ways Young People Can Pay for A Gap Year

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EDINBURGH, Scotland–August 17, 2012–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Thousands of young people got their A Level results this week, but thanks to high tuition fees and few job opportunities, it’s no surprise that so many are opting to taking gap years and have fun while they can. Common choices for working abroad include teaching English, fruit-picking in Australia and […]

21 Aug, 2012

PressTV – UK airlines cut costs along with safety

“There is pressure on pilots by airlines to carry minimum fuel because it costs money to carry the extra weight, and that is quite significant over a year,” a retired pilot told the Exaro website. Safety chiefs at the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) say the airlines are carrying the minimum reserve fuel possible to […]

21 Aug, 2012

Daniel Ellsberg: I Congratulate Ecuador for Standing Up to British Empire

Daniel Ellsberg, the most famous whistleblower in the United States, praises Ecuador for granting political asylum to Julian Assange to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning over sex crime accusations. “I congratulate Ecuador, of course, for standing up to the British Empire here, for insisting that they are not a British colony, and acting as […]

20 Aug, 2012

A Glimpse Of Muslim Life In Japan

Compiled by Imtiaz & Sana Muqbil

A compilation of stories of interesting events and developments in the Islamic world for the week ending 20 August 2012 (02 Shawwala 1433). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story.

20 Aug, 2012

Chris Hedges: The War in the Shadows – Truthdig

All states and armed groups recruit and use members of this underclass. These personalities gravitate to intelligence agencies, terrorist cells, homeland security, police departments, the special forces and revolutionary groups where they can live a life freed from moral and legal constraints. Right and wrong are banished from their vocabulary. They disdain the constraints of […]

19 Aug, 2012

The new totalitarianism of surveillance technology – Naomi Wolf, guardian.co.uk

I then noticed, some months later, that these bizarre camera/lights had been installed not only all around Union Square but also around Washington Square Park. I posted a photo I took of them, and asked: “What is this?” Commentators who had lived in China said that they were the same camera/streetlight combinations that are mounted […]

19 Aug, 2012

Running On Empty: Big Airlines In Big Trouble By Andrew McKay

For the majority of us with regular jobs who fly economy air travel is increasingly becoming like its land-based cousin: cramped, overcrowded and at times downright unpleasant. Air travel has always been a fickle business, earning an average net profit of one to two percent, compared with an average of over five percent for U.S. […]

19 Aug, 2012

The 1 Percent Has Nearly Tripled Its Share of America’s Income

Released yesterday, the study [PDF] is a product of years of researchers delving into IRS and Census Bureau records. It says that not only have income disparities vastly increased, but that the reason they’ve increased is due in large part to a combination of uneven income stream distribution and changes in the tax laws to […]

19 Aug, 2012

From Denmark To Bhutan: The Policies Of Happiness By Colin Todhunter

In 2006, the first ‘Happy Planet Index’ (HPI) measured happiness across 178 countries. The small south Pacific island of Vanuatu was the happiest nation. Germany ranked 81st, Japan 95th and the US 150th. Various surveys have indicated that while wealthy western nations use up vast quantities of the world’s scarce resources, many of their citizens […]

19 Aug, 2012

PressTV – Jerusalem Day demos held in Istanbul, other Turkish cities

Muslims in Turkey have held demonstrations on International Quds Day to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemn the crimes committed by Israel. Crowds of people gathered in Istanbul on Friday to stand up for the rights of the oppressed Palestinians. Quds Day demonstrations were also held in Ankara and other cities in Turkey. […]

19 Aug, 2012

PressTV – Americans tired of Netanyahu’s clownish anti-Iran threats

We have one thing in our news every day now, secret plans Israel leaks about their upcoming “shock and awe” attack on Iran. We don’t get it once a week, it’s a new story every 2 hours on every network, every paper. Then come the admissions, that Israel can’t attack anyone without America doing the […]

19 Aug, 2012

PressTV – ‘We are not a British colony”, Ecuadorian FM says

The announcement came after the British government threatened to storm the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where Assange has taken refuge since two months ago. Far from being intimidated by the threat, Rafael Correa, the president of Ecuador, granted Assange political asylum and his foreign minister declared that “We want to be very clear, we are […]

