Switzerland: Major shift in energy policy looms
by Armando Mombelli, swissinfo.ch The phasing out of nuclear power will mean a profound transformation of the Swiss energy system. But the Energy Strategy 2050, which the government has issued […]
4-month reprieve for OFW murder convict
GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN ARABNEWS Friday 16 November 2012 RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has delayed the execution of Filipino migrant worker Joselito Zapanta by four more months, giving his family more time to raise blood money to settle the case with the family of his Sudanese victim. “The father of two children, […]
Hamburg’s deal with Muslims sparks concerns
Source: The Local: Hamburg has become the first German state to strike an historic agreement with Muslim community groups, but the deal has riled some members of the political establishment, who claim it undermines the separation of religion and state. Read More:
Work on mataf expansion begins
ARAB NEWS Friday 16 November 2012 MAKKAH: Preliminary work for the expansion of the mataf (the circumambulation area around the Kaaba) started yesterday with the installation of huge cranes at […]
‘Cuddle hormone’ could keep men faithful
Source: The Local: A sniff of a “cuddle hormone” can encourage married men to literally keep their distance from other women, German scientists have shown – but paranoid wives should not yet put in orders for monogamy spray quite yet. Read More:
JORDAN: Islamists insist on all demands in return for ‘calming protests’
The Jordan Times by by Khaled Neimat | AMMAN — The Muslim Brotherhood told a senior government official late Wednesday it would “calm protests” against a government decision to lift […]
Gender Quota Proposal Is ‘Only the Beginning’
Source: Spiegel: The European Commission’s draft law for a gender quota across the EU won’t be easy to pass, given the heavy resistance from a number of member states. But German commentators on Thursday say that it is nevertheless an important step in the right direction. Full story:
Netanyahu’s Extremely Risky Gamble
Source: Spiegel: By Ulrike Putz in Beirut Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping the offensive in the Gaza Strip wins his Likud party more votes in January’s election. But the move is extremely risky. Skirmishes could escalate into a full-blown war that might weaken Hamas but shift Palestinian support […]
Islam and Human Service: Relief work for Sandy and Human First USA and Canada- Meeting Obama
Humanity First Volunteers meet President Obama while helping victims of Hurrican Sandy: See Video here President Obama Thanks Volunteers from Canada Humanity First Canada Volunteers Help Victims of Hurricane Sandy […]
No Higgs breakthrough- But Salam (Standard Model) Still Applicable
Dawn: SCIENTISTS working at the Large Hadron Collider have found no evidence that the new particle discovered earlier this year is anything but the simplest — and most boring — variety of Higgs boson. Staff at Cern, the particle physics lab near Geneva, celebrated in July after they found what […]
So Called Father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb jumps into politics
The Christian Science Monitor: Taha Siddiqui. The father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb has launched a political party, which plans to participate in the next presidential election slated for early 2013. Abdul Qadeer Khan has started a 100-day campaign to tour Pakistan, starting with Kahuta, home to the first nuclear facility in Pakistan, […]
On Religions and Spirituality
The Gazette: Jillian Page. In case any readers are wondering, I am not anti-Christian or anti-Muslim or anti-religion. In fact, as my regular readers know, I am very spiritual and identify as a Theosophist. I believe that all religions have value, and that we gravitate to those that best fill our […]
The politicisation of religious identity
The Express Tribune: Nadir Hassan. The politicisaton of religious identity can be traced back to the Objectives Resolution and, after that, the anti-Ahmadi riots of the 1950s. Groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami and others, who had opposed the creation of Pakistan, suddenly found themselves with a political niche in the new country. […]
Four key tests face the Syrian opposition
By Rami G. Khouri The Daily Star Lebanon The rapid developments in recent days in the world of the Syrian groups fighting to overthrow the regime of President Bashar Assad will be a game-changer if the new coalition of opposition forces actually becomes a unified movement that achieves four critical […]
The future of bilateral Iran-Israel relations
The Jerusalem Post: Both Iran and Israel have never been so aware as they are today of the positive and beneficial consequences of a close relationship and historic friendship. Iran […]
It’s a girl – 3 deadliest words in the world
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/1287421–it-s-a-girl-documentary-explores-gendercide-in-china-and-india An Indian woman clutches her neck and giggles nervously as she describes how she strangled eight of her newborn daughters to death. “Women have the power to give life and take it away,” she says. According to director Evan Grae Davis’ documentary It’s a Girl, this woman’s story is […]
BP to pay billions of $$ in fine the latgest in US criminal history
Source: Record fine, manslaughter charges for BP spill Reuters Photo: U.S. Coast Guard, File. IMAGE: Fire boat crews battle the blazing remnants of the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon, off Louisiana, on April 21, 2010. 1 hr ago By MSN and wire services BP has agreed to pay the largest […]
Islamic bond sale to raise $138 Million: Bloomberg reports
Omani Developer Tilal Plans Debut Islamic Bond Sale for Mall By Faisal Mantheri and Sherine El Madany – Nov 14, 2012 12:20 AM PT Tilal Development Company SAOC plans to raise 53 million rials ($138 million) in the first quarter in Oman’s first corporate Islamic bond sale to fund a mall […]
Death penalty: France condemns execution of soldier in Pakistan
Source: ET PARIS: France on Thursday condemned the hanging of a Pakistani soldier convicted of murder and called for the country to renew its moratorium on executions and work towards abolishing the death penalty. “This decision constitutes a step backwards in Pakistan’s move towards greater respect for human rights,” foreign ministry […]
Blasphemy charges: Man gets death sentence in Chitral
Source: ET: Hazrat Ali Shah declared guilty by Additional Sessions judge, fined Rs100,000. PHOTO: FILE CHITRAL: A man accused of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was declared guilty and awarded a death sentence along with a fine worth Rs100,000 by Additional Sessions Judge Azhar Ali Khan in Chitral. More: