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Archive for April, 2014

30 Apr, 2014

Singapore, Ireland top havens for multinational tax dodgers

Australian companies sent almost $60 billion to related parties in tax havens in 2012, with payments to Singapore and Ireland featuring high on the list, according to new data. The data, never before released by the Australian Tax Office, provides an insight into how multinational groups shuffle money between countries and comes amid an international […]

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30 Apr, 2014

Egyptian global image in free fall after “outrageous” mass death sentences

GENEVA, 29 April 2014, (Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Tuesday strongly condemned the shocking imposition of the death penalty on 683 individuals in Egypt yesterday after mass trials that she said clearly breached international human rights law. “It is outrageous that […]

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30 Apr, 2014

Extensive tax breaks have just made the rich richer: OECD report

Paris, 30 April 2014 (OECD news release) – The share of the richest 1% in total pre-tax income have increased in most OECD countries over the past three decades. This rise is the result of the top 1% capturing a disproportionate share of overall income growth over that timeframe: up to 37% in Canada and […]

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30 Apr, 2014

China gets on the medical tourism bandwagon

Beijing, (People’s Daily Online) April 29, 2014 – Medical tourism is a new way of integrating leisure travel and medical services. Statistics show that worldwide number of medical tourists increased from 20 million in 2006 to 40 million in 2012. They may spend 10 times what the ordinary tourist will while traveling, or even more.In South […]

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29 Apr, 2014

Simple Strategies To Raise Creative Children in the Face of School Social Pressures

Tampa, Florida (PRWEB) April 28, 2014 – It’s proven through government studies that creativity is a valuable asset best developed through the arts. Creativity is known as the fundamental driver of innovation. Art education develops the critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities necessary to create our future innovators. However, it can be quite difficult […]

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29 Apr, 2014

Holocaust Remembrance: Israel requires “permits” to let sick Palestinians travel for treatment

JERUSALEM, April 28, 2014 (WAFA) – While the world marked Holocaust Remembrance Day, the World Health Organization issued a report that highlighted another slow-motion holocaust under way in Palestine. The WHO monthly report cited the pain and suffering inflicted on Palestinian patients as a result of the Israeli blockade and their inability to freely seek […]

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28 Apr, 2014

California Muslim, Sikh Groups to File Complaint Against Amusement Park

(SANTA CLARA, CA, 4/28/14) (CAIR media release) – On April 29, the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) and UNITED SIKHS will hold simultaneous news conferences in Anaheim and Santa Clara to announce the filing of multiple public accommodation complaints with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) against Boomers! […]

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28 Apr, 2014

Gallup Polls: Average U.S. Retirement Age Hits 62 as Baby-Boomers Opt to Work Longer

by Rebecca Riffkin

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 28, 2014 (Gallup Polls) — The average age at which U.S. retirees report retiring is 62, the highest Gallup has found since first asking Americans this question in 1991. This age has increased in recent years, while the average age at which non-retired Americans expect to retire, 66, has largely stayed the same. […]

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28 Apr, 2014

Festival of India launched in China

24-April-2014, Ministry of Culture – The Secretary, Union Ministry of Culture Mr Ravindra Singh here today launched the logo, posters and webpage for the Festival of India in China which will be celebrated from May 2014 to March 2015. The same were simultaneously launched in Beijing by Mr Ashok K. Kantha Ambassador of India to […]

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28 Apr, 2014

China warning: U.S. and Japan playing with fire in Asia

(People’s Daily Online), April 28, 2014 – The U.S.-Japan alliance targeted at China has been strengthened during US President Barack Obama’s visit to Japan. In a written interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun, Obama stated that the so-called “Senkakus” have been historically administered by Japan and fall under Article 5 of the Japan-US Security Treaty. “I […]

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28 Apr, 2014

Japanese consultants made 100 kickback payments for development aid work – Japan News

Japan Transportation Consultants, Inc. made 100 payments of illicit kickbacks totaling ¥160 million to 13 officials from the governments of Vietnam, Indonesia and Uzbekistan from 2009 to 2014, in return for orders received to conduct projects under Japanese official development assistance, a third-party committee investigating the incident said Friday. The JTC practice of making such […]

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28 Apr, 2014

Photo exhibition highlights “Cairo: The Crossroads of Faith”

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 28 April 2014 (28 Jumaada al-Thaani 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story. ============ THE ISLAMIC IMPERATIVE — SUPPORT MALAYSIA IN ITS TIME OF NEED The tragedy of MH370 […]

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28 Apr, 2014

Indigenous NGOs, Social Activists to meet in Manila to chart “Alternative Pathways for Asia”

