28 Nov, 2011

Airlines Forget Agents’ Role In Their Success – Indian Travel Agent

P.Sampath Kumar, National General Secretary, TAFI

Long gone are the days when Agents valued “IATA Accreditation” which had some meaning, respect and value. Today being an IATA Accredited Agent has just become a symbol of torture unending.

28 Nov, 2011

Indian Travel Agents Plan Life After IATA Accreditation Status

Imtiaz Muqbil

MACAU — The Indian head of an aviation consultancy has called on Indian travel agents to move beyond talking about change and focus instead on the challenge of change. That comment set the scene for a boisterous discussion amongst members of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) about preparing for life after the “unending […]

27 Nov, 2011

Time for those at the top to start listening to those at the bottom

Imtiaz Muqbil

Originally Published: 27 November 2011 On 21 November, the Paris-based Organisation of Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) released a report called “Perspectives on Global Development: Social Cohesion in a Shifting World.” In essence, the report sought to prove that while economic growth in developing countries and emerging-market economies has been strong, it has also been […]

24 Nov, 2011

A Day To Be Consigned To The History Books

Nanda Krairiksh and Moni Pizani

Violence against women and girls is still one of the world’s most widespread human rights violations. It affects women of all ages, races, cultures, and social backgrounds and it happens everywhere: at home and at work, on the streets and in schools, in times of peace and during and after conflict.

23 Nov, 2011

UN Chief Urges Asia To Lead On Global Issues

Bali, Nov 19 2011 (UN News Centre) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today challenged the Asia and Pacific region to assume global leadership on issues of international concern, including climate change, sustainable development, access to food and energy, human rights and the empowerment of women. “Now is the moment for Asia, and ASEAN (Association of […]

23 Nov, 2011

Young Americans See China as Threat, Feel U.S. Global Leadership Ebbing

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Generation Opportunity, which claims to be “one of the largest and fastest growing grassroots organizations in the nation”, released results from its national poll exploring how America’s young adults view the world, the American economy, and their personal futures. The Generation Opportunity poll focuses specifically on young Americans ages […]

23 Nov, 2011

Efforts To Prevent And Treat HIV/AIDS Are “Yielding Positive Results”

Nov 21, 2011 – Global efforts to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS are showing optimistic results, but transformative efforts are needed to accelerate progress, according to the latest report released today by the United Nations agency leading the fight against the disease.

23 Nov, 2011

Greenhouses Gases in Atmosphere at “Record High” – World Met Organisation

World Meteorological Organization

GENEVA, 21 November 2011 (WMO) –The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new high in 2010 since pre-industrial time and the rate of increase has accelerated, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. It focussed special attention on rising nitrous oxide concentrations.

23 Nov, 2011

Airline Offers Tips To Facilitate Passenger Flow During Peak Holiday Travel

SEATTLE, Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — To prevent anticipation of the busy holiday travel season, Alaska Airlines offers the following tips, all very useful for other airlines to copy in communicating with passengers during peak travel seasons worldwide:

23 Nov, 2011

Five Ways to Cut Back on Debt on Black Friday

Washington, DC (PRWEB) November 21, 2011 — For many, shopping on Black Friday has become as much of a Thanksgiving tradition as turkey. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling advises consumers to shop smart by planning ahead. Following are five steps consumers should take before hitting the stores on Black Friday,

23 Nov, 2011

Reducing Food Waste During the Holiday Season And Beyond

10 Simple Steps from the Worldwatch Institute we all can take to help make this holiday season less wasteful and more plentiful.

22 Nov, 2011

Media Coverage of the Thai Floods: Here We Go Again

Imtiaz Muqbil & Don Ross

It did not take long for the floods in Thailand to reignite the déjà vu debate over media reporting of the crisis. While the raging waters have washed out a huge swathe of territory across Bangkok and a number of Thailand’s economically vital central provinces, the rest of the country, including the key tourism centres […]

22 Nov, 2011

Trades Union Decry “Inhuman Working Conditions” Behind Gulf Miracle

Imtiaz Muqbil

The awarding of the 2022 World Cup football extravaganza to Qatar has allowed the global trades union movement to jack up pressure on the Gulf states to safeguard the rights of the hundreds of thousands of migrant labourers who endure “inhuman working conditions” in building the gleaming new hotels, convention centres and airports. A report, […]

