29 Dec, 2013

2013: Year of the person – Arvind Kejriwal – The Times of India

In a country of 1.2 billion, choosing Person of The Year can be as tough as getting Manmohan Singh to smile. But when you push Narendra Modi off the front pages and primetime television, when you force Rahul Gandhi into hyperactive mode on the corruption issue, and when you shut up rivals who called you […]

29 Dec, 2013

Mortgage rise will plunge a million UK homeowners into ‘perilous debt’ – The Observer

More than a million homeowners will be at risk of defaulting on their mortgages and losing their properties in the wake of even a small rise in interest rates, a bombshell analysis reveals. Borrowers who have failed to pay down their mortgages when interest rates have been at record low levels now face being overwhelmed […]

29 Dec, 2013

How Hollywood cloaked South Sudan in celebrity and fell for the ‘big lie’ – The Observer

This is a country, not yet two and a half years old, whose birth has been soaked in celebrity like no other. As well as Clooney, Matt Dillon and Don Cheadle have been occasional visitors who have tried to use their star power to place the international public firmly in the corner of this plucky […]

29 Dec, 2013

Australian doctors join forces to challenge govts over alcohol laws

After witnessing the high price of alcohol-related violence, eminent medical specialists from St Vincent’s Hospital have issued an ultimatum to governments to rein in rampant alcohol abuse. Pointing to street assaults blamed on drunkenness, including attacks that left two men in neighbouring beds in the hospital’s intensive care ward before Christmas, the hospital’s specialists are […]

28 Dec, 2013

Happiness factors on retreat in the U.S.

Research from the American Enterprise Institute identifies faith, family, friends and work as the four great sources of happiness. The problem is that all four sources are in retreat in the U.S., especially among men. Read the rest: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/12/27/commentary/happiness-takes-faith-family-friends-and-work/

28 Dec, 2013

Commentary: When the world recognized Indonesia as an equal – The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s independence proclamator, the late Muhammad Hatta, was asked regarding events he personally considered most significant in the nation’s revolutionary struggle. He named two: Aug. 17, 1945 and Dec. 27, 1949.No Indonesian would be ignorant of the former. Few Indonesians are mindful of the latter. If Aug. 17, 1945 was Independence Day, then Dec. 27, […]

26 Dec, 2013

Chemist Direct warns against excessive drinking during the holiday season

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London (PRWEB UK) 25 December 2013 – Government figures show 10 million adults in England regularly exceed the recommended daily limits, increasing their risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, liver disease and various cancers. NHS guidelines advise no more than two to three units a day for women or three to four […]

26 Dec, 2013

India-U.S. row: The Return of the Ugly American

By Ramesh Thakur, The Times of India

Thursday, 26 December 2013 – Consider two cases of consular officials two years apart. One shoots and kills two locals, the other pays her nanny below local minimum but above home wages. Had host-country law prevailed, the first — Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor in Lahore — could have faced the death sentence. Instead he was brought […]

26 Dec, 2013

PressTV – Google, Yahoo back doors to US intel agencies: Ex-security official

A former White House security official has revealed that big Internet companies like Google and Yahoo illegally provide US intelligence agencies with the private data of their users. Richard A. Falkenrath, a former US Deputy Homeland Security Advisor, said in a Tuesday interview with Bloomberg television that the “US government has too much access to […]

25 Dec, 2013

Madagascar’s forests vanish to feed taste for rosewood in west and China | The Guardian

Blood-red sawdust coats every surface in the small carpentry workshop, where Primo Jean Besy is at the lathe fashioning vases out of ruby-coloured logs. Besy and his father are small-scale carpenters in Antalaha in north-east Madagascar, and are taking advantage of a recent resurgence in demand for wood from the bois de rose tree, prized […]

25 Dec, 2013

Freedom of Speech: An “Endangered Species” – Pravda.ru

Although most Americans claim to venerate the ideal of “freedom of speech,” when it comes to actual practice there are few purists. “Free speech” purists recognize that defending the right to freedom of speech is not the same as endorsing what a speaker has said; therefore, purists recognize that viewpoints they disagree with should be […]

25 Dec, 2013

Britain’s worsening homelessness crisis – The Guardian

Advisers at Shelter’s national helpline are doing everything they can to make the call-centre office feel like a cheerful environment. Tinsel with Christmas baubles has been hung from the ceiling, tiny silver Christmas trees and felt reindeer have been stuck on the tops of computer screens, cotton-wool icicles are hanging from the windows, and colleagues […]

25 Dec, 2013

Americans Urged to Reject NSA Domestic Spying by Opposing the FISA Improvements Act