Manila, Focus on the Global South, 28 April 2014 – More than 50 representatives from indigenous communities and social organizations in the Philippines, India, and Thailand are meeting Manila and Cebu from April 29 to May 2nd with indigenous leader Blanca Chancosa from Ecuador to discuss the native Andean concept of vivir bien (“living well”) […]

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28 Apr, 2014

China finally identifies its biggest challenge: Money worship

Global Times

April 26, 2014 – Mao Xiaobing, party secretary of Xining, Qinghai Province, was added to the investigation list on April 24. He is the eighth provincial or ministerial-level official in trouble this year, an average of two a month. The fall of the high officials shows the determination of China’s endeavor in fighting corruption, though […]

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28 Apr, 2014

People’s Daily Editorial: Asia’s “trust deficit” will hurt regional progress

People's Daily Online

April 27, 2014 – In the course of almost 70 years that have passed since the second world war, no one can overlook the birth of a new Asia, where the rise of industrialized countries and regions, as well as burgeoning emerging markets, has created a powerful engine for global economic growth. However, we can […]

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28 Apr, 2014

Chinese see easier visa formalities as outbound travel surges

By Zheng Xin and Huang Yiming

Sanya, Hainan (China Daily), 2014-04-27 – As China is expected to surpass the United States as the world’s largest travel and tourism economy in 2027, experts and industry insiders expect visa barriers targeting Chinese tourists to be eased in the near future. One of the major inhibitors of the tourism industry is the fact that […]

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28 Apr, 2014

The French economist forcing America to wake up to the end of The Dream – The Independent

The central thesis of Capital in the 21st Century is that, left to its own devices, the capitalist system will increase the gap between rich and poor, as it always has done. Since the dawn of the industrial era, in countries such as Britain, France and the US, the return on investment and capital has […]

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28 Apr, 2014

Delayed flights may cost airlines billions after test case rulings | The Observer

Airline passengers could be entitled to billions of pounds’ worth of compensation, depending on the outcome of two flight delay cases at the court of appeal next month. Rules state that passengers who reach their destination more than three hours late can claim up to €600 (£494) plus expenses, per person, if the delay is […]

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28 Apr, 2014

Rohingya Muslims face humanitarian crisis in Myanmar

Sittwe, Myanmar, 27 April 2014 (IINA) – Ruk and Kun Suma were born five minutes apart on March 27 in a camp for displaced Rohingya in Rakhine State, a northwestern province of Myanmar. Their mother, an emaciated 40-year-old woman named Noor Begun, suffers from tuberculosis and is unable to breastfeed them. The family cannot afford […]

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26 Apr, 2014

Business Travel Coalition: “George Orwell Would Recognize This Airline Legislation”

BTC INDUSTRY BRIEF

Friday, April 25, 2014 – The Orwellian-titled bill, the Transparent Airfares Act of 2014 (H.R. 4156), was designed to respond to airlines’ objections to a 2012 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rule that requires them to prominently display total ticket prices in advertising, including government taxes and fees. H.R. 4156 would reverse that DOT rule […]

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26 Apr, 2014

Robert Fisk: Yet another betrayal of the Palestinians – The Independent

Dead in the water. Just as the entire world predicted – with the exception of Messrs Barack Obama and John Kerry and, I suppose, our favourite “peace” envoy Tony Blair – the whole fandango of an Israeli-Palestinian “peace” has collapsed again. US President Obama, walking away from the car crash for which his own political […]

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26 Apr, 2014

Laos’ coffee giant eyes Thailand for expansion – The Nation

Bangkok – Dao-Heuang Group, a leading coffee producer in Laos, is set to enter Thailand next year via a contract to grow coffee on a 1,000-rai plot of land in the North. This move is part of the company’s plan to boost its production capacity to meet rising demands once the Asean Economic Community (AEC) […]

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26 Apr, 2014

Xinhua Insight: China’s tourism sector needs steady, sustainable growth

By Xinhua writer Zhang Zhongkai

SANYA, Hainan, April 25 (Xinhua) — With more Chinese willing to pack their bags and travel, the tourism boom has potential to reshape the country’s economy, but steadiness and sustainability are needed, experts said at an international tourism summit on Friday. China’s decision to make tourism a strategic pillar of the national economy in 2009 […]

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26 Apr, 2014

The world’s boozing habits revealed – Washington Post

Does booze play a part in world events? Don’t tell your kids — or your parents — but probably yes. Take Britain, a proud kingdom of saucing. Over the past year, the number of people seriously hurt by violence plunged 12 percent to roughly 235,000 cases. Though the decrease mirrors trends across the Western world, […]

