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21 May, 2013

Rashtrapati Bhavan to levy Rs 25 for Mughal Garden tour

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NEW DELHI, PTI | May 20, 2013,: Come August, people visiting Rashtrapati Bhavan and Mughal Gardenswill be levied a registration charges of Rs 25 which will be spent to maintain and improve services to public. Nominal registration charges of Rs 25 will be levied upon visitors to Rashtrapati Bhavan and Mughal Gardens from August 1, [...]

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21 May, 2013

Political dysfunctions spells trouble for democracies – The Washington Post

By E.J. Dionne Jr. We know American politics are dysfunctional. But after a week of scandal obsession during which the nation’s capital and the media virtually ignored the problems most voters care about — jobs, incomes, growth, opportunity, education — it’s worth asking if there is something especially flawed about our democracy. Our circumstances certainly [...]

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21 May, 2013

How Egypt lost the Suez Canal – Ahram Online

by Wael Gamal When built, the Suez Canal contributed to transforming desert into an economic hub. But capitalist-imperialist schemes prevented Egypt from benefiting from the infrastructure it created. Read the rest:  How Egypt lost the Suez Canal – Opinion – Ahram Online.

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21 May, 2013

CAIR Welcomes State Department’s Recognition of Rising Islamophobia

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(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/20/2013) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which claims to be the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today welcomed a new State Department report on international religious freedom, which recognizes that “[a]nti-Muslim rhetoric and actions were clearly on the rise — particularly in Europe and Asia.” According [...]

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21 May, 2013

Pressure and job insecurity felt by UK workers at 20-year high | guardian.co.uk

British workers are feeling less secure and more pressured at work than at any time in the past 20 years, with pay cuts and diminished control over their jobs among the biggest concerns, according to a national survey of employees’ wellbeing. More than 3,000 workers aged between 20 and 60 were interviewed in 2012 for [...]

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20 May, 2013

First Industry Professional Appointed to Lead Pakistan Tourism

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Islamabad: Mr. Zafarullah Siddiqui, Economic Analyst / Joint Secretary (Dev) (BS-20) has assumed charge as Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC). According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC), Mr. Siddiqui will look after the work of MD PTDC till appointment of a regular incumbent to this post. This [...]

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20 May, 2013

Abu Dhabi entepreneur promotes Falafel as fast-food chain

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 20 May 2013 (10 Rajab 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story.

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20 May, 2013

Chinese “Birth Tourists” in U.S. Facing Scrutiny

By June Chang (China Daily)

2013-05-17 – Li lives in a boarding house in the affluent California city of Arcadia, about 13 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. She isn’t alone. The other 29 units in her housing complex are either occupied or booked, all by Chinese women who are pregnant. Like Li, who declined to disclose her real name, [...]

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20 May, 2013

China cuts red-tape for self-drive, airports, education clearances

By CHEN XIN, LAN LAN and WU WENCONG (China Daily)

Beijing, May 17, 2013, China Daily – The State Council, China’s cabinet, on Thursday published a list of items that no longer require central government approval, or have been delegated to lower-level authorities. The cabinet’s list follows Premier Li Keqiang’s pledge to streamline the government since he took office in March. Approval required for 133 [...]

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20 May, 2013

WTO Chief Urges More Opening Of Europe Services Sector to Boost Economies

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World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy, in a speech at the European Business Summit in Brussels on 15 May 2013, said that “a big part of the answer to improving European competitiveness lies in a greater and better leveraging of Europe’s comparative advantage: the size of its internal market”. He added that “a further effort [...]

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20 May, 2013

China’s UNESCO Heritage Site, Mogao Grottoes, to limit tourist flows

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DUNHUANG, Gansu, May 17 (Xinhua) — The administration of the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northwest China’s Gansu Province, is to introduce new measures to control visitor flows and prevent damage to the caves’ Buddhist frescoes. A stricter mechanism will be introduced in 2014 to control daily tourist volumes at the 1,600-year-old [...]

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20 May, 2013

Chinese Vice Premier stresses polite behavior by Chinese tourists

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BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on Thursday advocated polite tourist behavior and stressed that a good image of Chinese tourists should be projected. Wang made the remarks during a teleconference held by the State Council, China’s cabinet, on implementing the new Tourism Law. Wang also urged relevant authorities to develop [...]

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20 May, 2013

Chinese Calligraphy Helps Language Learning

By Caroline Berg (China Daily)

New York,  2013-05-17 -  Two years ago, the Confucius Institute at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina initiated a trial calligraphy immersion course in a K-8 language school to accelerate their learning of the Chinese language. “Our mission is to teach Chinese language and to promote the culture,” said Yan Weihong, director of the Confucius Institute [...]

