19 Dec, 2013

‘Toxic’ immigration debate is giving Asia jitters, expert warns – The Independent

The “increasingly toxic political debate” on immigration and the possibility that the UK could leave the European Union is rapidly fuelling concern among Asian governments and businesses, and risks damaging the country’s economic recovery, Britain’s former ambassador to Japan has warned. In an article for The Independent on Sunday website, Sir David Warren, David Cameron’s […]

19 Dec, 2013

More Dishonesty About Thailand’s Upheaval From the International New York Times – Truthout

by Michael Pirsch I have been reading accounts of the demonstrations in Thailand by Thomas Fuller of the International New York Times (INYT). I do not have a television, so I cannot comment on the nature of its coverage. The INYT coverage minimizes the cause of the protests. Consequently, readers in America receive a dishonest […]

19 Dec, 2013

Facebook tracks all written messages, posted or not – study — RT USA

Facebook records everything users type on the social networking site, including notes they choose to delete instead of posting, according to a new study that tracked the habits of nearly four million people. Adam Kramer, a data scientist employed by the social network, studied the profiles of 3.9 million people for the study, dubbed “Self-Censorship […]

19 Dec, 2013

Silk Road development high on China’s diplomatic priorities for 2014

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Beijing, 2013-12-17, (Xinhua) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday outlined China’s diplomatic priorities for 2014, including enhanced ties with major powers and closer relations with neighbors. New-type relationship with big powers “China will further build a framework for its relationships with big powers, which should feature positive interactions and healthy development,” Wang said at […]

16 Dec, 2013

Australians urged to “fall out of love with alcohol” – Sydney Morning Herald

The public must start “falling out of love” with alcohol, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says, calling for a greater culture of personal responsibility to combat booze-fuelled violence. It follows a two-day weekend police blitz on alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour that led to about 540 arrests and reignited debate over dangerous drinking. Police confronted […]

15 Dec, 2013

Remittances seen helping peso recover – Manila Bulletin

The Philippine peso is set to rebound from a three-month low as remittances from 10 million overseas workers in the run-up to Christmas offset some of the damage done by one of the nation’s deadliest storms ever. A 2.2 percent slide since the start of November pushed the peso’s 14-day relative-strength index above 70 this […]

15 Dec, 2013

Metro Manila traffic costs P140B a year – Manila Bulletin

Manila, Philippines – Traffic in Metro Manila causes the country to lose a whopping P140 billion annually, a figure that dwarfs the amounts lost via the controversial pork barrel scam. This was revealed by a new group called the Red Advocates composed of concerned citizens advocating “Respect Equals Discipline” or RED, on Philippine roads. Brian […]

15 Dec, 2013

European Union Ombudsman Warns of Growing Business Cronyism

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Brussels, 13 December 2013, European Ombudsman media release – The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, has warned that the key objective of EU citizenship, namely for people to feel a stronger attachment to the EU, is not succeeding. At the closing conference of the “European Year of Citizens 2013” in Vilnius, Lithuania, she called on policy […]

15 Dec, 2013

Sudden rise in UK homelessness – The Independent

The number of homeless people is rising sharply under the twin pressures of the shortage of housing and the impact of the Government’s welfare reforms, according to a new study. An annual “state of the nation” report by the charities Crisis and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) revealed that the number sleeping rough has risen by […]

14 Dec, 2013

Japan will need more highly skilled foreign workers

The government is considering increasing the number of foreign engineers and researchers accepted into the country by units of 100,000, according to Yasutoshi Nishimura, senior vice minister at the Cabinet Office. Nishimura signaled the intention to significantly ease the criteria for giving preferential treatment to highly skilled people during a question-and-answer session after giving a […]

14 Dec, 2013

Japan holiday travel reservations up from last year

Reservations for seats on Japan Railways Group trains and on flights by the nation’s major airlines for the holiday season have both increased from a year ago, data from the companies showed Friday. As of Thursday, total reservations for seats on shinkansen trains and express trains for the period from Dec. 27 to Jan. 5 […]

14 Dec, 2013

Charter airlines slam Bali airport monopoly

Chartered airlines are feeling the financial burden since state-owned airport firm PT Angkasa Pura I (AngkasaPura Airports) began obliging them in October to use services it provides at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. The state firm, which is in charge of managing airports in eastern Indonesia, is exercising a monopoly by requiring chartered airlines […]

14 Dec, 2013

Indian Law against sexual harassment at work place takes effect – Indian Express

The law to check sexual harassment at work place, which prescribes strict punishment such as termination of service for the guilty, and similar penalties in case of a frivolous complaint, has come into effect from Monday. The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry had come under attack for delay in implementing the Sexual Harassment of […]

