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Vol. XLVIII No. 8, 2010-05-23 |
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| FUEL DEAL BETWEEN TURKEY, BRAZIL, IRAN |
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Turkey said that Iran had agreed on a nuclear fuel swap deal which could help end Tehran’s stand-off with the West over its atomic programme. Full details of the agreement were not immediately released by Turkish and Brazilian officials mediating in Iran’s dispute with leading world powers, who suspect Tehran of covertly developing a nuclear bomb. Turkey’s foreign ministry said a formal announcement might be made later after any final revisions by the Brazilian and Iranian...  |
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| TRAINING OF OMANI PROFESSIONALS |
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Fourteen Omani professionals — the first of the two batches — are going to the Netherlands after having received scholarships for short and medium-term courses at Netherlands Higher Education Institutions. The so-called Mena scholarship programme, financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, targets mid-career professionals and is part of the Dutch-Omani cooperation in the field of vocational training. This programme focuses on a number of areas: water management, en... |
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| CALLIGRAPHY EXHIBITION IN OMAN |
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An exhibition of calligraphic art by senior artist Mohammed Al Sayegh opened at the Bait Al Zubair Museum. The exhibition was inaugurated at the hands of HH Sayyid Mohammed bin Thuwainy Al Said. The show named ‘Dialogue of Letters’ is being presented by Bait Al Zubair Foundation in partnership with Khimji Ramdas. Revealing the latest artwork by artist Mohammed Al Sayegh, the exhibition features his unique calligraphic work. Having received critical acclaim and recogn... |
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| INDONESIAN MUSLIM CONGRESS |
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Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially opened the 5th Indonesian Muslim Congress in East Jakarta. The congress is a forum for key organisations and institutions in the world’s most populous Muslim country. Sahal Mahfudh, chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council, which represents Muslim scholars, told the Congress that Muslims had an obligation and responsibility to play a bigger role in directing national development programmes. “Therefore, a synergy is necessa... |
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| DEVELOPMENT OF MAKKAH |
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The holy city of Makkah is currently witnessing the implementation of a number of mega development projects in the central region around the Grand Mosque. The new projects, including the Jabal Omar, Jabal Kaaba, Shamiya and Khandama developments, come as part of the government’s efforts to improve housing and prayer facilities for the millions of pilgrims who come for Haj and Umrah from all over the world. Implementation of these projects coincides with the beginning of the largest ev... |
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| HALAL COSMETICS MARKET |
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Entrepreneurs producing “halal” cosmetics say the global market is booming as more Muslims opt for beauty products that conform to Islamic rules. Famiza Zulkifli of Malaysia made her first halal soap four years ago, after searching in vain for the right products to bathe her baby. Now her business has an annual turnover of 1.6 million dollars. “Halal is an issue for Muslims. At the end of the day, everyone will die and God will ask you what you have done,” said the M... |
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| EMIRATES MAY ADD FLIGHTS TO KL |
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Emirates Airline is supportive of a request for an increase in flights to Kuala Lumpur during Ramadan as Malaysia eyes more Arab visitors during the Muslim fasting month, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said. She said the possibility of Emirates using the Airbus A380 superjumbo for the flights was mentioned in her talks with Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group. “I requested Emirates to add flights to Malaysia during R... |
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| THREE NEW COLLEGES IN MADINA |
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King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has approved the establishment of three new colleges at the Islamic University in Madina. His other approvals include the restructuring of some sections of King Abdulaziz University in Rabegh, and appointments of academic staff. Kahled Al-Anqari, Minister of Higher Education, said the approvals would see new Science, Computer Science and Data System, and Engineering colleges at the Islamic University in Madina. Some departments and colleges at... |
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| GREECE AND TURKEY COME CLOSER |
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Longtime foes Greece and Turkey held a historic joint cabinet meeting in Athens in a new top-level effort to overcome old grudges through better neighbourly ties and economic cooperation that comes in the midst of Greece’s debt crisis. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on his first trip to Greece since 2004, promised to support the country’s efforts toward financial recovery. Faced with the spectre of bankruptcy, Athens has secured 110-billion-euro ($138 billion) in res... |
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| TROOP SHIFTING PLAN DROPPED |
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A US proposal for British troops to withdraw from Helmand province in southern Afghanistan into neighbouring Kandahar has been scrapped. The majority of Britain’s 10,000 troops in Afghanistan are deployed in Helmand but are now dwarfed by a 20,000-strong American force sent as reinforcements in the recent US surge. According to the Times newspaper, the US had wanted Britain to move its troops to Kandahar to allow US Marines to take over sole control of Helmand. As an induceme... |
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| JEWISH CONSPIRACIES UNEARTHED |
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The website of Ove Sviden, 73, a Swedish politician describes the conspiracies of Jews. “Who won the Second World War? The Jews! They got a state. A little remnant of a people gets a country. It’s not a coincidence,” Sviden asserted. On 9/11 the politician described on his website how the construction of the World Trade Centre was a project dear to the heart of banking mogul David Rockefeller. But in a bid to “kill his darlings”, the ageing patriarch had the ic... |
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