Riyadh (IINA) - The Saudi Labor Ministry has been handing out free pre-paid SIM cards to arriving expatriate workers in Riyadh as part of the country’s new service, Arab News reported Thursday.
Officials at the airport brief coming expatriates on the laws of the country and their rights and duties and then hand them the free cards.
Last week, the ministry launched the service, which is a partnership between Saudi Telecommunications Company (STC) and the General Authority for Civil Aviation. The service includes a brochure on workers’ rights and obligations and on the method of seeking assistance from the ministry when in distress.
The SIM cards are made available in several foreign languages, and will help workers communicate with their missions and loved ones back home. The idea is to make workers feel safe and comfortable during their stay in the Kingdom, the ministry said.
Other features include free minutes for local and international calls and text messages. Workers can contact the customer service number for any assistance required from the government. The program will be launched at other international gateways to the Kingdom in the coming weeks.
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March 31, 2016
Saudi Arabia hands out free SIMs to arriving expatriates
First Saudi urban forum kicks off in Riyadh
The First Saudi Urban Forum 2016 (Image from Arab News)
Riyadh (IINA) - Saudi Arabia seeks to create a sustainable environment for urban dwellers as the cities are growing rapidly and urban population is nearly 83 percent of the total population now, Arab News reported quoting Municipal and Rural Affairs Minister Abdul Lateef Al-Asheikh.
The minister was speaking during the inauguration of the First Saudi Urban Forum 2016 (SUF-2016), organized under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, here on Tuesday.
“These factors create additional challenges for government departments, which require more effort and appropriate programs.”
Al-Asheikh said that under the leadership of King Salman and his vision to advance strategic planning, rapid urbanization is taking place in our cities. Saudi Arabia has played a leading international role in this regard, he added.
In his opening remark, Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Sheikh, the chairman of the organizing committee, said the number of Saudi cities jumped from 58 in 1970 to 285 in 2015. “This growth in urbanization was due to abundant economic resources and population increase leading to the migration of people from small towns to cities.”
He said the event will provide a venue for all professionals, decision-makers and stakeholders interested in the future of Saudi cities to discuss the current trends in planning, environment, legislation, urban management and community engagement. They will also review the best international practices.
“We expect to have a positive impact on the planning and management of Saudi cities, transforming them into more sustainable and vibrant cities and realizing the aspirations and expectations of people and decision-makers,” he said.
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Saudi Arabia urges international community to alleviate suffering of Syrian people
Geneva (IINA) - The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia called on the international community, especially the developed countries, to shoulder their responsibility in alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people and reducing the burden on neighboring countries, which bear the bulk of responsibility in providing a safe haven for Syrian refugees.
According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Saudi Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Faisal Trad noted the Kingdom was one of the first countries that have contributed to alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people by providing direct financial support for the concerned international organizations or by providing direct aid for neighboring countries hosting Syrian refugees.
At the national level, Saudi Arabia shouldered the burden of hosting a million Syrians inside the Kingdom, where they are allowed to work and move freely. They are also provided with health and education services for free, while the current number of Syrian students in Saudi schools and universities exceeded 100,000.
At the regional and international levels, the total aid provided by Saudi Arabia so far for the Syrians both inside Syria and the neighboring countries amounted to $900 million. In addition, the Kingdom committed during Kuwait and London Conferences to offer $325 million in aid.
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Top brands take part on first B2B event in Muslim lifestyle sector in UK
Some of the world’s biggest brands, including Tesco, Asda and Ogilvy, will take part in the first-ever B2B conference on Muslim lifestyle – a sector worth trillions of pounds. Image from Netimperative news.
London (IINA) - Taking place next week, The Muslim Lifestyle Expo (MLE) Connect brings together famous brands, businesses, sector experts, entrepreneurs and industry specialists to discuss how to tap into one of the fastest growing sectors in the world today, Netimperative digital marketing news reported.
The event is the first event of its kind ever held in the UK and will feature seminars from industry experts, workshops, panel discussions and networking sessions across a number of sectors such as fashion, food and drink, travel and finance.
MLE Connect 2016 will take place at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London on 7 April 2016 with Human Appeal as the headline partner.
Last year, the team behind MLE Connect, organized the Muslim Lifestyle Expo 2015 that took place at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry. It brought together 7,000 visitors from across the UK and 85 exhibitors from countries including Malaysia, Norway, Turkey, USA and South Africa. Earlier this year, the Expo won the Services in Creativity and Technology category at The British Muslim Awards 2016.
Confirmed names set to attend include supermarket giants Tesco and Asda alongside investors, SMEs across a variety of sectors, social enterprises and entrepreneurs from across the country.
The Muslim consumer lifestyle market is today one of the fastest growing sectors globally with a recent report estimating the global expenditure on food and lifestyle sectors at £1.36 trillion. The UK is seen as key market with brands and businesses keen to connect with consumers.
Tahir Mirza, founder and director of MLE Connect, said: “We are delighted to welcome some of the biggest brands, investors and SMEs which is shaping up to be a key ground-breaking event.
“The UK is a very important market which brands are keen to tap into and this is a great forum for networking, gaining expertise and sharing business knowledge.
“This conference is open to anybody regardless of faith and will be a great way to network and develop new partnerships. We expect a number of companies to generate business from this event.”
The event will attract entrepreneurs and businesses from across the UK keen to understand the Muslim lifestyle market. It will feature a series of seminars and panel discussions on a range of topics including how to reach the Muslim consumer, business start-ups, crowdfunding, modest fashion, halal food, halal travel Industry and Islamic finance.
Guest speakers at the event include Sultan Choudhry, CEO of Al Rayan Bank, Altaf Alim, Commercial Director of modest fashion brand Aab, Shelina Jan Mohammed, Vice President of marketing agency Ogilvy Noor, award winning TV producer Navid Akhtar and Moe Nawaz, Mentor and Strategic Advisor to FTSE 100 Leaders.
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China to boost bilateral ties with Nigeria under new plan: Envoy
Chinese Amb to Nigeria Gu Xiaojie (Pic: Daily Trust)
Abuja (IINA) – China will develop modalities to enhance bilateral relations with Nigeria under the new cooperation plan of the 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, Daily Trust reported.
The remark was made by Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Gu Xiaojie at the 2016 China-Nigeria Trade and Economic Forum in Abuja on Wednesday.
The ambassador said the enhancement of bilateral relations would top the agenda of the meeting of the leaders of the two countries during President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to China in April.
Xiaojie said such high-level exchanges would boost the political and mutual trust and “inject strong impetus into the pragmatic cooperation in various fields between our two countries."
“This is the first visit to China by President Buhari since he came into office and also makes him the first African leader to visit China after the FOCAC Summit, which is of great importance to both China-Nigeria and China-Africa relations.
“During the visit, the two state leaders will hold talks and meetings and exchange views on cooperation in all fields, and lay out the blueprint for bilateral relations under new circumstances," the Chinese envoy said.
"The FOCAC Summit determined 10 key cooperation plans and those plans focus on resolving three major livelihood issues which are employment, food and health,” he said, adding that both countries will identify new areas of cooperation and partnership to diversify Nigeria's economy.
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Japan pledges $500,000 to defuse Israeli ordnance in Gaza
Gaza Strip (IINA) - The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) stated on Wednesday that Japan has donated $500,000 to support efforts aimed at removing unexploded ordnance left over from Israel’s 2014 military onslaught on the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a statement, UNRWA said that Japan had contributed $500,000 to the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action, which will allow the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to mitigate explosive hazards in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
UNRWA has warned that unexploded Israeli ordnance left over from the 2014 conflict continues to pose a major threat to civilians and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
Some 3,000 out of 7,000 explosive devices left over from the Israeli war have so far been dismantled, the UN agency's statement said, adding that since 2014, at least 16 Gazans have been killed and 97 injured -- including 48 children -- by leftover Israeli ordnance.