20 Nov, 2011

U.S. Companies Impacted by European Crisis

(PRWEB) November 20, 2011 – Manufacturers of drugs, clothes, solar panels, computer equipment, and cars in the United States have reported effects of the ongoing financial turmoil and upheaval in Europe. Though the consequences have been limited as of now, companies, investors, and consumers seem to be rattled by the sudden developments in the Euro […]

20 Nov, 2011

Aviation, Eco-taxes Needed To Force Shift to A Green Economy, UNEP report

Imtiaz Muqbil

At the Nov 7-10 World Travel Market in London, travel industry leaders took a strong stand against a carbon emissions tax facing the aviation industry. Although their argument focussed on the impact this would have on air-fares and the aviation sector, a flagship UN report on the state of the global environment issued on Nov […]

20 Nov, 2011

Protesters open ‘Bank of Ideas’ – The Independent

Economic justice campaigners who have occupied an abandoned office block opened it to the public today as the “Bank of Ideas”. The Occupy London group, who have also occupied space outside St Paul’s Cathedral and Finsbury Square in Islington, north London, have organised a series of events to mark the opening. Fashion designer Dame Vivienne […]

20 Nov, 2011

Yawn Again? Is this year’s Boring conference too interesting? – The Independent

The organiser of this year’s Boring conference – a London gathering dedicated to the delights of the mundane, obvious and overlooked – has a problem. He is worried it is in danger of being too interesting. Such was the success of the inaugural event last year that the series of talks has attracted a line […]

20 Nov, 2011

US will not surrender its status as global power: Panetta – Indian Express

Faced with the prospect of a massive defence cut in the wake of weak economic conditions in the country, American Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has asserted that the US will never surrender its status as a global power and a global leader. “As we examine our geographic priorities, it’s important to remember that we can […]

20 Nov, 2011

A sudden rush for the exit? – SMH

THE lock step between the major political parties over Australia’s continued presence in Afghanistan has effectively neutralised the war’s potential to politically damage successive Liberal and Labor governments. So far. But sniff the political wind today and you might just smell the potential for change. Afghanistan remains an immensely unpopular war with Australians. Thirty-two Australian […]

20 Nov, 2011

Minor drop in number of Indians studying in the US – Hindustan Times

India continues to be the second largest source of international students in the US. A reverse growth of sorts is happening too, with the number of American students studying in India growing by a whopping 44.4% from 2690 last year to 3884, according to Open Doors 2011, the annual report on international academic mobility published […]

17 Nov, 2011

The west is in danger of frittering away its freedom – FT.com

The US, founded on the principle of liberty, may have a propensity to go to extremes and push the pendulum too far. America’s murder rate, for example, is three times higher than China’s. But it is in economics where this glut of freedom is most obvious. In the name of efficiency, western capital markets have […]

17 Nov, 2011

gulfnews : Saudi prince warns against any attack on Iran

A military attack on Iran aimed at halting its nuclear programme could have catastrophic consequences and only strengthen Tehran’s determination to make an atomic weapon, the former head of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence services said on Tuesday. “Such an act I think would be foolish and to undertake it I think would be tragic,” Prince Turki […]

17 Nov, 2011

Fake terror plots, paid informants: the tactics of FBI ‘entrapment’ questioned | World news | guardian.co.uk

Williams and three other struggling local men beset by drug, criminal and mental health issues were convicted of an Islamic terrorist plot to blow up Jewish synagogues and shoot down military jets with missiles. Even more shocking was that the organisation, money, weapons and motivation for this plot did not come from real Islamic terrorists. […]

17 Nov, 2011

As the American dream unravels – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

Imtiaz Muqbil

Something is unravelling in America. The dream, the purpose and the drive are worn and tired. The people are under siege. Occupy Wall Street is organic; it’s homegrown and native. The voluntary, viral and near-spontaneous movement began as a reaction to a political system governed by a venal class of politicians and financiers. The story […]

16 Nov, 2011

Global Experts Poll: Crisis of Confidence in Global Economy Continues

World Economic Forum

The confidence deficit continues worldwide with international experts remaining pessimistic about the state of the global economy and global governance over the next year, according to the results of the World Economic Forum’s second quarterly Global Confidence Index.