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by ROBERT MCCAW for ISLAMiCommentary DECEMBER 24, 2013 – Your privacy rights depend on Congress rejecting the FISA Improvements Act (S. 1631). Introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the bill seeks to codify and expand the National Security Agency’s (NSA) mass domestic surveillance programs, authorizing the spy agency’s bulk collection of nearly every citizen’s phone records and […]

25 Dec, 2013

Christmas in Israeli-occupied Bethlehem by Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh

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Christmas 2013 in Bethlehem (Beit Laham, Aramaic for House of Laham, the Canaanitic God of Sustenance) is still a very special and meaningful time even under the brutal Israeli apartheid occupation. We are not talking about the visual aspects and the unique religious services at the Church of Nativity (you can now follow these live […]

25 Dec, 2013

Indonesia cave reveals history of ancient tsunamis | The Jakarta Post

A cave discovered near the source of Indonesia’s massive earthquake-spawned tsunami contains the footprints of past gigantic waves dating up to 7,500 years ago, a rare natural record that suggests the next disaster could be centuries away — or perhaps only decades. The findings provide the longest and most detailed timeline for tsunamis that have […]

24 Dec, 2013

Indonesia Calls for More Vigorous Efforts to Support Palestine

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Jakarta, December 23 2013, (Antara News) – Indonesia has been supporting Palestine consistently and incessantly over the past six decades and has pledged to continue to do so until an independent Palestine state is established. The endless support is not because majority of Palestinian and Indonesian people are Muslims, but above all, it is based […]

23 Dec, 2013

Indian diplomat row: US actions reflect a questionable motive – Hindustan Times

When Douglas Kent, the US Consul General in Vladivostok, in an accident while driving his personal car from a gym crippled a Russian, the victim was unable to get compensation. The US Embassy in Moscow claimed full immunity and the injured was denied compensation on the ground that the US official was acting within the […]

23 Dec, 2013

Greenwald Reveals ‘Crux’ of NSA Spying: The ‘Elimination of Individual Privacy Worldwide’

Appearing via live feed before an EU Commission committee on mass surveillance Wednesday, independent journalist Glenn Greenwald revealed what he believed to be the “crux” of the reporting on the NSA so far. “The reason I know this is what they are attempting to achieve is because they say it over and over and over […]

23 Dec, 2013

Artistic lampooning of Marina Bay Sands | The Jakarta Post

Ken Pattern, a Canadian-born artist who has called Indonesia home for the past 25 years, is renowned for his drawings and stone lithographs that meticulously document the changing urban landscape of Jakarta. His latest exhibition, “On Marina Bay”, focuses on a very different city: Singapore. The pieces in this collection depict surreal and absurd versions […]

23 Dec, 2013

Spying: A paradox of democracy | The Jakarta Post

Rather than advancing freedom and equality, inescapable surveillance enforces a form of authoritarianism that undermines both. It degrades the ability of members of society to challenge and organize against government and corporate injustices. The loss of cultural freedom stifles individual creativity and the unfettered community interaction necessary to keep power in check and to advance […]

23 Dec, 2013

Millions of coconut trees lost to ‘Yolanda’ to hurt global supply | Manila Bulletin

KUALA LUMPUR/MANILA – The destruction of an estimated three million coconut palms in last month’s deadly typhoon in the Philippines is set to squeeze global supply for years of the tropical fruit used to make products from fuel to health drinks. Even before Typhoon Haiyan tore through the Philippines, the United Nations had warned that […]

23 Dec, 2013

Bradford synagogue saved by city’s Muslims

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 23 December 2013 (19 Safar 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story. ============ EXHIBITION ON GOLDEN AGE OF MUSLIM CIVILISATION NOW SHOWING IN KUALA LUMPUR UNTIL 28 FEB 2014 The […]

22 Dec, 2013

Chinese bamboo texts reveal ancient medical cures

CHENGDU, Dec. 18, (Xinhua) — Chillies for a headache and a bull’s urine for jaundice: These are the latest deciphered messages of how Chinese people two millennia ago cured themselves, and their horses. The 920 medical bamboo slips, together with other historical relics of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC- 9 AD), were found in a […]

22 Dec, 2013

Democracy, Deception, Deceit – they’re all the same

How many times have you seen a person elected into office on all manner of promises, only breaking those promises immediately after coming to power? In your democratic process, what power/authority do you have to enforce his compliance to promises made? After all, this was a simple contract, a vote for a promise. Don’t tell […]

22 Dec, 2013

Friending Fresh Air – Connecting Kids to Nature in the Digital Age

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Reston, Va. (PRWEB) December 20, 2013 – The advancements in technology over the last decade have changed the way children spend their free time, up to 10 hours a day inside according to the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. A great deal of this indoor time often includes using technology which, if unmonitored, may have an […]