19 Aug, 2012

Please, sir, can I have some less? – SMH

Suddenly abstinence is fashionable. Not only did BHP follow its rival in abandoning bonuses for its top executives due to multibillion-dollar write-downs in recently purchased assets, it also chose the same way of presenting the news. The pitch was that forgoing the bonus was a voluntary initiative by the executives involved, an offer accepted by […]

19 Aug, 2012

‘Sikhs are not Muslims’ sends a sinister message – GulfNews.com

The assertion that Sikhs are not Muslims is certainly true. Jains are not Hindus, and Mormons are not Methodists either. But in the post-9/11 context of a deadly act committed by an apparent white supremacist against a congregation that is largely ethnically South Asian — a congregation that includes bearded men in turbans — broadcasting […]

18 Aug, 2012

PressTV – Survey reveals US covers up civilian victims of drone strikes in Pakistan

Detailed information from the families of those killed in US drone strikes in Pakistan and from local sources show that the majority of the causalities have been civilians. The data from the two separate sources covering 24 drone strikes from 2008 through 2011 show that civilian casualties accounted for 74 percent of the death toll […]

18 Aug, 2012

India Economic Outlook 2012-13: Free Download

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Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister released the document ‘Economic Outlook 2012-13’ at a Press Conference in New Delhi on 17 August. Following are the highlights of the document: Economy to grow at 6.7 per cent in 2012/13 Farm sector GDP projected to grow at 0.5 per cent in 2012/13 […]

18 Aug, 2012

Advice For All Those Nearing Retirement: Live Within Your Means

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — More Americans find themselves less prepared for retirement, using their long-term savings to pay today’s bills, and risking a delayed or financially insecure retirement. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”) Consumer Advocate, Eleanor Blayney, CFP says though that even in the face of economic hardship, it’s […]

18 Aug, 2012

Guns Will Kill 48,000 Americans in the Next President’s Term – If Washington Fails to Act

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NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Sixty-seven family members of victims and survivors of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting today sent a letter to President Obama and Governor Romney demanding they develop a plan to fix the broken U.S. background check system that regularly allows guns to be sold to dangerous people, including the […]

18 Aug, 2012

Meet the Soldiers Who Refuse to Kill – Alternet

The beginnings of resistance among the troops arose out of their growing awareness that their commanders were using them in a competition for the most fire fights, the most kills, and the most prisoners. The needs of this competition outweighed justice or even strategy. Returning to base with innocent prisoners was far preferable to returning […]

18 Aug, 2012

‘Theatrical On Demand’ democratizes film distribution in the US — RT

Web-based service Gathr has been called the “love child of Netflix and Kickstarter”. It democratizes theatrical distribution by allowing film fans to organize a theatrical screening of a movie virtually anywhere in the US. It works for classics, independent features, niche films, cause-driven documentaries and even foreign movies that are of interest exclusively within the […]

18 Aug, 2012

US companies pay more to their CEOs, than to the US Government – study — RT

CEO of Boeing James McNerney Jr. got $18.4 million in pay last year while his company received a tax refund of $605 million. The study also laid into Citigroup for paying CEO Vikram Pandit $14.9 million while the bank received $144 million in net tax benefits. According to the study, the US corporate tax code […]

18 Aug, 2012

Israelis oppose war with Iran despite govt’s hawkish stance — RT

Tel Aviv’s bellicose stance against Iran’s nuclear program has sparked a pushback in Israeli society against politicians’ ambitions to strike Iran, with many demanding a peaceful resolution to tensions.­ More than 400 Israelis, including prominent academics, have signed an online petition appealing to Israel Defense Forces IDF pilots not to obey hypothetical orders to bomb […]

18 Aug, 2012

Delhi airport scam: GMR-led DIAL gains Rs 3,415 cr – Indian Express

Government auditor CAG today slammed the government for giving out Delhi airport and its land with a potential earning capacity of Rs 1,63,557 crore to private-led operator DIAL which made a total equity contribution of only Rs 2,450 crore. With an equity contribution of Rs 2,450 crore of which the private GMR-led consortium’s share was […]

17 Aug, 2012

Pakistani film ‘Lamha’ bags two awards at NYC film festival – Indian Express

Pakistani film “Lamha (Seedlings)” has bagged two awards at the New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF) this year. “Lamha” won the People’s Choice Award for the Best Feature Film award and Aamina Sheikh won the Best Actress in Leading Role award for the film. The film was awarded at a gala ceremony at the […]