In mid-2014, Israel waged a devastating 51-day onslaught on the Gaza Strip with the ostensible aim of stopping rocket fire into Israel. More than 2,300 Palestinians were killed and some 11,000 were injured in the offensive, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry figure.
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UN: Still no aid access to 70% of besieged areas in Syria
New York (IINA) - Despite a recent increase in humanitarian access in Syria, the UN has been unable to reach 70 percent of Syrians living under siege and more than 90 percent of those in hard-to-reach areas, UN humanitarian affairs chief Stephen O'Brien said Wednesday.
O'Brien, who briefed the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria, said that the cessation of hostilities that began a month ago has resulted in a considerable decrease in violence, though, humanitarian access was still lacking.
According to DPA, he noted that since the beginning of the year, aid convoys have reached 150,000 people in 11 of 18 besieged areas. An additional 199,000 people living in hard-to-reach areas have received aid as well.
O'Brien warned that the vast majority of the 4.6 million Syrians living under siege or in hard-to-reach regions are still without aid "due to insecurity and obstructions by the parties".
"Even as we acknowledge the recent progress on humanitarian access, we must also recognize that it is only a first step to what is required," he said.
"Truth be told, we are a long way from the sustained, unconditional and unimpeded access that is required of the parties under international law and was and is demanded by this Council in its resolutions," he added.
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UN slams Israel for 'apparent extrajudicial execution' of wounded Palestinian
Geneva (IINA) - The United Nations said on Wednesday that footage purporting to show the shooting of a wounded Palestinian by an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank last Thursday showed clear "signs of extra-judicial execution", media agencies reported.
"We are extremely concerned about the apparent extrajudicial execution of a Palestinian man," spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) Rupert Colville said in a statement regarding the killing of a Palestinian man in Hebron.
"Two Palestinian men allegedly stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint in the Israeli-controlled area of Hebron on Thursday morning, and were both shot during the attack. A video later emerged appearing to show one of the alleged Palestinian assailants, subsequently identified as Abd al-Fatah al-Sharif, lying injured but still alive on the ground. Medical staff were shown attending to the wounded soldier, who was driven away in an ambulance, but did not appear to offer any medical assistance to al-Sharif," Colville said.
"The video then shows an Israeli soldier shooting al-Sharif in the head, killing him. What is particularly chilling is the way none of the 20 or so people at the scene, including medical personnel, appear to pay any attention to the wounded man while he was still alive, and also barely show any reaction in the immediate aftermath of his killing," he added.
Noting that Israeli authorities had detained the soldier involved in the shooting and a military court has been questioning him, Colville said "A prompt, thorough, transparent and independent investigation is essential".
"We are concerned this killing may not be a lone incident; a disturbing number of Palestinians, reportedly more than 130 in all, have been killed in recent months," he said.
"This is not the first incident to be captured on video that raises concerns of excessive use of force. A major concern is that such cases appear not to have been systematically subjected to criminal investigations. This is particularly important in cases that may have involved disproportionate use of force, or possible extra-judicial executions," Colville said.
UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Christof Heyns said on Wednesday that the killing of a Palestinian man by an Israeli soldier on 24 March in Hebron, West Bank, carried "all the signs of a clear case of an extrajudicial execution”.
"The images shown carry all the signs of a clear case of an extrajudicial execution,” said Heyns. “There does not appear to be any provocation on the side of the gravely wounded man".
“Whatever legal regime one applies to the case, shooting someone who is no longer a threat is murder. It is furthermore troublesome that this was done to no apparent alarm to the other soldiers who were nearby,” Heyns said.
The UN rapporteur also criticized the decision of the medical personnel on the scene to ignore al-Sharif and treat only the seemingly lightly injured Israeli soldier. “Part of protecting the right to life is accountability where it has been violated,” Heyns added.
More than 205 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops since a months-long wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence began last October, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
On its part, Israel said that 33 Israelis have been killed over the same period in alleged attacks by Palestinians.
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French Minister Rossignol accused of racism over veil comments
French Minister for the Family, Children and Women's Rights Laurence Rossignol. Image from Time news
Paris (IINA) - A French minister has compared women choosing to wear headscarf to the "American Negroes who were for slavery" and blasted fashion houses creating Islamic clothing and headscarves, Anadalu Agency (AA) reported.
Speaking on French radio RMC on Wednesday about fashion houses commercializing accessories such as veils or headscarves, French Minister of Families, Children and Women's Rights Laurence Rossignol said: "When brands invest in the Islamic clothing market - just because it's lucrative - they're stepping away from their social responsibilities, and from some perspectives, they're promoting an enslavement of women's bodies.”
Asked about women who made the choice to wear the headscarf without any external pressure, the minister responded: "There are women who choose [to wear the scarf] , there were also American negroes who were for slavery.”
“I think that these women are for many of them are activists of political Islam. I confront these brands in terms of ideas and I denounce the project that companies carry," she continued.
Those comments triggered a strong wave of criticism and calls for the minister to resign over degrading women wearing headscarves and her use of the word "negro”.
Many internet users accused Rossignol of racism and Islamophobia, and launched an online petition calling for her resignation.
Several international clothing and accessories brands recently launched lines for “Islamic Modest wear”: the Swedish giant H&M used last year a Muslim Hijabi model as their main face for its advertising campaign, with the Japanese brand Uniqlo earlier this month announcing it would begin selling hijabs in its London stores.
Luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana launched last January a collection of hijabs and Abayas targeting wealthy Muslim women in the Middle East.
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Researchers develop battery-powered fork to simulate taste of salt
Device that adds the salty taste, but without actually adding the salt
Tokyo (IINA) – Researchers at the University of Tokyo have built a device that adds the salty taste, but without actually adding the salt, Mail Online reported.
A battery-powered fork will electrically shocks taste buds to simulate the taste of salt, as well as also sourness and different food textures.
Still in the prototype stages, the device is geared towards individuals who are on low-salt or salt-free diets but still crave the taste, reports Nikkie Technology.
"It's a technology that allows electricity to be used as seasoning," said Hiromi Nakamura, a researcher at the University of Tokyo, who is part of the "No Salt Restaurant" project that aims to improve local diets.
"(The fork) will satisfy the desire of those wanting to eat a healthy diet that is also full of flavor."
The handle of the fork houses a rechargeable battery and electric circuit. The battery life lasts for about six hours, although the prototype is not water-proof.
Users put the prongs in their mouth with food on it, while pushing a button on the handle. A soft electrical current is then sent to the tongue.
Researchers warn that if you push too far with the fork, it will create an unpleasant metallic taste in the mouth.
Currently, there are three levels of saltiness available in the device, which cost researchers $17.70 to make, in addition to the cost of the fork.
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Erdogan meets U.S Jewish leaders
Washington (IINA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Jewish leaders must stand against Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and xenophobia, Anadolu Agency reported.
The Turkish leader, who is in the U.S. to attend the nuclear summit this week, discussed a number of issues including the European refugee crisis, anti-refugee rhetoric, the rise of racism in the West, counterterrorism efforts, U.S., Israeli and Turkish relations as well as the Palestinian issue, according to presidential sources.
“Unfortunately anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and xenophobic movements have moved from the periphery to the center of politics”, Erdogan reportedly said during the closed meeting. “We need to cooperate against these movements”.