16 Nov, 2011

Laurie Penny: I was almost arrested too – but Bloomberg’s tactics can only galvanise protests – Commentators – Opinion – The Independent

Accredited members of the press were refused access to the square and penned where it was impossible to see what was happening. Some were arrested; others had their press passes seized. I narrowly escaped arrest as I was escorted out of the secure zone for having the temerity to update my Twitter feed. At the […]

16 Nov, 2011

Palestinians embark on series of civil disobedience protests against ‘demographic segregation’ – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

At Hizmeh checkpoint policemen demanded that two of the riders get off the bus, but they refused. The next effort came after the settlers descended, in a parking lot. Policeman dragged Dwak to the steps of the bus, but then left without him. Police officers, of different ranks came and went. Some of them threatened […]

16 Nov, 2011

A free and robust press is key to democracy: Fairfax

It is not the job of journalists to be liked or even respected, but to ask the questions people do not want asked, according to Fairfax Media, publisher of this website. It has told the government’s print media inquiry that the relationships between reporters and people in power are fraught, but that is no reason […]

16 Nov, 2011

PressTV – ‘Iran attack will paralyze West industries’

An Iranian lawmaker says any form of military action against Iran will cause serious oil supply problems for the West and bring Western industries to complete halt. Mehdi Mehdizadeh, member of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on Tuesday that Iran has advanced and fortified facilities in the Persian Gulf and […]

16 Nov, 2011

Verbatim: The Best Press Release Ever Written

Pamela Finmark

The most creative Press release I’ve ever read in my 31 years of covering travel & tourism.

16 Nov, 2011

Palestinian Freedom Riders Forced Off Bus that Serves Jewish-only Settlements

Antonia House, Jewish Voice for Peace

All the Freedom Riders did to warrant arrest was to take a bus from one place in the Occupied Territory to another, using public transportation. While Israelis are allowed to come and go as they wish in the Occupied Territory—even to settle in it in contradiction to international law— Palestinians’ movement in their own land is severely restricted, even criminalized.

16 Nov, 2011

“Average Cost of Civil War Equals 30+ Years of GDP Growth”

International Criminal Court

On 14 November 2011, the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Sang-Hyun Song, gave the keynote speech at the opening of the 2011 Law, Justice and Development Week, organized by the World Bank Group in Washington D.C.. Maintaining that the emerging system of international criminal justice is an essential building block for the […]

16 Nov, 2011

Sanctions on Iran face dead end: Russian FM – People’s Daily Online

MOSCOW, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) — The option of sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear issue has been exhausted, and the problem could only be solved through talks, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday. “Moscow believes the road of sanctions against Iran was dead-ended. To threaten with sanctions and airstrikes can only delay […]

16 Nov, 2011

Afghanistan’s suffering civilians | Jordan Times

Afghans look to their government and the international forces to protect them, so, when awful mistakes occur, the negative impact is doubled. International forces should therefore continue to strengthen their control systems, particularly with respect to air strikes, in order to minimise the risk of civilian casualties. Reducing and ultimately eliminating civilian casualties in this […]

16 Nov, 2011

gulfnews : Witness to an age of transformation

Leading the progress of the UAE since it was established in 1971 was late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who played a major role in visualising the concept of the federation and unity here, said Mohammad Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al Shaiba, a prominent Emirati figure from Ajman. Al Shaiba, born in 1923 in […]

16 Nov, 2011

Souvenirs, security and saccharine for Obama

BLACK HAWK helicopters whomp overhead. The doughnut-per-capita ratio has spiked. And baristas everywhere are dusting off their drip coffee pots. The Americans are coming. To the city they call Can-bear-ah. Presaging the arrival of the US President, Barack Obama, in Air Force One at 15.25 hours today, will be the arrival of the American media […]

16 Nov, 2011

Chris Hedges: This Is What Revolution Looks Like – Truthdig

Welcome to the revolution. Our elites have exposed their hand. They have nothing to offer. They can destroy but they cannot build. They can repress but they cannot lead. They can steal but they cannot share. They can talk but they cannot speak. They are as dead and useless to us as the water-soaked books, […]

