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Archive for December, 2011

30 Dec, 2011

Japanese drinks company launches vending machine with free Wi-Fi – Yahoo! News

In a country where vending machines can be found not only on every street corner, but in between every street corner, across from every street corner and beside every street corner (in other words, there are a lot of vending machines), the idea of turning them into Wi-Fi hotspots is a stroke of genius. The […]

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30 Dec, 2011

Corporate psychopaths still occupying positions of power – Business Comment – The Independent

He then makes an astonishing confession: “At one major investment bank for which I worked, we used psychometric testing to recruit social psychopaths because their characteristics exactly suited them to senior corporate finance roles.” Here was one of the biggest investment banks in the world seeking psychopaths as recruits. Mr Ronson spoke to scores of […]

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29 Dec, 2011

WTO Policies Harming Small-Scale Farmers In Poor Countries – UN Expert

Dec 16 2011 (UN News) — The current international trade regime backed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) is harming small-scale farmers in the least developing countries (LDCs), significantly increasing their risk of food insecurity and reliance on large-scale producers, an independent United Nations human rights expert warned today. “Globalization creates big winners and big […]

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29 Dec, 2011

Migration Policies Should Protect Rather Than Infringe Human Rights

Dec 16 2011 (UN News) — Migrants are a strong force of progress in their host countries and policies should protect, not infringe their human rights, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says, calling for States to ensure their inalienable rights are not violated. “Migrants make vast contributions to host countries.  As workers, they bring skills.  As entrepreneurs, […]

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29 Dec, 2011

Fiscal Austerity Measures Driving Global Economy Towards Recession

Dec 19 2011 (UN News) — Fiscal austerity policies being implemented by countries are driving the global economy towards a recession, the United Nations trade and development body warned today, stressing that greater attention should be paid to high unemployment, which it called a more pressing problem than budgetary deficits. “The vicious circle induced by […]

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29 Dec, 2011

UN Reports Improved Access To Safe Drinking Water, But Poorest Still Lagging

Dec 20 2011 (UN News) — The internationally stated goal of improving access to safe drinking water across the globe is likely to be achieved well ahead of the 2015 deadline, but large numbers of people in the world’s least developed regions will still not benefit, according to a United Nations report released today. Reducing […]

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29 Dec, 2011

Senior UN Official Laments Lack Of Progress In Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

Dec 20 2011  (UN News) — The realization of a two-State solution for Israelis and Palestinians has not advanced, with violent incidents erupting at a worrying rate over the past month, a senior United Nations official warned today. “As the year draws to a close, the situation on the ground is deteriorating and the path […]

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29 Dec, 2011

Corruption Leading To Unequal Access, Use And Distribution Of Land – UN Report

Dec 12 2011 (UN News) — Corruption caused by weak governance is leading to unequal land distribution and poor resource management, according to a United Nations report released today, which argues that this lack of transparency is undermining social stability, investment and growth in developing countries. Weak land governance occurs as a result of low […]

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29 Dec, 2011

Ban Urges Alliance Of Civilizations To Fight Extremism, Promote Tolerance

Dec 11 2011 (UN News) – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged members of the Alliance of Civilizations today to combat extremism and promote tolerance at a time when universal values are being tested in many parts of the world, particularly in countries undergoing political transitions. “Again and again, we are reminded that our differences are nothing […]

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29 Dec, 2011

UN Unveils Education Initiative Connecting Mobile Phones To The Classroom

Dec 12 2011 (UN News) — With mobile telephone access reaching over five billion of the world’s population, the United Nations educational agency today announced the launch of an initiative to harness the technology and bring mobile phone use into the classroom. In a statement issued in Paris, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization […]

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29 Dec, 2011

UN Mobile App Lets Users Calculate Size Of Carbon Footprint

Dec 13 2011 (UN News) — A new United Nations mobile telephone application released today lets users calculate their carbon footprint, visualize its equivalent in a particular ecosystem, and learn new ways in which they can reduce their emissions through specific actions. Through the so-called Blue and REDD Carbon application, users can input the details […]

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29 Dec, 2011

UN Issues First Report On Human Rights Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender People

