Russian plane with 224 people on board crashed in Egypt’s Sinai

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Saturday 31 Oct 2015 - 15:25 Makkah mean time-18-1-1437 Cairo (IINA) - Egyptian military planes have located the wreckage of a Russian passenger plane that crashed on Saturday in the Sinai Peninsula with 224 people on board, Egypt's government said. "Military planes have discovered the wreckage of the plane... in a mountainous area, and 45 ambulances have been directed to the site to evacuate dead and wounded," news agencies reported quoting a Cabinet statement. Egyptian search and rescue teams have found the site of the crashed Russian passenger plane in the Hassana area, south of Arish, Sinai, the civilian aviation ministry said. The plane was at an altitude of 9,450 meters when it vanished from radar screens, the ministry said in a statement. A Cabinet level crisis committee has been formed to deal with the crash. The Airbus A-321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia with registration number KGL-9268, was flying from the Sinai coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg in Russia when it went down in a desolate mountainous area of central Sinai soon after daybreak, the aviation ministry said. There was no immediate word on casualties. Egyptian security sources said there was no indication that the plane had been shot down. Islamist militants are active in parts of Sinai. Sergei Isvolsky, a spokesman for Russian aviation authority Rosaviatia, told Interfax news agency that the plane took off from Sharm el-Sheikh at 6:51 a.m.(0351 GMT) and ground contact with it was lost with it about 25 minutes later. HA/IINA

World powers agree to more talks on Syria crisis

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Saturday 31 Oct 2015 - 15:24 Makkah mean time-18-1-1437 Vienna (IINA) - Major powers meeting in Vienna for talks on Syria have found enough "common ground" to meet for a new round of talks in two weeks, even as the conflict enters a new phase with the deployment of US special forces in the country. President Barack Obama has ordered the deployment of fewer than 50 commandos to help coalition forces coordinate with local troops, Josh Earnest, the White House spokesperson, said on Friday, Al Jazeera News channel reported. The troop announcement came as diplomats in the Austrian capital representing 17 countries and the EU agreed to launch a broad new peace attempt to gradually end Syria's long civil war - a declaration that avoided any decision on when President Bashar al-Assad might leave. It is not clear how many rebel groups would agree to a plan that does not result in Assad's immediate departure. Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said on Friday a US decision to deploy special forces in Syria would make cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries more important. "I am sure that neither the United States nor Russia want [the conflict] to become a so-called proxy war," Lavrov said after the talks in Vienna. "But it is obvious for me that the situation makes the task of cooperation between the militaries more relevant." Friday's talks included an Iranian delegation for the first time. Representatives from Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, the EU and other Arab states also attended. The participation by Russia and Iran in the attempt could mark a new and promising phase in the diplomacy since those countries have staunchly backed Assad. Any ceasefire agreement that may come as a result of the peace effort would not include the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, which controls large parts of northern Syria and has its capital there. "There were tough conversations today," John Kerry, US secretary of state, said on Friday. "This is the beginning of a new diplomatic process." Kerry acknowledged that those present have major differences on the Assad government. "But we cannot allow the differences get in the way of diplomacy to end the killing." Federica Mogherini, the European Union foreign policy chief, said there is "hope" for a political process to advance, saying that those involved in the talks "found common ground" for further discussion. "It was a very long and very substantial meeting. This was not an easy one, but for sure a historical one," she said while praising "those who took difficult decisions" in joining the talks. Lavrov said those present in the meeting spent a "long time" to push for an inclusive Syrian-led peace process. Among the issues upon during the talks was that ISIL cannot be allowed to reign in Syria, he said. In a rare hint of diplomatic progress, Iran indicated it would back a six-month political transition period in Syria followed by elections to decide Assad's fate, although his opponents rejected the proposal as a trick to keep him in power. In addition to Assad's fate, on which delegates said no breakthrough had been expected, sticking points have long included the question of which rebel groups should be considered "terrorists" and who should be involved in the political process. HA/IINA

​Israeli forces kill three Palestinians, including infant

Saturday 31 Oct 2015 - 15:23 Makkah mean time-18-1-1437

Ramallah (IINA) - Three Palestinians - including an eight-month-old baby - have died from Israeli fire and another is critically wounded, while many others were injured in West Bank and Gaza protests.
The Palestinian health ministry confirmed on Friday the death of Ramadan Mohammed Faisal Thawabta, the baby who suffocated from tear gas inhalation in a village near Bethlehem. He died in Beit Fajjar in clashes as the Israeli army sprayed tear gas at Palestinians. The ministry also confirmed the first incident, citing the death of Qasem Sabaana, 20, and the injury of a 17-year-old, as yet unnamed, at a checkpoint south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to Al Jazeera News channel. Israeli police claimed that the two Palestinians had approached the checkpoint on a motorbike carrying knives.
Also in Jerusalem on Friday, another Palestinian succumbed to wounds inflicted earlier in the morning. Train security officers shot the alleged attacker on the light rail in occupied East Jerusalem with live ammunition after he allegedly attacked an Israeli settler, the police said. Since October 1, Israeli forces or settlers have killed 69 Palestinians - including unarmed protesters, bystanders and alleged attackers - across Israel, the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Nine Israelis have died in stabbing or shooting incidents in the same period.
Outrage over the killings sparked Palestinian-led protests outside the Israeli settlement of Beit El, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Around 500 Palestinians protested and clashed with Israeli forces, according to witnesses. Israeli troops shot at least one protester in the chest with live ammunition, said Mohannad Darabee, a photographer at the clashes. "Medics told us he is in critical condition," he told Al Jazeera, adding that an Israeli Jeep ran over another protester. Orient Radio, a local media outlet, captured the soldiers running the protester over on video. "When medics tried to help him and journalists approached the area, the soldiers attacked all of them with pepper spray and tear gas. Then they arrested the man (who was run over).
"People are angry about the martyr killed in Nablus. They (Israeli forces) are firing a lot of live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets - they are shooting indiscriminately," Darabee said. Ezz Zanoun, a Gaza-based photographer, said that clashes are also taking place in areas across Gaza's border with Israel. "Two journalists have been hit with rubber-coated steel bullets" near the Nahal Oz Israeli military outpost, he told Al Jazeera, referring to an area near eastern Gaza City. At least 2,000 people participated in the demonstrations, Zanoun added. "The Israelis are using rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas," he said. "Participation in the protests here in Gaza is growing."
Israeli soldiers cursed at the protesters in Hebrew and Arabic, and waved an Israeli flag at them, witnesses said. "The soldiers did not wait long to open fire," said Zanoun. "The feeling among Palestinians is that this has become something routine for them, to fire quickly." Tension has surged amid resentment over Israeli settlements and the incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site for Muslims. Rights groups have slammed Israel for its harsh measures as it continues to crack down on Palestinians.
HA/IINA

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China lifts decades-old one-child policy

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Friday 30 Oct 2015 - 19:11 Makkah mean time-17-1-1437 (Image from the Huffington Post) Beijing, (IINA) - China has abandoned on Thursday its one-child policy, lifting the ban on most couples for the first time in more than 30 years. Couples will now be allowed to have two children, Anadolu Agency reported citing Xinhua. The news came from a communiqué issued by the Communist Party of China at the end of a four-day party gathering in Beijing. China introduced the policy in the late 1970s to rein in population growth to overhaul the economy by limiting most urban couples to one child and most rural couples to two. It also allowed the birth of a second child if the first child was a girl. Late leader Deng Xiaoping considered the birth rate of almost three children per woman a drag on economic growth. A significant policy change at the end of 2013 allowed couples to have a second child if either parent was only one child. In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby welcomed the announcement as a "positive step", but added, "We look forward to the day when birth limits are abandoned altogether". AG/IINA

Researchers find gene linked to developing obesity

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Friday 30 Oct 2015 - 19:09 Makkah mean time-17-1-1437 Bethesda, U.S. (IINA) - A new study found that an appetite-controlling protein, which plays a role in developing obesity, might be reduced by using a variation of the gene for brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), UPI reported. Researchers think that boosting a drug in people with the BDNF variation, which is found more often in black and Hispanic people, may help correct obesity-related issues connected to appetite. The BDNF protein has roles in the brain and nervous levels, and it is responsible for stimulating the feeling of fullness. Researchers were able to analyze brain tissue samples and identify an area of the gene where one single change altered BDNF levels in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls eating and body weight. "The BDNF gene has previously been linked to obesity, and scientists have been working for several years to understand how changes in this particular gene may predispose people to obesity", said Jack Yanovski, an investigator at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. "This study explains how a single genetic change in BDNF influences obesity and may affect BDNF protein levels. Finding people with specific causes of obesity may allow us to evaluate effective, more-personalized treatments". "Lower BDNF levels may contribute to obesity", said Joan Han, a researcher at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. "If these findings are supported by additional studies, boosting BDNF levels may prove beneficial". AG/IINA

Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian in Hebron; death toll rises to 67

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Friday 30 Oct 2015 - 19:07 Makkah mean time-17-1-1437 (Image from Days of Palestine) Hebron, (IINA) - An Israeli soldier stationed at the 160 checkpoint near the Ibrahimi Mosque shot dead a 23-year-old Palestinian on Thursday, bringing the death toll to 67 since the beginning of October, WAFA reported citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Local authorities and security sources said that Mahdi Muhtasib was shot dead by Israeli soldiers after accusing Muhtasib of attempted to stab them with a knife. The witnesses also said that Israeli soldiers left the young man to bleed on the scene for a long time. Muhtasib was later moved in an Israeli ambulance to the nearby Kiryat Arba illegal settlement, where he was pronounced dead shortly after some time. There has been mounting tension across the West Bank and Jerusalem with Israel’s repeated assault of Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, particularly its enforcement of a temporal division of the compound between Muslims and Jews. It is noteworthy Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Wednesday in Geneva for the creation of a "special regime" for the protection of his people, as a wave of deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence showed no sign of abating. AG/IINA

Saudi's UN Mission: Coalition Forces did not bomb MSF-UN run hospital in Yemen

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Friday 30 Oct 2015 - 19:04 Makkah mean time-17-1-1437 (UN Headquarters) New York, (IINA) - Saudi Arabia's Permanent Mission to the UN pointed out on Thursday that the aircraft of Arab Coalition Forces did not pound the hospital run by both the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and UN organizations in Yemen. The Mission also said that the Arab coalition aircraft had not carried out any operations over Saada province in Yemen at the time of the incident, SPA reported. It clarified that the coalition forces carried out operations near the border, which is 40 km north of the hospital's headquarters. It was also pointed out that the cause of the explosion that occurred inside the hospital could not be known without conducting investigations on this matter. It is noteworthy that the Mission issued a statement on Wednesday which said that MSF organization has provided the coalition forces details of the hospital and therefore it has been placed within the forbidden targets. Hence, the coalition forces cannot target hospital. The Mission also regretted a statement attributed to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the alleged bombing of the hospital by the coalition forces,before receiving report of a full investigation into the circumstances of the explosion at the hospital. It is to be noted that there would be a full investigation of the circumstances of this incident and that the results will be announced as soon as possible. AG/IINA

Ban Ki-moon urges 'flexibility' in Syria talks in Vienna

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Friday 30 Oct 2015 - 18:56 Makkah mean time-17-1-1437 (Image from AP) New York, (IINA) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for "flexibility" at talks in Vienna between the countries backing rival sides in the Syrian civil war. He urged the five main participants, which are the US, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, to abandon "national perspectives" for "global leadership", BBC reported. These are the first talks regarding Syria that include Iran, which is the second country along with Russia that backs Bashar Al-Assad, while the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey insist that Al-Assad cannot be part of any solution. The four-year-old war in Syria, which began with an uprising against Al-Assad, has left 250,000 people dead and displaced more than 11 million people. The US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab nations agree that Al-Assad cannot play any long-term role in Syria's future and that he must be gone. "He will go either through a political process, or he will be removed by force", Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir told BBC ahead of the talks. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif said that other powers had realized that there was no way of reaching "a reasonable solution" to the Syrian conflict without involving Tehran. Foreign ministers of the five participating countries held informal talks in Vienna on Thursday, with the substantive discussions scheduled for Friday. Foreign ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Egypt, Lebanon and representative of the EU have also confirmed that they will attend the meeting. AG/IINA

ISESCO, BADEA implement technical, material support program in Cote d'Ivoire

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Friday 30 Oct 2015 - 14:30 Makkah mean time-17-1-1437 Abidjan, (IINA) - The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in partnership with Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), started implementing a new line for the technical and material support program for women in the city of Abidjan, capital of Cote d'Ivoire. The support will benefit around 20 women working in the field of sewing and embroidery in Cote d'Ivoire. They will receive a number of machines to start their small businesses. They will also have a vocational and technical training seminar to enhance their capacity in the field of their work. It is noteworthy that ISESCO and BADEA initiated their humanitarian works in Africa on 2013 in order to fight poverty and vulnerability in poor African countries. Seydou Cissé, an expert at ISESCO's Education Directorate, will be supervising the implementation of this program. AG/IINA

ISESCO, Al-Salam Center sign deal on joint work

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Friday 30 Oct 2015 - 14:26 Makkah mean time-17-1-1437 (Al-Salam Center's logo) Rabat, (IINA) - The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) signed here on Thursday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Al-Salam Center for Development and Strategic Studies. The MoU states that ISESCO and Al-Salam center will cooperate to implement seminars, meetings, workshops, training courses as well as prepare studies and research for the benefit of the OIC member states, minorities, and Muslim communities. The cooperation will concentrate on fields of education, science and culture. It will encourage the teaching of the Arabic language to non-Arabic speakers, the promotion of dialogue between cultures and civilizations, enhancing the role of media in spreading the culture of moderation, promotion of youth and women's role in sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well as care for the issues of people with special needs. The agreement was signed by Al-Salam Center's President Hamad Al-Najjar and ISESCO's Supervisor of the Directorate of External Relations and Cooperation Mustapha Ali. It is noteworthy that Al-Salam Center is a non-governmental organization working in the State of Kuwait in the field of developing workers in the field of human rights and peace through establishing training courses and workshops. AG/IINA

