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Archive for August, 2011

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 […]

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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 […]

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27 Aug, 2011

State of the United States: Pew Report Shows Why “American Awakening” Is Overdue

Imtiaz Muqbil

Mired in wars, economic crises, budget deficits and the heavyweight responsibilities of global leadership, the American public is losing faith and trust in its political leaders, government and business corporations, according to the latest opinion poll survey results released by Pew Research Centre.

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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 […]

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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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27 Aug, 2011

Skills, aspiration and poverty: new research | National Literacy Trust

The National Literacy Trust welcomes the findings of two new reports which highlight the impact of education, skills and aspiration on poverty and social mobility. The first report comes from the Scottish Government and analyses the reasons behind its findings that, “between 1998-99 and 2008-9 child poverty declined across the UK but fell more in […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Good intentions – but where is the money trail?

The Herald has investigated the foundations of seven prominent sporting figures as a sample of how charities are managed. First the good news: all provided significant support, either through direct programs to the community, such as the McGrath Breast Care Nurses, or indirectly through grants to other charities, as the Shane Warne Foundation does. But […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Universities spread the net far and wide

Welcome to the university of the future, in which 80 per cent of students around the world learn online. Turning up to graduate would be an optional extra. In Australia, the move is already under way. While longer-established universities continue to thumb their nose at online courses, students – particularly mature-age ones – are voting […]

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27 Aug, 2011

New York becomes the Occupied Territories – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

Only two weeks before the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Associated Press has broken a story that reminds us of just how much America has changed during the last decade, and how the government – and as important, some of the country’s most powerful corporations – routinely intrude into the lives […]

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27 Aug, 2011

NATO nations set to reap spoils of Libya war – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

There are no more illusions over how far NATO forces exceeded the UN security resolution that mandated its campaign. For months, NATO officials insisted it was operating within brief – an air campaign, designed to protect civilians under threat of attack. But now it is described as an “open secret” that NATO countries were operating […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Giving up liberty in the pursuit of security – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

The limits our laws place on our government are there for a reason. As a society, we do not want our government to spy on entire communities nor do we want individuals singled out on the basis of race or religion. Similarly, our CIA spies are trained to break laws and disregard rights. Our laws […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Civil society unites in war on graft – Hindustan Times

Moved by popular support to Anna Hazare, the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI), which has suggested alternate anti-corruption mechanism has decided to converge with team Anna on two of the three sticking points with the government. The three issues are covering entire bureaucracy under Lokpal, a citizen charter providing penalty on officials […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Movement of the educated : Hindustan Times

“When you consider any generalisation about India, always remember that for any generalisation that is accurate, the exact opposite is equally true.” That is one of those aphorisms about India and its contradictions that is frequently quoted though I believe that its origins lie in a statement by the Cambridge economist Joan Robinson. And of […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Understanding Clinton’s Statement On Libya – “We Own You” By Reza Pankhurst

Given the extent of the American war machine to the point they are killing civilians by remote control, and the proliferation of Western arm deals with all manner of despots from Saudi to Israel, “violent extremism” is something that the US and its allies engenders rather than acts against. What is meant in this context, […]

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27 Aug, 2011

The Rape Of Libya – Countercurrents.org

The pretense that the US and its European NATO allies were intervening in Libya to “protect civilians and civilian populated areas from threat of attack,” as stated in the United Nations Security Council resolution, has effectively been abandoned. Behind the fig leaf of this resolution the naked imperialist and colonial character of the war has […]

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27 Aug, 2011

How Israel takes its revenge on boys who throw stones – The Independent

The boy, small and frail, is struggling to stay awake. His head lolls to the side, at one point slumping on to his chest. “Lift up your head! Lift it up!” shouts one of his interrogators, slapping him. But the boy by now is past caring, for he has been awake for at least 12 […]

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27 Aug, 2011

UK fat alert: 26 million will be obese by 2030 – The Independent

The obesity crisis is being driven by a food industry bent on maximising profits – but governments are failing to intervene to protect the health of their populations, leading scientists say today. In the UK, the fattest nation in Europe, the number of obese adults is now forecast to rise 73 per cent over the […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Japan faces costly, unprecedented radiation cleanup – Yahoo! News

