Author Archive
4 Jul, 2014
Flawed research on APD “success story” does PATA a disservice
Bangkok – The Pacific Asia Travel Association has produced a special edition of Issues & Trends to discuss the subject of travel taxes, with a particular focus on the UK Air Passenger Duty. Drawing upon a number of studies by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the International Air Transport Association, the World Travel & Tourism Council, the Tourism & […]
more…4 Jul, 2014
Orwell’s Dystopian Future Is Almost Here: A Conversation With Glenn Greenwald – Truthdig
Investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald, best known for his reporting on the U.S. surveillance state, told me that in the year since he first met whistle-blower Edward Snowden, he went back and re-read Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984.” In an interview on Uprising, Greenwald said that what surprised him the most about re-reading the ominous story was […]
more…4 Jul, 2014
Algeria to donate $9m World Cup prize money to people of Gaza – The Independent
The Algerian national football team are to donate their entire World Cup prize fund to the embattled people of Gaza, it has been reported. According to quotes attributed to Algeria’s star striker Islam Slimani, the team will give up all of the estimated $9 million (£5.25 million) they received as valiant losers in the round […]
more…4 Jul, 2014
For Palestinians, This Week’s Deaths Highlight the Asymmetry of Power | Alternet
July 2, 2014 – The kidnapping and killing of three young Israelis – whom Palestinians regard as settlers – and the death of a Palestinian teenager in East Jerusalem have reopened some of the deepest wounds on both sides of the ongoing conflict and are now threatening to engulf Palestinian-Israeli relations. It is not hard […]
more…3 Jul, 2014
Exclusive: 2013 Thai Visitor Profile Stats Show 22.7% Surge in Female Arrivals
BANGKOK – Female visitors to Thailand surged by 22.7% to a record high of 11,426,411 in 2013, according to a full profile of the arrivals for last year released by Tourism Authority of Thailand this week. While the total number of arrivals are released every month, a detailed analysis of the profile and expenditure usually […]
more…3 Jul, 2014
Gallup Polls: Americans Losing Confidence in All Branches of U.S. Gov’t
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 30, 2014 (Gallup Polls) — Americans’ confidence in all three branches of the U.S. government has fallen, reaching record lows for the Supreme Court (30%) and Congress (7%), and a six-year low for the presidency (29%). The presidency had the largest drop of the three branches this year, down seven percentage points […]
more…3 Jul, 2014
Beijing vows tax refunds to lure foreign visitors
Beijing (chinadaily.com.cn), 2014-07-01 – Beijing has vowed to institute a tax refund program this year to attract more overseas travelers. “Beijing will introduce the tax refund program within this year, to attract more visitors from abroad,” said Song Yu, head of the Beijing Tourism Development Commission. The program would allow foreign travelers to claim tax […]
more…2 Jul, 2014
12 reasons why Bangladesh will be bigger than Myanmar
Dhaka – Although much of the buzz today is about Myanmar coming in from the cold, a country with even bigger future potential is Bangladesh. This editor visited the country between June 18-22 on invitation of the Bangladesh Tourism Board to deliver two lectures on strategies to balance negative media coverage and involve stakeholders in […]
more…2 Jul, 2014
Noam Chomsky: U.S. Govt Is Capable of Creating Total Catastrophe for Humankind
State power has to be protected from its domestic enemy; in sharp contrast, the population is not secure from state power. A striking current illustration is the radical attack on the Constitution by the Obama administration’s massive surveillance program. It is, of course, justified by “national security.” That is routine for virtually all actions of […]
more…2 Jul, 2014
World Press Trends: Print and digital together increasing newspaper audiences
Print and digital combined are increasing audiences for newspapers globally, but digital revenues are not keeping pace, posing a risk for newspaper businesses and the societies they serve, the annual World Press Trends survey released Monday by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) reveals. “Unless we crack the revenue issue, and provide […]
more…2 Jul, 2014
10 Big Fat Lies and the Liars Who Told Them | Alternet
June 29, 2014 – Investigative journalist Chuck Lewis joined Bill Moyers this week to discuss his new book, 935 Lies: The Future of Truth and the Decline of America’s Moral Integrity, that looks at the history of government officials and media pundits speaking and repeating (and repeating and repeating) untruths to shape public opinion and […]
more…2 Jul, 2014
Facebook manipulated users’ moods in secret experiment – The Independent
Facebook manipulated the emotions of hundreds of thousands of its users, and found that they would pass on happy or sad emotions, it has said. The experiment, for which researchers did not gain specific consent, has provoked criticism from users with privacy and ethical concerns. For one week in 2012, Facebook skewed nearly 700,000 users’ […]
