29 Aug, 2011
Orascom Development’s Samih Sawiris handed prison sentence – Ahram Online
An Egyptian court sentenced the executive chairman of real estate and hotels firm Orascom Development to two years in jail for manipulating the firm’s stock price and providing incorrect data on its finances, a judicial source said. Samih Sawiris was also fined 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($8,401) and denied the right to trade in the stock [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
In Britain, a Meeting on Limiting Social Media – NYTimes.com
LONDON — British officials and representatives of Twitter, Facebook and BlackBerry met Thursday to discuss voluntary ways to limit or restrict the use of social media to combat crime and periods of civil unrest, while trying to dodge charges of hypocrisy and censorship that trailed Prime Minister David Cameron’s call to restrict use of the [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
West looks to avoid Iraq errors in post-Qadhafi Libya | Jordan Times
BRUSSELS – If there is one pitfall Western officials appear determined to avoid in Libya, it is making the same mistakes that were made in Iraq eight years ago. It is not so much the way the six-month conflict in Libya has been pursued, with France, Britain and others providing support to the rebels from [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
Executives scarce thanks to push for women on boards
THE unprecedented number of women directors appointed in the past year may have narrowed the gender divide on boards, but there is growing concern that they are being plucked from a diminishing pool of senior executives. Penny Bingham-Hall, who left a senior executive role at Leighton Holdings to join Australia Post and BlueScope Steel, said [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
Australians want greater equality in wealth share
WHEN it comes to wealth, even the richest people think the rich have too much – but few Australians have any idea of how skewed the distribution really is. A study prepared by Empirica Research and the Harvard Business School for the trade union movement as part of its planning for the October tax summit [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
An imperfect triumph in Libya – Washington Post
With Moammar Gaddafi still at large and an uncertain future ahead for the Libyan people, one hesitates to make categorical judgments about the Obama administration’s recent intervention. A few things, however, can be said. The toppling of Gaddafi’s 42-year dictatorship is a big victory for the ongoing pan-Arab revolution. The political map of the Middle [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
25 years later, how ‘Top Gun’ made America love war – Washington Post
Americans are souring on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The military budget is under siege as Congress looks for spending to cut. And the Army is reporting record suicide rates among soldiers. So who does the Pentagon enlist for help in such painful circumstances? In June, the Army negotiated a first-of-its-kind sponsorship deal with [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
MLK memorial is a testament to King’s victory over the defiant – Washington Post
Sunday marks the 48th anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington. It is fitting that we recall what that day did and did not produce. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech did not spark an “aha” moment, causing the South to repudiate segregation in all its ugly forms. Neither did the [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
Bachmann: US ‘king daddy dogs’ in energy resources, but environmentalists locking them up – Washington Post
POINCIANA, Fla. — Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann claimed Saturday that the United States has more fuel resources than any other country, but blamed what she termed “radical environmentalists” for bottling up American energy policy. With untapped oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off the nation’s coasts, shale oil in Western states, [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
Cesium release equal to 168 Hiroshima A-bombs | Japan Times Online
The amount of radioactive cesium ejected by the Fukushima reactor meltdowns is about 168 times higher than that emitted in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the government’s nuclear watchdog said Friday. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency provided the estimate at the request of a Diet panel but noted that making a simple comparison between [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
UN envoy Prosor: Israel has no chance of stopping recognition of Palestinian state – Haaretz
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, sent a classified cable to the Foreign Ministry last week, stating that Israel stands no chance of rallying a substantial number of states to oppose a resolution at the UN General Assembly recognizing a Palestinian state in September. Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office, meanwhile, said Prime [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
The future has arrived early | The Asian Age
The future has arrived a little ahead of schedule. On the 12th day of Anna Hazare’s fast, the Lok Sabha debated the Lokpal legislation and unanimously agreed to the three points that Mr Hazare insisted on — the law should ensure that every state has a Lokayukta, all government departments should have a citizen’s charter [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
India erupts in joyous celebrations – Hindustan Times
From Ramlila Maidan to Ralegan Siddi — Anna Hazare’s village — celebrations at full blast replaced days of protests as the Gandhian broke his fast on Sunday, with his supporters marking “people’s victory” with dancing, waving of the tri colour and handing out of sweets and flowers. The festivities which began last night after Parliament [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
Nation’s victory, thousands begin march from India Gate – Hindustan Times
Thousands gathered at India Gate this evening to celebrate victory of Anna Hazare’s crusade against anti-corruption took the nation by storm. The Gandhian on Sunday broke his 12-day fast declaring that electoral reforms will be on top of his agenda. After days of protests, festivities which began last night after Parliament passed a resolution agreeing [...]
