8 Feb, 2014

Last known speaker of tribal Klallam language dies aged 103 – The Independent

At 103, Hazel Sampson was not only the oldest member of the Native American Klallam tribes of the Pacific North-west, but also the last known native speaker of the Klallam language. Ms Sampson, who died at a hospital in Port Angeles, Washington state, on Tuesday, was taught the Klallam tongue by her parents, and learnt […]

8 Feb, 2014

The Irishman with a billion people’s privacy to protect – The Independent

From an office above a supermarket in a small town in County Laois, Billy Hawkes is charged with protecting the data and privacy of more than a billion Internet users around the world. As the Data Protection Commissioner for Ireland, Hawkes has assumed responsibility for safeguarding the data of 990 million Facebook users outside of […]

8 Feb, 2014

Israelis uproot Palestinians from West Bank protest site – theguardian.com

Dusk was gathering around the date palms of Ein Hijleh when the Israeli police 4×4 roared past the protest village, sending up clouds of white dust that obscured the view of the golden cupola of the nearby monastery of Saint Gerassimos. “Look at that,” a Palestinian activist shouted. “They’re just doing it to remind us […]

8 Feb, 2014

CIA confirms agency obliged to follow federal surveillance law – theguardian.com

The CIA has confirmed that it is obliged to follow a federal law barring the collection of financial information and hacking into government data networks. But neither the agency nor its Senate overseers will say what, if any, current, recent or desired activities the law prohibits the CIA from performing – particularly since a section […]

8 Feb, 2014

A voice D.C’s Jewish leaders don’t want you to hear – The Washington Post

By Sharon Jacobs On Tuesday, I got an e-mail from the Washington DC Jewish Community Center: The JCC was refunding me for a ticket I had purchased to an event in its “Authors Out Loud” series. I had paid to hear David Harris-Gershon, whose memoir, “What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who […]

7 Feb, 2014

Sri Lanka Hits Back at GloboCop, Denies Visa To Senior U.S. Official

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Feb 4 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Sri Lankan government has refused to issue a visa to U.S. ambassador at Large for Women’s Issues, Catherine Russell, forcing her to cancel a high-level visit scheduled for Feb 10-11. “It is regrettable that the Sri Lankan government has refused to grant a visa to ambassador Catherine […]

7 Feb, 2014

Cambodia Attracts Some 460,000 Chinese Visitors In 2013, Up 38%

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia Feb. 4 (NNN-Xinhua) — Cambodia greeted about 460,000 Chinese tourists last year, up 38 percent from 333,900 in a year earlier, according to a report of the Ministry of Tourism. China is the second largest source of tourists to Cambodia after Vietnam, the report said. Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said last […]

7 Feb, 2014

Lufthansa eying renewed business in Iran

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Feb 6, 2014 (PressTV) – Germany’s main carrier Lufthansa is weighing up the potential of further sanctions relief against Iran with a view to resuming work in Iran, a senior Lufthansa official says. “Iran is going to be an interesting development for us,” Carsten Schaeffer, Lufthansa’s vice-president for sales and services, was quoted as saying […]

7 Feb, 2014

Australian funds new projects to protect Indigenous languages

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Canberra, 6 February 2014 – Minister for the Arts, Senator George Brandis QC, and Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Nigel Scullion today announced the recipients of $2.6 million in funding for new language preservation projects. “The Australian Government is committed to helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples keep their languages alive,” Senator Brandis said. […]

7 Feb, 2014

Chomsky: No Wonder the World Is Terrified of America — We’re the Biggest Threat | Alternet

February 5, 2014 –  As the year 2013 drew to an end, the BBC reported on the results of the WIN/Gallup International poll on the question: “Which country do you think is the greatest threat to peace in the world today?” The United States was the champion by a substantial margin, winning three times the […]

7 Feb, 2014

ESCAP gets German funds to boost early warning for natural disasters

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Bangkok 7 February 2014, (ESCAP News) – Early warning systems for natural disasters in the Indian Ocean and southeast Asian countries were today strengthened by a 500,000 Euro contribution from the German Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) and a new agreement with the United […]

