16 Nov, 2011

Singer crashes Obama summit with ‘Occupy’ song — chinadaily.com.cn

A popular Hawaiian recording artist turned a top-security dinner of Pacific Rim leaders hosted by President Barack Obama into a subtle protest with a song in support of the “Occupy” movement. Makana, who goes by one name, was enlisted to play a luau, or Hawaiian feast, Saturday night for leaders assembled in Obama’s birthplace Honolulu […]

15 Nov, 2011

“Innovation No Longer Prerogative Of High-Income Countries” – WIPO Report

World Intellectual Property Organization

In a foreword to the Report, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry notes that “innovation growth is no longer the prerogative of high-income countries alone; the technological gap between richer and poorer countries is narrowing.

15 Nov, 2011

Study Shows Potential For Ships To Make Huge Cuts In CO2 Emissions

International Maritime Organization

An IMO-commissioned study into the impact of mandatory energy efficiency measures for international shipping shows that implementation of the measures will lead to significant reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, specifically reductions of carbon dioxide (CO2), resulting from enhanced fuel efficiency.

15 Nov, 2011

UN Urges Action To Help Hundreds Of Millions Of Sufferers Of Diabetes

Nov 14 2011 (UN News Centre) – With almost 350 million people worldwide now suffering from diabetes, and the number expected to keep rising, the United Nations today called on governments and drug companies to ensure that sufferers have the care and treatment they deserve. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon used his address on World Diabetes Day, […]

15 Nov, 2011

East Asia-Pacific children highly vulnerable to climate change impacts

BANGKOK, 14 November 2011 – According to a UNICEF report, Children’s Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Disaster Impacts in East Asia and the Pacific, children will be among those most affected by climate change. Millions of children across East Asia and the Pacific already suffer from a lack of access to clean water and proper […]

15 Nov, 2011

Another war is coming? – People’s Daily Online

It is said that the U.S. Department of Defense has submitted a plan to attack Iran with military force. Will the United States and Israel really carry out military operations against Iran at this time or are they just bluffing to pressure Iran? After strictly, comprehensively and reliably assessing a great amount of information, the […]

15 Nov, 2011

The new emancipation – chinadaily.com.cn

In India and Indonesia, the rules of marriage are changing as well, steered by a rising middle class and women who will no longer tolerate inequality in marriage. Tiffany Tan has the stories. It’s a bit of a surprise to discover the person behind India’s biggest matchmaking site for divorcees is a single, attractive, 30-year-old […]

15 Nov, 2011

gulfnews : Witness to an age of transformation

“I’m from the second generation of people who settled in the Arabian Gulf Coast… my age could be 88 years or more,” he said. “At the time of my youth, the Trucial Coast was poor and undeveloped, with economy largely based upon fishing and pearl diving along the coast,” he said. “Our life was going […]

15 Nov, 2011

Norway massacre: court stops ‘arrogant’ gunman speaking

Behring Breivik also attempted to take advantage of his first public appearance since the attacks to make a speech. “I am a military commander in a resistance movement,” Behring Breivik said in a calm voice before questioning the legitimacy of the court to try him. “You have been mandated by those who support multiculturalism. That […]

15 Nov, 2011

Crony capitalism exposed – The Washington Post

Insider trading is illegal — except for members of Congress. A Wall Street executive who buys or sells stock based on insider information would face a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and quite possibly a federal prosecutor. But senators and congressmen are free to legally trade stock based on nonpublic information they have obtained through […]

15 Nov, 2011

For Israel, a tough call on attacking Iran – The Washington Post

A weird but wonderful feature of Israeli democracy is that even fateful decisions about national security — like whether to carry out a military attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities — are publicly debated and covered in the press as if they were questions about road building or water rates, complete with vote counts in the […]

15 Nov, 2011

Eurofighter loses ground against F-35 in Japan contract race – Telegraph

Defence analysts monitoring the three-way dogfight for the multi-billion contract say Tokyo has been impressed with the stealth technology of the Lockheed Martin F-35, which will enable it to carry out clandestine monitoring of Chinese, North Korean and Russian military assets in the region. It also remains indebted to Washington for the assistance the US […]

15 Nov, 2011

AFP: Japan should prioritise reducing debt, IMF chief says

TOKYO — IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Saturday said Japan should make reducing its mammoth public debt a priority, while adding that its recent unilateral currency intervention was “in the spirit” of the G7. Japan’s “priorities going forward are the swift implementation of reconstruction spending, and the adoption of a strong medium-term plan to reduce […]

