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International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.

RISING DEMAND FOR HALAL SPAS IS CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALITY SERVICE PROVIDERS



Innovative Muslim entrepreneurs are developing the concept of halal spas, which is becoming a real option for Muslims alongside the more well-known Scandinavian, Balinese and Thai versions of these health, beauty and relaxation facilities, which are not always suitable for Muslim men and women.…

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HALAL SECTOR EXPLORES TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS TO DEMONSTRATE COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS



The Covid-19 pandemic and latterly the Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked an increase in cybercrime and fraud, and the halal sector – reliant on compliance with detailed production and sales standards – is a soft target for commercial criminals.

This fact is compounded by the proliferation of halal certificates as the sector expands worldwide.…

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HONDA ANNOUNCES MAJOR HYBRID PLANT INVESTMENT IN ONTARIO



Honda announced this morning (March 16) that it would be investing CAD1.4 billion (USD1.09 billion) into retooling its plants in Alliston, north of Toronto, so they can make hybrid vehicles and engines.

“This represents an important milestone for Honda as we move forward in our ambitious vision to make battery electric vehicles represent 100% of our North America vehicle sales by 2040,” said Jean Marc Leclerc, president and CEO of Honda Canada Inc.…

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INDIAN HOME TEXTILES MAJOR DEVELOPS SOPHISTICATED SUPPLY CHAIN TRACKING SYSTEM



Mumbai-based home textiles manufacturer and exporter Welspun India is upgrading and diversifying the use of an innovative technology system – ‘Wel-Trak’ – which tracks cotton through various stages of manufacturing. Patented in 2017, this digital solution provides complete traceability of the raw material’s processing and manufacturing history, from its country of ginning to, weaving and manufacturing, including shipping details.…

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WILL MALDIVES DEVELOP OFFSHORE ISLAMIC FINANCE SECTOR FROM GROWTH IN LOCAL SERVICES?



The Indian Ocean archipelago Maldives is developing an Islamic finance sector, although it may need to strengthen legislation and local turnover to attract enough international players to develop an offshore hub. The government established in 2016 the state-owned Maldives Centre for Islamic Finance Ltd (MCIF) charged with developing the country’s capacity to be a “hub for Islamic finance”, primarily in south Asia.…

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UAE HALAL FAST-FOOD BRAND CHICKING TO OPEN 30 OUTLETS IN CANADA BY 2023



United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based halal fast-food chain Chicking is planning to expand its geographic footprint with up to 30 new outlets across Canada by 2023.

The company opened its first ChickQueen branch in the multi-cultural city of Mississauga, Ontario, in May 2021, as part of a plan to expand to all major Canadian cities, AK Mansoor, founder and chairman of Chicking, told Salaam Gateway.…

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MOZAMBIQUE AND ANGOLA – NEW AFRICAN CIGAR MARKETS AND PRODUCTION GROW



Cigar sellers are exploring the potential offered by southern Africa’s two Portuguese-speaking countries, Angola and Mozambique, not only as sustainable growth markets, but also as African cigar production centres. Both countries have tobacco production and growing traditions that date back well into the Portuguese colonial times that ended with independence in 1975.…

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MUSLIM COUNTRIES MAINTAIN AWKWARD NEUTRALITY OVER RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE



Many Muslim countries, their governments and businesses, have adopted an uneasy neutrality towards Russia, as it continues its invasion of Ukraine.

Malaysia is a case in point – its close relations with European, north American and Asian countries (such as Japan and South Korea) means it will not want to breach their sanctions on Russia.…

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AUSTRALIA TARGETS MALAYSIA’S HALAL FOOD SECTOR



The Australian food export sector is targeting Malaysia’s rapidly growing certified halal food market. A new memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and Malaysia’s Halal Development Corporation in February should benefit Australian exporters. Both organisations have agreed to share information and collaborate actively in developing commercial partnerships between Malaysian and Australian companies.…

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EU ROUND UP - RUSSIA’S PAINT AND COATINGS SECTOR TO SUFFER FROM EU SANCTIONS OVER UKRAINE INVASION



Russia’s paint and coatings industry has been hit by sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) banning the export of high-tech oil refining equipment, because of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces. The EU Council of Ministers has banned equipment helping create petrochemicals such as polymerisation units, sulphur production units, and sulphuric acid alkylation and sulphuric acid regeneration units.…

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