16 Nov, 2011

On the booze, but not feeling drunk: 9% of employees drink at work

NEARLY one in 10 people usually use alcohol while they are at work, the first study of drug and alcohol use in Australian workplaces has found. Many people mistakenly believed drinking at work would not damage their performance, said Ken Pidd, the deputy director of the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction at […]

16 Nov, 2011

Railway investment falls amid debt pressure – chinadaily.com.cn

China’s railway investment in the first 10 months of this year fell sharply, as the Ministry of Railways (MOR) is facing mounting pressure to pay off creditors. The ministry announced Tuesday that its fixed asset investments reached 429 billion yuan ($68 billion) in the first 10 months of this year, representing a sharp decrease of […]

16 Nov, 2011

Bangkok Post : Suvarnabhumi arrivals down 25%

The number of tourist arrivals at Suvarnabhumi airport had dropped from an average 130,000 a day to about 100,000 because of foreign tourists’ concerns about the widespread flooding, the airport’s acting director Somchai Sawasdipol said on Tuesday. “They were uncertain about the flood situation and postponed their planned trips to Thailand for the time being,” […]

16 Nov, 2011

Trumka: Organized labor will continue standing with evicted protesters – The Washington Post

An interesting move here from AFL-CIO chief Richard Trumka, who is going out with an email to his list today strongly standing by the protesters who were evicted from Zuccotti Park: They can take away the tarps and the tents. But they can’t slow down the Occupy Wall Street movement. There have been police raids […]

16 Nov, 2011

Bloomberg’s disgraceful eviction of Occupy Wall Street – The Washington Post

Early Wednesday morning, New York police raided and evicted the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Zucotti Park in southern Manhattan. The behavior of the NYPD and the mayor’s office, in ordering this brazen action while blocking the press and the public from reporting on the eviction, is a disgraceful display of unnecessary force on a […]

16 Nov, 2011

A Pakistani, a motorcycle and Facebook – DAWN.COM

With a Pakistani and an American passport in his backpack, Moin is travelling from San Francisco, California to Lahore, Pakistan on his Honda F4i. After posting dozens of videos and thousands of pictures on his facebook page “ADifferentAgenda” from the 15 countries he has already conquered in more than a 100 days, a man crashed […]

16 Nov, 2011

US tries ‘hip hop’ diplomacy in Pakistan – DAWN.COM

Considered by many Pakistanis to be public enemy number one, the United States on Monday turned to the musical descendents of rap group Public Enemy in an attempt to counter its highly unpopular image in the south Asian nation. As part of its cultural diplomacy programme, the US embassy brought the FEW Collective, a hip-hop […]

16 Nov, 2011

Singer crashes Obama summit with ‘Occupy’ song — chinadaily.com.cn

A popular Hawaiian recording artist turned a top-security dinner of Pacific Rim leaders hosted by President Barack Obama into a subtle protest with a song in support of the “Occupy” movement. Makana, who goes by one name, was enlisted to play a luau, or Hawaiian feast, Saturday night for leaders assembled in Obama’s birthplace Honolulu […]

15 Nov, 2011

“Innovation No Longer Prerogative Of High-Income Countries” – WIPO Report

World Intellectual Property Organization

In a foreword to the Report, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry notes that “innovation growth is no longer the prerogative of high-income countries alone; the technological gap between richer and poorer countries is narrowing.

15 Nov, 2011

Study Shows Potential For Ships To Make Huge Cuts In CO2 Emissions

International Maritime Organization

An IMO-commissioned study into the impact of mandatory energy efficiency measures for international shipping shows that implementation of the measures will lead to significant reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, specifically reductions of carbon dioxide (CO2), resulting from enhanced fuel efficiency.