On their part, Jewish representatives paid their condolences to the Turkish president for recent attacks in Istanbul and Ankara and thanked him for Turkey’s care of Israeli tourists who were killed and wounded in an attack in Istanbul earlier this month.
The meeting comes at a time when Turkey and Israel are trying to repair a damaged relationship following a deadly assault in 2010 on a Turkish-flagged ship that was part of an aid flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip.
The meeting seeks to strengthen relations between Turkish and Jewish communities despite differences, according to the president's office.
Jewish leaders said that recent reports regarding Israeli forces’ violence against Palestinians in and around Al-Aqsa Mosque were mostly part of a “disinformation” campaign. Erdogan stressed to the group that he had heard accounts that were contrary to their claims.
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United Way impact council in Pennsylvania to hold meeting on Islam
St Paul's United Church. Image from internet
Selinsgrove City, Pennsylvania (IINA) - An event on Islam what it is and what its followers believe, will be the subject of the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way’s first Diversity & Inclusion Impact Council discussion next month in Pennsylvania, The Daily Item newspaper reported.
The program is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday in St. Paul’s United Church, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.
Sobhi and Sonia Ammar, of the Sunbury Islamic Center, will lead the discussion with hopes of offering insight into a religion with more than a billion followers.
“Basically, we will relay information about the religion,” Sobhi Ammar said. “What Islam is all about, what do we believe in and maybe some Islamic law, and we’ll leave it for questions,” he added. “Whatever they have on their mind. It should be an open and honest discussion.”
He said the most concern among Muslims in the Danville community is that there is no place to worship. But at the Sunbury Islamic Center, there are no issues. “There really aren’t any issues in the community,” Ammar said. “There are no incidents.”
The United Way council is holding community-wide discussions in April on various topics involving diversity issues in the Valley. The series is titled “The Valley Together,” and all of the events will be held in St. Paul’s. Residents of all ages are invited to attend. Each session is free. The first is titled, “The Valley Together: Islam in the Susquehanna Valley.”
The United Way’s session comes a few months after Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders met in Sunbury in the first “Sunbury Together” listening session, where they sought to start a conversation about inclusion. More than 60 Valley residents attended the meeting in the Degenstein community library.
Susan Jordan, director of the Central Susquehanna Valley Mediation Center and Chairwoman of the United Way D&I Impact Council, said in a statement that they are grateful that the Ammars enthusiastically volunteered to join in the discussion next week.
“This event supports the impact council’s mission by promoting meaningful conversations about diverse experiences in our Valley,” Jordan said. “We can often learn much more from sitting down face-to-face and listening to one another than we can from turning on the television.”
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Arab-American activists probe anti-Islam graffiti at University of Michigan
Image from The Detroit News
Michigan (IINA) - An Arab-American advocacy group is investigating “hate graffiti” denouncing Islam, found this week on the University of Michigan campus, The Detroit News reported.
A group of students contacted the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’s Michigan regional office on Wednesday about “racist symbols and phrases” displayed at the Ann Arbor school including some labeled “#stopIslam,” officials said.
“We will defend against the intimidation of our students everywhere,” said Fatina Abdrabuh, ADC Michigan’s director. “We expect university officials to take proactive measures to ensure safe spaces for our community’s students in these heightened times of Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment.”
She said her group, which posted a photo showing one of the messages online, reached out to UM officials about the issue.
Rick Fitzgerald, a university spokesman, said police responded after someone scrawled the anti-Islam message in chalk earlier Wednesday on the campus’ main square known as the Diag. It wasn’t immediately clear if an investigation would be launched.
Though school policy allows chalking on campus sidewalks, “attacks directed toward any member or group within the University of Michigan community, based on a belief or characteristic, are inconsistent with our values of respect, civility and equality,” Fitzgerald said. “We all understand that where speech is free it will sometimes wound. But our message is this: We are fully committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and inclusive of everyone. Tonight we are reminded there is much work yet to be done.”
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Kazakhstan to promote green energy at Expo 2017
Astana to host Expo 2017 (Image from Internet)
Kuala Lumpur (IINA) – Expo 2017 Commissioner Rapil Zhoshybayev said Kazakhstan is committed to promoting and discovering sustainable global energy solutions although it may seem strange for the country to do so considering that it has large fossil fuel reserves, BERNAMA reported.
Kazakhstan will host Expo 2017, under the theme "Future Energy" from June to September 2017 in the capital Astana.
Although Kazakhstan has substantial oil and gas reserves, it has set itself a target of meeting 50 percent of its energy needs from alternative and renewable sources by 2050, Zhoshybayev said in a statement.
He added that energy security was an increasing concern for many countries, with governments worried about how they could meet the needs of their economies and citizens in future decades.
"Around the world, too, the damaging impact of climate change is becoming clearer every year, thus, increasing fears about the legacy we are leaving for future generations," he said.
Expo 2017 will be Kazakhstan's first major international-level event; it is also the first time the expo is being held in Central Asia.
Zhoshybayev said Expo 2017 has been receiving strong international attention and that to date, 70 countries, including Malaysia, have confirmed their participation.
Zhoshybayev, who will embark on a visit to Malaysia next week, will meet with Loo Took Gee, secretary general at the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, in Kuala Lumpur on April 4 to discuss details of Malaysia's participation in Expo 2017.
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Brussels bans anti-Islam rally
Brussels (IINA) - The Mayor of the Brussels district of Molenbeek on Wednesday said far-right extremists have been banned from holding a planned anti-Islam rally in the troubled neighborhood, as the city remains on edge after last week’s suicide attacks, News24 reported.
Members of the French far-right youth group Generation Identitaire had posted a message on their website asking supporters to descend on Molenbeek on Saturday and march under the banner “Let’s expel the Islamists!”
Molenbeek mayor Francoise Schepmans said the decision to ban the demo came after talks with police and other district mayors.
“If we had let it happen, there could have been clashes,” Schepmans told AFP, amid fears the protest could trigger angry counter-demonstrations in the largely Muslim Molenbeek.
The regional Brussels government will issue an order prohibiting “any demonstration or counter-demonstration in connection with this call to protest,” added Mustafa Er, an aide to Schepmans. The ban will cover all of the capital’s 19 districts.
In a sign of the simmering tensions in the still grieving capital, riot police fired water cannon last weekend to disperse far-right football hooligans who shouted anti-immigrant slogans and disrupted mourners at a shrine for victims of the Brussels attacks.
A total of 32 people were killed in the March 22 suicide bombings at Brussels airport and a metro station. The attacks were claimed by the ISIS group.
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Moroccan king donates €30,000 for construction of Holland's mosque
Image from Morocco World News
Amsterdam (IINA) – Moroccan King Mohammed has donated €30,000 for the construction of a new mosque in Amsterdam during his ongoing stay in the Netherlands’ capital city, Morocco World News reported citing a Facebook post on Tuesday by a community leader in charge of the development of the new Islamic center of worship.
The construction of the Al Ihsan mosque, which is located in a neighborhood of Amsterdam, called Geuzenveld, or Garden City, began late last year, according to Het Parool, a Dutch news source.
Once the building is complete, it will cover an area of 1,600 square meters; include a roof terrace for visitors to enjoy.
The community members supporting the mosque are financing construction costs through a number of donation drives. In order to cover all of the expenses involved, they must raise 600,000 euros in addition to the king’s donation and revenues from previous fundraising efforts.
The Moroccan monarch arrived in Amsterdam last Friday for a private visit to the European country home to a significant Moroccan diaspora population.
The king is well known to his support to the development of Islamic communities all over the world through the establishment of institutes dedicated to the training of imams, the building of mosques in other parts of Africa, and additional capacity-building initiatives.
