​113 people killed in Indonesian military plane crash

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Wednesday 01 Jul 2015 - 02:37 Makkah mean time-14-9-1436 Medan(IINA) - At least 113 people aboard an Indonesian air force C-130 have been killed, when the plane crashed in a residential neighborhood in the city of Medan on the northern island of Sumatra, according to military officials. The plane came down on Tuesday hitting empty residential buildings after bursting into flames shortly after takeoff. There were 12 crew members and 101 passengers on board the plane, the AFP news agency reported, citing officials who spoke to local television. At least three other people are believed to have been killed on the ground. So far, rescuers have recovered at least 84 bodies, including 39 men and 29 women. Late on Tuesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed sorrow at the accident, tweeting in Bahasa, "May the families be given patience and strength... May we remain protected from disaster." The Hercules transport plane was on its way from an air force base in Medan to Tanjung Pinang in Sumatra. Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker said the dead included civilian relatives of military personnel. "This was a C-130 military aircraft on a routine trip, carrying soldiers and their families," she said. Our correspondent said that two minutes into the flight, the pilot radioed in, saying there was a "technical issue" with the plane. "He tried to turn back and then the plane went down over Medan. The plane went down in a populated area, hitting two empty buildings. That number could have been much higher." She said that questions were now raised as to the safety of the plane, which was built in 1964. One witness Januar, 26, said the aircraft appeared to be in trouble just before the accident. "I saw the plane from the direction of the airport and it was tilting already, then I saw smoke billowing," he said. The Indonesian military has now opened an official investigation to try and figure out what went wrong. The government has grounded all C-130 aircraft while the investigation is ongoing. "The bodies were in [the] debris of the plane and buildings... We are taking the bodies one by one by ambulance to Adam Malik hospital. We haven't managed to evacuate all of the bodies," Dwihananto said. Military spokesman, Fuad Basya, said the plane took off at around midday local time from an air force base carrying military equipment and crashed in the city about two minutes later, about 5km from the base. It is the second time in 10 years that a plane has crashed into a Medan neighborhood. In September 2005, a Mandala Airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff from Medan's Polonia airport, into a crowded residential community, killing 143 people including 30 on the ground. HA/IINA

113 people killed in Indonesian military plane crash

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Wednesday 01 Jul 2015 - 02:32 Makkah mean time-14-9-1436 Medan(IINA) - At least 113 people aboard an Indonesian air force C-130 have been killed, when the plane crashed in a residential neighborhood in the city of Medan on the northern island of Sumatra, according to military officials. The plane came down on Tuesday hitting empty residential buildings after bursting into flames shortly after takeoff. There were 12 crew members and 101 passengers on board the plane, the AFP news agency reported, citing officials who spoke to local television. At least three other people are believed to have been killed on the ground. So far, rescuers have recovered at least 84 bodies, including 39 men and 29 women. Late on Tuesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed sorrow at the accident, tweeting in Bahasa, "May the families be given patience and strength... May we remain protected from disaster." The Hercules transport plane was on its way from an air force base in Medan to Tanjung Pinang in Sumatra. Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker said the dead included civilian relatives of military personnel. "This was a C-130 military aircraft on a routine trip, carrying soldiers and their families," she said. Our correspondent said that two minutes into the flight, the pilot radioed in, saying there was a "technical issue" with the plane. "He tried to turn back and then the plane went down over Medan. The plane went down in a populated area, hitting two empty buildings. That number could have been much higher." She said that questions were now raised as to the safety of the plane, which was built in 1964. One witness Januar, 26, said the aircraft appeared to be in trouble just before the accident. "I saw the plane from the direction of the airport and it was tilting already, then I saw smoke billowing," he said. The Indonesian military has now opened an official investigation to try and figure out what went wrong. The government has grounded all C-130 aircraft while the investigation is ongoing. "The bodies were in [the] debris of the plane and buildings... We are taking the bodies one by one by ambulance to Adam Malik hospital. We haven't managed to evacuate all of the bodies," Dwihananto said. Military spokesman, Fuad Basya, said the plane took off at around midday local time from an air force base carrying military equipment and crashed in the city about two minutes later, about 5km from the base. It is the second time in 10 years that a plane has crashed into a Medan neighborhood. In September 2005, a Mandala Airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff from Medan's Polonia airport, into a crowded residential community, killing 143 people including 30 on the ground. HA/IINA

Israel deports former Tunisian president over Gaza flotilla

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Wednesday 01 Jul 2015 - 02:30 Makkah mean time-14-9-1436 Tel Aviv(IINA) - Israel has deported Moncef Marzouki, Tunisia's former president, and European parliament member Ana Miranda, after they took part in a flotilla seeking to defy its Gaza blockade. Most of those arrested after Israel boarded the flotilla have now either been deported or released but Al Jazeera camerman Ammar Hamdan who was covering the attempt to break the blockade is still being held. "The [former] president of Tunisia and the Spanish lawmaker flew this morning. There are another 14 who have begun the expulsion process," a spokeswoman for Israel's immigration authority told the AFP news agency on Tuesday. Israel had on Monday commandeered the Swedish-flagged Marianne of Gothenburg, part of the Freedom Flotilla III, and accompanied it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Sixteen foreign nationals were on board along with the Israeli-Arab politician Basel Ghattas and an Israeli television reporter. Ghattas and the reporter have been released, though Ghattas could face a parliamentary hearing on whether he should face sanctions.The Marianne was part of a four-boat flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists who had been seeking to reach the Gaza Strip to highlight the Israeli blockade of the territory that they called "inhumane and illegal". The three other boats had turned back before the Marianne was boarded by the Israeli navy in an operation that took place without the deadly force used in a raid to stop a similar bid in 2010. Speaking after being released from police custody on Monday night, Ghattas condemned Israel's "illegal" commandeering of the ship, which took place in international waters. "In the end, we see the Freedom Flotilla III achieved its main goal - to draw local and global attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which is a result of Israel's siege of the Strip," he said. Ghattas said he believed the attempt and Israeli operation to stop it would spur "activists from around the world to bring flotilla after flotilla, until the blockade on Gaza is removed.” The activists' campaign came as Israel faced heavy international pressure over its actions in Gaza, with a UN report last week saying both Israel and Palestinian fighters may have committed war crimes during a 50-day conflict in the besieged coastal enclave last summer. Israel says the blockade is necessary to stop weapons from arriving in the Gaza Strip by sea. The reconstruction of thousands of homes destroyed during the conflict is yet to begin, and both Israel's blockade and a lack of support from international donors have been blamed. HA/IINA