22 Dec, 2013

Obama review panel: Strip NSA of power to collect phone data records | The Guardian

The National Security Agency should be banned from attempting to undermine the security of the internet and stripped of its power to collect telephone records in bulk, a White House review panel recommended on Wednesday. In a 300-page report prepared for President Obama, the panel made 46 recommendations, including that the authority for spying on […]

22 Dec, 2013

China’s four tasks for building new-type relationship with major powers

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(People’s Daily Online)  December 19, 2013 –  Sino-US and Sino-Russia relations are two of China’s major concerns in building its new-type relations with major powers. Former Chinese ambassador to Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia An Huihou listed four key targets for China at the 2013 China and World Forum held in Beijing on Monday. 1. Domestic […]

22 Dec, 2013

Cleaning China’s air may cost US$300 billion

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BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) — A total of 1.75 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) will be invested from 2013 to 2017 to deal with China’s worsening air pollution, an environment expert said on Wednesday. Wang Jinnan, deputy head of the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning, said at the 4th Caixin Summit in Beijing that […]

22 Dec, 2013

China rejects U.S. GM corn shipment

BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) — China has rejected 12 batches of U.S. corn shipments tainted with a genetically-modified (GM) strain not approved by the country’s agriculture ministry, its leading quality supervisor said on Friday. Shipments totalling 545,000 tonnes were found to contain the unapproved MIR162, a strain of insect-resistent transgenic corn, the General Administration of […]

22 Dec, 2013

U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership is a corporatist power grab – Sydney Morning Herald

by William Pesek Self-awareness often eludes US officials who push American interests on Asia. John Kerry’s visit to Vietnam was a case in point, as the Secretary of State implored the government to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In his pitch earlier this week, Kerry said the US-led trade deal would bring ”transparency” and ”accountability” to […]

22 Dec, 2013

China Embarks On Four-Dimensional Mode Of Economic Growth

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BEIJING, Dec 18 (NNN-XINHUA) — In a development which has grabbed global attention, China has embarked on a four-dimensional mode of economic growth which focuses on safe, balanced, inclusive and green development as proposed at the central government’s just-concluded work meeting. Experts say the new mode, which centres on economic restructuring and seeks urbanization in […]

22 Dec, 2013

Little Palestinian town of Bethlehem wants tourists back – The Washington Post

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — There’s been something missing in the birthplace of Christianity: Christians. For years, Palestinian Christians have been quietly abandoning the place where Jesus is said to have been born in a manger. Middle-class residents here have packed their bags for less chaotic lives in Latin America, Europe and the United States. Tourism […]

21 Dec, 2013

‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ a Scorsese epic of American greed

Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese plumbs the depths of the debauched, hedonistic lifestyle of a 1990s convicted stock swindler and the world of high finance in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a cautionary tale about excess, lust and greed. The film, which opens in US theaters on Christmas Day, is based on the memoir of disgraced […]

21 Dec, 2013

What are Chinese teenagers who go abroad looking for

(Editor：SunZhao, Yao Chun)

Beijing, (People’s Daily Online),  December 19, 2013 – Decades ago there was a generation of Chinese people who took overseas educational qualifications and found high-paying jobs on their return. They were considered very fortunate people, and dubbed “sea turtles”- returning home to a promising future. Today most overseas Chinese students were born post-1990 – they […]

21 Dec, 2013

Dave Eggers: US writers must take a stand on NSA surveillance | The Guardian

Yes, it’s been strange to live in the USA in this, the era of the NSA. Not just because of the National Security Agency’s seemingly boundless and ever-more-invasive collection methods, but because, for the most part, Americans have been proceeding as usual. In the wake of the Snowden revelations, there’s been some outrage, and a […]

21 Dec, 2013

India hits back at U.S. over arrest of its diplomat, curbs privileges of U.S. embassy officials

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Ministry of External Affairs, 20-December-2013 – Following is the text of the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid’s intervention in Rajya Sabha on the discussion on the arrest of an Indian Diplomat in USA: Sir, I rise with a very heavy heart. But, I also rise with a sense and confidence that this House has expressed […]

21 Dec, 2013

Air Pollution Costing Europe €23 billion / year; Clean-up package approved

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Brussels, 18 December 2013, European Commission Press release – The human toll for poor air quality is worse than for road traffic accidents, making it the number one environmental cause of premature death in the EU. It also impacts the quality of life due to asthma or respiratory problems. The Commission is responding with new […]