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March 30, 2016
Delegation of students from EMU represents Morocco at model UN conference
Image from Morocco World News
New York (IINA) - A delegation of students from Eastern Michigan University (EMU) representing the Kingdom of Morocco was among over 5,000 other delegates at the Model United Nations conference held in New York on March 20-24, Morocco World News reported.
The Model UN is a program in which students learn about global issues and conflicts then provide solutions to a plethora of world problems, all while learning the inner-workings of the UN itself. It also gives the opportunity to learn about diplomacy, negotiations, and collaboration in the international system. In this year’s conference, 12 students of EMU represented the Kingdom of Morocco.
The delegation prepared for the conference over the period of 4 months of intensive work. The students did research and learned about Morocco in depth including its history, foreign and domestic policies, and what diplomatic strategies Morocco uses in negotiations over agreements.
Outside the conference sessions, the students of EMU had a meeting with Abdel Razak Laassel, the deputy permanent representative at the Mission of Morocco to the UN. During the meeting, the delegation was able to get answers in different areas regarding Morocco’s foreign and domestic policies. One of the main areas discussed was the Sahara issue where Abdel Razak updated the delegation about the recent position of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Sahara and what was Morocco’s response to the matter.
Professor Richard Stahler-Sholk and Ibrahim Khalifeh Soltani are the faculty mentors for the delegation. They helped students throughout the process of research and conference days, as well as providing them with diplomatic training. Mousaab Ameur alumni of EMU in the field of international affairs, who is an international student from Morocco, gave support to the students by answering their questions throughout their research and gave a presentation about Morocco with the focus on Sahara issue.
With the hard work of students and the support of faculty mentors, the delegation ended its conference in high standings. They were awarded an Honorable Mention from the National Collegiate College Association (NCCA) for their outstanding representation of Morocco at the conference.
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Qatar's candidate for UNESCO director-general hails relations with the agency
Qatar's candidate for the post of UNESCO director-general Dr Hamad Al-Kuwari (QNA)
Paris (IINA) – Advisor at the Emiri Diwan and Qatar's candidate to the post of UNESCO director-general Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari underlined the depth of relations between the UN agency and the State of Qatar which are based on friendship and cooperation in various fields, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
This came in the first speech he gave abroad after the announcement of his candidacy for the post of the director-general of UNESCO at the diplomats' forum in Paris on Wednesday.
It is to be recalled that in 2003, Dr Al-Kuwari said the relations between Qatar and UNESCO began to take a new turn by the appointment of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser as UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education, referring in this respect to the commitment of Qatar towards education through WISE, Educate a Child and Education Above All, paved the opportunity for more than 10 million children to have education in the most vulnerable and marginal areas of the world.
The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) is an international initiative aimed at transforming education through innovation. WISE was established by Qatar Foundation in 2009 under the patronage of its Chairperson Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser. With an three-day Summit held annually in Doha, and a range of year-round initiatives, WISE's mission revolves around promoting new approaches to education and investigating ways to manage education challenges.
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Yemen's government announces commitment to ceasefire starting April 10
Yemeni FM Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi (Image from Internet)
Riyadh (IINA) – Yemen's government on Wednesday announced that it will abide by the ceasefire scheduled to start from April 10, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
This was stated by Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi during a meeting here on Wednesday with U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Matthew H. Tueller.
Mekhlafi said the Yemeni government, out of its keenness to achieve peace in Yemen, will commit to the ceasefire starting from April 10, stressing the need that the coup parties (Houthi and Salah) must also abide by the ceasefire, according to official Yemen News Agency.
The foreign minister also stressed the keenness of the Yemeni government to make a success of the consultations, slated for April 18 in Kuwait.
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Egypt's el-Sisi sends letter of support and appreciation to OIC chief
OIC chief Iyad Madani (L) and President el-Sisi (File image)
Jeddah (IINA) – Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has sent a letter to Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani, expressing appreciation of the OIC’s efforts in serving the Ummah.
In the letter, President el-Sisi expressed Egypt’s appreciation of the efforts by the OIC General Secretariat in championing the causes of the Muslim world and defending its interests.
He also lauded the OIC’s efforts at countering the continuous attempts to distort the image of Islam during this critical time when the Ummah is facing an onslaught against Islam to tarnish its image with allegations that contradict its principles of tolerance, justice and peace.
Further, the Egyptian leader commended the OIC’s efforts in settling disputes and conflicts as well as preserving the rights of the Muslim communities in countries where they suffer from marginalization, injustice and oppression, most often to the extent of systematic violence against them.
He attributed this to the spread of Islamophobia, a phenomenon, he asserted, that must be confronted with resolve by all friendly countries, in light of the values of Islam which call for brotherhood, fraternity and peace
In the letter, el-Sisi stated that one of the most serious challenges facing the Muslim Ummah and the world as a whole is terrorism. He pointed out that many of the OIC member states are affected by this phenomenon as Muslims suffer the scourge of terrorist groups with extremist ideologies, which associate Islam with their faulty readings of religious texts.
Referring to Egypt's current chairmanship of the Islamic Summit, el-Sisi assured of his country’s continued support for the OIC and its activities in all fields. He also assured of Egypt’s commitment to participate effectively in OIC meetings, especially the troika of the Summit Chairmanship, the Ministerial Council and Executive Committee, in addition to supporting the General Secretariat to deliver on its mandates in accordance with the OIC Charter.
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UN envoy urges peaceful handover of power in Libya
UN envoy for Libya Martin Kobler (UN Photo)
Tripoli (IINA) – UN Special Envoy for Libya Martin Kobler on Wednesday welcomed the arrival in Tripoli of Libyan Presidency Council, which marks an important step in the country's democratic transition and path to peace, security and prosperity, according to UN News Center.
"I commend the courage, determination and leadership of the Presidency Council under its President Fayez Serraj in moving forward with the implementation of the Libyan political agreement and the aspiration of the overwhelming majority of the Libyan people,” Kobler said in a statement.
“The international community stands firmly behind them and is ready to provide the required support and assistance,” he added, calling on the Libyan people to extend to the Presidency Council and the Government of National Accord (GNA) their full support and cooperation.
Echoing the 10 March statement of the Libyan political dialogue, the UN envoy urged all public bodies, including official financial institutions, to facilitate an immediate, orderly and peaceful handover of power. He further stressed that all security actors have a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the Presidency Council and of the GNA, and should refrain from any action that can undermine this crucial phase of Libya's transition.
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Nuclear Security Summit 2016 to begin tomorrow in Washington
Washington, (IINA) - The 2016 Nuclear Security Summit aimed to bring the international community together in order to combat the threat of nuclear terrorism around the globe will begin tomorrow in Washington, WAM reported.
The Summit will provide a forum for world leaders to reinforce commitments at the highest levels, to enhance the security of their nuclear and radiological materials and to combat nuclear terrorism.
The two-day event will see the participation of 53 heads of states, including six Arab countries, in addition to representatives from UN Organizations and the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the European Union.
The Summit will discuss the international and institutional measures to strengthen nuclear security in the world, as well as encourage states capable of securing the protection of nuclear materials to assist other nations to do so. It will also look into strengthening the role of international and regional institutions to curb the spread of nuclear materials.
The first Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington in 2010, and was followed by additional Summits in Seoul in 2012, and The Hague in 2014.
These Summits achieved tangible improvements in the security of nuclear materials and stronger international institutions that support nuclear security.