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26 Apr, 2014

America has taken our sovereignty from us: former Australian PM

Australia risks being pulled into a disastrous war against China because successive Australian governments have surrendered the nation’s strategic independence to Washington, former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser has warned. With tensions rising in the East China Sea between China and Japan, Mr Fraser said there was a real danger of conflict and that he […]

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26 Apr, 2014

Connecticut student killed in attack at school

A high school student in Connecticut was killed Friday morning after an attack by another student that led to a lockdown, an evacuation and yet another nightmarish scene at a school. The attack occurred at around 7:15 a.m. at Jonathan Law High School in Milford, Conn., according to Keith L. Mello, the chief of police […]

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26 Apr, 2014

Bhavnagar, Gujarat: Muslims free to live – if they change their name to a Hindu one

The bungalow on Bhavnagar’s Sanatorium Road needs a lick of paint but its spacious plot and location in a quiet residential area would draw the eye of many a prospective buyer. It certainly caught the attention of Ali Asghar Zaveri, a Muslim scrap metal dealer, who completed the purchase at the beginning of the year […]

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26 Apr, 2014

Russian state company employees told to holiday at Russian resorts – RT News

State corporations have been advised to send their staff on vacations to Russian resorts, and President Vladimir Putin has told reporters that in his view private Russian companies should follow suit. The president was speaking at a media forum in St Petersburg organized by the United People’s Front – a relatively new political movement uniting […]

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26 Apr, 2014

Tiny Pacific nation sues 9 nuke powers | Manila Bulletin

New York — The tiny Pacific nation of the Marshall Islands is taking on the United States and the world’s eight other nuclear-armed nations with an unprecedented lawsuit demanding that they meet their obligations toward disarmament and accusing them of “flagrant violations” of international law. The island group that was used for dozens of US […]

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26 Apr, 2014

White supremacists still a danger, experts say – Jewish World News

The recent shootings at a pair of Kansas City-area Jewish facilities illustrate the persistent threat of white supremacist violence, even as broad measures of anti-Semitism continue to decline. Suspected gunman Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. had a long history in the white supremacist movement, dating back to the 1970s, before the recent rampage that killed three […]

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26 Apr, 2014

TOEIC, TOEFL axed as route to U.K. visa | The Japan Times

Apr 25, 2014 Two of the most popular English-language proficiency tests in Japan can no longer be used to obtain student visas to Britain after a British TV program exposed fraud in the test-taking process. The visa ban applies to the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) and the TOEFL (Test of English as […]

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25 Apr, 2014

10 Corporate Behemoths Stifling Competition | Alternet

April 24, 2014 | One of the fundamentals of free-market capitalism is that consumers benefit when competition is plentiful. If a business is selling a weak or inferior product, consumers can turn to the competition for a better deal. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood that, which is why a key element of his New Deal […]

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25 Apr, 2014

Cuba warns Asia: Young people target of US regime change agenda via “social media”

Bangkok, 24 April 2014 – If geopolitical instability is now well recognised as a primary cause of travel & tourism disruptions, Cuba has issued a formal warning that the U.S. government has become a major instigator of such instability. At a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand on 24 April, Cuban Ambassador […]

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25 Apr, 2014

China to further develop village tourism

SANYA, Hainan, April 24 (Xinhua) — Local township and village tourism in China will receive a boost in investment this year, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang said on Thursday. Ten thousand villages will become tourism spots and 200,000 households will be turned into farm stay accommodation, Wang said at the opening ceremony of the 2014 […]

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25 Apr, 2014

Kalidas would have applauded Indian drama epic “Shakuntala” in Karachi

Karachi – It is not often that one gets the privilege of watching an epic drama written by one of India’s most revered poets, Kalidas, in the Pakistani commercial capital of Karachi. I am fortunate to have seen “Shakuntala” performed by some of Pakistan’s young generation of dancers during a festival of arts, culture and […]

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25 Apr, 2014

Indians, Asians fast becoming politically relevant in US: Report – The Times of India

WASHINGTON: With Indians and other Asian-Americans and Pacific-Islanders growing in number at a fast pace, people of colour will be in the majority in the US by mid-century, according to a new report. They are also quickly reaching the critical mass needed to be politically relevant, says the report from the Centre for American Progress […]

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25 Apr, 2014

India’s poll season brings out the worst in itself – Hindustan Times

At a time when the world needs to expand the horizons of its young people to prepare them for its changing realities, especially a tough job market, India is spending an election season bringing out the worst in itself. Let’s see. For all the talk of development, jobs and reviving a moribund economy, the primary […]

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25 Apr, 2014

US NGO helps Palestinian newlyweds rebuild their home in an occupied, divided land