21 Dec, 2013

New award shines a spotlight on Europe’s biodiversity

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Brussels, 19 December 2013 (European Commission Press release) – The European Commission is launching a Natura 2000 Award to recognise excellence in best practices for nature conservation in Europe. If you are involved in activities related to Natura 2000, this could be your chance to shine. Natura 2000 is a network of protected areas of […]

20 Dec, 2013

Australia releases report on universities financial results

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Canberra,  19 December 2013, Minister for Education – Australia’s universities recorded a financially sound 2012, according to the latest aggregated report on their financial health released today. Minister for Education, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today released the Finance 2012: Financial Reports of Higher Education Providers. The report shows revenue for the sector including vocational […]

20 Dec, 2013

Australians warned to steer clear of “stem cell tourism”

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Canberra, 19 December 2013 – The National Health and Medical Research Council has warned that unproven stem cell treatments available in Australia and overseas could pose risks to the health and well-being of patients. Today, NHMRC released ‘Stem Cell Treatments – a Quick Guide for Medical Practitioners’ and the patient-targeted document ‘Stem Cell Treatments – […]

20 Dec, 2013

Tourism generated A$115 million a day for Australia, ABS report

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Canberra, 19 December 2013, (Australian Bureau of Statistics) – Tourism contributed over $115 million a day to the Australian economy and outpaced the growth of industries such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). “Tourism GDP grew 3.7 per cent during 2012-13, compared to 2.4 […]

20 Dec, 2013

Native American and Indigenous Studies Academics Vote to Join Boycott of Israel

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Full text: Declaration of Support for the Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions by the Council of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association December 15, 2013 – The council of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) declares its support for the boycott of Israeli academic institutions. A broad coalition of Palestinian non-governmental organizations, […]

19 Dec, 2013

Defeat for PATA: UK unlikely to adjust APD

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12.16.2013. Source: West Indies News Network- The British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean says she does not expect her government to revisit its Air Passenger Duty (APD) rate to the Caribbean any time soon. “It’s something that lots of people around the Caribbean have raised with me, and they’re right to do […]

19 Dec, 2013

‘Toxic’ immigration debate is giving Asia jitters, expert warns – The Independent

The “increasingly toxic political debate” on immigration and the possibility that the UK could leave the European Union is rapidly fuelling concern among Asian governments and businesses, and risks damaging the country’s economic recovery, Britain’s former ambassador to Japan has warned. In an article for The Independent on Sunday website, Sir David Warren, David Cameron’s […]

19 Dec, 2013

Gallup Poll: Record High in U.S. Say Big Government Greatest Threat, Snowden Revelations Seen as Factor

by Jeffrey M. Jones

PRINCETON, NJ, Gallup Organisation (December 18, 2013) — Seventy-two percent of Americans say big government is a greater threat to the U.S. in the future than is big business or big labor, a record high in the nearly 50-year history of this question. The prior high for big government was 65% in 1999 and 2000. […]

19 Dec, 2013

FREE Download: Global Study of Urban Mobility Analyses Transport Systems in 66 Cities

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Management consultancy Arthur D Little’s new global study of urban mobility assesses mobility maturity and performance of 66 cities worldwide and finds most falling well below best practice. This report highlights what is holding them back, showcases best practice and identifies three strategic imperatives for cities and three clusters of future business models for mobility […]

19 Dec, 2013

Americans produce six times more e-waste per capita than Chinese, global report shows

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Bonn, Dec 15, 2013 (StEP Secretariat) — By 2017, all of that year’s end-of-life refrigerators, TVs, mobile phones, computers, monitors, e-toys and other products with a battery or electrical cord worldwide could fill a line of 40-ton trucks end-to-end on a highway straddling three quarters of the Equator. That startling forecast, based on data compiled […]

19 Dec, 2013

FREE Download: U.S. “tapering” will trigger 2014 Asia-Pacific economic slowdown, UN report warns

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Bangkok (UN ESCAP Strategic Communications and Advocacy Section), 19 December 2013 – Growth will remain subpar in developing Asia-Pacific countries in 2014, affected by slow recovery, policy uncertainty and protectionism in developed countries, as well as domestic structural impediments, such as growing inequality, according to the latest United Nations macroeconomic projections for the region released […]

19 Dec, 2013

South-South Trade Skyrocketing to Record Levels, UNCTAD Statistics Show

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Geneva, 17 December 2013 – World merchandise exports have more than tripled over the last two decades and reached US$18 trillion (in current prices) in 2012, with a quarter of that trade comprising exports among developing countries – so-called “South-South” trade — which reached a record $4.7 trillion, according to the UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics […]