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Study: Smoking triggers big changes in mouth bacteria
(Image from The Spirit Science)
New York, (IINA) - A new study revealed that smoking can dramatically change the balance of bacterial species in the mouth, which may affect the risk of mouth, lung and digestive system diseases, UPI reported.
The research also found that the proper mix of bacteria in the mouth is restored if people quit smoking.
Researchers analyzed the mix of about 600 bacterial species in the mouths (oral microbiome) of more than 1,200 Americans. All were 50 or older. The group included smokers, former smokers and people who never smoked.
Those who were still smoking had significantly increased growth of more than 150 bacterial species, while 70 other species showed sharp decreases in growth. For example, Proteobacteria species accounted for less than 5 percent of overall bacteria in the mouths of smokers, compared with about 12 percent in nonsmokers, the researchers reported.
Proteobacteria helps in breaking down toxic chemicals introduced by smoking, the researchers said.
Compared with nonsmokers, smokers had 10 percent more species of Streptococcus, which promotes tooth decay, the study authors said.
However, researchers found that mouth bacteria seem to return to normal after a person quits smoking, although it is not clear how long that takes. All former smokers who did not smoke for at least 10 years had the same balance of bacterial species as nonsmokers, the study authors said.
"Our study is the first to suggest that smoking has a profound impact on the oral microbiome", said study senior investigator and epidemiologist Jiyoung Ahn, an associate professor at NYU Langone Medical Center.
"Further experiments will be needed, however, to prove that these changes weaken the body's defenses against cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke, or trigger other diseases in the mouth, lungs or gut", Ahn said in a news release.
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Khalifa Foundation distributes food aid among 10,000 drought-hit people in Somalia
Khalifa Foundation distributes urgent food aid among Somalis (WAM Photo)
Borama, Somalia (IINA) – A team from the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has arrived in the Somali province of Borama to distribute urgent relief aid to 10,000 displaced people fleeing the drought which severely damaged their crops and livestock, Emirates News Agency WAM reported Tuesday.
The campaign is being carried out under the directives of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The Foundation has so far distributed 2,500 food parcels containing water, sugar, flour, and dates to those affected in the drought-hit province, said a spokesman for the organization. He added that the Foundation is in the process of preparation of another campaign to distribute 5,000 aid baskets among those affected by the drought.
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UN chief urges all nations to show solidarity with Syrian refugees
Syrian children at a camp in the village of Atmeh, near Turkish border (AP Photo)
Geneva (IINA) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called on all nations to show solidarity with Syrian refugees, and accept nearly half a million of them for resettlement by 2018, Reuters reported.
Kicking off a ministerial conference hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, the Secretary General said: "This demands an exponential increase in global solidarity."
"We have a cessation of hostilities, by and large holding for over a month, but the parties must consolidate and expand it into a ceasefire, and ultimately to a political solution through dialogue," Ban said referring to the UN-led efforts to end the five-year conflict that has killed at least 250,000 and driven nearly 5 million refugees abroad, mostly to neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.
The UN chief urged countries to pledge new and additional pathways for admitting Syrian refugees, adding: "These pathways can include resettlement or humanitarian admission, family reunions, as well as labor or study opportunities."
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the refugees were facing increasing obstacles to find safety.
"We must find a way to manage this crisis in a more humane, equitable and organized manner. It is only possible if the international community is united and in agreement on how to move forward," he said.
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Israel refuses to hand over bodies of slain Palestinians
Jerusalem, (IINA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the authorities on Monday not to return the bodies of several alleged Palestinian attackers to their families, Anadolu Agency reported citing Israeli media.
According to Israeli Channel 2, Netanyahu has instructed Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon not to return the bodies for burial until further notice.
The Times of Israel newspaper reported that Yaalon, along with the Israeli army and Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency, had voiced their opposition to the move, saying it would fuel further frustration among Palestinians.
Some Israeli officials believe the large funerals, held in the occupied territories for Palestinians killed by Israeli troops, exacerbate the violence.
Palestinians, for their part, say Israel’s policy of not returning the bodies of slain Palestinians to their families for burial constitutes a form of collective punishment.
According to Palestinian figures, Israeli authorities continue to hold the bodies of 15 alleged Palestinian attackers, most of whom hailed from occupied East Jerusalem.
More than 205 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops since a months-long wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence began last October, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
On its part, Israel said that 33 Israelis have been killed over the same period in alleged attacks by Palestinians.
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US congresswoman expresses solidarity with Pakistan over Lahore terror attack
Pakistan's Ambassador to UN Maleeha Lodhi (Image from Internet)
New York (IINA) – US Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney joined Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi and representatives of Pakistani-American organizations at a solemn meeting on Tuesday, held to mourn the loss of scores of innocent lives in horrific terrorist attack in Lahore on Sunday, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
Ms. Maloney, a Democrat from New York, brought Dr Lodhi flowers, a gesture of solidarity between their two countries. The condolence meeting, which was organized by Pakistan's Mission to United Nations, began with offering ‘fateha’ and a moment of silence for the victims of the attack in which 72 people, mostly women and children, were killed, and hundreds more were wounded.
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Illegal migrants from Turkey to Greece fall after deal
Ankara, (IINA) - The number of refugees trying to reach Europe by crossing by sea from Turkey to Greece has fallen sharply since the EU-Turkey refugee deal came into effect last week, Anadolu Agency reported.
Turkey and the EU reached an agreement, which came into effect on March 20 to stop refugee flows into Europe.
Under the deal, refugees trying to enter Europe illegally will not get a chance to be resettled in the EU, as all new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands as of March 20 will be returned to Turkey.
On March 18 and 19, before the deal took effect, nearly 2,000 refugees were caught in the Aegean Sea. However, on March 20-27, only 795 refugees were captured.
In 2015, more than 800,000 refugees crossed into Europe, and the Coast Guard captured 91,611 illegal immigrants, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency.
Over 5,500 refugees were captured this January, 8,739 captured in February and 7,842 were caught in March, an overall of 22,000.
Turkey is hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world and has spent more than seven billion euros ($7.7 billion) meeting their needs, according to European Commission figures released last year.
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Over 5,000 arrested in Pakistan following deadly bombing
Islamabad, (IINA) - Pakistani officials said on Tuesday that authorities have arrested 5,221 suspects for alleged links with extremists after a Taliban bomber killed 72 people on the weekend, DPA reported.
Of those arrested, 5,005 were released again early on Tuesday, Justice Minister of the Punjab province Rana Sanaullah said. At least 216 individuals remained in police detention.
The crackdown across several cities in the central province of Punjab started immediately after Sunday's bombing at a public park in the eastern town of Lahore, security officials said.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, said it carried out the attack to target Christians celebrating the festival of Easter and vowed more bombings.
More than 30 children were among the dead and around 350 people were wounded in the deadliest attack to hit Pakistan in a year, Lahore's chief administrator Mohamed Usman said.
Around 190 injured people were being treated in hospitals, "several" of whom were in critical condition, Shaheed Saeed, a doctor at the Jinnah hospital in Lahore said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered law enforcement agencies to speed up the offensive against the terroristic militants, who are linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.
"I want more proactive coordination between law enforcement and intelligence agencies", he said on Monday.
"The terrorists have assassinated our children… and God willing, we will wipe them out from this country".
All parks in the city of Lahore remained closed on Tuesday while other cities in Pakistan tightened security measures in public places.
Relatives prepared to bury the victims on Tuesday as 68 of the 72 bodies were handed over to families after post-mortems, police official Asghar Ali told DPA. Four of the dead remained unidentified.
Life was slowly returning to normal in Lahore after a day of mourning. Schools and shops were open and road traffic had resumed.