17 Aug, 2012

Hedge funds bet on oil spike as Israel attack fears grow – Ahram Online

Hedge funds are quietly laying new bets on a potential spike in oil prices tied to the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran, skewing the options market to a bullish bias for the first time in six months. Activity is muted so far by the summer lull, but could pick up in September.The renewed […]

17 Aug, 2012

Mr. Netanyahu, before you bomb Iran, say goodbye to everyone you know – Haaretz

Mr. Netanyahu, before you bomb Iran, say goodbye to everyone you know. Say goodbye to everyone you love. You know you won’t be able to protect all of them from the retaliation that will surely come. Everyone you know is a target. Everyone you love is in range. via Mr. Netanyahu, before you bomb Iran, […]

17 Aug, 2012

U.S. Iran Sanctions Threaten Ties With Russia: Official – RIA Novosti

Imtiaz Muqbil

Relations between the United States and Russia may suffer as a result of new, wide-ranging U.S. sanctions introduced against Iran, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Monday. “Washington should…be aware that our bilateral relations will be seriously affected if the applied American restrictions affect Russian economic players that interact with their Iranian counterparts in […]

17 Aug, 2012

The Middle East showdown to influence the world order | Russia Beyond The Headlines

R.G.: What is the probability of Israel, with or without U.S. support, launching a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities? Y.P.: The U.S. does not want it to happen in the run-up to the presidential elections. It is restraining Israel. But one has to bear in mind that there are different forces and different positions within […]

17 Aug, 2012

U.S. Keeps Russia on ‘National Threat’ List – RIA Novosti

U.S. President Barack Obama has extended a legal act that lists Russia, among 16 other states, as a national threat, and allows for the freezing and confiscation of assets in the United States. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act IEEPA is a federal law authorizing the U.S. president to regulate commerce after declaring a national […]

17 Aug, 2012

China, India, Russia, Bangladesh New Targets of Tobacco Industry, Survey Shows

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The world’s largest tobacco use survey, published today in The Lancet, underscores the enormity of the global tobacco epidemic – especially in low- and middle-income countries that are being targeted by the tobacco industry – and the urgent need for countries to implement proven strategies that reduce tobacco use […]

17 Aug, 2012

Gallup Poll Shows Mixed Public Image of U.S. Travel, Airline Industry Sectors

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Princeton, NJ, 16 Aug 2012 – The U.S. travel industry enjoys a largely positive image among the U.S. public but has suffered a small decline in its image ratings between 2011 and 2012. On the other hand, the U.S. airline industry is more negatively than positively perceived but has made a slight gain in its […]

17 Aug, 2012

Survey: Percentage of U.S. Workers Living Paycheck to Paycheck Reaches Recession-Era Low

CHICAGO, Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Fewer American workers are reliant on their next payday to make ends meet, according to a new CareerBuilder survey. Forty percent of workers report that they always or usually live paycheck to paycheck, a slight decrease from 42 percent in 2011. This year’s figure marks a recession-era low, continuing a […]

17 Aug, 2012

Oppenheim Law Exposes Wall Street’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ Banks

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Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) August 16, 2012 – Confidence in Wall Street is at an all-time low. It’s no wonder considering how many Wall Street executives continue to display poor moral leadership, according to real estate attorney and Yahoo! Homes blogger Roy Oppenheim. “Despite what seems like a daily barrage of banking scandals, leaders like […]

17 Aug, 2012

Army suicides hit terrifying peak — RT

This year to date, 116 confirmed or suspected suicides have been recorded – twenty-one more than at the same juncture last year. In July alone, thirty-eight soldiers were either confirmed or believed to have killed themselves. The self-inflicted death rate among active duty soldiers has increased by 22 percent this year, and for the first […]

17 Aug, 2012

Afghan War veterans in danger of mysterious degenerative brain disease — RT

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy cannot be diagnosed or adequately treated yet, Col. Dallas Hack of the Army’s Combat Casualty Care Research Program tells the Huffington Post, and scientists say that they think brain injuries developed during battle might bring up the likelihood of CTE occurring, which is characterized by bursts of anger and depression, and is […]