19 Dec, 2013

More Dishonesty About Thailand’s Upheaval From the International New York Times – Truthout

by Michael Pirsch I have been reading accounts of the demonstrations in Thailand by Thomas Fuller of the International New York Times (INYT). I do not have a television, so I cannot comment on the nature of its coverage. The INYT coverage minimizes the cause of the protests. Consequently, readers in America receive a dishonest […]

19 Dec, 2013

FREE Download: As Myanmar Booms, So Does Opium Production, UNODC Report Says

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18 December 2013 – Led by a 13 per cent increase in Myanmar opium cultivation to 57,800 hectares (from 51,000 ha in 2012), opium poppy cultivation in Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle of Myanmar, Lao PDR and Thailand rose for the seventh consecutive year, according to a new UNODC report. The report, Southeast Asia Opium Survey […]

19 Dec, 2013

With More TVs than Toilets, India to Speed Up Total Sanitation Campaign, Reduce Open Defecation

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New Delhi, Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation (16 December 2013) – The Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Mr Bharatsinh Solanki said in a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Upper House of Parliament, in New Delhi today that as per Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Report Update – […]

19 Dec, 2013

FREE Download: UN Report “World Economic Prospects 2014”

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New York, 18 December, (UN News Centre) — Global economic growth should increase over the next two years with continuing signs of improvement, according to the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects 2014 (WESP) report, launched today. The global economy is expected to grow at a pace of 3.0 per cent in 2014 and […]

19 Dec, 2013

Cruises gaining ground among Chinese tourists

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Beijing, (People’s Daily Online), December 18, 2013 – Chinese tourists are beginning to shift their gaze from the landscape on the mainland to the blue ocean, after China’s tourism administration decided to make 2013 the Year of Marine Tourism. A variety of marine holidays are driving new demand. A voyage on a cruise ship is […]

19 Dec, 2013

Facebook tracks all written messages, posted or not – study — RT USA

Facebook records everything users type on the social networking site, including notes they choose to delete instead of posting, according to a new study that tracked the habits of nearly four million people. Adam Kramer, a data scientist employed by the social network, studied the profiles of 3.9 million people for the study, dubbed “Self-Censorship […]

19 Dec, 2013

Respect Workers’ Dignity: Global Unions Statement on International Migrants’ Day

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18 December 2013 – The UN established International Migrants’ Day for December 18th to mark the anniversary of the adoption by the General Assembly in 1990 of the international convention on the protection of the rights of migrant workers and members of their families. Global Unions issued a statement calling for respect for migrants, including […]

19 Dec, 2013

The bottle opener, cooking syringe and egg whisk: Is “modern” architecture ruining Chinese cities?

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Beijing, (People’s Daily Online), December 17, 2013 – Since China entered the modern era, a modernist trend in architecture has swept the country. The design of modern Chinese buildings is deeply influenced by western styles; traditional Chinese architecture has generally disappeared from view and some inappropriate elements of western construction are taking hold in China’s […]

19 Dec, 2013

Chinese visiting Philippines down by 70%

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MANILA, (Xinhua) 2013-12-17 – The number of Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines declined by 70 percent this year compared to figures registered three or four years ago, the Bureau of Immigration said Tuesday. Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison said the Chinese had been the country’s top visitors before they were dislodged by the Koreans two years ago. […]

19 Dec, 2013

Tax revenues continue to rise across the OECD

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Paris, (OECD media release), 17/12/2013 – Tax revenues continue bouncing back from the low levels  reported in almost all countries during 2008 and 2009, at the height of the global  economic crisis, according to new OECD data in the annual Revenue Statistics publication. The average tax revenue to GDP ratio in OECD countries was 34.6% [1] in […]

19 Dec, 2013

Yunnan reopens land routes to Southeast Asia

By Hu Yongqi in Kunming

Kunming, (China Daily ) 2013-12-17 – Thirteen overland routes between Yunnan province and neighboring Southeast Asian countries were reopened on Monday after eight years of suspension, providing a boost for tourism and other businesses in the region. On hearing the news, local tourism agencies were overjoyed at the prospect of increased numbers of tourists traveling […]

19 Dec, 2013

FREE Download: U.S. Consumers League Policy Paper on “State of Identity Theft 2013”

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WASHINGTON-December 16, 2013-(BUSINESS WIRE)–Speaking at a National Consumers League event on identity theft, FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said Thursday that more can be done by the private sector and government to protect consumers and businesses from identity theft. “It’s clear to me that we need to do more,” said Ramirez, who called for the government […]

19 Dec, 2013

Silk Road development high on China’s diplomatic priorities for 2014

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Beijing, 2013-12-17, (Xinhua) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday outlined China’s diplomatic priorities for 2014, including enhanced ties with major powers and closer relations with neighbors. New-type relationship with big powers “China will further build a framework for its relationships with big powers, which should feature positive interactions and healthy development,” Wang said at […]