TOKYO (Reuters) – Nearly six months after the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years at the Fukushima nuclear plant, Japan faces the task of cleaning up a sprawling area of radioactivity that could cost tens of billions of dollars, and thousands may not be able to return home for years, if ever. Fuel core […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Wanted: More bite from Obama the Great Nibbler – The Washington Post

Labor boss Richard Trumka is not one to nibble around the edges. He declined a plate of bacon and eggs when sitting down to breakfast with a group of reporters this week because, the AFL-CIO president explained, he was concerned he might spit out a mouthful if he didn’t like a question. The stains on […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Lessons from popular Arab revolts | Jordan Times

Behind their sensationalist discourse, flowery words, rosy promises that never materialised, behind their huge egos and the many mishaps and disasters that befell their countries and the Arab world generally (from the loss of the West Bank and Gaza, to the collapse of Iraq and the destruction of Libya), lie outright oppression and deprivation of […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Why China keeps increasing US debt holdings – People’s Daily Online

Due to the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor’s, the prices of various assets have dropped sharply worldwide over the past two weeks, and global stock markets have also suffered severe declines. However, the prices of gold and U.S. bonds have risen against the global downward trend. The downgrade of the […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Is over-urbanization causing China’s inflation? – People’s Daily Online

China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose nearly 7 percent in July from a year earlier, hitting a new high. Certain people believe that over-urbanization is at the root of China’s inflation, arguing that urbanization leads to the loss of agricultural land, a massive influx of rural labor to urban areas and increased consumption of resources. […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Tough decade may lie ahead for world economy – People’s Daily Online

Many global financial institutions have lowered global and U.S. economic expectations after the U.S. and European debt crises. People are paying more attention the question of when the global economy can shake off a recession after the recent series of events. Stimulus policies do not work any more. The world economy is indeed staying low […]

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27 Aug, 2011

U.S. envoy: We will stop aid to Palestinians if UN bid proceeds – Haaretz

The United States will stop all financial aid to the Palestinian Authority if they proceed with plans to ask the United Nations for recognition of an independent state in September, a U.S. official warned Friday. U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem, Daniel Rubinstein, told chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, that the U.S. would veto a UN […]

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27 Aug, 2011

Social justice also means ending the occupation – Haaretz

Already today, Zionism, in the simple and initial significance of the term, has vacated its place to radical and ruthless nationalism that is partially racist and seeped in professed antidemocratic tendencies of the kind that already led to huge disasters in Europe in the previous century. Traditional Zionism was based on two mainstays. It was […]

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26 Aug, 2011

War kills more than 20,000 in Libya: NTC | chinadaily.com.cn

BENGHAZI, Libya – More than 20,000 people have been killed in Libya since the civil conflict started in February in the North African state, rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, Abdel Jalil, head of the rebel Transitional National Council (NTC), said […]

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26 Aug, 2011

NATO mulls marriage with Israel | The Electronic Intifada

Israel wishes to participate in NATO’s future wars, judging by the content of a diplomatic cable released this week by WikiLeaks. Dating from November 2009, the document from the American embassy in Tel Aviv summarizes a briefing given by Claudio Bisorgniero, NATO’s deputy-secretary general, during a visit to Israel. Fresh from talks with Avigdor Lieberman, […]

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26 Aug, 2011

Clever marketing has redefined the notion of cool

The author Lauren Gurrieri has just graduated from Melbourne University’s business and economics faculty after penning a doctoral thesis on how the advertising industry constructs the notion of cool. She found that marketing trends had stereotyped cool identities as male, wealthy, heterosexual, white, sexualised, attractive, and able-bodied. Dr Gurrieri said these consumer stereotypes were exploited […]

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26 Aug, 2011

gulfnews : A world of debt: Global liabilities grow faster than GDP

Every human being on earth currently carries a debt burden of nearly $22,733 on average, if the latest reports are to be believed. Every child is sharing the same debt burden at birth, as debt growth rates beat the global population growth rate. In fact, debt liabilities are growing faster than GDP expansion rates. Overall […]