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Tajikistan to install metal detectors, cameras in mosques
Image from Pakistan Today
Dushanbe, (IINA) - Tajikistan said on Tuesday it plans to install metal detectors and surveillance cameras in more than 70 mosques in the capital Dushanbe over government fears of extremist attacks, Pakistan Today newspaper reported.
The equipment will be installed at the expense of the mosques and their congregations, a spokesperson of the Dushanbe city administration said.
The government is currently trying members of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) on an array of charges including attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and organizing a criminal group.
Authorities have accused party members of fanning a wave of unrest that killed dozens of people last year.
The Tajik parliament in January voted to ban “foreign names” for babies as the popularity of Arabic names in the Persian-speaking country has grown.
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Suu Kyi sworn in as Myanmar's foreign minister
Yangon, (IINA) - Aung San Suu Kyi was sworn on Wednesday as Myanmar's minister of foreign affairs, while her longtime friend Htin Kyaw assumed the presidency, as the country formally transferred power to the first civilian-led government in more than five decades, DPA reported.
In addition to the foreign affairs post, Suu Kyi will also be the minister of education, the minister of the president's office, and the minister of electric power and energy.
Htin Kyaw is a close advisor to Suu Kyi and longtime member of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which won 80 percent of the votes in November's election.
"I would like to stress that our government will prioritize national reconciliation, peace, social and economic development and to have a constitution that grants democracy and federalism in the country," Htin Kyaw told the parliament.
Myanmar had been under military-dominated rule since a coup in 1962, and the elections in November which brought the new government to power were the first openly contested polls since an election in 1990 that the junta annulled.
Suu Kyi was sworn in alongside 17 other union ministers, members of the constitutional tribune and members of the Union Election Commission.
Two vice presidents, one of them a military nominee, also took the oath of office in the parliament in Naypyitaw.
Htin Kyaw takes over from former general Thein Sein, who has led the country since 2011. Under Thein Sein, the government set in motion reforms that have opened up the once-isolated country to the outside world, including to foreign investment.
However, several key portfolios in the government, including defense, are reserved for the military.
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Islamic Society of Wichita in Kansas opens doors to group of Christians
Wednesday 30 Mar 2016 - 11:22 Makkah mean time-21-6-1437
Image from kwch
Wichita City, Kansas (IINA) - The Islamic Society of Wichita City in Kansas, U.S.A opened its doors to a group of Christians on Tuesday night, KWCH-TV news reported.
The tour comes after the society canceled a fundraising event on Friday because of a threat made by anti-Muslim protesters.
Dozens of people showed up for the tour of the Islamic Society of Wichita and their pastor says it was a good way to bring understanding between the two religions.
Unity Church Pastor Tim Lytle said he saw the tour of the Islamic Society of Wichita as an opportunity to build more understanding and to open dialogue between members of the Muslim and Christian faiths.
On their tour, church members learned about the society's history, their purpose in the Wichita community and specific details about the Muslim religion; all-important to understand the people who practice Islam, Lytle said.
"I know what it's like to be judged or criticized without people understanding where I'm coming from," he said. "And this kind of opportunity is so important because we can actually talk to these wonderful people and see where they are coming from."
For some church members, Tuesday's tour of the Islamic Society of Wichita was an uncomfortable visit. Lytle said that's because people don't understand what the Muslim religion stands for.
"If we can get rid of fear which is based on ignorance the more we understand, the better we can work together and eliminate that fear," Lytle said.
Moving forward, Lytle hopes the Wichita community can become more understanding and less judgmental.
"Church is a sens of hope, a sense of hope that, yes, we can all work together if we're willing to learn about each other," Lytle said.
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U.S. welcomes recapture of Syria's Palmyra from Daesh
Syrian ancient city of Palmyra recaptured from Daesh (Image from Internet)
Washington (IINA) – The United States on Monday welcomed the victory of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s Russian-backed forces over the terrorist group Daesh in the historic city of Palmyra, despite concern over his brutal record.
“We do think that it’s a good thing that Daesh no longer controls it,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said.
“That said, we’re also mindful, of course, that the best hope for Syria and the Syrian people is not an expansion of Bashar al-Assad’s ability to tyrannize the Syrian people,” he added.
Backed by Russia, Syrian regime and allied fighters overran Palmyra on Sunday after nearly 10 months during which Daesh held sway in the ancient city.
Kirby welcomed the battle as a setback for a common foe. “We can’t forget what Daesh did in this place; destroying our common heritage – human history – beheading a renowned archeologist who was responsible for maintaining those sites,” he said.
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How the language you speak changes what you see: Study
Wednesday 30 Mar 2016 - 11:14 Makkah mean time-21-6-1437
Image from Johns Hopkins University
Maryland, (IINA) - According to a new study from Johns Hopkins University, a person’s familiarity with an object - in particular with letters of the alphabet - will influence the features they notice, Mail Online reported.
By studying the varying ways people perceive an alphabet, the researchers found that expertise helps to sort out the features that don’t matter, leaving novices to view letters as more complex.
Researchers tracked the responses of 50 participants who were asked to determine whether pairs of Arabic letters were different or the same.
In the group, 25 of these people were experts in Arabic, while the other 25 didn’t know the language.
The team showed participants 2,000 pairs of letters, measuring answers for speed and accuracy.
While novices were found to point out differences more quickly, experts of the language were more accurate in their selections.
As letters became more complex, decision time slowed for novices. The opposite was true for experts.
For letters with more complex features, including horizontals and curves, experts were better at making the distinctions.
‘You might assume we have basic vision machinery and that you could detect features of different letters even if you didn’t know the language. But that’s not the case,’ said senior author Brend Rapp, a professor in the university’s Department of Cognitive Sciences.
‘What you know affects how you see things.’
The researchers analyzed these results using hierarchical clustering, sorting the letters that looked similar to novices and to experts.
While certain letters showed overall agreement, the researchers say some varied greatly in the sorting, and the letters that confused novices looked nothing like the ones that the experts made mistakes on.
‘When you become an expert in reading an alphabet, what does that change? Does your visual system see the same thing as a beginner? We say no,’ Wiley said.
‘If you’re an expert, things that look complex to a novice look simple to you.’
The researchers explain that experts are biased by other, non-visual factors, including the names of letters, how they’re written, or the way they sound.
While the study focuses on the alphabet, the researchers say it has much greater implications.
‘What we find should hold true for any sort of object – cars, birds, faces. Expertise matters. It changes how you perceive things,’ Wiley said.
‘Part of being an expert is learning what matters and what doesn’t matter – including visual features. You know what to look for.’
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Jordanian company attracts huge investments
Jordan Industrial Estates Corporation. Image from jordantimes
Amman, (IINA) - CEO of Jordan Industrial Estates Company (JIEC) Jalal Aldbai on Tuesday said the incentives offered by the company in the Muwaqqar and Al Hussein Industrial cities had attracted JD23 million in investments, Petra News Agency reported.
During a meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce Ali Shukri, Aldbai also pointed to the importance of partnership with the private sector to promote the Kingdom's business environment.
The outstanding level the company has reached in developing industrial estates, will help in providing an investment opportunity to all ventures coming to Jordan, said Aldbai.
Both sides also emphasized the importance of holding joint meetings between economic bodies in both countries to implement items of the Joint Jordanian-Egyptian Higher Committee.
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Qatari-German drone project reached advanced stages: Minister
Qatari-German drone project (QNA)
Doha (IINA) – Qatari Minister of State for Defense Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah said that the drone production project, carried by the State of Qatar in cooperation with Germany, has reached advanced stages, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
"You will see a Qatari drone in skies of Doha by next year," said Dr Al Attiyah in remarks he made on the sidelines of the Fifth International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2016), held in Doha with the particiaption of more than 58 countries. He added that joint work and integration of defense systems in the region to collectively cope with the risks is the current direction of the state.