15 Nov, 2011

UN Urges Action To Help Hundreds Of Millions Of Sufferers Of Diabetes

Nov 14 2011 (UN News Centre) – With almost 350 million people worldwide now suffering from diabetes, and the number expected to keep rising, the United Nations today called on governments and drug companies to ensure that sufferers have the care and treatment they deserve. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon used his address on World Diabetes Day, […]

15 Nov, 2011

East Asia-Pacific children highly vulnerable to climate change impacts

BANGKOK, 14 November 2011 – According to a UNICEF report, Children’s Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Disaster Impacts in East Asia and the Pacific, children will be among those most affected by climate change. Millions of children across East Asia and the Pacific already suffer from a lack of access to clean water and proper […]

15 Nov, 2011

Another war is coming? – People’s Daily Online

It is said that the U.S. Department of Defense has submitted a plan to attack Iran with military force. Will the United States and Israel really carry out military operations against Iran at this time or are they just bluffing to pressure Iran? After strictly, comprehensively and reliably assessing a great amount of information, the […]

15 Nov, 2011

The new emancipation – chinadaily.com.cn

In India and Indonesia, the rules of marriage are changing as well, steered by a rising middle class and women who will no longer tolerate inequality in marriage. Tiffany Tan has the stories. It’s a bit of a surprise to discover the person behind India’s biggest matchmaking site for divorcees is a single, attractive, 30-year-old […]

15 Nov, 2011

gulfnews : Witness to an age of transformation

“I’m from the second generation of people who settled in the Arabian Gulf Coast… my age could be 88 years or more,” he said. “At the time of my youth, the Trucial Coast was poor and undeveloped, with economy largely based upon fishing and pearl diving along the coast,” he said. “Our life was going […]

15 Nov, 2011

Norway massacre: court stops ‘arrogant’ gunman speaking

Behring Breivik also attempted to take advantage of his first public appearance since the attacks to make a speech. “I am a military commander in a resistance movement,” Behring Breivik said in a calm voice before questioning the legitimacy of the court to try him. “You have been mandated by those who support multiculturalism. That […]

15 Nov, 2011

Crony capitalism exposed – The Washington Post

Insider trading is illegal — except for members of Congress. A Wall Street executive who buys or sells stock based on insider information would face a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and quite possibly a federal prosecutor. But senators and congressmen are free to legally trade stock based on nonpublic information they have obtained through […]

15 Nov, 2011

For Israel, a tough call on attacking Iran – The Washington Post

A weird but wonderful feature of Israeli democracy is that even fateful decisions about national security — like whether to carry out a military attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities — are publicly debated and covered in the press as if they were questions about road building or water rates, complete with vote counts in the […]

15 Nov, 2011

Eurofighter loses ground against F-35 in Japan contract race – Telegraph

Defence analysts monitoring the three-way dogfight for the multi-billion contract say Tokyo has been impressed with the stealth technology of the Lockheed Martin F-35, which will enable it to carry out clandestine monitoring of Chinese, North Korean and Russian military assets in the region. It also remains indebted to Washington for the assistance the US […]

15 Nov, 2011

AFP: Japan should prioritise reducing debt, IMF chief says

TOKYO — IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Saturday said Japan should make reducing its mammoth public debt a priority, while adding that its recent unilateral currency intervention was “in the spirit” of the G7. Japan’s “priorities going forward are the swift implementation of reconstruction spending, and the adoption of a strong medium-term plan to reduce […]

15 Nov, 2011

Measure for measure – Indian Express

Airport searches are universally annoying — but the rest of us who want to travel have resigned ourselves to elaborate and intrusive screenings. The US Transportation Security Administration is especially relentless about this security theatre, now unfeasible to scale down — it is now simply a fact of our post-9/11 times. However, in India, our […]

15 Nov, 2011

American? Step aside – Hindustan Times

In our khichdi mix of a feudal culture and modernity, we usually deem the act of frisking to be insulting for the person being searched. True, the chance of a VIP having nefarious plans and walking into the immigration line in any Indian airport is extremely slim. But someone with a nefarious plan looking like […]

15 Nov, 2011

ADB urges Asia to help rescue eurozone – FT.com

By James Lamont in Mumbai The Asian Development Bank has called for India and China to be ready to help rescue the eurozone from its sovereign debt crisis to avoid a long-term downturn that will stunt the growth of Asian economies. Rajat Nag, the managing director of the Manila-based ADB, said the world’s two fastest-growing […]

14 Nov, 2011

Tourism Needs Sharper Human Rights Focus – UK NGO

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

The issue of human rights in the travel & tourism industry hit the public spotlight for the first time at the World Travel Market 2011. Panelists at a seminar were briefed on a new report issued by the UK-based tourism watchdog group Tourism Concern calling on the industry to start incorporating human rights into their […]

