Month: June 2010

UN asks Israel to end blockade on Gaza

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New York, June 01: The top foreign policy official of the UN Monday asked Israel to end its “counterproductive” and “unacceptable” blockade on Gaza.

The UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Argentina’s Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, further said in an emergency UN Security Council meeting that Monday’s attack on a humanitarian aid flotilla off Gaza’s coast would not have happened without the blockade.

The call to end the blockade was also made by the British and Brazilian ambassadors before the UN.

New law may allow coop societies to branch out

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Abu Dhabi, June 01: The new draft law on cooperative societies provides the cooperatives the opportunity to open branches in other emirates. According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, it also provides more facilities, benefiting from the latest international experiences of cooperatives, namely the Singaporean cooperative Act.

Jab to prevent and cure breast cancer

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A revolutionary jab that could both prevent and treat breast cancer has been developed. The drug will be tested on women as early as next year. Its creator Dr Vincent Tuohy said the effects could be “monumental”.

“We believe that this vaccine will someday be used to prevent breast cancer in adult women in the same way that vaccines have prevented many childhood diseases,” he said. The theory behind the vaccine could eventually be used to target other types of cancer as well, he added. The drug targets a protein called alphalactalbumin that lurks in most breast cancer tumours.

Now a vaccine to prevent breast cancer

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London, June 01: Scientists claimed to have developed a vaccine that can save women from developing breast cancer and can also treat those suffering from the disease.

All women over 40 could be given a jab that prevents them getting breast cancer. The drug, which goes on trial within a year, has been shown to stop tumours ever appearing and also to attack those that are already present.

Afghan, foreign forces recapture district from Taliban

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Kabul, June 01: Afghan forces backed by international troops have retaken a remote district near the Pakistan border that was captured by the Taliban at the weekend, officials said on Tuesday.

“No shots were fired and no one was harmed during this operation,” the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for Afghanistan said in a statement.

Hundreds of Taliban insurgents on Saturday overran Barg-i-Matal district in mountainous Nuristan province, a remote area bordering Pakistan, before raising their flag over the administrative headquarters.

Maid’s body found hanging in bathroom

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Ras Al Khaimah, June 01: The body of a 26-year-old Ethiopian woman was found hanging on a rope in the bathroom of the house of her employer in Digdag area of Ras Al Khaimah on Friday evening. The woman was working as a housemaid.

Lt Col. Ya’aqoub Al Haddad, who heads the Digdag Police Station, said the Police were informed by the victim’s Emirati sponsor about the body. The Police rushed to the scene and removed the body.

Australia uses new drug to halt virus spread

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Sydney, June 01: An experimental drug so far only tested on animals has been given to an Australian woman and child in an effort to prevent an outbreak of a potentially deadly virus, health officials said Tuesday.

The health department in the northeastern state of Queensland said the pair were given the treatment, which has been tested on ferrets, to protect against the Hendra virus, which is spread to humans from horses.

“Queensland Health offered the mother and daughter preventative therapy treatment which is still under development,” a spokesman said.

‘Israel committed an act of war’

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Venenzuela, June 01: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has condemned Israel’s attack on peace activists on a flotilla of ships carrying relief supplies to the Gaza Strip.

Chavez called the attack “an act of war undertaken by the Israeli army against defenseless civilians” who were trying to break through Israel’s “criminal blockade.”

Rashid Hospital launches sleep labs, burns unit

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Dubai, June 01: Rashid Hospital on Monday unveiled two full-fledged sleep labs and a unit dedicated to treating burns — both firsts among government hospitals in Dubai and Northern Emirates.

Inaugurated by Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director-General of Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the units were added as part of the authority’s ongoing plans to renovate one of the oldest hospitals in the city.

The other changes include addition of central cardiac monitoring rooms and a refurbished neurosurgical ICU.

Rupee weakens by 21 paise against dollar in early trade

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Mumbai, June 01: The Indian rupee depreciated by 21 paise to 46.57 a dollar in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange today on capital outflows by foreign funds and the dollar’s gain overseas.

The rupee was steady in the previous session.

Forex dealers said fresh capital outflows by foreign funds from equities in tandem with melting global markets, and weakness in the euro, mainly weighed on the rupee sentiment.

Meanwhile, the Bombay Stock Exchange index, Sensex, fell by 86.75 points, or 0.51 per cent, to 16,857.88 points in the opening trade today.

—–PTI

‘Iran haze contains depleted uranium’

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An Iranian lawmaker says the haze that arrives in Iran from Iraq is polluted with depleted uranium due to the US military’s use of the prohibited weapon in the neighboring country.

MP Mohammad-Mehdi Shahriari called for urgent measures to prevent the diffusion of the Iraqi haze over Iran.

“This is not an issue that can be easily neglected,” said Shahriari, who is a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

B-schools banking on Islamic principles

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Dubai, June 01: The word ‘profit’ in Islamic banking may sound similar to ‘interest’ in commercial banking.

But the Shariah- (Islamic law) compliant model is more than just ethical reassurance to customers. It is also dynamic and innovative, which requires a different approach, say experts.

B-schools and universities are now trying to match this fast growing banking sector by churning out executives who understand and develop culturally suitable solutions for customers.

Sensex down 86 points in opening trade

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Mumbai, June 01: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today opened 86 points lower on weak Asian cues.

