SHAFAQNA

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) –The Sunlight Foundation and the Media Standards Trust have released a new browser extension along with a website called "Churnalism." The purpose of the tool is to automatically check websites for plagiarized content. The tool works by parsing the text on the site and comparing it to a specialized database that includes Wikipedia, press release sites, government sources, and a few others. Originally launched in the UK in 2011, it's is now available in the…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) For many children, it's the ultimate fantasy. For a few, it's about to become a reality. In August a newly refurbished building in Billund,Denmark, will open its doors to become the first ever "Lego school". The fee-paying establishment is the brainchild of the toy manufacturer's billionaire owner, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, who hopes the school will help put the town in rural Jutland – a place Copenhageners refer to as Hicksville – on the map as the Capital…

Not so long ago, my daughter trailed into the sitting room and thrust her iPod Touch into my hands. “What is it now?” I demanded wearily. “Do you want me to update it or reboot it or pay for more apps involving panicky little men pursued by angry monkeys? Because, really, you spend far too much time – ” And then I caught sight of her pale face and noticed her air of droopiness. “Please take it away,” she said.…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) Women hold up half the sky, China's Chairman Mao famously said. But in China, the one-child policy and the traditional preference for boys mean that 117 boys are born for every 100 baby girls. By one estimate, this means there could be 24 million Chinese men unable to find wives by the end of the decade. As China's economy booms, the marriage market has become just that: a market, with new demands by women for…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – Lufthansa cancelled all its Middle East flights on Monday as a result of a one-day strike planned by the German carrier’s ground staff in a pay dispute. The flights affected in the UAE included one flight from Abu Dhabi and two flights from Dubai, according to a Lufthansa spokesperson. “All Middle East flights are cancelled and should be back on schedule on Tuesday,” Aage Dunhaupt, Lufthansa German Airlines’ Director Group Communications for Southeast Europe,…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – Officials did not name the companies, but the Dutch electronics giant Philips, and the semiconductor specialists Infineon, based in Germany, and Japan's Renesas each confirmed they had received a letter known as a "statement of objections". It follows the failure of negotiations that aimed to reach a settlement over the allegations, which date back to 2008. A formal complaint by European antitrust regulators can lead to heavier fines. "The essence of settlement is to…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – It has been nearly four months since the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet was grounded due to troubles with its battery system. Overheating of the 787′s battery had lead to an emergency landing and an incident of smoke filling up in the cockpit. Since January, Boeing has been working on modifications for the battery system, which have now finally been approved by the Federal Aviation Authority. The certification testing for this new battery system was…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – We have all read, seen and heard a lot about Google Glass. The technology looks cool and there is no doubt that many of us are simply aching to just try it on, possessing one would be a dream come true for some. Google recently conducted the #IfIHadGlass competition on Twitter, in which people had to tweet their innovative ideas of using Glass, those who won were given the Explorer status and would be…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) I have a stripy animal on my mantelpiece which is a 3D printed model of a drawing that my seven-year-old daughter made for me. There is some dispute about what it is - the original artists claims it is an elephant while the firm that made it described it as a pig - but there is no dispute about how treasured it will be. It was created by Crayon Creatures, a Barcelona-based firm which offers…

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) Earlier this month, the Apple App Store removed the popularAppGratis application from its shelves. Then, last week, the App Store censors delivered a decisive blow by suppressing AppGratis' push notifications to installed apps. Apple's reason for the ban: "… the app circumvented App Store rules preventing applications promoting other apps and direct marketing." AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat took to the airwaves, loudly protesting his innocence. The aggrieved entrepreneur criticised Apple's arbitrary and inconsistent approval process and "out of the blue"…