​Saudi Arabia welcomes UN report on Israeli crimes in Gaza

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Wednesday 01 Jul 2015 - 02:09 Makkah mean time-14-9-1436 Geneva(IINA) - Saudi Arabia welcomed the report of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry into the 2014 Gaza blitzkrieg by Israel.  Saudi Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UN in Geneva, Faisal Al-Tarad highlighted what has been mentioned by US judge Mary McGowan Davis, chairperson of the UN Committee, that the extent of the devastation and human suffering in Gaza Strip following the Israeli aggression is unprecedented and will affect the next generations. McGowan also said that the Israeli blitzkrieg reflects the policy of the most terrible bloody racist regime in the world and confirms that the racist regime does not respect international conventions, it neglects all UN resolutions, and ignores humanitarian, ethical, legal rights. In his speech at the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Al-Tarad said the report proves once again that Israel is the world’s leading violator of human rights, and that the international community, specially the UN Council Security and Human Rights Council, bears international responsibility to stop these violations. According to the report’s findings, the 2014 hostilities saw a “huge increase” in the firepower used in Gaza with Israeli forces conducting more than 6,000 airstrikes and firing approximately 50,000 tank and artillery shells at targets within the enclave.   The explosion of force used by Israel ultimately resulted in 1,462 Palestinian civilian casualties, a third of which were children.  Moreover, the fighting in Gaza also resulted in the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure with some 100,000 residents still homeless, according to recent UN estimates. Much of the destruction, notes the UN report, could be blamed on Israel’s use of weaponry with a wide kill and injury radius, particularly in the densely populated areas of Gaza where destruction and casualties are very likely. HA/IINA

Eight million worshippers visit Makkah in first 10 days of Ramadan

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Wednesday 01 Jul 2015 - 02:04 Makkah mean time-14-9-1436 Makkah(IINA) - Some eight million worshippers visited the Grand Mosque in Makkah during the first 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan, according to the Haj and Umrah Public Administration in the governorate of Makkah region. This shows an increase of 49 percent from last year, said Director of the Haj and Umrah Public Administration in Makkah Dr. Salah Saqr. More than eight million passengers were transported during the first 10 days of Ramadan, said Dr. Saqr, adding that the transportation plan was closely monitored by Makkah Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal. More than 38,000 vehicles transported visitors to the Grand Mosque, registering an increase of 25 percent from last year during the same period. The General Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has upgraded facilities in the Grand Mosque. Six new plasma screens have been installed inside the mosque and its courtyards for broadcasting prayers and announcements in multiple languages. More speakers have been installed to cover all areas of the mosque, and neighboring hotels and facilities have been told to relay the adhan (call for prayer) and the prayers. Provision has been made for an ample supply of electronic wheel chairs and golf carts for visitors with special needs. Earlier this month, Sheikh Abdurahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, launched four-wheel electric scooters, specially designed for the elderly and physically challenged pilgrims and worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. These scooters, weighing 250 kg, have been approved by the Saudi Standards, Quality and Metrology Organization and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority.  HA/IINA

Thailand launches Muslim-friendly tourist app

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Wednesday 01 Jul 2015 - 02:01 Makkah mean time-14-9-1436 Bangkok(IINA) -Thailand on Monday launched a smartphone app to attract Muslim visitors, something that could help further boost an industry which has been steadily recovering since a 2014 coup. Thailand is predominantly Buddhist but parts of the south are majority Muslim. Known for its laissez-faire attitude towards travelers, powder-white beaches and as an aviation hub, Thailand draws millions of tourists each year. Now its tourism body hopes the new app will help further boost Thailand's tourism sector, which makes up about 10 percent of its economy. The industry took a beating last year as some foreign governments issued warnings against non-essential travel to Thailand due to political unrest and a May 22 coup, but it has been steadily recovering.  Efforts to welcome Muslim travelers to Thailand come amid rising anti-Muslim sentiment in some Western countries and recent Islamist militant attacks. The new app will be available on Google Inc's Android and Apple Inc's iOS systems, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said in a statement. With search and navigation features, it will help visitors find hotels and shopping centers with prayer rooms and halal, or permissible under Islamic law, restaurants, said Juthaporn Rerngronasa, acting governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.  Among non-Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries, Thailand was ranked the second most popular place for Muslim travelers to visit in the world after Singapore by the Global Muslim Travel Index in 2015. “We believe this is because we have the required range of products and services for Muslim travellers,” said Juthaporn. The app is available in English and Thai but will be expanded to include Arabic and Bahasa Indonesia. Thailand expects a record 29.5 million tourists this year, up 19 percent from 2014, its tourism council said last week.  HA/IINA

British police stage massive counter-terrorism exercise: Report

Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 23:38 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436

London, (IINA) - Police and spies staging a mock 'marauding terrorist attack' on the streets of London Tuesday to test how emergency services deal with a deadly atrocity in the wake of the ISIS killings in Tunisia, Daily Mail reported.
In the biggest exercise of its kind ever staged, Operation Strong Tower is a 'noisy and visible' practice run for more than 1,000 Met police, armed forces, transport workers and Whitehall officials. Details of the plan were made public to prevent panic, as police chiefs said it would include 'live play' of a terrorist attack at a tube station, days before London marks 10 years since the 7/7 bombings which killed 52 people.
The extraordinary public display of how the UK's security services would respond to an extremist's deadly assault comes as efforts continue to identify British holidaymakers killed by an ISIS gunman on Friday. David Cameron said today's operation will 'test and refine the UK's preparedness for dealing with a serious terrorist attack'. The two-day training exercise begins in central London this morning to see how a large number of agencies work together in the face of a chaotic and dangerous situation.
Ms de Brunner, the exercise director, said: 'The exercise is designed to test command control and coordination of a multi-site marauding terrorist attack.' The first officers to arrive on the scene of the fake terror attack will be 'put through their paces by mounting an operation to contain the area, evacuate the public, rescue and treat the wounded, manage a crime scene and importantly catch the people responsible', the Deputy Assistant Commissioner said.
Met Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said: 'The threat level for terrorism has been raised over the last year and it is vital that we train and we learn. 'Today's exercise will test our people in how to respond to a terrorist threat and we will learn from the mistakes that we are bound to make today. It's best we make them today in an environment were we don't have terrorists, than make those mistakes when we do.
Sir Bernard added: 'The reason we have exercises like today is because, obviously, we are concerned there are people planning terrorist events. We intend first of all to stop them from getting to attack. But should we not stop the terrorists in their planning, it's essential we disrupt them in any of the attacks that may take place.'
It will include 1,000 Met police officers and staff, as well as teams from ambulance and fire services, Transport for London, the Home Office, Cabinet Office, Foreign Office, Department for Transport, Ministry of Defence, Department of Health, NHS England and the Department for Communities and Local Government. However, police and intelligence services believe the biggest threat against Britain comes from an attack by a 'lone wolf' who is not connected to any wider terror cell.
Police have had to draw up plans on how to respond to an ongoing gun attack, in which the perpetrators target dozens of people in public areas over a long period, as seen in Mumbai in 2008.
SM/IINA

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Egypt: Amnesty releases reports feeding into terror groups’ interest

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 15:55 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 Egypt's Foreign Ministry, Cairo (Google image) Cairo (IINA) – Egypt's Foreign Ministry accused Amnesty International of issuing reports that directly and blatantly feed into the interest of the terrorist groups, not only in Egypt but in the world as a whole. The ministry said that the persistence and perseverance of Amnesty International and other human rights groups to turn a blind eye to the acts of violence and terrorism committed in Egypt, and their insistence to target Egypt, besides their dealing with the developments out of a biased and non-objective perspective, raise questions about the relationship between terrorist groups and those organizations, and their real intentions and clear targeting of the Egyptian people interests. The ministry expressed its full disapproval and rejection of the Amnesty International's report, in which it accused the Egyptian authorities of targeting the young activists and jailing dozens of people without fair trials. The ministry said that what was contained in the report represents a clear and flagrant challenge to the will of the Egyptian people, and their determination to move forward towards a better future, and a denial of the principle of justice and due process guaranteed for all citizens, as well as a wanton disregard for the presidential pardon for hundreds of young people who were being tried or sentenced in criminal offences. AB/IINA