more…2 Jul, 2014
PressTV – Brazilians stage anti-World Cup march in Rio
Brazilians have once again taken to the streets in Rio de Janeiro to protest the government’s spending on the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Some 100 protesters held a silent march along the Copacabana Beach on Saturday to denounce the costs of hosting the tournament and police repression in Brazil. The protesters accused the police of […]
more…1 Jul, 2014
Whistleblowers are increasing on Wall Street | New York Post
In the post-Dodd-Frank world, every Wall Street bank, it seems, has a rat. This year has marked a turning point for regulatory action against the country’s largest financial institutions, with federal and state agencies moving beyond the misdeeds of the 2008 financial crisis and devoting attention to other fraudulent schemes, including money-laundering, tax-dodging and predatory […]
more…1 Jul, 2014
Palestinian life is cheap and disposable, but Jewish life is sacrosanct – The Hindu
Although hundreds of Palestinian children are kidnapped, brutalized or killed by Israel, including several in the past two weeks, there is rarely, if ever, such a reaction from the world. Just prior to the disappearance of the Israeli settler teens, the murder of two Palestinian teens was caught on a local surveillance camera. Ample evidence, […]
more…1 Jul, 2014
Why China’s ‘admirable workers’ are dying at their desks – Sydney Morning Herald
Chinese banking regulator Li Jianhua literally worked himself to death. After 26 years of “always putting the cause of the party and the people” first, his employer said this month, the 48-year-old official died rushing to finish a report before the sun came up. China is facing an epidemic of overwork, to hear the state-controlled […]
more…1 Jul, 2014
Foot baths to debut on Yamagata bullet train | The Japan Times
YAMAGATA – JR East unveiled on Monday a new “resort train” that will allow passengers on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line to soothe their feet. The carriage, which was shown to the media in the city of Yamagata, will make its debut July 19, allowing tourists to enjoy the landscape along the train line while soaking […]
more…30 Jun, 2014
Sydney To Host First Ramadan Festival
A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 30 June 2014 (02 Ramadan 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ RAMADAN MUBARAK TO ALL MY READERS Islamic Travel Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil and Assistant […]
more…30 Jun, 2014
World Cup literally killing people in China
(China Daily) 2014-06-28 – World Cup soccer matches screened live on TV in China throughout the night are taking their toll on fans. Doctors have been treating them for a range of conditions, including coronary spasms, high blood pressure and kidney disease. For example, early on Friday morning, a weary middle-aged woman visited Wei Ming, […]
more…29 Jun, 2014
Indian doctors wage war on unnecessary medical tests – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Top cardiologists of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here have decided to start an initiative called the Society for Less Investigative Medicine (SLIM) — a movement that aims to take on the growing menace of excessive medical investigations, starting with cardiology. Several studies across the world have conclusively established that […]
more…29 Jun, 2014
Egyptian journalist gags himself; “only praise is allowed” – Ahram Online
Prominent Egyptian columnist and author Alaa El-Aswany said late on Monday he would be refraining from publishing his weekly column since “only one particular opinion is allowed nowadays.” “Dear readers, I have stopped writing in Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper. Thank you for having read my weekly articles and, God willing, we will meet elsewhere,” El-Aswany declared […]
more…29 Jun, 2014
Testing times ahead for Modi | Arab News
There are no “ifs” and “buts” about Narendra Modi’s strong communication skills, the positive impact of which has helped him succeed politically to head the new Indian government. Modi was probably not prepared for his leadership being practically challenged through strong protests against his government’s initial moves. These include protests against hike in rail fare […]
more…29 Jun, 2014
Australian Jewish leaders face cover-up inquest over child sex abuse
Some of Australia’s most senior orthodox Jewish leaders are under investigation for allegedly failing to report multiple instances of child sexual abuse. The Sunday Age has obtained witness statements and tape recordings from this month’s successful prosecution of a former Bondi Yeshiva authority figure, Daniel Hayman, that indicate senior Jewish leaders failed to act on […]
more…29 Jun, 2014
Israeli spa products company booted from New Zealand mall | Haaretz
Dead Sea Spa cosmetic products have been banned from a New Zealand mall following a hard-hitting TV program about the tactics used by the Israeli salespeople to sell their goods. Dead Sea products are sold from mobile kiosks in malls around the world, typically staffed by young Israelis earning a little money while travelling. Campbell […]
more…29 Jun, 2014
Who’s benefiting from a never-ending Mideast peace ‘process?’ – Haaretz