17 Aug, 2012

Pew Survey: Further Decline in Credibility Ratings for Most U.S. News Organizations

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Pew Research Centre, 16 August 2012 – For the second time in a decade, the believability ratings for major news organizations have suffered broad-based declines. In the new survey, positive believability ratings have fallen significantly for nine of 13 news organizations tested. This follows a similar downturn in positive believability ratings that occurred between 2002 […]

17 Aug, 2012

American Summer Travel Seen Favouring Road Over Air

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WILMINGTON, Del.-August 15, 2012-(BUSINESS WIRE)–When it comes to spring and summer travel, the open road is still king, according to the latest edition of the Chase Freedom Lifestyle Index, a barometer of consumer trends based on aggregated Chase Freedom cardholder spending data. While overall spending on travel has remained flat since 2011, road trip purchases, […]

17 Aug, 2012

More Attrition in PATA Management

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – PATA management ranks are set to dwindle further with the upcoming departure of Mrs Ben (Benjakallayanee) Montgomery, Regional Director – Greater Mekong, at the end of September following the PATA Travel Mart in Manila. Mrs Ben, 38, will join Centara Hotels and Resorts as Director, Strategies Management as of 1 October 2012. Her […]

16 Aug, 2012

Kashmir desperate for the return of tourists after two decades of violence – The Guardian

Two years ago, the old city in Srinagar was the sort of place police would only venture into wearing full body armour. A stronghold for violent separatists agitating for an independent Kashmir, it was the centre of ugly uprisings that left more than 100 people dead, buried along with dreams of peace in the mountainous […]

16 Aug, 2012

Jeremy Hunt told: don’t pretend London 2012 Olympics helped tourism – The Independent

Small businesses have responded furiously to claims by the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, that the Olympics were “a very good period” for tourism. Travel organisations and shopkeepers around London and many working in tourism outside the capital described the period of the Games as one of their worst and questioned how easy it would be […]

16 Aug, 2012

Thousands of Rohingya helpless after violence – Al Jazeera English

Monsoon rains have done little to dampen heated ethnic tensions in Myanmar’s northwestern Rakhine state, where dozens have died in tit-for-tat attacks over the past two months. Scars of the conflict are visible in the charred blocks of land, where entire villages were burned to the ground by angry mobs armed with knives and metal […]

16 Aug, 2012

Palestinian children ‘abused’ in Israeli jail – Al Jazeera English

The children imprisoned here are most often taken from their homes between midnight and 5am. Most don’t even see it coming. In one case, in Beit Ummar near Bethlehem, Israeli soldiers detained a Palestinian boy after reportedly taking some of the house’s doors off their hinges. Most of the children detained live close to “friction […]

15 Aug, 2012

Lessons Not Learnt: Arab Americans Report More Attacks on Places of Worship

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Washington, DC (www.adc.org) August 15, 2012 – The American-Arab Anti-Discriminaton Committee (ADC), reports a dramatic surge of violent activity and harassment directed at places of worship, less than two weeks after the tragedy that occured at the Sikh Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. In total there has been nearly a dozen cases of attacks and […]

15 Aug, 2012

China’s Private Firms Plan Overseas Investments, the “Going Out” Strategy

People's Daily Overseas Edition, Author: Tian Li

August 15, 2012 – Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), together with 12 government departments under the State Council including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, jointly issued “The Implementing Opinions on Encouraging and Guiding Private Enterprises to Actively Develop Overseas Investment (The Opinions),” the first comprehensive policy […]

15 Aug, 2012

People’s Daily: World trade faces downside risks

People's Daily Online

Beijing, August 14, 2012 – World trade growth has slowed abruptly in 2012 due to the European sovereign debt crisis and slowdown in emerging economies, according to the 2012 Global Trade and Investment Report released by the Japan External Trade Organization on Aug. 9. The World Bank believes that developing countries have contributed to more […]

15 Aug, 2012

M&A deals in China decline in first half 2012 – China Daily

By Yu Ran (China Daily)

August 15, 2012 – China’s merger and acquisition activity dropped significantly in the first half of 2012, mainly because of the still sputtering global economy, especially in Europe, according to the midyear M&A review released by PricewaterhouseCoopers on Tuesday. The review showed a 33 percent decline in announced deals and a marked 10 percent decline […]