Tourism grows in Lebanon despite tension

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 15:48 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 (Image from internet) Jbeil, Lebanon (IINA) - Lebanon is experiencing growth in tourism despite the myriad of political problems, The Lebanese Daily Star reported, citing Lebanese Tourisim Minister Michel Pharaon. “Despite all the problems facing the country, tourism witnessed a growth of 25 percent over the past nine months,” Pharaon said during a ceremony at the Sports and Culture Club in the Jbeil district town of Qartaba. He said the growth was owed to civil society, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, as well as the Lebanese Army’s role in fighting terrorism along the border with Syria. Pharaon warned that recent attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France should put more responsibilities on “our shoulders.” Pharaon also warned of the “grave danger” Lebanon would face if the fighting escalates in Syria’s Homs province and near Damascus, “which could lead to a new wave of refugees.” SM/IINA

At least 20 dead after Indonesian military plane crash

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 15:28 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 Jakarta (IINA) – At least 20 people were killed Tuesday after an Indonesian military transport plane crashed into a residential neighborhood in the northern Sumatra city of Medan. Air force spokesman Dwi Badarmanto said the C-130 Hercules aircraft with 12 crew on board went down into a residential area, shortly after taking off from a base in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province. According to new figures, Adam Malik hospital spokeswoman Sairi M. Saragih told AFP that the hospital had received 20 bodies. Previsous figures indicated that five people were killed in the incident, and that a rescue effort was underway to try to find possible survivors. AB/IINA

Cardiff teachers in Wales to join students on Ramadan fasting day

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 14:13 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 Cardiff, Wales (IINA) - Motivated by Muslims' plan to feed the homeless for the 29 or 30 days of Ramadan, Cardiff teachers in Wales have announced plans to fast for one day during the holy month to raise awareness about Islam and appreciate Muslim efforts in the city, according to media reports. They will go 19 hours without eating or drinking anything during day light on Friday to raise awareness about Islam as well as helping local people. The three teachers at the Celtic English Academy in Park Place said they wanted to take part in Ramadan for a day after reading about how the city’s Dar Ul-Isra Mosque will feed 400 people, including homeless people every night throughout the 30 days of the religious festival. “We are doing this as a way to connect with our Muslim students and to raise money for the foodbank," Andrew Bodgin, a teacher at the Academy in Park Place, told Wales Online “Many of our international students are Muslim. By participating in the fast, we hope to show solidarity with them as well as those in our local community. Along with Bodgin, teachers Jon Letson and Jennifer John will be joined on the fast by the school’s Marketing Director Shoko Morimoto. Joining Muslim efforts, teachers hope to raise £500 for Cardiff Foodbank as well as to share the holy month with their Muslim students. The mosque, in Wyeverne Road, Cathays, estimates it will serve the meal to 400 people, including local homeless people, every night throughout Ramadan which runs from June 30 to July 30 this year. SM/IINA

American veiled woman named best-dressed female senior student

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 14:10 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 (Image from OnIslam) New Jersey, (IINA) - Blending traditional and modern trends to create modest style, a New Jersey Muslim has been named best-dressed female senior student, breaking down negative stereotypes of women wearing the Islamic headscarf, news agencies reported. Winning the best-dressed vote at Clifton High School, Abrar Shahin aims to correct the image of Islamic fashion in the US. Becoming the first ever veiled student to win the title, the Palestinian-descent plans to study physical therapy at Rutgers besides having a fashion company on the side. “It’s such an honor to see that they are looking at us as equal and that they’re not just looking at hijab,” she said. “There are always cheerleaders who win and popular girls, so I was very surprised it was me, being a hijabi,” Muslims student Shahin told NorthJersey news agency. “It was a dream come true.” The victory of Shahin, who sports a black skirt and jeans, ankle-high boots and a cropped white blazer in her yearbook photo, reflects the growing acceptance of hijab in American high schools. Last month, a California Muslim student was praised for making a simple and hilarious high school yearbook quote that sheds light on her Islamic hijab in a creative way. The 17-year-old Muslim student mixed humor, religion and culture in a quote that was attached to her yearbook picture. “Only reason I wear this is to give you females a chance,” the Summit High School senior wrote. Tweeted under the nickname Fefe, the unique quote has been retweeted more than 20,000 times. Praising the Muslim student for her unique style school teachers attributed her victory to her great fashion sense. “School is early, so a lot of times kids will come in sweat pants or dressed casually,” Lindsey Cinque, a French teacher who is yearbook and senior class adviser, said about the early hour students must report for class. “She was always dressed up, and she definitely took a sense of pride in her fashion.” SM/IINA

Qatar calls for referring file of Israeli aggression on Gaza to ICC

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 13:26 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 Faisal Al Henzab (QNA image) Geneva (IINA) – The State of Qatar called on the world leaders to lift the immunity of Israel by referring the file of the Israeli aggression on Gaza to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported. It also called on the world leaders to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the International Commission of Inquiry on the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in 2014, to hold Israeli officials accountable and prosecute for the crimes they committed. This came in the speech delivered Monday by Faisal bin Abdullah Al Henzab, Qatar’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva, during the interactive dialogue with the UN Independent Commission on the Israeli aggression on the occupied Palestinian territories, especially the Gaza Strip in 2014, during the 29th session and the Chapter 7. Al Henzab expressed Qatar's strong denunciation to the information contained in the report regarding Israel's refusal to cooperate with the investigation panel, which affirms that Israel is obstructing the investigation. The Qatari diplomat said that this obstruction is to cover up not only on the war crimes mentioned in the report, but also the crimes against humanity and violations of human rights committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. The report represents an explicit condemnation of the Israeli occupation, and a valid document to activate the legal and judicial aspect of the prosecution of Israeli war criminals, he added. Al Henzab also welcomed the recommendations contained in the report regarding the accountability of the Israeli political and military leaders. He stressed that the impunity of the Israeli leaders from prosecution and international condemnation encourages them to commit more crimes and wage other wars without any deterrent, especially in light of the international leniency towards the heinous Israeli crimes which amounts to collusion. He emphasized the need to achieve justice redress for the Palestinian people, and to ensure the non-recurrence of the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, through a resolution under Chapter VII of the Security Council, and most importantly not considering Israel as a state that is above the law. AB/IINA

British PM Cameron called on BBC not to use the phrase 'Islamic State'

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 13:20 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 (Image from newsx) London, (IINA) - British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday called on the BBC not to use the phrase 'Islamic State' when referring to the terror group operating in Iraq and Syria, according to media reports. The premier who calls the group 'ISIL'  said Muslims would recoil at the phrase being used to justify the "perversion of a great religion". During his interview on BBC Radio 4‘s Today programme Cameron only referred to the group as ‘ISIL’. He criticized BBC Presenter John Humphrys for referring to the group as Islamic State. “I wish the BBC would stop calling it Islamic State because it’s not an Islamic State; what it is an appalling, barbarous regime,” Cameron said. “It is a perversion of the religion of Islam and many Muslims listening to this programme will recoil every time they hear the words ‘Islamic State’.” In the Commons on Monday, Scottish National Party (SNP) Westminster leader Angus Robertson backed the call for politicians and the media to stop using ‘Islamic State’, and said ‘Daesh’ should be used instead. He urged the prime minister join MPs across all parties, US Secretary of State John Kerry and the French foreign minister Laurent Fabius in ‘using the appropriate term’. Robertson added, “The time has come in the English speaking world, to stop using Islamic State, ISIS or ISIL, and instead we and our media should use Daesh as the commonly-used phrase across the Middle East.” The British premier repeated his criticism of the BBC for referring to the group as Islamic State: “I think this is particularly offensive to many Muslims who see, as I see, not state but a barbaric regime of terrorism and oppression that takes delight in murder and oppressing women and murdering people because they are gay.” “I personally think that using the term ISIL or ‘so-called’ would be better than what they currently do. SM/IINA

