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Barclays profit up to almost £3bn

published by You on 3 August, 2009 - 11:19

Barclays has announced an 8% rise in first-half profits, boosted by its investment banking division.

Pre-tax profits for the first six months came in at £2.98bn ($5bn), although this was slightly below analysts' forecasts.

Profits at its investment bank Barclays Capital doubled, but those at its UK retail banking arm more than halved.

HSBC reported half-year profits of $5bn, although this was about half what it made in the same period a year ago.

Shares in Barclays rose 9% in morning trading, while HSBC climbed 4.6%.

Read more @ BBC News

Palestinians evicted in Jerusalem

published by You on 2 August, 2009 - 19:58

Israeli police have evicted nine Palestinian families living in two houses in occupied East Jerusalem.

Jewish settlers moved into the houses almost immediately. The US has urged Israel to abandon plans for a building project in the area.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it, a move not recognised by the world community.

The evictions have been condemned by the United Nations, the Palestinians and also the UK government.

The US said the evictions were not in keeping with Israel's obligations under the so-called "road map" to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

'Deplorable'

Bombshell: Bin Laden worked for US until 9/11

published by You on 2 August, 2009 - 03:02

Former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds dropped a bombshell on the Mike Malloy radio show, guest-hosted by Brad Friedman (audio, partial transcript).

In the interview, Sibel says that the US maintained ‘intimate relations’ with Bin Laden, and the Taliban, “all the way until that day of September 11.”

US man 'killed child by praying'

published by You on 2 August, 2009 - 02:21

A US jury has found a man guilty of killing his sick 11-year-old daughter by praying for her recovery rather than seeking medical care.

The man, Dale Neumann, told a court in the state of Wisconsin he believed God could heal his daughter.

She died of a treatable disease - undiagnosed diabetes - at home in rural Wisconsin in March last year, as people surrounded her and prayed.

Neumann's wife, Leilani Neumann, was convicted earlier this year.

The couple, who were both convicted of second-degree reckless homicide, face up to 25 years in prison when they are sentenced in October.

A lawyer representing Dale Neumann said he would appeal...

Differentiating between what is easy and what is right.

published by You on 2 August, 2009 - 01:38

A bit of a moral dilemma: I think I always take the easy way out. If the going gets tough, so I simply quit?

Thing is most (but not all) of the times I also think I did the right thing - so the question beckons - how do you d
ifferentiate between what is easy and what is right?

How do you know you are righteous? How do you define easy? How do you define hard?

(last one is always a good question - for things that I have done that people consider hard, at the time I (probably) thought it easy.)

Also - how would you define yourself? what story would you give?

I have a fear/hunch/notion that my story would be defined by one word: "quitter".

Pakistan Christians die in unrest

published by You on 1 August, 2009 - 20:09

Six Christians have been killed in religious unrest in Pakistan's central Punjab, after days of tension sparked by the rumoured desecration of a Koran.

The four women, a man and a child died as Muslim militants set fire to Christian houses in the town of Gojra, officials said.

TV footage showed burning houses and streets strewn with debris as people fired at each other from rooftops.

Officials said the rumours which led to the unrest were false.

Read more @ BBC News

Graduates to get gap-year money

published by You on 1 August, 2009 - 18:38

The government is to pay for graduates struggling to get a job to go on trips abroad, The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has confirmed.

It said the scheme will be launched with expedition company Raleigh International next week.

It will pay for 500 young people under the age of 24 to travel to places such as Costa Rica and India to take part in projects such as building schools.

It comes as graduates face an increasingly tough job market.

Forty-eight graduates are chasing every job on offer this year, according to a study by the Association of Graduate Recruiters.

Israel to allow cement into Gaza

published by You on 30 July, 2009 - 22:24

Israel has authorised a one-off shipment of hundreds of tonnes of cement and building materials to the heavily embargoed Gaza Strip.

It is the first official transfer of such goods since Israel's operation early this year in the coastal enclave.

Many Gazan buildings damaged during the offensive have not been rebuilt because of a shortage of building materials.

Officials told the BBC that a flour mill, as well as sewage, electricity and water facilities would be repaired...

Read more @ BBC News

About bloody time!

Ummah Forums

published by You on 30 July, 2009 - 18:38

Supposedly the largest Muslim forums in the world... many interactions between people, really really busy, but why is it that "our" interaction with them has always been negative?

Just today, a probably former member with a different name decided to mock the sunnah of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam (Peace and Blessings be upon him) as a way to wind people up on here (and succeeded - I am greatly annoyed).

Before then someone came from there more or less accusing all the members of the time of of racism.

Another member from there came here and peddled false ahadith - ahadith which people took at face value - because hey, why would a Muslim make such stuff up? - only to find out better when on a thread on ummah forums, the member owned up to such devious practices.

Lasting marriage linked to better health

published by You on 29 July, 2009 - 22:30

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who get married and stay married may enjoy better health than the perpetually single, but losing a spouse could take a significant health toll, a new study suggests.

Historically, studies have found that married people as a group tend to be in better health than singles -- though recent research suggests the health advantage of marriage may be fading.

In the new study, researchers found that middle-aged and older Americans who were currently married tended to give higher ratings to their health than their never-married counterparts. They also reported fewer depression symptoms and limits on their mobility.

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