Dec 15 2011 (UN News) — The first ever United Nations report on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people details how around the world people are killed or endure hate-motivated violence, torture, detention, criminalization and discrimination in jobs, health care and education because of their real or perceived sexual orientation […]

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29 Dec, 2011

UN Launches Decade On Biodiversity To Stem Loss Of Species, Ecosystems

Dec 17 2011 (UN News) — The United Nations today launched the Decade on Biodiversity with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urging humanity to live in harmony with nature and to preserve and properly manage its riches for the prosperity of current and future generations. “Ensuring truly sustainable development for our growing human family depends on biological […]

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28 Dec, 2011

Tips to Save Your Marriage from Holiday Stress, and Divorce

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 26, 2011 — Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil, PhD, author of Make Up Don’t Break Up, warns couples that they must “holiday proof” their marriage and family in these economically challenging times. The tips she provides in this release can save your family from being the next peril of divorce. “Holiday […]

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28 Dec, 2011

Trust & Transparency Critical To Business Success in 2012 – Marketing Expert

Portsmouth, NH (PRWEB) December 28, 2011 – According to the 2011 Edelman Trust Barometer ®, consumers are becoming increasingly distrustful of businesses. When asked “How much do you trust business to do what is right?” only 46% of respondents replied positively. Among the top 10 largest economies, this ranks the United States just 5 points […]

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28 Dec, 2011

New Year Resolution for Parents – ‘Teach Money Management Lessons to Your Kids’

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) December 28, 2011 — The National Financial Educators Council, a social enterprise organization whose mission is to improve the financial capability of people globally, suggests that parents make a New Year’s resolution to teach money management lessons to their kids. To assist parents in opening up the lines of communication with […]

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28 Dec, 2011

Tips to Avoid a Holiday Heart Attack

(PRWEB) December 26, 2011 — It’s a tragic fact: heart attacks peak the day after Christmas and on New Year’s Day. USA Today reports that it’s a problem throughout the entire season: more people die of heart attacks in the winter than during any other time of year (http://on.wzzm.com/tmgWTM). And although doctors don’t have an […]

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28 Dec, 2011

JWT’s 100 Things to Watch in 2012

(PRWEB) December 26, 2011 New York, NY: JWT, which claims to be the world’s best-known marketing communications brand, today released its list of 100 Things to Watch in 2012. “Many of the items on our list reflect broader economic, environmental, technological and social developments we’ve been tracking, while others have potential to ladder up to […]

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28 Dec, 2011

Tips For Visiting Elderly Parents This Holiday Season

San Rafael, CA (PRWEB) December 25, 2011 — Terri Abelar, CEO and founder of Aging Solutions, Inc. (http://www.agingsolutions.com), a client-centered care management company for the care of elderly and disabled adults has released the Eldercare Reality Check: Look, Listen and Pause just in time for the holidays, when thousands of adult children will be visiting […]

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28 Dec, 2011

Six Simple Steps for a Healthier New Year

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Each new year brings the thought of resolutions, many of which last little more than a few weeks. “Life in the new year will be lived the way it is designed,” says Debra Duneier, certified eco-designer, feng shui master practitioner and author of EcoChi: Designing the Human Experience […]

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28 Dec, 2011

Bangkok, Singapore Top New Year’s Party Spots in Asia

NORWALK, Conn. and SINGAPORE, Dec. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Priceline.com (Nasdaq: PCLN) and agoda.com today released their lists of top destinations for ringing in 2012. New York City’s Times Square is the #1 destination for U.S. revelers, and it marks the first time in seven years that New York City has edged Las Vegas for […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Gulfnews : Experts warn of worse financial crisis in 2012

Abu Dhabi: A new global financial crisis is in the making and could unleash its fury as early as 2012, a year when bond rollovers in the US, Asia and Europe worth a combined $6.5 trillion (Dh23.87 trillion) are due, experts warn. The Eurozone sovereign debt crisis has entered a critical new phase with France’s […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Japan government debt poised to hit all-time high ¥937 trillion in 2012 | The Japan Times Online

The outstanding balance of central and local government debt at the end of fiscal 2012 is expected to rise to an all-time high of ¥937 trillion, the government said Saturday, leaving Japan with the worst fiscal health among major developed countries. The total debt will be equivalent to 195 percent of Japan’s gross domestic product, […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Japan Economy sees first signs of nasty drop | The Japan Times Online