The minister said that the development of the Qatari Armed Forces will not stop, stressing that holding DIMDEX in Doha is an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest modern techniques in the military field.
He expressed delight at the volume of participation in the exhibition, pointing out that the ranks and positions of participants, number of exhibiting companies, quality of the exhibits and methods of presentation reflect great interest in this event.
DIMDEX is the biggest exhibition and conference specialized in the field of maritime security and defense in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
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France reiterates support to Morocco’s autonomy plan
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Image from ahram
Algiers, (IINA) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault reiterated on Tuesday in Algiers the constant position of his country on the Western Sahara issue, supporting the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco, Morocco World News reported.
Paris maintains the “same position” on the Sahara issue, head of the French diplomacy said at a joint press conference with his Algerian peer Ramtane Lamamra, according to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
Ayrault also expressed his hope for renewing the mandate of MINURSO and an “appeasement” in relations between Morocco and the UN, referring to official and popular protests in the Kingdom against the statements and acts of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his last visit to Tindouf camps, South-Western Algeria.
Early March, French Foreign ministry spokesperson, Romain Nadal, explained that “for France, the autonomy plan presented by Morocco in 2007 is a serious and credible basis for a negotiated solution”.
“The position of France on the Sahara is well known and unchanged”, he had said, stressing that Paris supports the search for a “just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution under the auspices of the UN.”
Analysts say France has played a leading role in preventing the Security Council from adopting a press statement of support for United Nations Secretary General in his personal feud with Morocco.
Morocco has reacted vehemently to Ban Ki-moon’s unprecedented statements in which he described Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara as “occupation.”
Following the UN chief’s statements, Morocco decided to expel 84 members of the United Nations Mission in the territory, known as MINURSO.
Over the past two weeks, the UN Security Council has held several meetings to discuss the recent developments arising from the crisis caused by Ban Ki-moon’s statements. The 15-member body refrained from expressing support for the UN chief.
France, Egypt, Senegal, Spain and Japan opposed any statement likely to suggest that the Security Council endorses Ban Ki-moon’s statements and support him against Morocco.
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Iran's Rouhani cancels visit to Austria for 'security reasons'
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (AA file image)
Vienna (IINA) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has cancelled a planned visit to Austria on Wednesday for security reasons, only his second to Europe since last year's nuclear deal, AFP reported.
"The visit for March 30-31 by President Hassan Rouhani and his delegation has been postponed by the Iranian side for security reasons," Austrian presidency said Tuesday in a statement.
Rouhani had been due to meet Austrian President Heinz Fischer on Wednesday in Vienna and Chancellor Werner Faymann the following day as well as attend an Austro-Iranian economic forum. Spokeswoman for Austria's presidential office Astrid Salmhofer said she wasn't aware of the precise nature of Iran's security concerns, adding that a new date for Rouhani to visit Austria hadn't been set.
Austria, like other European countries, and having hosted numerous rounds of talks that led to Iran nuclear deal with six major world powers, is keen to see its firms profit from the opening up of the Iranian economy.
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March 29, 2016
Cypriot president: No terrorist motives behind Egyptian plane hijack
Passengers onboard hijacked Egypt's plane (Image from Internet)
Nicosia (IINA) – Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said the hijacking incident of Egyptian passenger plane, which landed at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus on Tuesday, was not related to terrorism.
The latest reports on Tuesday's hijacking contradict earlier statements by President Anastasiades and other Cypriot security sources, suggesting the hijacker's motives were personal and linked to an ex-wife who lived in Cyprus, according to Reuters.
There was also some confusion over the identity of the hijacker. Egypt's official state news agency MENA initially named him as Egyptian national Ibrahim Samaha but later said the hijacker was called Seif Eldin Mustafa.
Cyprus state TV said that the hijacker wanted to contact his ex-wife, who is Greek-Cypriot and lives in Larnaca.
Witnesses told Cyprus Mail newspaper that he threw a letter on the apron of the airport in Larnaca, written in Arabic, asking that it be delivered to his ex-wife, who was reportedly on her way to the airport to participate in the negotiations.
After the aircraft landed at Larnaca airport, the hijacker released everyone onboard except three passengers and four crew following negotiations, Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy said.
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Saudi doctors fifth best in world: Report
Riyadh, (IINA) - Medical Specialist Graduate Rankings report showed that the outstanding performance of Saudi doctors makes them the fifth best in the world, Arab News reported.
The report pointed out that as many as 326 Saudi doctors and physicians enrolled for fellowship programs in the U.S in the past three years, indicating an increase in the number of trainees in that country over the years.
According to the Saudi cultural attaché in Washington, Mohammad Al-Essa, another batch of 62 doctors recently joined the program after passing the required test in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
Approximately 50,000 doctors of all nationalities around the world have applied for the same program, said the report, adding that the program ensures integrity and fair opportunities for all applicants based on advanced research and evaluation methods.
Al-Essa said that when Saudi doctors first started traveling to the U.S to train, only 10 fulfilled the requirements each year. However, Saudi graduates now rank fifth in terms of the number of doctors from each country graduating every year.
He congratulated the leadership of the program, indicating that this kind of success for the fourth year in a row demonstrates remarkable progress and is an expression of the country’s investment in its sons and daughters.
“In the future, we can see that the country will continue to have a large number of doctors and specialists in different medical professions”, Al-Essa said, adding that this reflects the provision of high quality primary medical programs across medical universities in the Kingdom.
“In the future, Saudi Arabia may become a training destination for doctors from around the world”, he added.
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9 Saudis freed as coalition completes prisoner swap with Houthis in Yemen
Aden, (IINA) - A Saudi-led military coalition said on Monday that it had completed a prisoner swap in Yemen, exchanging nine Saudi prisoners for 109 Yemeni nationals ahead of a planned truce and peace talks aimed at ending the year-long war with the Houthi rebels, Arab News reported.
The prisoner swap coincided with fresh airstrikes by both the coalition and by US warplanes on militants in southern Yemen, according to Reuters.
The coalition did not say which group the swap was made with, but the Houthi movement said on Sunday it had exchanged prisoners with Riyadh as a first step toward ending a humanitarian crisis prompted by the war.
Saudi Arabia received its nationals on Sunday, said the coalition statement published on SPA. The alliance “hopes to begin a truce in conflict areas of the Republic of Yemen”, it added.
Yemeni media said the nine Saudis were soldiers. The freed Yemenis had been detained during operations in Yemen, SPA said. The coalition said that border areas remained relatively calm.
It said it hoped to see the calm "spread to combat zones in order to facilitate the sending of humanitarian aid to all of Yemen's territory" and to support UN efforts to reach a political settlement.
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5 Palestinian detainees begin hunger strike in Israeli jails
Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails (Image from Internet)
Ramallah (IINA) – Four Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails have entered into a hunger strike in protest against their administration detention, while a fifth detainee embarked on a hunger strike in protest of being held in solitary confinement, WAFA reported.
Kareem Ajwa, an attorney with the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Commission, said the four detainees, namely Sami Janazreh, Imad Batran, Abdur-Rahim Tawayfeh, and Abdul-Ghani Safadi have recently embarked on a hunger strike in protest of being held under the Israeli administrative detention, without a charge or trial.
The fifth detainee, Nahar Saadi, has also begun a hunger strike to protest of being held in solitary confinement for two years.
