Members of the European Parliament Form “Friends of Gilgit-Baltistan” in the European Parliament

November 3rd, 2009 CHORLEY, England - As a business we have a strongly multi-cultural heritage and we wish to ensure that we never, even inadvertently, discriminate against any of our members of staff. For that reason, we have a policy that prevents all members of staff from wearing badges which portray a personal statement of their beliefs.

October 29th, 2009 VIENNA, Austria - - European Consumer Debt Network Expects Numbers to Grow and Calls European Decision Makers to Take Urgent Action At least 20 million people are over-indebted in the EU. "With the increasing unemployment rates the number of people with debt problems can be expected to grow substantially over the next months", explains Hans Grohs, president of ecdn, an alliance of more than 40 debt advice organisations, consumer agencies and researchers.

September 1st, 2009 GLASGOW - In the news release, "MSPs Join Diageo Workers to Take the Pledge to Fight for Scottish Jobs" issued on 1 Sep 2009 10:11 GMT, by Unite the Union over PR Newswire, we are advised by a representative of the company that the media contact information has changed and the MSP's name in the third paragraph should have read Willie Coffey rather than Patricia Ferguson as originally issued inadvertently. Complete, corrected release follows: MSPs from all parties are being invited to sign an oversized pledge card ahead of a major ministerial statement on Diageo's proposed restructuring in Scotland, which would slash 900 jobs and is being fiercely opposed by Unite the union.

August 31st, 2009 GLASGOW - MSPs from all parties are being invited to sign an oversized pledge card ahead of a major ministerial statement on Diageo's proposed restructuring in Scotland, which would slash 900 jobs and is being fiercely opposed by Unite the union. The sign up marks the start of a day when the Scottish Parliament itself will put Diageo's restructuring plans under the spotlight.

August 18th, 2009 KIEV, Ukraine - The Corporate Relations Research Center, an independent source of information on corporate governance and business-government relations, today welcomed moves to expell businessman Konstantin Zhevago from the Ukrainian parliament. At the initiation of members of the Yulia Timoshenko Bloc (BYT), Konstantin Zhevago, a BYT member, may lose his parliamentary status.

June 30th, 2009 DUBLIN - - Eurofound Publishes Report and Knowledge Bank on Measures to Tackle Undeclared Work in the European Union Some five percent of workers in the 27 EU Member States and Norway carry out undeclared work, seriously affecting public finances by tax and social contributions, according to a new report from Eurofound, the Dublin-based EU Agency. 'Measures to tackle undeclared work in the European Union' outlines policies and strategies on how to raise awareness of the issue which exists to different degrees across all Member States..

June 14th, 2009 LONDON - Tracy Chevalier, Stella Duffy and Wendy Cope were among the many authors who joined MPs and Members of the House of Lords for a summer drinks reception hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Writers Group (APWG) in the Terrace Pavilion at the House of Commons last Tuesday evening, 9th June. The reception also provided a welcome opportunity to mark the 30th anniversary of Public Lending Right (PLR), the legal right of authors to receive a payment every time their work is borrowed through the public library system.

June 8th, 2009 PARIS - Calls Upon New European Parliament and Commission to Immediately and Actively Engage in Issues of Tolerance and Intercultural Dialogue PARIS, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Statement by Dr. Moshe Kantor, President, European Jewish Congress: "As we assess the results of this week's elections, one disturbing trend has already crystallized; the gains made by extreme-right groups is a Europe-wide phenomenon.

May 4th, 2009 STRASBOURG, France - Humane Society International Applauds Major Victory for Seals Humane Society International congratulated the European Parliament for voting overwhelmingly in favour of a strong ban on trade in seal products. "Today's vote in the European Parliament marks a historic victory in the campaign to stop the commercial slaughter of seals around the world," said Mark Glover, director of Humane Society International/UK.

March 16th, 2009 LONDON - LONDON, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- When: 11 am, Tuesday 17th March Where: Scottish Parliament, outside the main entrance, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP. Unite members will today (Tuesday) gather outside the Scottish Parliament dressed in black and accompanied by a horse drawn hearse, to mourn the loss of key jobs and services in Scotland's voluntary sector due to funding cuts.

November 5th, 2009 BRUSSELS - Some members of the European Parliament have expressed "great concern" over Pakistan imposing its rule in Gilgit Baltistan rather than allowing the people to decide their political future. The EU members have formed a group called "Friends of Gilgit-Baltistan", which will "monitor very carefully all developments that take place" in the strategic border region, a part of the Pakistan-administered Kashmir where elections for its first assembly are scheduled Nov 12.

November 4th, 2009 LAHORE - Terming the Gilgit-Baltistan reforms as a 'colonial-type' package, the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) has said that it would stage a long march to Islamabad on November 5 (Thursday) demanding the withdrawal of the package. Interacting with media persons during a press conference here, JKLF president Syed Faisal Nazki criticised the package saying the powers would not be vested in the people of the region but in the Gilgit-Baltistan Council.

September 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan government's new administrative reforms for the Northern Areas, Gilgit-Baltistan, have not gone down well within the political leadership of the region. The reforms, which allow autonomy to the region, have been severely criticised by leaders of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), who demanded that all the leaders from Kashmir must be thoroughly consulted before such important decisions are taken.

September 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian Government on Friday summoned the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan Riffat Masood and registered its strong protest against the Government of Pakistan's so called "Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order -2009" and its move to construct the Bunji Hydroelectric Project in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Insofar as the "Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order -2009 was concerned, the Indian Government charged Pakistan with denying basic democratic rights to the people in those parts of the state of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation for the past six decades.

October 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Nationalist leaders of Gilgit Baltistan have asked India to stop lip service and take stronger action to halt Chinese projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Chief of Gilgit Baltistan National Movement Manzoor Parwana Told ANI over phone: "If India is really serious then it should react more strongly and it should not just resort to lip service or statements." Parwana further said "India should try and halt the Chinese projects in our region.

August 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - India views Pakistan's decision to grant province-like status to the disputed Northern Areas with concern as it believes these areas are an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir and India. "The Northern Areas are an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir and an integral part of India," a senior official said here Monday.

September 16th, 2009 EU backs Barroso for another stint as EU chiefSTRASBOURG, France — The European Parliament has agreed to give Jose Manuel Barroso another five-year term as European Commission President. The EU assembly voted 382 to 219, with 117 abstentions, in backing the conservative Portuguese ex-premier for a second term at the EU's executive office.

September 4th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The recent administrative reforms for the Northern Areas, officially known as Gilgit Baltistan, announced by the Pakistan government, is primarily aimed at providing a better security cover for the rapidly growing Chinese interests in the region, an analyst has said. According to Quetta-based development analyst, Syed Fazl-e-Haider, the reforms, which were announced last week, are targeted at providing an enhanced security cover for the region which has seen some massive Chinese investments in the recent past.

July 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Balawaristan National Front (BNF) chairman, Abdul Hamid Khan has said that India should involve the people of Gilgit Balistan, Chitral and Shhenaki Kohistan regions in the peace dialogue process of Kashmir. Talking to reporters here on Thursday, Khan said, " A dialogue on Kashmir between India and Pakistan should not ignore the strategic importance of Balwaristan".

September 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, who heads the United Jehad Council (UJC), an alliance of Kashmiri militant groups, has said that gifting 43,180 sq km land belonging to Jammu and Kashmir to China in 1963 by Pakistan is a violation of territorial integrity. "Yes, it is the violation of territorial integrity of Jammu and Kashmir.