31 Oct, 2016

British woman launches first online Islamic toy store

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 31 October 2016 (30 Muharram 1438). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ A WORD FROM MY SPONSORS: TOURISM MALAYSIA MALAYSIA WINS ‘BEST ECO-VACATION’ AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER […]

29 Oct, 2016

Advocates say complaints of ‘flying while Muslim’ often go nowhere – The Washington Post

Ever so often, a Muslim is removed from a flight because the person posed an imaginary threat that had more to do with Islamophobia than terrorism, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says. CAIR says recent terror attacks and the debate over immigration during this year’s presidential campaign have contributed to a sharp increase in […]

26 Oct, 2016

Australian “The Longest War” Memorial highlights how families suffer

======

Canberra, 25 Oct 2016 (Australian War Memorial news release) – A series of portraits depicting the impact of war on the family members of Australian servicemen and servicewomen was launched today at the Australian War Memorial. Painted by Australian official war artist Ben Quilty, these portraits focus on the partners, children, and parents of Australian […]

24 Oct, 2016

IDB launches multiple initiatives to invest in young people

Imtiaz Muqbil

A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 24 October 2016 (23 Muharram 1438). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ A WORD FROM MY SPONSORS: TOURISM MALAYSIA MALAYSIA WINS ‘BEST ECO-VACATION’ AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER […]

21 Oct, 2016

UN report shows workers getting screwed by globalisation

======

Brussels, 20 October 2016 (ITUC OnLine): The ITUC has welcomed the publication of a major new UN report on the right to freedom of assembly and association, and called on governments to act on its findings. The report, by UN Special Rapporteur and distinguished Kenyan lawyer Maina Kiai, is to be presented to the UN […]

21 Oct, 2016

How the King’s death impacted Thailand’s inbound/outbound travel

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – October is an important month for the Thai travel industry. On the inbound sector, it marks the start of the “high season”. On the outbound sector, it is the school holiday period during which many Thai families take a trip abroad. News of the death of His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej on Oct […]

20 Oct, 2016

SMEs, Africans big winners at World Tourism Conference 2016 in Penang

Imtiaz Muqbil

Penang, Malaysia — The travel & tourism industry broke new ground at the World Tourism Conference organised in the Malaysian coastal city of Penang between 17-18 October. Free registrations for all 733 delegates from 32 countries and powerful speakers who delivered practical, insightful, well-researched content combined to produce an event that more than lived up […]

17 Oct, 2016

Korea’s Gangwon province to host Islamic Businesswomen’s 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 17 October 2016 (16 Muharram 1438). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story. ============ A WORD FROM MY SPONSORS: TOURISM MALAYSIA TOURISM MALAYSIA BRINGS IN ASEAN CELEBS & MEDIA FOR […]

17 Oct, 2016

ITU standardises universal charger for laptops to improve energy efficiency, cut e-waste

======

Geneva, 14 October 2016  – The International Telecommunications Union, ​ITU, has approved a new environmentally friendly standard for a universal charger for laptops and other portable devices. The new standard provides for improved energy efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions and is expected to lead to significant reductions in e-waste. The new international standard – […]

16 Oct, 2016

To Honour King Bhumibhol, Time is Ripe for a “Sufficiency Economy Tourism Year”

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok – The Thai government’s official communications unit, the Public Relations Department, has uploaded an e-book containing a comprehensive history of the Sufficiency Economy, the insightful development philosophy espoused by the late monarch, His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej. Anyone reading through “Harmony with Nature: The Royal Wisdom of King Bhumihol,” will be overwhelmed by its […]

12 Oct, 2016

Symposium to address World Heritage Committtee conservation concerns on Ayutthaya

======

Bangkok, UNESCO media release, Oct 12, 2016 – Thailand’s Fine Arts Department aims to address UNESCO World Heritage Committee concerns regarding recent conservation challenges faced by the Historic City of Ayutthaya site at an upcoming international symposium. The symposium, co-hosted by UNESCO, will address issues ranging from post-flood management to ensuring that standards of excellence […]