19 Dec, 2013

ADB Assistance to Philippines Typhoon Recovery Reaches $1 Billion

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MANILA, 18 December 2013 (ADB media release) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has so far approved $900 million in assistance for livelihood restoration, infrastructure reconstruction climate resilience initiatives in communities affected by Typhoon Yolanda, as well as budget support to the Government of the Philippines. In addition to the loans and grants already approved by […]

19 Dec, 2013

Israeli Blockade of Palestinian Students, Scholars Triggers ASA Academic Boycott Vote

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The following is the full text of the statement issued by the American Studies Association on a vote to boycott Israeli academic institutions. The historic vote is likely to have a ripple effect in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world where Israeli academic institutions are seeking to expand their footprint as part of […]

17 Dec, 2013

New Thai, Lao PDR Bridge Completes ‘Missing Link’ in Key Regional Corridor

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Vientiane, ADB Media release, 11 December 2013 – A new bridge straddling the Mekong River between Thailand and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) is open for business, signaling completion of physical works along one of the Greater Mekong Subregion’s (GMS) most critical economic corridors. “The bridge is the ‘missing link’ along the North-South Economic Corridor, […]

16 Dec, 2013

Historic first meeting between Pope, OIC chief

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 16 December 2013 (12 Safar 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story.

16 Dec, 2013

Masterpiece Speech: Former Indian President Abdul Kalam on “Creative Leadership for Transforming Societies”

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Ministry of Defence, 15-December-2013, Press Information Bureau – Former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam delivered the first Defence Estate Day Lecture on ‘Creative Leadership for Transforming Societies’ here today. Here is the full text of his speech:- I am indeed delighted to deliver the First Defence Estates Day Lecture organized by the Defence Estates […]

16 Dec, 2013

Australians urged to “fall out of love with alcohol” – Sydney Morning Herald

The public must start “falling out of love” with alcohol, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says, calling for a greater culture of personal responsibility to combat booze-fuelled violence. It follows a two-day weekend police blitz on alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour that led to about 540 arrests and reignited debate over dangerous drinking. Police confronted […]

15 Dec, 2013

U.S. Pilots Launch Fresh Attack on Government over Etihad Deal

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WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–December 12, 2013 -The following is the full text of a statement issued by the Air Line Pilots Association. Today’s announcement by Etihad Airways that the airline will be offering service to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), coming on the heels of last week’s announcement that Qatar Airways would begin service to DFW […]

15 Dec, 2013

Remittances seen helping peso recover – Manila Bulletin

The Philippine peso is set to rebound from a three-month low as remittances from 10 million overseas workers in the run-up to Christmas offset some of the damage done by one of the nation’s deadliest storms ever. A 2.2 percent slide since the start of November pushed the peso’s 14-day relative-strength index above 70 this […]

15 Dec, 2013

Metro Manila traffic costs P140B a year – Manila Bulletin

Manila, Philippines – Traffic in Metro Manila causes the country to lose a whopping P140 billion annually, a figure that dwarfs the amounts lost via the controversial pork barrel scam. This was revealed by a new group called the Red Advocates composed of concerned citizens advocating “Respect Equals Discipline” or RED, on Philippine roads. Brian […]

15 Dec, 2013

European Union Ombudsman Warns of Growing Business Cronyism

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Brussels, 13 December 2013, European Ombudsman media release – The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, has warned that the key objective of EU citizenship, namely for people to feel a stronger attachment to the EU, is not succeeding. At the closing conference of the “European Year of Citizens 2013” in Vilnius, Lithuania, she called on policy […]

15 Dec, 2013

Indian VP Cites Ways to Make South Asia a Critical Player in the Rising Asian Century

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Pune, India, 14-December-2013, Vice President’s Secretariat – The Vice President of India Prof M. Hamid Ansari has said that new technologies are blurring the political, geographical and socio-cultural boundaries that have kept the world divided over millennia. Today we are increasingly interlinked, have enhanced competition, and are beneficiaries of the globalized market place. Speaking on […]

15 Dec, 2013

Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan: Psychosocial activities for children relieve anxiety, aid recovery

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December 2013, World Health Organization – In many places affected by Typhoon Haiyan, children are returning to their schools to seek normalcy and comfort. Eleven-year-old Marie Catherina Al Gado Jangson walks out of her school in the town of Guiuan, holding tight to the books she managed to retrieve from her wrecked classroom: “I found […]