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20 May, 2013

Music Heritage Can Help India, China Bond Better

By Mu Qian (China Daily)

May 17, 2013 (China Daily) – The name Bombay Jayashri might not be too well known in China, but if you say “singer of the theme song of the film Life of Pi”, many realize who she is. Jayashri recently completed a six-show tour of China, and was warmly welcomed everywhere she went, in Shanghai, [...]

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20 May, 2013

Gaza: We will keep coming back – Al-Ahram Weekly

By Bill Dienst I’ve been coming to Gaza for a long time. My first was in 1985 and this is now my seventh trip to the region. In the 1980s, there were no substantial physical barriers between Gaza and Israel. Many Gazans worked as day labourers in Israel and many spoke Hebrew. Group taxis travelled [...]

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19 May, 2013

U.S. Groups Blast Israeli Bias Against Americans of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim Origin

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WASHINGTON, May 18, 2013 (WAFA) – Over 50 American organizations signed a letter asking US senators to oppose the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act on the ground Israel mistreats US citizens travelling to its country, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation said in a press release on Friday. It said section nine of [...]

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19 May, 2013

Worldwide Luxury Goods Market In Double-Digit Annual Growth, Tops €200 Billion

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MILAN–(BUSINESS WIRE)– May 16, 2013 – Worldwide luxury goods market revenues will grow as much as 50 percent faster than global GDP, with an expectation of four to five percent growth in 2013 and five to six percent annual average through 2015, on track to break the €250 billion sales threshold by mid-decade. This according [...]

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19 May, 2013

UNESCO Releases Hangzhou Declaration on Culture

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HANGZHOU, May 17 (Xinhua) — UNESCO concluded the International Congress of Hangzhou on Friday by issuing a declaration recognizing the power of culture for sustainable development. Alissandra Cummins, chairwoman of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said the declaration was a positive outcome of the congress and it [...]

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19 May, 2013

First Dating Site Catering to Over-60 Senior Citizens Launched

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(PRWEB) May 18, 2013 – A dating site catering to over 60 senior citizens has been launched by Successful Match Inc on May 13 to help the over 60 group find love & companionship again. According to Successful Match, the original service provider powering online dating sites, Over60dating.org is the first online dating site catering [...]

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19 May, 2013

Destitute, orphan students outclass rest in Andhra Class 10 exams – Indian Express

POOR, destitute and orphan students from the SC and ST community, studying in schools run by the Andhra Pradesh government’s social welfare department, have performed extremely well in the SSC or class 10 exams this year, beating the general pass percentage and outperforming students tutored in expensive private coaching classes. Results for the 2012-13 academic [...]

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19 May, 2013

Eight countries submit action plans to combat illegal trade in elephant ivory

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Geneva, 16 May 2013 (CITES Media release) – The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has received National Ivory Action Plans from the first group of countries identified as primary source, transit and import countries affected by illegal trade in ivory: China, Kenya, Malaysia, the [...]

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19 May, 2013

U.S. Legal System Is World’s Most Costly and Primarily Benefits Lawyers: Study

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–15 May 2013 – The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) today released a study by NERA Economic Consulting showing that the U.S. has the world’s most costly legal system as a share of its economy. The study (click on the link for FREE download) compared liability costs as a percentage of GDP [...]

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19 May, 2013

Obama’s media shield law makes prosecuting journalists even easier — RT USA

Now as the White House shifts focus from one scandal to another, free speech advocates are concerned that the shield law, as written, wouldn’t do much more than current legislation in terms of thwarting future subpoenas sent to journalists. Trevor Timm, an activist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and a board member of the Freedom [...]

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19 May, 2013

Heading for America? Prepare for longest US immigration queues ever – The Independent

Welcome to America: now stand in line for three hours. Millions of British holidaymakers and business travellers heading for the US this summer face longer waits than ever to be processed by immigration. Research by The Independent reveals that budget cuts at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have sharply increased airport queues, with the [...]

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19 May, 2013

The price of pacifism: Refusing to go to war is finally being recognised as a brave act – The Independent

The conscientious objector is a popular trope in any drama touching on the First World War: Downton Abbey, Upstairs Downstairs and more recently The Village have been awash with young men persecuted for their moral stance, the white feathers they were shamed with fluttering about TV screens as if war was a pillow fight. As [...]

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18 May, 2013

Afghans recall US soldier’s killing rampage – Dawn.com

Masooma said that the soldier returned to the family’s bedroom after killing her husband. She stood in terror. Her children hid under their blankets. The soldier moved slowly and seemed angry. Gesturing to show how he hit her in the arms and shoved her to the ground, Masooma said he then moved toward her son [...]