12 Oct, 2016

Fate of Arctic and that of the world are intertwined, UN chief warns

======

United Nations, (UN News Centre) 8 October 2016 – Drawing attention to the melting of the Arctic ice cap, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today underlined the urgency of implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change and the need to help developing countries in their efforts to combat climate change. “The Arctic supports key pillars of the climate system […]

12 Oct, 2016

Croatia to host International Halal Congress, November 2-4

======

Opatija, Croatia (IINA) – Opatija Town in Croatia will host next month the first major international halal congress in the country, (World Halal Day), which will bring together the world’s leading halal institutions, manufacturers, service providers, customers and vendors, academic and research community, embassies, government institutions and representatives of other local and international institutions. The […]

12 Oct, 2016

New UN manual gives more say to indigenous peoples in development projects that affect them

======

United Nations, (UN News Centre) 10 October 2016 – The United Nations agricultural agency today unveiled a new manual that seeks to ensure that indigenous peoples, custodians of more than 80 per cent of global biodiversity, are able to freely give or deny their consent in development interventions that affect their natural resources or their […]

12 Oct, 2016

1st Iran Investment Summit to be held in Singapore

======

Singapore — MillionaireAsia Pte Ltd (Singapore) and Basio Consultants & Services Ltd (Hong Kong) with the support and endorsement from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is pleased to organise the inaugural 1st Iran Investment Summit to be held in Singapore on October 26, 2016 The lifting of sanctions on Iran has created […]

10 Oct, 2016

Chinese rail companies learn from their mistakes as they expand in Africa

======

By Luo Ensi (People’s Daily Online), October 07, 2016 – The Chinese-built railway linking the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the port of Djibouti, which will be Africa’s first modern electrified railway, was inaugurated in Addis Ababa on Oct 5. Stretching 725.7 kilometers and with a designed speed of 120 km per hour, the newly-built electric […]

10 Oct, 2016

China displaces US as top cross-border assets acquirer

======

Beijing, (CRI Online) October 07, 2016 – China now holds the place as the largest outbound mergers and acquisitions, overtaking the place the US previously held. South China Morning Post reported that the change underscores a global buying spree driven by China’s economic growth over the last three decades as well as its programme encouraging […]

10 Oct, 2016

China boosts aviation power with nationwide strength

======

Beijing, (Xinhua), October 01, 2016 – China is gearing up to realize its dream of “taking off” by boosting a global aviation power. It goes all out with the state will and nationwide strength, targeting to have its own aircraft with home-made aero-engine. Within one year, China showed the world with three iconic models of […]

10 Oct, 2016

Herbalife survey: Millennials find physical activities difficult in the modern workplace

======

HONG KONG, Oct 6 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Herbalife Nutrition, a global nutrition company, has released findings from its Asia Pacific Millennials At Work Survey(1), showing that younger workers in Asia want to do more physical exercise while working, but they are finding it difficult to achieve this in the modern workplace. With the millennial generation […]

10 Oct, 2016

Letter from South Africa: The prison where white supremacists jailed Nelson Mandela for 18 years

Imtiaz Muqbil

Robben Island, South Africa — No visit to South Africa is complete without a tour of Robben Island, described by the UNESCO World Heritage documentation as a symbol of “the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom, and of democracy over oppression.” This is where anti-apartheid leader and first President of a democratic South Africa, […]

10 Oct, 2016

Turkish President leads first drive through Europe-Asia tunnel

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 10 October 2016 (09 Muharram 1438). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ A WORD FROM MY SPONSORS: TOURISM MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL ABORIGINES ARTS FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN […]

7 Oct, 2016

Complaint Filed Against Southwest Airlines for anti-Muslim Religious and Racial Profiling

======

(SANTA CLARA, CA, 10/5/2016) – (CAIR media release) – The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) today filed a complaint with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings against Southwest Airlines for racial and religious profiling of a Muslim passenger. In its complaint, CAIR-SFBA Civil […]

7 Oct, 2016

Running out of Money is Top Retirement Concern, says AICPA Survey of Financial Planners