OIC chief calls for intra-OIC cooperation to address challenges

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Friday 30 Oct 2015 - 14:23 Makkah mean time-17-1-1437 Jakarta, (IINA) - Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Iyad Madani emphasized on Thursday the significance of effectively implementing various programs and projects on intra-OIC cooperation on labor, employment, and productivity in order to address the current challenges of unemployment, low productivity and macroeconomic instability prevalent in OIC member states. He made the remarks while addressing at the opening session of the Third Islamic Conference of Labor Ministers (ICLM) in Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesian Vice President Mohammad Yusuf Kalla inaugurated the conference. Reviewing the current strategies and action plans contained in OIC Framework for Cooperation on Labor, Employment, and Social Protection, the Secretary General urged the ministers and heads of delegations at the conference to demonstrate ownership of this OIC framework by reflecting them in their programs of action and allocating adequate resources for its expeditious implementation. He also called for intra-OIC cooperation aimed at creating conducive legislative and regulatory atmosphere for employment generation, training, social security, labor, and manpower exchange. While lamenting the steady increase in the average unemployment rate in OIC countries, as compared to the world average, the Secretary General drew attention to the fact that the unemployment rate in Palestine accounts for the highest unemployment rate in the entire OIC community. He attributed this unfortunate state of affairs in Palestine to the illegal occupation as well as the socio-economic blockade being meted out to the Palestinian people by the Israeli authorities. He therefore urged the conference to adopt a special dispensation to facilitate better employment opportunities for youth and vulnerable segments of the Palestinian population, including supporting programs in the area of vocational training, skill development and entrepreneurship. The third ICLM is being hosted by Indonesia following the expiry of two-year chairmanship of Azerbaijan, during which actions on the elaboration of the OIC Framework for Cooperation on Labor, Employment, and Social Protection as well as Draft Statute of the proposed OIC Labor Center in Baku, Azerbaijan were successfully completed. Ministers and heads of delegations from 35 OIC member states attended the conference. Officials representing OIC observer states, as well as regional and international organizations also attended. The conference is expected to adopt a resolution and a Jakarta Declaration, containing the roadmap for intra-OIC cooperation in the area of labor, employment, and social protection during the next biennium. AG/IINA

Muslims' boycott of animals incurs Belgium losses worth €1.7 million

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 21:31 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Pic: Flanders Today site Brussels (IINA) – Belgium's Minister for Animal welfare Ben Weyts said that the sheep trade sector in his country has incurred an estimated loss of 1.7 million euros, due to Muslims' boycott of sacrificial animals slaughter during the feast of the sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, in late September, in protest against the ban imposed on slaughter of animals without stunning them. The minister said, in a presentation to the members of the regional Flemish parliament, that only 8,463 heads of sheep were slaughtered in this region, during the last Eid al-Adha festival, which is a decrease of about 30,000 sacrificial animals compared to a year earlier, during which 38,300 heads of sheep were slaughtered. It is worth mentioning that there are more than 600,000 Muslims living in Belgium, mostly from Morocco and Turkey, which has a population of about 12 million people. AB/IINA

Cancer-causing chemicals linger on clothing: Study

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 21:28 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Stockholm (IINA) - Scientists from Stockholm University discovered that chemicals used to produce clothes could pose risks long after the clothing is purchased and brought home, ChemInfo reported. Experts analyzed 60 garments from international clothing chains and identified about 100 chemicals out of the thousands used in clothing production. Researchers then examined four groups of compounds and found comparatively high levels of quinolines and aromatic amines in polyester and benzothiazoles in cotton clothes, even if the cotton was produced organically. The study then measured chemical levels after washing the clothes. The resulting thesis indicated that some chemicals washed off while others remained on clothes and could pose health risks. Researchers said that some of the chemicals are suspected or proven "carcinogens", and that exposure also increased the risk of allergic dermatitis. A carcinogen is any substance or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. It may be due to its ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. In addition, several substances with suspected health impacts were not listed by clothing producers and could be byproducts, residues or chemicals added during shipping. "Clothes are worn day and night during our entire life. We must find out if textile chemicals go into our skin and what it means to our health. It is very difficult to assess and requires considerably more research", said Stockholm chemistry professor Conny Ostman. AG/IINA

Foundation stone laid for mosque in Sydney

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 21:27 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Sydney (IINA) – Grand Mufti of Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, Deputy Mayor of Canterbury City Council Khodr Saleh and President of Australia’s Islamic Call Society Bashar al-Jamal jointly laid the foundation stone for the construction phase of Punchbowl mosque and school. The Mufti delivered a speech on the occasion which focused on "the importance of building mosques and their role in promoting the message of unification and acquaintance that called for by Islam". He stressed that moderation, compassion and openness to others are the bases of the Islamic call undertaken by the mosques. For his part, the deputy mayor of Canterbury praised, in his speech, the role of Islamic Call Society in providing the right model of Islam that acts for the advancement of communities and cooperation among their members. He cherished the opportunity given to the Canterbury municipality, within which the mosque is situated, to be part of the preparation for this project and its achievement. The deputy mayor underlined that the Muslim community is an essential part of the wider Australian community, and that the municipalities and authorities concerned should facilitate the building of mosques and infrastructure facilities for the Muslim communities in the country. President of the Islamic Call Society expressed his thanks and gratitude to all the donors and supporters who have generously contributed to the construction of the mosque and school project. AB/IINA

Lancashire Blackburn Library to host major conference on Islamophobia

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 14:25 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Blackburn Library building. Image from Lancashire Telegraph Lancashire, England (IINA) - Blackburn Library, which is located in town hall street, Lancashire North West England, is to host a major conference on Islamophobia next month, Lancashire Telegraph online news reported. The Blackburn working group of national organization Muslim Engagement and Development, known as MEND, organizes the evening seminar, which will take place on Friday, November 20. A cross-section of influential East Lancashire Muslims, community leaders, local businesses, women’s groups, cohesion groups and other significant community figures will attend the conference. It marks November being Islamophobia Awareness Month. Keynote speaker will be Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw. Also speaking at the event will be Josh Durham from Victims’ Voice and MEND Chief Executive Sufyan Ismail. MEND is a specialist Muslim organization dedicated to tackle and educate the general public on Islamophobia. It also advocates in Westminster, and works on grass roots community empowerment across the UK and in the European Union. MEND gave oral testimony in the Leveson Inquiry on press ethics, it sits on the crown prosecution service’ national hate crime sub-panel, and works with police forces across the UK to reduce the number of Islamophobic attacks. SM/IINA

Three new cases of Ebola reported in Guinea

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 14:21 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 TASS Conakry, (IINA) - A Guinean health official said on Wednesday that three Guineans were infected with the Ebola virus, which brings the total number of Ebola patients in Guinea to nine, Reuters reported. The three were infected in the village of Forecariah in western Guinea, and they were from the family of a woman who died of Ebola and whose body was handled without appropriate protection, said Fode Sylla, spokesman for the national center for the fight against Ebola. He pointed out: "In all, nine sick people are being treated at our centers throughout the country and most are connected to the dead woman", adding that authorities had known of the three new cases since Saturday. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the epidemic began when a 2-year-old boy fell ill in a remote Guinean village on December 26, 2013, and now risks dragging into a third year. It has killed around 11,300 people out of around 28,500 known cases in Guinea and neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone. Liberia was declared free of Ebola transmission on September 3 after 42 days with no new cases while Sierra Leone will be declared Ebola free on November 7 if there are no new transmission cases, the WHO said. WHO noted that the 42-day countdown starts once the last patient tests negative a second time, usually after a 48-hour gap following their first negative test. AG/IINA

Indonesia to assist small enterprises affected by haze

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 14:20 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Jakarta, (IINA) - Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla announced here on Tuesday that the Indonesian government will support micro, small and medium enterprises (UMKM) affected by the haze that was caused by forest and land fires and has been covering areas of Sumatra and Kalimantan, Antara news reported. Regarding the handling of fires, the Vice President said that peatlands should be restored so that they function as intended in a natural course of things and to prevent forest fires from occurring in the future. He noted that thousands of people suffered health problem due to the haze, emphasizing that the government will continue to make its efforts in solving the haze crisis. The government has instructed the police to firmly enforce the law against the perpetrators behind these forest fires. Kalla said: "Companies responsible for setting off illegal forest fires that caused haze will be fined". AG/IINA