15 Aug, 2012

Melbourne Etihad Stadium deal extended – Khaleej Times

Etihad Airways has signed a new multi-million dollar agreement to extend to 2019 its naming and marketing rights for Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium, the city’s premier sports and entertainment venue. The five-year extension was announced in Melbourne today by James Hogan, President and Chief Executive of Etihad Airways, and Ian Collins AM, Chief Executive of the […]

15 Aug, 2012

Study links UK recession to 1,000 suicides – Khaleej Times

A painful British economic recession, rising unemployment and biting austerity measures may have driven more than 1,000 people in England to commit suicide, according to a scientific study published on Wednesday. The study, a so-called time-trend analysis which compared the actual number of suicides with those expected if pre-recession trends had continued, reflects findings elsewhere […]

15 Aug, 2012

Israel ready for 30-day war after Iran strike: minister – Ahram Online

Israel is prepared for a 30-day war on multiple fronts should it decide to strike Iran, and is “ready as never before” for such a clash, the outgoing home front defence minister said Wednesday. In an interview with the Maariv newspaper, Matan Vilnai said Israel was ready to face the consequences of a clash with […]

15 Aug, 2012

ASEAN Religious, Cultural Harmony As Critical As Economic Integration – Prof Yusuf

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – The religious and cultural heritage of ASEAN countries is one of its major tourism assets. Ways to safeguard it from becoming a social and geopolitical liability will be discussed at a seminar on religious pluralism in ASEAN to be organised for the first time at Assumption University in Bangkok between Aug 23-24. Funded […]

15 Aug, 2012

Key British Airports report 4.1% fall in July traffic, partly due to Olympics

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London, 14 August 2012 (BAA media release) – 9.6m passengers passed through BAA’s five airports in July 2012, down 4.1% on July 2011. This included a drop of 4.4% at Heathrow to 6.6m passengers. The drop was more pronounced in the second half of the month and it is likely that the Olympics played a […]

15 Aug, 2012

Bargain with Big Brother: Facebook app to offer customer deals by spying — RT

A planned targeted advertising system can mine your Facebook pictures to identify you, and automatically check you in to a business you’re visiting. It will then offer you personalized deals and coupons, creators say. ­Dubbed ‘Facedeals,’ the system is the brainchild of advertising agency Redpepper, based in Nashville, Tennessee. It uses Wi-Fi-equipped cameras to compare […]

15 Aug, 2012

Please exhale: Israel is not going to attack Iran : IPS Writers

An Israeli (or American) attack would very likely leave the situation much worse than it was before taking military action. Israel’s security would not be improved; in fact, it might be imperiled by the negative response of even Israel’s closest allies. And Iran’s creeping approach to nuclear capability might turn into a sprint. This awareness […]

15 Aug, 2012

Israel takes bigger gambles to push Obama into Iran attack – IPS Writers

Many analysts have believed for a long time that the Israeli strategy has been more about pushing the US into an attack on Iran rather than actually setting the stage for an Israeli one and this past week seems to support that theory. The election season has been widely viewed as one where President Obama […]

15 Aug, 2012

Celebrating With The People Of Pakistan By N. Jayaram

Warm-hearted the people of Pakistan most reputedly are. Countless have been the accounts I’ve read over the past many decades, by Indian journalists, academics, civil society activists, film-makers as well as people in the official establishment, of immense generosity that was showered upon them in the Pakistani street as well as in air-conditioned altars of […]

15 Aug, 2012

Impunity At Home, Rendition Abroad – Countercurrents.org

After a decade of intense public debate over torture, in the last two years the United States has arrived at a questionable default political compromise: impunity at home, rendition abroad. This resolution does not bode well for future U.S. leadership of an international community determined to end the scourge of torture. Italy’s prosecution of two-dozen […]

14 Aug, 2012

‘Muslim for a Month:’ Tourists take Islamic ‘pray-cations’ – CNN.com

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Muslim for a Month, run by Bowler’s NGO World Weavers, is part of a new breed of cultural immersion tourism being dubbed “pray-cations.” It promises travelers a rich, meaningful experience, by exposing them to religious beliefs and practices “in a country where spirituality is still very much alive,” he said. Bowler, a Thailand-based Australian, has […]