more…29 Aug, 2011
PressTV – ‘Israel cannot stop Palestinian state’
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor says Tel Aviv has no chance of stopping states that are set to vote for the recognition of a Palestinian state at the General Assembly. In a classified cable to the Israeli Foreign Ministry last week, Prosor said that Israel will not be able to rally a substantial [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Asia Times Online : THE ROVING EYE: Disaster capitalism swoops over Libya
Think of the new Libya as the latest spectacular chapter in the Disaster Capitalism series. Instead of weapons of mass destruction, we had R2P (“responsibility to protect”). Instead of neo-conservatives, we had humanitarian imperialists. But the target is the same: regime change. And the project is the same: to completely dismantle and privatize a nation [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
The Hindu : Opinion : Getting the regional act together
An appreciable level of seriousness underscores the government’s thinking on pressing ahead with the bid for iron ore blocks in the fabulous Hajigak mines in Afghanistan as well as to sponsor the Steel Authority of India proposal to set up a steel plant in that country. The Hajigak mines hold an estimated reserve of 1.8 [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
The Hindu : 4 Indians among MIT’s top 35 innovators
Two Indians and two persons of Indian origin figure among Top 35 Innovators under-35 in the latest list of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Technology Review, the world’s oldest Technology Magazine established in 1899. Ajit Narayanan, Invention Labs, Chennai and Aishwarya Ratan, Yale University, who were part of TR35 India Winners announced in March 2011, [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Asia Times Online : Israel turns tables on Turkey
True to style, Israel is looking around the region for comfort and companionship with anyone who might also have an intractable problem with Turkey – it didn’t have to look far across the Mediterranean. The two-day visit by the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, to Tel Aviv, which ended on Thursday, was much more [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Asia Times Online :: Israel wages war on Iranian scientists
Asia Time Online’s sources in Tehran have confirmed the account presented at the trial, stressing that Israeli intelligence is using highly trained lone operatives to attack Iran’s scientific human resources. Communication methods are kept as simple as possible in the belief that as the operatives are not known to Iranian intelligence, public modes of communication [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Palestine: arduous odyssey of statehood – Media Monitors Network (MMN)
Now after spending two decades as an observer state, Palestine is seeking full membership in the United Nations. When the General Assembly convenes on September 13, it will also decide on whether to accept Palestine as an official and sovereign state or not. However, the Palestinians have a long way to go to realize statehood [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Wikileaks: Absence Of Israeli Visas Hinders West Bank
Summary: Israeli immigration practices are limiting West Bank enterprises’ ability to conduct business, according to contacts working on the planned Rawabi housing/commercial estate. Because only companies and NGOs registered in Israel can apply for Israeli work permits, West Bank companies, like Rawabi, cannot get work permits for their non-Palestinian consultants, employees, or investors. This restriction [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Ten of thousands take to the streets in social protests across Israel – Haaretz
Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday night to participate in demonstrations protesting the high cost of living in Israel. In Tel Aviv, around 10,000 protesters marched from Habima Square to the intersection of Ibn Gvirol and Shaul Hamelech streets, where a rally was held. Noam Shalit, the father of captured [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Lebensraum as a justification for Israeli settlements – Haaretz
Until now Israel had supported the occupation of the territories with two pillars: history and security – its right to inherit the land and its obligation to defend it. In recent weeks a third pillar was added, which all these years was hidden under straw and stubble. And maybe it’s not a pillar but a [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Not a Gandhi, but his protest good for India – Hindustan Times
Britons, more familiar with the other Hazare — the late cricketer Vijay — have also been learning about Anna and his movement. The Lokpal Bill has figured prominently in the British media, with several newspapers running editorial and comment pieces by well-known India hands. “Mr Hazare does not have, or aspire to, anything like Gandhi’s [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Robert Fisk: Prosecuting war crimes? Be sure to read the small print – The Independent
It’s good to see bad guys behind bars. Especially if they’re convicted. Justice is better than revenge. And justice must be done for the relatives of the victims as well as for the dead. Part two of the Mubarak trial this month was a case in point. Egyptians want to know exactly who ordered the [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Parliament passes unanimous resolution on Anna’s demands – Hindustan Times
