Bangladesh Top Court Orders Senior Islamist Abdul Quader Molla, 65, To Hang
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 Sept 2013
Senior Islamist Abdul Quader Molla, 65
South Asia
• Bangladesh top court orders senior Islamist Abdul Quader Molla, 65, to hang
• China's 'foreign hand' behind Xinjiang terror attacks could be barely real
• Hong Kong's chief imam celebrates city’s openness to multi-ethnic worshippers
• China refuses to blame Assad for Syria gas attack
• ‘No scope to review Quader Molla verdict’
• No rush for US security deal, says Karzai
• Myanmar Muslim hospital offers hope in troubled times
• ‘Islands of Maldives’ website launched
India
• Don't attack Hindus in Muslim lands, al-Qaida chief Zawahiri says
• 42,000 forced to flee, religious sites damaged in UP riots
• India signals intent to deepen Gulf ties with visit of four warships
• India welcomes agreement to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons
• PM assures justice to riot victims, promises 'strictest punishment' to perpetrators
• RLD courts Bukhari to forge Jat-Muslim alliance
Arab World
• Saudi Grand Mufti Condemns Attacks on Non-Muslims
• Arab trade fair in Muslim region of China
• Saudi urges world action on Syria beyond chemical arms
• Bombs kill 5 soldiers in northern Iraq
• Jordan jails man for joining Al-Nusra
• 16 Iraqi pilgrims killed in Iran road smash
• Damascus says West trying to impose will on Syrian people
• 'Army to continue operations till Sinai is terrorist-free': Spokesman
• Egypt has shown world 'truth' about Morsi's removal
North America
• Taliban unwilling to engage with US or any country: Special US Representative
• US to help Syrian forces fight chemical weapons
• U.S. says Sudanese president applied for visa
• CAIR finds burnt pages of the Quran a day after Terry Jones planned burning
• Obama clears way for chemical weapons aid to Syria
• Release of CAIR Islamophobia Report Delayed Due to D.C. Shootings
• Hundreds who lived or worked near ground zero have cancer
• Jihadist rappers world-wide in mourning, 'The American' killed in Somalia
Africa
• Al-Qaeda releases hostage video of seven kidnapped Westerners
• Central African Republic: Anti-Muslim Attack Leaves Town in Ruins
• Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Lashes Out At Morocco
• Nigeria: FG Sends 186 Ex-Militants to S' Africa, UK for Educational, Vocational Training
Southeast Asia
• Christian-Muslim dialogue in Penang goes on smoothly, even protesters attend
• Philippines: More than 62,000 displaced after the latest Muslim uprising...
• Philippine troops retake 70% of rebel-held villages
Mideast
• Tehran and Washington may meet for first time since 1979 at UN
• Israel fears it may be asked to surrender its chemical weapons after Syria
• Turkey shot down Syrian helicopter at border, Deputy PM says
• Jewish settlers storm Aqusa Mosque compound again
• 525 Palestinians serving life terms in Israeli jails
• In public shift, Israel calls for Assad's fall
Pakistan
• Former Pak minister Shahbaz Bhatti’s killer arrested
• PM Nawaz Sharif seeks Turkey's guidance in wiping out extremism
• Pak keen to have comprehensive dialogue with India, Nawaz Sharif says
• Karachi violence claims six lives
• Talks best option to rein in terrorism: KP CM
• PAIMAN screens Pashto drama series on extremism
• Four LJ suspects among 56 held in Karachi
• Envoys laud Pakistani couple’s philanthropic effort for needy
Europe
• UN calls on all Maldives presidential candidates to accept election results
• Russia, France admit to differences on how to resolve Syria conflict
• Western powers to push for United Nations resolution on Syria
• UN fears 'deteriorating' human rights in Afghanistan
• Syrian Circassian Refugees in Turkey Ask to Be Repatriated to Russia
• UN inspectors' report shows Assad govt behind attack: France
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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South Asia
Bangladesh top court orders senior Islamist Abdul Quader Molla, 65, to hang
AFP
Dhaka, September 17, 2013
Bangladesh's top court on Tuesday sentenced to death a senior Islamist opposition official for war crimes during the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.
Abdul Quader Molla, 65, the fourth-highest leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, is the first politician to be found guilty by the country's Supreme Court after it rejected an appeal to acquit him of all charges.
The court, led by chief justice Muzammel Hossain, strengthened the original sentence handed down by the country's controversial war crimes tribunal of life in prison, and imposed the death penalty.
"The court enhanced his life sentence to (the) death penalty," prosecutor Ziad Al Malum told AFP, adding that the order was a four-one majority decision of the Supreme Court.
Defence lawyer Tajul Islam said: "We are stunned by the verdict. This is the first time in South Asian judicial history that a trial court sentence has been enhanced by a supreme court."