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26 Aug, 2011

Hurun Wealth Report 2011 white paper released – chinadaily.com.cn

More than 960,000 people on the Chinese mainland have a personal wealth exceeding 10 million yuan, up 9.7 percent from last year. The average age of the millionaires is 39 years old, with 70 percent male and 30 percent female. The number of billionaires reached 60,000, with an average age of 43 years old. Around […]

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26 Aug, 2011

UN underlines importance of sustainable use of Iraqi Marshlands as water resource

Marshlands in Iraq must be managed in a manner that balances the various benefits derived from the ecosystems, including food and clean water for the country’s people, as well as climate control, according to a United Nations report released today. Since the 1970s, more than 90 per cent of the original Iraqi Marshlands area has […]

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26 Aug, 2011

Office of Management and Budget puts accountability online – The Washington Post

Performance.gov is a Web site OMB plans to launch at midday Thursday. It allows users to track the progress, or lack of it, federal agencies are making in a number of areas. Actually much more than a toy for geeks, it can be an important means of holding the administration accountable on its plans to […]

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26 Aug, 2011

Jewish vote in play in 2012? – Right Turn – The Washington Post

Top GOP contenders Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have strong pro-Israel credentials and solid ties in the Jewish community. It is clear that both consider Obama’s treatment of the Jewish state to be unacceptable. Romney accused Obama of “throwing Israel under the bus.” Perry in his announcement speech specifically cited Israel as an […]

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26 Aug, 2011

Killing the Truth: Western Mainstream Media Complicit in NATO War Crimes in Libya

Libya represents a new low in Western government war crimes – which is something of a disturbing record given the decades of war criminality by these governments. In Libya, not only is there the criminal military assault on a sovereign country, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, the murder of women and children, and all the […]

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26 Aug, 2011

China announces support for Palestinian UN statehood bid

China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that Wu Sike, its special envoy on the Middle East, told Palestinian leaders in a meeting in Ramallah that Beijing and the Chinese people have always supported the Palestinian cause. The Foreign Ministry statement said Wu expressed understanding, respect and support for the Palestinians’ bid for statehood. […]

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26 Aug, 2011

Reflect on negative effects of Libya war – People’s Daily Online

The Libyan war started under the banner of U.N. Resolution 1973, but whether NATO’s air strike has exceeded the power granted by the resolution has long been questioned by all parties. The war seems to be a conflict between Libyan rebels and the governmental forces but is actually manipulated by the Western powers. Without NATO’s […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Univ of Wisconsin Campuses Launch Health & Wellness Online Degree

Worksite wellness programs have continued to grow in numbers and sophistication since their formal introduction in the 1970s. The rising cost of healthcare, sweeping national healthcare legislation and concerns about productivity have spurred demand for such programs. As healthcare costs continue to rise, insurance companies, employers, and governments are attempting to find ways to curb […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Survey Finds Africans Blame Themselves for Horn of Africa Famine

The results were equally striking in terms of who should take the lead in solving the current famine problems. All of the Kenyan and South African respondents cited the African governments themselves as did 71 percent of the Britons and 83 percent of the Americans. Only the Nigerian respondents felt that developed countries should also […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Survey: 7 in 10 Don’t Think U.S. Govt Will Ever Pay Off National Debt

Worthington, OH (PRWEB) August 25, 2011 — The vast majority of Adults 18+ (72.5%) are not confident that the government will ever pay off all its debt, according to the latest [American Pulse™ Survey of 5,243 respondents. 11.8% think it is possible while 15.8% don’t know. Further, nearly half (49.8%) don’t think the most recent […]

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25 Aug, 2011

DOJ Probe Sought of Secret NYPD-CIA Program to Spy on Muslims

A coalition of civil rights and advocacy organizations have called on the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into allegations that the New York City Police Department (NYPD), with support from the CIA, is conducting a massive covert program to monitor the Muslim communities in New York and New Jersey. More than a […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Gross National Happiness in Bhutan – New Review Published