14 Dec, 2013

Shoplifting comprises 10% of all crimes, rate rising among seniors | The Japan Times

Shoplifting cases accounted for nearly 10 percent of all criminal offenses recognized by police, with the rate increasing, according to a National Police Agency survey. By age group, the number of charged shoplifters increased only among people aged 65 or over. “Measures to prevent the elderly from being isolated are necessary because the rise is […]

14 Dec, 2013

Holden demise the price of a global economy – Sydney Morning Herald

In the short term, there’s no consistency in politics. Back when the Gillard government announced the carbon tax, it took about six seconds for the Coalition to scream this would cost jobs and devastate entire towns. Bollocks, retorted Labor, occasionally by way of karaoke. Sure, some industries would be hit, but they were the kind […]

13 Dec, 2013

Modi’s last lap – Al Jazeera English

When India attained independence from British rule in 1947, its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, made a finely nuanced speech about its “tryst with destiny”. Sixty-seven years later, India has certainly secured a functioning electoral democracy that ensures a regular change of regimes both at the centre, and in the multiple states that constitute the […]

13 Dec, 2013

Buddha’s birthplace brings light to Nepal – Al Jazeera

The discovery of the world’s earliest Buddhist temple, marking the birthplace of the Buddha south of the Himalayas in Nepal, could give a powerful push in the drive to lift nearby villagers out of crushing poverty. Visits by some of the world’s 500 million Buddhists to this holy site near Nepal’s border with India could […]

12 Dec, 2013

Israel inches closer to ‘tipping point’ of South Africa-style boycott campaign – Haaretz

This has happened in recent days: The Dutch water company Vitens severed its ties with Israeli counterpart Mekorot; Canada’s largest Protestant church decided to boycott three Israeli companies; the Romanian government refused to send any more construction workers; and American Studies Association academics are voting on a measure to sever links with Israeli universities. Coming […]

12 Dec, 2013

How the third intifada will start – Haaretz

The third intifada will be started by the soldier who kills another child, the military prosecutor who once again decides that the killing was by the book, the bureaucrat who signs the order to demolish a house, the brigade commander who continues to watch how settlers beat down shepherds, the judge who extends the remand […]

12 Dec, 2013

Bristol Opens “drunk-tank” to save party-goers from themselves – The Independent

A city’s emergency services have become the first outside London to open a “drunk tank” where intoxicated revellers can sober up or receive medical treatment. Under the scheme, drunks considered a danger to themselves will be put into cells to recover from the effects of alcohol. The first alcohol recovery centre (ARC) will open in […]

12 Dec, 2013

More U.S. lies exposed by reporter Seymour Hersh · Whose sarin? ·

Barack Obama did not tell the whole story this autumn when he tried to make the case that Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the chemical weapons attack near Damascus on 21 August. In some instances, he omitted important intelligence, and in others he presented assumptions as facts. Most significant, he failed to acknowledge something known […]

12 Dec, 2013

40% Indian women say co-passengers have flirted with them: Survey – Indian Express

HolidayIQ.com had recently conducted a survey ‘Confessions of Indian Train Travellers’, which saw more than 2300 travellers from over 140 cities participate. Key findings of the survey: * Most hated co-passengers: 37 per cent travellers said they hated ‘loud passengers’, snorers were the second most hated lot with 21 per cent, followed by ‘window seat […]

12 Dec, 2013

UK Spy Chief will not answer to MPs on Snowden claims | theguardian.com

The request for the head of MI5, Andrew Parker, to appear before a powerful Commons committee next week to justify his claim that the Guardian has put national security at risk in publishing the Snowden files has been rejected. The home secretary, Theresa May, told the home affairs committee chairman, Keith Vaz, that she had […]

12 Dec, 2013

Firms slam NSA snooping but profit from personal data | The Japan Times

SAN FRANCISCO – Even as Silicon Valley speaks out against the U.S. government’s surveillance methods, technology companies are turning a handsome profit by mining personal data and peering into people’s online habits. The industry’s profit machine has become tarnished by revelations that the National Security Agency digs deep into the everyday lives of Web surfers. […]

12 Dec, 2013

Heavy hit: airline’s ‘pay what you weigh’ scheme a success – Sydney Morning Herald

The head of a tiny Pacific airline that pioneered a fare system based on passengers’ weight said Wednesday the move had been so successful the carrier is upgrading its fleet. Samoa Air introduced its world-first system late last year, when it began charging passengers fares based on how much they weigh, rather than a set […]