The bulk of the discourse and discussion about the “occupation” and the “conflict” in the Middle East overall (and the Israeli-Palestinian case in particular) is focused on history, culture, religion and the “extremists” – such as the “wacky,” “messianic,” “off-the-wall” Israeli settlers and their supporters. Or on the United States, the Israeli defense establishment and […]
more…29 Jun, 2014
Philippine history as shown in films | Manila Bulletin
The independence that freedom fighters have won for us is being celebrated today with the usual flag ceremony and the public appearance of some local officials. It may be tradition but even that might not be enough. Forget for once that a national holiday means a one-day break from work or double pay for those […]
more…28 Jun, 2014
Total US debt soars to nearly $60 trn, foreshadows new recession — RT USA
America – its government, businesses, and people – are nearly $60 trillion in debt, according to the latest economic data from thethe St. Louis Federal Reserve. And private debt – not government borrowing – is the biggest reason for the huge deficit. Total US debt at the end of the first quarter of 2014, on […]
more…28 Jun, 2014
Bill Clinton paid $105 million for 542 speeches since 2001 | Zero Hedge
In Hillary Clinton’s attempt to seem “one of the people”, she made the public relations debacle of portraying herself as “dead broke” at the time she and Bill Clinton left the White House. Of course, the reason this attempt at populist pandering backfired (certainly not helped by her daughter’s just as mistimed quote that she […]
more…28 Jun, 2014
How an American spring can save the world in 2016 – English pravda.ru
But of course we cannot fight for the American elector. He has to fight his own fight like in France or in England. And he certainly understands now (especially if his father or his father was an American) that the hostile elite who has taken the control here wants the disappearing of his country: no […]
more…28 Jun, 2014
Gary Oldman and outraged Hollywood – In the West, courage is now an outrage
Everybody has the right to tackle political correctness, given that he keeps telling politically correct stuff. He is demonized since he talked to famous magazine Playboy. He talked too much, too frankly and the problem is that he had acknowledged that imprudence even during the interview! Since then he can’t stop excusing himself for his […]
more…28 Jun, 2014
5 Myths the Media Needs to Stop Spreading About Sharia Law – Mic
One of the defining characteristics of the post-9/11 world has been a ubiquitous fear, in Euro-American countries, of the creepy imperial prowess of Islamic law — a prowess that never seems to exist outside the imaginations of overzealous protesters. The hysteria over Islamic law here in the United States, in particular, started back in November […]
more…28 Jun, 2014
Fifty things we love about travel right now – Sydney Morning Herald
Fifty things we love about travel right now Read the story: Fifty things we love about travel right now.
more…28 Jun, 2014
Russell Brand calls Fox News ‘a fanatical terrorist propagandist organisation’ – The Independent
Russell Brand has branded Fox News “a fanatical terrorist propagandist organisation”, after one of the network’s legal analysts, Jeanine Pirro, described ISIS in the same way. She also gave her ideal solution in dealing with the Jihadist militant group responsible for recent violence in Iraq and Syria. “Bomb them, keep bombing them, bomb them again,” […]
more…28 Jun, 2014
Ageing society makes Britain the loneliness capital of Europe – The Independent
The walls of Caroline’s house serve as a reminder to the gaping hole in her life: dozens of pictures and posters of trains. Her husband, who died two years ago, was an avid railway enthusiast. Since he passed away, Caroline says that she has felt a searing loneliness. With her few family members all living […]
more…27 Jun, 2014
FIFA World Cup Fever Helps Build Peace With Football – Costa Rica Star
You don’t need a well-manicured grass pitch. You don’t even need all 22 players, or fancy uniforms … or even shoes, for that matter. All you need is a ball and people willing to play. The most popular sport in the world – football (known as soccer in the USA) – can be played anywhere […]
more…26 Jun, 2014
Presbyterians to divest from companies backing Israeli occupation – by Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh
In the past 10 days, Israeli occupation soldiers murdered 7 Palestinians (including a 13 year old child), injured dozens, kidnapped nearly 400, demolished many houses, destroyed contents and broken doors on hundreds of homes invaded in the middle of the night, blocked travel to hundreds of thousands, and continues to imprison thousands many on hunger […]
more…26 Jun, 2014
Indian judge blasts Modi govt after declining Supreme Court appointment – Hindustan Times
Former solicitor general Gopal Subramanium, who withdrew his consent to be appointed as a Supreme Court judge, on Wednesday said he had faced the government’s hostility for his “independence and integrity” as a lawyer. He also regretted that “the judiciary has failed to assert its independence by respecting the likes and dislikes of the executive”, […]
more…25 Jun, 2014
