31 Aug, 2013

Now, fashion accessories designed to prevent rape – Times of India

AHMEDABAD: As nationwide protests are ramping up after gang rapes, some grassroots innovators from remote villages of the country are quietly coming up with anti-rape gadgets, unique accessories and innovative clothing to deter assaults. These innovators, mostly women, have designed the futuristic innovations in such a way that women can wear them as fashion accessories. […]

30 Aug, 2013

British Sikhs to oppose any Modi visit to UK – Hindustan Times

British Sikhs have expressed opposition to any proposed visit by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to the UK. The Sikh Federation UK has joined Muslim groups like the Council of Indian Muslims UK CIM-UK in their boycott following an invitation for Modi to visit Britain by some Indian groups of the country’s two main political […]

30 Aug, 2013

China Makes it Easier for Foreign Visitors to Extend Stay

By CAO YIN (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-08-30 – Foreigners’ original visas will remain valid when they intend to extend their stay in China starting in September, Beijing’s exit-entry administration said on Thursday. Currently, if foreign nationals want to prolong their stays in the country, their original visas, whether expired or not, must be canceled, according to the administration under the […]

29 Aug, 2013

Forum stresses career benefits of study abroad The Japan Times

Japanese students should buck the stay-at-home trend and instead study overseas to gain skills to survive in an ever more globalized and competitive world, experts and former international students said at a recent forum on overseas study in Tokyo. Those skills include not only languages but also social skills like knowing how to work with […]

29 Aug, 2013

China package tour sales from Japan down 75% – Japan Times

People who bought or reserved China-bound package tours for the April to September period at four major Japanese travel agencies fell to one-fourth of the previous year’s level amid soured bilateral ties and concerns over air pollution on the continent, the agencies’ data showed Tuesday. As of late July, 6,302 people had bought or reserved […]

29 Aug, 2013

Pacific bluefin tuna stocks at record lows – The Japan Times

One of Japan’s favorite foods is about to become harder to get and more expensive. Consumers may soon discover just how rapidly Pacific bluefin tuna stocks are being depleted. A survey in July found that the Pacific bluefin stock of over 3 years old has fallen to near record lows. In response, Japan has proposed […]

29 Aug, 2013

ASEAN’s loss: Cambodia fails to win 2015 UNWTO General Assembly

Imtiaz Muqbil

Livingstone, Zambia — A well-oiled and –financed lobbying campaign by Colombian tourism authorities saw the South American country edge out Cambodia in the bid to host the 2015 biennial General Assembly of the UN World Tourism Organisation. The outcome miffed the Cambodians who noted that Colombia had already hosted the General Assembly in 2007 and […]

29 Aug, 2013

Getting People Moving: EC launches initiative to promote physical activity in Europe

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Brussels, 28 August 2013, European Commission Press release – The European Commission adopted today an initiative on health-enhancing physical activity which is the first ever proposal for a Council Recommendation on sport. Sport and physical activity help people to stay physically and mentally fit by combating excessive weight and obesity and preventing related health conditions. […]

29 Aug, 2013

Global hotels group chief blasts OTAs for raking in US$25 billion in commissions

Imtiaz Muqbil

Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe – The International Hotels & Restaurants Association has blasted the US$25 billion in commissions that it says are being raked in by the Online Travel Agencies and called for closer action in cooperation with the global national tourism organisations to do something about it. The comment by IH&RA President Casimir Platzer at […]

29 Aug, 2013

Rifai Re-elected by Acclamation to Head UNWTO, Pledges Reform via Consensus

Imtiaz Muqbil

Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe — UN World Tourism Organisation Secretary-General Dr Taleb Rifai, 64, was re-elected to serve another four-year term covering the period 2014-17. Nominated unanimously by the Executive Council and re-elected by acclamation, he received a standing ovation and a nearly one-minute round of applause at the General Assembly on August 28. In a […]

29 Aug, 2013

In Landmark Lecture, UN Chief Criticises Surveillance, Tells Global Leaders to “Listen to the People”

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United Nations, Aug 28 2013 (UN News Centre) – Development, peace and security, and human rights are interdependent, mutually reinforcing dimensions of freedom, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said at the historic Leiden University in the Netherlands, lauding “the voices and the activism of ordinary people who stand up and speak out.” “Fear is often the […]

28 Aug, 2013

‘End-Game’ Memo Shows How Banksters Ripped Apart Financial Regulation – Truthdig

A 1997 memo retrieved from the filing cabinet of investigative reporter Greg Palast shows the involvement of Lawrence Summers—Obama’s current favorite for chairman of the Federal Reserve—in a successful plan to help big bank CEOs “rip apart financial regulation across the planet. ”In the memo, future Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner reminds “his boss to call […]