Malaysia's medical expertise better than in most Western countries: PM Najib

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 13:17 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 PM Najib Razak (Google image) Putrajaya (IINA) – Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Monday that the medical expertise in Malaysia is comparable and sometimes better than in most Western countries, BERNAMA reported. He pointed out that earlier this year, the country's healthcare system received the top score out of 25 countries surveyed by an American publication, ahead of Spain, France, Ireland and New Zealand. "We should all be proud of such recognition and I congratulate members of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) for the hard work they have put into making Malaysia as one of the best healthcare systems in the world," Najib said. "That is no small achievement," he added at the launching of the Book titled "Malaysian Medical Association Fifty Five Years 1959-2014," here Tuesday. Najib said that excellence was also reflected in the number of foreigners who were coming to Malaysia to have medical procedures, noting that Malaysia's share of the medical tourism market had nearly doubled in the last four years. "(The fact) that people from around the world have such confidence in the quality of our doctors and hospitals is visible proof that Malaysia is on course to achieving our goal of becoming a high income status nation by 2020," he said. The prime minister expressed his intention to make Malaysia's healthcare system as the priority to enhance competitiveness in the medical tourism market. AB/IINA

Sudan, EU agree to boost cooperation

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 13:04 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 Prof Ghandour & Tomas Ulicny (File image) Khartoum (IINA) – Sudanese Foreign Minister Prof Ibrahim Ahmed Ghandour received here on Monday Ambassador Tomas Ulicny, head of delegation of the European Union (EU) to Sudan, who extended him an invitation to visit the EU headquarters, Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported. The European diplomat also handed Prof Ghandour a written message form EU's Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini on the ways to consolidate the relations between the EU and Sudan, besides strengthening the mutual understanding between them in all domains including the international efforts on the problem of human trafficking and regional security. For his part, Ghandour accepted the invitation and stressed his ministry's pursuit to develop and strengthen the relationship with the European Union. He pointed out that Sudan holds special location and status that allow it to play important roles in the region. AB/IINA

Britain condemns assassination of Egyptian Prosecutor Barakat

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 12:57 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 British Minister for North Africa Tobias Ellwood London, (IINA) - British Minister for North Africa Tobias Ellwood condemned the attack in Cairo that has killed the Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat and injured a number of others, British Foreign & Commonwealth Office reported. Commenting on the incident the British minister said: I wholly condemn the sickening attack that killed Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat and injured a number of others in Cairo. I send my sincere condolences to the families of all the victims. The UK continues to stand with the Egyptian people in confronting the threat from terrorism and the extremist ideology that inspires it, Ellwood noted in his statement. SM/IINA

ISESCO hails agreement signed between Palestine, Vatican

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 12:47 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 Google image Rabat, (IINA) - The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) hailed the agreement signed last Friday between the State of Palestine and the Vatican which was described as “historic” by the Palestinian foreign minister. ISESCO noted in a statement that this agreement is a tremendous support to the Palestinian people who aspire to liberation from the unjust Israeli occupation and a clear acknowledgement of the right of the Palestinian people to live in freedom and dignity in an independent state. SM/IINA

OIC condemns assassination of Egypt’s state prosecutor

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Tuesday 30 Jun 2015 - 12:33 Makkah mean time-13-9-1436 Hisham Barakat Jeddah (IINA) – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned in the strongest terms the assassination of Egypt’s state prosecutor Hisham Barakat and a number of his security guards on Monday, describing the murder as a terrorist act targeting Egypt’s security and stability. OIC Secretary General Iyad Madani said committing such a crime during the holy month of Ramadan is an act premeditated to smear Islam, Muslims and Muslim societies. Madani reiterated OIC’s firm stand in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. He stressed the necessity to consolidate the efforts of the member states to strengthen joint cooperation in combating terrorism and to identify its root causes at the political, economic, social and intellectual fronts. The secretary general conveyed his condolences to the government of Egypt and the family of the deceased and wished speedy recovery for the injured. AB/IINA

Palestinian woman detained for allegedly stabbing female Israeli soldier

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 18:38 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 Jerusalem (IINA) – Israeli police arrested Monday a young Palestinian woman for allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli female soldier at a military checkpoint that separates Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the south of the West Bank. Police said in a statement that a Palestinian young woman took out a knife and stabbed a female Israeli soldier stationed at the 300 road checkpoint, inflicting injuries on her. In a later statement, police said the suspect, in here twenties, from the West Bank, stabbed the soldier in the neck at the 300 military checkpoint, as the Palestinians were crossing from Bethlehem towards Jerusalem. The soldier, whose condition was described as moderate to serious, was taken to the Hadassah hospital in Ein Karem for treatment. Police claimed that the attacker was detained, and that two more knives were found in her bag. AB/IINA

Chad: At least 11 killed in bomb blast in N'Djamena

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 18:35 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 N'Djamena explosion (Google image) N'Djamena (IINA) – At least ten people were killed in a bomb explosion in Chadian capital N'Djamena on Monday morning, Anadolu Agency reported according to a police spokesman. In statements to the press, spokesman for the Chadian police Paul Manga said a number of suicide bombers had "detonated their bombs when they saw the police." "The explosion caused 11 deaths, including five police officers, five terrorists and one informant," Manga said. "Mahamat Gueni, deputy director of economic affairs for the judicial police, was among those killed," he added. Notably, Manga refrained from attributing the attack to Nigeria’s Boko Haram militant group, which remains active in the Lake Chad Basin region. Monday’s attack comes only two weeks after twin suicide attacks rocked N’Djamena, leaving 34 people dead. AB/IINA

Dubai IFC to participate at the Monaco Fund Forum

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 18:33 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 (Google image) Dubai, (IINA) - Dubai International Financial Centre, the mature global financial hub connecting the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) markets with the economies of Europe, Asia and the Americas, is participating at the four-day Fund Forum International 2015, in Monaco, according to WAM news agency. The annual fund management conference, taking place from Monday to Thursday 2nd of July at ‘The Grimaldi Forum’, serves as a thought-leadership platform on subjects such as boutique funds, future of crowdfunding, and the adoption of technology to optimize client servicing. The gathering of fund managers, which also co-locates an exhibition centre to promote networking, has drawn the attendance of more than 1,200 senior level attendees, including some 600 plus key asset managers, and over 70 leading CEOs, CIOs and boardroom leaders. A long-standing exhibitor at the forum, the platform serves as a facilitator for DIFC to leverage discussions with leading fund managers on the increasing potential of the asset management sector in Dubai and the wider region. In addition, as part of their efforts to showcase the centre’s enabling investment ecosystem, key DIFC representatives attending the forum seek to highlight the financial hub’s strategic access to emerging markets, as well as efficient financial systems and conducive legal and regulatory framework. According to the 2014 World Wealth Report, the number of (High Net-worth Individuals) HNWIs across the Middle East surged by 16.0 percent in 2013 to 0.6 million, while total wealth reserves also registered an increase by 16.7 percent to US$2.1 trillion. Moreover, a PwC 2014 study unveiled that assets under management in the Middle East and Africa region are expected to rise to an estimated US$1.5 trillion by 2020, from a total of US$ 0.6 trillion in 2012, representing a compound annual growth rate of approximately 12 percent. SM/IINA

