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Big freeze expected to hit the UK

published by s.b.f on 31 January, 2009 - 23:38

Icy winds heading for the UK will make temperatures feel "sub zero" as the coldest winter in 13 years continues.

Snowstorms from Russia are expected to hit the eastern part of England on Sunday night.

Night-time temperatures are set to drop to -2C (28F) as a blast of cold air sweeps in from the North Sea.

Bitterly cold easterly winds will cause snow to drift, with forecasters predicting that 5cm to 10cm will fall over many parts of England and Wales.

Snow showers are likely to be less widespread in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

On Saturday, winds began gusting at up to 70mph over the hills of northern Britain and snow could fall as deep as 20cm over high ground in the coming days.

Surah Baqarah translation

published by s.b.f on 31 January, 2009 - 14:59

Okay well, I was reading the translation of the Surah Baqarah: The Cow, and there was a section that confused me.

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
Alif Lam Mim
This is the scripture in which there is no doubt, containing guidance for those who are mindful of God, who believe in the unseen, keep up the prayer, and give out of what We have provided for them; those who believe in the revelation sent down to you [Muhammad], and in what was sent before you, those who have full faith in the Hereafter. Such people are following their Lord's guidance and it is they who will prosper.

Some ethnic groups will disappear

published by s.b.f on 18 January, 2009 - 13:51

One in 10 children in the UK now lives in a mixed-race family, a major study reveals today, raising future hopes of a non-racist Britain.

Mixed-race relationships are now so common that some ethnic groups - starting with African-Caribbean - will virtually disappear, the research states. Young people are six times more likely to be mixed-race as adults. Experts believe the findings, which come just days after Prince Harry was rebuked for calling a fellow cadet "Paki", and Prince Charles admitted to referring to an Asian friend as "Sooty", mean that future generations "will not see race in the way we see it".

Women vs Men: jobs

published by s.b.f on 18 January, 2009 - 13:44

Women will lose out to men in the race for new jobs created as Britain emerges from recession, according to a government-funded report. A major shift in the battle of the sexes looms as men grab both the majority of new posts generated over the next eight years and a bigger share of jobs in previously female-dominated industries, according to the study from the Employment and Skills Commission.

The findings are surprising, given that girls outstrip boys from GCSE results to degree level: only last year senior policymakers were speculating that women could soon form the majority of the workforce.

Drink coffee and you could start seeing ghosts.......

published by s.b.f on 15 January, 2009 - 11:29

People who drink too much coffee could start seeing ghosts or hearing strange voices, UK research has suggested.

People who drank more than seven cups of instant coffee a day were three times more likely to hallucinate than those who took just one, a study found.

A Durham University team questioned 200 students about their caffeine intake, the journal Personality and Individual Differences reported.

However, academics say the findings do not prove a "causal link".

They also stress that experiencing hallucinations is not a definite sign of mental illness and that about 3% of people regularly hear voices.

Being a slob puts you at risk of mental health problems!!

published by s.b.f on 8 January, 2009 - 16:46

Being a slob puts you at risk of mental health problems, experts have warned.

A lack of physical activity leads to depression and dementia, evidence presented at the British Nutrition Foundation conference shows

Currently only 35% of men and 24% of women reach the recommended weekly amount of physical activity.

Around 30% of boys and almost 40% of girls fail to reach the recommended hour of moderate intensity activity per day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7130450.stm

Praying for humanity

published by s.b.f on 30 December, 2008 - 17:04

Islam wants Muslims to have a humanity-orientation. It is very unfortunate that Muslims have made the use of the word "Ummah" exclusive for themselves. Thus, one observes Muslims regularly talking about or referring to the Ummah, meaning only the Muslims. However, the Qur'an also uses "ummah" for the humanity. "Mankind (an-Nas) was one single nation (ummah) ..." [2/al-Baqarah/213] Due to such exclusive use of the word, many Muslims don't seem to be in tune with the humanity.

one such atheist cited the following verses from the Qur'an to make the point that praying for non-Muslims is prohibited by the Qur'an.

...

Employment Patterns Jews most likely to be self-employed

published by s.b.f on 26 December, 2008 - 00:24

Jewish people were most likely to be self-employed in Great Britain in 2004, followed by Muslims and Buddhists. A third of Jewish people and around a fifth of Muslims and Buddhists were self-employed. These compared with around one in ten Christians, Sikhs, Hindus and those with no religion.

Certain religious groups are concentrated in particular industries. In 2004, 37 per cent of Muslim men in employment were working in the distribution, hotel and restaurant industry compared with 17 per cent of Christian men and no more than 27 per cent of men in any other group.

Internet Matchmaking: Good or Bad?

published by s.b.f on 25 December, 2008 - 23:42

The internet has sparked a revolution in the way some Muslims are meeting potential partners.

Many young Muslims in the UK are now breaking with tradition by turning to online introduction websites to find a suitable spouse.

In Islam, parents were traditionally expected to facilitate marriage, often by suggesting potential partners for their offspring to consider, but some young Muslims are now using modern technology to find partners for themselves.

Bridging the gap between tradition and the modern world

Jason Rahim of the online agency Islamic Faces insists that young Muslims who sign up to his website are serious about making a match that will win their parents' approval.

Sleeping

published by s.b.f on 25 December, 2008 - 14:57

Skipping sleep 'hardens arteries'


People who scrimp on sleep are more likely to develop hardening of their arteries, a precursor to heart disease, research suggests.

Calcified arteries were found in nearly a third of people who slept fewer than five hours a night.

This dropped to around one in 10 for those who slept an extra hour, the Journal of the American Medical Association study of 495 adults found.

Experts said getting enough sleep was important for good heart health.

In the study, the volunteers underwent two CT scans, designed to assess the build-up of calcium in the heart's arteries, five years apart.

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