Bombing exposes Saudi failure to curb sectarian strains

By Sami Aboudi DUBAI (Reuters) – A suicide bombing in Saudi Arabia as it presses on with its war against Shi'ite fighters in Yemen has exposed the Sunni kingdom's failure to curb sectarianism at home and prompted fears that such tensions can only get worse. Islamic State, which claimed Friday's attack on a Shi'ite mosque, is trying to stir up sectarian confrontation as a way of hastening the overthrow of the ruling Al Saud, and is keenly aware of the war's potential for pitting Sunni against Shi'ite

Read more

Online ventures target global Muslim consumer market

By Bernardo Vizcaino (Reuters) – From travel guides to shopping portals, new Internet ventures aim to capitalize on the growing “Muslim lifestyle” market, which is expanding beyond food to include areas such as tourism, fashion and credit cards. Excluding food, where “halal” dietary restrictions must be followed, most of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims are content to buy the bulk of their goods and services from conventional suppliers. ..

Read more

California policeman who threatened protesters on Twitter put on leave

By Sharon Bernstein (Reuters) – A San Jose police officer who tweeted threatening messages to demonstrators protesting the police killings of unarmed black men has been placed on administrative leave, a spokeswoman for the department said Monday. The action comes amid ongoing protests nationwide over the deaths of Michael Brown, an unarmed teen shot to death by police in Missouri, and Eric Garner, who died after a New York officer placed him in a chokehold. …

Read more