OIC Fiqh Academy condemns terror attacks in Kuwait, Tunisia and France

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 16:40 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) Jeddah (IINA) – The International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), an affiliated organ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), condemned Friday's terrorist attacks in Kuwait, Tunisia and France, which left dozens dead and wounded. In a statement obtained by the International Islamic News Agency (IINA), the General Secretariat of IIFA strongly condemned all terror acts and assaults on the sanctity of human life through bombing of mosques and despicable, cowardly killings of innocent people". The IIFA warned against the "abhorrent sectarianism as an instrument destructive to the unity and stability of Islamic societies and stressed the need to maintain the social fabric in the Arab and Islamic countries with the view of being aware of the internal unity adherence." In the statement, IIFA Secretary General Dr Ahmad Khaled Babacar asked "the scholars, intellectuals, politicians and the media figures to take on more responsibilities to ward off terrorism and protect the communities in the Arab and Islamic world, as well as to foil all destructive terror plots along with their all ideological dimensions." AB/IINA

Brawl, shooting leaves 10 wounded in Lebanon

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 16:37 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 (Image from The Daily Star)) Sidon, Lebanon (IINA) - An argument before daybreak Monday between two men at the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in south Lebanon escalated into a shootout, leaving at least 10 people wounded, a security source said. The source told the Lebanese Daily Star that the brawl turned violent after the feuding sides began calling for backup. Most of the casualties, however, were Palestinian security men who intervened to disperse the crowds that clashed at the camp’s Hay al-Zeeb. The incident comes 11 days after a deadly clash broke out between Fatah and Jund al-Sham in the camp's Taytaba neighborhood, leaving two dead and 11 wounded. It started as a personal dispute between a Fatah member and a man backed by extremist groups including Jund al-Sham, which is classified as a terrorist group by the Lebanese government and has been accused of assassinating many Fatah leaders. A 150-member elite security force including members of all prominent factions in the camp has been deployed to maintain order since last July. SM/IINA

Britons and Tunisians unite in remembering Sousse beach massacre victims

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 16:35 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 Tunis, (IINA) - British tourists and Tunisian residents have united in remembering the victims of Friday's beach massacre by gathering at the beach resort in the coastal town of Sousse, according to media reports. Tourists and the local people came together for a candlelit vigil as people held posters saying “Peace” and “Sousse will never die”. Many Tunisians also unfurled British flags as a show of support to the victims outside the Imperial Marhaba hotel, one of the two hotels targeted by killer Rezgui. Defiant, the group carried flags across the sand that was splattered with blood on Friday before placing flowers and tribute letters near the sunbeds where the attack happened. Others bowed their heads in silence as they placed books and signs at the scene. The memorial came after thousands of Tunisians gathered in the streets of Sousse last night to hold a candlelit protest against the barbaric bloodbath. Waving banners reading 'no to terrorism' and unfurling British and Tunisian flags in a show of unity, they came together close to where ISIS militant Seifeddine Rezgui unleashed his killing spree by opening fire on helpless tourists. The citizens of Sousse chanted and lit candles as a tribute to the dead, which include at least 15 Britons.  One said: 'What happened on Friday does not represent Tunisia. We are sorry for the families, the victims, they are our guests.' Witness accounts say Rezgui was seen laughing and joking among the midday bathers, looking like any other tourist. But he was actually carefully picking out the victims he would murder with a Kalashnikov hidden in his parasol. Friday's attack was the worst in Tunisia's modern history and the second major massacre this year following the assault on the Bardo national museum in Tunis when armed men killed 22 mostly foreign visitors. Sousse, alongside nearby Hammamet and the island of Djerba, is the heartland of Tunisia's most popular beach resorts, drawing visitors from Europe and neighbouring North African countries like Algeria. Six million tourists, mostly Europeans, visited Tunisia's beaches, desert treks and medina souks last year, providing seven percent of its gross domestic product, most of its foreign currency revenues and more jobs than anything but farming. "This is a catastrophe for the economy," Salma Loumi, Tunisia's tourism minister, said. "Our losses will be great, but the loss of human life was even greater." SM/IINA

Egypt's attorney general survives assassination attempt in Cairo

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 16:26 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 Egypt's Attorney General Hisham Barakat Cairo (IINA) – Egypt's Attorney General Hisham Barakat survived an assassination attempt on Monday, which resulted in the injury of himself and two of his security guards and a civilian, an official security source said. The source added that a car bomb exploded close to the attorney general's convoy while it was driving along Ammar Ibn Yasser St. Heliopolis, Cairo. The attack sustained minor injuries to the attorney general and three of his team members. All were rushed to the hospital. AB/IINA

Lebanon ranks 65th in insurance premium

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 16:23 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 (Image from blog.blominvestbank) Beirut, (IINA) - Lebanon ranked 65th place among 147 markets in terms of insurance premiums generated in 2014, according to global reinsurer Swiss Re’s annual survey of the global insurance market, The Lebanese Daily Star reported. Lebanon also came in seventh place among 11 Arab markets that were included in the rankings. It ranked 65th place globally and fifth place regionally in 2013. Lebanon generated $1.5 billion in total premiums in 2014, constituting a rise of 6.7 percent in nominal terms and an increase of 5.4 percent in real terms from the preceding year. Total premiums generated in Lebanon last year accounted for 0.03 percent of global premiums, 0.2 percent of premiums generated in emerging markets and 3.1 percent of premiums generated in the Middle East & Central Asia region, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group. Globally, insurance premiums generated in Lebanon were higher than those produced in Croatia ($1.49 billion) and Panama ($1.3 billion) and lower than those generated in Ecuador ($1.7 billion) and Algeria ($1.6 billion). Also, total premiums in the Lebanese insurance market were higher than those generated in Oman, Kuwait, Tunisia and Jordan among Arab countries. Lebanon generated $1.08 billion in non-life premiums last year, ranking it in 65th place among the largest 88 markets in terms of premiums and in seventh place among Arab countries. Lebanon’s global and regional ranks remained unchanged year-on-year. Non-life premiums generated in Lebanon rose by 7.5 percent in nominal terms and by 6.1 percent in real terms in 2014. Globally, non-life premiums generated in Lebanon were higher than those produced in Kazakhstan ($1.05 billion) and Costa Rica ($1.01 billion), and lower than those generated in Angola ($1.11 billion) and Egypt ($1.08 billion). In parallel, Swiss Re estimated Lebanon’s insurance density, or premiums per capita, at $308 million in 2014, which ranks the market in 52nd among the 88 markets and in third place in the Arab world. Globally, Lebanon had a higher insurance density than Kuwait ($291) and Saudi Arabia ($277) and a lower density than Panama ($342) and Thailand ($323); while it had a lower density than only Qatar and the UAE in the region. The survey estimated Lebanon’s non-life density at $220 and life density at $88 in 2014. Lebanon posted penetration rates of 1 percent of GDP and 2.4 percent of GDP in the life and non-life categories, respectively, last year. SM/IINA

