Alibaba buys newspaper to ‘improve China’s image’
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has confirmed that it’s agreed to buy Hong Kong English-language newspaper “South China Morning Post”, similar to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s $250 million buyout of The Washington Post. The deal is worth just over HK$2 billion, or about $266 million, and includes other SCMP Group properties like the Hong Kong editions […]
Former opposition leader bolts from party
The New Politics Alliance for Democracy party’s former leader Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo bolted from the main opposition party Sunday, further aggravating factional strife and foreshadowing a realignment of the opposition bloc ahead of the parliamentary elections slated for next April. During a press conference at the National Assembly, the entrepreneur-turned-politician pledged to establish a new […]
Worldpackers: travel and exchange your skills for accommodation
Worldpackers is the newest and most efficient work and travel company out there at the moment. Their whole idea revolves around traveling and finding interesting places, experiencing new things while exchanging your skills for accommodation. On their website they define themselves as “a community based on collaboration and honest relationships that make travel more accessible […]
Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali’s post-9/11 comments about Islamophobia ring true even today
In the wake of recent increase in hatred against Muslims due to Paris and San Bernardino attacks, what we forget is all Muslims cannot be blamed for the actions of a few (as cliche as it may sound, it remains true). In the US, Donald Trump remains the biggest anti-Muslim politician but it must not […]
Ashram where the Beatles stayed, reopens in India
Arguably the greatest band in the history, The Beatles, spent their time in India in the 1960s. Their fans have been intrigued and interested in the details of their stay in an ‘ashram’ (a spiritual hermitage or a monastery where Hindu cultural activities such as yoga, music or religious studies are performed). Luckily, for the […]
Facebook CEO offers support for Muslims as Islamophobia increases
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared words of support for Muslims who fear retaliation for the recent violent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. In the wake of those attacks, Zuckerberg wrote on his personal Facebook page Wednesday that he wants to assure Muslims they are welcome on Facebook and that “we will fight to protect […]
Remembering Edie Sedgwick
What urged me to write about Edie Sedgwick was first, her timeless beauty, and then her tragic life story but most of all, it was her sensitive soul that remained mostly hidden behind the mask of her beauty, trendsetting fashion statements that influenced the 1960s America and, her popularity as Andy Warhol’s superstar. It was […]
Pakistani nuclear scientist talks about Menopause taboo
Nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan has a history of provoking Pakistanis by talking about subjects considered controversial and unspeakable in Pakistan’s conservative society. Several years earlier, the controversial metallurgist, who once ran Pakistan’s nuclear program, publicly declared that he had undergone a vasectomy – a surgical procedure for male sterilization. Khan is also controversial for […]