28 Aug, 2013

America Is No-Vacation Nation – Alternet

August 23, 2013  – America is the only developed nation that doesn’t legally guarantee any paid vacation time for its workers. In a recent study, The Centre for Economic and Policy Research, found that in the absence of government standards, almost one in four Americans have no paid vacation (23%) and no paid holidays (23%) […]

28 Aug, 2013

Samsung Opens Registration for First Annual Global Developers Conference

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SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–26 Aug 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co. today announced that registration for its first annual Samsung Developers Conference has officially opened. The event, to be held at San Francisco’s St. Francis Hotel, from October 27-29, will feature insight into new tools to help developers create exciting, innovative applications and services across Samsung […]

28 Aug, 2013

Ecosystem-Based Approaches Key to Tackling Challenge of African Food Security

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Nairobi, 23 August 2013 (UNEP media release) – As Africa faces food security challenges worsening in the face of climate change, almost 800 delegates from across the continent backed Ecosystems-Based Adaptation Approaches as a key tool in ensuring adequate food for all at the end of a two-day meeting at the UN Environment Programme headquarters […]

28 Aug, 2013

China joins international efforts to end offshore tax evasion

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OECD – Paris, 27 August 2013 – China signed the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters at a ceremony today at the OECD. All G20 countries have now fulfilled the commitment they made at the Cannes G20 Summit to sign the Convention and move towards automatic exchange of information as the new, […]

28 Aug, 2013

Zambia, Zimbabwe launch borderless two-nations, one-convention concept

Imtiaz Muqbil

Livingstone/Victoria Falls – In an unprecedented show of cooperation, two landlocked African countries divided by a border which runs through one of the world’s most spectacular natural heritage sites set aside their border formalities in order to facilitate what became arguably the world’s first borderless travel & tourism convention. Between 24-29 August, delegates attending the […]

26 Aug, 2013

Indian MPs may be “inflating air travel bills” – Times of India

The stink of forged airline tickets being used to defraud the government is spreading to Parliament. Ever since TOI on Thursday exposed the widespread scandal in LTC (leave travel concession) claims, where officials of the central government and public sector units have been submitting forged or inflated airline travel bills, information has been emerging of […]

26 Aug, 2013

Australia Pledges A$3 Million to Complete Islamic Museum

Compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil & Sana Muqbil

A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 26 August 2013 (19 Shawwala 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story.

26 Aug, 2013

4th Entrepreneurship Summit in KL Aimed at NextGen Builders, Creators, Dreamers

ADVERTORIAL REPORT

Kuala Lumpur – Registrations are open for the 4th Global Entrepreneurship Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur between 11-12 October. More than 3,000 entrepreneurs, speakers, investors and policy-makers from over 50 countries are projected to attend the event, originally initiated by U.S. President Barack Obama to create “the next generation of dreamers, creators and […]

24 Aug, 2013

U.N. Declares 6 April Int’l Day Of Sport For Development, Peace

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United Nations, (UN News Centre), Aug 23 2013 – The United Nations General Assembly today proclaimed 6 April as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, as the body’s President hailed the decision a “historic” step in recognizing the power of sport to erase cultural barriers and mobilize people around the world. “Sport […]

24 Aug, 2013

What people think vital to China’s future – Xinhua commentator

by Xinhua writer Fu Shuangqi

BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) — High-level publicity officials from across China gathered at an important conference earlier this week in Beijing about publicity and ideological work. President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech about priorities in this line of work. The CPC cares about what people think. In its revolutionary days, the belief in Communism […]

24 Aug, 2013

Aggressive behavior in children linked to soda

Children who drink soda tend to score slightly higher on scales that measure aggressive behavior than those who don’t drink the carbonated beverages, according to a new study. The study’s lead author cautioned, however, that the increase may not be noticeable for individual children and the researchers cannot prove soda caused the bad behavior. “It’s […]

24 Aug, 2013

Gallup: Americans want schools to teach critical thinking, communication

by Shane Lopez and Valerie J. Calderon

WASHINGTON, D.C. August 21, 2013, (Gallup Polls) — Most Americans believe that today’s schools should teach “soft skills.” More than three in four adults “strongly agree” that K-12 schools should teach critical thinking and communication to children. And 64% of respondents strongly agree that goal setting should be taught, while 61% strongly agree schools should […]

24 Aug, 2013

Summit in Sweden Unites Global War Veterans In Pursuit of Peace

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STOCKHOLM, August 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Earlier this summer Sweden’s Veteran Federation, SVF, hosted the World Veterans Federation’s Peace and Security Summit. The outcome of the summit was The Stockholm Declaration, urging the world’s veteran associations and governments to work for the veterans’ experiences and skills to a higher degree should be utilized as a […]