Heeding to Anna Hazare’s demands, Parliament today adopted a ‘Sense of the House’ on three key issues raised by him with regard to the Lokpal Bill with an aim of persuading him to end his 12-day hunger strike. The ‘Sense of the House’ was adopted with thumping of desks without any voting after an extraordinary [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
People out on roads to celebrate Anna’s victory – Hindustan Times
Scores of people came out on the roads in Delhi to express their elation over the victory of activist Anna Hazare, whose three key demands on the Lokpal bill were accepted by Parliament on Saturday. Sporting Anna caps, waving the tricolour and shouting slogans, people were seen heading towards India Gate. Some people were found [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Tolerance and amity | Jordan Times
King Abdullah’s meeting with heads of the Orthodox churches in the Middle East is a reminder to the international community and the Arab countries that Muslims and Christians in the region, and indeed elsewhere in the world, of the need for peaceful religious accommodation and for constructive and collaborative relations. The King proudly referred to [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in light of the new realities | Jordan Times
Peace in the Middle East is crucially dependent on the extent to and the manner in which the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty will be upheld. The treaty shows clearly the inequality between the demands of the new realities and the old mechanisms that has seen a calm political exchange between the two countries for the past [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
No security for Israel without accommodating neighbours | Jordan Times
With the Arab Spring of protest reaching Israeli shores, and with several political parties rallying against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there emerges a surrealist scene in the way Israel is conducting itself. Backed by one of the strongest military powers in the world – including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons – and allied with [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Continue fight against graft: Aamir to public – Hindustan Times
It was a star-studded moment at the Ramlila Maidan with Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Sonu Nigam making an appearance on the 12th day of Anna Hazare’s protest. The crowd broke into a collective cheer as the celebrities made an appearance on stage. Aamir and Anna Hazare shared the centrestage and later the actor sent [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
‘Bring corporates under Lokpal’ – Hindustan Times
The Left parties, ignored by the government’s crisis managers in backchannel consultations, lent a favourable voice to the government on select issues in the Lokpal debate on Saturday. While in Rajya Sabha CPM’s Sitaram Yechury argued for widening the definition of corruption and cited practical difficulty in bringing the huge bureaucracy under the Lokpal, CPI’s [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Peace and Constitution, the Anna Way – Hindustan Times
Since last Monday a motley group of likeminded people are gathering at Basantapur Square in central Kathmandu every evening to protest. Their inspiration is Anna Hazare. But while the septuagenarian Maratha is on fast seeking an end to corruption in India, this group in Nepal is clamouring for a different cause. They want an early [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Victory for People’s democracy – Hindustan Times
After 12 days of drama, diatribe and dialogue, social activist Anna Hazare announced the withdrawal of his fast that started on August 16, as thousands cheered at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, and many more hailed the ‘victory’ across the country. Hazare has lost seven kg as he survived only on water for 300 hours, but showed [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
China to allow foreign direct investment in RMB – People’s Daily Online
Foreign investors will be able to make direct investments in China with RMB obtained legally from overseas, according to the draft guidelines on RMB foreign direct investment (FDI) recently issued by the Ministry of Commerce. The ministry is currently soliciting public feedback on the new rules. This regulatory framework for cross-border RMB FDI will be [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
China pledges more efforts to promote int’l law in Asia – People’s Daily Online
BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — State Councilor Dai Bingguo said Saturday that China was ready to work with other Asian countries for the development of international law in Asia. Dai made the remarks when addressing an opening ceremony of a conference of the Asian Society of International Law. He said peace, development and cooperation had [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Micro blogs are the voice of the people – chinadaily.com.cn
As the sole ruling party in China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) must listen attentively to the people’s complaints. So micro blogs deserve attention from the authorities. Long and stable rule is based on constructive interaction between governors and citizens. The longer the rule is, the more carefully the governors should listen to people’s [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