7 Feb, 2014

6 Offensively Overpriced Products We Can Do Without | Alternet

Unless you’re a member of the 1%, you’re likely to wince when you open up your heating bill or pick up a gallon of milk. But as much as you might lament about the rising prices of everyday staples, there are many common products that you can ditch to save yourself a wad of cash. […]

7 Feb, 2014

UK recession led to a divorce every five minutes in 2012 – The Independent

The number of couples divorcing went up in the aftermath of the recession, according to the latest official figures, which show 13 divorces happened every hour in 2012. There were 118,140 divorces in 2012, up 0.5 per cent on 2011, the Office for National Statistics said. Almost half of these occurred in the first 10 […]

7 Feb, 2014

FBI will be asked to probe corporations accused of illegally accessing data on private individuals – The Independent

The blue-chip hacking scandal has taken a new twist as it emerged that the FBI is set to be called in to investigate eight companies accused of hiring UK-based private investigators that illegally obtained private information about the public. The Information Commissioner has announced he will contact authorities in America after his inquiry found several […]

7 Feb, 2014

Violent video games may affect moral judgement in teens | The Indian Express

Spending too much time playing violent video games may delay development of moral judgement in teens, a new study has found. Teens who play violent video games for long hours may be prevented from getting involved in different positive social experiences in real life, and in developing a positive sense of what is right and […]

7 Feb, 2014

India warns US of consequences on visa reform – Hindustan Times

India has warned the United States of consequences for its companies if lawmakers tighten visa rules on high-tech firms as part of an immigration overhaul. Ambassador Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that India would see a decision to restrict certain temporary visas for skilled workers as a sign that the US economy is becoming less open for […]

7 Feb, 2014

Hindu fundamentalist group RSS ‘behind bombing of Muslim targets’ – Arab News

Three months before India elects its new national government, terrorism charges have come back to haunt Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), a Hindutva organization and parent body of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party in the country. Aseemanand, an accused in blasts that rocked various parts of India between September 2006 and September 2008 […]

7 Feb, 2014

Twitter ‘considering legal options’ over US Govt data requests – theguardian.com

Twitter has called for greater freedom to report government security requests as part of its latest transparency report. The report discloses only those national security requests that are permitted by the US Department of Justice (DoJ), which Twitter says hampers “meaningful or sufficient transparency for the public”. “Allowing Twitter, or any other similarly situated company, […]

6 Feb, 2014

Dallas Museum Lands a Rich Trove of Islamic Art – NYTimes.com

While Texas may have the fifth largest Muslim population in the United States by some estimates, its public art collections have only recently begun to reflect the 14-century sweep of Islamic history. But on Friday, with the stroke of a pen — sealing a complex agreement hashed out over months — the Dallas Museum of […]

6 Feb, 2014

Australian Broadcasting Corp rebuts military criticism of asylum seekers reports, urges more openness

Canberra, 4th February 2014 – The Australian Broadcasting Corporation issued the following statement to rebut criticism by the Australian government and the military about coverage of the way asylum seeker boats are being handled, and allegations of mistreatment of the asylum-seekers. The statement by Mark Scott, Managing Director, and Kate Torney, Director News, says, “Claims […]

6 Feb, 2014

FREE Download: Horwath Report Sees Myanmar Hotel Sector As “Most Profitable”

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok, 05 February 2014 – Myanmar is likely to grow faster than other emerging market within Asia, and the hospitality sector is likely to be one of the most profitable sectors, according to the Hotel Yearbook 2014: Asia-Pacific, released by the hotel consultancy group Horwath HTL. James Chappell, Global Business Director at Horwath HTL, said: […]

6 Feb, 2014

Tourist arrivals in Laos exceed forecast targets

Foreign tourist arrivals to Laos in 2013 reached 3,779,490 visitors for the year, exceeding the official target of more than 3.4 million, statistics showed. The 2013 arrivals also surpassed targets forecast for 2015 of around 3,750,000 visitors, according to statistics from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. The 2013 figures represented a big increase […]

6 Feb, 2014

Stay sober? No thanks – I’m British : The Guardian

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett Mine is shaping up to be a varied and illustrious binge-drinking career. From the first time I got drunk, at 14 – having boldly decided that a two-litre bottle of White Lightning cider was the best way to get over a breakup (and land me in hospital) – to guzzling beer through […]