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18 May, 2013

‘Unhealthy’ drinking culture among British MPs: Survey – The Times of India

LONDON: Grabbing a drink at one of many parliament bars or pubs down the road is common practice among many UK parliamentarians but now some of them fear this seemingly harmless British pastime may be getting out of hand. A quarter of MPs believe there is an “unhealthy” culture of drinking in parliament, a new [...]

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18 May, 2013

Harvard Business School to Convene 200+ Leaders to Discuss U.S. Competitiveness

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BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 15, 2013 – Today, Harvard Business School (HBS) will convene Paths Forward Boston, an event that is part of the school’s U.S. Competitiveness Project. Paths Forwardevents allow HBS faculty members to share the latest research and data on U.S. competitiveness and convene leaders in economic centers throughout the country to discuss actionable steps to [...]

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18 May, 2013

Arab-American Group Asks “Newseum” to Reinstate Palestinian Journalists in Memorial

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WASHINGTON, May 15, 2013 (WAFA) – An Arab-American organization Tuesday called on Newseum, a Washington-based memorial for fallen journalists, to re-evaluate its decision to remove the names of two Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli airstrike from the list of fallen journalists honored at its memorial. Newseum removed on Monday the names of Mahmoud al-Kumi and [...]

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18 May, 2013

Palestinian Jobless Rate Hits 27.5% in First Quarter of 2013

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RAMALLAH, May 16, 2013 (WAFA) – The unemployment rate in the Palestinian Territory increased from 26.7% in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 27.5% in the first quarter of 2013, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said Thursday. Using International Labor Organization standards, the number of unemployed persons was 271,000, distributed to 152,000 in [...]

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18 May, 2013

Deluxe Reveals Unique “DNA” of America’s Small Business Owners

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ST. PAUL, Minn.– (BUSINESS WIRE) — May 16, 2013  — Small businesses (SMB) have long been seen as the nation’s economic engine – but what really makes that engine run? A new, independent survey has found that SMB owners share several distinct attributes – a sort of unique “DNA” – that help them live their [...]

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16 May, 2013

Road Safety: European Commission Speeds Up Roll-out of Info Services for Motorists

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Brussels, 15 May 2013, European Commission Press release – The European Commission today adopted two regulations to promote the roll-out of ‘intelligent information services’, such as real-time warnings about dangerous road conditions ahead and information on safe and secure parking places for truck drivers. They can be provided through different means such as variable road [...]

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16 May, 2013

Don’t Expand the War on Terror – NYTimes.com

One of the most troubling consequences of an open-ended authorization to use force is that it might actually undercut intelligence gathering. Already, key allies are nervous about sharing intelligence with the United States because it might be used in drone strikes; Germany, in fact, restricted information sharing as a result. These concerns would most likely [...]

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16 May, 2013

‘Recessions can hurt, but austerity kills’ | The Guardian

The austerity programmes administered by western governments in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis were, of course, intended as a remedy, a tough but necessary course of treatment to relieve the symptoms of debts and deficits and to cure recession. But if, David Stuckler says, austerity had been run like a clinical trial, [...]

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16 May, 2013

FREE Download: World Health Statistics Report 2013

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15 May 2013 | Geneva – The world has made dramatic progress in improving health in the poorest countries and narrowing the gaps between countries with the best and worst health status in the past two decades, according to the World Health Statistics 2013. The WHO annual statistics report highlights how efforts to meet the [...]

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16 May, 2013

Trade In Creative Products Reached New Peak In 2011, UNCTAD Figures Show

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Geneva, 15 May 2013, UNCTAD Media release – World trade in creative goods and services totaled a record US$624 billion in 2011, up from $559.5 billion in 2010, according to the UNCTAD Global Database on the Creative Economy. Global exports of such goods and services as arts and crafts, books, graphic and interior design works, [...]

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16 May, 2013

EU Group recommends doubling use of buses, coaches & taxis to save lives, cut emissions

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Brussels 15 May 2013, IRU Media Release – The EU public-private Smart Move High Level Group (HLG) presented recommendations on doubling the use of buses, coaches and taxis to save lives and cut carbon emissions, to European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas, at a concluding public debate today at the European Parliament and called on [...]

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15 May, 2013

Kashmir Festival Being Held Until May 29

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Ministry of Tourism, 13-May, 2013 – As a major initiative to promote Tourism in Kashmir Valley the Union Minister Tourism Mr K Chiranjeevi announced here today that “Kashmir Festival 2013” will be held for a fortnight from May 14 to May 29 at different places in the State of Jammu & Kashmir. The Minister said [...]