15 Nov, 2011

Measure for measure – Indian Express

Airport searches are universally annoying — but the rest of us who want to travel have resigned ourselves to elaborate and intrusive screenings. The US Transportation Security Administration is especially relentless about this security theatre, now unfeasible to scale down — it is now simply a fact of our post-9/11 times. However, in India, our […]

15 Nov, 2011

American? Step aside – Hindustan Times

In our khichdi mix of a feudal culture and modernity, we usually deem the act of frisking to be insulting for the person being searched. True, the chance of a VIP having nefarious plans and walking into the immigration line in any Indian airport is extremely slim. But someone with a nefarious plan looking like […]

15 Nov, 2011

ADB urges Asia to help rescue eurozone – FT.com

By James Lamont in Mumbai The Asian Development Bank has called for India and China to be ready to help rescue the eurozone from its sovereign debt crisis to avoid a long-term downturn that will stunt the growth of Asian economies. Rajat Nag, the managing director of the Manila-based ADB, said the world’s two fastest-growing […]

14 Nov, 2011

Tourism Needs Sharper Human Rights Focus – UK NGO

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

The issue of human rights in the travel & tourism industry hit the public spotlight for the first time at the World Travel Market 2011. Panelists at a seminar were briefed on a new report issued by the UK-based tourism watchdog group Tourism Concern calling on the industry to start incorporating human rights into their […]

14 Nov, 2011

Age of low-cost flights – The Japan Times Online

It appears that Japan is finally entering the age of low-cost flights. All Nippon Airways has set up a joint venture, Peach Aviation, with a Chinese investment fund and plans to set up another joint venture, AirAsia Japan, with AirAsia of Malaysia, a leading low-coast carrier (LCC) in Asia. Japan Airlines, now undergoing rehabilitation, has […]

14 Nov, 2011

Time the West stopped being obstinate – chinadaily.com.cn

For leaders and citizens of the G20 countries, this week’s summit in Cannes is about as welcome as a visit to an undertaker. For all its unwieldiness and amorphous sense of purpose, the G20 represents the beginnings of an understanding, as necessary as it is reluctant, that a global economy with new growth sources must […]

14 Nov, 2011

Three Travel Editors Unite In Opposing Attack On Iran

By Imtiaz Muqbil, John Bell, Don Ross

Europe is no longer what it once was. Times are hard, debt is soaring, people worry about their jobs. There is palpable worry about what the future will bring. Can the travel & tourism industry afford yet another crisis: An attack on Iran?

13 Nov, 2011

Pew Research: Injured Iraq war veterans say it’s not been worth it

Imtiaz Muqbil

Originally Published: 13 November 2011 More than six-in-ten injured post-9/11 U.S. military veterans (62%) are critical of the war in Iraq, compared with 48% of recent veterans who were not injured, according to according to a Pew Research Center survey released last week. “In their judgment of the Iraq War, these injured veterans appear to […]

13 Nov, 2011

Spirituality To Be Asia’s Best Wellness Tourism Asset – Research Report

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

LONDON: Spiritual & Holistic products and services are set to be the most important assets and demand components of the health and wellness sector in the Far East and South East Asia by 2020, according to a research report distributed at the World Travel Market 2011 here last week.

10 Nov, 2011

Japanese Outbound Up 9%, Inbound Still In Slump – JNTO

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

Japanese outbound travel is growing again with total departures of 1,792,000, in August 2011, up 9.1% over August 2010, and 1,645,000 in September 2011, up 6.7% over September 2010. However, inbound arrivals still remain in a slump, due to continuing fears over the radiation fallout from the 11 March 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster.

10 Nov, 2011

Facebook “Drying Up” Face-To-Face Contact – Social Media Study

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

Face-to-face conversation is “rapidly drying up” as a growing number of people fall into “the habit of switching off whilst checking Facebook in mid-conversation,” according to a survey of 500 users aged 13-25 conducted by a Manchester-based independent social media agency.

9 Nov, 2011

Europe Visa Process “Worse Than Tax Audit” – Indian Tour Operator

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

The executive director of one of India’s major tour operators has blasted the UK and European visa application process as being “worse than an IRS audit” and said they would have to find ways of simplifying the process and clearing out its inconsistencies if they wished to attract Indian visitors.