Malaysia-OIC trade to climb 19% this year: Minister

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 14:08 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Kuala Lumpur (IINA) – Malaysia's International Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister Mustapa Mohamed said the bilateral trade between Malaysia and other member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is expected to increase by 19 percent by the end of this year and by 25 percent next year, BERNAMA reported. “Today, OIC countries' share of global merchandise trade is still low. We are still trading with other countries (non-Islamic nations). “Because of this, Malaysia has successfully signed a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Turkey and Pakistan as a catalyst to boost bilateral trade between the Muslim nations,” he said. Mustapa said Muslim nations had much to offer to the world, as they always have, from knowledge and resources to culture and products. “And now, the Muslim world also has big opportunity in the halal economy and in trade and investment in halal goods and services. “This opportunity should not be missed by OIC nations as many non-Islamic nations are already seeing the profit in this industry and becoming active in it,” he said after launching the OIC-Asia Trade and Economic Forum 2015 here on Thursday. He said the event was not just an opportunity to foster trade and development, but also to build and reinforce the ability and desire of Muslims globally to contribute to the economic well-being and growth. Mustapa said Muslim nations had a lot of room to improve in terms of products and services to enable them to diversify into new markets. “We would like to encourage more Muslim companies from OIC countries to come to Malaysia to set up business here,” he said. It was reported earlier that between January and May this year, Malaysia's total trade with OIC countries was valued at $15.55 billion, down 19.7 percent from $19.37 billion in the same period in 2014. Total exports to OIC countries for the first five months of 2015 amounted to $8.20 billion, a drop of 20.5 per cent from $10.33 billion in the same period in 2014. AB/IINA

UAE wins Human Rights Council seat for second three-year term

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 14:04 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 New York, (IINA) - The United Arab Emirates has won a second three-year term membership of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), starting from the beginning of 2016 and ending in 2018, WAM reported. The UAE was elected in a secret ballot conducted by the UN General Assembly in which 32 candidate countries from different geographical groups competed for 18 vacant seats. The UAE got 159 votes, the second highest vote turnout of the total votes garnered by the other Asian countries. Emeriti Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash described the UAE win as a testimony to its effective contribution to the HRC and reflection of its good network of relations and its role in the human rights-related issues. He noted that the HRC is considered an effective tool for human rights and those human rights issues must not be politicized or exploited to impose individual approaches. "We all agree on general values. On the other hand, there are cultural peculiarities that must be respected and accepted," he said. Gargash said that the UAE's role in the HRC would represent the developing world's aspirations to move forward on the human rights. He also pointed out that this issue should not be monopolized by an egoistic eye that does not see the natural diversity. He also said the UAE will seek to prove worthy of the international community's trust through more efforts and initiatives to boost the Council's role. The minister extended gratitude to the UAE leadership for providing the ambitious vision and for the continuous efforts to achieve development. He also applauded Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nahyan for leading the diplomatic campaign which guaranteed success to the UAE and said that the teamwork and efforts of the Emirati diplomacy also played a significant role in that success. AG/IINA

Dubai Islamic Bank's 9-month profit surges 36%

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 14:00 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Dubai Islamic Bank. Imafe from Khaleej Times Dubai, (IINA) - Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) on Wednesday declared 43.6 percent increase in third quarter net profit and 36 percent for the first nine months of 2015 compared to same periods last year, Khaleej Times reported. Beating analysts' forecasts, the Shariah-compliant lender reported a Dh972.1 million profit for September quarter compared to Dh676.8 million in the corresponding period last year. EFG Hermes had forecast a net profit in the period of Dh949 million, while HSBC expected earnings of Dh900 million, according to Reuters. Net impairment losses declined to Dh341 million for the period ending September 30, 2015 compared with Dh538 million for the same period in 2014, a clear sign of consistent improvement in asset quality. With notable increase in net revenues and improved asset quality, the latter leading to declining impairment charges, net profit for the period ending September 30, 2015, rose to Dh2.8 billion from Dh2.1 billion for the same period in 2014, an increase by 36 percent. The bank said its total income for the period ending September 30, 2015 stood at Dh5.53 billion from Dh4.6 billion for the same period in 2014, showing an increase of 20 percent. The increase is due to consistent growth in core businesses across all segments. Deliberate focus on customer and multi-sector penetration has led to both consumer and corporate financing registering significant increase resulting in a rise in funded income by 25 percent over three quarters of 2014. Associated fees and commissions also registered an increase of 25 percent growing to Dh975 million compared to Dh780 million for the same period of 2014. Net revenue for the period ending September 30, 2015 amounted to Dh4.79 billion, an increase of 19 percent compared with Dh4 billion in the same period of 2014 primarily on the back of strong growth in core business. SM/IINA

UNSMIL calls for calm after helicopter crash west of Tripoli, Libya

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 13:50 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Pic: Internet Tripoli (IINA) – The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) announced that it has learnt of Tuesday's crash of a helicopter near the Libyan city of Zawiya, reportedly killing all passengers onboard, including military officers and brigade commanders. The Mission said Tuesday it regrets the loss of life and called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any action that would further escalate tensions. The Mission recalls that the area west of Tripoli has seen relative calm in recent months as a result of local ceasefire and reconciliation efforts. In the same spirit of reconciliation, UNSMIL urges local leaders and those with influence on the ground to immediately work to prevent an escalation of tensions. The Mission also calls on the relevant authorities to conduct an open and transparent investigation to determine the cause of the crash. UNSMIL urges all sides to place Libya’s higher national interests above all other considerations and work toward de-escalation to spare their country and people further bloodshed and violence. AB/IINA