For two decades now, Japan has managed to endure the economic downturn largely because the slope felt so gentle. But in recent months, with the record-strong yen cutting sales and profits of major exporters, the world’s third-largest economy is seeing the first signs of a nastier drop. via Economy sees first signs of nasty drop […]

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25 Dec, 2011

EU Gives €700 Million For Tackling Hunger, Child Mortality, Maternal Health, And Access To Water

Brussels, 21 December 2011 – Today, the European Commission announced additional funding for projects targeting the most off-track Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 36 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. This additional funding will focus on reducing hunger and child mortality and securing better maternal health and drinking water and sanitation facilities. With today’s decision the […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Georgetown University Professor Calls for Attack on Iran

With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq winding down and the United States facing economic hardship at home, Americans have little appetite for further strife. Yet Iran’s rapid nuclear development will ultimately force the United States to choose between a conventional conflict and a possible nuclear war. Faced with that decision, the United States should […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Developing Countries to Receive Over $350 Billion in Remittances in 2011, Says World Bank Report

Geneva, December 1, 2011 (World Bank Update) – Remittance flows to developing countries are expected to total $351 billion this year, and worldwide remittances, including those to high-income countries, will reach $483 billion [corrected from $406 billion on December 5] for the current calendar year, according to a newly updated World Bank brief on global […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Intellectual Property Filings Worldwide Rebound in 2010 Despite Economic Turmoil

Geneva, December 20, 2011 — A new report published by the World Intellectual Property Organization today shows that intellectual property (IP) filings worldwide rebounded strongly in 2010 after a considerable decline in 2009. The recovery in IP filings was stronger than the overall economic recovery. Patent and trademark filings grew by 7.2% and 11.8% respectively […]

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25 Dec, 2011

10 E-Tips For Older Adults to Become or Remain Healthy in 2012

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) December 19, 2011 — The International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), the professional association that leads, connects and defines the active-aging industry, searches health-and-wellness research studies every year to find the most relevant to adults ages 50-plus. This year ICAA has sorted through these studies to compile a list of tips that […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Healthier Employees Can Lead to a Healthier Bottom Line in 2012

Euless, Texas (PRWEB) December 19, 2011 — It’s time to begin thinking about New Year’s resolutions and for individuals, the resolutions typically involve ways to improve their health. For business owners, the resolutions often focus on ways to improve the bottom line. Interestingly enough, these two resolutions have a lot in common, according to Johnette […]

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25 Dec, 2011

“Occupy Wall Street: A Holiday Survival Guide”

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) December 19, 2011 — Thousands of Occupy Wall Street sympathizers will soon return home and be asked to explain themselves and their cause to the ones they love. Goldenbear Productions has released “Occupy Wall Street: A Holiday Survival Guide,” a comedic short that simplifies the complexities of Occupy Wall Street. This video […]

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25 Dec, 2011

81% Of Women Hit On At Company Parties

Austin, TX (PRWEB) December 19, 2011 — In a recent survey conducted by WorkingMomsOnly.com, 81% of women surveyed had been hit on by a co-worker at some type of company holiday gathering. The survey reports that more than 86% of the women were surprised by the actions of the co-worker and more than 60% reported […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Millennials Will Determine the Future of Companies

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) December 20, 2011 — The generation that was born from around 1984 to 2002 has been deemed the “Millennials,” only after a slew of other names such as generation Y, generation next, and echo boomers. They started the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, are the most ethnically diverse, and regard smart phones, Facebook, […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Five Tips for Competitive Intelligence Managers

(PRWEB) December 22, 2011 — The New Year is the perfect time to reflect on milestones, refresh your CI strategy and resolve to find new and better ways to manage your intelligence process. The competitive landscape is in constant flux and to keep pace we need to adapt how we anticipate and respond to developments […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Online Hiring Demand for Mobile Marketers Grows 16%

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 20, 2011 — Over the past 90 days, employers and staffing firms have placed more than 4,400 job ads for Marketers with mobile skill sets, according to WANTED Analytics™ (http://www.wantedanalytics.com),  a company that provides real-time business intelligence for the talent marketplace. The volume of job ads that include mobile criteria […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Research Unveils Diversity of Emotions Driving Holiday Shoppers