8 Nov, 2011

Visit To Egypt Is A Vote For Peace & Democracy – Tourism Minister

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

Egypt again broke new ground in the annals of travel & tourism history by publicly asserting the linkage between tourism, politics and global geopolitics. At yet another lively Press conference on the opening day of the World Travel Market, Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry El-Nour stressed, “Tourism and politics are interdependent, especially in Egypt at this […]

7 Nov, 2011

More Crises Loom As G20 Summit Lets Financial Terrorists Walk

Imtiaz Muqbil at the WTM 2011 in London

The travel & tourism industry has only itself to blame for becoming a victim of the global economic crisis. Its constant boasting about its size and resilience makes it an easy target for the taxman. At the same time, industry leaders are seldom heard taking a more principled stance, such as questioning the huge costs of Western military adventures and the so-called “war on terror.”

4 Nov, 2011

Too Big to Jail – Truthout

Can we all agree that a $1 billion swindle represents a lot of money, and the fact that Citigroup agreed last week to pay a $285 million fine to settle SEC charges for “misleading investors” demonstrates a damning admission of culpability? So why has Robert Rubin, the onetime treasury secretary who went on to become […]

4 Nov, 2011

Has a Hollywood actress made Palestine solidarity chic? | The Electronic Intifada

What does it mean when an Oscar-winning actress appears in British Vogue wearing a Palestine scarf, particularly amidst a media and film industry which generally demonizes the people of the Middle East? Either it was an intentional message of solidarity, or simply a deliberately-controversial fashion statement on the part of a celebrity known for her […]

3 Nov, 2011

Chinese firms boost overseas office rentals | chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING – As Chinese companies embark on a wave of overseas expansion, managers of office buildings overseas are seeing an increasing number of business opportunities amid a faltering economic recovery and are flying to China to seek potential Chinese tenants. Anthony Malkin, president of Malkin Holdings LLC, which manages the Empire State Building in New […]

3 Nov, 2011

Paedophile ring unravelled – SMH

A British woman and four men have been found guilty of various offences for their part in an international paedophile ring that committed “horrific” crimes against two young children in Britain and one in Australia. Melissa Noon and the four other defendants were convicted at Portsmouth Crown Court of a total of 16 offences. The […]

3 Nov, 2011

David Cameron backs Archbishop on top pay – The Independent

David Cameron has backed the Archbishop of Canterbury’s call for greater responsibility by high earners in the City, while playing down the idea of a “Robin Hood tax” on the banks. The Prime Minister said Dr Rowan Williams spoke “for the whole country” when he condemned the excesses of those at the top of society. […]

2 Nov, 2011

CIC buys stake in GDF Suez – chinadaily.com.cn

The China Investment Corp (CIC), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, on Monday signed an agreement to pay GDF Suez 2.3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in exchange for a 30-percent stake in the French company’s exploration and production division. CIC chairman Lou Jiwei signed the agreement Monday in Beijing with Gerard Mestrallet, chairman and chief executive […]

2 Nov, 2011

China cuts tax to boost small businesses – chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING – China carried out major tax cuts on Tuesday designed to benefit the nation’s crisis-hit small and micro-sized firms – including street vendors – and also help curb inflation. The value-added tax (VAT) threshold for small enterprises increased to between 5,000 yuan ($791.14) and 20,000 yuan, in terms of monthly sales revenues, from the […]

2 Nov, 2011

Mekong security agreement reached – People’s Daily Online

BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhuanet) — Four countries, including China, have agreed joint security operations on the Mekong River where 13 Chinese sailors were murdered last month. Officials from China, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos vowed to boost law enforcement on the river, according to a statement released after a meeting in Beijing on Monday. “The smuggling […]

2 Nov, 2011

Why Taoism can change the world – People’s Daily Online

The closing ceremony of the international Taoism forum and a prayer meeting for world harmony concluded at Hengshan Mountain of Hunan province on Oct. 25. The forum has made the “Nanyue Declaration,” which states that “being simple and sincere can help people to secure a peaceful mind, and following the laws of nature will ensure […]

2 Nov, 2011

Disaster victims to get dharma counselling – The Nation

Monks will start visiting flood victims at evacuation centres from tomorrow under a new initiative aimed at alleviating stress and depression. The project will seek to ease the emotional burden of the disaster through the use of dharma teaching and advice. “We have found that flood victims at evacuation centres are experiencing high levels of […]

2 Nov, 2011

Why does Wal-mart continue to flout law? – People’s Daily Online

After entering the Chinese market, multinational corporations need to make some adjustments according to the specific conditions of different regions, and mistakes in the early stages are understandable. However, Wal-Mart’s 13 stores in Chongqing have continued to make the same mistakes, and “inappropriate strategy of localization” is no excuse for their unethical and illegal practices. […]