US should weigh up one vital change – chinadaily.com.cn
What do the United States, Liberia and Myanmar have in common? Answer: They are the only three countries which have not officially adopted the metric system. What about the US and Belize? They are the only two nations that use Fahrenheit instead of Celsius to measure temperature. A daily hassle for an expat living and [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Weak world conditions to curb trade growth in 2011 | Economy | chinadaily.com.cn
BEIJING – China’s foreign trade is unlikely to grow as fast in 2011 as it did last year due to weakening global demand and rising costs, Vice-Minister of Commerce Jiang Yaoping said on Tuesday. The country’s trade grew by a robust 34.7 percent in 2010. “China’s imports and exports will be seriously influenced, as the [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
Investment secures wealth for security – chinadaily.com.cn
Wealth security is an important component of state security. In China, the wealth of the State has increased faster than that of residents since the 1990s thanks to tax, financial and State-owned enterprise reforms. The fiscal revenue of the Chinese government was 8.31 trillion yuan ($1.32 trillion) last year, and foreign exchange reserves touched $3 [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
China to review foreign M&A | Policy and Regulation | chinadaily.com.cn
BEIJING – A new regulation issued by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Friday states that the government will review mergers and acquisitions of domestic companies by foreign investors for national security purposes. If any mergers and acquisitions involving foreign investors are determined to be a threat to national security, those deals should be terminated, [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
University research addresses Thai silk research, product development
Silk is Thailand’s most elegant natural fiber, used mainly for textile manufacturing. Due to a decline in prices in worldwide markets for the famed fiber, Mahasarakham University researchers have developed innovative and varied products made from silk in order to help silk farmers to claim additional income from silk production when the market prices of [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
PressTV – ‘World dictators to fall in 21st century’
Iran’s Ambassador to Oman Hossein Noushabadi says the 21st century will witness the fall of dictators all over the world. “The second decade of the 21st century is [to witness] the end of the lives of the world’s dictators,” Noushabadi was quoted by Mehr News Agency as saying on Friday. “It has been predicted that [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
5 Reasons Capitalism Has Failed – AlterNet
We live in interesting times. The global economy is splintering. U.S. voters hate all politicians and there’s political unrest throughout the world. The root cause of this turmoil is the failure of the dominant economic paradigm — global corporate capitalism. The modern world is ruled by multinational corporations and governed by a capitalistic ideology that [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
How Fox News and the GOP Help The Ultra-Rich Get Even Richer — AlterNet
For years, America’s super-rich and their allies in Congress and the media have tried to deny that a tiny elite was growing astronomically wealthy at the expense of the vast majority of Americans. But the vast gaping canyon between the richest 1 percent and Corporate America, on the one hand, and the rest of us [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
8 Ways Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Show More Leadership Than Our “Leaders” – AlterNet
During Jon Stewart’s and Stephen Colbert’s tenure spoofing news and politics from Comedy Central (for 12 and six years, respectively), they’ve evolved into two of the most truthful, if sarcastic, journalists on television. But in recent months, they’ve graduated from their media posts and started doing what we want our lawmakers to do—speak honestly, directly [...]
more…28 Aug, 2011
BBC News – New calligraphy classes for China’s internet generation
Schools in China have been told to run more classes in calligraphy because computer use and text-messaging are ruining children’s writing style. Younger students should have classes every week specifically in writing Chinese characters, the education ministry said. Older students will be offered optional lessons and after-school activities. via BBC News – New calligraphy classes [...]
more…27 Aug, 2011
Ten Years After 9/11 Disturbing Questions Remain – PRWeb
As the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon nears, disturbing information about our government’s foreknowledge of the perpetrators is coming to light. In the book Disconnecting the Dots, recently released in paperback, author Kevin Fenton delves deeply into the questionable actions taken by some members of America’s [...]
more…27 Aug, 2011
The Reads and the Read-Nots | National Literacy Trust
New National Literacy Trust research* of 18,141 children reveals a polarised nation of young readers with 1 in 6 reporting that they don’t read a single book in a month, while 1 in 10 say they read more than 10 books in a month. This divide between the “reads” and the “read-nots” is concerning because [...]
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