29 Sep, 2016

New Study Reveals The Role of Job Control In Burnout

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Montreal, Canada, 24 September 2016, PRWEB –Some employees thrive on structure and routine, and prefer to have the details of their roles and tasks clearly outlined. However, preferring to follow rather than lead doesn’t necessarily imply a lack of desire for autonomy. In fact, according to research from PsychTests, employees who lack job control at work […]

29 Sep, 2016

China’s outbound tourists to exceed 600 mln in five years

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Beijing, 27 September 2016 (Xinhua) — Over 600 million Chinese tourists will travel abroad in the next five years, according to data from China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). In the first half of the year, China’s outbound tourists reached over 59 million, according to CNTA data. Thanks to relaxed visa policies and rising disposable income, […]

29 Sep, 2016

Roula Allouch, U.S. Civil Rights Advocate, on Muslims and Travel – New York Times

Roula Allouch, 36, is a Cincinnati lawyer and the chairwoman of the national board of directors of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the nation’s largest civil rights and advocacy groups for the American Muslim community. Raised in Kentucky, she is a member of the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative for the […]

29 Sep, 2016

Japan to relax visa regulations for Chinese visitors from Oct. 17

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TOKYO, 27 September 2016, (Xinhua) — Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said on Tuesday that a previous plan to relax visa regulations for Chinese visitors would come into effect on Oct. 17, with one of the objectives being to boost repeat arrivals and increase bilateral people exchanges. The ministry said that its plans that […]

29 Sep, 2016

Major construction of world’s longest cross-sea bridge completed

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Guangzhou, 27 September 2016,  Xinhua — Major construction work was completed Tuesday on the world’s longest cross-sea bridge, which connects Zhuhai in Guangdong Province with Hong Kong and Macao. A ceremony was held in Zhuhai to celebrate completion of the 55-km cross-sea route and beginning of the assembly of the bridge floor and related work. […]

29 Sep, 2016

Thomas Exchange Global Benefits from Post-Brexit Tourism Surge in London

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London, UK, 26 September 2016, PRWEB UK –The situation is not entirely dire for the United Kingdom, following the monumental Brexit decision. While the decline in the value of the pound has made it more expensive for British citizens to leave, tourist arrivals in the UK have surged dramatically. Over 3 million additional tourists have […]

29 Sep, 2016

Australian dementia deaths continue to rise as population ages

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Canberra, 28 September 2016, Australian Bureau of Statistics – Heart disease has been Australia’s leading cause of death since the early part of the 20th century, but that could be set to change as dementia death rates continue to rise, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). There were 159,052 […]

29 Sep, 2016

African-American Newspaper Association Declares Police Brutality State of Emergency in the U.S.

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WASHINGTON, 26 September 2016, (BUSINESS WIRE)–The nation’s largest trade association of African American owned newspapers and media companies, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), today declared the existence of a police brutality state of emergency in the United States with respect to Black America. Denise Rolark Barnes, Chairman of the NNPA and publisher of The […]

29 Sep, 2016

World Tourism Day: The Best Reporting on Universal Accessibility in Travel & Tourism

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – The theme of the 2016 World Tourism Day is “Tourism for All – Promoting Universal Accessibility”. Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil has been at the forefront of reporting on Inclusive Travel and Universal Accessibility. Below is a compendium of dispatches published since 2005 on this subject. No other travel publication can […]

26 Sep, 2016

Iran calls for honest debate on “flawed polices and erroneous actions” that worsen terrorism

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United Nations, UN News Centre, 22 September 2016 – The century that began with terror in New York City should not continue with the spread of hatred, violence and destruction in the Middle East and North Africa, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, told the United Nations General Assembly today, underscoring that the most pressing […]

26 Sep, 2016

Timor-Leste knows ‘all too well’ price of war, Prime Minister says at UN

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United Nations, UN News Centre, 24 September 2016 – Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste today underlined the concept of mutual dependence, saying that without peace and stability, there is no development, and without development, there is no peace and stability. “Timor-Leste, as a country that experienced conflict, knows all […]