14 Aug, 2012

Survey Reveals Consumer Attitudes Towards Mobile Marketing

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 14, 2012 – (BUSINESS WIRE)–StrongMail, a provider of email marketing and cross-channel marketing solutions for enterprises, today announced the results of a commissioned mobile marketing survey conducted on its behalf by Forrester Consulting in June 2012. Titled “Consumer Perceptions of Mobile Marketing for StrongMail,” 322 general population consumers responded, providing […]

14 Aug, 2012

The Top 10 Document Management Innovations in History

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CINCINNATI – August 14, 2012 – (BUSINESS WIRE)–To help celebrate its 10-year anniversary as the leading document management provider, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) announced the top 10 innovations in document management throughout history. The list highlights key inventions and developments that have shaped the way information is stored, organized and destroyed throughout history. “The past 10 […]

14 Aug, 2012

Most Mass Shooters Pass Background Checks – Alternet

Even though Tucson’s heavily armed citizenry failed to stop Jared Lee Loughner’s rampage last year that killed six people, including a US district court judge, and almost killed former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz), the gun lobby pushes for the right to carry firearms on college campuses, in state parks, in coffee shops, on trains, in […]

14 Aug, 2012

Get Ready for a Catastrophic War: Israel Likely to Strike Iran Before November Elections – Alternet

What the Israeli leader worries most about is the possibility that a second-term Obama would feel much freer not to commit U.S. forces on Israel’s side. A second-term Obama also might use U.S. leverage to force Israeli concessions on thorny issues relating to Palestine. If preventing Obama from getting that second term is also part […]

14 Aug, 2012

Israeli rhetoric lays the groundwork for an attack on Iran – baltimoresun.com

The key question is whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak will interpret the presidential campaign rhetoric as an open invitation to provoke hostilities with Iran, in the expectation that President Obama will feel forced to jump in with both feet in support of our “ally” Israel. Since there is no […]

14 Aug, 2012

Global Drought Conditions Raise Threat of Next Crises: Rising Food Prices & Water Wars

Imtiaz Muqbil

The long-forecast global water wars are about to become a reality. A 17% shortfall in India’s monsoon rains so far this year is only one indicator of a looming global drought that could trigger ripple-effect problems worldwide. These include increased prices of food crops, speculative activity, growing socio-economic and geopolitical tensions and environmental disasters as […]

14 Aug, 2012

Free White Paper Highlights Best Practices for Integrating Short- and Long-Term Disability

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BOSTON – August 13, 2012 – (BUSINESS WIRE)–Seven best practices for integrating short- and long-term disability programs to lower costs for employers and improve service for employees are highlighted in a new Leadership Series white paper published by the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) and sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance Group Benefits. The white paper, […]

14 Aug, 2012

Australian Household Budget Tracker Helps Monitor Spending

Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Canberra, 13 August 2012 – ASIC’s 2012 spending clock estimates the average Australian household will spend $69,166 on general living costs in 2012. This amounts to $1,290 per week.[1] Yet only 54% of people know exactly what their money is spent on. [2] This information supports the release of ASIC’s new suite of tools to […]

14 Aug, 2012

Arabs at the Olympics: Could have been better – The Jordan Times

Most Arabs are preoccupied with conflicts — be they internal or external — and have little or no time to indulge in sports. Nation building is a continuing process in many Arab states, with very few having attained their political, economic and social objectives. Still, one would have expected at least the Arab countries that […]

14 Aug, 2012

Bloody Spring by Uri Avnery – Media Monitors Network (MMN)

“The European imperialist powers, Britain and France, which broke up the all-inclusive Ottoman Empire after World War I, had scant respect for the diversity of their new acquisitions. However, they both adopted the principle of “divide et impera”. The French excelled in it.” via Home / Headlines / Bloody Spring – Media Monitors Network (MMN).