Glenn Greenwald: ‘What I Tell People Who Say They Don’t Care About Their Privacy’ | Alternet
June 20, 2014 | Since he obtained and published Edward Snowden’s leaked National Security Agency documents a little more than a year ago, journalist Glenn Greenwald said people have told him over and over that government surveillance does not concern them. “Those people don’t believe what they’re saying,” he told a sold-out audience last week […]
more…25 Jun, 2014
Greater role for Chinese lawyers emerging in transnational affairs
(China Daily) 2014-06-23 – More Chinese lawyers will be promoted as legal advisers in State-owned companies for transnational business, amid concerns over national and economic security, a senior officer of the All-China Lawyers Association said. Most State-owned companies have been hiring foreign lawyers and accountants for cross-border lawsuits or transnational transactions, which can potentially compromise […]
more…24 Jun, 2014
Chinese commentator: How the U.S. could have better spent its Iraq War money
Washington DC, (China Daily) 2014-06-20 – The Iraq War, which has come back to haunt Americans, Iraqis and the world these days, cost people in the United States some $2 trillion. It has been the worst reflection of US might. Yet a journalism fellowship that has won enormous hearts and minds for the US has […]
more…24 Jun, 2014
Phuket to get its first hospitality HRD Academy
Phuket – The concept of hotel HRD academies is gaining steam in Thailand with plans to set up what is claimed to be the first hospitality training and education Academy in Phuket, the kingdom’s second most important tourism destination after Bangkok. Former Citibank executive Mr. Narong Pattamasaevi, owner of Thailand’s Montara Hospitality Group, has teamed […]
more…23 Jun, 2014
Gujarat govt to buy Rs 100 crore jet for new Chief Minister – The Times of India
GANDHINAGAR: Chief minister Anandiben Patel is set to get new wings with the Gujarat government likely to spend Rs 100 crore to buy a new aircraft for her. The existing carrier — a nine-seater Super King Air Beechcraft 200 — needs to be grounded in December 2014 after it completes the maximum recommended lifespan of […]
more…23 Jun, 2014
France seeks to shed renown for rudeness to woo tourists – ft.com
By Hugh Carnegy ft.com — Queueing to go up the Eiffel Tower with her husband and two children, Monica Krishan from Delhi pulls few punches about being a foreign tourist in Paris “We have just come from Barcelona and Madrid. To put it bluntly the people there are much Read the rest: France seeks to […]
more…23 Jun, 2014
Biggest red light area in Indonesia permanently closed
A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 23 June 2014 (25 Sha’baan 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines below to go to the story. ============ ISLAMIC TOURISM CENTRE – GATEWAY TO MALAYSIA, THE MUSLIM-FRIENDLY DESTINATION The Islamic Tourism Centre in […]
more…23 Jun, 2014
New UK taxi rules undermine safety for women, warn campaigners – The Independent
Ministers have been accused of undermining women’s safety by weakening the regulation of private-hire taxi drivers. Measures being put to a vote in the Commons tomorrow aimed at cutting bureaucracy could make it easier for sex predators to pose as minicab drivers, it is alleged. Despite warnings from women’s safety groups and Labour, three clauses […]
more…23 Jun, 2014
Sharp rise in babies born in England with foetal alcohol syndrome – The Observer
The number of diagnosed cases of foetal alcohol syndrome in those born to women who drink during pregnancy has tripled since records of the debilitating condition were first kept 16 years ago. In 2012-2013 there were 252 diagnoses of the syndrome, which can leave victims severely mentally and physically impaired, compared with 89 in 1997-98. […]
more…20 Jun, 2014
ADB’s US$225,000 funding to revamp Mekong Tourism Office
Mandalay – Alongside the appointment of a new executive director, the Mekong Tourism Coordianting Office (MTCO) is to undergo an operational and administrative revamp with the help of a US$225,000 Technical Assistance (TA) grant from the Asian Develoment Bank. Effective July 1, Social media Jens Thraenhart, a German-Canadian national who specialises in digital media, will […]
more…19 Jun, 2014
Mass surveillance of UK citizens on social media is legal, says UK official – The Independent
The mass interception and surveillance of UK citizens’ activity on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google is legal, the government’s top anti-terror chief has said. In the first detailed defence of the UK’s surveillance policies since the Snowden revelations, Charles Farr, the director general of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, has said that the surveillance […]
more…18 Jun, 2014
Indian Police should not waste time hounding Kerala’s crossword players – The Times of India
Kerala police is of course not alone in acting with worrying alacrity when it comes to harassing those who are accused of anti-Modi comments. In Karnataka and Goa, there has been a rash of police action against people who have posted criticism of the new PM on social media. At the centre of such intimidation […]
more…17 Jun, 2014
Commentary: Is a declining US good for China?