5 Feb, 2014

‘Useless’ TSA scanners provided endless fodder for employees, former agent alleges — RT USA

The Transportation Security Agency was aware that, before they were even introduced, the full-body scanners used at airport security checkpoints were flawed, according to a former TSA agent who alleges employees regularly peered and laughed at travelers. Jason Edward Harrington, who spent years for the TSA as he studied for a creative writing degree, wrote […]

5 Feb, 2014

Ontario court upholds removal of children from ‘Jewish taliban’ sect – Haaretz

A judge in Ontario has upheld a Quebec youth court ruling ordering the removal of 14 children belonging to the Lev Tahor ultra-Orthodox sect, The Montreal Gazette reported Monday. Ontario judge Stephen Fuerth ruled that the Quebec court, which ordered in November to place the children in temporary homes for a period of 30 days, […]

5 Feb, 2014

Head priest of Badrinath temple arrested for ‘molestation’ – Hindustan Times

The head priest of the Badrinath temple Keshawan Namboodiri has been arrested for wrongful confinement and outraging the modesty of a woman. Namboodiri has been suspended by the shrine’s administration after he was produced at a court and sent to a fortnight’s judicial custody on Tuesday. A 28-year-old woman has alleged that she was molested […]

5 Feb, 2014

Mining project approved in middle of India’s finest elephant reserve – Hindustan Times

Environment minister Veerappa Moily has obliged his Cabinet colleague and steel minister Beni Prasad Verma by approving an iron ore mining project in the middle of India’s best reserve for tuskers, Singhbhum Elephant Reserve in Jharkhand. The Steel Authority of India’s Durgaiburu iron-ore mine in Saranda forest division of Jharkhand will now get 635 hectares […]

4 Feb, 2014

Robert Scheer: The Super Bowl of War: Three Decades of Failure in Afghanistan

A Budweiser commercial during the Super Bowl, that annual celebration of violence as sport, featured a most joyous homecoming for a U.S. veteran of the Afghan War. It was a fitting tribute to the fact that he survived, but you would have to be drunk on Bud not to notice that the three decades since […]

4 Feb, 2014

SME Hotel Investment Seminar In Myanmar, 22-23 March

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Yangon, 4 February 2014 (Thai Hotel and Hospitality Management Association media release) – In 2013, the number of tourists visiting Myanmar surged over 2.0 million compared to 1.0 million in 2012 indicating a significant double increase from last year. Ministry of Hotel and Tourism of Myanmar forecasted that in 2014 the number of international tourists […]

4 Feb, 2014

Int’l Road Transport Union joins with UN to fight corruption, extortion on global highways

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New York, 4 February 2014 – The International Road Transport Union (IRU) and UN Global Compact officially launched the Global Anti-Corruption Initiative today to combine efforts in fighting extortion and corruption along major road transport corridors and secure the sustainable development of global supply chains to the benefit of economies worldwide. Currently, transport operators suffer from […]

4 Feb, 2014

Exclusive: How the Philippines peace pact will boost tourism, and vice versa

by Danny Corpuz

Editor’s Note: Last week, after the signing of the peace agreement between the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, I asked Department of Tourism Undersecretary Daniel Corpuz to comment on the implications for tourism and the global peace movement. He sent me the following response: The signing of the peace agreement between the […]

3 Feb, 2014

Carpet-making enjoys a revival in Kyrgyzstan

Compiled by Imtiaz Muqbil & Sana Shamsi

A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 03 February 2014 (03 Rabee’ al-Thaani 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story. ============ ASEAN TOURISM FORUM 2014 IN KUCHING, SARAWAK, HAILED A MAJOR SUCCESS The Minister of Tourism […]

2 Feb, 2014

Bangkok on Election Day: Exclusive Images You Will NOT See on Either BBC or CNN

Imtiaz Muqbil

One hour after polls closed on Bangkok election day, I hopped on my motorcycle and took off to see what was going on around town. What I saw did not surprise me in the least because I’ve seen it before. But it may surprise many readers because it is so completely contradictory to what they […]

2 Feb, 2014

Four important ways Chinese spend money during the Spring Festival

Huan Jia, Yun Xiaoqian, Liu Shaoyang

Beijing (People’s Daily Online) January 30, 2014 – The following four ways Chinese spend their money during this year’s Spring Festival offer unique insights into Chinese culture, as well as pointers for the travel & tourism industry on how to attract Chinese visitors. New Year’s Eve dinner New Year’s Eve dinner, also called family reunion […]

