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Showing posts from October, 2013

UK first non-Muslim country to issue Islamic bonds:World Islamic Economic Forum

World Islamic Economic Forum UK first non-Muslim country to issue Islamic bonds   Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that the UK will become the first non-Muslim country to issue an Islamic bond. He told the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in London, "Britain is a country ready to welcome your investment, a country that values your friendship, and will never exclude anyone because of their race, their religion, their colour or their creed." Under Islamic rules, no interest can be charged; transactions must be based on a real trade; and they must not involve gambling or alcohol.

Thorium backed as a 'future fuel'

Thorium backed as a 'future fuel' Thorium could prove to be safer in reactors than uranium Continue reading the main story Nuclear scientists are being urged by the former UN weapons inspector Hans Blix to develop thorium as a new fuel. Mr Blix says that the radioactive element may prove much safer in reactors than uranium. It is also more difficult to use thorium for the production of nuclear weapons. His comments will add to growing levels of interest in thorium, but critics warn that developing new reactors could waste public funds. Mr Blix, the former Swedish foreign minister, told BBC News: "I’m a lawyer not a scientist but in my opinion we should be trying our best to develop the use of thorium. I realise there are many obstacles to be overcome but the benefits would be great. "I am told that thorium will be safer in reactors - and it is almost impossible to make a bomb out of thorium. These are very major factors as the world looks for future energy supplies.&q

HIV antibodies 'have potent impact'

HIV antibodies 'have potent impact' A potential new HIV treatment has a "profound and unprecedented" impact on the virus, according to animal studies published in the journal Nature. Potent antibodies were able to wipe a hybrid of human and monkey immunodeficiency viruses from the bloodstream of monkeys within days. The findings could "revolutionise" the search for an HIV cure, say experts. The US researchers said trials in patients with HIV now needed to take place. The immune system produces precisely targeted antibodies to take out HIV, but the virus is able to rapidly mutate to evade the immune assault. Continue reading the main story "The effect with these potent antibodies is profound and unprecedented. It's probably as large an antiviral therapeutic effect as has ever been seen” Prof Dan BarouchHarvard Medical School However, some antibodies have been discovered that target the "conserved" parts of HIV - those that the virus struggl

Mapping the future of land rights for global development

Mapping the future of land rights for global development Land matters for sustainable economies, livelihoods, human rights, and the environment- the development community cannot afford for land to be a trend. Expert panelists from DAI, Chemonics International, USAID, and Omidyar Network sat down with Devex to discuss what land rights mean for the future of global development.     How important are land rights for global development? Global discussions over land rights and security have been increasing. From identifying the causes of land insecurity, the debate has recently shifted to finding solutions and the role of land in the future of global development. Owning a piece of land is not just owning a piece of asset, it is a right that becomes the bed rock of a person’s higher development aspirations. Breaching this should be considered a human rights violation, according to Tiernan Mennen, director of land and resource rights at Chemonics International. “Land right is a human right. I

Airtel Partners With Wikimedia Foundation to Bring Free Access to Wikipedia to 70 Million People in 17 Countries

Airtel Partners With Wikimedia Foundation to Bring Free Access to Wikipedia to 70 Million People in 17 Countries Partnership will introduce innovative ways to access Wikipedia on mobile devices in Sub-Saharan Africa Airtel customers to access multilingual content on Wikipedia mobile site free of data charges First-of-its-kind pilot initiative in Africa will provide free access to Wikipedia via text messages

The Impact of Wikipedia

'The Impact Of Wikipedia' -- How Wikipedia works, in the voices of a few of those who make it. Support Wikipedia: https://donate.wikimedia.org/?utm_cam... To learn more about Wikipedia, please visit http://blog.wikimedia.org/ Produced during Wikimania 2012 by the Wikimedia Foundation. A message from the staff of Wikimedia UK in which they talk about their work and the integral role of volunteers in the charity.

Air pollution a leading cause of cancer - U.N. agency

Air pollution a leading cause of cancer – U.N. agency The air we breathe is laced with cancer-causing substances and is being officially classified as carcinogenic to humans, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency said on Thursday. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited data indicating that in 2010, 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution, and said there was also convincing evidence it increases the risk of bladder cancer. Depending on the level of exposure in different parts of the world, the risk was found to be similar to that of breathing in second-hand  tobacco  smoke, Kurt Straif, head of the agency’s section that ranks carcinogens, told reporters in Geneva. “Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants,” deputy head Dana Loomis said in a statement. “The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly incr

New global index exposes 'modern slavery' worldwide

New global index exposes 'modern slavery' worldwide Nearly 30 million people around the world are living as slaves, according to a new index ranking 162 countries. The  Global Slavery Index 2013  says India has the highest number of people living in conditions of slavery at 14 million. But Mauritania has the highest proportional figure with about 4% of its population enslaved. The report's authors hope it will help governments tackle what they call a "hidden crime". 'Better measure' Continue reading the main story Estimated number of slaves India - 13,956,010 China - 2,949,243 Pakistan - 2,127,132 Nigeria - 701,032 Ethiopia - 651,110 Russia - 516,217 Thailand - 472,811 DR Congo - 462,327 Burma - 384,037 Bangladesh - 343,192 The index was compiled by Australian-based rights organisation  Walk Free Foundation  using a definition of modern slavery that includes debt bondage, forced marriage and human trafficking. "A lot of governments

ON WORLD FOOD DAY: TESCO PROVIDES MEALS TO MILLIONS IN NEED THROUGH FARESHARE PARTNERSHIP

ON WORLD FOOD DAY: TESCO PROVIDES MEALS TO MILLIONS IN NEED THROUGH FARESHARE PARTNERSHIP

Marking progress against child labour

International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour: IPEC source