Lexington, Massachusetts (PRWEB) December 20, 2011 — New research by Forbes Consulting Group (http://www.forbesconsulting.com/) reveals that while many shoppers are turning out this holiday season, the emotions that drive them to stores differ greatly from person to person. Results from the study using the company’s proprietary applied neuroscience technology, MindSight®, has revealed a unique shopper […]

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25 Dec, 2011

Holiday Shopping Tips for Parents to Teach Kids Personal Finance Lessons

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) December 21, 2011 — The holiday shopping time can provide parents an excellent opportunity to begin teaching personal finance lessons to their children. Most parents never provide their children with a practical financial education and the consequences are serious: stress, worry and emotional strain that are caused by financial insecurity. The […]

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21 Dec, 2011

A Must-Read Book For The Travel & Tourism Industry in 2012, U.S. Election Year

Editor’s Note: 2012 will be an election year in the United States and a critical year for the world at large. The travel & tourism industry will be significantly affected by the many geopolitical and economic events and developments sure to unfold next year. In an era of shifting global balance of power, it is […]

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21 Dec, 2011

How Plants & Fruits From Amazon Forests Can Improve Diets and Livelihoods

20 December 2011, Rome (FAO Media Release) – A new study by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization released today shows how plants and fruits from Amazonian forests can be used to improve people’s diets and livelihoods. The book — which is written in easy-to-grasp, accessible language — seeks to take science out of the […]

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21 Dec, 2011

Muslim Religious Leaders Sue U.S. Airline Over Removal from Flight

Attorneys from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and United Firm of Carolina Law (UFC Law) have filed a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines for removing two Islamic religious leaders, or imams, from a flight from Memphis, Tennessee, to Charlotte, N.C., in May 2011 after the pilot refused to fly with […]

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17 Dec, 2011

Standing Ovation For Palestinian Leader As Flag Is Raised At UNESCO

PARIS, December 13 (UNESCO Media release) – The Palestinian flag was raised at UNESCO’s Headquarters on December 13 to mark the admission of Palestine to the Organization. The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova, the President of the General Conference Katalin Bogyay, the Chairperson of the UNESCO Executive Board Alissandra […]

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16 Dec, 2011

World Economic Forum Report Cites Danger of “Widespread Public Mistrust”

The rich man’s club known as the World Economic Forum has finally awoken to the unpredictable, unstable and insecure world its own elitist members have helped create. A report entitled “Outlook on the Global Agenda 2012” released on 12 December 2011 talks about the “rollback of globalisation,” the possibility of more civil and social unrest, […]

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12 Dec, 2011

Lessons in Leadership from the World’s Last Great Head of State

Everything, they say in Thailand, amounts to destiny. It was perhaps destiny that Thailand marked two events on Dec 5 – the start of clean-up campaigns after one of the worst natural disasters in Thai history and the auspicious 84th birthday of King Bhumibhol Adulyadej, the world’s longest reigning monarch, who more than four decades […]

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11 Dec, 2011

Thais paying the price of hearing but not heeding the King’s words

Originally Published: 11 December 2011 Everything, they say in Thailand, is destiny. It was perhaps destiny that Thailand marked two major events on Dec 5 – the start of clean-up campaigns after one of the worst natural disasters in Thai history and the auspicious 84th birthday of His Majesty the King, the world’s longest reigning […]

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8 Dec, 2011

Another Gulf Conflict “Just a Matter of Time” – Chinese Media Comment

When chief executives of international travel organisations and the airline industry decide to stop fretting and fuming over the UK Air Passenger Duty, they may wish to heed a warning from an official Chinese newspaper that an Israel-US-European attack on Iran is “just a matter of time.” A commentary published in the publication “People’s Daily” […]

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6 Dec, 2011

The Cost of War: 18 U.S. Military Veteran Suicides Per Day

Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) December 06, 2011 — Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) told the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health a decade of war has placed unprecedented demands and stressors on the nation’s warriors and their families that will challenge health systems serving the military for generations to come. René Campos, MOAA […]