2 Nov, 2011

Top bosses’ riches are undeserved – SMH

Trade liberalisation has opened up opportunities for cheaper imports of many everyday items such as TVs, fridges, couches and cars. When goods are internationally traded it is harder for monopolies to survive. But many of our big purchases, groceries, electricity and home loans continue to be supplied by a limited number of domestic companies and […]

2 Nov, 2011

Truths, facts and facts on the ground – Al Jazeera English

In 1991, negotiations started officially and unofficially between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (and the Palestinians associated with it) and the Israeli government. At the time, Israel had occupied the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip for the previous 24 years. Today, 20 years later, Israel and President Obama insist that the only […]

31 Oct, 2011

Journey of a Lifetime: In The Footsteps of the Buddha

Imtiaz Muqbil on the Buddhist Circuit

In a world of ceaseless turmoil, the pursuit of peace and security is becoming a global human objective, triggering a surge in religious tourism. India, home to four world religions and philosophies, is capitalising on this trend big time, especially the Buddhist circuit. With thousands of devotees flocking in from around the world, major improvements are being made in facilities and services to cater to them.

31 Oct, 2011

After The Floods: Will Thai Tourism Now Ponder the “Karma” Factor?

Imtiaz Muqbil

The devastating floods is the latest in a series of almost back-to-back crises that have struck the Thai travel & tourism industry over the last 10 years. As a Buddhist country, Thailand knows all too well the deeper meaning of cause-and-effect. Is it time for travel & tourism to indulge in some self-introspection and identify the root causes of this ceaseless suffering?

25 Oct, 2011

Transparency Is A Good MICE-Catcher, Says Indian Dental Association Secretary

Imtiaz Muqbil at the ITB Asia 2011

Singapore: The Secretary of an Indian dental association says that transparency is a critical factor in both earning membership trust as well as in winning bids for international conventions.

20 Oct, 2011

Buses, Coaches “Beat Cars, Planes for Greening Travel & Tourism”

International Road Transport Union Press Release

Kortrijk (Oct 20, 2011) – About 200 European transport and travel political and business leaders have met here for the 7th European Bus and Coach Forum to discuss best policies and operational practices to further green the travel and tourism chain. They say that buses and coaches offer the “best transport solution” for ensuring the […]

20 Oct, 2011

ITB Asia Edges PATA Mart As Region’s Leading Trade Show

Imtiaz Muqbil

SINGAPORE: When the ITB Asia opened on Oct 19, the largest delegation of sellers was from Indonesia and the largest delegation of buyers from India. Business was in full swing on the trade floor and the various side-events packed to capacity. Europe may be facing a huge debt crisis, the US economy is in dire […]

18 Oct, 2011

Ban Sees Switzerland’s Decreasing Glaciers From Helicopter Over Bern

Oct 16 2011 — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today took a helicopter flight over the Swiss city of Bern to observe the decreasing volume of the country’s glaciers and later exchanged views with President Micheline Calmy-Rey on sustainable development and the forthcoming United Nations conference on climate change in South Africa. They also discussed various regional […]

18 Oct, 2011

UN Chief: Richer Countries Have Greater Responsibility To Restore Financial Stability

Oct 17 2011 — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that the world’s major economies must shoulder greater responsibility to restore global financial stability, urging them to follow the model of the 2008 London summit of the Group of 20 (G20) when leaders agreed to back the financial system for the benefit of all with more […]

18 Oct, 2011

Speakers Stress Reversing Desertification To Combat Poverty

Oct 17 2011 — Key speakers at the United Nations conference in the Republic of Korea on combating desertification today stressed that restoring degraded lands is crucial to addressing some global challenges, including poverty, food scarcity and the loss of the world’s biodiversity. “If we protect, restore and manage land and soils we can tackle […]

18 Oct, 2011

World Leaders Urged To Heed Public Calls For Global Economic Justice

Oct 17 2011 — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated his call for the leaders of the world’s biggest economies to restore public confidence in the global economic system, saying that mass protests in numerous cities around the world are the result of frustrations with inequality. Responding to a reporter’s question in Bern after a meeting […]

18 Oct, 2011

Food Price Swings Threaten To Push Millions More Into Hunger, UN Warns

Oct 17 2011 — The United Nations and international figures marked World Food Day today with calls for immediate aid and longer-term solutions, and warnings of factors that keep hundreds of millions mired in hunger, such as price swings and gender discrimination. In a message delivered to a ceremony at the UN Food and Agriculture […]

