Two-state solution only serves Israeli interests

A prominent leader of the Islamic Jihad movement Mohammed al-Hindi says a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only serve Tel Aviv's interests.

He said that the solution aims at forcing the Palestinians to abandon 80 percent of their historic land in order to establish a demilitarized non-sovereign state in the West Bank and Gaza.

The senior Palestinian leader meanwhile described the move as part of previous 'attempts to wreck the Palestinian cause'. He stated that such endeavors began with the Oslo Accords on August 20, 1993 and continued with the US-sponsored Middle East peace summit held in Annapolis as well as the Road Map to Peace Plan.

He added that the two-state solution also went against the Palestinian refugees' right of return and would mean that they would have to abandon their legitimate rights in al-Quds.

Article 11 of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 -- passed on December 11, 1948 near the end of the Arab-Israeli War -- calls for the Palestinians right of return to their homeland, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return.

It is estimated that about 4 million Palestinians living in refugee communities scattered mainly in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon could claim a right of return under this article.

Al-Hindi went on to underscore the soaring threats to the al-Aqsa Mosque especially from far-right Zionist groups which seek to harm the holy site in any way. He called upon Muslims, Arabs as well as all Palestinians to rescue and support the Mosque.

The senior member of the Islamic Jihad group urged the acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas to stop negotiations and coordination with Israel.

Heart Arrythmia Ups Alzheimer's Risk

Heart Arrythmia Ups Alzheimer's Risk
A new study finds having one of the most common abnormal heart rhythms can place individuals at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's, according to the study presented at the Heart Rhythm Society in Boston.
Atrial fibrillation, a rapid but irregular heart rate, occurs when the two upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat out of coordination with the two lower ones (the ventricles).

The condition causes poor blood flow to different organs, resulting in palpitation, shortness of breath and weakness.

Patients experiencing atrial fibrillation are at a 44 percent higher risk of dementia, a general term for life-altering loss of memory and other cognitive disabilities.

Individuals with a heart condition aging over 70 years, however, are 187 percent more vulnerable to developing dementia.

These individuals are reported to be 130 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, accounting for up to 80 percent of all dementia cases.

Scientists are hoping to lower the risk of Alzheimer's by identifying high-risk individuals particularly those suffering from irregular heart rhythms.