14 Aug, 2012

Iran War: Countdown to Israel Doomsday – Media Monitors Network (MMN)

Governor of the Bank of Israel Stanley Fischer says that Iran strike spells security and financial crisis and that the entity is gearing to deal with recession. “The primary responsibility of each country is to maintain its security. It is possible to describe situations of widespread war which would be very difficult to deal with. […]

14 Aug, 2012

Justice for All: Alexander Cockburn, Palestine, and U.S. media

With his scathing intellect, engaging talent, far ranging knowledge, and quick humor, the Oxford-educated Cockburn could have become a celebrated, wealthy journalist – the kind whose lucrative articles are consistently published in top journals, whose best-selling books are reviewed widely throughout the media, and whose commentary is in demand by the top television and radio […]

14 Aug, 2012

Germany refocuses on neo-Nazi threat – The Washington Post

In Germany, “our institutions didn’t have right-wing terrorism on their screens,” Sebastian Edathy, a member of Germany’s Parliament who is leading an inquiry into the intelligence failures, said in an interview. “Society has focused over the last 10 years on the threat of Islamist extremism, but this is not the only extremist threat that we’re […]

14 Aug, 2012

Police: Gunman opened fire from inside Texas house and killed officer serving eviction notice – The Washington Post

Police say a gunman was being served an eviction notice before he opened fire from inside a home near Texas A&M and killed a law enforcement officer. College Station Assistant Police Chief Scott McCollum says Brazos County Constable Brian Bachmann was among three people, including the gunman, killed in a shootout at the house Monday. […]

14 Aug, 2012

Tourism department facelifts famous gondola cable car in Kashmir – Hindustan Times Travel

Imtiaz Muqbil

The Department of Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir is undertaking a facelift the Gondola Lift to boost tourism in the state. The Kashmir Valley attracts foreign tourists and the Gondola in Srinagar is Asia’s highest and longest cable car – about 3980 meters above sea level -, which had been generating revenue in millions every […]

14 Aug, 2012

In Malaysia, earning less than your wife can be hazardous to your well-being – Indian Express

The Welfare Department of Malaysia received 25 reports from men who were abused by their wives or girlfriends last year, 32 in 2010 and 14 in 2009. Most cases were reported in Selangor, followed by the Federal Territory, and the offences included threatening injury, causing physical harm, emotional abuse and locking up the men. via […]

14 Aug, 2012

Sex ratio influences choices made by men and women: study – Indian Express

In a study of about 600 people, when male college participants were told there was a scarcity of women on their campuses and in other areas of their lives, they were willing to pay USD 6.01 more on average for Valentine’s Day gifts and USD 278 more for an engagement ring than men who were […]

14 Aug, 2012

A Q Khan calls Pak elites ‘foreign agents’ – Indian Express

In a no holds barred attack on the Pakistani government, Khan voiced his support for the judiciary which is engaged in a bitter tussle with the government over reopening of graft cases in Switzerland against President Asif Ali Zardari. “Our elites toe the American line and behave like foreign agents. Some have dual nationalities, some […]

14 Aug, 2012

Going from love to love across the India-Pakistan border – Dawn.com

It is unfortunate that travelling restrictions deprive many Indians and Pakistanis to enjoy the rich culture and heritage of both the countries, however even these setbacks fail to deter people like myself from yearning for a day when it would be possible for Pakistanis and Indians to travel across the border without any limitations or […]

13 Aug, 2012

Visitors to UK be made more welcome – Business News, The Independent

The Government is considering wholesale changes to the tourist visa regime to capitalise on the Olympics effect which has sparked interest in visiting Britain. Proposals are being looked at to simplify and shorten visa applications to bring Britain more closely into line with European countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement, which lets visitors […]

13 Aug, 2012

15 Cancer Symptoms Men Shouldn’t Ignore

Experts say that men could benefit greatly by being alert to certain cancer symptoms that require a trip to the doctor’s office sooner rather than later. But when it comes to scheduling doctor visits, men are notorious foot-draggers. In fact, some men, would never go to the doctor if it weren’t for the women in […]

13 Aug, 2012

Employee-owners boost success: cleveland.com

There is a proven mechanism currently available to U.S. companies to improve productivity and competitiveness and, in so doing, slow the job exodus. A financial structure exists that has allowed a large number of companies to offer their entire work forces a huge incentive to enhance both productivity and profitability: ESOPs — Employee Stock Ownership […]

13 Aug, 2012

New Social Network to Track Every Time You Help Someone

“We have launched a revolutionary new social network oriented around the concept of Karma, what goes around, comes around,” said Ross Bays, managing director for Karmafied.com. “On what is being called The Karma Network, users create a profile for free, connect with their friends, and then begin granting good or bad karma to everyone they […]