26 Sep, 2016

Switzerland votes in favour of greater surveillance – The Guardian

Swiss voters have approved a new surveillance law, after the government argued that security services needed enhanced powers in an increasingly volatile world. The proposed law won 65.5% support, final results on Sunday showed. Switzerland’s police and intelligence agencies have had limited investigative tools compared with other developed countries. Phone tapping and email surveillance were […]

26 Sep, 2016

Cuba launches “targeted tours” to lure more Chinese visitors

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By Yang Feiyue Beijing, (China Daily) 2016-09-26 – Travel authorities in Cuba have designed a series of tours that take in historical and cultural sites and natural scenery to attract more Chinese visitors to the island. More than 28,000 Chinese traveled to the country last year, making up only a small proportion of the total […]

26 Sep, 2016

Facebook says sorry for disabling accounts of Palestinian journalists, activists – Hindustan Times

Facebook has apologised for disabling accounts of several Palestinian journalists and activists, saying “the pages were removed in error and restored as soon as we were able to investigate”. An anti-Facebook campaign was launched after the social networking giant deleted the accounts of Palestinian journalists and several publications last weekend, TRTWorld reported on Monday. “Our […]

26 Sep, 2016

Didi invests in bicycle-sharing platform ofo

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BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) – China’s leading on-demand mobility (ODM) company Didi Chuxing on Monday announced its investment in ofo, one of the country’s leading bicycle-sharing platforms. Didi Chuxing said it has invested tens of millions of U.S. dollars in ofo, as part of a multi-layered partnership between the two companies in the urban mobility […]

26 Sep, 2016

AIIB breaks ground for headquarters in Beijing

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BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — A groundbreaking ceremony for the permanent headquarters of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was held on Friday in Beijing. The headquarters will be located in the north of Beijing, between the Olympic Forest Park and the iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium, with construction expected to be completed by the end […]

26 Sep, 2016

New museum of African American history opens in U.S. capital amid nationwide racial tensions

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) — The past is never dead. It’s not even past, wrote William Faulkner, a late U.S. Nobel Prize winner. Resonating to the remarks, a new, grand museum setting for the tale of African American history and achievement, the only one in the U.S. exclusively focused on African-Americans, officially opened in central […]

26 Sep, 2016

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Caucus to Convene Right to Travel Panel: “Flying While Brown”

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Washington, DC | www.adc.org | – For the first time, the upcoming American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) annual convention will feature a panel session titled “Flying While Brown” to provide an analysis of the increase in discrimination on commercial airlines. The panel will discuss the profiling of Arab, Muslim and South Asian passengers at airports and by airlines. […]

26 Sep, 2016

Aceh wins three Indonesian Halal Tourism awards

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 26 September 2016 (24 Dhul Ḥijjah 1437). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ A WORD FROM MY SPONSORS: TOURISM MALAYSIA NO REGISTRATION FEE FOR WORLD TOURISM CONFERENCE […]

21 Sep, 2016

Wake Up! One in Three Meeting Attendees are Falling Asleep

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MCLEAN, Va. 07 September 2016, (BUSINESS WIRE)–With one in three attendees falling asleep or feeling drowsy during a meeting, and productivity for the average meeting dropping around 2 p.m., it’s clear that corporate meetings need a new agenda. Attendees around the world are desperate for a change – and meeting professionals are taking notice. According […]

21 Sep, 2016

Germany charges official with spying on Sikhs for India – The Indian Express

BERLIN: A German immigration official has been arrested and charged with espionage for an Indian secret service for allegedly spying on members of the Sikh religion, prosecutors said Tuesday. The 58-year-old German national, identified only by the initials T S P, was accused of “espionage activity and violation of professional secrecy rules in 45 cases,” […]

21 Sep, 2016

Why Palestine, Zimbabwe made history at PTM 2016

Imtiaz Muqbil

Jakarta – The inaugural presence of Zimbabwe and Palestine at the Sept 7-9 PATA Travel Mart in Jakarta was more than just an ordinary trade event. It was a statement of geopolitical defiance – defiance against what both destinations refer to as negative perceptions conveyed by the Western-controlled mainstream media – and an appeal to […]

20 Sep, 2016

People’s Daily criticizes U.S. as “source of turmoil”