The authors of a new paper on Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness, Tashi Tobgay, Ugen Dophu, Christina Torres and Kesara Na-Bangchang, report on the current status of Bhutan’s health and happiness. Health makes up about 5.7% of the total planned budget from the government, which has resulted in significant improvements for all health indicators. Life expectancy […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Global Mobile Security Market to Reach $14.4 Bln by 2017 – Report

The global market for Mobile Security is projected to reach $14.4 billion by 2017, primarily driven by rapid proliferation of feature phones and intelligent mobile computing devices, according to new report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.. Increasing use of mobile devices for accessing data services and corporate networks and the emergence of open network concept, […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Vedic Studies Forum Holds World Conf on Indian Caste system

On July 31, 2011, the World Association for Vedic Studies (WAVES) concluded a well-attended three-day conference on Varna, Jati and Kula (India’s caste system) that featured prominent scholars worldwide and robust youth participation from high school, college and graduate school students, including members of Gayatri Pariwar, HSC and Youth for Sewa. For three days, scholars […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Economy, Gas Prices, Air Fares Will Shape U.S. Travel Over Labor Day Weekend

AURORA, Ill., Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The American Automobile Association (AAA) forecasts 31.5 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Labor Day holiday weekend, a 2.4 percent decrease from the 32.3 million people who traveled one year ago.

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25 Aug, 2011

William Pfaff: Victory in Tripoli: They Did It – Truthdig

The beauty and hope of the Arab Awakening movements has been that they have been spontaneous. That makes it impossible for the United States to deal with them impartially. The Europeans can and eventually will, which offers some mitigation of the situation, but at the cost of worsening American-European relations. American relations with new “post-Awakening” […]

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25 Aug, 2011

OP-ED: Governments Kill – IPS ipsnews.net

WASHINGTON, Aug 24, 2011 (IPS) – We make a bargain with our governments. We pay taxes and expect a set of government services in return. And in return for a guarantee of some measure of security, we grant the government a monopoly on legitimate violence. In theory, then, we forswear mob rule and paramilitary organisations, […]

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25 Aug, 2011

EUROPA – EU has been “preparing intensively” for Libyan regime change

After six months of conflict, events in Libya reached a decisive moment over the weekend of 20-21 August with the rebels’ entry into Tripoli. The European Commission has been preparing intensively for this moment – and for the challenges that lie ahead – since the beginning of the Libyan uprising. Below is an overview of […]

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25 Aug, 2011

With CIA Help, NYPD Moves Covertly in Muslim Areas | Common Dreams

Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the NYPD has become one of the country’s most aggressive domestic intelligence agencies. A months-long investigation by The Associated Press has revealed that the NYPD operates far outside its borders and targets ethnic communities in ways that would run afoul of civil liberties rules if practiced by […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Dash for Profit in Post-War Libya Carve-Up | Common Dreams

After five months of fighting in the world’s 12th-largest oil producer, industry figures are acutely aware that billions could be made in the coming years from rebuilding Libya. Immediate focus will fall on the country’s oil fields that are currently producing a 10th of the 1.6 million barrels a day that were exported pre-revolution. There […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Who–and What–Are Behind the “Official History” of the Bin Laden Raid? | Common Dreams

The establishment media just keep getting worse. They’re further and further from good, tough investigative journalism, and more prone to be pawns in complicated games that affect the public interest in untold ways. A significant recent example is The New Yorker’s vaunted August 8 exclusive on the vanquishing of Osama bin Laden. via Who–and What–Are […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Libya: Obama’s Pyrrhic Victory by Justin Raimondo — Antiwar.com

As the rebels march into Tripoli, and Gadhafi is nowhere to be found, the unelected National Transitional Council (NTC), which claims to be the only legitimate government, has already issued a draft “constitution,” one replete with references to all sorts of “rights” – free speech, assembly, democratic elections, etc. There’s just one little provision – […]