Israel to release Palestinian hunger striker Adnan on July 12

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 13:53 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan Jerusalem (IINA) – Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan ended a 56-day hunger strike on Sunday after Israeli occupation authorities agreed to release him, his lawyer and the Palestinian Prisoners Club announced. "Khader Adnan ended his hunger strike last night, after an agreement was reached to release him on July 12,” his lawyer Jawad Boulos said. Qaddoura Faris, head of Palestinian Prisoners Club, said that prisoner Adnan, 37, achieved what he wanted through his hunger strike, and attained a great national achievement. On his part, Head of the Palestinian Detainees' Committee Issa Qaraqe praised prisoner Adnan for his steadfastness, adding that the fight against administrative detention will continue until all prisoners in the Israeli jails are released. AB/IINA

Islamic scholars' body rejects China's Ramadan ban

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 13:52 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 (Google image) Xinjiang, China (IINA) - The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has criticized China's apparent ban on fasting the holy month of Ramadan in the Muslim dominant Xinjiang region, urging the Asian country to respect Muslim faith, OnIslam reported. The Union condemned Chinese government policies in the region including forcing restaurants to sell food on Ramadan days as well as forcing parents to sign on banning their children from observing the fasting month. "Continuous religious and ethnic persecution over Muslims, especially in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region, is against Chinese and international law," IUMS said in a statement released on Thursday. The statement offered no explanation as to exactly what laws it was directly referring to. It added that the policy "is also contrary to the fourth Geneva Convention in 1949 approved by China," and called the apparent ban "a clear violation of one of the most important principles of modern international law." The Union called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other international organizations to protect Muslims. Moreover, the IUMS warned that China's failure to offer more freedoms to Uighur Muslims will give scholars a sign to spread news among Muslims worldwide, which would result in severe effect on the Chinese economy. Every year, Chinese authorities have repeatedly imposed restrictions on Uighur Muslim in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. Earlier in December, China banned the wearing of Islamic veiled robes in public in Urumqi, the capital of the province of Xinjiang. SM/IINA

12 students feared to have left Sudan to join militant groups in Syria, Iraq

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 13:48 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 Google image Khartoum (IINA) – Twelve students from Sudan’s University of Medical Sciences and Technology (UMST) are feared to have left the country for Turkey in order to infiltrate into Syria and Iraq to join the militant groups there, according to media reports on Sunday. Local media reported that 12 medical students, including three women, who disappeared from their families, are believed to have left Sudan for Turkey at dawn on Friday through Khartoum airport. Seven of the missing students are British, two Canadian, one American and two are Sudanese nationals, one of them is holding a diplomatic passport. All are understood to be of Sudanese origin. Well-informed sources reported that the Turkish authorities have arrested some of them. AB/IINA

8 million visited Grand Mosque in Makkah during first 10 days of Ramadan

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 13:37 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 Makkah (IINA) – The Haj and Umrah Public Administration in the governorate of Makkah region confirmed that the number of people who visited the Grand Mosque during the first ten days of the holy month of Ramadan increased by 49% from last year, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. This was stated by Director of Haj and Umrah Department at the governorate Dr Salah Saqr. He said the transportation plan adopted and monitored by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, governor of Makkah and adviser of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and chairman of the Central Haj Committy, and which is implemented by all relevant government sectors resulted in the transportation of more than 8 million passengers during the first ten days of Ramadan. Saqr added that the number of vehicles that transported the visitors to the Grand Mosque during the same period amounted to more than 38,000 cars, up 25% from the same period last year. AB/IINA

220 Filipinos convert to Islam in Makkah

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Monday 29 Jun 2015 - 13:32 Makkah mean time-12-9-1436 (Image form internet) Makkah, (IINA) - Around 220 Filipinos living in Saudi Arabia have converted to Islam after taking part in Iftar organized by the Islamic Guidance Office for Expatriates in Makkah, according to media reports. The Filipino workers of a local company decided to embrace Islam after they were invited to the religion by the guidance office.  "They had Iftar with us for a few days, we then decided to invite them to Islam and they all agreed to embrace the religion," the Office Director Sheikh Salim Al Maabadi said, quoted by Sabq daily. It is very common that individuals and companies all over Saudi Arabia offer free Iftar to people who are fasting, and the invitees included some non-Muslims. This act of goodness guided some non-Muslim guests on to the fold of Islam. It is noteworthy that the rate of non-Muslims who embraced Islam this year during the holy month of Ramadan has increased. Last week, 20 expatriate workers from the Philippines reverted to Islam at a ceremony held in a Riyadh mosque after taraweeh prayers. Last April around 600 Chinese workers reverted to Islam, after being introduced to the tenets of Islam by Islamic scholars in Makkah. Around 500 Chinese Muslims reverted to Islam after being touched by the “simplicity” of the funeral of the late King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz in January this year. SM/IINA

OIC concerned over situation of Muslim minority in China

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Sunday 28 Jun 2015 - 17:43 Makkah mean time-11-9-1436 Jeddah (IINA) – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed its “deep concern” over reports by the media and international organizations indicating human rights violations of the Muslim minority in Xinjiang region. They are denied the right to practice the fourth pillar of Islam (Ramadan fasting) and the right to observe their religious rituals in this holy month,” the OIC said Saturday in a statement. The OIC stressed “the need to protect the rights of the Muslim minority, foremost of which is the right to observe their religious practices without harassment or any direct or indirect breaches,” according to the statement In this context, OIC Secretary General Iyad Madani called on the Chinese Government to proceed expeditiously with an investigation of such abuses and to ensure the safety and security of the Muslim minority while practicing their religious rights in accordance with the relevant international covenants and instruments. AB/IINA

Saudi Campaign launches Ramadan project 'You will be rewarded like him'

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Sunday 28 Jun 2015 - 15:35 Makkah mean time-11-9-1436 Riyadh (IINA) – Dr Badr bin Abdulrahman Al-Samhan, regional director of the Saudi National Campaign to Support the Brothers in Syria, said that working is underway in various campaign offices to complete the implementation of the program entitled "You will be rewarded like him", which is being carried out for the third year in a row. The National Campaign's office in Jordan has completed its 18th leg of the project in Al-Hosn area north of Jordanian governorate of Irbid. Some 500 Syrian families have benefited from Ramadan food baskets of a total weight of about 23 tons. On his part, Director of the Campaign's office in Turkey Khalid bin Abdulrahman Al-Salamah said the 19th leg of Ramadan project targeted about 11,000 internally displaced Syrians living in the countryside of Aleppo governorate, northern Syria, and other areas in Idlib governorate. In turn, Director of the Campaign's office in Lebanon Walid bin Ali Al-Jalal said the Campaign has distributed, for the second time in the Lebanese Al-Minya area within the project's 20th leg, a total of 31 tons of food items, benefiting about 750 new Syrian families. AB/IINA