18 Oct, 2011

UN Calls For Global Six-Week Truce During 2012 Olympic Games

Oct 17 2011 — The United Nations today called for the traditional age-old truce to be observed during next summer’s Olympics in London, urging warring parties around the world to lay down their arms as the Games’ ancient Greek founders did some 2,700 years ago. In a resolution co-sponsored by all 193 Member States, the […]

18 Oct, 2011

New Era Dawns – East Tells West: Put Your House In Order

Imtiaz Muqbil

The Bangkok-based UN Economic & Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific convened a high-level consultation amongst the region’s ministers, central bank governors and senior policymakers between 11-12 October to formulate an Asia-Pacific perspective for the G20 Summit to be held in Cannes, France on 3 and 4 November 2011. The meeting reflected a growing […]

17 Oct, 2011

UN Women’s Fund Invites Proposals For Grants, Especially From Arab Countries

Oct 16 2011 (UN News) — The United Nations women’s fund for gender equality on Sunday invited organizations and government agencies to apply for grants, adding that first phase of its 2011–2012 funding cycle will give priority to proposals that seek to empower women and their communities in Arab countries. “UN Women supports the participation […]

17 Oct, 2011

Young Environmental Leaders from Developing Countries Showcase Sustainable Solutions

Leverkusen (Germany) / Nairobi, 17 October 2011 – Young environmental leaders from 18 developing countries are gathering in Germany this week to showcase their own, innovative solutions for sustainable development. The 47 young people were selected from over 800 applicants to represent their countries at the UNEP-Bayer Young Environmental Envoy Programme, which kicks off today […]

17 Oct, 2011

Transparency & Accountability: UNWTO Raises Industry Standards to New Level

Imtiaz Muqbil

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) ended its 19th biennial General Assembly in Seoul last week by setting new standards of transparency and accountability for the global travel industry as well as its many membership-based associations, both public and private.

14 Oct, 2011

Gateway to Krakatau – A New ASEAN Destination Takes Flight

Imtiaz Muqbil in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia

Bandar Lampung, Indonesia’s gateway city to the famous Krakatau volcano, hosted its first international tourism event during October 12-14. Inaugurated with a colourful, pulsating ceremony of spectacular music and dance that even surprised the country’s tourism marketing director, the Tourism Indonesia Mart & Expo (TIME) has helped the city of just under one million people […]

13 Oct, 2011

Cagle Post » Willful Deafness When it Comes to Occupy Wall Street

The media have gone “Grampa with a telemarketer” on Occupy Wall Street. That hasn’t hindered the Occupiers from resonating with Americans. The protests have been growing. The movement has been growing. Occupy LA is down the street from my home. Their numbers have nearly quadrupled from the first week. They now count 253 tents at […]

12 Oct, 2011

The Asia-Pacific Statistical Yearbook 2011 Released – Download FREE!

Imtiaz Muqbil

Bangkok, Oct 12, 2011 (UN ESCAP Strategic Communications and Advocacy Section) – Asia and the Pacific is undergoing major demographic transformation, according to United Nations statistical data released here today. “At some point this month, October 2011, a child will be born and the world’s population will have reached seven billion. There is a good […]

12 Oct, 2011

Identity Thieves Find New Ways To Steal Personal Information

Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 11, 2011 — Americans go to great lengths to protect against being robbed. We lock our doors, install alarm systems in our homes and cars, and insure our valuables. Many, however, do not pay an equal amount of attention to the crime that impacted more than eight million consumers last year, […]

12 Oct, 2011

10 Things to Do with Your Obsolete iPhone 4 Now That the iPhone 4S is Here

RENO, Nev., Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Our houses, pockets and bags are filled with gadgets. We collect them, placing ever growing faith in their sleek metallic casings and cleverly designed features, and we upgrade them as often as our bank balance will allow; justification be damned!