UAE Red Crescent provides relief work to 643,909 people: Report

Abu Dhabi, (IINA) - The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has delivered humanitarian and relief assistance to 91,987 families (643,909 persons) in the governorate of Aden and surrounding cities in Yemen, WAM reported.
The ERC distributed 77,987 tons of food packages to poor families in the governorate of Aden and 7,500 food packages to citizens in Bab Al Mandab. In the governorate of Shabwah, the ERC relief team delivered food supplies to 5,000 families and 1,500 food boxes to families in the Abyan city.
ERC said that the UAE's major relief agency sent nine aid ships to Yemen before the liberation of Aden and three others afterward. The ships were loaded with 18,322 tons of miscellaneous food items, equipment, and machines for maintenance and reconstruction of public facilities in the governorate of Aden.
Additionally, the ERC sent a land convoy of 85 trucks, carrying 31,000 food packages, through Saudi borders, while two planes delivered 103 tons of food supplies and school bags.
The ninth ship carried miscellaneous food materials, clothes, fuel, medical equipment, water pumps, generators, educational and health supplies, and 14 trucks. The ERC team is currently working on maintaining and rehabilitating the sewer network.
The gross value of the dispatched relief assistance stood at AED63 million ($17.2 million approximately).
In education, the ERC team is currently rebuilding 154 schools in Aden, it had finished works on more than 64 schools, which are now ready to welcome students. Stationeries were distributed to students, who had already started their classes.
The total cost of maintenance and reconstruction of schools reached AED81.3 million ($22.1 million approximately).
Within the UAE's efforts to end disruption in electricity power supplies and qualify the electricity sector, the ERC has allocated AED220 million ($60 million) to maintain and operate power stations in the Governorate of Aden and deliver generators to these stations from the UAE directly. Fifty-four new generators will be purchased to qualify the Aden power transmission network. Life, business and economic and trade activities have begun to return to normalcy as operating capacity in power stations in Aden has reached 90 percent now.
Regarding the sanitary sewer system, the report indicated that the ERC is spending AED6 million ($1.6 million) to qualify the network in Aden. Another AED4.5 million ($1.2 million) has been earmarked to purchase trucks, 600 waste collection containers, and 16 garbage trucks.
Concerning the health sector, the ERC said it would spend AED35 million ($9.5 million) to rebuild and rehabilitate the Al-Joumhouria Hospital and its Dialysis Centre as well as the Khalifa bin Zayed Hospital and Basuhaib Hospital.
Three centers for reproductive health will also be renovated, equipped and furnished at AED4 million ($1.1 million). AED7 million ($1.9 million) were allocated for maintaining nine other centers for healthcare. Moreover, AED2 million ($544.520) for maintaining medical warehouses and health centers in Khormaksar.
The total budget for health projects in Aden is estimated at AED48.5 million ($13.2 million).
Additionally, AED4 million ($1.1 million) were allocated to purchase medicines for cancer and kidney patients, and AED5 million ($1.4 million) to acquire ambulances and medicine transportation trucks. Health assistance in Aden stood at AED9 million ($2.5 million).
The Restore Hope Hospital was recently rehabilitated by the ERC in the Directorate of Ramah. The project is of particular importance as it lies in the midst of the desert directorates and on the international highway that links Yemen with the GCC countries.
ERC is also working to repair the Corniche in Aden at a cost of AED4 million ($1.1 million) and eight gardens at a cost of AED16 million ($4.4 million).
Socially, the ERC has organized three entertainment festival for children and families at a total cost of AED45,000, and AED15,000 ($4,000) each.
Social assistance programs in Aden which include AED150,000 ($40,000) for sacrificial meat, AED40,000 ($10,890) for Eid clothing, and AED40,000 for Eid clothing to special-needs persons. The gross value of the social assistance stood at AED275,000 ($75,000 approximately).
AG/IINA

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UN General Assembly elects 18 members to Human Rights Council

New York (IINA) – The UN General Assembly on Wednesday elected 18 states to serve on the Human Rights Council, the United Nations body responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.
Those elected were Belgium, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Panama, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Switzerland, Togo, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.  All will serve three-year term beginning from 1 January 2016.
The 18 new members were elected according to the following pattern: five seats each for African States and  Asia-Pacific States, three seats each for Latin American and Caribbean states, as well as for Western European and other states, and two seats for East European states.
Of those elected, Burundi, Georgia, Togo, Mongolia and Panama will be sitting on the Geneva-based body for the first time.  Re-elected for an additional term was Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Germany, Kenya, Republic of Korea, UAE and Venezuela.
General Assembly President Federico A. Gonzàlez announced that the following states would also continue as members of the Human Rights Council: Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Botswana, China, Congo, Cuba, El Salvador, France, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom and Vietnam.
Created by the General Assembly in May 2006 as the principal UN body dealing with human rights, the Human Rights Council is comprised of 47 elected member states. On the basis of equitable geographical distribution, Council seats are allocated to the five regional groups as follows:  African states 13 seats; Asia-Pacific states 13; Eastern European states 6; Latin American and Caribbean states 8; and Western European and other states 7 seats.
The General Assembly will reconvene on Friday to discuss the question of equitable representation on the Security Council and increase its membership as well as other matters related to the Security Council.
AB/IINA

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Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ launches Islamic finance business in Dubai

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 13:08 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Shichito Tobari. Image from Gulf News Dubai, (IINA) - The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU), the banking arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group’s (MUFG),  has launched Islamic finance business through its Dubai branch based in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Gulf News reported. The Islamic window of the DIFC branch is intending to offer a number of Islamic products such as deposits, loans and trade finance solutions, said Shichito Tobari, regional head for the Middle East and general manager of the Dubai branch. MUFG’s Islamic Window is intends to offer Islamic finance solutions for its existing customers and new customers across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) from its DIFC branch. “We are the first Japanese bank in the region to offer Islamic finance solutions from our branch located in the region. With our presence on the ground, we expect to reach to a significant number of customers,” said Tobari. On the lending side of the business, the bank has plans to offer both bilateral loans and is keen on participating in syndication deals as opportunities arise. The bank said it believes, Islamic finance offers big growth opportunities. “This launch reflects the size of the Islamic finance industry in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the fact it is an area of finance that is growing much faster than conventional financial services. Introducing an Islamic Finance proposition in the Middle East made sense as it ensures proximity to our clients in the EMEA region, who are increasingly requesting these products,” said Tobari. The launch of Islamic finance business through its DIFC branch, according to Tobari is a continuation of its presence in the Middle East where it has been active for nearly 90 years and of its tradition of leading the way in Islamic finance since 2008 started in Malaysia. “This latest move demonstrates MUFG’s commitment to both EMEA and the Islamic Finance sector where we see great growth potential. It will also help towards establishing Dubai as one of the leading global hubs for the Islamic economy and MUFG’s robust balance sheet enables us to have a strong and stable presence in this market,” he said. SM/IINA

‘Minorities face discrimination at every turn’ in criminal justice systems: UN rights expert

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 13:00 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 UN Independent Expert on minority issues Rita Izsák. UN Photo New York, (IINA) - In criminal justice procedures worldwide, minorities face discrimination ranging from excessive and sometimes lethal use of force, torture by police, to longer periods of stay in pre-trial detention, discrimination during judicial procedures and biases influencing sentencing, according to a UN human rights expert on minority issues. “The disproportionate targeting by law enforcement officers of individuals for identity checks, stop and search or other forms of coercive or privacy invasive police powers which are related purely to identity-based minority group characteristics, continues to take place around the world,” UN News Centre reported citing Rita Izsák, the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues. Presenting her fourth report to UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, the Organization’s main body dealing with social, humanitarian and cultural issues, Izsák assessed the situation of the human rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in the various stages of the criminal justice process, from before arrest through to sentencing. “The Special Rapporteur is alarmed by the many allegations that she has received of human rights violations committed against minorities in the administration of criminal justice, owing to their minority status,” the report said. “She strongly condemned the practice of racial profiling,” according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in a press release of the report. “Although remedying the discrimination that minorities face in criminal justice system is not an easy task,” the expert said, “it is paramount that states address the underrepresentation of minorities in law enforcement agencies, including judiciaries, prosecution services and legal professions.” Saying that measures to eliminate discrimination and ensure equality before the law are more likely to be effective if undertaken with a minority rights-based approach, the report outlined a series of recommendations to address discrimination in the administration of justice. Izsák was appointed as independent expert on minority issues by the Human Rights Council (HRC) in June 2011 and subsequently her mandate was renewed as Special Rapporteur on minority issues in March 2014. She works on a voluntary basis, is not UN staff and does not receive a salary for her work. SM/IINA