24 Aug, 2013

Rate of radioactive flow to Pacific alarming | The Japan Times

Water releasing as much as 10 trillion becquerels of radioactive strontium and 20 trillion becquerels of cesium-137 from the Fukushima No. 1 power plant has flowed into the Pacific Ocean since May 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Co. estimates. The combined figure of 30 trillion becquerels, announced late Wednesday, implies that highly radioactive water is entering […]

23 Aug, 2013

India Sees Improved Male:Female Sex Ratio

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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 21-August, 2013 – The Sex Ratio in the country has shown an improvement. As per the Census, sex ratio has increased from 933 females per thousand males in 2001 to 943 females per thousand males in 2011. State/UT-wise details of sex ratio are listed below. The Government has been […]

23 Aug, 2013

China plans major railway reforms to generate growth, create jobs

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BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) — The railway sector is high on China’s government agenda with detailed measures on its reforms and instructions from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. China’s State Council published a plan earlier this week to innovate railway funding and speed up construction. Experts said this was “appropriate” in the backdrop of economic structuring […]

23 Aug, 2013

Myanmar gets another U.N. warning on incitement of ethic, religious hatred

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YANGON / BANGKOK / GENEVA (22 August 2013) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana, said the country is moving forward in many areas “which has brought positive changes to the human rights situation, and has the potential to bring further improvements.” However, he warned about […]

23 Aug, 2013

Total Transparency Reigns as UNWTO Gets Set for 20th General Assembly

Imtiaz Muqbil

In yet another exemplary display of total transparency, the UNWTO has posted on its website the entire set of working papers and financial statements to be discussed at the upcoming General Assembly and Executive Council meetings in Zambia and Zimbabwe between August 24-29. The public has full access to the material which provide copious detail […]

22 Aug, 2013

American Museum of Agriculture Changes Name to Bayer Museum of Agriculture

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Lubbock, Texas (PRWEB) August 20, 2013 – Today, Bayer CropScience and the American Museum of Agriculture announced a sponsorship agreement to rename the museum the “Bayer Museum of Agriculture,” helping to further preserve, promote and display its cotton industry collection dating back to the 1600’s. Editor’s Comment A sign of what’s to come. Should museums […]

22 Aug, 2013

UNEP Environmental Alert: Global Mangrove Forest Cover Fading Fast

UNEP Global Environmental Alert Service

Nairobi, Aug 2013 – The uniquely adapted mangrove forests on the marine-terrestrial interface preserve coastline integrity by buffering wave energy from marine processes. The ecosystem services they provide and their support for coastal livelihoods worldwide are worth at least US $1.6 billion a year. Despite their global importance, mangroves are being lost rapidly and action […]

21 Aug, 2013

The price Gina Gray paid for whistleblowing – The Washington Post

Sadly, Gray’s case is emblematic of the way this administration has handled whistleblowers. Obama came into office pledging transparency and professing admiration for government workers who expose abuses. But his administration has pursued more cases under the 1917 Espionage Act than all previous administrations combined (including the prosecution of National Security Agency workers who tried […]

21 Aug, 2013

PressTV – Female Swedish activists don hijab to protest attack on Muslim woman

Swedish women of various faiths have posted photos on the Internet wearing an Islamic headdress (hijab) to express solidarity with a Muslim woman assaulted in the country for having a hijab. The effort, reported Tuesday by the local press, was part of a Hijab Outcry Campaign, initiated by Swedish women, including a number of politicians […]

21 Aug, 2013

Call to reduce violence against women by building better cities

by Carrie Mitchell, Sara Ahmed, and Suneeta Dhar

OTTAWA, Aug. 20, 2013 /CNW/ – Can poor city planning aid and abet violence against women? Consider the fatal gang rape in Delhi last December of the young woman referred to in the press as “Nirbhaya” (“fearless”). As an angry public poured into the streets to protest Nirbhaya’s death, other brutal attacks captured international headlines. […]

21 Aug, 2013

Cruise Lines Association Welcomes New Global Pact to Boost Seafarers’ Working Conditions

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today announced it welcomes the entry into force of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 2006 Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).   The MLC provides further worker protections and rights for crewmembers, providing them specific rights related to all facets of employment, including wages, hours, medical care, […]

21 Aug, 2013

Lack of Sleep Leads to More Domestic Arguments, Bedding Company Research Reveals

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(PRWEB UK) 21 August 2013 – More than half (55%) of us have been woken by our partner sleep talking, more than a quarter (26%) from laughing and one in ten from sleep walking, according to the survey of 2,044 people by UK bed manufacturer Silentnight to mark the launch of its first online Sleep […]

21 Aug, 2013

Foreigners hit with bigger fines via strict enforcement of Chinese exit-entry law