12 Oct, 2011

Business Travel Sees “Comeback Year” in 2011 But Tougher Climb in Turbulent 2012

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Business travel will maintain its upward trajectory in 2012, but a stagnant U.S. economy is driving increasing corporate uncertainty and leading to projections of slower U.S. business travel spending growth next year, according to the latest Business Travel Quarterly Outlook – United States from the Global Business Travel […]

12 Oct, 2011

US Cabin Crew Union Backs Occupy Wall Street Movement, Blasts “Corporate Greed”

Imtiaz Muqbil

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) International President Veda Shook issued the following statement after AFA leadership applauded the Occupy Wall Street movement: “As the world’s largest Flight Attendant union, we stand beside our sisters and brothers who are participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement in cities across […]

11 Oct, 2011

Special Report: Travel & Tourism In The New World Order

=============

How will the emerging new world order impact the global travel & tourism industry? Today, the world is tightly inter-connected but clearly split into three power blocs — one rising, one declining and one comprised of countries caught in the middle. In the years ahead, the inter- and intra-bloc conflicts will have a critical impact […]

11 Oct, 2011

UN Hails Refugee Champion Fridtjof Nansen As Bearer Of World’s Conscience

Oct 10 2011 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today hailed the renowned Norwegian explorer and refugee champion Fridtjof Nansen, on the 150th anniversary of his birth, as the very embodiment of the world’s collective conscience that brings succour to the downtrodden, the afflicted and the oppressed. “The greatest barriers in life are not walls around buildings, […]

11 Oct, 2011

Scientific And Financial Backing Essential To Fight Droughts And Famine

Oct 10 2011 (UN News) – Scientific and financial resources are needed to counter the growing risks of droughts that all too frequently lead to famine and poverty, the United Nations said today as a conference opened in the Republic of Korea on desertification. During the two-week session of the Conference of the Parties to […]

11 Oct, 2011

Systematic Torture In Afghan Detention Facilities – UN Report

Oct 10 2011 — A new United Nations report released today cites evidence of the “systematic” torture and mistreatment of detainees in Afghan detention facilities, including of children, and provides recommendations which it hopes will spur the necessary reforms. The report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is the result of extensive interviews […]

11 Oct, 2011

Algerian Soccer Great Rabah Madjer To Become UN Goodwill Ambassador

Oct 10 2011 (UN News) – Retired Algerian soccer striker Mustapha Rabah Madjer, who played in two World Cups and starred on the Portuguese club team FC Porto in the 1980s, is to become a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador in recognition of his work with young people and promotion of sports values. UN Educational, Scientific […]

11 Oct, 2011

States Urged To Fulfil Obligation To Prevent Violence Against Women

Oct 10 2011  (UN News) – An independent United Nations human rights expert told the General Assembly today that violence against women across the world continues to be pervasive and widespread and reminded States of their obligation under international law to protect women. “Whether it occurs in times of peace and conflict, the various forms […]

11 Oct, 2011

Obama’s Israel problem | Jordan Times

What is it about Israel that reduces America’s president to Jell-O? Why, for that matter, are all American politicians so afraid to be critical of Israeli policies? Is it fear of being called an anti-Semite? Or is it the “Jewish vote”? On the face of it, Democrats don’t have that much to fear. Polls suggest […]

10 Oct, 2011

Gulfnews : America’s misreading of the Arab Spring will backfire

The pending American veto at the UN Security Council against the Palestinian application for full membership to the UN and the Congressional move to block $200 million Dh734 million in financial aid to the Palestinian National Authority shows the extent to which US policy towards the Arab World is helplessly stacked in the pre-Arab Spring […]

10 Oct, 2011

Facebook’s power should worry us all

If Facebook was a government agency, its power would be as undisputed as it would be frightening. For a single organisation to know as much as it does about the habits, interests and behaviour of 10 million Australians is unsettling. If a government department had so much up-to-the-minute information about who we know, where we […]

10 Oct, 2011

Scipione slams ‘drink until you drop’ culture

NSW needs to debate the manner in which alcohol is advertised and marketed to ensure children and teenagers are not getting the wrong message about drinking according to the Police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione. Deeply concerned about a prevalence of drinking to excess among young people, Mr Scipione warned that the ”drink until you drop” culture […]

10 Oct, 2011

China wins battle against ‘four evils’ – People’s Daily Online

China has investigated 7,165 places and arrested more than 17,000 involved the “four evils” since a campaign was launched. A crackdown was set to begin on the “four evils” on Aug. 22. The “four evils” include“black workshops” that make and sell bogus food and medicine, “black factories” that make counterfeit goods, “black markets” that sell […]

10 Oct, 2011

Opinion: Is 3rd round of Quantitative Easing coming? – People’s Daily Online

The U.S. Federal Reserve had a meeting in Washington in August when officials of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were also having meetings there. The whole world turned their eyes to whether the Fed chairman Ben Bernanke would announce a decision about initiating the third round of Quantitative Easing monetary policy. The […]