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BEIJING, Sept. 18, (Xinhua) — The People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, has criticized the United Statesas the “source of turmoil in the world.” The newspaper on Sunday published three articles by Chinese scholars to analyze the causes of expansive and hegemonic moves by the United States from systemic, ideological and strategic […]

19 Sep, 2016

Brunei Packages Promote Grandeur of Temburong National Park

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 19 September 2016 (17 Dhul Ḥijjah 1437). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ A WORD FROM MY SPONSORS: TOURISM MALAYSIA NO REGISTRATION FEE FOR WORLD TOURISM CONFERENCE […]

17 Sep, 2016

How Everything Became War – Book Review – Truthdig

The laser-guided Hellfire missile is highly accurate. When one is fired from a Predator drone at an alleged enemy of the United States, whether in the deserts of Yemen, the mountains of Pakistan or elsewhere, it rarely misses. The remarkable innovation of pairing an unmanned aerial vehicle with a deadly precise missile emerged soon after […]

15 Sep, 2016

Pro-Israel donor suspended by Labour | The Electronic Intifada

A millionaire donor to the UK’s Labour Party has been suspended by party officials after lashing out at supporters of left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn as Nazis. The BBC reported on Sunday that Michael Foster had been suspended for breaching party rules prohibiting abuse. Foster is a supporter of Israel, and last year heckled a speech […]

15 Sep, 2016

What Did We Buy With the $5 Trillion That the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Have Cost Us? – Juan Cole – Truthdig

A Brown University political scientist estimates that as of 2016, The Iraq and Afghanistan Wars have cost the American taxpayers $5 trillion. That number isn’t important when we consider the human cost: Some 7,000 US troops dead, 52,000 wounded in action; hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead who wouldn’t otherwise be, 4 million displaced and […]

13 Sep, 2016

India’s anti-Muslim campaign continues, Urdu cultural centre shut down

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) might have quite missed the irony of this action on their part – barely two years after they named a crossroads in Bhendi Bazaar, the city’s Muslim enclave, as the “Urdu Markaz Chowk” the authorities shut down the Urdu cultural centre after which the square was named within two days […]

12 Sep, 2016

Bangladesh to host PATA New Tourism Frontiers Forum

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 12 September 2016 (10 Dhul Ḥijjah 1437). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ A WORD FROM MY SPONSORS: TOURISM MALAYSIA NO REGISTRATION FEE FOR WORLD TOURISM CONFERENCE […]

12 Sep, 2016

PATA Mart 2016 proves that Big is Not Necessarily Beautiful

Imtiaz Muqbil

Jakarta – PATA’s steady turnound remained on track at the 39th PATA Travel Mart between Sept 7-9, the fifth to be held in Indonesia. While the turnout of roughly 1,000 delegates for the PTM and its associate events still paled in comparison to the heydays of the 1990s, the Mart is now well set as […]

9 Sep, 2016

I didn’t realize how often Muslims get kicked off planes, until it happened to me – Niala Mohammad, The Guardian

A recent news report documented the removal of two Muslim women working for the federal government from an American Airline flight. On its surface the airline staff appeared to be upholding safety regulations, but in reality they were engaging in discriminatory practices. I know this to be true because I was one of the two […]

9 Sep, 2016

Kerala govt to check Hindutva extremist outfits, ban arms training in temples | The Indian Express

Moving ahead with its resolve to check the activities of the Sangh Parivar outfits at the temples of the state, the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala is all set to come out with a circular banning any type of arms-training drills at the shrine complexes. The state Devaswom department has taken the initiative to issue […]

8 Sep, 2016

10 new wars that could be unleashed as a result of the one against ISIS – The Washington Post

The borders of the Islamic State’s “caliphate” are shrinking fast. The group’s strongholds in Iraq and Syria are collapsing one by one. The U.S.-led war has reached a point where questions are being raised about what comes next. So far, the answer seems likely to be: more war. That’s partly because the U.S. strategy for […]

7 Sep, 2016

Terrorist fears lead to decline in European visitor arrivals

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07/09/2016, (European Cities Marketing media release) – The latest results from the Air Travellers’ Traffic Barometer* produced by European Cities Marketing and ForwardKeys highlight that terrorist fear is weakening arrivals in Europe for Q2 2016. During Q2 2016 international arrivals decreased considerably As a result of the rising threats of terrorist attacks in Europe, the […]