(China Daily) 2014-06-13 – When the Asia Society’s ChinaFile online magazine invited me to discuss whether a declining United States is good for China, my feeling was the question was loaded and confusing. Loaded because it seems to assume that Chinese will celebrate a declining US, given the sensational headlines of strategic rivalry between the […]
more…17 Jun, 2014
‘Presbyterians please divest!’ Palestinian artists urge in paintings on apartheid wall
Rae Abileah on June 16, 2014 – This week the 221st Presbyterian Church USA General Assembly will vote on divestment from key US corporations complicit in the Israeli military occupation of Palestine. What do Palestinians, the “living stones” in the biblical land of our forefathers and foremothers, have to say about this overture? “Freedom is […]
more…17 Jun, 2014
Australian Nuclear Science Organisation develops smart phone radiation detector ‘app’
The popularity of smartphones continues to grow with the availability of an ever-growing range of applications. The app, Radioactivity Counter, is designed to measure a person’s exposure to radiation. It claims to accurately detect the dose in the radiation unit microGray per hour (μGy/h) using the phones in-built camera, which is not only sensitive to […]
more…16 Jun, 2014
Yangon at risk of becoming “just another big Asian business city”
MANDALAY: Just three years after the reform process was initiated, the Myanmar commercial hub city of Yangon is hearing urgent appeals from conservationists to safeguard its historic heritage and prevent it from becoming “just another big Asian business city.” The call was heard a number of times in a talk by a representative of the […]
more…16 Jun, 2014
Cool Weather Cape Town Woos Muslim Tourists For Ramadan
A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 16 June 2014 (18 Sha’baan 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines BELOW to go to the story. ============ ISLAMIC TOURISM CENTRE – GATEWAY TO MALAYSIA, THE MUSLIM-FRIENDLY DESTINATION The Islamic Tourism Centre in Malaysia […]
more…15 Jun, 2014
Israel curbs travel for Palestinian football players — RT News
Israel’s sports minister has defended the country’s travel restrictions against Palestinian football players in a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, citing security concerns. Tel Aviv indicates potential attacks by Palestinian militants as the pretext for the prohibitive travel rules that affect most Palestinians, including athletes. Israel has barred travel between the West Bank and […]
more…15 Jun, 2014
Facebook seeks nod to not disclose its A$60 million a year earnings in Australia – SMH
US tech giant Facebook has sought immunity from corporate rules in Australia requiring companies to disclose their earnings. It is also understood to be booking its local revenue in Ireland, amid growing concern over profit-shifting by international companies. The company applied for an exemption from parts of the Corporations Act in 2009, according to documents […]
more…15 Jun, 2014
Research cites rise in domestic violence during England’s World Cup matches – The Independent
Police forces across the country have set up initiatives aimed at preventing violence in the home during England’s World Cup matches after research found that there is a significant rise in the number of domestic violence cases when the national team play in the tournament. According to the study published this week by Lancaster University, […]
more…15 Jun, 2014
A Muslim reporter’s icy welcome from Texas GOP: ‘Where are you from?’
By Bud Kennedy Even conservatives were quick to criticize a Keller school trustee’s bigotry. But while most of north Tarrant County denounced Jo Lynn Haussmann’s Muslim-bashing last week, another story unfolded in downtown Fort Worth. UT Arlington senior Heba Said, opinion editor of The Shorthorn, wrote Wednesday about the disgusted looks and comments of “you […]
more…15 Jun, 2014
Asianophobia in UK | The Asian Age
by Farroukh Dhondy The UK Electoral Commission has launched an investigation to “ascertain the vulnerability of Asian communities to electoral fraud.” It names 16 local authorities — Municipal Corporations — with substantial-enough populations of “Asians” to affect the results of a public election. The list, in alphabetical order names Birmingham, Blackburn, Bradford, Burnley, Calderdale, Coventry, […]
more…12 Jun, 2014
Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam hit as Chinese tourists head for East Asia
Beijing, (China Daily) 2014-06-11 – More tourists from China have been heading to East Asia in recent months, deterred from traveling to traditionally popular destinations such as Malaysia and Vietnam. Travel agencies nationwide have reported a 50 percent year-on-year increase in visits to South Korea in the past few months. “While some tourists canceled trips […]
more…12 Jun, 2014
PATA’s Myanmar drone stunt followed by crash
Mandalay: The Pacific Asia Travel Association laid claim to becoming the first industry grouping to demonstrate the aerial photography prowess of a remote controlled drone, only to see the flying machine come crashing down during another attempt the following day. Initiated with great fanfare by PATA CEO Martin Craigs, the drone powered by four helicopter-style […]
more…11 Jun, 2014
‘Israel is bitterly dividing American Jewish community’ — AP
Two weeks ago the Washington Post ran an excellent piece on the divide inside the Washington Jewish community over Israel. Marc Fisher’s reporting included anti-Zionists and non-Zionists who were getting the bum’s rush from establishment Jewish organizations: Fisher reported on the disinvitation of the Shondes band and author David Harris-Gershon by the Jewish Community Center […]
more…11 Jun, 2014
‘Inventing Terrorists’ Study Probes U.S. Govt’s Use of Preemptive Prosecutions | The Dissenter