There are more some 500 Palestinian detainees being held under administrative detention, a controversial Israeli practice that allows detention of Palestinians without charge or trial for up to six-month intervals that can be renewed indefinitely.
Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes as a way to protest their illegal administrative detention and to demand an end to this policy, which violates the international law.
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Brussels Muslims rally in solidarity with victims of terror attacks
Belgian Muslims rally at the site of the Brussels terror attack and pay tribute to the victims. Image from The Guardian
Brussels, (IINA) - Muslims in Brussels held a rally outside Maalbeek metro station on Monday afternoon, to show solidarity with victims of last week's bomb attacks, The Telegraph reported.
The small group walked to the station, which was hit by a suicide bomber, carrying balloons in the colours of the Belgian flag and banners calling for peace.
Gathered by the entrance to the subway, the group condemned the attacks and urged people to unite against violence.
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Myanmar lifts state of emergency in conflict-hit Rakhine state
Myanmar's parliament, Yangon (AA Photo)
Yangon (IINA) – Myanmar's outgoing government has announced the lifting of a state of emergency in an underdeveloped and troubled region housing a majority of the country's Rohingya Muslims, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Since 2012, Rakhine State has been hit by a series of sectarian disputes that have left around 100 people dead and over 100,000 displaced, mostly Rohingyas.
State media reported Tuesday that the curfew in Rakhine had been lifted after three years, citing an announcement by the office of outgoing President Thein Sein.
“State of emergency was lifted [Monday] across Rakhine State as no threats to the lives and property of the people were found, according to a report by the Rakhine State government,” the report said.
The announcement comes days before the new government of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy takes office.
In 2012, a series of sectarian disputes in Rakhine – many of which suspected to be state sponsored – left 57 Muslims and 31 Buddhists dead, around 100,000 people displaced and more than 2,500 houses burned, most of which belonged to Rohingya.
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Jordan seeks to buy LNG from Russia's Gazprom at preferential prices
Jordan wants to buy LNG from Russia (TASS)
Moscow (IINA) – Jordan has asked the Russian gas giant Gazprom to consider the possibility of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to the Hashemite Kingdom at preferential prices, according to the protocol of the third meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Jordanian Commission.
The Jordanian side suggests that Gazprom would supply LNG to Jordan from the portfolio of Gazprom group, Russian News Agency TASS reported.
According to the protocol, the parties also marked their readiness to expand bilateral cooperation in energy sector.
Jordan wants to see Russian oil and gas and power companies involved in projects of its energy sector. Jordan also proposed to set up joint ventures for production and sale of mineral resources.
It is worth mentioning that Russia and Jordan agreed to exchange experience in exploration of mineral resources and estimation of reserves, as well as technologies used in shale oil production.
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Erdogan to open USA’s largest mosque on Saturday
Washington, (IINA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will inaugurate the United States’ largest mosque on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reported.
The Diyanet Center of America in Maryland, just 21 kilometers from Washington DC, features classical Ottoman architecture.
The land was bought in 1990 by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs and had only a 100-square-meter small Turkish mosque and a community building on it.
"After a declaration of intention in 2009, we started the process for the kulliyah project (traditional Islamic social complex) which would reflect the thought of the Islamic world ", project architect Muharrem Hilmi Senalp told Anadolu Agency.
A classic city structure of the Ottoman Empire featured a mosque at the center with the city built around it. Senalp says the project was based on that type of a structural plan and the architecture of the mosque reflected the traditional Ottoman Empire style of the16th and 17th centuries.
"There is a mosque at the center and a Turkish-Islamic garden in front of it. Right next to it, there is the cultural center, which is a harmony of classical and modern architecture".
The cultural center includes a library, conference and exhibition halls, an assembly hall and a reception area.
The Islamic Research Center within the building will provide a consultancy service for undergraduate and graduate students coming from Turkey to the U.S.
There is also a 300-square-meter Islamic Arts Museum below the mosque and ten traditional Ottoman houses within the complex, where guests can lodge.
The entire complex is built on a 60,000-square-meter area and includes traditional Turkish baths for men and women, swimming pools, a multipurpose hall and an indoor sports complex.
With its two minarets, the mosque is built on 879 square meters, and along with its courtyard is large enough for approximately 3,000 Muslims to pray at the same time.
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Drinking coffee could lower risk of prostate cancer: Chine Study
Tuesday 29 Mar 2016 - 13:20 Makkah mean time-20-6-1437
Image from bitrebels
Shanghai City, China, (IINA) - A New research based on a survey covering more than 550,000 men worldwide shows that the likelihood of developing prostate cancer decreases by 2.5 percent for every two additional cup of coffee consumed a day, Mail Online health news reported.
Researchers at the Tongji University Hospital in Shanghai analyzed the results of 13 studies that had investigated this link and concluded that as well as facing an overall lower risk, coffee drinkers were 24 percent less likely to die from the disease if diagnosed with it, reports the journal Nutrition And Cancer.
A number of compounds in coffee are thought to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, including cafestol and kahweol, which have been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth.
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Mediterranean diet may help strengthen bones: Study
Researchers found a possible link between following the Mediterranean diet and a reduction of hip fractures among senior women. Image from Longevitycookbook.io
Wurzburg City, Germany (IINA) – The Mediterranean diet is well-known for its health benefits on your heart and waistline, but now your bones could benefit too, according to a new study published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
A group of researchers, led by Dr. Bernhard Haring of the University of Wurzburg, in Germany studied a possible link between following the Mediterranean diet and a reduction of hip fractures among senior women, Pulse Headlines Daily News & Analysis reported.
In a randomized study, the team analyzed data from 40 clinical centers from the United States. They also analyzed the Women’s Health Initiative Study.
Originally, another research team tracked the medical history of 90,014 patients also following their specific diets. They compared their eating patterns to four major healthy diets including the Mediterranean.
Their main goal was to assess the impact of healthy diet on cardiovascular diseases. The team led by Dr. Haring used this information and with the help of the medical history, they noticed that in 16 years there were 2,121 cases of hip fracture and 28,718 cases of total fracture, which represents a little more than 30 percent of the whole group. They found out that women who followed the Mediterranean diet were 0.29 percent less likely to suffer a hip fracture.
There is not a specific formula to follow the Mediterranean diet. However, there are clear guidelines on what to eat and what to avoid to follow the famous plan. It is basically a lifestyle, it includes red meat, sugar, refined grains and oils. The diet also encourages to eat vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, tubers and moderate amounts of poultry. It translates to eat more natural and avoid anything that is processed including diet menus.
There are too many countries around the Mediterranean Sea and they have very different diets, but there are some tendencies. Virgin olive oil and seafood are included in every variation of the diet. All plans also encourage physical activity and sharing meals with others.
SM/IINA
'Hijacked' Egyptian passenger plane lands in Cyprus
Egyptian passenger plane (Image from Internet)
Nicosia (IINA) – An Egyptian passenger plane landed in Cyprus after being hijacked by a man who is believed to be strapped with a suicide belt and ordered police to stand clear of the aircraft, news agencies reported.
EgyptAir flight MS181 was on a scheduled journey from Alexandria to Cairo when it veered off course on Tuesday morning. EgyptAir said negotiations had resulted in the release of all those on board the plane apart from the crew and four foreign passengers. Video from Larnaca airport has shown people leaving the plane and boarding a bus, according to BBC.
The hijacker was named in Egypt's state media as Ibrahim Samaha, an Egyptian man aged 27 or 28 years old who was sat in seat 38K on the plane, The Independent reported citing a statement from EgyptAir.
His motive remains unclear, though some Egyptian officials claimed that he was seeking “political asylum”.
AB/IINA