7 Sep, 2016

Survey: Male suicide rate thrice as high as women, but help is available

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LONDON, September 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ The Hunting Dynasty media release — Men kill themselves at a rate of 3:1 relative to women of any age (ONS, 2015). Yet, men are less likely than women to actively seek help. The common misconception is that men don’t want to talk. This is wrong – the messages by all and any […]

7 Sep, 2016

ING Survey: Europeans Sharply Divided About Future Prospects

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LONDON, September 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — More than a third (37%) of Europeans are optimistic about their future standard of living over the next five years. But over a fifth (23%) are pessimistic, leaving a net optimism balance of only 14%. There are sharp divisions on personal goals and expectations depending on background, income, their personal circumstances […]

7 Sep, 2016

The Burkini debate: An Asian Perspective

Imtiaz Muqbil

Jakarta – When the PATA Travel Mart opened on Sept 7, one of the speakers at a session on Innovation and Technology was Shinta Witoyo Dhanuwardoyo, Founder of Bubu.com, one of Indonesia’s leading full-service Digital Agency. She is also a leading woman entrepreneur in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. Mrs Shinta (or Ibu Shinta as […]

6 Sep, 2016

Commission proposes 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage

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Brussels, 30 August 2016, (European Commission media release) – Today the Commission has put forward a proposal to the European Parliament and Council to designate 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage. In doing so, the Commission is seeking to highlight the role of Europe’s cultural heritage in fostering a shared sense of history […]

6 Sep, 2016

Alibaba Group, Canada ink pact to connect Small Businesses with Chinese Consumers

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HANGZHOU, China–(BUSINESS WIRE)–September 03, 2016 – Alibaba Group Executive Chairman Jack Ma and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today unveiled a declaration of cooperation that will strengthen efforts to promote trade between Canadian small and medium sized businesses and Chinese consumers. Both Mr. Ma and Prime Minister Trudeau said at a ceremony at Alibaba Group’s […]

6 Sep, 2016

One man’s nightmare experience of applying for a German visa in Karachi – DAWN.COM

By Umair Ali Khan — I was recently awarded a fellowship by the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM) in Germany. After receiving the necessary documentation from my host institution Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS), I proceeded to apply for a German visa on Aug 26. From the German consulate website, I […]

6 Sep, 2016

Maldives banker whistleblower facing charges for revealing multi-million dollar corruption on island deals

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Male / Berlin (Transparency Ibternational media release). 04 Sept 2016 — Gasim Abdul Kareem, a former manager at the Bank of Maldives, is being prosecuted for disclosing customer information that revealed details related to a multi-million dollar corruption scandal in the Maldives, where money that should have gone to the state was allegedly siphoned off […]

6 Sep, 2016

Prison tourism: Spend a day in this 220-year-old Telangana jail – Hindustan Times

You forfeit your freedom the moment you step in and the huge door closes behind. You then get stripped of your belongings one by one: the pen, the wrist watch, mobile phone and everything else. Stripped to the bone, a coarse khaki white dress with blue stripes is handed over to wear. You are then […]

5 Sep, 2016

Pakistan hosts International Heritage, Museum Conference

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 05 September 2016 (04 Dhul Ḥijjah 1437). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. Wishing all my readers a blessed and peaceful Eid Ul Adha. ============ A WORD FROM […]

4 Sep, 2016

U.S. Chamber of Commerce cheers as Brazilian President deposed

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Brussels, 1 September 2016 (ITUC OnLine): The international trade union movement is warning that a wave of corporate greed will be unleashed in Brazil following the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff by a corruption-riddled Congress. The all-male, all-white cabinet, headed by little-known former Vice-president Michel Temer, had already been drawing up plans for massive budget […]

4 Sep, 2016

Indian Government Should Heed Message of General Strike – ITUC

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New Delhi, (ITUC media release) – 2 September 2016 – The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi should heed the clear message from a huge general strike in India today, as workers across the country backed calls for a living minimum wage and decent pensions, proper enforcement of labour laws, measures to stimulate creation of […]