The original life sentence delivered in February triggered widespread protests including by secular protesters angry over the apparent leniency of the sentence.
That decision and subsequent ones by the International Crimes Tribunal led to months of unrest by Islamists and secular groups that left at least 100 people dead.
Tens of thousands of secularists massed at a square in Dhaka for weeks early this year, demanding the execution of Molla, describing him as the notorious Butcher of Mirpur, responsible for the murder of hundreds of innocent villagers in a Dhaka suburb during the war.
The protests forced parliament to change the war crimes laws, allowing the prosecution to appeal against the verdict and seek the death penalty in the Supreme Court.
Islamists, in turn, also held rival demonstrations across the country, calling the sentence politically charged, and sparking violent clashes between police and supporters of Jamaat.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/bangladesh/Bangladesh-top-court-orders-senior-Islamist-to-hang/Article1-1123149.aspx
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China's 'foreign hand' behind Xinjiang terror attacks could be barely real
17 September, 2013
In China, if the 'Dalai Lama clique' and Tibetan Youth League are blamed for triggering trouble in Tibet, the culprit behind the sporadic violence across the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is inevitably the shadowy East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).
The other groups termed culpable are exiled Uyghur groups operating from abroad, said to be working as the front for ETIM.
But experts and rights group have expressed serious doubts how serious the ETIM threat actually is; some have termed it bordering on fiction, especially about the al-Qaeda connections.
It is routine for the state-controlled media and strategic experts to claim that ETIM members, many of them trained in an unnamed South Asian country return to Xinjiang to incite locals against the authorities. Their final goal - an independent country for the largely Muslim Uyghur community, more than 8 million of whom live in Xinjiang.
Dozens of Uyghur men have recently been sentenced to death for their involvement with the ETIM and creating unrest in the remote region. Evidence is apparently mostly based on literature found on the suspects and confessions.
Recently, a top security analyst in China defined the ETIM role to foreign and Chinese journalists in an interaction.
'The direct and immediate (terrorism) threat that China faces is from the ETIM. The series of terrorist attacks have taken place in Xinjiang, impacted regional stability and development," Li Wei, director of the Institute for Security and Arms Control Studies, said.
The ETIM's main aim at present, according to Li, is to "cause instability and panic in the region."
"These are terrorist forces closely related to forces outside. They do not hide in one place, which is a challenge for the Chinese government," Li said.
That challenge is vastly exaggerated, two experts told HT.
"In short, yes, it is a fiction! There is no room for large-scale organisation of any resistance in Xinjiang and in fact between 2001 and 2009 the number incidents of unrest in Xinjiang was lower than the average for the rest of China! Making small bombs is cheap and easy. If someone wanted to do so they could," David Tobin, lecturer on politics at Glasgow University and researcher on Xinjiang told HT over email.
Tobin added that more the party-state arbitrarily labels all discontent as "terrorism" the more Han residents are frightened and likely to turn to violence to defend themselves and the more Uyghurs feel they have no other outlet to express themselves, violence will continue.
Nicholas Bequelin of Human Rights Watch (HRW) called the ETIM issue a complicated one but added that there was little evidence of cross border support. He said the US terming it as a terrorist group around a decade ago was "embarrassing."
"China is certainly not facing threat from Islamic group supported by the Al Qaeda. The source of the anti-state violence is domestic. But Beijing's policies could create a real terrorism problem. (Polices should ensure that) Islamic terrorism should not become appealing to Uyghurs," Bequelin told HT.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/china/China-s-foreign-hand-behind-Xinjiang-terror-attacks-could-be-barely-real/Article1-1122858.aspx
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Hong Kong's chief imam celebrates city’s openness to multi-ethnic worshippers
South China Morning Post
17 September, 2013
Kowloon Mosque is quite a majestic structure at the end of Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui. The current mosque building has been there since 1984, but Hong Kong’s Muslim heritage stretches back more than 160 years. At the mosque, three sermons on a Friday cater to multi-ethnic worshippers.
“We have Asians including Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indians as well as Africans and Arabs,” says the current chief imam for Hong Kong, Mufti Muhammad Arshad. Voted one of the world’s top 500 Muslims in 2009, Coming from Muslim dominiated Pakistan, Arshad says he delights in the number of nationalities he has come to know in Hong Kong and the mix of religions. “There is much more open-mindedness here,” he said. “Also I get the chance to travel!”
Arshad oversees a population of about 200,000 Muslims in Hong Kong.
Born in Multan in central Pakistan, Arhad’s father was also an imam. An award-winning student, Arshad went on to become the imam for the Pakistani armed forces after having studied Islamic studies at university. “So I started my career in the Pakistan army as an imam, so similar to a chaplain in the army. So I looked after the other imams and religious affairs.”