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25 Aug, 2011

As Qaddafi Falls, K Street Rises – NationalJournal.com

Influence peddlers who once worked for Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi’s regime are scrambling to publicly sever ties with the strongman while their competitors are helping his country’s rebels gain a valuable foothold in Washington. After years spent working under the radar, public-affairs firm Brown Lloyd James and the consultancy Monitor Group this summer disclosed millions […]

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25 Aug, 2011

What a global food crisis looks like: Oxfam’s food prices map

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What causes food price spikes? Failed crops—often caused by our changing climate—hit food prices hard. So does the rising cost of oil—used to grow, fertilize and transport food. Short-sighted biofuels strategies play a part too—taking food off of people’s plates and putting it into car tanks. And dysfunctional commodities markets mean that food prices go […]

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25 Aug, 2011

R$2.4 billion of Hotel Investments for World Cup 2014

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With all eyes set firmly on 2014, the year when Brazil will host the FIFA World Cup football competition, the industry is forecasting investments of R$2.4 billion to build 92 new hotels in the 12 cities that will host the tournament. The figures come from a study carried out for the Folha de S.Paulo by […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Cross-Border Transactions Rise 50% to Half of Global Direct Real Estate Investment

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Cross-border transactions rose 50 percent to comprise half of the $103.5 billion[1] of direct commercial real estate investment transactions completed in the second quarter of 2011, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s new Global Capital Flows report. Given the strong start to the year, Jones Lang LaSalle still expects market volumes to reach its full year […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Fake Messages Led to Libya war – English pravda.ru

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PARIS TWITTER, LIBYA WAR. HOW A FATAL TWITTER MESSAGE OPENS THE DOORS TO A MUCH WANTED WAR AGAINST LIBYA, THROUGH THE GATE OF UNSC RESOLUTIONS 1970 AND 1973. The mother of all lies was sent to the world through a Twitter message by Al Arabiya, February 23th. A message which makes Qadafi out to be […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Russian companies to be thrown out of Libya – English pravda.ru

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The collapse of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime will close many projects for Russian companies in Libya, the head of the Russian-Libyan Business Council, Aram Shegunts said. Such large companies as Gazprom, Gazpromneft, Tatneft and Russian Railways are currently working in the war-torn country. All of those companies made multi-million investments in their Libyan project. “We have […]

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25 Aug, 2011

New fees undermine NZ visa “improvements” for Chinese visitors – Xinhua

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WELLINGTON, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) — Cost-conscious Chinese travelers are turning off New Zealand after New Zealand’s immigration department ramped up the cost of applying for a visa, New Zealand media reported Tuesday. The New Zealand government has been touting “improvements” to the visa application process for Chinese travelers, but the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Airport Screening Policy: Repression or Discretion? – Media Monitors Network

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Google “TSA stupidity” and you will find that almost one-and-a-half million websites have something to say about the subject. If the United States is to avoid another major terrorist attack on its air transportation system without placing greater restrictions on the civil liberties of air travelers, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had better get smart. […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Why the US must support bid for Palestinian statehood – CSMonitor.com

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Historically, Europe has always had a great impact on the American position toward the Middle East. In fact, one of the primary issues on the agenda for President Obama’s May trip to Britain, Ireland, France, and Poland was the coordination of positions on the Middle East peace process. While it is not yet clear the […]

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25 Aug, 2011

US must do more to protect women from domestic violence, UN rights expert warns

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23 August 2011 – The United States must do more to protect women from domestic violence after a regional body found it wanting in defending a battered woman and her three murdered children from her ex-husband, an independent United Nations human rights expert warned today. “The US Government should reassess existing mechanisms for protecting victims […]

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25 Aug, 2011

High unemployment blights Palestinian lives, despite economic growth – UN

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24 August 2011 – The economy of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) grew by 9.3 per cent last year, but that expansion was not enough to reduce the area’s 30 per cent unemployment rate, the United Nations trade and development arm said in a new report released today. Gaza saw a 15 per cent growth, […]

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25 Aug, 2011

Haaretz Columnist: “I am a Zionist. And I am a Palestinian nationalist”

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Ha’aretz Columnist Mira Sucharov. Yes, I support the right of Jews to a sovereign country, but so too do I support the right of Palestinians to live their lives in their own state, unencumbered by Israeli occupation. via The Fifth Question -Israel News – Haaretz Israeli News source..