Nearly ninety-five percent of individuals on a Justice Department list of “terrorism and terrorism-related convictions” from 2001-2010 included some elements of preemptive prosecution, according to a study by attorneys which they say is the first to “directly examine and critique preemptive prosecution and its abuses.” The study is called “Inventing Terrorists: The Lawfare of Preemptive […]
more…9 Jun, 2014
The role of Islamic tourism in the global economy
Following is the full text of the speech delivered by Mrs. Fatou Mass Jobe-Njie, Minister of Tourism & Culture, Republic of The Gambia and Chairperson of the OIC Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers, at the 1st OIC International Forum on Islamic Tourism, 2-3 June 2014, Jakarta, Indonesia Asalamu Alaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarakatuhu Madame Chairperson, first of […]
more…9 Jun, 2014
’21st century China-Iran Silk Road Seminar’ held in Beijing
A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 09 June 2014 (11 Sha’baan 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story. ============ ISLAMIC TOURISM CENTRE – GATEWAY TO MALAYSIA, THE MUSLIM-FRIENDLY DESTINATION The Islamic Tourism Centre in Malaysia […]
more…9 Jun, 2014
MH370: Australian oil rig worker loses job after ‘fire in the sky’ report
Reports from an oil rig worker who saw a fire in the sky on the night Malaysia Airlines flight 370 disappeared are being taken seriously, police sources have confirmed. But New Zealander Mike McKay, 55, has lost his job in the ‘‘circus’’ that developed after his report to authorities was leaked. Mr McKay had been […]
more…9 Jun, 2014
Families of MH370 passengers seek whistleblower, offer $5m reward: The Independent
The families of those on board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have launched a campaign calling for a “whistleblower” to come forward and reveal how the plane has lost, offering a reward of up to $5 million. They plan to raise the money via the crowdfunding website Indiegogo, and hope that a large enough […]
more…9 Jun, 2014
Sharad Pawar: Modi as PM emboldened communal forces – Financial Express
NCP president Sharad Pawar on Sunday expressed alarm over the rising communal incidents after Narendra Modi became the prime minister. At the NCP’s 15th Foundation Day function here, Pawar said, “The change of government in Delhi appears to have emboldened the communal forces who have started asserting themselves leading to growing incidents of communal conflict […]
more…8 Jun, 2014
No tolerance for hate crimes – The Hindu
Nothing puts to test the strength of India’s secular, social fabric as a hate crime does. The horrific murder of Mohsin Shaikh, an IT professional in Pune, by a group of youngsters owing allegiance to the Hindu Rashtra Sena, is a reminder of how a post-election feeling of triumphalism can feed a climate of lawlessness […]
more…7 Jun, 2014
How fasting can regenerate the immune system — Sydney Morning Herald
By Sarah Knapton Fasting for three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as ‘‘remarkable’’. Although fasting diets have been criticised by nutritionists, research suggests that starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing more white blood cells, which fight off infection. Scientists at […]
more…7 Jun, 2014
Singaporean man sought consular help to get ‘bad sex’ refund | The Japan Times
SINGAPORE – Singapore on Thursday urged its globe-trotting citizens to avoid misusing consular services abroad, revealing “odd requests,” including one man who demanded help to get a refund for bad sex. Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam said the number of overseas trips made by Singaporeans surged to 7 million in 2013, compared to 3.6 million a […]
more…7 Jun, 2014
PM Modi’s silence on some issues has certainly been perplexing – Hindustan Times
What’s happened in Pune is in some ways even more spine-chilling. Morphed online photographs of Bal Thackeray and Chhatrapati Shivaji resulted in communal friction and street protests in the city. Soon after, Mohsin Mohammed Sadique Shaikh — a computer engineer still in his twenties and in no ways connected to the circulation of these photographs […]
more…7 Jun, 2014
Gallup Polls: Few Consumers Trust Companies to Keep Online Info Safe
June 6, 2014, WASHINGTON, D.C. (Gallup Polls) — Recent incidents such as Target’s security breach, the Heartbleed bug, and eBay’s systems hack have called attention to how much consumers trust the businesses they patronize to keep their personal information safe. That trust currently appears to be hard to come by. Just 21% of Americans have […]
more…7 Jun, 2014
Manila Bulletin: Sex offenders to be barred from entering Philippines
June 5, 2014, Manila Bulletin – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) banned the entry of foreigners who are registered sex offenders in other countries. BI Commissioner Siegfred Mison on Thursday said any alien whose name is found in the registry of sex offenders kept by foreign embassies and other watch groups will be issued an […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
No-fly list discriminates against Muslim travelers | The Daily Texan
Many Longhorns will take this summer break as an opportunity to study or travel abroad. Most students will board their planes without a second thought. However, some students will have to worry about possible discrimination based on appearance or religious affiliation by which they could be unfairly chosen for frisking or even denied boarding on […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
Israeli apartheid exposed at the airport – Haaretz
Despite new x-ray machines, the brutal treatment of Arab citizens at Ben-Gurion Airport continues in keeping with Zionist ideology. Read the rest: Israeli apartheid exposed at the airport – Opinion Israel News | Haaretz.