By: Jameel Dababat

TUBAS, April 20, 2014 (WAFA) –  In any part of the Middle East, Sadeq Subeih’s wedding day would have been just very normal, but with an international intervention, this young Palestinian man’s wedding became more as an international battle. Sadeq, 27, is one of dozens of people who live in Al-Aqaba, a village located on […]

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24 Apr, 2014

Climate change’s potential impact must drive food production efforts – FAO chief

23 April 2014, Meknès, Morocco/Rome (FAO media release) – Countries need to shift to more sustainable food systems, stepping up action to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva told participants at the seventh Forum on Agriculture in the Kingdom of Morocco. “Everything we do needs to […]

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24 Apr, 2014

Food Security, Healthy Oceans Will be Critical for Growing Populations, Summit told

22 April 2014, The Hague/Rome, (FAO media release) – Urgent coordinated action is needed to restore the health of the world’s oceans and secure the long-term well-being and food security of a growing global population. That is a key message of an international summit that opens today in The Hague, the Netherlands. Ministers and senior […]

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24 Apr, 2014

UK e-Borders programme unable to help track immigration – The Guardian

The UK Home Office’s £500m e-Borders programme, which is designed to check everybody coming in and out of Britain and has taken more than 10 years to develop, cannot be used to estimate immigration, ministers have admitted. They told MPs on the public administration select committee (PAC) that data from the programme cannot be used […]

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24 Apr, 2014

China-Europe railway relaunches

WUHAN, April 23 (Xinhua) — A freight train on Wednesday began a journey from central China’s key city of Wuhan to Poland’s Lodz, restarting the Wuhan-Xijiang-Europe rail route after it was suspended for technical reasons. Its 15-day journey will pass along the Silk Road economic belt through major cities in central and northwest China, Kazakhstan, […]

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24 Apr, 2014

This war on ‘Islamism’ only fuels hatred and violence – The Guardian

The neocons are back. That toxic blend of messianic warmongering abroad and McCarthyite witch-hunting at home – which gave us Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantánamo and the London bombings – is coursing through our public life again. Yesterday the liberal interventionists’ hero, Tony Blair, was once more demanding military action against the “threat of radical Islam”. Reprising […]

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24 Apr, 2014

Indian embassy reverses visa denial after eminent Muslim professor protests

Bangkok – The Indian Embassy in Thailand has reversed the rejection of visas for four family members of one of Thailand’s best-known Muslim academics after the professor dispatched a strong letter of protest, along with a demand for an explanation. Asst. Prof. Dr. Imtiyaz Yusuf, Director of the Center for Buddhist-Muslim Understanding, College of Religious […]

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24 Apr, 2014

Sydney migration agent jailed for fraud

Canberra, 23 April 2014 (Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection media release) – The Federal Government said that the jailing of a former migration agent for immigration fraud sent a strong message to the industry that fraudulent and illegal behaviour will not be tolerated. Ms Xiao Ying Wu (known as Amy Wu), was based […]

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23 Apr, 2014

Free Download: ADB report Outlines Impact of Shifting Global, Asian Landscapes

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, 22 April 2014 (ADB media release) – Shifting relations between Asian countries and the changing global economy mean that Asia needs to strengthen its economic cooperation, says the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Asian Economic Integration Monitor released today. “Asia needs stronger cooperation now more than ever,” said Iwan J. Azis, Head of ADB’s […]

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23 Apr, 2014

Hotel group COO: Why no travel advisories against U.S.?

BANGKOK – The COO of the Bangkok-based Minor Hotel Group, owner/operator of more than 100 hotels across Thailand and the Asia-Pacific, has demanded to know why there are no travel advisories against the United States in spite of the numerous shootings in its public places. In remarks during a panel discussion at the Thailand Travel […]

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23 Apr, 2014

Guardian’s Edward Snowden revelations receive backing in poll

A public opinion poll has found that more Britons think it was right for the Guardian to publish Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks about surveillance than think it was wrong that the paper did so. According to the YouGov poll, 37% of the British people thought it right to publish while 22% thought it wrong. Asked […]

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23 Apr, 2014

China’s frugality policy slows catering industry to 20-year low

By XU WEI

Beijing, 2014-04-21, (China Daily) – China’s catering industry registered its slowest growth in 20 years in 2013 as the country’s anti-corruption campaign targeting official excess took its toll on high-end businesses, an industry report shows. According to the report, released on Saturday by the China Cuisine Association, the total revenue of the country’s catering sector […]

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22 Apr, 2014

Sultans of spin: Elite election strategists coming to Britain | The Observer

There have been two kinds of responses within the Labour party to the decision to appoint David Axelrod, former senior adviser to Barack Obama, to help run Ed Miliband’s general election campaign. One is driven by cynicism: a view that this is just an expensive stunt that will have no real positive effect; that someone […]