4 Sep, 2016

Listen to the world’s workers – Global Trades Unions tell G20 leaders

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Brussels, (ITUC media release) 9 August 2016 — Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation said G20 leaders must support new principles on labour income share for income inequality agreed by G20 Labour ministers. “A policy agenda that rebuilds strong labour market institutions to create quality jobs and reduce income inequality must […]

4 Sep, 2016

Global Survey: Chartered Accountants do not fear Automation nor Artificial Intelligence

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KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 (Bernama) — Despite popular fears which range from job losses to doomsday scenarios, finance professionals welcome the rise of artificial intelligence, automation and robots, according to the latest survey by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). The results of the poll of 1,628 CIMA members reveal that 83% support the […]

4 Sep, 2016

Call for More Transparency on UNAIDS HIV Treatment Estimations

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LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–September 01, 2016 — AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization which serves 600,000 clients in 36 countries, today called for more transparency and accountability on the way, data and assumptions that UNAIDS uses to make estimations of the numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS who are on lifesaving anti-retroviral treatment […]

4 Sep, 2016

Call for Entries: UN4U Video Contest – Why are Sustainable Development Goals important for the Asia-Pacific?

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Bangkok, 01 Sept 2016, (UNESCAP media release) – This year, UN Day on 24 October will be celebrated across Asia and the Pacific with a video contest highlighting the ways in which people in the region are working towards implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), based on seven key themes. The themes are: Education 2030, […]

3 Sep, 2016

Survey: U.S. Businesses Overwhelmingly Concerned About Active Shooters, But Unprepared for Them

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BURLINGTON, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–August 31, 2016 – Everbridge, a global enterprise software company that provides applications which automate the delivery of critical information to help keep people safe and businesses running, and Emergency Management and Safety (EMS) Solutions, a provider of professional consulting services in the area of incident management, business continuity planning and exercise design, […]

1 Sep, 2016

‘Pressure’ on Palestinian households to move raises risk of forcible transfers – UN official

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United Nations, 22 August 2016, UN News Centre – A senior United Nations official has cautioned that many Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank are facing a heightened risk of forcible transfer as there has been a recent surge in the number of demolitions in the area. “Repeated rounds of demolitions, restrictions on access […]

1 Sep, 2016

G20 Hangzhou summit to discuss documents on inclusive finance

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BEIJING, 26 August 2016,  (Xinhua) — The upcoming G20 Summit will discuss three important documents on inclusive finance to guide the sector’s development globally, a Chinese central bank official said on Friday. The documents, which are about high-level principles, a new indicator system and funding services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), will be submitted […]

1 Sep, 2016

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank set to hit 90 member states

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Beijing, 26 August 2016, (People’s Daily Online)–The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will review more than 30 new membership applications beginning in September, and the bank may have as many as 90 members by early 2017, outstripping the membership numbers of U.S. and Japan-led Asian Development Bank (ADB), said Jin Liqun, the bank’s president, at […]

1 Sep, 2016

China’s richest man offers solutions to bring Chinese visitor spending back home

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Beijing, 26 August 2016, (People’s Daily Online) – “Chinese overseas spending is growing by double digits. This is a problem that needs our attention. To change the situation, we not only need tariff reductions and good quality domestic products, we also need the government to get involved a high level,” said Wang Jianlin, chairman of […]

1 Sep, 2016

People’s Daily Editorial: Four major tasks G20 Hangzhou summit is expected to accomplish

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Beijing, 23 August 2016, (People’s Daily Online)–The G20 summit in Hangzhou is scheduled to take place on Sept. 4 and 5. It is regarded as the next in a line of globally influential events hosted by China, coming after the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in 2014. The summit, as China’s most important diplomatic event […]

1 Sep, 2016

Japanese shrine Prayer Hall restoration wins top honor in UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards

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BANGKOK, 1 September 2016 (UNESCO media release) — The Restoration of the Sanro-Den Hall at Sukunahikona Shrine in Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture, has received the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. A total of 13 winning projects from six countries – Australia, China, India, Iran, Japan and Pakistan […]