Malaysia to launch ‘Peace Carnival’ to raise funds for Syrian people

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 11:44 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Kuala Lumpur (IINA) – Syria Care Malaysia is to launch soon a campaign aims at raising more than 200,000 Malaysian ringgits for the Syrian people through a program, known as “Peace Carnival”, to be held in different regions of the country, BERNAMA reported. General Manager of the Syria Care Malaysia Siti Sakinah Meor Omar Baki said the carnival would be held in eight states, beginning at Dataran Pahlawan in Melaka from 20 to 22 November and ending at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur on 13 March 2016. She said the carnival would also be held in Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, but the dates had yet to be fixed. "I urge the public to help ease the burden and sufferings of the Syrian people," she said, adding that various activities would be held at the carnival, including religious forum, performance by local celebrities, exhibition on Islamic art and charity sale. Syria Care is also organizing a program, called “Eyes2Heart”, featuring famous Malaysian singers to enlighten the public on the sufferings of the Syrian people. The performance will be held on November 7 at Cempaka Sari Auditorium, Putrajaya Corporation, Putrajaya, she said. AB/IINA

Nigerian troops rescue over 330 women, children held by Boko Haram

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 11:39 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 AFP image Abuja (IINA) – The Nigerian army on Wednesday said it had freed more than 330 people, mostly women and children, from Boko Haram's Sambisa forest stronghold in the volatile northeast, AFP reported. "The (army) unit ... rescued 338 persons that were held captive by the terrorists," the army said of the Tuesday operation, adding that 192 of the survivors were children and 138 women. It was not clear if any of the around 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants last year in northeastern Chibok were among those rescued. The raid targeted "suspected Boko Haram terrorist camps at Bulajilin and Manawashe villages" on the edge of the Sambisa forest, the army said. It said troops also killed 30 suspected extremists and seized a cache of arms and ammunition in the area. The freed hostages have been moved to a camp for displaced persons in Mubi in nearby Adamawa state, the army added. AB/IINA

Qatar Charity, IDB to allocate $14 million to support education efforts for Syrian refugees

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 11:36 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Pic: The Peninsula Doha (IINA) – Qatar Charity, in cooperation with Islamic Development Bank (IDB), announced an initiative to allocate $14 million to support education efforts for the Syrian refugees and displaced people, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported. The initiative will be funded equally by the two parties, said Qatar Charity CEO Yousuf Al Kuwari during the opening session of a conference on Syrian humanitarian crisis, which kicked off here on Wednesday. The conference, organized by Qatar Charity, saw the participation of 50 local, regional and international organizations working in humanitarian, relief and development affairs. The conference aimed at bringing together international and regional organizations for consultation, coordination and cooperation to deal with the deteriorating situation of Syrian refugees and displaced persons. In his speech, Al Kuwari said that the aspirations for the international humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis are still going as the crisis is considered the worst humanitarian disaster of this era. He said that Qatar Charity seeks effective coordination among the parties concerned on humanitarian efforts at local, regional and international levels as well as through partnership with international organizations and donors in order to find lasting solutions to help the Syrians in areas such as education and better living standards. Al Kuwari added that the conditions facing Syrian refugees and displaced people will worsen if no arrangements are immediately made, especially as a harsh winter is expected this year, a matter that will trigger a new humanitarian tragedy. In a speech on behalf of Assistant Foreign Minister for International Cooperation Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Thani, director of International Organizations and Conferences Department of the Ministry Dr Mutlaq Majid Al Qahtani pointed to the magnitude of the Syrian humanitarian crisis, which topped the list of humanitarian crises in the world. He stressed that Qatar is committed to supporting the cause of the Syrian people and to providing humanitarian aid as well as encouraging and supporting all initiatives to end their suffering. Al Qahtani said that Qatar had also announced initiatives for the benefit of the Syrian people, including a proposal to establish a joint fund dedicated to supporting education and professional development targeting the young people and children of the Syrian refugee and displaced families. AB/IINA

US Muslim student wins World Poetry Slam Championship

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 11:24 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Yale senior Emi Mahmoud poses with the iWPS trophy. Photo from Yale News Yale, US (IINA) - A US Yale senior Muslim student has won recently the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship (iWPS), according to media reports. Entering the final round of the competition, Emtithal “Emi” Mahmoud had drawn the last slot for the last bout. Despite the high-pressure situation, she performed a piece she had finished only hours before. And she won. One day before the final, she performed two poems, “People Like Us” and “Bullets,” in which she talks about her memories of a war-torn Darfur. In the former, she notes that “Flesh was never meant to dance with silver bullets,” and she has seen “16 ways to stop a heart.” The Yale senior was crowned the iWPS champion recently in an event boasted an initial field of 96 poets, the largest yet in competition history. The annual four-day competition was organized by Beltway Poetry Slam and Poetry Slam Inc. (PSi), and attracts some of the world’s best poets. In addition to the main competition, the championship includes workshops, open mics, and events for all ages. Mahmoud, who is originally from Darfur, Sudan, came to the US as a toddler in 1998. She was first attracted to poetry after seeing a spoken word performance by Sean Beckett 13. As her grandmother, who lived in Sudan, passed away during the competition, her parents told her to go to the competition because her grandmother would have wanted her to be there.  Winning the competition, Mahmoud said her whole experience with iWPS underscores the therapeutic benefits of poetry. SM/IINA

Scientists discover oxygen on comet

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 11:19 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Michigan, (IINA) - Scientists announced on Wednesday that they discovered large quantities of oxygen on a comet that streaked past the Sun in August, AFP reported. Andre Bieler, a scientist from the University of Michigan, said that the findings came as a "big surprise", noting that it challenges mainstream theories on the formation of our Solar System. He added that measurements suggested oxygen molecules in the comet's gassy halo must have existed "before or at" its formation, which may impose implications regarding humankind's understanding of the chemistry involved in the formation of the Solar System some 4.6 billion years ago. "We believe this oxygen is primordial, which means it is older than our Solar System," said Bieler. Scientists had previously ruled out the presence of oxygen (O2) on comets such as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the subject of intensive prodding by a European robot probe. As O2 mixes so easily with other elements, "we never thought that oxygen could 'survive' for billions of years", said Kathrin Altwegg of the University of Bern, who co-authored a study. "This evidence of oxygen as an ancient substance will likely discredit some theoretical models of the formation of our Solar System", she said. It is noteworthy that the comet is being tracked on its space journey around the Sun by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft. The mission seeks to unlock the mystery of the origins of life on Earth. AG/IINA

Islam believes in education and allows it: Malala Yousafzai

Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 11:08 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437

Malala Yousafzai listens as her father Ziauddin speaks at the Emirates Palace hotel on Wednesday night. Image from The Nationa.

Abu Dhabi, (IINA) - Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Laureate and the global face of the fight to ensure girls’ rights to education, noted in her speech in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday night ahead of a UAE preview of the inspirational film “He Named Me Malala,” that Islam does believe in education and allows it.
“My basic message is about education, and that is linked to Islam because the Taliban use the name of Islam to stop girls from school," the 18 year-old, told the audience at the Emirates Palace hotel, The National daily reported.
“I am trying to spread the message of people having independence, education and identity in society," she said.
“My focus is on education right now, and Islam does believe in it and allows it.”
The film, partly produced by Abu Dhabi Company Image Nation, tells the story of the girl who became an international activist after being shot in the face by a Taliban hitman for defying their ban on young women in schools.
That attack in October 2012 led to an even more committed campaign for the right of girls to attend school and to her last year becoming the youngest recipient of the peace prize.
For his part, her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, said, “International media sometimes painted an ugly picture of Islam.”
“With education, the very first word revealed in the Qur’an is ‘Iqra’, or read. There is no specification, it’s for everybody, so we hope that will send a very powerful message to the world,” Ziauddin said. “People want to live with harmony, love, with respect, and that is what we know from Islam.”
He said he hoped the film and his daughter’s message would “wash away all those bad pictures.
Director Davis Guggenheim said the film opened his eyes to the true nature of Islam.
“I spent time with this beautiful family and they taught me more about forgiveness and being a good father,” Guggenheim said.
“Malala taught me to speak up for what I believe, to always be honest.”
On the other side, Guggenheim said the movie showed the UAE’s support for education and gender equality.
Producer Laurie MacDonald said the film showed “a powerful story of a Muslim family”, to counter negative images portrayed by the media.
SM/IINA

