Standard Chartered Saadiq enters Africa

Standard Chartered Saadiq has successfully inaugurated its Islamic banking offering in Kenya. Following the launch, Kenya becomes the first market for Standard Chartered’s African footprint for Islamic banking. The new window will offer Shariah compliant products that include personal banking, home financing, as well as business and corporate banking.
There are currently two fully-fledged Kenyan banks that provide Islamic products: First Community Bank and Gulf African Bank. Conventional commercial banks that operate Shariah compliant windows are: National Bank of Kenya and Barclays Bank of Kenya.
According to industry reports, the Islamic banking industry in Kenya has grown to account for 2% of the country’s total banking business in under only five years. Expressing his confidence in the potential of the African market, Afaq Khan, CEO of Standard Chartered Saadiq, said: “As a major international bank with a long-standing heritage and a global network, Standard Chartered is ideally placed to play a prominent role in this ever-expanding market. If the Islamic market starts growing in Africa at the level it is growing globally today, it will become a significant part of the financial system in this region as well,” he added.
Sharing the same sentiments, Wasim Saifi, the global head of Islamic banking at the bank, highlighted that with a 10% Muslim population, Islamic banking in the country could pose double-digit growth within the next five years. “This will provide a platform for us to enter in other African markets that include Tanzania, Uganda, and Nigeria in two to three years,” said Wasim.
Lamin Manjang, CEO of Standard Chartered’s Kenya operation, explained that the offering comes in response to the increased demand from the bank’s customers. “It is no secret that Islamic banking is growing rapidly in Kenya even though Kenya’s first Islamic banking licenses were granted just five years ago. We are seeing more commercial banks open their doors to Islamic banking products in a bid to satisfy a growing demand in the market,” he said.

86th Academy Awards | The Oscars 2014

In a triumph long deferred, “12 Years a Slave” won the best picture Oscar at the 86th Academy Awards on Sunday night, the first time Hollywood conferred its top honor to the work of a black director.
“12 Years a Slave” won only three awards, including best supporting actress and best adapted screenplay, while the film “Gravity” won seven, the most of any film.
Diversity was a leading motif for ceremony that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, a happy-go-lucky lesbian who spent most of the evening in a tuxedo, and which also honored Jared Leto as best supporting actor for his role as a transgender AIDS patient in “Dallas Buyers Club.”
The best actress award went to Cate Blanchett for “Blue Jasmine,” despite a late-season challenge by Dylan Farrow, who publicly wrote that its director Woody Allen and his films should be shunned because he had, by her account, sexually molested her as a child. Mr. Allen, her adoptive father, has strongly challenged the charge.
Jennifer Lawrence followed minutes later to present the best actor award to Matthew McConaughey for “Dallas Buyers Club.” “Why are you laughing?” Ms. Lawrence challenged the audience, which has come to expect a trip, fall or charming faux pas every time she takes the stage.
John Ridley, who won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for “12 Years a Slave,” invoked the suffering individual at the heart of his story. “All the praise goes to Solomon Northup,” said Mr. Ridley. “These are his words, this is his life.”
Spike Jonze won the original script Oscar for “Her,” a Warner Bros. film that had a powerful following, particularly among young viewers, who responded to its quirky story of one man’s love affair with his digital operating system.
 “Captain Phillips” came up empty-handed, a disappointment for both Sony Pictures, which distributed the film, and Tom Hanks, who had once seemed a likely best actor candidate for his performance as a real-life captain hijacked by pirates. Mr. Hanks, in the end, hadn’t even been nominated, and the film slipped into the peculiar twilight reserved for movies, like “True Grit,” that shine brightly, then mysteriously fade on Oscar night.
The best documentary feature was “20 Feet From Stardom,” a film about backup singers decidedly more fun than the issues-heavy fare that often dominates the category. And it brought a welcome win to the Weinstein Company, which distributed the film through its Radius-TWC division, and which saw several of its other contenders this year — “Philomena,” “August: Osage County,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” — fall short of the biggest awards.

Let Cox’s Bazar be your destination for next holiday making

Cox’s Bazar is known for its wide sandy beach which is claimed to be the world’s longest natural sandy sea beach. It is an unbroken 125 km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. it is a good place for sea bathing. It is located 150 km south of Chittagong. Cox’s Bazar is also known by the name “Panowa”, the literal translation of which means “yellow flower”. Its other old name was “Palongkee”. The modern Cox’s Bazar derives its name from Captain Cox, an officer serving in British India in 18th century. Although Cox’s Bazar is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh, it has yet to become a major international tourist destination, due to lack of publicity.

Places of interest along the beach
Cox's Bazar very quickly becomes a crowded tourist spot of Bangladesh during the months of September – December. Cox’s Bazar is famous for its beautiful sea beach and for sunset. It has also some other tourist attractions, including
Laboni Beach
Laboni beach is the main beach of Cox’s Bazar. It is the closest sea beach to the town. Near the beach there are hundreds of shops selling souvenirs and beach accessories to the tourists
Enani beach
Enani beach is located 35km south of Cox’s Bazar town. This beach is famous for its golden sand and cleans shark free water which is ideal for sea bathing. Most tourists prefer to come down here for relaxing because it is free from the crowd of tourists.
Himchhari
Himchhari is located about 18km south of Cox’s Bazar. Himchhari is famous for its waterfalls. The road to Himchhari runs by the open sea on one side and hills on the other which makes the journey to Himchhari very attractive.
St. Martin
St. Martin is very beautiful tourist destination Island in Bangladesh. It's a very small island. Approximately it is 15 km long. It's the only coral island of Bangladesh. Totally white sandy beach, deep blue water, countless coconut tree, dry fish process center and lots of attractions are waiting here to receive you.


Near the border with Myanmar, this town is noted for 1 of the world’s longest and least-crowded beaches—an incredible 121 km in length! The best time to visit the beach is at sunrise and sunset when the sand changes colors. Enjoy water-related activities, shop for handmade clothes, relax and enjoy the scenery.
Despite its increasing commercialism, Cox’s Bazar is a great place to visit.  If you are a foreigner, everyone will want to talk to you and have their picture taken with you, which may be a bit annoying, but at least it is a way to get to talk to and meet local people. A favorite activity in Cox's Bazar is watching the sun set. You will see many people watching because it is lovely and a good time for photos.

Cox's Bazar has lots of tourist accommodations of different types--hotels, motels, guest houses, facilities for backpackers and some five-star facilities, also.