The 30-share index, which gained over 922 points in the previous four sessions, shed 86.75 points, or 0.51 per cent to 16,857.88 points in the first five minutes of trading.

Metals, realty, technology, IT and banking sectors stocks were trading in the negative with losses extending up to 1.13 per cent.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty fell by 31.30, or 0.61 per cent, to 5,055.00 points.

Arabs demand independent probe of Israeli raid

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United Nations, June 01: The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting Monday on Israel’s deadly commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip, with the Palestinians and Arab nations demanding condemnation and an independent investigation.

The Palestinians and Arabs, backed by a number of council members including Turkey, also called for Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza, immediately release the ships and humanitarian activists, and allow them to deliver their goods.

South Africa censures Israel

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Jerusalem, June 01: South Africa has strongly condemned Israel’s attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla and called for a concerted global effort to find a solution to the question of Palestine.

In a statement issued by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Pretoria strongly condemned all military aggression by Israel against innocent civilians, including the people of the occupied West Bank and Gaza, a Media correspondent reported.

HAAD to reimburse insurance fines

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Abu Dhabi, June 01: The Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) said it will reimburse the fines paid late last week by health insurance policy holders for non-renewal of their health policy on time.

This was announced on Monday by Dr Jamal Al Kaabi, head of Customer Services and Corporate Communications at HAAD at a Press briefing.

His announcement followed the official pardon by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday to exempt all offenders from paying their fines after an overwhelming rush by card holders to renew their health cards.

Tropical Storm Agatha toll rises 142

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Guatemala City, June 01: Flooding and landslides from the season’s first tropical storm have killed at least 142 people and left thousands homeless in Central America, officials have said.

Dozens of people are still missing and emergency crews are struggling to reach isolated communities cut off by washed-out roads and collapsed bridges caused by Tropical Storm Agatha.

‘Israel has lost all legitimacy’

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Ankara, June 01: The Turkish foreign minister has told the UN Security Council that Israel should be held accountable for its deadly attack on the flotilla carrying humanitarian assistance for Gaza.

Ahmet Davutoglu said that Israel has “lost all legitimacy” because of the onslaught that left at least 20 peace activists dead and many others wounded. Most of those killed in the assault were from Turkey.

U.S. believes it killed al Qaeda No. 3

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Washington, June 01: Al Qaeda’s third-in-command, whose role spanned from operations to fundraising, is believed to have been killed earlier this month in a U.S. missile strike in the tribal areas of Pakistan, officials said on Monday.

The CIA has stepped up the pace of unmanned drone strikes in the tribal zone bordering Afghanistan, targeting not only high-level al Qaeda and Taliban targets but largely unknown foot soldiers as well.

S.Korea steps up efforts to haul N.Korea to UN

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Seoul, June 01: South Korea Tuesday stepped up its campaign to hold North Korea responsible at the UN Security Council for sinking a warship, briefing visiting Russian experts and sending an envoy to the United States.

A team of Russian naval experts arrived Monday to review the findings of a multinational investigation team, which concluded last month that a North Korean submarine torpedoed the South Korean ship with the loss of 46 lives.

RS berth for Gandhi family loyalist Sharma

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New Delhi, June 01: The Congress high command on Monday cleared the name of former petroleum minister and Gandhi family loyalist Satish Sharma for a Rajya Sabha berth from Uttar Pradesh.

The party is also expected to approve the re- nomination of environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh and J. D. Seelam from Andhra Pradesh, and Oscar Fernandes as well as B. K. Hariprasad from Karnataka.

Lalit Modi replies to his second show-cause notice

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Mumbai, June 01: Suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi has sent his reply to the second showcause notice served on him, to the BCCI by e-mail.

“Yes he has sent it last night,” informed Modi’s Legal Counsel Mehmood Abdi today.

Mr. Abdi is scheduled to go to the BCCI headquarters here today to handover the hard copy of the reply which is expected to be just over 24 pages.

Where is Free Gaza leader?

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Gaza, June 01: This is her sixth expedition to hostile waters. Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the Free Gaza movement, finds herself in the eye of yet another storm. Her husband Adam Shapiro, a US-based human rights activist and documentary film-maker, spoke with Khaleej Times about his dramatic telephonic exchange with his wife and the traumatic wait that follows. Excerpts:

“I last spoke to my wife 13 hours ago and I am out of my mind with worry. She was on Challenger-I, pretty close the largest Turkish vessel, when the firing broke out.

Australia legal action to stop Japan’s whaling

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Tokyo, June 01: Australia has launched legal action at the International Court of Justice to stop Japan’s hunting of whales, Japanese officials said Tuesday, calling the move “extremely regrettable”.

Australia’s action in The Hague follows months of tension between Canberra and Tokyo, which kills the ocean giants under a loophole in a 1986 international moratorium that allows lethal “scientific research”.

Pakistan Association sets up five new wings

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Dubai, June 01: Pakistan Association Dubai has set up five new wings for the benefit of Pakistani community to ensure active participation of community members in its activities. The new wings are: Pak-Chinab, Pak-Khyber, Pak-Mehran, Pak-Bolan, and Pak-Chinaar.

Speaking at an oath taking ceremony of the committee of Pak-Khyber Wing on Monday, PAD President Riaz Farooq Sahi said a benchmark has been set for each wing.

Each wing shall fully abide by the PAD constitution in all its activities.

“The activities of the wings will be fully monitored by the PAD,” Sahi said.