15 Dec, 2013

Sudden rise in UK homelessness – The Independent

The number of homeless people is rising sharply under the twin pressures of the shortage of housing and the impact of the Government’s welfare reforms, according to a new study. An annual “state of the nation” report by the charities Crisis and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) revealed that the number sleeping rough has risen by […]

14 Dec, 2013

Japan will need more highly skilled foreign workers

The government is considering increasing the number of foreign engineers and researchers accepted into the country by units of 100,000, according to Yasutoshi Nishimura, senior vice minister at the Cabinet Office. Nishimura signaled the intention to significantly ease the criteria for giving preferential treatment to highly skilled people during a question-and-answer session after giving a […]

14 Dec, 2013

Japan holiday travel reservations up from last year

Reservations for seats on Japan Railways Group trains and on flights by the nation’s major airlines for the holiday season have both increased from a year ago, data from the companies showed Friday. As of Thursday, total reservations for seats on shinkansen trains and express trains for the period from Dec. 27 to Jan. 5 […]

14 Dec, 2013

Charter airlines slam Bali airport monopoly

Chartered airlines are feeling the financial burden since state-owned airport firm PT Angkasa Pura I (AngkasaPura Airports) began obliging them in October to use services it provides at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. The state firm, which is in charge of managing airports in eastern Indonesia, is exercising a monopoly by requiring chartered airlines […]

14 Dec, 2013

Indian Law against sexual harassment at work place takes effect – Indian Express

The law to check sexual harassment at work place, which prescribes strict punishment such as termination of service for the guilty, and similar penalties in case of a frivolous complaint, has come into effect from Monday. The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry had come under attack for delay in implementing the Sexual Harassment of […]

14 Dec, 2013

Shoplifting comprises 10% of all crimes, rate rising among seniors | The Japan Times

Shoplifting cases accounted for nearly 10 percent of all criminal offenses recognized by police, with the rate increasing, according to a National Police Agency survey. By age group, the number of charged shoplifters increased only among people aged 65 or over. “Measures to prevent the elderly from being isolated are necessary because the rise is […]

14 Dec, 2013

Holden demise the price of a global economy – Sydney Morning Herald

In the short term, there’s no consistency in politics. Back when the Gillard government announced the carbon tax, it took about six seconds for the Coalition to scream this would cost jobs and devastate entire towns. Bollocks, retorted Labor, occasionally by way of karaoke. Sure, some industries would be hit, but they were the kind […]

13 Dec, 2013

Modi’s last lap – Al Jazeera English

When India attained independence from British rule in 1947, its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, made a finely nuanced speech about its “tryst with destiny”. Sixty-seven years later, India has certainly secured a functioning electoral democracy that ensures a regular change of regimes both at the centre, and in the multiple states that constitute the […]

13 Dec, 2013

China deputy minister stresses “tiny steps” to raise retirement age

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BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) — Raising the retirement age in progressive steps is in line with China’s labor market realities and should be prioritized, an official said Tuesday. Hu Xiaoyi, deputy minister of Human Resources and Social Security, told Xinhua in an interview that considering China’s current development stage and some emerging problems, raising the […]

13 Dec, 2013

Buddha’s birthplace brings light to Nepal – Al Jazeera

The discovery of the world’s earliest Buddhist temple, marking the birthplace of the Buddha south of the Himalayas in Nepal, could give a powerful push in the drive to lift nearby villagers out of crushing poverty. Visits by some of the world’s 500 million Buddhists to this holy site near Nepal’s border with India could […]

12 Dec, 2013

Israel inches closer to ‘tipping point’ of South Africa-style boycott campaign – Haaretz

This has happened in recent days: The Dutch water company Vitens severed its ties with Israeli counterpart Mekorot; Canada’s largest Protestant church decided to boycott three Israeli companies; the Romanian government refused to send any more construction workers; and American Studies Association academics are voting on a measure to sever links with Israeli universities. Coming […]

12 Dec, 2013

How the third intifada will start – Haaretz

The third intifada will be started by the soldier who kills another child, the military prosecutor who once again decides that the killing was by the book, the bureaucrat who signs the order to demolish a house, the brigade commander who continues to watch how settlers beat down shepherds, the judge who extends the remand […]

12 Dec, 2013

Bristol Opens “drunk-tank” to save party-goers from themselves – The Independent

A city’s emergency services have become the first outside London to open a “drunk tank” where intoxicated revellers can sober up or receive medical treatment. Under the scheme, drunks considered a danger to themselves will be put into cells to recover from the effects of alcohol. The first alcohol recovery centre (ARC) will open in […]