12 Dec, 2013

NSA uses Google cookies to pinpoint targets for hacking – Washington Post

The National Security Agency is secretly piggybacking on the tools that enable Internet advertisers to track consumers, using “cookies” and location data to pinpoint targets for government hacking and to bolster surveillance. The agency’s internal presentation slides, provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, show that when companies follow consumers on the Internet to better […]

12 Dec, 2013

Marketing Modi: The product that the PM hopeful sells best is himself : Jug Suraiya’

Even as the Congress party`s Akbar Road headquarters were shrouded in gloom following the results of state elections, the business community, not just in India but across the world, celebrated what was seen as a step forward for Narendra Modi in his march to claim the prime ministerial gaddi in Delhi. Indeed, even before the […]

11 Dec, 2013

Calls to boycott Israel grow on US campuses – Al Jazeera

On December 4, the council of the American Studies Association (ASA) voted unanimously to endorse the call from Palestinian civil society for an academic boycott of Israeli academic institutions (USACBI), becoming only the second academic association in the US to do so. The decision was described by the ASA as an “ethical stance”, which “represents […]

11 Dec, 2013

Muslims masquerade as Hindus for India jobs – Al Jazeera

After taking off her silver armband embossed with the word “Allah” in Arabic, Ayesha Begum puts red-and-white conch bangles on her wrists and vermillion powder on her forehead – the signs of a traditional Hindu woman in eastern India. Begum, a Muslim, changes her appearance every morning before she leaves her home, 50km east of […]

11 Dec, 2013

Pakistan Assembly unanimous resolution against US drone strikes – DAWN.COM

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution against US drone strikes in Pakistan, calling them a violation of “the charter of the United Nations, international laws and humanitarian norms.” The resolution, jointly moved by Naeema Kishwer Khan, Maulana Ameer Zaman, and Shania Akhtar Ali, condemned the strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas, calling […]

10 Dec, 2013

Roger Waters compares Israeli policy to Nazi Germany, slams ‘powerful Jewish lobby’ – Haaretz

Roger Waters, the legendary former front man of Pink Floyd and outspoken supporter of the BDS movement, has equated Israeli policies to those of Nazi Germany and slammed the “extraordinary” power of the Jewish lobby in the United States. “The Jewish lobby is extraordinary powerful here and particularly in the industry that I work in, […]

10 Dec, 2013

Xbox Live among game services targeted by US and UK spy agencies – The Guardian

To the National Security Agency analyst writing a briefing to his superiors, the situation was clear: their current surveillance efforts were lacking something. The agency’s impressive arsenal of cable taps and sophisticated hacking attacks was not enough. What it really needed was a horde of undercover Orcs. That vision of spycraft sparked a concerted drive […]

10 Dec, 2013

Tech companies call for new curbs on surveillance | Fox News

Eight of the nation’s largest technology companies have called on President Obama and Congress to impose new curbs on surveillance after a series of revelations detailing how the National Security Agency (NSA) accessed and collected user data from their customers. The eight companies — Microsoft, Google, Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yahoo, AOL and Twitter — called […]

10 Dec, 2013

Google and Facebook call for end to US spy agencies’ data mining – FT.com

Leading US technology companies, including Apple, Google and Facebook, have called on Washington to stop spy agencies from collecting huge amounts of telephone and internet data and to limit the powers that compel them to hand over such information. The unusual joint letter, published on Monday, puts the companies on a collision course with the […]

10 Dec, 2013

International bill of digital rights: call from 500 writers around the world | The Guardian

A stand for democracy in a digital age In recent months, the extent of mass surveillance has become common knowledge. With a few clicks of the mouse the state can access your mobile device, your email, your social networking and internet searches. It can follow your political leanings and activities and, in partnership with internet […]

10 Dec, 2013

State surveillance of personal data is theft, say world’s leading authors | The Guardian

More than 500 of the world’s leading authors, including five Nobel prize winners, have condemned the scale of state surveillance revealed by the whistleblower Edward Snowden and warned that spy agencies are undermining democracy and must be curbed by a new international charter. The signatories, who come from 81 different countries and include Margaret Atwood, […]

10 Dec, 2013

Edward Snowden voted Guardian person of the year 2013 | The Guardian

For the second year in a row, a young American whistleblower alarmed at the unfettered and at times cynical deployment of power by the world’s foremost superpower has been voted the Guardian’s person of the year. Edward Snowden, who leaked an estimated 200,000 files that exposed the extensive and intrusive nature of phone and internet […]

10 Dec, 2013

Gurdwaras-turned-food banks: Sikh temples are catering for rise in Britain’s hungry – The Independent