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25 Aug, 2011

Globalizing The Intifada By William T. Hathaway

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24 August, 2011 — Countercurrents.org The invaders have surrounded and attacked us, conquered here and there, and built their bases in our lands. So we attack the invaders where we can, determined to retake our lands and drive them out. We would prefer not to be warriors. We would rather raise our children in the […]

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24 Aug, 2011

Stronger RMB does not mean unilateral revaluation – People’s Daily Online

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A stronger RMB will exert a profound and far-reaching influence on the structure of the Chinese economy. It can promote the development of non-tradable sectors like the service industry and boost the upgrading of tradable sectors, bringing both pressure and impetus for China’s economic restructuring. The RMB has continued to rise against the U.S. dollar […]

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24 Aug, 2011

From China to London by bike – People’s Daily Online

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The charms of the open road are easily matched by its daunting challenges – one wrong turn and you could end up in a very different place than you intended. Yet for 23-year-old Zheng Sheng, a recent graduate of Shanghai Science and Technology University, such challenges were hardly a deterrent when it came to his […]

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24 Aug, 2011

Hainan’s overseas investment tops $400 mln in Jan-July – People’s Daily Online

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HAIKOU, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) — Overseas investment by enterprises in south Hainan Province has totaled 400 million U.S. dollars in the first seven months of this year, sources with the provincial Department of Commerce said Sunday. Hainan’s overseas investment has mainly gone to eight countries and regions, which includes India, Singapore, Tanzania, Indonesia and Russia, […]

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24 Aug, 2011

Bangkok Post : Graft agency rules against ex-TAT Governor

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The National Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday formally ruled against former Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Juthamas Siriwan in the film festival bribery case. Commissioner Medhi Krongkaew said the NACC found Ms Juthamas has committed criminal offences as a former state official in connection with the case. The NACC also decided Ms Juthamas’s daughter had been complicit […]

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24 Aug, 2011

China extends yuan trade settlement to whole country | chinadaily.com.cn

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BEIJING – China announced on Tuesday that all parts of the country are able to use its national currency, the yuan or Renminbi, in cross-border trade settlements. Previously, only 20 provincial regions in the country could conduct cross-border trade settlements in yuan. The policy was announced by the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central […]

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24 Aug, 2011

China finds faith in US finances | chinadaily.com.cn

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BEIJING – China’s leaders on Friday expressed confidence in the fundamentals of the US economy and its prospects as the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to a strong and enduring relationship. In the opening remarks of a roundtable discussion with US and Chinese political and business leaders earlier in the day, Vice-President Xi Jinping said […]

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24 Aug, 2011

For firmer ASEAN-China ties | chinadaily.com.cn

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China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their dialogue partnership. The relationship progressed from consultative dialogue partners in 1991 to full dialogue partners in 1996, then on to a strategic partner in 2003 and finally to an ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) last year. ASEAN member states […]

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24 Aug, 2011

Museum tells story of Japanese-American detainees – Yahoo! News

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RALSTON, Wyo (Reuters) – It was a bittersweet return for more than 250 Japanese-American former detainees at Heart Mountain Relocation Center in the state of Wyoming who gathered for the opening of a museum about their wartime internment. A replica guard tower stands over the museum on a remote wind-swept plain where nearly 14,000 Japanese […]

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24 Aug, 2011

8.7 million species exist on Earth, study estimates – The Washington Post

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For centuries scientists have pondered a central question: How many species exist on Earth? Now, a group of researchers has offered an answer: 8.7 million. Although the number is still an estimate, it represents the most rigorous mathematical analysis yet of what we know — and don’t know — about life on land and in […]

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24 Aug, 2011

West lashing out when faced with uncertain future – People’s Daily Online

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To err is human. The West looks at the worsening financial crisis and political chaos in its own yard this way. Mistakes are nothing new. Western countries have undergone various crises in the past. This is not the first time the world has been mired in troubles started by a few countries. Other countries entangled […]