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15 May, 2013

Chinese Landscape Expo, With Many Garden Designs, Opens in Jinzhou

By Liu Ce and Wu Yong in Jinzhou, Liaoning (China Daily)

2013-05-11 – The 2013 World Landscape Art Exposition kicked off in Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, on Friday, after attracting more than 300 artists from home and abroad. The exposition will showcase 20 of the best-designed gardens selected from 103 works worldwide. A performance is held at the venue of the 2013 World Landscape Art Exposition, which [...]

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15 May, 2013

China Railway to issue 150 Billion Yuan worth of bonds for funding

By Mao Jing (Chinadaily.com.cn)

2013-05-10  – China Railway Corp may soon issue its first batch of bonds after it was founded in March, as railway construction across the country slowed down due to inadequate funds, 21st Century Business Herald reported. “This year’s quota for China Railway in railway construction bonds is 150 billion yuan, the same as last year,” [...]

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15 May, 2013

Renaming the ‘Arab Spring’ cannot hide American prejudice

(People's Daily Online)

May 11, 2013 – With war scale expanding, death toll increasing, a view that Syrian war has gone to the critical point is spreading. When the attention was concentrated on the changing war situation, some people may have forgotten the tragedy was regard as the extension of the “Arab Spring” at the very beginning. The [...]

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15 May, 2013

FREE Download ILO Report: Global Employment Trends for Youth 2013 – A Generation at Risk

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GENEVA (ILO News) 08 May 2013 – Two thirds of working age youth in some developing countries are either unemployed or trapped in low-quality jobs, according to the ILO Global Employment Trends for Youth 2013 report. In six of the ten countries surveyed, over 60 per cent of young people are either unemployed, working but [...]

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15 May, 2013

UNWTO Reports Global Tourism Receipts Grew by 4% in 2012

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Madrid, Spain, 15 May 2013 – Receipts from international tourism in destinations around the world grew by 4% in 2012 reaching US$ 1075 billion. This growth is equal to the 4% increase in international tourist arrivals which reached 1035 million in 2012. An additional US$ 219 billion was recorded in receipts from international passenger transport, [...]

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14 May, 2013

Massive Cost-Cutting Operation Signals Start of Time-Bound Overhaul at Air India

Press Information Bureau

NEW DELHI, 14 MAY 2013 – The Minister for Civil Aviation Mr Ajit Singh, addressing  a press conference here, has said that the Government has accepted the recommendations of Prof. Dholakia Committee Report on Cost Cutting in Air India and sent it to the national airline for immediate implementation. The Committee has made total 47 [...]

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14 May, 2013

Enjoy A Weekend In Chiang Mai, And Help A Severely Burned Boy

By Basil McCall

Chiang Mai – A special ‘charity’ weekend package in Chiang Mai for 31 May – 02 June 2013 includes 2 night’s accommodation at the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, and a fundraising Gala Dinner & Dance on 01 June in the hotel’s Grand Hall. Proceeds from the dinner will help to cover the cost of continuing [...]

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14 May, 2013

FREE Download: U.N. Report Says Poor Sanitation, Open Defecation Killing Hundreds Daily

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13 May 2013 | GENEVA/NEW YORK – Some 2.4 billion people – one-third of the world’s population – will remain without access to improved sanitation in 2015, according to a joint WHO/UNICEF report issued today. The report, entitled Progress on sanitation and drinking-water 2013 update, warns that, at the current rate of progress, the 2015 [...]

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13 May, 2013

Modern lifestyle causing dementia to strike at early age – Indian Express

Modern lifestyle is causing dementia and other brain diseases to strike at a younger age, with widespread use of computers, mobile phones and chemicals to blame, a new study has found. The latest research has found that the sharp rise of dementia and other neurological deaths in people under 74 cannot be put down to [...]

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13 May, 2013

Brawijaya University Students Develop Anti-Diabetic Tea from Salak Peel

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 13 May 2013 (03 Rajab 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ========== MESSAGE FROM TOURISM MALAYSIA World Islamic Tourism Mart to be held in Kuala Lumpur The [...]

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12 May, 2013

American media distortion on Palestine | Veterans News Now

By Alison Weir Thirteen years ago I knew very little about Israel-Palestine. Like most Americans, this seemed to be a distant, confusing conflict that had little to do with me. I was unaware –again, like most Americans – that American taxpayers give Israel over $8 million per day, more than we give to any other [...]

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12 May, 2013

Why I converted to Islam: Van Doorn

Arnoud Van Doorn, former member of an anti-Islamic party of Netherland has given his reasons for conversion to Islam, and reactions by his co-partisans after his conversion, and Western accusations against Islam and his own recommendations to atheists. The news about the conversion to Islam of Arnoud Van Doorn, former vice-chairman for Geert Wilders, famous [...]

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