By Yu Ran

2013-08-20 (China Daily) Shanghai fined and punished more than 500 foreigners for illegally staying in the country after China imposed its new exit-entry law in July, according to statistics provided by the city’s immigration inspection department. From 1 July 1 through 10 Aug, 534 foreigners had illegally entered or overstayed their visas. More than 380 […]

21 Aug, 2013

China plans development of Western regions as new engine for growth

By DING QINGFEN and XUE CHAOHUA in Lanzhou and CHEN JIA in Beijing

2013-08-20,  (China Daily) — China is betting on its western development program to lead a new round of economic growth as the government is mulling “differentiated” policies for the region that will feature huge spending on infrastructure, Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday. “We will roll out more preferential policies tailored for the western region […]

21 Aug, 2013

Biggest museum theft in Egyptian history: Over 1,000 artifacts stolen — RT News

As Egypt plunges deeper into the political turmoil, looters take advantage of the situation – and the latest robbery of the Malawi Museum in the city of Minya, 300km from Cairo, has been the biggest of its kind in the Egyptians’ living memory. Looters got away with more than 1,000 objects, including a prized 3,500-year-old […]

21 Aug, 2013

Activist who fought superstition shot dead in Pune – Hindustan Times

Activist Narendra Dabholkar, who was running a successful anti-superstition movement in Maharashtra, was shot dead in Pune on Tuesday morning. Dabholkar was alone on a morning walk near Omkareshwar temple when unidentified persons on a motorbike fired at him and fled. Four bullets were fired at Dabholkar in the neck and he died on the […]

20 Aug, 2013

Muhammad Ali Centre launches fund-raising campaign, bid to inspire youth to greatness

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LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–August 13, 2013 – Muhammad and Lonnie Ali, and the Muhammad Ali Center today launched a campaign on Prizeo, the premier celebrity charity-fundraising digital platform, to raise money and awareness for the work of the Muhammad Ali Center, a 501(c)3 organization in Louisville, Kentucky. For micro-donations starting at only $3, contributors to the […]

20 Aug, 2013

Texas University students to get jail-cell tour in anti-drunk driving campaign

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AUSTIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)– August 15, 2013–Drinking and driving is a year-round problem that gets worse in the summer. As part of a national effort to save lives and crack down on impaired driving, the Texas Department of Transportation announces its “Drink. Drive. Go to Jail.” campaign from Aug. 16 – Sept. 2. During the campaign, select […]

20 Aug, 2013

ASEAN, Japan, Bhutan Big Winners at Thailand Travel Fair 2013

Imtiaz Muqbil

BANGKOK – Thousands of Thai would-be travellers thronged this year’s second Thailand International Travel Fair between Aug 15-18 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok. The event was organised by the Thai Travel Agents Association, which includes the outbound and domestic agents and is separate from the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), […]

19 Aug, 2013

Glenn Greenwald: detaining my partner was a failed attempt at intimidation – The Guardian

This is obviously a rather profound escalation of their attacks on the news-gathering process and journalism. It’s bad enough to prosecute and imprison sources. It’s worse still to imprison journalists who report the truth. But to start detaining the family members and loved ones of journalists is simply despotic. Even the Mafia had ethical rules […]

19 Aug, 2013

Brunei to Host ASEAN Expo, Oct 26-30

Compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil & Sana Muqbil

A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 19 August 2013 (12 Shawwala 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story.

19 Aug, 2013

Hi, I’m Your New Axis of Evil – AsiaTimes Online

By Pepe Escobar I have argued that what has just happened in Egypt is a bloodbath that is not a bloodbath, conducted by a military junta responsible for a coup that is not a coup, under the guise of an Egyptian “war on terror”. Yet this newspeak gambit – which easily could have been written […]

19 Aug, 2013

Coming soon: fees for carry-on luggage – Sydney Morning Herald

First, airlines started charging for checked luggage that used to be included in the ticket price. That alone is an entire new industry created in the past decade that now consumes around $30 billion worldwide in travellers’ cash. The consequence weren’t so much unforeseen as “What the hell! We’ll do it anyway”. Being forced to […]

19 Aug, 2013

Rajasthan’s model is better than Modi’s Gujarat: CM Ashok Gehlot

Gujarat has always been a developed state. The development that is happening there is not balanced. We are giving all round development which is not happening in Gujarat. Modi is very good at marketing himself and has a strategy chalked out but the people of the country will never accept him. Read the rest: Rajasthan’s […]

19 Aug, 2013

Hate crime: British teen assaults Sikh man – Hindustan Times

The video of an 80-year-old Sikh man being punched in the face and shoved to the ground by a 19-year-old British woman has triggered outrage amid fresh concerns over hate crimes. Closed circuit television (CCTV) in the British city of Coventry in West Midlands has captured shocking footage of the woman attacking the elderly man, […]

