Source : Ma'an News / 20 May 2014

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pledged to send oil and diesel to the Palestinian Authority, as part of agreements signed with its leader Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to Caracas.

Source : Al Arabiya / 19 May 2014

The wealth of the 10 richest Arabs in the UK has soared by 50 percent in the last year, according to an annual ranking by the Sunday Times.

The Saudi Arabian business mogul Mohammed Bin Issa al-Jaber, who made his fortune in the hotels, restaurants and food industries, was ranked the richest Arab living in the UK, with a fortune of about $10.36bn, the newspaper said.

Source : Halal-Focus / 19 May 2014

Mexico is seeking Malaysia’s expertise to develop its halal industry to become a regional halal hub given the huge potential of the global halal industry, said Mexico’s ambassador to Malaysia Carlos Felix Corona.

Source : Arab news / 17 May 2014

Saudi Arabia has banned Dutch companies from participating in its future projects because the Dutch government has not taken action against the leader of the ultra rightist Freedom Party for abusing the Kingdom and Islam.

Source : Reuters / 17 May 2014

Gaza beekeepers say they are enjoying their best harvest in more than a decade in a region where conflict and poverty has seen honey production slashed by more than half in recent years.

Source : Voice of Russia / 13 May 2014

The hryvnia will be fully withdrawn from circulation in Crimea and Sevastopol as of June 1, 2014, Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin told reporters.

The State Duma will meet on May 14 to debate changes to the federal law on the integration of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as separate federal entities.

Source : Arab news / 12 May 2014

Saudi Arabia imported cigarettes worth SR3.3 billion in 2012, equivalent to 20 percent of the value of imported pharmaceutical products, which stood at SR16.5 billion during the same year, local media said.

Source : Ear-Halal / 06 May 2014

New Zealand has the potential to tap into a rapidly growing Muslim tourism market, says a tourism expert. Also known as “halal tourism”, Kiwi operators and hospitality providers are being encouraged to supply services that comply with Islamic beliefs and practices. Around 50,000 Muslim tourists from Indonesia and Malaysia travel to New Zealand each year, but experts say there’s still room for growth.

Source : MiddleEastMonitor with WAFA / 01 May 2014

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas should permanently join the International Labour Organisation and sign all its conventions, Secretary General of Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) Shaher Sa'ad said yesterday.

Source : ITAR-TASS / 29 Apr 2014 

It will take 10-15 billion roubles ($247-417 million) to solve the problem of water supply to Crimea, presidential aide Andrei Belousov said.

“Crimea can be independent in terms of water supply, but it will cost 10-15 billion roubles ($247-417 million),” he said on Monday, April 28.