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22 Apr, 2014

Believe it or not, Laos generates biggest growth in 1Q 2014 visitors to Thailand

Bangkok – In what will go down as one of the most stunning reversals of fortune in the history of global travel & tourism, the landlocked country of Laos has recorded the largest growth in arrivals to Thailand in the first quarter of 2014 over the same period of 2013. A sharp growth of 62.8% […]

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22 Apr, 2014

Survey: ‘Overtime’ impacts on Chinese work-life balance

Beijing, (People’s Daily Online)    April 21, 2014 – Pressures of work, too much overtime, and too many projects are three major factors influencing the work-life balance of Chinese people, according to a latest annual report published in Shanghai on April 17. The Randstad China’s 2014 Employer Branding Survey was conducted by Randstan Human Resource and […]

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21 Apr, 2014

The New York Times wrestles with Israel’s gag orders – Haaretz

The New York Times newspaper acknowledged late last week that it complies with court-ordered gag orders when reporting from Israel. The acknowledgement followed the publication of a report on the lifting of a gag order dealing with the arrest of Majd Kayyal, an Israeli Palestinian journalist, who was held incommunicado for a week after an […]

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21 Apr, 2014

Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan’s family refuses to be Modi’s proposer | The Indian Express

The family of late Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan has refused to become a proposer for Narendra Modi when he files nomination for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on April 24. Bismillah’s grandson Affaq Haider said they do not want to be associated with any political party on this ‘hot seat’. Varanasi will go to […]

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21 Apr, 2014

India does not need a govt that makes Hindus fight Muslims: Rahul Gandhi

Making a strong pitch for a “pro-poor, secular government” at the Centre, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said India does not need a government that “makes Hindus fight Muslims” in an apparent dig at BJP. Addressing an election rally here, he said that since these were Lok Sabha elections, local Tamil parties, with […]

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21 Apr, 2014

The second mystery around MH370 – English pravda.ru

Why hasn’t the United States been in the forefront of providing information about it? The implications of this question are massive. America has a fleet of the most sophisticated spy satellites, called “keyhole” satellites, covering the earth’s surface daily with imaging systems comparable to those of the Hubble Space Telescope, but instead of data from […]

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21 Apr, 2014

Extravagant CEO pay doesn’t reflect performance – it’s all about status | The Observer

Even American eyes are starting to pop at the sheer extravagance of executive pay. Last week, the New York Times published its annual league table of chief executive pay at the US’s top 100 publicly quoted companies. The average has now climbed to $13.9m (£8.3m). That is nearly twice the average of £4.4m for CEOs […]

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21 Apr, 2014

Six Dubai Metro stations to be transformed into museums of Islamic art, culture

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 21 April 2014 (21 Jumaada al-Thaani 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story. ============ THE ISLAMIC IMPERATIVE — SUPPORT MALAYSIA IN ITS TIME OF NEED The tragedy of MH370 […]

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21 Apr, 2014

How Lobbyists erode politics in the US: “Ugly world of guanxi and influence buying”

By Chen Weihua (China Daily)

2014-04-10 – As a Washington D.C.-based journalist, I have been asked by friends from China about how real is the political TV drama series, House of Cards. Drama is drama. Certain plots do exist somewhere at certain times, but it would be wrong to generalize it as daily life on Capitol Hill and in the […]

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21 Apr, 2014

Being Muslim Under Narendra Modi – NYTimes.com

It was on his watch as chief minister that more than 1,000 people, many of them Muslims, were killed throughout Gujarat in 2002, when rioting erupted after some 60 Hindus died in a burning train in Godhra. A Human Rights Watch report that year asserted that the state government and local police officials were complicit […]

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20 Apr, 2014

​The costs and the price of U.S. wars: Record suicides by Special Ops forces

US special forces have been committing suicide at record levels for the last two years, the head of the US Special Operations Command (SOCom) admitted in a speech on Thursday. He blamed the high numbers on the length and difficulty of combat. “There is a lot of angst. There’s a lot of pressure out there. […]

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20 Apr, 2014

Israeli Forces Disrupt Easter Procession, Sparking UN Protest

United Nations, UN News Centre, Apr 19 2014 – A top United Nations envoy on Saturday said he was dismayed that a peaceful Easter procession led by Palestinian Christians through Jerusalem’s Old City was disrupted by Israeli security forces. “Once again I call on all parties to respect the right of religious freedom, granting access […]

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19 Apr, 2014

And they say Islam is a “violent religion”? – Check out horrifying toll of U.S. gun violence

