And Bulgaria, which found it hard to enforce a partial ban, hopes to achieve a complete prohibition on smoking in enclosed spaces by mid-2012.

ECONOMIST: The law may sometimes save an ass

There was a great deal of controversy in the Islamic world on this issue as recently as the 1980s, with some prominent Islamic scholars claiming that there was in fact no complete prohibition of interest, only a prohibition of usury, or excessive, unfair interest.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Shariah-Compliant Finance as a 'safe haven'?