Arshad says he delights in the number of nationalities he has come to know in Hong Kong and the mix of religions
He then spent eight years as an imam in Pakistan’s air force before he learned of a vacancy for a senior imam in Hong Kong, moving here with his family in 2001.
His role involves the religious affairs at the mosque, but also social services for the different communities. Arshad also goes on halal inspections of restaurants. At the moment, he is also helping with organising airlines and ticketing for the Haj - or holy trip to Mecca - he with a group of 110 of different nationalities will be attending this year.
One of Arshad’s key passions is inter-religious dialogue. “On the 25th of this month we will have an inter-faith meeting in the mosque. Previously, we have gone with a group to the synagogue, the Jewish community come to visit us here. I have also visited many churches here and temples of the Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu and other religions.”
Arshad is also pleased that he has had the opportunity to attend memorial services following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. He feels the situation has improved over the past decade. “Islam is not a religion of extreme terrorists,” he said. “Everywhere all over the world Muslims are living. Islam is not an ethnic religion.”
He said airport checks in the United States had become easier for Muslims in recent years.
With three imams to assist him, Arshad doesn’t have to dash to the mosque for the pre-dawn call to prayer. He’s usually in by 10am, but the fact that he often doesn’t get home till 9pm doesn’t always make him popular with his family.
His wife Kullsoom teaches the Koran to young girls at the Mosque. His older son, Assad, was educated here until he completed form six and is now studying in Saudi Arabia. His daughter, Zahra, has just completed her secondary school studies in Pakistan. And their second son, Ahmed, who is mentally disabled, studies in Hong Kong.
At the mosque there are six teachers, three imams and Arshad. Last year Arshad called on the government to make Eid - the day at the end of Ramadan when Muslims break their month-long fast - into a public holiday here, saying that it is unfair for Muslims to have to work on that day when there are public holidays for several other religions here. He is still working on that and recently met Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing to discuss the matter. “Principally he agrees,” said Arshad.
Arshad enjoys his life in Hong Kong. When relaxing, he enjoys sightseeing in Hong Kong with his family and holidays abroad, a recent one was to Malaysia. But he still laughs at the culture shock of coming to Hong Kong. “So many people! So congested! And the houses are so small!”
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1311493/hong-kongs-chief-imam-celebrates-citys-openness-multi-ethnic
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China refuses to blame Assad for Syria gas attack
17 September 2013
AFP, Beijing
China on Tuesday refused to say whether a United Nations report into a sarin gas attack in Syria showed that government forces had used the banned weapons.
The United Nations on Monday revealed details of the attack, which the United States, Britain and France said showed that President Bashar al-Assad's forces had carried it out. Russia said that further investigation was needed.
Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular briefing that Beijing would have a “serious look,”at the report, but did not say whether China thought that government forces were responsible when asked.
“The relevant investigation should be carried out by the U.N. investigation team on an impartial, professional and independent basis,”he said.
China has repeatedly said that it opposes armed intervention by foreign powers in Syria.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria as a “war crime”after U.N. experts said they had gathered evidence that surface-to-surface rockets took sarin gas into the opposition-held Damascus suburb of Ghouta on August 21.
Ban would not say who had carried out the attack.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said the use of a 122mm rocket and high quality sarin showed the responsibility lay with regime forces.
But Russia's U.N. envoy Vitaly Churkin said after a Security Council meeting on the report that there should be more investigation.
Moscow has in the past sided with Assad in blaming opposition rebels for the use of chemical weapons.
More than 110,000 people have been killed by the 30-month-old conflict in Syria according to activists, while the UN has said more than two million have become refugees.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/09/17/China-refuses-to-blame-Assad-for-Syria-gas-attack-.html
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‘No scope to review Quader Molla verdict’
17 September 2013
Attorney General Mahmubey Alam said there was no opportunity to file a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict that sentenced Jamaat leader Quader Molla to death.
“The defence can only seek presidential mercy now,” he said while talking to journalists after the verdict was announced.
The defence referred to Article 105 of the Constitution which states: “The Appellate Division shall have the power, subject to the provisions of any Act of Parliament or of any rules made by that division, to review any judgment pronounced or order made by it.”
Opposing the defence view, the attorney general, said the Constitution curtails the rights of anyone who is convicted for crimes against humanity.
Full report at:
http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-amp-rights/2013/sep/17/%E2%80%98no-way-review-quader-molla-verdict%E2%80%99
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No rush for US security deal, says Karzai
AP
2013-09-17
KABUL: Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai said he was in no rush to sign a security deal with the United States, once again dashing American hopes that a pact can be quickly finalised.