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24 Aug, 2011

Asia Times Online : Welcome to Libya’s ‘democracy’

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The Big Gaddafi has barely left the building – the Bab-al-Aziziyah compound – and the Western vultures are already circling overhead; the scramble is on to seize the “big prize” – Libya’s oil and gas wealth. [1] Libya is as much a pawn in a serious ideological, geopolitical, geo-economic and geostrategic chessboard as a pedestrian […]

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24 Aug, 2011

Japan tries to scare off yen speculators | Reuters

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TOKYO, Aug 23 (Reuters) – Japan’s finance minister on Tuesday warned speculators against betting on further yen gains that could hinder recovery from the March earthquake, but his chances of keeping them at bay looked in doubt as ultra-easy U.S. monetary policy could keep the dollar weak. Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa also declared […]

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24 Aug, 2011

US public is paying the price – People’s Daily Online

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The debt crisis has exposed the defects rather than the advantages of America’s tit for tat democratic system The US debt crisis has drawn much criticism both at home and aboard. It is inconceivable to many people that as the only superpower in the world the US was locked in a struggle that threatened to […]

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24 Aug, 2011

Fukushima fallout said 30 times Hiroshima’s | The Japan Times Online

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Video footage of Tatsuhiko Kodama’s impassioned speech before a Diet committee in July went viral online recently, showing the medical expert’s shocking revelation that the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant spewed some 30 times more radioactive materials than the fallout from the Hiroshima atomic bombing. Kodama, a professor of systems biology and medicine at the […]

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24 Aug, 2011

Russian spending abroad back to pre-crisis levels | Russia Beyond The Headlines

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Aggregate spending by Russians abroad in so far 2011 has reached pre-crisis 2007 levels, according to Citibank’s annual research. Citibank experts estimate that the total amount of purchases made abroad until the end of 2011, including on credit cards, will amount to 3 percent of the GDP, or $40 billion. via Russian spending abroad back […]

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24 Aug, 2011

PressTV – ‘Europe to face social explosions’

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A senior Iranian commander says the recent protests in the UK have raised the possibility of “social explosions” in other European countries in the near future. “The European countries’ fear and concern about the spread of what happened in the UK has put the possibility of experiencing social explosions in the fall before the governments […]

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24 Aug, 2011

Tweet revenge at last for shoppers with complaints

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August 24, 2011 — CONSUMERS are increasingly turning to Twitter and Facebook to vent their frustrations at having their complaints ignored as online activism becomes a powerful tool forcing businesses to fix unresolved issues. The consumer group Choice said its members were using social media to air their complaints, which was encouraging businesses to monitor […]

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23 Aug, 2011

Free Advice For Social Media Users In Light Of UK Rioting Jail Terms

In light of prison sentences given to two British men, Protostar Leadership Development, a UK management consultancy is issuing a free 8 page guidance booklet covering everything from cyber bullying to the safe use of Facebook. It hopes that readers will avoid some of the potential risks of using the internet and in particular, social […]

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16 Aug, 2011

UN Hails “Youth-Quakes” Which Ousted Dictators

In this dispatch:
1. Trees ‘Speak Out’ In UN Writing Competition To Save Forests
2. UN Invites Budding Creators To Enter Competition On Technology Innovation
3. UN Chief Retraces His Roots, Tells Hometown ‘Global Is Local And Local Is Global’
4. On World Youth Day, UN Hails “Youth-Quakes” Which Ousted Dictators
5. UN-Backed Tsunami Warning System For The Mediterranean Passes First Test

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16 Aug, 2011

Smithsonian Journeys Offers Value Mediterranean Cruises for 2012

In this dispatch:
1. Smithsonian Journeys Offers Value Cruises to the Mediterranean for 2012
2. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Searching For Best Mom On Wheels
3. Check Before Buying Travel Insurance for Rental Cars — Most Travelers Are Already Covered
4. Top 25 Flexible Career Trends
5. Top 10 Hates of School Students

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15 Aug, 2011

UK Awakening: Post-riots Issues Emerge for Travel & Tourism

The week of rioting in the streets of many British cities has raised many issues for the travel & tourism industry to ponder both in the lead-up to, and during, the upcoming World Travel Market in November. The earlier the industry awakens to the global awakening now under way, the better.