NEWARK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 16, 2014 — SST, Inc., the maker of ShotSpotter and the global leader in gunfire detection, location, alerting and analysis, today released its 2013 National Gunfire Index™ which provides the most comprehensive, detailed and accurate data available on gunfire activity across the United States. SST collected and analyzed gunfire data from a […]

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19 Apr, 2014

Worried about business impact, U.S. Retailers move to protect consumer data from cybercrime

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 16, 2014 – The National Retail Federation today told a congressional panel that the retail industry is committed to safeguarding and protecting consumer data and information from highly-motivated and sophisticated cybercriminals and hackers. “Retailers make significant investments every year in order to protect [consumer] data,” NRF Vice President for Retail Technologies Tom Litchford […]

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19 Apr, 2014

India’s first “Election Tourism” programme for world’s biggest democratic poll

New Delhi, 15-April-2014, Government of India Election Commission – Seven senior officials from the Electoral Commission of Namibia began their participation today in ECI’s 2014 Election Visitors Programme. A special briefing was organized for them, at the ECI Headquarters, on India’s electoral system and the General Elections, 2014, with particular reference to the electoral scene […]

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19 Apr, 2014

The AAP after the election – The Hindu

The strong signal that Mr. Kejriwal and AAP have sent out to the established political class across parties is this: ‘we don’t play by your rules; that we will challenge, and confront you on political practices in the country.’ Whatever else AAP may or may not have done — and there are many questions on […]

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19 Apr, 2014

Palestinian Christians Urge International Community to Ensure Access to Jerusalem during Easter

JERUSALEM, April 17, 2014 (WAFA) – The Civic National Commission in Jerusalem, in an open letter, urged the international community to ensure that Palestinian Christians will have free access to places of worship in occupied East Jerusalem during this year’s Easter holidays. The Civic National Commission reiterated the call of Palestinian Christian institutions issued on […]

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19 Apr, 2014

8 Terrifying Facts About NSA Surveillance | Alternet

As the American Civil Liberties Union noted, surveillance laws themselves “are extraordinarily permissive,” so it’s doubly troubling that the agency is surging way past what it is already allowed to do. The ACLU adds that these reported incidents are not simply cases of one person’s rights being violated — but thousands of Americans being snared, […]

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19 Apr, 2014

India needs a thinker, not a despot on its peacock throne – Hindustan Times

Aurangzeb the unmusical, merciless, illiberal and ravenously ambitious Narcissus is slouching towards that helm, in the garb of his opposite number. And we, we Indians, who do not believe in the rule of the sharpened scimitar or of the pointed trisul, are the adherents of Dara Shukoh, waiting for the denouement. The Doldrums lie motionless […]

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18 Apr, 2014

Indonesia issues first “Happiness Index” – The Jakarta Post

For the first time in history, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) issued late on Wednesday a survey that measured the level of happiness among Indonesians. The timing of the survey, which was conducted last year, could not have come at a worse time, as unemployment was high and poverty soared following the subsidized fuel price […]

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18 Apr, 2014

Laos dam-building spree threats Mekong River – Thanh Nien Daily

Construction of a giant controversial dam in Laos has been well underway since it began in late 2012. Laos is also set to push ahead with a second hydropower dam on the Mekong River this year in the face of growing concerns among its neighbors. Opponents of these projects said their commencement would also kick […]

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18 Apr, 2014

European Parliament Acts to Aid Cross-Border Debt Collection; SMEs seen as main beneficiaries

Strasbourg, 15 April 2014, European Commission MEMO – Today, the European Parliament voted in plenary to back an initiative by the European Commission that will cut red tape for companies and contribute to growth in the EU. The European Account Preservation Order (IP/11/923) (backed by 597 votes for, 33 against and 37 abstentions) will help […]

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18 Apr, 2014

Jewish Voice for Peace Issues Call to Action to Defeat Pro-War Israeli lobby

Editor’s Note: This call to action was issued by Jewish Voice for Peace on 17 April 2014. It is being transmitted onwards by Travel Impact Newswire in solidarity with the message. Action Alert Help us defeat AIPAC in just eight days. AIPAC or JVP? It’s time to show the world who you “Like” more. Dear […]

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18 Apr, 2014

UNESCO launches Specialist Guides Training for Historic Sukhothai and Heritage Cities

BANGKOK, 16 April 2014, UNESCO Bangkok Press Release – The historic town of Sukhothai, one of Thailand’s most prominent UNESCO World Heritage Sites, will soon get its own training programme for specialist guides. The UNESCO Cultural Heritage Specialist Training Programme focuses on training local guides as a way of contributing to local livelihoods and involving […]

