Mid Day International News |
- Pilot becomes ill during flight, dies on landing
- Forex trading is 'haram', says Malaysia's Fatwa Council
- Tiny songbird flies 29,000 km for holidays
- Iran dares the nuclear world
- Kremlin creates own vodka
- US honour for Pak doctor who helped nail Osama
- Students forced to chant 'Long live Sarkozy'
| Pilot becomes ill during flight, dies on landing Posted: The captain of a Czech airliner flying from Warsaw became ill and died upon landing at an international airport in Prague, CTK news agency reported Wednesday. The second co-pilot landed the airplane and an ambulance met the aircraft at Ruzyne International Airport to whisk the pilot away. None of the passengers on board were at risk. "Doctors were unable to help, the airline's captain died," CSA Airlines spokeswoman Hana Hejskova said. No information has been released on the cause of the pilot's illness or the cause of his death.
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| Forex trading is 'haram', says Malaysia's Fatwa Council Posted: Malaysia's National Fatwa Council has ruled that foreign exchange trading is forbidden or 'haram' for Muslims as it was against the Islamic Sharia law. "A study by the committee found that such trading involves currency speculation, which contradicts Islamic law. For that reason, the National Fatwa Council has decided that it is haram for Muslims to participate in such trading," Council chairman Dr Abdul Shukor Husin was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper. He said Muslims should not participate in forex trading as there were many doubts about it, given that it involved individuals using the Internet with uncertain outcomes. "Other forms of trading in foreign currencies, such as trading by money changers or between banks, are permissible as they do not involve currency speculation or uncertain outcomes," he said. Husin said the meeting also decided that it was permissible for Muslims to invest or save under the Premium Saving Certificate scheme by a local bank here. He said the committee was satisfied with the briefing given by the country's central banks Shariah panel regarding the scheme s implementation. Husin added that the committee also agreed to formulate guidelines on Muslim couples having their wedding ceremony in a mosque to allay doubts that the ceremony purportedly follows Christian practices, the report said.
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| Tiny songbird flies 29,000 km for holidays Posted: A tiny songbird weighing just two tablespoons of sugar migrates from the Arctic to Africa and back, a distance of up to 29,000 kilometres, scientists reported yesterday. The size of an undernourished sparrow, the northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) tips the scales at just 25 grammes (0.9 of an ounces).  But biologists who tagged the tawny-and-white insectivore were stunned at its flight endurance. They attached minute geolocators, each weighing just 1.2 grammes to the legs of 46 wheatears in Alaska and on Baffin Island in northeastern Canada. The Alaskan birds spent the winter in Africa before returning back home, a journey of about 14,500 km each way, in which they flew on average 290 km a day. They travelled over Siberia and across the Arabian desert, heading to Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, a trip that took about 91 days on the outward trip but 55 days for the return leg. A tagged bird from Baffin Island flew over the North Atlantic, landed in Britain, travelled southwards across continental Europe, the Mediterranean and Sahara to winter on the coast of Mauritania, West Africa, taking 26 days out and 55 days back for a trip of about 7,500 kms. "They are incredible migratory journeys, particularly for a bird this size," said Ryan Norris of the University of Guelph in Ontario. "Think of something smaller than a robin but a little larger than a finch raising young in the Arctic tundra and then a few months later foraging for food in Africa for the winter." The study appears in Biology Letters, a journal published by the Royal Society, Britain's de-facto academy of sciences. Birds with larger wingspans such as the cuckoo and albatross are famous for their transcontinental migrations, but this study provides incontrovertible evidence that a songbird can do the same, say the scientists. "Scaled for body size, this is one of the longest round-trip migratory journey of any bird in the world and raises questions about how a bird of this size is able to successfully undertake such physically demanding journeys twice a year, particularly for inexperienced juveniles migrating on their own."