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Radiotherapeutic bandage may help treat skin cancer

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 11:01 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 Orlando, (IINA) - Researchers have found that a radiotherapeutic bandage could be used to treat cancerous skin tumors that are difficult or impossible to completely remove with surgery, UPI reported. In most cases, surgery to remove non-melanoma skin cancers is the best option for treatment, and radiation therapy is also used for inoperable or reoccurring lesions. Dr. Anthony Di Pasqua, assistant professor at the University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy, said: "Radiation has a tendency to be systemic, yet aggressive treatment for patients", adding that using something like a bandage would allow doctors to more carefully apply radiation therapy. Researchers created electrospun polymer nanofibrous mats, or bandages, using holmium-165 nanoparticles and the synthetic polymer plyacrylonitrile. After grafting skin cancer tumors onto mice, researchers tested the bandages. The mice were treated with the bandages for one hour a day, and tumor sizes were measured before and after treatment. Fifteen days after the treatment, three of the 10 mice treated with bandages had complete tumor elimination, while tumors of the remaining seven were significantly smaller in comparison with the control group. Researchers plan to test the bandages in larger animals, as well as work to optimize the dose of radiation needed for the bandages to be effective. AG/IINA

Islamic Center of Long Island, New York launches first interfaith institute in the region

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Thursday 29 Oct 2015 - 10:45 Makkah mean time-16-1-1437 (Image from Long Island Press ) New York (IINA) - Offering a common ground for interfaith unity, the Islamic Center of Long Island in New York has inaugurated the first interfaith institute in the region, where followers of different faiths can foster a better understanding, OnIslam reported.  The new center, which opened on Sunday, includes an impressive board of trustees made up of men and women from different backgrounds and faiths. The board also encompasses representation from the Diocese of Rockville Centre and leaders in higher education. “I need to understand better the tenets of other faiths,” Dr. Faroque Khan, a medical doctor and co-founder of the mosque, was quoted as saying by Long Island Press online news. “Similarly, the other faiths need to understand and learn about who we are, particularly in the present environment. We need to bring that voice of reason, sanity into the conversation,” he said. The Islamic center in Long Island dates back to two decades when Muslims started a worshipping house  in the basement of a house. Expanding over the past 20 years, the most recent expansion in the mosque, before the interfaith center, came in the 1990s. The new institute's main goals include reaching out to educators and their students to better educate them on Islam, a religion that most people learn about through uninformed talking heads on television and cable news. The group has plans to work with school districts in Westbury, Hicksville, Herricks and Jericho to promote interfaith initiatives through conferences, seminars, and essay contests. Data released from the 2010 US Religion Census shows Islam was the fastest growing religion in America over the last 10 years, with 2.6 million living in the US today, up from 1 million in 2000. Un-official figures put the number between seven to eight million. SM/IINA

Myanmar’s opposition bypasses Muslim candidates ahead of November election

Wednesday 28 Oct 2015 - 20:34 Makkah mean time-15-1-1437

Yangon (IINA) -  Myanmar's main opposition party, led by the Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, deliberately bypassed Muslim candidates ahead of the November election, Al Jazeera news channel reported.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior party member told Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit that Suu Kyi ordered an "Islamic purge" in the National League for Democracy (NLD) to appease growing anti-Muslim sentiment fuelled by hardline Buddhist nationalists. Not one of the NLD's 1,151 candidates standing for regional and national elections is Muslim, despite there being around five million Muslims - or between 4 and 10 percent of the population - in the country. There are also no Muslim candidates in the military-backed, governing Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) running in what has been billed as the country's first free and fair general election in 25 years.
In the run-up to the vote, local election commissions reportedly rejected dozens of Muslim candidates with authorities denying that their parents were citizens, claims which many of the shunned candidates denied. "I think Suu Kyi is a bit concerned about the Ma Ba Tha, so it became an Islamic purge here," said the source. The Ma Ba Tha is an increasingly effective, ultranationalist Buddhist movement, also known as 'The Association for the Protection of Race and Religion', whose outspoken members are known for their bitter speeches attacking the ethnic minority Muslim Rohingya. "Islamic people have been persecuted," said the source. "A party should have all kinds of people and all kinds of religions."
Suu Kyi, 70, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, for her non-violent struggle for democracy. Her silence on the marginalization of the Rohingya and general exclusion of Muslims, however, has drawn criticism. "The anti-Muslim monks are becoming stronger and stronger," said the source, adding that authorities should crack down on what the source called extremist members of the Ma Ba Tha instead of "sponsoring them". Win Htein, a senior NLD member who is coordinating its campaign, said that the party decided that to secure the best chance of winning, Muslims would have to be left out. "In the present climate, we believe that it is a better strategy to win by leaving out Muslims candidates in coming election," he said, claiming that potential candidates of the Islamic faith had "agreed to that".
Some 15 Rohingya candidates were barred in August from running, again on account of their parents being 'foreign-born'. Earlier this year, the government effectively disenfranchised about 700,000 people, mostly Rohingya, when it declared holders of "white cards" ineligible to vote. The cards had been issued as temporary identification documents, and white-card holders had been permitted to vote in the 2010 elections. "Rohingya Muslims have been removed from the elections by the USDP where they used to participate. You could say that where Islam is concerned, everyone - the monks and the government - is united. "Now the elections are unequivocally Islamic-free."
Myanmar has witnessed a surge of nationalism since 2012, when riots erupted in the Rakhine state, a flashpoint for rising aggression towards the Rohingya who make up a third of the state's three million people. Ashin Wirathu, an extremist Buddhist monk, was jailed in 2003 for inciting hatred and stirring sectarian clashes and released in 2010. Wirathu, dubbed the 'Burmese bin Laden', has warned of an impending Muslim takeover of Myanmar.
HA/IINA

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​Abbas asks U.N for protection amid rising Israeli atrocities

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Wednesday 28 Oct 2015 - 20:33 Makkah mean time-15-1-1437 Geneva (IINA) -  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Wednesday in Geneva for the creation of a "special regime" for the protection of his people, as a wave of deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence showed no sign of abating, AFP report. Abbas called on the U.N., "more urgently than any time before, to set up a special regime for international protection for the Palestinian people, immediately and urgently." Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian who tried to stab them in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday and an Israeli woman was wounded in a separate knife attack near a Jewish settlement, the military and police said. The latest assaults underscored what appeared to be a shift in weeks of bloodshed to the West Bank away from Jerusalem, where Israeli police have set up roadblocks in Palestinian neighborhoods where many of the alleged assailants lived. But with attacks still occurring daily against Israelis, and lethal force being used against alleged attackers, there was still no end in sight to the worst wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence since the 2014 Gaza war. Since Oct. 1, at least 60 Palestinians, 33 of whom Israel has said were assailants armed mainly with knives and in a few cases with guns, have been shot dead by Israelis at the scene of attacks or during protests in the West Bank and in Gaza. Many of the attackers have been teenagers. Eleven Israelis have been killed in Palestinian stabbings and shootings. HA/IINA