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18 Apr, 2014

Ancient Buddhist center in India seeks Chinese investments

PATNA, India, April 16 – (Xinhua) – Crossing a 15-kilometer bridge over the Ganges in the northern part of this Indian city, a group of Chinese guests felt like crossing the Yellow River in a remote northern Chinese province 30 years ago. On the northern side of the Ganges here, the landscape is nothing but […]

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18 Apr, 2014

Deepa Kumar’s new book: Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire

In response to the events of 9/11, the Bush administration launched a “war on terror” ushering in an era of anti-Muslim racism, or Islamophobia. However, 9/11 did not create Islamophobia, an ideology which has become the handmaiden of imperialism. This book examines the historic relationship between Islamophobia and the agenda of empire-building. About the author […]

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18 Apr, 2014

MH370: Where’s the outrage over the information void? – The Hindu

By K.S. Narendran As I look back over the 40 days since the day MH370 sent out its last pings, I sense fatigue. It is as if all that had to be discussed has been done repeatedly and all the consolation that had to be offered has been exhausted. Yet, we are no closer to […]

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18 Apr, 2014

New UNWRA chief Pierre Krähenbühl Calls for End to Israeli Blockade of Gaza

17 April 2014, Gaza, UNWRA media release – The first official visit to the Gaza Strip by UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl has received high-profile coverage in local, regional and international media. Mr. Krähenbühl vowed to advocate strenuously to end the blockade of Gaza, to improve the quality of UNRWA services to the refugees and to […]

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17 Apr, 2014

New Study Confirms: “The United States Is No Democracy… But An Oligarchy”

Those convicted of petty non-violent crimes like possession of marijuana could spend a lifetime in prison, while the individuals responsible for wiping away 40% of America’s wealth in the 2008 crash have not only avoided prosecution, but are rewarded within their respective organizations. Whistle blowers spreading the truth to the masses about the the duplicitous […]

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16 Apr, 2014

Some Alternative Perspectives on the Future of US Diplomacy in a Changing World Order

Beijing, (People’s Daily Online), April 09, 2014 – According to a Pew poll last November, 52 percent of Americans believe the US “should mind its own business internationally”. Some argue that the US is making strategic adjustments to its diplomacy, as manifested in the way it has dealt with issues of Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. […]

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16 Apr, 2014

China busts huge Shanghai healthcare scam touting fake clinics, overpriced drugs

SHANGHAI, (Agencies) 2014-04-16- Authorities in China have detained 160 members of a criminal gang in the financial capital of Shanghai after the group lured patients to fake medical clinics and sold them overpriced drugs, Shanghai police said on Tuesday. The gang cheated more than 500 victims out of 1.7 million yuan ($273,400), using corrupt doctors […]

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16 Apr, 2014

Latent and manifest Islamophobia: An inception of ideas – Al Jazeera English

By Dr Hatem Bazian I am utilising the concepts developed in “Inception” to argue that the Islamophobia industry has successfully used fear and hate-mongering to lull our intellect to sleep and has implanted negative and racist ideas about Muslims and Islam in our collective consciousness. The “architect” and the professional Cobb in this real case […]

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16 Apr, 2014

Google admits Gmail does scan all emails – theguardian.com

Google has clarified its email scanning practices in a terms of service update, informing users that incoming and outgoing emails are analysed by automated software. The revisions explicitly state that Google’s system scans the content of emails stored on Google’s servers as well as those being sent and received by any Google email account, a […]

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15 Apr, 2014

Global Drug Survey 2014: UK has the most delusional drinkers – The Independent

The UK has the most delusional drinkers, drug-takers and ‘reckless youths’ than any other country in the world, according to a survey. One in three dependent drinkers in the UK thinks they consume less than the average amount – a figure that decreases to a quarter when considered globally. Worryingly, one third of people in […]

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15 Apr, 2014

More home demolitions, land-grabs in Israeli drive to wipe Palestine off the map

RAMALLAH, April 14, 2014 – (WAFA) – Center of Information concerning Israeli Settlement and Apartheid Wall Affairs highlighted Monday the escalating pace at which house demolitions  are carried out and demolition notices are served since the beginning of the current year of 2014. Since the beginning of the current year, Israeli authorities have handed 191 […]

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15 Apr, 2014

Rise and shine: Why getting up at 5am will make you happy

If an early start has you rolling back under the duvet, forget about sleep deprivation and get out of bed – morning people are happier and more successful than night owls. Laura Vanderkam, the US author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, says getting up early can hold the key to improving […]

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15 Apr, 2014

Australian government cyber snoops scouring social media

Federal government departments are using increasingly powerful cyber-snooping equipment to monitor the social media lives of millions of Australians. A dramatic public confrontation between the Immigration Department and a Sydney political activist over her Facebook page has resulted in accusations that mass-electronic surveillance is being used to keep tabs on political dissent. Other large government […]