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6 Dec, 2011

Civil Society Call to Oppose “False Solutions”, Mobilise For Río+20 And Beyond

Durban, December 5, 2011 (JubileeSouth) – Social movements and networks from throughout the Americas and beyond, including among them Jubilee South/Americas, launched from the midst of the People’s Space convened in Durban, South Africa, in parallel to the ongoing UNFCCC climate negotiations, a Call to popular movements and organizations around the world to join together in […]

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6 Dec, 2011

Occupy DC Protester Runs Full-Page Ad Challenging Obama to Debate

Washington D.C. (PRWEB) December 05, 2011 — Inspired by participating in the Occupy DC movement, and after almost 2 years spent developing a better solution to the issue of high premiums and swelling ranks of uninsured than Obamacare, Glenn Morton is attempting something never before tried by a non-political American: directly confronting a sitting United […]

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6 Dec, 2011

Seven Best Practices to Create Smarter Ads

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 06, 2011 — New Benchmark research by MediaMind reveals that users are 2.5 times more likely to engage with ads that performed in the top 25%, with a Dwell Rate of 16%, as compared to ads in the Benchmark average. The bottom 25% of ads achieves a Dwell Rate of […]

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6 Dec, 2011

“Free Shipping” Promotions Soar Week of Black Friday

New York, New York (PRWEB) December 01, 2011 — eDataSource, a proven provider of strategic intelligence for businesses looking to advance their digital marketing and e-commerce strategies, today released figures (http://bit.ly/vQamkT) showing a significant jump in “Free Shipping” offers across email, Twitter and Facebook messages during the week of Black Friday. Moreover, Twitter promotions were […]

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6 Dec, 2011

Ex-Chairman of Congressional Terrorism Panel Urges Senate to Defend Constitutional Liberties

Alexandria, Virginia (PRWEB) December 01, 2011 — Today, James S. Gilmore III, former Chairman of the Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess the Domestic Response Capabilities involving Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction (http://www.usasecure.org/resources-industry.php), denounced the provisions of the Defense Authorization Bill that would enable the U.S. Military to detain individuals suspected of terrorist activities inside […]

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6 Dec, 2011

32% of Businesses Cite ‘Lack of Time’ as Biggest Social Media Challenge

Portsmouth (PRWEB) December 05, 2011 — Red Rocket Media, a specialist content marketing agency, surveyed marketing professionals across a wide range of sectors and found that 32% of businesses cited ‘lack the time’ as their biggest social media challenge, closely followed by 28% who cited ‘creating original content’. Others included: deciding what to say (17%), […]

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6 Dec, 2011

Debate: Sino-US ties – chinadaily.com.cn

American people will thus have to greet the New Year worrying that their country will loose more coveted positions on the international stage, which will aggravate their already pessimistic views on their economy. US President Barack Obama has a close-to-zero chance of fulfilling his pledge of reindustrializing his country before his term ends, and the […]

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6 Dec, 2011

Time for US to make plans for the future – chinadaily.com.cn

Increasingly, Americans are blaming the government for the lack of any long-term plan, pointing to the country’s crumbling infrastructure such as airports, highways and railways, declining education quality and lack of industrial policy. On the other hand, the US is not totally without planning. It does have a plan, and a grand one at that, […]

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6 Dec, 2011

India To Host Ministers Of Mekong-Ganga Countries

NEW DELHI, Dec 5 (NNN-IANS) — In a boost to its Look East policy, India will host the meeting of Mekong-Ganga Cooperation grouping that will bring together foreign ministers of Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia here later this month to explore ways to boost economic and cultural linkages in the region. The ministerial meeting […]

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6 Dec, 2011

An irrelevant superpower | Opinion | DAWN.COM

Moral power stems from the natural attraction of an entity’s cultural, political and economic prowess which encourages others to voluntarily follow it without the use of the other powers. This is the arena where America’s stock has depreciated the most. As the world discovers America’s gridlocked and money-dominated political system, its ecologically damaging, socially unequal […]

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6 Dec, 2011

How to Prevent Travel & Tourism From Falling Victim to Global Crises

BANGKOK – An exclusive report produced by Travel Impact Newswire has identified a significant disconnect between the development agendas being pursued by global leaders and the travel/tourism industry. Unless and until this disconnect is narrowed, or plugged entirely, travel & tourism will continue falling victim to the repeated global crises, the report warns.

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