​US Muslim drivers who refused to deliver beer win $240,000 lawsuit

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Wednesday 28 Oct 2015 - 20:32 Makkah mean time-15-1-1437 Washington (IINA) -  Two Muslim truck drivers have been awarded a whopping $240,000 in damages by a US jury in a religious discrimination lawsuit after they were fired for refusing to make beer deliveries, according to  media reports. A jury was convened to determine damages after US District Court Judge James E Shadid ruled in favour of Mahad Abass Mohamed and Abdkiarim Hassan Bulshale when Star Transport admitted liability earlier this year. The men, both of whom are Somali-American Muslims, were represented by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission won the case on behalf of the Obama administration. The federal jury in Peoria, Illinois, awarded $240,000 to the two Somalian-American Muslims who were fired from their jobs as truck drivers at Star Transport when they refused to transport alcohol because it violated their religious beliefs, according to the EEOC. The trial started on October 19 and the jury returned its verdict the next day after 45 minutes of deliberation. Judge Shadid, the chief judge of the US District Court for the Central District of Illinois, ruled in favor of EEOC after Star Transport admitted liability in March 2015. The resulting trial was to determine compensatory and punitive damages and back pay. The jury awarded Mohamed and Bulshale $20,000 each in compensatory damages and $ 100,000 each in punitive damages. Judge Shadid awarded each approximately $1,500 in back pay. EEOC alleged that in 2009, Star Transport fired Mohamed and Bulshale after they were required to transport alcohol. Both men told Star Transport that they believed doing so would violate their religious beliefs under Islamic law. EEOC also alleged that Star Transport could have but failed to accommodate the truckers’ religious beliefs. “EEOC is proud to support the rights of workers to equal treatment in the workplace without having to sacrifice their religious beliefs or practices,” said EEOC General Counsel David Lopez. “This is fundamental to the American principles of religious freedom and tolerance.” HA/IINA

UN chief welcomes successful completion of 1st round of Ivorian presidential election

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Wednesday 28 Oct 2015 - 19:29 Makkah mean time-15-1-1437 Pic: UN News Center Abidjan (IINA) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday welcomed the successful completion of voting in the first round of presidential elections in Côte d’Ivoire, which took place on Sunday. In statement issued by Ban’s spokesperson, he congratulated the Ivorian people and leadership for the peaceful atmosphere in which the elections were held. “As Côte d’Ivoire awaits the final results, the Secretary-General encourages all political leaders and national stakeholders to maintain the peaceful atmosphere that prevailed on election day and to refrain from any statements that may lead to violence or unrest,” the statement added. The UN chief also reiterated his call on national stakeholders to peacefully resolve any disputes that may arise through established legal procedures AB/IINA

Blood test may predict premature death risk in the next 14 years

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Wednesday 28 Oct 2015 - 19:27 Makkah mean time-15-1-1437 (Image from NDTV) Melbourne, (IINA) - Researchers recently found that a single blood test could predict whether a healthy person is likely to die of pneumonia or sepsis within the next 14 years, IBNlive reported. Based on an analysis of 10,000 individuals, researchers have identified a molecular byproduct of inflammation called "GlycA", which has the ability to predict premature death due to infections. The findings suggest that high GlycA levels in the blood indicate a state of chronic inflammation that may arise from low-level chronic infection or an overactive immune response, such inflammation damages the body, which likely renders individuals more susceptible to severe infections. "As biomedical researchers, we want to help people, and there are few more important things I can think of than identifying apparently healthy individuals who might actually be at increased risk of disease and death", said co-senior author Michael Inouye of the University of Melbourne. "We want to short-circuit that risk and to do that we need to understand what this blood biomarker of disease risk is actually telling us". Inouye and his colleagues noted that additional studies are needed to uncover the mechanisms involved in GlycA's link to inflammation and premature death, and whether testing for GlycA levels in the clinic might someday be warranted. AG/IINA

Sudan lauds India's decision to exempt African products from customs duties

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Wednesday 28 Oct 2015 - 19:21 Makkah mean time-15-1-1437 Sudan's FM Ghandour (SUNA image) New Delhi (IINA) – Sudanese Foreign Minister Prof. Ibrahim Ghandour expressed his country's appreciation of the Indian decision to exempt African products from customs duties, stressing that this step will greatly contribute to doubling the trade exchange between India and Africa, SUNA reported. This came in his address to the ministerial council which is preparing for the 3rd Summit of the India-Africa Forum, scheduled to begin in New Delhi on Thursday. Ghandour reviewed aspects of the cooperation between Sudan and India at the bilateral, regional and international levels, especially on the issues of International Law, the UN Charter, the principles of states' sovereignty, implementing the principles of democracy and the rule of law as well as standing against hegemony and unilateral sanctions being applied outside the framework of the international legitimacy for the sake of imposing political agenda on the African countries. The minister expressed Sudan appreciation of the Indian experiment in fields of small and medium-scale industries, software, energy, petroleum and agricultural research. He called for enhancing the banking system in dealing between India and Africa by using the African currencies and the Indian Rupee in the bank transfers. He affirmed Sudan's keenness to formulate policies as well as long and short-term plans and programs to achieve balanced and sustainable economic and social growth, referring at the same time to some factors that have negatively affected the economic situation in Sudan such as foreign debts and unilateral sanctions. AB/IINA

US invites Iran to participate in Syrian talks

Washington, (IINA) - The United States has invited Iran on Tuesday to join the next round of talks on the Syrian conflict in the Austrian city of Vienna on Friday, DPA reported citing the US State Department.
"In looking for different multilateral settings and for the right key partners to be present, we do expect in this case that Iran will be invited to participate", spokesman John Kirby said. "Whether Iran attends on Friday is up to Iranian leaders".
Iran is a core supporter of Bashar al-Assad, whose regime has been fighting extremist militants and other rebel groups in a four-year civil war. An estimated 250,000 people were killed during the conflict, and more than half the pre-war population is displaced.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who in recent weeks has met repeatedly in European capitals with envoys from Middle Eastern countries, European powers and Russia in pursuit of a political solution to the Syrian crisis, is due Friday in Vienna for another round of talks.
Kirby added: "There's a series of bilateral discussions that are going on, some involve the United States, many don't. As well as multilateral meetings that continue to occur, some involve the United States, some don't". He refused to discuss what other countries would be participating on Friday, saying that details were still being worked out.
"(Kerry) wants to encourage these kinds of conversations and discussions, as we continue to look for solutions to what is a difficult political situation in Syria, and a transition that can be enduring and lasting and lead to a better government for the Syrian people", Kirby said.
The US and Iran have lacked formal diplomatic relations since 1980, though there have been some attempts in the last few years, leading up to the nuclear agreement in July between Tehran and six world powers.
Reporters pressed Kirby if an invitation to Friday's talks meant Iran was among the United States' "key partners" on the Syria crisis. "I would not describe, based on their activities now, that they are certainly acting in partnership with the international community with respect to Syria", Kirby said. "But they could be. These are decisions that Iranian leaders have to decide to make".
In a related context, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius met on Tuesday in Paris with US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken and envoys from France's other main partners in the Syria crisis, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, Germany, Italy and Britain.
The French Foreign Ministry said the participants were seeking "the means of engaging in a political transition to a united, democratic Syria."
It is noteworthy that humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said that 13.5 million Syrians, including 6 million children, are currently in need of some form of aid or protection, which is an increase of 1.2 million since the beginning of the year. He noted that 6.5 million Syrians had been internally displaced, and 4.2 million people had fled the country.
AG/IINA

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