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15 Apr, 2014

Maori haka protest against auction of a slice of their history – Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney Maori let loose their traditional ancestral war cry on Monday night to warn the discreetly upmarket auction house Sotheby’s to back off selling one of their proudest heirlooms. The Te Pahi silver medal may be one of the most outstanding vestiges of the early story of Australia and New Zealand. Philip Gidley King, the […]

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15 Apr, 2014

Israel opens Jerusalem for foreign tourists, but not for local Palestinians

RAMALLAH, April 14, 2014 – (WAFA) – Fatah Central Committee Member Nabeel Shaath joined Sunday the Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem which marked the beginning of the Christian Holy Week of Easter. Shaath, along with Governor of Jerusalem Adnan Husseini, joined Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal and the bishop of Palestine William Shomali in the annual […]

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15 Apr, 2014

A Palestinian Christian Reflects on Easter: The City We Love Most and Visit Least

By Rifat Odeh Kassis

Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.” Then Jesus had his disciples bring him a colt, and they threw their cloaks over it for him to ride. The news of his arrival rippled through […]

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15 Apr, 2014

Obsessed with selfies? You may be mentally ill | GulfNews.com

London/Toronto: Taking lots of selfies is not an addiction but a symptom of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), psychologists warn. “Two out of three of all the patients who come to see me with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) since the rise of camera phones have a compulsion to repeatedly take and post selfies on social media […]

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15 Apr, 2014

European Commission Cites Growing Danger of Global Cartels — Market-sharing, Price-fixing, Bid-rigging

Full Text of speech delivered by Joaquín ALMUNIA, Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Competition Policy, SV Kartellrecht, Brussels, 3 April 2014 Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank Frank Montag for inviting me to your conference again. When we met last year, we talked about cartel settlements and the relative merits […]

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15 Apr, 2014

New Studies Show Growing Health Risks from Wireless Tech

RENSSELAER, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 11, 2014 – The BioInitiative Working Group says evidence for health risk from wireless tech is growing stronger and warrants immediate action. The Group released a mid-year update covering new science studies from 2012 to 2014. New studies intensify medical concerns about malignant brain tumors from cell phone use. “There is a […]

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15 Apr, 2014

Want to Make Ethical Decisions? A Santa Clara University App Offers a Guide

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 08, 2014 – A new iPhone app released by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University is helping people make difficult decisions. The app, called “Ethical Decision Making: A Practical Tool for Thinking Through Tough Choices,” is a free guide to help anyone struggling with a decision. Users […]

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15 Apr, 2014

Locals are overrated: Travel’s eight biggest myths busted – Sydney Morning Herald

Anthony Peregrine’s manifesto for a happier holiday remakes all the old rules. Slow-travel websites and publications are all in the hands of ideologues hectoring people about carbon footprints, interacting with communities, eating local organic food, travelling by yak and wearing only natural materials. There is nothing specifically evil about any of that. It is just […]

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14 Apr, 2014

Islamic “Halalywood” Film Industry Set for Global Launch

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 14 April 2014 (14 Jumaada al-Thaani 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ THE ISLAMIC IMPERATIVE — SUPPORT MALAYSIA IN ITS TIME OF NEED The tragedy of MH370 […]

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14 Apr, 2014

American Muslims Stand with Jewish Community After Kansas Shootings

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/13/12) –- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said today that American Muslims stand in solidarity with the Jewish community after a man who reportedly shouted “Heil Hitler” opened fire at a Jewish community center and an old-age home in Overland Park, Kan. SEE: […]

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14 Apr, 2014

Chinese bank credits benefit 46 ASEAN transport projects

BEIJING, April 12, (Xinhua) — The Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) has provided credit support to 46 transport infrastructure projects in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries by early 2014, a senior executive of the bank told Xinhua Sunday. With preferential loans from the Eximbank, 24 highways, three railways, one port, three airports and […]

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14 Apr, 2014

China’s online tourism sector set to see more integration, acquisitions

BEIJING, April 13, (China Daily) – China’s online travel industry may see more integration and acquisitions this year, driven by the giant Internet companies. LY.com and eLong Inc announced their cooperation on Thursday. Tencent Holdings Ltd, a shareholder in both of the online travel agencies, was seen as the guiding hand behind the agreement under […]

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13 Apr, 2014

Top Australian research body CSIRO braces for budget cut of up to $150 million

Australia’s peak science body is bracing for a May budget cut of up $150 million, or more than 20 per cent of its total government funding. Fairfax Media can reveal the CSIRO’s top executive team has been modelling a range of scenarios that would see the scientific agency lose up 20 per cent of its […]

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