US Muslims gather outside Capitol Hill to pray

Christians protest as thousands mark "day of Islamic unity"
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DUBAI: Thousands of Muslim men and women gathered Friday outside the United States Capitol in a "day of Islamic unity" to hold a mass prayer and show their religion was peaceful as a group of Christian protestors gathered to object to the event.
Muslims from across America gathered to perform the weekly Friday prayer on lawns outside the building where President Barack Obama was inaugurated in January of this year.
The event, organized by the Dar-ul-Islam Elizabeth mosque in northeastern New Jersey, was aimed at showing the world "that not all Muslims hate America" and was inspired by Obama's attempt to reach out to Muslims.
"We should also extend our hand," Hassan Abdellah, president of the mosque, told the Los Angeles Times.
"The message was clear. I think the message basically was to let the American public know that all the stigmas that are attached to Muslims are not true," participant Lonnie Shabazz told the AFP news agency.
"We're not extremists and we do not subscribe to the trend of racism. I think that message was achieved today," Shabazz said.
But despite the general good spirit, a group of around 50 Christians gathered to protest against the event and waved banners reading "Trust Jesus" as they handed out flyers to Muslims around the prayer area.
"When Islam is weak, they will be the religion of peace," the paper quoted Rusty Thomas, a minister who traveled with Operation Save America to protest the event, as saying. "When they get the upper hand, out comes the sword."
Muslim leaders generally dismissed the protests but Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the times: "What is noteworthy is that when Muslims seek to participate in society, they are going to face a small minority of bigots and racists."
Abdellah, however, sought to ease the protestors concerns and said "Muslims aren't here to take over the country. They're here to help make it better."

Iran talks of new plant as Israel demands action

Tehran reports "victory," Israel calls for ouster of "mad regime"
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TEHRAN/ OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Iran announced Saturday a new nuclear enrichment plant would soon be operational as Israel said Tehran's disclosure of a second enrichment facility proved the country was seeking nuclear weapons and demanded an "unequivocal" Western response.
Tehran's announcement came a day after the leaders of Britain and France stood by American President Barack Obama as he accused the Islamic Republic of building a secret nuclear plant and "breaking rules that all nations must follow."
Iran's press widely reported the building of the country's second uranium enrichment plant as the front-page of a government-run newspaper read: "A new victorious step taken in the nuclear domain."
Hardline daily Javan also carried a banner headline saying the plant was "Iran's new card on the brink of nuclear talks."
Other conservative papers carried the news on their front pages but with much less emphasis.
Meanwhile, reformist newspaper Sarmayeh carried a front-page picture of Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown with a headline saying "West steps up pressure for new sanctions against Iran."

UK swine flu vaccine 'approved'

The European drugs regulator has given the go-ahead for one of the UK's swine flu vaccines.
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An expert committee agreed that Pandemrix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, can be used in adults and children over six months old and pregnant women.
The decision removes one of the last obstacles to getting the immunisation programme under way although licensing still needs to be formalised.
The UK has bought 60 million doses of the vaccine.
In addition, there are contracts for an as yet unapproved vaccine, Celvapan, produced by Baxter.
It means the UK has provision for up to 132 million doses - enough for every person in the country.
A vaccine made by Novartis, Focetria, has also been recommended for licensing by the European Medicines Agency - but this is not planned to be used in the UK.
Final marketing authorisation for the vaccines still needs to be signed off by the European Commission and is expected "as soon as possible".
The EMEA said they were working with Baxter on some ongoing issues about their vaccine but hoped to be able to resolve those next week.
The vaccines have undergone an accelerated approval process as "mock-ups" of the vaccine had already been developed in preparation for a pandemic and tested in 6,000 people.
Manufacturers have worked quickly to add the swine flu H1N1 strain to the mock versions.
Early trial data had suggested good immune responses with just one dose of the vaccines.
However, the EMEA is recommending two doses are given three weeks apart for both vaccines, but may revisit that decision as more clinical trials are carried out.

Second swine flue patient confirmed in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The second swine flue patient was confirmed in the capital city here.
PIMS Hospital spokesman, Dr. Wasim Khawaja told Geo News that Imram Khan hailing from the Frontier province suffering from fever and flue was brought to the hospital. He said that the patient 28 had arrived here through Amman flight. He further said that the National Institute of Health has confirmed Imran Khan suffering from swine flue.
Last Wednesday, a passenger arriving from Sharja was also admitted in the PIMS Hospital on being diagnosed struck by swine flue.

Gaddafi blasts big powers in long UN speech

Lybian leader praises US President Obama
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UNITED NATIONS: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, in a rambling address to the United Nations on Wednesday, accused the veto-wielding powers of the Security Council of betraying the principles of the U.N. charter while offering profuse praise for United States President Barack Obama.
The speech, that lasted amost an hour and a half, was the Lybian leader's first ever address to the U.N.
"The preamble (of the charter) says all nations are equal whether they are small or big," Gaddafi said through an interpreter. He received a smattering of applause.
Reading from a copy of the U.N. charter, Gaddafi said: "The veto is against the charter, we do not accept it and we do not acknowledge it."
Clad in a copper-colored robe with an emblem of Africa pinned over his chest, the Libyan leader dropped his paperback copy of the charter on the podium several times before tossing it over his shoulder.
The United States, Britain, France, Russia and China are permanent veto wielding members of the Security Council, the most powerful body within the United Nations. Libya has a temporary council seat and will be on the 15-nation panel until the end of 2010.
"Veto power should be annulled," Gaddafi said.
"The Security Council did not provide us with security but with terror and sanctions," he told leaders gathered for the opening day of the 192-nation General Assembly.
Gaddafi, who spoke just after Obama, said the fact that "65 wars" have broken out since the U.N. was established more than 60 years ago proved its founding principles had been betrayed.
Praise for Obama
Gaddafi, who himself has spent 40 years in power, also welcomed Obama's speech, immediately before his, in which the new U.S. president pledged fresh engagement with the international community, after former leader George W. Bush's often rocky ties with the world.
"It was completely different for an American president," Gaddafi said of Obama's speech. "You are the beginning of a change."
But he added: "Can you guarantee that after Obama that America will be different?"
"We would be happy if Obama could stay forever as the president of America," he said in a rambling speech to the U.N. General Assembly.
Gaddafi, who styles himself as a pan-African leader, expressed pride in Obama's election as the first black U.S. president.
"This is a great thing," Gaddafi said, referring back to the U.S. past when "blacks couldn't go where whites went and couldn't be on the same bus."
Gaddafi also called for the U.N. to launch an investigation into John F. Kennedy's assassination and complained about jet lag.
Gaddafi currently chairs the African Union.