19 Aug, 2013

Mob vandalizes art exhibition in Ahmedabad – Hindustan Times

More than a dozen men allegedly associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajarang Dal vandalized an art gallery in Ahmedabad where exhibition of Pakistan artists’ paintings was held. The members stormed gallery “Amdavad no gufa” which was created by late painter MF Hussain and a noted architect BV Doshi, on Friday after the […]

19 Aug, 2013

Mob vandalises Ahmedabad art exhibition, tears down paintings – Indian Express

A group of 20 persons vandalised an art exhibition at Amdavad ni Gufa in Ahmedabad on Friday afternoon. The group tore down more than two dozen paintings belonging to celebrated artists hailing from both India and Pakistan. It is being alleged that a group of “right wing” activists was behind the act. However, no organisation […]

18 Aug, 2013

Top Israeli official “sick” of commemorating Hiroshima, Nagasaki A-bomb victims | Japan Times

JERUSALEM – A senior Israeli government official has posted online comments on Facebook saying he is “sick” of commemorations for the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, a local newspaper reported. “I am sick of the Japanese, ‘Human rights’ and ‘Peace’ groups” over holding their “annual self-righteous commemorations for the Hiroshima and Nagasaki […]

18 Aug, 2013

5 Companies That Make Money By Keeping Americans Terrified of Terror Attacks | Alternet

August 16, 2013 | Michael Hayden, the former director of the National Security Agency, has invaded America’s television sets in recent weeks to warn about Edward Snowden’s leaks and the continuing terrorist threat to America. But what often goes unmentioned, as the Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald pointed out, is that Hayden has a financial stake in […]

18 Aug, 2013

Exclusive: WikiLeaks Cable exposes U.S. bid to penetrate Brazil’s security apparatus

Imtiaz Muqbil

Former U.S. Department of Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff cited unspecified “threats” by “ill-intentioned individuals or groups” in attempting to persuade Brazilian security ministers and officials to give the U.S. a vital foothold in the Brazilian travel, transport, trade and sports events networks, according to a WikiLeaks cable. Using touchy-feely buzzwords such as “partnerships,” “cooperation” […]

17 Aug, 2013

Indian Railways to Provide Braille Signage in Passenger Coaches

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Ministry of Railways, 16-August, 2013 – As a part of its social commitment to make Railways more friendly towards specially abled passengers, Indian Railways has decided to provide Braille stickers in coaches to facilitate visually impaired passengers. Presently coaches are provided with signage, instructions, seat numbers etc. which are mostly in the form of vinyl […]

17 Aug, 2013

Food Workers Union: Martin Luther King’s Dreams of Jobs, Economic Equality Still Unfulfilled

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– August 16, 2013 – The following is a statement issued by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) regarding the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington: “The UFCW is proud to stand with our brothers and sisters from across the country to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on […]

17 Aug, 2013

Survey Shows Uneven Economic Picture for U.S. Landscape Architecture Firms

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– August 13, 2013  – U.S. landscape architecture firms are experiencing sluggish but steady growth as they emerge from the recession, according to the American Society of Landscape Architects’ (ASLA) second quarter 2013 Business Quarterly survey. More firms reported stable or rising billable hours but have pared down their plans to hire. 82.8 percent […]

17 Aug, 2013

Assistive Wheelchair Tray Developed to Help People with Disabilities Use iPads

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– August 15, 2013 – “RoboDesk,” a motorized wheelchair tray, could provide people with disabilities with an efficient and easy-to-use method to more easily position and remove an iPad or other mobile devices without being limited by a table or moving in and out of the chair. Brad Duerstock, a Purdue University […]

17 Aug, 2013

China set to overtake US as world’s No 1 consumer – S&P Report

By Zhang Yuwei (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-08-15 – Even with the ongoing slowdown of China’s economic growth, the world’s No 2 economy is expected to overtake the US to become the world’s largest consumer market in the next five years, according to a new report by Standard & Poor’s (S&P). The report – entitled Financial Risks Are Rising as Retail […]

17 Aug, 2013

Chinese millionaires report features first “Happiness Index”

By Shi Jing in Shanghai (China Daily)

Beijing, 2013-08-15 09:17 – At a time of economic slowdown combined with market uncertainties, Chinese millionaires’ confidence in the country’s economy in the next two years has dropped for a second consecutive year, according to the GroupM Knowledge-Hurun Wealth Report 2013. The report was co-released by the media investment management firm GroupM China and the […]

17 Aug, 2013

Beijing-Tokyo dispute will have “serious ramifications” for ASEAN

By Kavi Chongkittavorn (China Daily)