14 Nov, 2011

Age of low-cost flights – The Japan Times Online

It appears that Japan is finally entering the age of low-cost flights. All Nippon Airways has set up a joint venture, Peach Aviation, with a Chinese investment fund and plans to set up another joint venture, AirAsia Japan, with AirAsia of Malaysia, a leading low-coast carrier (LCC) in Asia. Japan Airlines, now undergoing rehabilitation, has […]

14 Nov, 2011

Time the West stopped being obstinate – chinadaily.com.cn

For leaders and citizens of the G20 countries, this week’s summit in Cannes is about as welcome as a visit to an undertaker. For all its unwieldiness and amorphous sense of purpose, the G20 represents the beginnings of an understanding, as necessary as it is reluctant, that a global economy with new growth sources must […]

14 Nov, 2011

Three Travel Editors Unite In Opposing Attack On Iran

By Imtiaz Muqbil, John Bell, Don Ross

Europe is no longer what it once was. Times are hard, debt is soaring, people worry about their jobs. There is palpable worry about what the future will bring. Can the travel & tourism industry afford yet another crisis: An attack on Iran?

13 Nov, 2011

Pew Research: Injured Iraq war veterans say it’s not been worth it

Imtiaz Muqbil

Originally Published: 13 November 2011 More than six-in-ten injured post-9/11 U.S. military veterans (62%) are critical of the war in Iraq, compared with 48% of recent veterans who were not injured, according to according to a Pew Research Center survey released last week. “In their judgment of the Iraq War, these injured veterans appear to […]

13 Nov, 2011

Spirituality To Be Asia’s Best Wellness Tourism Asset – Research Report

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

LONDON: Spiritual & Holistic products and services are set to be the most important assets and demand components of the health and wellness sector in the Far East and South East Asia by 2020, according to a research report distributed at the World Travel Market 2011 here last week.

10 Nov, 2011

Japanese Outbound Up 9%, Inbound Still In Slump – JNTO

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

Japanese outbound travel is growing again with total departures of 1,792,000, in August 2011, up 9.1% over August 2010, and 1,645,000 in September 2011, up 6.7% over September 2010. However, inbound arrivals still remain in a slump, due to continuing fears over the radiation fallout from the 11 March 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster.

10 Nov, 2011

Facebook “Drying Up” Face-To-Face Contact – Social Media Study

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

Face-to-face conversation is “rapidly drying up” as a growing number of people fall into “the habit of switching off whilst checking Facebook in mid-conversation,” according to a survey of 500 users aged 13-25 conducted by a Manchester-based independent social media agency.

9 Nov, 2011

Europe Visa Process “Worse Than Tax Audit” – Indian Tour Operator

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

The executive director of one of India’s major tour operators has blasted the UK and European visa application process as being “worse than an IRS audit” and said they would have to find ways of simplifying the process and clearing out its inconsistencies if they wished to attract Indian visitors.

8 Nov, 2011

Visit To Egypt Is A Vote For Peace & Democracy – Tourism Minister

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

Egypt again broke new ground in the annals of travel & tourism history by publicly asserting the linkage between tourism, politics and global geopolitics. At yet another lively Press conference on the opening day of the World Travel Market, Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry El-Nour stressed, “Tourism and politics are interdependent, especially in Egypt at this […]

7 Nov, 2011

More Crises Loom As G20 Summit Lets Financial Terrorists Walk

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

The travel & tourism industry has only itself to blame for becoming a victim of the global economic crisis. Its constant boasting about its size and resilience makes it an easy target for the taxman. At the same time, industry leaders are seldom heard taking a more principled stance, such as questioning the huge costs of Western military adventures and the so-called “war on terror.”