Conflicting news about rocket launched from Gaza towards Israel

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Sunday 28 Jun 2015 - 15:35 Makkah mean time-11-9-1436 File image Gaza (IINA) – There were conflicting Israeli reports about sirens that rang out throughout the south of the occupied Palestinian territories on Sunday morning, sending Israelis running for shelter. Some Hebrew websites reported that the sirens in the Israeli settlements in Gaza went off by mistake, while Yediot Ahronot daily reported that the military monitored the launching of a rocket from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, but fell on the Palestinian side, causing no injuries or damage. For its part, the Israel Army Radio said no rockets fell inside Israel, and that the authorities were looking into what triggered the sirens. AB/IINA

Saudi Arabia: 1 border guard killed, another injured by fire from Yemen

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Sunday 28 Jun 2015 - 13:48 Makkah mean time-11-9-1436 Saudi border guards (Google image) Riyadh (IINA) – Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior announced the death of one soldier and wounding of another as members of a border guard patrol came under shells from inside Yemeni territory. The ministry's security spokesman told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that at about 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, as members of a border guard patrol at Al-Harth Sector in Jazan region were in the line of duty, they were subjected to shells launched from Yemeni territories, killing private first class Faisal Mohammed al-Maqadi and wounding another, who was rushed to hospital. AB/IINA

OIC chief welcomes signing of treaty between Palestine, Vatican

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Sunday 28 Jun 2015 - 13:48 Makkah mean time-11-9-1436 Google image Jeddah (IINA) – Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani welcomed the comprehensive agreement signed between the State of Palestine and the Holy See. Madani considered this step a model for cooperation and constructive dialogue, adding that it exemplifies a strong message of support to the rights of the Palestinian people. He said the agreement would reinforce peaceful coexistence and build bridges between the different cultures, civilizations and religions, noting that it represents support for peace and stability in the region on the basis of the two-state solution according to the relevant international law and resolutions of international legitimacy. The secretary general also expressed his appreciation for this political and moral initiative that embodies actual recognition by the Vatican City State of Palestine. AB/IINA

Najib condemns attack on innocent civilians in France, Tunisia and Kuwait

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Sunday 28 Jun 2015 - 13:48 Makkah mean time-11-9-1436 PM Najib Razak Kuala Lumpur (IINA) – Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak condemned the heinous acts of terrorism on innocent civilians in France, Tunisia and Kuwait, BERNAMA reported. He said these atrocities were against the true teachings of Islam as they caused injuries and claimed the lives of many people during Ramadan. "In the strongest terms, I condemn the heinous acts of terrorism on innocent civilians in France, Tunisia and Kuwait. "These atrocities, which have caused injuries and claimed the lives of many in this holy month of Ramadan, are against the true teachings of Islam. My deepest condolences and al-Fatihah," said Najib via his Twitter and Facebook accounts on Sunday. A man stormed an American-owned chemical plant near Lyon, France decapitated one person and apparently tried to blow up the facility, according to international media reports. In Tunisia, a gunman drew an assault rifle from a beach umbrella and killed at least 38 people at a seaside resort, while in Kuwait, a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque during Friday prayers, killing at least 25 worshipers. AB/IINA

OIC chief slams terrorist attacks in Kuwait, Tunisia, France

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Saturday 27 Jun 2015 - 18:31 Makkah mean time-10-9-1436 Jeddah (IINA) - The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the terrorist blasts that rocked Kuwait, Tunisia and France on Friday. In separate statements, the pan Islamic body denounced heinous crimes, saying that they are totally negating the basic tenets of Islam. The OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani said that the abhorrent crime targeting Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque in Kuwait’s capital city has not only caused the death and injury of scores of innocent worshipers, but also aimed at undermining the security and stability of Kuwait and the cohesive fabric of its society. “No Muslim would target worshippers in a mosque, on a blessed Friday in the holy month of Ramadan because this negates every tenet of Islam. The terrorist group that committed this evil act is simply a gang of criminals who put no value to human life, and are devoid of any values, morality and religious belief; and aim at defaming Islam and Muslims,” he said. Madani expressed the solidarity of the OIC with Kuwait’s leadership, government and people, and conveyed his condolences to the Amir and the government of Kuwait as well as the families of the victims. He also wished quick recovery of the injured. He reiterated the OIC’s firm and principled stand that condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; stressing on the need for the consolidated efforts of all the member states to extract this malaise based on the resolutions issued by the OIC in this regard. In another statement, the secretary general strongly condemned the bloody terrorist attack that targeted a hotel in the city of Sousse, Tunisia, resulting in the death and injury of many Tunisians and foreign tourists. Madani expressed the full solidarity of the OIC with the people and government of Tunisia in confronting terrorism, which aims to destabilize Tunisia’s security and its political and economic stability. He also stressed on the need to consolidate international efforts in the fight against terrorism, which has recently increased, and that is by addressing its political, social economic and security dimensions, stressing in this regard the OIC’s principled and firm stand condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Madani expressed, in the name of the OIC, sincere condolences to the families of the victims and his hopes for the speedy recovery of the injured. The OIC denounced the terrorist attack on a US-owned gas factory near the city of Lyon in southeastern France on Friday where a body was found beheaded and a number of people were injured. The OIC considered the barbaric act of decapitating the victim as shocking and brutal. Madani, expressed his distress at the execution of such a heinous crime, underlining that the perpetrators are an affront to humanity and all moral and religious values, and called for bringing them to justice. He reiterated the OIC’s firm and principled stand condemning all forms of terrorism, which has no objective other than to spread fear, destabilization and conflict. He emphasized the need to consolidate international efforts in the fight against terrorism and address the political, social economic and security dimensions. Madani conveyed his deepest sympathies to the bereaved family and wished for the early recovery of the wounded victims. HA/IINA

Al-Azhar denounces terror attacks

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Saturday 27 Jun 2015 - 18:29 Makkah mean time-10-9-1436 Cairo (IINA) - Islamic religious institutions and scholars condemned three militant attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France on Friday that killed dozens of people including holidaymakers. Al-Azhar, a leading Sunni Muslim institution based in Egypt, said the "heinous" shooting at a Tunisian coastal resort which killed 28 people, mostly Europeans, was a "violation of all religious and humanitarian norms". In a statement, it also condemned a suicide bombing at a Kuwaiti Shiite mosque that killed at least 25 worshipers in an attack claimed by Daesh (the so-called IS) group. Al-Azhar, one of the oldest centers of Sunni Muslim learning, also denounced a suspected militant attack in France in which a man was beheaded. "Al-Azhar calls on the international community to defeat this terrorist group though all available means," it said in a statement referring to Daesh. The militant group, which controls parts of Syria and Iraq and commands affiliates in several other countries, had called for attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which began more than a week ago. A task force against extremism set up by Egypt's mufti, the government's interpreter of Islamic law, also denounced the attacks. "What the (Daesh) has done to malign the image of Islam is far more than what anyone else has done, whether Muslim or non-Muslim," it said in a statement. Prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Youssef Al-Qaradawi suggested that the militants were worse than "beasts". "Beasts don't kill other animals except for what they need to eat, but some people never get their fill from murder and blood," he wrote on Twitter. HA/IINA