It is lunchtime at the Karamsar Gurdwara, where worshippers are tucking into the free food. But Sikhs are not the only ones enjoying the temple meals. Religious leaders report that an increasing number of non-believers are visiting their place of worship to eat, treating them as food banks while the effects of austerity and economic […]

9 Dec, 2013

Australian spies ‘used East Timor aid program as cover’ – Sydney Morning Herald

East Timor’s government believes it has identified the members of a team of four Australian spies who allegedly bugged its government offices, describing it as “very disturbing” that they apparently used the cover of an aid program. The revelations came as intelligence and development experts expressed their deep misgivings that aid was apparently used as […]

9 Dec, 2013

Secrecy surrounds Trans-Pacific Partnership talks – Sydney Morning Herald

The government has refused to give the Senate access to the secret text of the trade deal it is negotiating in Singapore, saying it will only be made public after it has been signed. As the final round of ministerial talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership resumed on Sunday, Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz wrote to […]

9 Dec, 2013

How the West lost respect for international law – Robert Fisk – The Independent

Odd Karsten Tveit was always a very obsessional chap. Every story he covered, he always wanted to dig deeper, study further, hear one more tale of horror, one more joke, one more historical fact. We all covered the story of Israel’s wars in Lebanon, in 1978, in 1982, in 1996, in 2006. Over the years, […]

9 Dec, 2013

David Simon: ‘There are now two Americas. My country is a horror show’ | The Observer

America is a country that is now utterly divided when it comes to its society, its economy, its politics. There are definitely two Americas. I live in one, on one block in Baltimore that is part of the viable America, the America that is connected to its own economy, where there is a plausible future […]

7 Dec, 2013

Who is monitoring covert operations of global spy agencies?

Not since the infamous Sheraton Hotel incident in Melbourne 30 years ago, when weapons-brandishing spies bungled a mock hostage rescue exercise, has the Australian Secret Intelligence Service wound up with so much egg on its face. In that escapade, ASIS trainees broke down a guest-room door with a sledgehammer, terrorised the hotel manager and pulled […]

7 Dec, 2013

Australian PM gets tough on travel costs – Sydney Morning Herald

The Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ordered cabinet ministers and top public servants to personally approve the airfares and hotel bookings of tens of thousands of bureaucrats as part of a crackdown on government travel costs. Fairfax Media has learnt that on November 18, Mr Abbott issued a directive designed to clamp down on official […]

6 Dec, 2013

Asians 11 times more likely to be stopped at UK borders, analysis finds – theguardian.com

Fresh concerns that Asian people are more than 11 times more likely than white people to be stopped at British airports and ports and questioned under counter-terrorism powers have been raised by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). A new experimental pattern of analysis of the ethnicity of the 50,000 people a year who […]

6 Dec, 2013

Time is up for Qantas – Sydney Morning Herald

Time is up for Qantas. The government cannot fix the commercial disaster that the national carrier faces. The airline is in crisis and in need of radical surgery and the first partial limb to be harvested and auctioned to the highest bidder will undoubtedly be its lucrative Frequent Flyer program. The next might be the […]

6 Dec, 2013

American fast-food workers to strike again – Sydney Morning Herald

Washington: The United States was facing a wave of strikes by its fast-food workers on Thursday, a day after Barack Obama warned that inequality in the country had reached to the point that it posed “a fundamental threat to the American dream”. Low-paid workers in McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and other fast-food outlets in 100 […]

6 Dec, 2013

East Timorese stone Australian embassy – Sydney Morning Herald

About 100 protesters in East Timor have thrown rocks at the Australian embassy, with police responding with tear gas as a spying row intensifies. East Timor has expressed outrage over reports that Australia secretly bugged ministerial deliberations in Dili in 2004 to gain leverage in negotiations on an oil and gas revenue-sharing deal. The protest […]

6 Dec, 2013

TSA made half a million dollars last year from loose change – Washington Post

The next time you go through airport security, check those grey and white bins where you unload your pockets. Last year, the Transportation Security Administration collected $531,395.22 in change left behind at checkpoints. Federal law requires the TSA to report the amount of unclaimed money they keep every year to Congress. The Fiscal Year 2012 […]

5 Dec, 2013

Wake up John Kerry, a global intifada is erupting | The Electronic Intifada

If US Secretary of State John Kerry had any sense he would act now to avert a looming disaster. He would lay the groundwork to a peaceful transition of power from the exclusive Jewish-Zionist regime to a democratically elected government that represents all people living in Palestine/Israel. He would explain to the current Israeli regime […]