10 Oct, 2011

Rich, poor divide at heart of Wall Street protests – People’s Daily Online

The “Occupy Wall Street” demonstration, which has lasted three weeks, has spread to all parts of the Untied States. The Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg recently warned that street riots might occur in the Untied States due to the high unemployment rate. Apparently, it is the gloomy economy and high unemployment rate of the […]

10 Oct, 2011

US media blackout of protest is shameful – chinadaily.com.cn

One of the best-kept secrets in the United States over the past two weeks seems to be the protest on and near Wall Street in New York. More than 1,000 people protested on the first day, September 17, marching and chanting slogans. Yet the demonstration, known as Occupy Wall Street, did not appear on the […]

10 Oct, 2011

Israeli settlements a thorn – chinadaily.com.cn

When Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas formally presented the application to the world body on Friday, disregarding the strong opposition from Israel and the United States, opponents predicted that the move would ignite a new round of violence in a region beset by decades of bloodshed. In the past week, however, the Palestinian response has been […]

10 Oct, 2011

Income divide causes fiscal crises in Europe, US – chinadaily.com.cn

The United States is facing three big difficulties currently. The first one is the high unemployment rate. At present, the unemployment rate of the Untied States runs high at nearly 10 percent. The second one is the high federal debt. The governmental debt keeps inflating, the debt ceiling keeps popping up and rising, and the […]

10 Oct, 2011

US protesters march against war – chinadaily.com.cn

Ten years of war took a heavy toll on all military families around the country. Pat Alviso, a Marines mom whose son Beto has been deployed four times — twice to Iraq, and twice to Afghanistan — said the war left deep scars on his son. “Every time we see him, he is different,” Alviso […]

9 Oct, 2011

Policy difficult to defend | Jordan Times

It cannot be easy for the new American ambassador Stuart Jones and other ambassadors in Arab capitals to defend their government’s political stands. They see that decision makers in Washington make it a point to alienate the Arab masses who used to be friendly to the American people. One answer to the question “why they […]

9 Oct, 2011

‘There is no sensible alternative to a two-state solution’ | Jordan Times

Against the backdrop of the expansion of settlements, I asked myself whether a two-state solution was feasible. The optimists still think it is – just. But time is running out. There are still Palestinians who, despite the wall that separates their villages from Israeli settlements (but often also from their land) and the daily restrictions […]

9 Oct, 2011

Occupy Wall Street exposes underlying US problems – People’s Daily Online

“Occupy Wall Street” is an ongoing series of demonstrations in New York City which has lasted for three weeks since September 17. The headquarters of the protest is based in Zuccotti Park, formerly “Liberty Plaza Park”, and was originally called for by the Canadian activist group Adbusters. The participants of the event are mainly protesting […]

9 Oct, 2011

Gulfnews : Asian languages in demand at Zayed University

While English remains the dominant language people learn in addition to their mother tongue, an ever-increasing number of students are learning Asian languages. A survey at Zayed University (ZU) showed Korean and Chinese as the most desired languages to learn. Asian languages look more appealing to ZU students this academic year than it was last […]

9 Oct, 2011

Plenty in Murdoch’s pockets despite missing bonus millions – SMH

The earnings of the News Corp executives are extreme examples of the types of remuneration that have angered investors around the globe. If any part of News Corp’s move from Adelaide to Delaware in 2004 was a desire to avoid scrutiny, rather than just reflecting that the centre of gravity of its business is now […]

9 Oct, 2011

States push for student visa change – Sydney Morning Herald

THE NSW government will join with Victoria to push for wider changes to visa restrictions after the federal government was accused of ”effectively strangling” the overseas student market. Only weeks after Canberra said it would fast-track student visas and give foreign students two years of post-study work – provided they graduated with a degree – […]

7 Oct, 2011

Michael Moore: How I Became Anti-War | Truthout

I can’t quite remember when I turned against the idea of war, but I’m sure it had something to do with the fact that I didn’t want to die. From pretty much the sixth grade on, I was firmly, solidly, against dying. But up until then, I spent many years dying with verve in our […]

7 Oct, 2011

An Open Letter to Wall Street | Truthout

Now is the time to bone up on your coping skills, because three weeks is nothing. The people camped out on Wall Street are not leaving unless and until they are cleared out by force. They look all kinds of silly in their outfits, and some of their statements don’t make a whole lot of […]