Tourists scramble to leave Tunisia after terror attacks

Saturday 27 Jun 2015 - 17:57 Makkah mean time-10-9-1436

Tunis (IINA) - Foreign tourists are flying out of Tunisia after the deaths of 38 tourists in an attack on a beach resort in the coastal town of Sousse.
Saturday’s exodus came despite the Tunisian government's rejection of claims that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group carried out Friday’s attack, saying the suspect had never travelled abroad and was not previously known to police, Al Jazeera reported. The government of the North African country has also launched a crackdown on what it calls extremism. An armed man disguised as a tourist opened fire on a beach outside two hotels with a weapon he had hidden in an umbrella on Friday. The attacker was shot by police, taking the death toll including the assailant to 39, with dozens of others injured. Witnesses said the assailant took his time, targeting people at point-blank range, first on the beach and then around the swimming pool, reloading his weapon several times and tossing an explosive.
Habib Essid, the Tunisian prime minister, said most of the dead were British. Tunisian, German, Belgian and Irish citizens were also killed. Essid announced plans to close down 80 mosques that remain outside state control for inciting violence. "It is not acceptable to have in Tunisia any mosques operating outside the rule of law," he said. Tunisia’s government had already stepped up security before the hotel attack.” Rafik Chelli, a senior interior ministry official, said the shooter was a student unknown to authorities and not on any watchlist. Local radio said police captured a second assailant, but officials did not immediately confirm the arrest or his role in the attack.
In a statement on social media, ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack "on infidels". Twitter accounts supporting ISIL released photos that claimed to show the shooter. However, the government dismissed ISIL's claim. Friday's attack was the worst in Tunisia's modern history and the second major massacre this year following the assault on the Bardo national museum in Tunis when armed men killed 22 mostly foreign visitors. Tunisia has been hailed as a model of democratic transition since its 2011 Arab Spring uprising and has escaped the worst of the region’s violence. Speaking of the resort attack, Elizabeth O'Brien, an Irishwoman who was staying at a neighbouring hotel with her two sons, said there was panic on the beach when gunfire erupted. "I honestly thought it was fireworks and then when I saw people running ... I thought, my God, it is shooting," she told Irish radio station RTE. "The waiters and the security on the beach started to say 'Run, run, run!'" In Sousse, many tourists were already packing their suitcases into buses and checking out of hotels to leave after the attack, the Reuters news agency reported. German and British tour operators were organizing flights for tourists wishing to return from Tunisia and said those who booked Tunisian holidays for this summer could rebook or cancel the trips free of charge.
Sousse, alongside nearby Hammamet and the island of Djerba, is the heartland of Tunisia's most popular beach resorts, drawing visitors from Europe and neighbouring North African countries like Algeria. Six million tourists, mostly Europeans, visited Tunisia's beaches, desert treks and medina souks last year, providing seven percent of its gross domestic product, most of its foreign currency revenues and more jobs than anything but farming. "This is a catastrophe for the economy," Salma Loumi, Tunisia's tourism minister, said. "Our losses will be great, but the loss of human life was even greater."
HA/IINA

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​Kuwait to hold mass funeral for mosque attack victims

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Saturday 27 Jun 2015 - 17:56 Makkah mean time-10-9-1436 Kuwait City (IINA) - Kuwait is to hold a mass funeral for the victims of a suicide bombing of a Shia mosque on Friday that killed 27 people and wounded 227 others. Saturday was also a day of mourning in the Gulf Arab country following the attack on the Imam Sadiq mosque in the district of Sawaber, in the eastern part of Kuwait City, Al Jazeera reported. The funeral will follow the arrests of several people suspected of involvement in Friday's bombing. The owner of the car that drove the bomber has been arrested and a search is under way for the driver, Kuwait's state news agency reported on Saturday. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed responsibility for the bombing, which was Kuwait's worst attack in years and the first on a Shia mosque. In a message posted on a Twitter account known to belong to the group, ISIL claimed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosive vest. The attack prompted the Kuwaiti cabinet to announce after an emergency meeting that all security agencies and police had been placed on alert to confront what it called "black terror". "The cabinet stresses that it will take whatever measures necessary to root out this scourge, and declares a relentless all-out confrontation with these terrorists," it said in a statement. Kuwait's Emir Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah visited the mosque, located just a few buildings away from the country's interior ministry, following the attack. He said the bombing violated the sanctity of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as well as Islamic law forbidding the shedding of the blood of innocents. "National unity is a protective fence for the security of the nation," Sabah said. ISIL targeted Shia mosques in neighbouring Saudi Arabia on two consecutive Fridays in May. Video footage from the scene showed several bodies on the floor of the mosque amid debris and clouds of heavy smoke. Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah al-Mubarak al-Sabah, a Kuwaiti government spokesperson, said that despite security forces having been equipped with the latest technology, attacks such as the one that occurred on Friday were very hard to stop. "We will be investing in metal detectors and the like but even that can be overcome with the use of different types of technologies," he said. Shia Muslims comprise between 15 and 30 percent of the predominantly Sunni Muslim state, where members of both communities are known to live side by side with little apparent friction. HA/IINA

​Activists sail for Gaza aboard ‘freedom flotilla’

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Saturday 27 Jun 2015 - 17:52 Makkah mean time-10-9-1436 Crete, Greece (IINA) - Activists set sail Friday for the Gaza Strip in a bid to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, a participant said, five years after a similar attempt ended in bloodshed. “Finally, we are aboard the Swedish freedom boat the Marianne, and we are on our way to Gaza,” Arab Israeli lawmaker Basel Ghattas announced on his Facebook page before the flotilla left the coast of Crete. The Marianne of Gothenburg is part of the so-called Freedom Flotilla III — a convoy of ships carrying pro-Palestinian activists including Ghattas, a former Tunisian president and at least one European lawmaker. In a similar bid in 2010, a botched predawn raid by Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists. Several attempts since then have all been thwarted, but without bloodshed. The Marianne of Gothenburg last month sailed from Sweden to waters off Crete, where it was to be joined by a number of other vessels carrying around 70 people, according to the Platform of French NGOs for Palestine. Another activist on the Marianne, Israeli-born Swede Dror Feiler, told an Arab Israeli radio station that one of the flotilla’s ships had been sabotaged by “professionals”, and that a propeller had to be fixed before setting off. “There are dark forces that are trying to stop us,” he told Radio Ashams, without elaborating. Israel’s deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely last week called the flotilla “the work of provocateurs whose aim is to blacken Israel’s face”. The ministry had been working “through diplomatic channels night and day” to prevent it from reaching Israeli waters, she said. A statement Friday from the flotilla’s media team said its goal was “to highlight the violation of the rights of 1.8 million Palestinians living in the world’s largest open-air prison.” In July-August 2014, a 50-day war between Israel and Gaza rulers Hamas — the blockaded territory’s third conflict in six years — killed 2,200 Palestinians and 73 on the Israeli side, and left 100,000 Gazans homeless. Israel imposed its blockade on Gaza in 2006 after Hamas captured an Israeli soldier, and tightened it a year later when the Islamist movement consolidated control of the Strip. A number of flotillas had reached Gaza prior to May 2010, when 10 Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara were killed in the Israeli raid on the six-ship flotilla. Since then, several ships manned by pro-Palestinian activists have tried to reach the shores of Gaza, but they have all been repelled by the Israeli navy. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday he believed “a flotilla will not help to address the dire situation in Gaza,” but reiterated his call on Israel to “lift all closures, with due consideration of Israel’s legitimate security concerns.” Aboard the flotilla, according to organizers, were former Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki and Spanish MEP Ana Maria Miranda Paza. HA/IINA