2 Feb, 2014

Indian Cabinet approves Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase-2

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Cabinet, 30-January-2014 – The Cabinet has approved the Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase-2.  This project will improve the public transport system and provide the much needed additional infrastructure for the city. The total completion cost of the project is estimated at Rs.26,405.14 crore at the price levels of 2011-12 with price escalation of 5 percent […]

2 Feb, 2014

2013 Safest Year on Record for Scheduled International Aviation

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MONTRÉAL, 17 January 2014 (ICAO media release) – Preliminary data released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has confirmed that 2013 was the safest year ever recorded in terms of fatalities for scheduled international air transport operations. Although the number of fatal accidents involving scheduled commercial operations remained steady at nine during 2013, fatalities […]

2 Feb, 2014

Asia’s First Under-One-Roof Nutritional Research Centre Set Up in Singapore

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Singapore, Jan 29, 2014 – (ACN Newswire) – The Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) – a $20 million joint-venture by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and National University Health Systems (NUHS) – is the most comprehensive centre in Asia that will conduct nutritional studies to understand the causes of metabolic diseases such […]

2 Feb, 2014

Flights interactive: See the planes in the sky right now | theguardian.com

To mark 100 years of passenger air travel, our stunning interactive uses live data from FlightStats to show every one of the thousands of commercial planes currently in the air, charts the history of aviation since 1914, and asks what comes next for the industry Click here: Flights interactive: see the planes in the sky […]

2 Feb, 2014

The Jewish billionaire brothers ‘trying to buy America’ – The Independent

Two billionaire brothers who have poured their fortune into a network of charitable organisations that are dedicated to supporting Republican causes and candidates have been drawn into an unusual and very public spat with the Majority Leader of the US Senate, Harry Reid. Senator Reid, a Democrat, provoked a new round of recriminations when, in […]

1 Feb, 2014

China becomes largest investor in Laos

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VIENTIANE, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) — China has become the largest investor in Laos with over 5 billion U.S. dollars invested in the country, said Chinese Ambassador to Laos Guan Huabing. Guan’s comments came at the launch of a photo exhibition jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Laos, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Laos […]

1 Feb, 2014

Indian VP calls for educational system to impart values cited in Indian Constitution

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Chennai, 31-January-2014, Vice President’s Secretariat – The Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that it is estimated that over half of our population of 1.2 billion is under the age of 30 years and that by 2020, the average Indian will be only 29 years of age, compared with 37 in […]

1 Feb, 2014

Frugality “in” at this year’s Chinese Spring Festival

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Beijing, (Xinhua), February 01, 2014 – Fewer banquets, gifts and galas; more reunion meals at home instead of restaurants; grassroots cultural shows: the Chinese observe Spring Festival frugally but still have fun. The frugality campaign, launched late in 2012 by central authorities, has brought big changes to the most important Chinese holiday, this year. “In […]

1 Feb, 2014

“It Begins With the People” – Bangkok Braces for Complete Shutdown on Feb 2, E-Day

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The following is a day by day summary of the Thailand protests in January 2014, issued by Security Alert Service. Friday 31, January 2014 – On Dec 28, 2013 (protest leader) Suthep (Thaugsuban) declared that the entire capital Bangkok will be completely shut down by millions of people opposing the Thaksin regime. Addressing several thousands […]

1 Feb, 2014

Impotent UN Looks On as Israel Continues House Demolitions, Displacement of Palestinians

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United Nations, Jan 31 2014 – A senior United Nations relief official today called for a halt to the displacement of Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, after 66 people, including 36 children, were uprooted in the latest round of Israeli demolitions in the area. The call by James W. Rawley, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for […]

1 Feb, 2014

FREE Download: Study Says Mobile Shopping Made Consumers Over-Spend On Holiday Season Gifts

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San Diego, CA (PRWEB) January 29, 2014 – With the best of intentions, holiday shoppers enter each new holiday season with a plan in mind about how much they plan to spend on gifts, what they plan to purchase, and their top destinations. To help retailers navigate the complexities of the holiday shopping experience and […]