5 Dec, 2013

Snowden learnt ethical hacking, Java programming in India – Hindustan Times

Edward Snowden, who worked as a cyber security contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA) and stole thousands of sensitive documents containing details of the worldwide snooping operations of the NSA, spent six quite and cautious days in India 2010 learning about ethical hacking and core Java programming. “Snowden had told us that he […]

5 Dec, 2013

Facebook’s Future Plans for Data Collection Beyond All Imagination | Alternet

“The amount of information gathered from users,” explain Facebook programmers Justin Voskuhl and Ramesh Vyaghrapuri in their patent application, “is staggering — information describing recent moves to a new city, graduations, births, engagements, marriages, and the like.” Facebook and other so-called tech companies have been warehousing all of this information since their respective inceptions. In […]

5 Dec, 2013

Model cities to rise in typhoon-hit areas | Manila Bulletin

December 4, 2013 (updated) Manila, Philippines – The rise of model cities in areas hit by super-typhoon “Yolanda” could be the silver lining that the country can expect from government’s determined reconstruction efforts in Leyte, Samar, and even in Iloilo. Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Urban […]

5 Dec, 2013

Australian intelligence watchdog accused of failing to act on claims of East Timor bugging – Sydney Morning Herald

The former senior spy who blew the whistle on alleged Australian bugging of East Timor’s government took his case to the intelligence watchdog but it did not investigate and advised him to get a lawyer if he wanted to take the matter further. Lawyer and former ACT attorney-general Bernard Collaery – whose office was raided […]

5 Dec, 2013

Thousands of ‘Yolanda’ women, kids risk being human trafficking victims | Manila Bulletin

December 5, 2013, Washington – Thousands of women and children in the Philippines risk falling prey to human traffickers in the aftermath of last month’s catastrophic typhoon, lawmakers and the chief US aid agency warned Tuesday. A US congressman returning from a visit to the storm-ravaged Visayas regions in the Philippines said that while Filipino […]

5 Dec, 2013

Infographic: Wiping Palestine Off the Map – Al Jazeera English

Twenty years have passed since the signing of the Oslo Accords, the first agreement between Israelis and Palestinians since 1948. The accords led to Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation’s mutual recognition of one another, stipulated the withdrawal of Israeli forces from some Palestinian territory, and created the Palestinian Authority to govern the West Bank […]

5 Dec, 2013

Australian spies raid home of East Timor lawyer | Jakarta Post

Australia’s secret service has raided the Canberra homes of a lawyer and a former spy who intend to allege in an international court in The Hague that Australia bugged the East Timorese Cabinet ahead of sensitive oil and gas revenue-sharing negotiations. East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao on Wednesday condemned Australia’s actions as “counterproductive and […]

5 Dec, 2013

Figures reveal financial insecurity for India’s elderly – The Hindu

Activists of Pension Parishad, continue to campaign for universal pension system and are pressing for a minimum monthly pension not less than 50 percent of minimum wage or Rs.2,000 per month, whichever is higher. Retirement remains a luxury few among the poor in India can afford. The latest Census reveals that India is home to […]

5 Dec, 2013

6 Signs Our Culture Is Sick With Greed | Alternet

By R.J. Eskow November 28, 2013 | The love of money for money’s sake is the social disease of our time. We see it all around us: in the celebration of ill-gotten stock gains, public admiration for the heads of criminal banks, the words of Kanye West, in the commercialization of charity and even spirituality. […]

5 Dec, 2013

Mahatma Gandhi’s march of 1913 re-enacted in South Africa – The Hindu

Hundreds of people in South Africa re-enacted the 1913 march led by Mahatma Gandhi against discriminatory laws to commemorate the centenary of the historic event. A special train was organised from Durban to Newcastle via Pietermaritzburg, Ladysmith and other cities on the way for this historic event.Hundreds of people began their journey at about 2 […]

5 Dec, 2013

Oligarchy in the Holy Land — Tiny Number of Families Dominates Israel’s Economy | Alternet

Israel’s gaping inequality is also manifested in housing policy. When the state was founded on the ruins of Palestinian villages, new towns were created in the periphery of Israel, and they came to be populated mostly by Mizrahi Jews. While the Mizrahi Jews served an important purpose for the state in building a demographic buffer […]

4 Dec, 2013

Waiting for Greenwald: Why India can’t stay mute on NSA spying – Hindustan Times

No person in recent memory has succeeded in creating one big misunderstanding within the global policy elite as Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower who has drawn attention to US’s spying activities across the world. These include gathering metadata about emails and phone calls, gaining access to personal communications of millions of users, breaking encryption that […]

4 Dec, 2013

India protests against US spying – Hindustan Times

India has ratcheted up its response to mass surveillance by the US National Security Agency as revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden, launching a formal diplomatic protest against what it regards as commercial and political spying. It is learnt that around the time of a quiet three-day visit to India late last month by NSA chief […]