more…6 Jun, 2014
Vodafone reveals existence of secret wires that allow state surveillance – The Guardian
Vodafone, one of the world’s largest mobile phone groups, has revealed the existence of secret wires that allow government agencies to listen to all conversations on its networks, saying they are widely used in some of the 29 countries in which it operates in Europe and beyond. The company has broken its silence on government […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
Eight ways to take back your online privacy — Sydney Morning Herald
A year ago, Edward Snowden’s leaks about the US mass surveillance program made headlines around the world. Now he’s urging internet users to stop relying on governments to protect their rights online and claw back their privacy themselves. “We’re past the point where citizens are entirely dependent on governments to defend our privacy, we don’t […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
Japan to share fingerprints with U.S. | The Japan Times
The Diet on Wednesday endorsed an agreement to share with the United States in real time the fingerprints of suspected terrorists and individuals involved in serious crimes. The pact, approved by the Lower House last month, was passed Wednesday by the Upper House on the strength of backing by the Liberal Democratic Party and New […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
PM Modi must condemn Sadique Shaikh’s murder – The Times of India
Modi would like his ministers to be active on social networking websites. But this can only work if the general populace has the same right without being subject to arbitrary arrest and even hate crimes. Moreover, zealots may read the BJP victory as a signal to go ahead with such crimes. This interpretation must be […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
Year of the Whistleblower: 10 things we didn’t know before Snowden — RT USA
Welcome to the post-Snowden era, where everything you say or do can be monitored by secret services – regardless of a court of law. One year on,here are the top 10 revelations showing us how the world has been fundamentally transformed by state snooping. Read the rest: Year of the whistleblower: 10 things we didn’t […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
PressTV – Israel critics targeted as ‘anti-Semites’ in Canada
By Joshua Blakeney Since 2010, I have been Press TV’s Canadian correspondent based in Calgary, Alberta. I have been forced by the actions and statements of Canada’s ruling neoconservatives to hone in on the role Zionists and the organized Jewish community play in Canadian society. Canada’s current government has shifted this country from being a […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
Top US CEOs make 330 times more than average employees – RT Business
The average employee in the US will have to work 331 years to earn the annual salary of an average Fortune 500 CEO, according to the AFL-CIO’s 2013 Executive Paywatch. The ratio of CEO pay to worker pay has increased by more than 500 percent in the last thirty years. In 1983, the average CEO […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
Cruise operators accused of misleading travellers over Anzac centenary tours
The Australian and Turkish governments have accused tour operators of misleading travellers by continuing to advertise cruises that offer access to the Gallipoli Peninsula for the Anzac Day dawn service next year, marking the 100th anniversary of the Anzac landings. The Turkish government has also told Fairfax Media no cruise ships will be able to […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
What You Should Know About Face Recognition Technology | Alternet
By Tana Ganeva June 4, 2014 – The NSA’s spying doesn’t stop at texts, emails, phone metadata, World of Warcraft, eavesdropping on foreign officials or archiving every phone call made by everyone in the Bahamas. The spy agency is also collecting millions of images every day to plug into face recognition technology, according to a […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
Glenn Greenwald to Publish Names of Americans NSA Spied On | Alternet
By Alyssa Figueroa May 29, 2014 – Those who have grown apathetic about the National Security Agency violating privacy rights, may soon find their interest renewed, as the political is about to get very personal. According to The Sunday Times of London, Glenn Greenwald will publish the names of Americans targeted by the NSA. “One […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
A Surveillance State Beyond Imagination Is Being Created in One of the World’s Freest Countries
By Noam Chomsky June 2, 2014 – In the past several months, we have been provided with instructive lessons on the nature of state power and the forces that drive state policy. And on a closely related matter: the subtle, differentiated concept of transparency. The source of the instruction, of course, is the trove of […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
5 Signs that America Has Gone Bonkers—and a Glimmer of Hope | Alternet