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12 Aug, 2011

Australia Issues Report on Crimes Against Foreign Students

Responding to a swathe of media reports in 2009-10 about allegedly racially-motivated attacks on Indian students, the Australian government has issued the results of a far more comprehensive study about crimes against students from the five largest source-markets: China, India, Malaysia, South Korea and the United States.

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11 Aug, 2011

Rising ASEAN says U.S., Europe “No Longer Engines of Global Growth”

Manado, Indonesia, 10 August 2011 – In another sign of the shifting world order and growing economic assertiveness in Asia and the ASEAN countries, Indonesian Vice President Prof Dr Boediono has declared that the US and Europe could no longer power the world economy, but ASEAN economies are in a better situation right now to […]

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10 Aug, 2011

Millions Of Poor To Have Mobile Phones Under UN Scheme

In this dispatch:
1. Erroneous Linking Of Norwegian Attacks To Islam Was ‘Revealing’ – UN Rights Expert
2. UN-Backed Scheme Enables Colombian Indigenous Groups To Sell Crafts
3. UN Urges Greater Appreciation Of Culture And Creativity Of Indigenous Peoples
4. Reykjavik Earns UN Distinction As A City Of Literature
5. Millions Of Poor To Have Mobile Phone Numbers Under UN-Backed Scheme

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10 Aug, 2011

TripAdvisor Unveils Resource Platform And Educational Series For Businesses

In this dispatch:
1. 5 Home Security Tips During Summer Travel Season
2. Google +1 And The Dark Side Of SEO
3. Tripadvisor Unveils New Resource Platform And Educational Series For Businesses
4. New Movie Probes Psychology And Personality Of Whistleblowers
5. Community Turns Challenging Aging Demographic Into An Asset

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9 Aug, 2011

Bulwarks Up, Asia Confronts Pros & Cons of Financial Globalisation

Recurring financial crises are again exposing Asia to the pros and cons of globalisation and will lead to a stepped-up search for indigenous solutions and protective measures against currency fluctuations and volatile short-term capital flows.

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9 Aug, 2011

Five Ways to Strengthen Asia-Pacific Economies

N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman, Infosys Ltd, India

One result of the financial, economic and debt crises in Europe and the United States will be an increase in inter-regional linkages within the Asia-Pacific and intra-regional linkages between the developing countries. One of India’s leading businessmen, Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman, Infosys Limited, outlines five ways to leverage this huge opportunity.

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8 Aug, 2011

China, India Outline Lessons Learnt From Debt Crisis

This dispatch includes two commentaries published in the official Chinese publication People’s Daily Online and its comments blog section on the lessons that China has learnt and what it could/should do in the wake of the U.S. and European debt crises, and a speech by Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee assessing his country’s economic strengths […]

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4 Aug, 2011

State of the Future Report: Global Decision-Making Processes Face Overhaul

A “State of the Future Report” issued by a Washington DC-based think tank says it is high time for a major overhaul of the structures and processes to improve the quality of global decision-making, away from short-term, insular, parochial considerations towards more ethical, universal and long-term considerations.

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2 Aug, 2011

Asia 2050: How Asian Leaders Can Avoid A “Perfect Storm”

“Asia 2050 – Realizing the Asian Century”, a new book commissioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), says that Asia’s future prospects are bright but face a “perfect storm” of bad macro policies, finance sector exuberance with lax supervision, conflict, climate change, natural disasters, changing demography, and weak governance.

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2 Aug, 2011

UNESCO Unveils Winners Of Annual Literacy Awards

In this Dispatch:
1. Marking International Friendship Day, UN Chief Urges Global Amity
2. Suppression Of Women’s Rights Persists Despite Progress On Discrimination
3. UNESCO Unveils Winners Of Annual Literacy Awards
4. UN Economic And Social Forum Ends With Calls For Action To Follow Decisions
5. UN Human Rights Body Criticizes Restrictions On Free Expression

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