12 Dec, 2013

More U.S. lies exposed by reporter Seymour Hersh · Whose sarin? ·

Barack Obama did not tell the whole story this autumn when he tried to make the case that Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the chemical weapons attack near Damascus on 21 August. In some instances, he omitted important intelligence, and in others he presented assumptions as facts. Most significant, he failed to acknowledge something known […]

12 Dec, 2013

40% Indian women say co-passengers have flirted with them: Survey – Indian Express

HolidayIQ.com had recently conducted a survey ‘Confessions of Indian Train Travellers’, which saw more than 2300 travellers from over 140 cities participate. Key findings of the survey: * Most hated co-passengers: 37 per cent travellers said they hated ‘loud passengers’, snorers were the second most hated lot with 21 per cent, followed by ‘window seat […]

12 Dec, 2013

FAO calls for increased mountain family farming to alleviate malnutrition

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11 December 2013, Rome (FAO media release) – Securing land tenure, providing access to resources for mountain family farms, and improving basic infrastructure in mountain regions are among the key solutions to improving the livelihoods and food security of mountain and lowland communities, FAO said today. Around 40 percent of mountain populations in developing and […]

12 Dec, 2013

One in three children under-five do not officially exist – UNICEF

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NEW YORK, 11 December 2013 (UNICEF media release) – On UNICEF’s 67th birthday today, the organization released a new report showing that the births of nearly 230 million children under-five have never been registered; approximately one in three of all children under-five around the world. “Birth registration is more than just a right. It’s how […]

12 Dec, 2013

UK Spy Chief will not answer to MPs on Snowden claims | theguardian.com

The request for the head of MI5, Andrew Parker, to appear before a powerful Commons committee next week to justify his claim that the Guardian has put national security at risk in publishing the Snowden files has been rejected. The home secretary, Theresa May, told the home affairs committee chairman, Keith Vaz, that she had […]

12 Dec, 2013

Writers “expose tyrannies, opportunists and killers” – Winner of Egyptian Literature Prize

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Cairo, Ahram Online, Wednesday 11 Dec 2013 – Ahram Online publishes the full speech of the Syrian writer and novelist, Khaled Khalifa, the winner of the 2013 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature, granted by the American University in Cairo. Khalifa wrote his winning novel about the price that the Syrians paid under the rule of […]

12 Dec, 2013

$50 Billion Greater Mekong Plan to Focus on Building Economic Corridors

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VIENTIANE, Laos, 12 December 2013 (ADB media release) – Member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) have agreed to draw up a $50 billion pipeline of potential projects under a new Regional Investment Framework (RIF), including investments in non-traditional areas like railways and multisector projects to be made over the next decade. “The next generation […]

12 Dec, 2013

ASEAN businesses see integration as opportunity, not threat: survey

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JAKARTA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) — Business communities in the 10 member countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hold that the upcoming regional economic integration would not disrupt their business, saying it would even give them opportunity rather than threat. It was learned from the results of a recent survey carried out by ASEAN […]

12 Dec, 2013

UN Awards Human Rights Campaigners for Standing Up to Abuses and Injustice

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United Nations, 10 December 2013, Department of Public Information – The 2013 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights was awarded today to five individuals and one judicial body at the General Assembly’s commemorative meeting to mark the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The 2013 recipients were Biram Dah […]

12 Dec, 2013

Firms slam NSA snooping but profit from personal data | The Japan Times

SAN FRANCISCO – Even as Silicon Valley speaks out against the U.S. government’s surveillance methods, technology companies are turning a handsome profit by mining personal data and peering into people’s online habits. The industry’s profit machine has become tarnished by revelations that the National Security Agency digs deep into the everyday lives of Web surfers. […]

12 Dec, 2013

Heavy hit: airline’s ‘pay what you weigh’ scheme a success – Sydney Morning Herald

The head of a tiny Pacific airline that pioneered a fare system based on passengers’ weight said Wednesday the move had been so successful the carrier is upgrading its fleet. Samoa Air introduced its world-first system late last year, when it began charging passengers fares based on how much they weigh, rather than a set […]

12 Dec, 2013

NSA uses Google cookies to pinpoint targets for hacking – Washington Post

The National Security Agency is secretly piggybacking on the tools that enable Internet advertisers to track consumers, using “cookies” and location data to pinpoint targets for government hacking and to bolster surveillance. The agency’s internal presentation slides, provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, show that when companies follow consumers on the Internet to better […]

12 Dec, 2013

Marketing Modi: The product that the PM hopeful sells best is himself : Jug Suraiya’

Even as the Congress party`s Akbar Road headquarters were shrouded in gloom following the results of state elections, the business community, not just in India but across the world, celebrated what was seen as a step forward for Narendra Modi in his march to claim the prime ministerial gaddi in Delhi. Indeed, even before the […]