3 Dec, 2013

Open letter from Carl Bernstein to Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger | theguardian.com

What is new and most significant about the information originating with Mr Snowden and some of its specificity is how government surveillance has been conducted by intelligence agencies without the proper oversight – especially in the United States – by the legislative and judicial branches of government charged with such oversight, especially as the capabilities […]

3 Dec, 2013

Indonesian Chartered flight business to see double-digit growth | Jakarta Post

The chartered flight services business is projected to flourish next year not only because of increasing demand from the travel market, but also due to the upcoming election period, which will see many people charter aircraft to assist their campaigns. Indonesian National Air Carrier Association (INACA) non-scheduled services division head Denon Prawiraatmadja said the business […]

3 Dec, 2013

Indonesia strengthens national defenses in wake of Australian spying | Jakarta Post

The government is drawing up new strategies to reinforce national defense in the wake of the spying scandal that has led to a diplomatic row with neighboring Australia. Among the moves is the procurement of a new satellite that will be operational next year to prevent future spying by Australia or other foreign agencies. Defense […]

3 Dec, 2013

Australian espionage and the history of foreign intervention in Indonesia | Jakarta Post

Indonesia emerged as a modern nation in the wake of World War II, when Japanese troops ousted the Dutch, who had subjugated and exploited the country for centuries. After the Japanese surrender in August 1945, Indonesia’s founding president Sukarno declared independence. The new republic lay within the American-dominated Southwest Pacific Area and was soon handed […]

3 Dec, 2013

Revealed: Australian spy agency offered to share data about ordinary citizens | The Guardian

Australia’s surveillance agency offered to share information collected about ordinary Australian citizens with its major intelligence partners, according to a secret 2008 document leaked by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden. The document shows the partners discussing whether or not to share “medical, legal or religious information”, and increases concern that the agency could be operating […]

3 Dec, 2013

How Spiritual Tourism Might Change the World | Ben Bowler

One of the first challenges for those interested in “spiritual tourism” is defining exactly what it is. Believers taking part in religious pilgrimages such as Muslims doing the Hajj or Buddhists visiting the four sacred sites in India and Nepal are plainly recognised as “spiritual tourists” as are the 500 000 people belonging to various […]

2 Dec, 2013

LinkedIn just a little too keen to make connections – Sydney Morning Herald

We need to talk about LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world’s most popular professional networking site, with 238 million users. It rakes in a truckload of money from not very subtle advertising, subscriptions and recruitment agencies and its shares are currently valued at $US231 each. But unlike its social networking friends, Twitter and Facebook, something seems […]

1 Dec, 2013

Sethi: The Sikh American air travel “security” humiliation continues

Arjun Sethi is a lawyer in Washington. A few weeks ago, I headed to the airport for a flight from Washington to Boston. When I arrived, I began a familiar routine. I scanned the flight schedule board, checked in my bag and headed to security. There, I removed my jacket, scarf, shoes and belt. A […]

1 Dec, 2013

Life after ‘Yolanda’ | Manila Bulletin

Three weeks ago “Yolanda” was just a name. But for Filipinos who suffered the wrath of super typhoon Yolanda, the name is now synonymous to fear, death, destruction and despair. It’s a name that no mother would want to give a newborn girl ever again. Yolanda has killed 5,560 Filipinos in the short time that […]

29 Nov, 2013

Ram Leela and a new Pakistani love affair with India – Times of India

By Kingshuk Nag LAHORE, TNN, Nov 28, 2013 : Popular conversation in Lahore’s affluent society these days revolves around whether they have seen Bollywood’s latest release, ‘Ram Leela’, which is running to packed audiences in many cinema halls. This is not the only movie being lapped up by the denizens of Lahore. Though the reviews […]

29 Nov, 2013

How much Indian democracy’s ‘software’ lags behind its ‘hardware’ – The Times Of India

By Dileep Padgaonkar 27 November 2013 – Administrative and legal processes are now underway to get to the bottom of four high-profile cases involving, directly or otherwise, an assault on the dignity of women. They include a Supreme Court judge, the editor and managing editor of an influential weekly magazine, a former home minister of […]

29 Nov, 2013

Typhoon Haiyan: Double tragedy for farmers feared | Manila Bulletin

Manila, Philippines – The Philippines faces a double tragedy if Filipino farmers who were directly affected by the devastation of super-typhoon “Yolanda” are not provided with immediate assistance, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned. It would be a double tragedy, explained Dominique Burgeon, director of FAO’s Emergency and Rehabilitation Division, if […]