7 Oct, 2011

It is Time to Keep Marching to Take Back America’s Dream | Truthout

Attendees at the Take Back the American Dream conference piled into buses at high noon Wednesday and took their stand on the grounds of the Capitol, joined by hundreds of other demonstrators, from grassroots activists to dozens of unemployed people. The above video tells the story better than words. The rally was dominated by the […]

7 Oct, 2011

Fear of an Islamic Planet | Truthout

You can’t support democracy only when it produces results that you like. You have to support the whole deal, and that includes fusions of religion and politics, some more noxious than others. In his survey of the Arab world called The Arabs, updated in 1985, the journalist Peter Mansfield concluded in his final chapter that […]

7 Oct, 2011

Occupy Your City and Make History | Truthout

The Occupy Wall Street protest is a full bore indictment against corporate greed and dysfunctional government. It’s a demand for nation building here at home. People young and old are taking the streets, sleeping in tents, donating pizza, even publishing their own Occupy Wall Street Journal newspaper, to let our government and corporations know that […]

7 Oct, 2011

Something Big Is Happening: Occupy Together | Truthout

To paraphrase one of Bob Dylan’s songs of youthful protest, “Something’s happening here, and you don’t know what it is, do you Ms. Bellafante?” A New York Times writer, Ginia Bellafante, is but one of many establishment reporters and pundits who’ve been covering the fledgling “Occupy Wall Street ” movement — but completely missing the […]

7 Oct, 2011

Economic “Experts” Got Crisis All Wrong | Truthout

It took bad thinking and bad policy by many players to get us into the state we’re in; rarely in the course of human events have so many worked so hard to do so much damage. But if I had to identify the players who really let us down the most, I think I’d point […]

7 Oct, 2011

The Week Politics Changed | Truthout

Washington – American politics reached a pivot point this week. A new story line will now define how voters and the media see what’s going on. Since Election Day in 2010, the prevailing narrative has been about a resurgent conservatism, a president on the defensive, big government under attack, the deficit as the dominant issue, […]

7 Oct, 2011

Got Class Warfare? Occupy Wall Street Now! | Truthout

Warren Buffet is certainly right in claiming that there is class warfare in the United States and the rich are winning. while at the same time claiming that his billionaire friends “have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress.”(16) What Buffet misses in spite of the best of intentions is that his billionaire friends […]

7 Oct, 2011

Bids Open for 2012 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Awards

Bangkok (UNESCO Media release) – Entries are now being accepted for the 2012 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The Awards recognize the achievement of the private sector and public-private initiatives in conserving or restoring structures, places and properties of heritage value in the region. The deadline is 31 March 2012. Since the Awards […]

7 Oct, 2011

UN Chief Cites ‘Often Inspiring’ Arab Spring In Message To Governance Forum

Oct 3 2011 (UN News) — A three-day United Nations-sponsored forum on democratic governance opened today in Oslo, Norway, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon citing the revolutions of the so-called Arab Spring in North Africa and the Middle East as “dramatic and often inspiring changes.” “The issues you have come together to discuss are critical to […]

7 Oct, 2011

New Delhi Meeting Prepares For 2012 UN Summit On Sustainable Development

Oct 3 2011 (UN News) – A United Nations-sponsored meeting on a green economy and inclusive growth opened in New Delhi, India, today with a senior official warning that a summit on sustainable development in Brazil next year will not succeed without renewed political commitment on a global scale. “As an international community and as […]

7 Oct, 2011

Cities At The Frontline Of Global Fight Against Climate Change

Oct 3 2011 (UN News) – United Nations officials today urged the international community to take action against mounting threats posed by climate change on the world’s urban areas, warning that climate-related events could force up to 200 million people worldwide to flee their homes by 2050. But the officials also noted that while cities […]

7 Oct, 2011

States To Grasp Last Chance Ahead Of Major Conference on Climate Change

Oct 3, 2011 (UN News) – The United Nations climate change chief today called on governments taking part in negotiations this week to urgently scale up their efforts to combat the problem ahead of a UN-led conference on the issue starting next month in Durban, South Africa. The preparatory negotiations, which started today in Panama […]

7 Oct, 2011

UN Calls for Integration of Social Concerns Into Economic Recovery Policies

Oct 3 2011 (UN News) — A senior United Nations official today urged countries to pursue economic policies that take social considerations into account to ensure that the poor, youth, persons with disability and the elderly do not continue to bear the brunt of fiscal austerity measures and unemployment in the uncertain global economy. “Successful […]