Bangkok, 2013-08-15 – The intensifying hostility between China and Japan and the increasing mutual distrust between their people will have serious ramifications on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. For the past three decades, the two Asian giants’ stable relations have helped generate huge volumes of trade and investment and propelled the region’s economic progress. […]

17 Aug, 2013

In U.S., 15% of Women Feel Unfairly Denied a Promotion – Gallup Poll

by Elizabeth Mendes

WASHINGTON, D.C. August 16, 2013 (Gallup Polls) — Fifteen percent of U.S. working women say they have at some point felt passed over for a promotion or opportunity at work because of their gender, while 85% say they have never felt that way. These perceptions are similar by age, educational attainment, and employment in a […]

17 Aug, 2013

The Next Big Thing: Asia <> Africa Travel

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – With the industrialised countries more or less saturated as generators of global travel, and intra-Asia/Pacific travel booming, sights are turning towards what is likely to be the next big source market for Asia by the end of this decade: Africa. The groundwork for this boom to come is being laid now. One step […]

16 Aug, 2013

Modi’s speech laid bare his conceit, lack of etiquette – Dileep Padgaonkar

The one who takes the cake for violating every norm, convention and etiquette that public figures are expected to respect on Independence Day is Narendra Modi. He had the gall to announce that the nation should decide whose address was more effective: his own in Bhuj or the Prime Minister’s address from the ramparts of […]

16 Aug, 2013

British Museum confirms identity of stolen Egyptian artefact – Ahram Online

In 2011, the British Museum identified four relief fragments as stolen. These came from the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, but that theft had occurred back in the 1980s. Except these six objects, no other stolen objects have come to the attention of the museum experts since the 2011 revolution. “I have little doubt, though, […]

15 Aug, 2013

China asks: Who gave America the right to launch network assaults?

By Shen Dingli

Beijing, (People’s Daily Online), August 14, 2013 – Edward Snowden revealed the fact of large-scale telecom monitoring at home and abroad by the United States, confirming people’s previous assumptions. However, the world was still shocked by the depth and the breadth of the monitoring. In response to the numerous questions put to the United States […]

15 Aug, 2013

How bird-cage making, a Malay Muslim art, strives to build peace in South Thailand

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Yala, (World Bank Update) August 13, 2013 – Three years ago, Ban Kue-meng was just another rural town in Thailand’s Yala province. These days, it is known as the home of some of the best bird cage makers in the country. Bird cage making, a Malay Muslim art in Thailand’s southernmost provinces (known locally as the […]

14 Aug, 2013

Forget the beach, try an on-the-job vacation | The Japan Times

Forget the beach, try an on-the-job vacation by Masaaki Kameda KidZania, the theme park where children can role-play professions such as doctor or firefighter, has proved popular around the world: entertainment centers are now operating in 10 countries in addition to Japan, including Mexico, Indonesia and Portugal. Similarly, in Tokyo, there is a business that […]

14 Aug, 2013

UNHCR appeals for dialogue following more anti-Muslim violence in Myanmar

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GENEVA, 13 August (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) – The UNHCR on Tuesday called for measures to prevent further violence in the wake of the latest clashes between displaced Muslims and security forces in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. “The clashes last Friday have left one man dead and about 10 people injured,” UN refugee agency spokesman […]

14 Aug, 2013

Marking Youth Day, UN Officials Spotlight Rights And Potential Of Young Migrants

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United Nations, Aug 13 2013 (UN News Centre) – Marking International Youth Day, United Nations officials today highlighted the plight as well as the contributions of young migrants, who often face hard conditions away from their homes. “It is important to emphasize the positive contribution young migrants make to societies of origin, transit and destination […]

14 Aug, 2013

UN Experts Urge Israel To Stop Harassment Of Palestinian Human Rights Activist Issa Amro

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GENEVA (13 August 2013) Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – – A group of United Nations independent human rights experts* expressed deep concern at the alleged ongoing judicial harassment, intimidation and abusive treatment directed against Issa Amro, a prominent Palestinian human rights defender. Mr. Amro was arrested and detained 20 times […]

14 Aug, 2013

Visa Global Travel Study: Americans Plan to Spend 40% More on Next Foreign Trip

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FOSTER CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–August 13, 2013 – According to the Global Travel Intentions Study 2013 by Visa Inc. U.S. travelers crave culture, are tech savvy and plan to significantly increase their travel budget on their next international trip. Findings revealed that travelers plan to spend 40 percent more on their next international trip compared to […]

14 Aug, 2013

Are Rohingya the world’s most unwanted people? – Sydney Morning Herald

Kutupalong New Camp, Bangladesh-Myanmar border: Mohammed Rahim* has walked an hour to talk to us, from the green slopes of western Myanmar where he lives, down through the jungle, past the razor-wire fence and the border checkpoints, to this small wooden hut in Bangladesh. From the window where he sits, the 18-year-old can see the […]