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| Posted: In a move certain to inflame tensions, Iran flaunts its mastery of the nuclear fuel cycle by announcing it is loading its own fuel rods into a reactor Iran has begun loading domestically made nuclear fuel rods into its research reactor in a defiant response to toughening Western sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme. The official IRNA news agency said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inserted the first rod into the reactor in northern Tehran, and state TV broadcast live images from the ceremony with Iranian nuclear experts briefing him on the process.  Act of defiance: Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inside Tehran's research reactor. Ahmadinejad led a ceremony inserting Iran's first domestically produced, 20-per cent enriched nuclear fuel into Tehran's research reactor Iran touted the development as an incremental step in the country's efforts to master the complete nuclear fuel cycle, despite Western penalties and UN sanctions. The move comes as Iran was accused of running a covert terror campaign against Israel after a string of explosions -- including a botched bombing in Bangkok -- aimed at Israeli diplomats. The West suspects Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at producing atomic weapons, a charge Tehran denies, insisting it is for peaceful purposes.  The new generation of centrifuges at Natanz that are three times more productive. pics/afp Members of Iran's parliament have been discussing a draft bill, although not finalised, which would cut-off the flow to the European Union before the latest EU sanctions on Iran go into effect this summer. Iran has said it is forced to manufacture nuclear fuel rods, which provide fuel for reactors, on its own since international sanctions ban it from buying them on foreign markets. In January, Iran said it had produced its first such fuel rod. Iran's unchecked pursuit of the nuclear programme scuttled negotiations a year ago but Iranian officials last month proposed a return to the talks with the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany. In the past, Iran has angered Western officials by appearing to buy time through opening talks and weighing proposals even while pressing ahead with the nuclear programme. Apart from the EU's recent measures on Iran, which include an oil embargo and a freeze of the country's central bank assets, the US also recently levied new penalties aimed at limiting Iran's ability to sell oil -- which accounts for 80 per cent of its foreign revenue. Israel is worried Iran could be on the brink of an atomic bomb and many Israeli officials believe sanctions only give Tehran time to move its nuclear programme underground, out of reach of Israeli military strikes. --
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| Posted: The Kremlin has created its own brand of premium vodka to be served at official events involving the Russian president. The new beverage, titled Kremlin Award, was presented at the ProdExpo 2012 exhibit in Moscow. Four companies, including the Moscow-based Cristall distillery and Armenian concern Multi Group, were involved in production. According to spokesman for the presidential administration, Viktor Khrekov, only the best grains and ethanol brands are used for the vodka, which unspecified European and global companies worked on. The vodka is already being served at Kremlin events, Khrekov said. He did not elaborate on whether it would be available outside the presidential administration or not. However, it was being offered on sale for 792 rubles (Rs 1,300) for a half-litre bottle. The presidential administration previously launched a line of cognacs, a variety of brandy, which were produced in Armenia and were also titled Kremlin Award. Neither outgoing president Dmitry Medvedev nor his likely successor Vladimir Putin have exhibited any predilection for vodka, mostly drinking champagne at official events. Putin is also known to have a beer at informal public gatherings.
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| US honour for Pak doctor who helped nail Osama Posted: A Pakistani doctor who faces the death penalty for his role in the CIA operation to hunt down Osama bin Laden is to be nominated for the US Congressional Gold Medal, the country's highest civilian honour. Shakeel Afridi was detained three weeks after the US special forces raid that killed the al-Qaeda leader in the town of Abbottabad last year.  Daring move: Dr Shakeel Afridi helped in confirming Osama's presence. File pics The doctor had set up a fake hepatitis immunisation campaign in an attempt to obtain DNA from bin Laden's children and confirm the presence of the world's most wanted man in a fortified compound. On Tuesday, Dana Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, said he would be introducing a bill to recognise Dr Afridi with the Congressional Gold Medal. "Dr Afridi's acts to help the United States were extremely valiant and daring," he said. "All Americans owe him our most sincere gratitude for helping to execute the terrorist who murdered thousands of innocent Americans." However, charities working in Pakistan have criticised the fake vaccination programme. They fear it will lead to suspicions that aid workers are working for foreign intelligence agencies compromising their security in a country awash with anti-American sentiment. And Dr Afridi faces an uncertain future. A Pakistani government commission set up to investigate how bin Laden was able to live for five years undetected in a military town said last year that "a case of conspiracy against the state of Pakistan and high treason" should be registered against Dr Afridi . A campaign is also under way to secure him American citizenship.
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| Students forced to chant 'Long live Sarkozy' Posted: Parents complain children being used as 'propaganda tools' by Nicolas Sarkozy as he launches presidential bid The French president has caused an outcry after dozens of infant school children were forced to chant 'Long Live Sarkozy!' when he visited their school. Parents complained about the youngsters being used as 'propaganda tools' after they were made to treat French President Nicolas Sarkozy as a hero.  Perfect photo-op: Last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Residence du Regard in Mennecy near Paris and posed with workers. He was later accused of bussing in dozens of fake black workers to make him look more popular. File pic/afp "Our children were given little red, white and blue flags and told to shout out 'Long Live Sarkozy!'" said Cyril Atlan, whose son attended Sarkozy's visit to Lavaur in south west France, on February 7. The children were forced to line the steps of the town hall, said Atlan, who said parents were given no say in the matter. As is often the case with Sarkozy's 'photo opportunities', he was made to look a lot taller with children as young as five surrounding him. Coralie Lestrade, a parent, said, "They not only used our children without authorisation, but very specific recommendations were given to the children. These included that they should behave themselves, stand in line, shout 'Sarkozy, Sarkozy'. " But Joseph Dalla Riva, the deputy mayor of the town, insisted that there was 'no manipulation', and that the children were simply taking part in a 'historic' and 'exceptional' day. Last week, Sarkozy was accused of bussing in dozens of fake black workers to make him look more 'popular and inclusive' during a tour of a building site near Paris. He has often been accused of busing in extras to improve his image. Three years ago, the head of state banned all tall people from stage because he did not want to look short. Sarko joins Twitter French President Nicolas Sarkozy joined Twitter yesterday shortly before he was due to appear on television to announce the official start of his election campaign. Around 40 minutes after he joined, he had 5,457 followers.
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