======

NEW YORK, 6 October 2016, (BUSINESS WIRE) — What do you get when you have 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day, at an average retirement age of 62 with a life expectancy of about 22 years, and retirement savings of only $104,000? If you answered a recipe for fiscal disaster, you’d be right. A recent […]

7 Oct, 2016

ASEAN youth debate on human rights

======

KUALA LUMPUR, 5 October 2016 (ASEAN secretariat media release) – ASEAN youth met in Kuala Lumpur on 22-23 September 2016 to exchange their views on human rights issues such as abortion, child marriages, climate change, the rights of migrant workers and the right to peace. Their meeting was part of the Youth Debate on Human […]

7 Oct, 2016

Yahoo gives U.S. intelligence access to users’ emails, report says

======

LONDON, 5 October 2016, (Xinhua) — Internet technology giant Yahoo reportedly built a custom software program last year to scan all users’ incoming emails so as to comply with a classified order from U.S. intelligence. In a Reuters exclusive report published on Tuesday, sources familiar with the matter told the British media that the U.S. […]

7 Oct, 2016

China spends 500 mln yuan to support public-private partnerships

======

BEIJING, 5 October 2016, (Xinhua) — China will support the “preliminary stages” of public-private partnerships (PPP) with 500 million yuan (about 75 million U.S. dollars) in subsidies this year. The funding will be spent on planning, evaluation, formulating implementation programs, preparing bids and contracts, financial consultation, legal counsel, and asset evaluation for over 700 PPPs, […]

7 Oct, 2016

China sees rising holiday trips, spending

======

BEIJING, 4 October 2016, (Xinhua)– China has seen a marked increase in tourist visits and spending during this week’s national holiday. Altogether 415 million people visited tourist attractions around the country in the past four days, up 13.8 percent from last year, according to estimates by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). Nationwide, tourist spending […]

5 Oct, 2016

ADB to Provide India $500 Million for Solar Rooftop Systems

======

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, 4 October 2016, ADB News Release — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to provide $500 million in financing for rooftop solar systems that will help the Indian government expand energy access using renewable energy. ADB will provide the financing to Punjab National Bank – one of India’s largest commercial banks – […]

5 Oct, 2016

LUI Che Woo Prize – US$2.5 million prize for World Civilisation holds inaugural ceremony

======

HONG KONG, Oct. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — The LUI Che Woo Prize – Prize for World Civilisation (“the LUI Che Woo Prize” or “the Prize”) today held its Inaugural Prize Presentation Ceremony in Hong Kong, recognising the significant contributions to world civilisation by the three inaugural laureates and share in the Prize’s mission of building […]

5 Oct, 2016

Europe Plans Major Trade Initiative to Attract Chinese Tourists

======

London, 3 October 2016, (ETOA Press Release) – At a Conference to be held at the Barbican on November 3rd, ETC and ETOA will unveil their plans for the World Bridge Tourism project sponsored by the European Commission. The project will involve hosting 100 European tourism suppliers in May of next year, who will meet with […]

5 Oct, 2016

Letter from South Africa: Apartheid Museum Shows How Fearless People Power Ended White Supremacy

Imtiaz Muqbil

Johannesburg – The world celebrated World Tourism Day 2016 in Bangkok, my home city. As global tourism leaders congregated in the Thai capital, I left to spend World Tourism Day and indeed most of September 2016 in South Africa – Nelson Mandela country. This, because I felt it important to respond to a higher calling. […]

3 Oct, 2016

First British ambassador performs Hajj with Syrian wife

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 October 2016 (02 Muharram 1438). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ A WORD FROM MY SPONSORS: TOURISM MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL ABORIGINES ARTS FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN […]

3 Oct, 2016

Letter from South Africa: Travel & Tourism awaits its Gandhi and/or Mandela

Imtiaz Muqbil

Johannesburg — Sunday Oct 2 commemorated the 147th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Republic of India. The event, marked globally as the International Day of Non-Violence, witnessed the usual round of solemn speeches and tributes. This year, I was fortunate to mark the event in South Africa, the country where the seeds […]