4 Nov, 2011

Too Big to Jail – Truthout

Can we all agree that a $1 billion swindle represents a lot of money, and the fact that Citigroup agreed last week to pay a $285 million fine to settle SEC charges for “misleading investors” demonstrates a damning admission of culpability? So why has Robert Rubin, the onetime treasury secretary who went on to become […]

4 Nov, 2011

Has a Hollywood actress made Palestine solidarity chic? | The Electronic Intifada

What does it mean when an Oscar-winning actress appears in British Vogue wearing a Palestine scarf, particularly amidst a media and film industry which generally demonizes the people of the Middle East? Either it was an intentional message of solidarity, or simply a deliberately-controversial fashion statement on the part of a celebrity known for her […]

3 Nov, 2011

Chinese firms boost overseas office rentals | chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING – As Chinese companies embark on a wave of overseas expansion, managers of office buildings overseas are seeing an increasing number of business opportunities amid a faltering economic recovery and are flying to China to seek potential Chinese tenants. Anthony Malkin, president of Malkin Holdings LLC, which manages the Empire State Building in New […]

3 Nov, 2011

Paedophile ring unravelled – SMH

A British woman and four men have been found guilty of various offences for their part in an international paedophile ring that committed “horrific” crimes against two young children in Britain and one in Australia. Melissa Noon and the four other defendants were convicted at Portsmouth Crown Court of a total of 16 offences. The […]

3 Nov, 2011

David Cameron backs Archbishop on top pay – The Independent

David Cameron has backed the Archbishop of Canterbury’s call for greater responsibility by high earners in the City, while playing down the idea of a “Robin Hood tax” on the banks. The Prime Minister said Dr Rowan Williams spoke “for the whole country” when he condemned the excesses of those at the top of society. […]

2 Nov, 2011

CIC buys stake in GDF Suez – chinadaily.com.cn

The China Investment Corp (CIC), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, on Monday signed an agreement to pay GDF Suez 2.3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in exchange for a 30-percent stake in the French company’s exploration and production division. CIC chairman Lou Jiwei signed the agreement Monday in Beijing with Gerard Mestrallet, chairman and chief executive […]

2 Nov, 2011

China cuts tax to boost small businesses – chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING – China carried out major tax cuts on Tuesday designed to benefit the nation’s crisis-hit small and micro-sized firms – including street vendors – and also help curb inflation. The value-added tax (VAT) threshold for small enterprises increased to between 5,000 yuan ($791.14) and 20,000 yuan, in terms of monthly sales revenues, from the […]

2 Nov, 2011

Mekong security agreement reached – People’s Daily Online

BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhuanet) — Four countries, including China, have agreed joint security operations on the Mekong River where 13 Chinese sailors were murdered last month. Officials from China, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos vowed to boost law enforcement on the river, according to a statement released after a meeting in Beijing on Monday. “The smuggling […]

2 Nov, 2011

Why Taoism can change the world – People’s Daily Online

The closing ceremony of the international Taoism forum and a prayer meeting for world harmony concluded at Hengshan Mountain of Hunan province on Oct. 25. The forum has made the “Nanyue Declaration,” which states that “being simple and sincere can help people to secure a peaceful mind, and following the laws of nature will ensure […]

2 Nov, 2011

Disaster victims to get dharma counselling – The Nation

Monks will start visiting flood victims at evacuation centres from tomorrow under a new initiative aimed at alleviating stress and depression. The project will seek to ease the emotional burden of the disaster through the use of dharma teaching and advice. “We have found that flood victims at evacuation centres are experiencing high levels of […]

2 Nov, 2011

Why does Wal-mart continue to flout law? – People’s Daily Online

After entering the Chinese market, multinational corporations need to make some adjustments according to the specific conditions of different regions, and mistakes in the early stages are understandable. However, Wal-Mart’s 13 stores in Chongqing have continued to make the same mistakes, and “inappropriate strategy of localization” is no excuse for their unethical and illegal practices. […]

2 Nov, 2011

Top bosses’ riches are undeserved – SMH

Trade liberalisation has opened up opportunities for cheaper imports of many everyday items such as TVs, fridges, couches and cars. When goods are internationally traded it is harder for monopolies to survive. But many of our big purchases, groceries, electricity and home loans continue to be supplied by a limited number of domestic companies and […]

2 Nov, 2011

Truths, facts and facts on the ground – Al Jazeera English

In 1991, negotiations started officially and unofficially between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (and the Palestinians associated with it) and the Israeli government. At the time, Israel had occupied the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip for the previous 24 years. Today, 20 years later, Israel and President Obama insist that the only […]