By Jim Hightower May 29, 2014 – It might appear that the U-S-of-A has gone bonkers. So let me clear up any confusion that you might have: Yes, it has! Yet, it hasn’t. More on that in a moment. First, though — whether looking at the “tea party” congress critters who’ve swerved our nation’s political […]
more…6 Jun, 2014
Australia’s rich get amnesty to declare offshore tax structures
One hundred of Australia’s richest people have taken advantage of a rare amnesty from the Australian Taxation Office – issued in March this year – to reveal their use of secretive offshore tax havens without severe punishment. There has also been a ”large number of expressions of interest” in addition to those 100 people, according […]
more…4 Jun, 2014
11 Ways to Reboot and Reform Thai Tourism
Bangkok – The Thailand Travel Mart+ which opens today comes in the midst of a wider national transition which has seen the Thai tourism industry, the largest service industry, hit by its worst crises in decades. The upheaval is no act-of-God, but an entirely self-inflicted political catastrophe which disproves the current tourism slogan: “Amazing Thailand: […]
more…3 Jun, 2014
151 Days of Alcohol-related Blackouts | Alternet
by May Wilkerson I was a blackout drinker from the first time I ever got drunk at 16, and my blackouts would cut broad swathes of time right out of my memory, ranging from an hour to an entire night. After waking up the next day, I would search my immediate surroundings for physical clues. […]
more…2 Jun, 2014
World Cup 2014 in Brazil ready to welcome Muslim fans
A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 02 June 2014 (04 Sha’baan 1435). Pls click on any of the headlines to go to the story. ============ ISLAMIC TOURISM CENTRE – GATEWAY TO MALAYSIA, THE MUSLIM-FRIENDLY DESTINATION The Islamic Tourism Centre in Malaysia […]
more…1 Jun, 2014
Americans Say U.S. multinationals do poor job helping grow U.S. economy
PRINCETON, N.J. — (Gallup Polls) May 27, 2014 – Americans see large U.S. companies as having a more positive effect overseas than they do domestically. While 66% of Americans believe that large U.S. companies do a good job creating good jobs for citizens in other countries where they do business, far fewer, 43%, say the […]
more…31 May, 2014
Investigative Journo exposes the U.S-Israeli lies over the Iranian “nuclear threat”
Harpers magazine interview with investigative journalist Gareth Porter The claim of an Iranian nuclear-weapons program has been based on false history and falsified records. The description of the Iranian nuclear program presented in official documents, in commentaries by think-tank “experts,” and in the media bears no resemblance to the essential historical facts. One would never […]
more…27 May, 2014
Siem Reap to host 1st UNWTO-UNESCO global conf on tourism and culture
The world’s first ministerial-level conference on tourism and culture is to be held in Siem Reap, home of the World Heritage temple complex of Angkor Wat, between February 4-6, 2015. It will jointly organised by the UN World Tourism Organisation in cooperation with UNESCO. Announcing the event at the UNWTO’s regional meetings for Asia in […]
more…26 May, 2014
Damac launches Sharia-compliant hotel apartments
A compilation of progressive, positive, inspiring and motivating events and developments in the world of Islam for the week ending 26 May 2014 (27 Rajab 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 has led […]
more…24 May, 2014
Get the data: What the drones strike | Bureau of Investigative Journalism
The Bureau is publishing, for the first time, data showing the types of targets that have been reportedly attacked by CIA drones in Pakistan. The research is a joint project by the Bureau, Forensic Architecture, a research unit based at Goldsmiths University, London, and Situ Research in New York. The data feeds this interactive website […]
more…24 May, 2014
Most US drone strikes in Pakistan attack houses – Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Domestic buildings have been hit by drone strikes more than any other type of target in the CIA’s 10-year campaign in the tribal regions of northern Pakistan, new research reveals. By way of contrast, since 2008, in neighbouring Afghanistan drone strikes on buildings have been banned in all but the most urgent situations, as part […]
more…24 May, 2014
On Using ‘Anti-Semitism’ to Promote a Political Agenda in America
by: David Harris-Gershon Fifteen years ago, on a dirt road in rural Missouri, I was followed by two men in a beat-up Ford pickup for three miles, their middle fingers raised and their faces strained, screaming words I could not hear – words I did not need to hear. This was during my yarmulke-wearing days. […]
more…23 May, 2014
Man faces arrest in Goa for making anti-Modi comment – Hindustan Times
An anti-Narendra Modi comment on Facebook may now lead to the arrest of a 31-year-old shipbuilding professional, even as police in BJP-ruled Goa suspect a “larger game plan to promote communal and social disharmony in the state”. Civil society activists and the Opposition plan to picket outside the police headquarters on Saturday against what they […]
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