Concerns about high folate levels

Increased folic acid from supplements, fortified foods not likely to affect B12 deficiency Taking folic acid supplements or eating fortified grain products is unlikely to worsen problems related to low levels of vitamin B12, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and five other institutions in the United […]

Political Islam

IN order to understand the logic — or the lack of it — behind terrorism, one needs to first understand the interplay of governance structures and radicalisation. Islam has widely been used throughout the Islamic world to mobilise the masses. The ruling elite has utilised it for political purposes ranging […]

Ethics and international affairs

Three events have been reported in the international press that have aroused moral controversy; the bombing of Muammar Gaddafi’s residence in Tripoli, the killing of Osama bin Laden when he was unarmed, the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn for attempted rape when it could be that there was partial consent. How […]

New quakes rock New Zealand’s Christchurch

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AFP) – A series of powerful earthquakes, including one of magnitude 6.0, rocked New Zealand’s stricken city of Christchurch on Monday causing further damage. More buildings came down and there was severe disruption to electricity and water supplies, with Christchurch still recovering from the destruction of the […]

What next for Pakistan

On Sunday 22 May, TTP terrorists attacked the Mehran navy air base in Karachi. In an 18-hour assault, 10 militants stormed the military facility, destroying two US made surveillance planes and killing 12 soldiers. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack, linking it to Osama Bin Laden’s death. The incident […]

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture

Based at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) is dedicated to the study of Islamic art and architecture, urbanism, landscape design, and conservation – and the application of that knowledge to contemporary design projects. The goals of the program are […]

More work for NGOs despite Arab spring clean

by Abdelhafidh Abdeleli, swissinfo.ch Swiss non-governmental organisations working in North Africa and the Middle East welcome changes underway in the region, but warn that not all problems will be solved. The NGOs say that while more democracy is on the cards, constitutional changes and more social justice are needed to […]

Local muftis alone should issue fatwas

By ABDULLAH AL-JAMILI | AL-MADINAH Renowned scholar Sheikh Attieh Salim was one day delivering his religious lessons in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, when a man stood up and asked him a question that required fatwa (religious edict). Before answering, the sheikh asked the man: “Where are you from?” The […]

King outlines vision for Jordan’s future

AMMAN (JT) – His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday outlined the vision for Jordan’s political reform, which culminates in the formation of governments on the basis of parliamentary majority and political party manifestos. In his address to the nation yesterday, the King highlighted the importance of national unity, stressing that […]

China’s Interest in Farmland Makes Brazil Uneasy

URUAÇU, Brazil — When the Chinese came looking for more soybeans here last year, they inquired about buying land — lots of it.Even as Brazil, Argentina and other nations move to impose limits on farmland purchases by foreigners, the Chinese are seeking to more directly control production themselves, taking their […]

Eat Broccoli, Prevent Cancer

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage and cauliflower, contain a chemical called Sulforaphane.  This chemical is belongs to family of anti-cancer chemicals made by many plants.  This particular chemical has recently been shown to stop cancerous cells from dividing while having no such effect on normal cells.  This […]