29 Nov, 2013

Serve the rich: banks go easy on India’s big loan defaulters – Hindustan Times

The year 2002 appears impossibly distant to contemporary India. Mobile-phone ownership jumped 75%, yet no more than 6 million Indians owned mobile phones (as compared to more than 800 million today). Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke of “shameful events” in Gujarat, and inaugurated the Delhi Metro. It was a year of destruction but also […]

29 Nov, 2013

New South Wales publishes list of most violent nightclubs

The state’s most violent licensed venues could be forced to implement a ban on shots and glassware earlier than midnight under a further crackdown by Hospitality Minister George Souris. Mr Souris has released the latest violent venues list, which is again topped by the Ivy nightclub on George Street, which recorded 26 assaults in the […]

29 Nov, 2013

Jakarta extends bans on co-operation with Oz

Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s hopes for a quick resumption of co-operation with Indonesia appear dashed after Jakarta outlined a road map to restoring relations that could take up to a year to implement. And Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa has again highlighted that the lack of the word “sorry” in Mr Abbott’s letter last week […]

29 Nov, 2013

Shenzhen gets new air terminal

By Lin Jing in Shenzhen

Guangdong (China Daily) 2013-11-28  – Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport opens its new terminal on Thursday morning, with flights focusing on destinations in Southeast Asia. The massive white building – shaped like an airplane ready for take off – is three times the size of the airport’s other terminals combined, and is capable of processing 45 […]

29 Nov, 2013

Chinese Courts ordered to make trials more transparent

By CAO YIN in Shenzhen

Guangdong, (China Daily), 2013-11-28 – China’s top court issued instructions on Wednesday for all courts to publicly disclose the progress of trials, judgments and whether sentences have been enforced, to improve judicial transparency. Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People’s Court, said transparency is key to providing independent verdicts and boosting trust in the legal […]

28 Nov, 2013

Asia Times Online: The drone victim and ‘Malala’

Meet Nabeela Rehman, a nine-year-old girl from Pakistan’s restive Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA). Nabeela is not an international youth icon like her compatriot, Malala Yusufzai, though her story is no less traumatic. In the first week of November, Nabeela quietly traveled all the way to Washington from Waziristan to ask the United States Congress […]

28 Nov, 2013

Asia Times Online: A ‘Modi’-fication’ of Indian politics

There is a new aspect to Modi – his ability to tell tall tales. The Pinocchio side to Modi is slowly revealing itself both in the case of his economic policies and also the yarns that he has been spinning. The web of deceit spans the current to the past ie from Gujarat’s socio-economic health […]

27 Nov, 2013

The bad neighbor story: Malaysia yesterday, Australia today? | Jakarta Post

On Indonesian news websites, two topics have attracted hundreds of comments: Islam and Malaysia. But now Malaysia has been replaced by Australia as the bad neighbor in Indonesian stories. The Indonesian government has been active in pursuing claims and taking a stand against Australia’s stance, compared to the relatively tamer reactions in squabbles with Malaysia. […]

27 Nov, 2013

Different groups see Oz as common enemy | Jakarta Post

The ongoing friction between Indonesia and Australia over wiretapping allegations can be seen as a blessing in disguise as it is uniting groups with different ideologies to voice their concerns over what they deem is tantamount to a violation of Indonesia’s sovereignty. Paramilitary groups like Laskar Merah Putih, the Forum of Indonesian Veterans and Police […]

27 Nov, 2013

Indonesia-Australia ties: More people-to-people, less G-to-G | Jakarta Post

By Risti Permani Adelaide – As an Indonesian that is actively involved in various Australia-based programs — not only GoLive Indonesia, a project promoting discussions on various topics, the Indonesia Diaspora Network South Australia but also several agricultural research projects focusing on Indonesia and Indonesian communities — seeing any damage to the Indonesia-Australia relationship has […]

26 Nov, 2013

Australia-Indonesia rift over spying deepens – Sydney Morning Herald

Indonesia has said that talks with Australia over people smuggling and asylum seekers have stalled because of the phone-tapping row, flatly contradicting Immigration Minister Scott Morrison. As Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declined for the third day to make a public statement about the letter he has received from Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the extent […]

26 Nov, 2013

US accused of war of attrition in trade talks – Sydney Morning Herald

The United States has been accused of negotiation by exhaustion in last-minute talks in Salt Lake City ahead of the final ministers’ meeting that will decide the makeup of the Trans Pacific trade deal between Australia and eleven other nations. Information leaking from the closed official-level talks suggests the United States is giving no ground […]

26 Nov, 2013

EU moves to close tax loophole used by Google, Amazon and Starbucks – The Independent

The European Commission has announced plans to close a loophole which has allowed large corporations to pay tax in countries with lower rates, even if they only own one letterbox there. As part of efforts to get companies to pay a fair share of tax in the countries where they make most of their profits, […]

26 Nov, 2013

Amazon workers have “increased risk of mental and physical illness” – The Independent

Amazon workers could face an increased risk of “mental and physical illness”, a leading stress expert has claimed, after being shown undercover footage of working conditions at one warehouse. Night shifts can involve up to 11 miles of walking with staff expected to collect orders every 33 seconds, a BBC investigation has alleged. Undercover reporter […]

26 Nov, 2013

Farmland expansion threatens Great Wall of China

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Beijing, (CNTV), November 25, 2013 –  The Great Wall of China is famous for being the largest man-made structure in the world. It stretches some 1,500 miles from end to end. Unfortunately, the Great Wall is now facing massive destruction from farmland expansion and construction. Can you imagine that this is the most iconic monument […]

25 Nov, 2013

Have no illusions about Modi’s idea of India – Hindustan Times

With the entry of Narendra Modi in the electoral fray as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, it is becoming clearer by the day that Muslims are going to be the biggest elephant in the room in the run-up to what, many believe, might turn out to be one of the most communally polarised elections in […]

25 Nov, 2013

Businesspeople reject US$10 levy for tourists – Jakarta Post

Tour operators in Bali have expressed their objection to the planned US$10 levy on every tourist proposed by the provincial administration and legislative council. The provincial administration and legislature are currently drawing up a draft ordinance related to efforts to preserve the culture and environment, funds for which would be derived from every foreign visitor […]

25 Nov, 2013

Battle lines drawn against Oz – Jakarta Post

As the diplomatic spat intensifies, Indonesia warned Australia on Tuesday that it would relax preventive measures against boat people using the archipelago as a stepping stone for their onward journeys to Australia. Following a request from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for a review of areas of bilateral cooperation on Tuesday, the National Police and the […]

25 Nov, 2013

Police guarantee safety for Aussie tourists – Jakarta Post

Amid tensions in the relationship between Indonesia and Australia over phone-tapping revelations, National Police chief Gen. Sutarman guaranteed the safety of all Australian tourists visiting Indonesia. Sutarman also stressed that the police would protect Australian assets in the country. “The safety of Australian tourists in Bali should be guaranteed. That’s our responsibility,” Sutarman told journalists […]

25 Nov, 2013

Boeing’s “Future of Washington” ad features Airbus | GulfNews.com

Washington: An advertisement placed in The Seattle Times on Wednesday by a group hoping to encourage Washington state to keep up its fight to secure the coveted work on the new Boeing 777 includes a notable miscue. At the top of the full-page ad, under the all-caps text “The Future of Washington,” is pictured not […]

25 Nov, 2013

Pakistan PM calls for visa-free travel with India – Times of India

LAHORE: Increasingly under pressure in his country over the continuing drone attacks by US agencies in Pakistani areas, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made a strong plea over the weekend for speedily resuming peace ties with India. “We must aim to dismantle visa requirement between the two countries,” Sharif said choosing the unusual venue of the […]

25 Nov, 2013

Sexual harassment at workplace: Women who dared to speak – The Times of India

MUMBAI: It’s been a year of shame, but also hope. Littered with cases of sexual harassment at the workplace, 2013 is about to wrap up on a dark note. What’s heartening though, is the measured courage displayed by the young women involved in all cases, including a law graduate who blogged about a retired SC […]

20 Nov, 2013

There’s a rule book, Modi Saheb – DAWN.COM

After the snooping allegations were made at a press conference at the Press Club in Delhi Friday, a gentleman claiming to be the lady’s father, Pranlal Soni, said the family had long-standing relations with Modi and had asked the Chief Minister to “take care” of her. The father’s statement confirmed the identity of “saheb” as […]

19 Nov, 2013

Eastern Visayas: Philippines’ 3rd poorest region

Eastern Visayas, hardest hit by killer typhoon Yolanda, is the country’s third poorest region with 37 percent of its population or an estimated 4.2 million people living below poverty line, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) latest report. In 2012, about 37.2 percent of Region VIII’s estimated 4.2 million people were living below […]

19 Nov, 2013

Paying benefits ‘does not make unemployed lazy’ – The Independent

Paying high levels of benefits to the unemployed does not lead to them becoming lazy, or lacking motivation to find a job according to a European-wide study charting the well-being of claimants. Comparing how joblessness affected the life satisfaction of people in 28 countries, the report from the University of Edinburgh found that there was […]