14 Aug, 2013

Report: Small Businesses “Uniquely Vulnerable” to Climate Change, Extreme Weather

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 25, 2013 – U.S. small businesses – widely recognized as the backbone of the U.S. economy – are particularly at risk from extreme weather and climate change and must take steps to adapt, according to a new report from Small Business Majority and the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC). Titled “Climate […]

14 Aug, 2013

US to target tax-evading Americans in the Gulf | Arab News

The United States Internal Revenue Service is inching toward implementing a tax law targeting US taxpayers holding unreported foreign financial assets. The law will have a far-reaching impact on American expatriates who have accounts with financial institutions in the GCC. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act FATCA, signed into law by President Barack Obama in […]

13 Aug, 2013

New York Judge’s Ruling Opens Door To Combat Racial Profiling In Travel

Imtiaz Muqbil

In a move that is set to have a significant impact on the conduct of security personnel at airports and right across the travel & transport system, a judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on Aug 12 that the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk policy has led […]

13 Aug, 2013

HK PolyTech Univ Invites Applications for Ph.D. Scholarships

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Hong Kong, 13 Aug 21013 – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) invites expressions of interest from graduates, irrespective of country of origin and ethnic background, with evidence of academic excellence, research ability and potential, and good communication, interpersonal and leadership abilities for full-time PhD study in Hong Kong within the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship […]

13 Aug, 2013

China Mulls Ways to Boost Safety of Its Overseas Travellers, Residents

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BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — A Chinese national has returned to safety after Thursday’s attack in Afghan capital Kabul that killed three Chinese self-employed business people. Another Chinese citizen is still missing. The incident drew wide attention from home and abroad, as the issue of the safety of Chinese nationals overseas becomes more and more […]

13 Aug, 2013

SR2.2bn reservoir to solve Jeddah’s water woes – Arab News

The National Water Company announced on Sunday that it was building a strategic water reservoir in Jeddah at a cost of SR2.2 billion with a capacity of 6 million cubic meters to meet requirements of the city’s growing population. The water storage facility is being built in Briman. The project’s first phase, which is designed […]

13 Aug, 2013

Real cost of U.K. benefits squeeze: £1,600 per family – The Independent

Welfare cuts that are meant to get the jobless back to work are driving down the living standards of hundreds of thousands of people who are in no position to find a job, an assessment of the Coalition’s welfare reforms says today. Researchers, who have used data to forecast what will happen to the 1.18 […]

13 Aug, 2013

Asian Century Rising: Will India become a “strategic vassal” of the U.S.?

By Fu Xiaoqiang

Beijing, (Global Times), August 12, 2013 – US Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to India in late July has moved New Delhi closer toward an alliance between these two nations. Although the US and India share common interests in containing China, their strategic goals and policy paths are quite different. Illustration: Liu Rui/GT To a […]

13 Aug, 2013

Radiation fears forced postponement of Japan visit by U.S. students | The Japan Times

By BRIAN VICTORIA, Yellow Springs, Ohio In April of this year I was forced to make one of the most difficult decisions of my teaching career at the tertiary level: I was forced to recommend to the university authorities where I was employed that they postpone their planned Study Abroad Program in Japan scheduled for […]

12 Aug, 2013

1 Million Japanese school students sign nuke abolition call | The Japan Times

NAGASAKI – A students’ group in Nagasaki Prefecture said Sunday it has collected more than 1 million signatures from senior high school students calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons since it started gathering them in 2001. At a meeting in Nagasaki the same day of about 50 former and current members of the group, […]

12 Aug, 2013

40% of Indian airport staff fail explosives screening test – Indian Express

A little over 40 per cent of security personnel posted at airports across the country, who are supposed to detect explosives and suspicious objects in the hand baggage of passengers, fail to do their job, a test conducted by the country’s aviation security regulator, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), has found. The X-ray […]

12 Aug, 2013

Can the American image be salvaged – Al-Ahram Weekly

Egyptian American relations on the official level have seen worse times than these tense moments. But it is on the public level that The American image in now seeing its worse. For the Obama administration to start dealing with this heavy task, it has first to stop being on the wrong side of history trying […]

12 Aug, 2013

China Hosts 6th UNWTO Conference on Silk Road Tourism

Compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil & Sana Muqbil

A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 12 August 2013 (05 Shawwal 1434). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story.

12 Aug, 2013

The backlash begins: I want to shop where no one knows my name

By Diana Elliott

Is it seriously possible to do anything anonymously these days? Shop assistants ask me my name before letting me use the change room. If I buy something, I’m asked for my home address, email and birthday so they can put me on their ”mailing list” (spam). And then the most ignominious of all – my […]

12 Aug, 2013

Anger mounts over Israel’s ‘Ramadan permits’

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Ramallah, 06 August  2013 (IINA) – Palestinians have expressed anger at the timing of a decision by Israel to issue more than 200,000 entry permits during the holy month of Ramadan, which they say is geared towards boosting the Israeli economy. Store-owners in the West Bank say they will be badly hit as up to one million […]

11 Aug, 2013

Three Biggest Lies About Lowering Corporate Taxes

Instead of spending August on the beach, corporate lobbyists are readying arguments for when Congress returns in September about why corporate taxes should be lowered. But they’re lies. You need to know why so you can spread the truth. Read the rest: The Three Biggest Lies About Why Corporate Taxes Should Be Lowered.

11 Aug, 2013

Lavabit Owner’s Farewell Warning: Don’t Trust Your Data to U.S. Companies – Truthdig

The owner and CEO of the secure email service reportedly used by Edward Snowden decided to shut down Thursday rather than help the U.S. spy on his customers. According to The Guardian: “Lavabit, an email service that boasted of its security features and claimed 350,000 customers, is no more, apparently after rejecting a court order […]

11 Aug, 2013

Chinese Medicine Fair to be held in HK, 15-17 Aug

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Hong Kong, Aug 8, 2013 – (ACN Newswire) – About 140 exhibitors and 20 expert speakers will present the latest Chinese medicine and health products, solutions and intelligence at the 12th edition of the International Conference & Exhibition of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM), 15-17 August. Jointly organised by the Hong […]

10 Aug, 2013

City of Confucius gets first international hotel

By Xu Lin

2013-08-10, (China Daily) – It is a sprawling traditional Chinese pavilion topped by grey roofs with tiers of overhanging eaves. This is the latest Shangri-la Hotel in China, opened on Aug 1 in Qufu, home of Confucius. With an area of more than 50,000 square meters spread across two streets corners, the hotel allows guests […]

10 Aug, 2013

On Eid, Ahmedabad mall charges entry fee from Muslims – Times of India

AHMEDABAD: A trip in the celebratory spirit of Eid turned out to be an experience in discrimination for many Muslims in Narendra Modi’s Gujarat. The Himalaya Mall, among the five biggest malls in Ahmedabad, on Friday announced a fee of Rs 20 from visitors from the minority community, to be returned to them only if […]

10 Aug, 2013

An Island Where People Live the Way We Used To | The Japan Times

by Amy Chavez Perhaps the best thing about living on a small island in Japan of just 583 people (258 men and 325 women) is that you can walk out your door and kiss the online world goodbye. Here, most people don’t walk around glued to their cellphones, the majority don’t even have smartphones, and […]

10 Aug, 2013

2nd Congress of Indonesian Diaspora to open Aug 18

Jakarta Post

Jakarta, August 10 2013 – Indonesia will organize the 2nd Congress of Indonesian Diaspora (CID II), the biggest gathering of Indonesians living overseas, in Jakarta to connect and unite into one big family and increase the contribution of Indonesian Diaspora to the nation, the Foreign Ministry says. “The Congress of Indonesian Diaspora aims to increase […]

10 Aug, 2013

Registered Overseas Indian Citizens Total 1.37 million

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Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, 07-August, 2013 – A total of 1,372,624 Overseas Indians have been registered as overseas citizens of India (OCIs) as of 31.07.2013. The highest number of 520,055 Overseas Indians in USA have been registered as OCIs followed by U.K. (307,822,) Australia (133,755) and Canada (114,748). As reported by 107 Indian Missions […]

10 Aug, 2013

UN Stresses Importance Of Honouring Treaties With World’s 370m Indigenous People

Compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil

United Nations, Aug 9 2013 (UN News Centre) – Marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, United Nations officials today urged governments to honour the treaties and agreements established with their indigenous groups, stressing that respecting official policies is the only way to maintain peace and advance development. EDITOR’S COMMENT Travel Impact Newswire […]

10 Aug, 2013

Separation trouble spreads in northeast India after Telangana decision – Hindustan Times

Earlier this week, a cartoon in an Assamese daily showed two persons standing on a sandbar in the Brahmaputra with one saying to the other: “Thank god, this river hasn’t yet been divided”. The cartoon was referring to violent statehood agitations across Assam that the UPA’s endorsement of Telangana triggered. It was also a reminder […]

10 Aug, 2013

“Clean Government” policy: China says official spending now largely checked

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BEIJING, 2013-08-09 (Xinhua) – A regulation proposed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on major measures to slash government spending has been properly and effectively implemented, the government said on Thursday. However, violations have not been eliminated, according to the statement, which added that the State Council, or China’s cabinet, will work with relevant authorities to […]