President Karzai told a youth conference in the capital on Tuesday that a deal could be signed by his successor after next April's election for a new head of state.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1043527/no-rush-for-us-security-deal-says-karzai
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Myanmar Muslim hospital offers hope in troubled times
KELLY MACNAMARA
2013-09-17
YANGON: From political activists freed after years in Myanmar’s jails to stricken and impoverished families, all are welcome at Yangon’s Muslim Free Hospital—a symbol of unity in a country riven by religious unrest.
There is barely a space left unoccupied in the bustling medical centre.
From the soot-smeared front steps, through dusty stairwells and into sweltering wards, people wait for treatments that would be beyond their reach elsewhere in Myanmar’s desperately underfunded health system.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1043415/myanmar-muslim-hospital-offers-hope-in-troubled-times
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‘Islands of Maldives’ website launched
By Minivan News | September 16th, 2013
The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture has launched a website compiling information on the reefs and atoll of the Maldives.
The site – www.islandsodmaldives.gov.mv – has been developed in conjunction with the International Fund for Agricultural Development & the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP).
The BOBP describes itself as an organisation designed to ”provide technical and management advisory services for sustainable coastal fisheries development and management in the Bay of Bengal region.”
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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India
Don't attack Hindus in Muslim lands, al-Qaida chief Zawahiri says
Reuters | Sep 17, 2013
LONDON: Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has issued his first specific guidelines for jihad, urging restraint in attacking other Muslim sects and non-Muslims and in starting conflicts in countries where jihadis might find a safe base to promote their ideas.
The document, published by the SITE monitoring service, provides a rare look at al-Qaida's strategy 12 years after the September 11 attacks on the United States and the nature of its global ambitions from North Africa to the Caucasus to Kashmir.
While al-Qaida's military aim remained to weaken the United States and Israel, Zawahri stressed the importance of "Dawa", or missionary work, to spread its ideas.
"As far as targeting the proxies of America is concerned, it differs from place to place. The basic principle is to avoid entering into any conflict with them, except in the countries where confronting them becomes inevitable," he said.
Those comments are particularly relevant for North Africa, where many analysts believe al-Qaida is using the less restrictive environment which followed the 2011 Arab uprisings to seek new followers, often through local alliances, while avoiding drawing attention to itself by eschewing attacks.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Dont-attack-Hindus-in-Muslim-lands-al-Qaida-chief-Zawahiri-says/articleshow/22660500.cms
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42,000 forced to flee, religious sites damaged in UP riots
Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN | Sep 17, 2013
NEW DELHI: In a chilling reminder of the 2002 Gujarat riots, the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that the recent riots forced over 40,000 people to flee 94 villages in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts, where 44 people were killed and places of worship of Muslims and Hindus extensively damaged.
Responding to the apex court's queries, the Akhilesh Yadav government submitted a report from the commissioner, Saharanpur division. The Centre in its affidavit informed that the riots displaced over 41,829 persons. "There are 26,909 stranded persons in Muzaffarnagar and 14,920 in Shamli," it said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/42000-forced-to-flee-religious-sites-damaged-in-UP-riots/articleshow/22644866.cms
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India signals intent to deepen Gulf ties with visit of four warships
ATUL ANEJA
17 September, 2013
Four Indian warships have docked in Dubai, signalling India’s intent to broaden military ties with the Gulf countries in tune with its growing naval reach that allows it to operate beyond domestic shores.
The task forces of four frontline ships — Mysore, Tarkash, Tabar and Aditya — had earlier split to allow separate visits to Qatar and Kuwait before all of them converged at the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/india-signals-intent-to-deepen-gulf-ties-with-visit-of-four-warships/article5134912.ece
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India welcomes agreement to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons
TNN | Sep 17, 2013
NEW DELHI: India on Monday welcomed the framework agreement reached between Russia and the US on time-bound safeguarding and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles saying it was a reinvigoration of peace efforts for a political solution to the conflict in Syria.
Describing it as an important step in the process, India also welcomed the recent steps taken by Syria to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-welcomes-agreement-to-destroy-Syrias-chemical-weapons/articleshow/22645074.cms
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PM assures justice to riot victims, promises 'strictest punishment' to perpetrators
Sep 17 2013
Muzaffarnagar : As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accompanied by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, visited the riot-hit areas on Monday, many of the victims complained of “police inaction”. Singh assured justice and promised “strictest punishment” to the perpetrators.
The PM, Sonia and Rahul visited madrasa-turned-refugee camps in Bassi Kalan and Tawli and Jat-dominated Bavrala and Khanjpura villages. “I, Soniaji and Rahul are here to share your sorrow and pain,” Singh told the victims. In a strong message to the state government, he said it was the duty of the government to protect its citizens.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pm-assures-justice-to-riot-victims-promises-strictest-punishment-to-perpetrators/1169845/
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RLD courts Bukhari to forge Jat-Muslim alliance
Tue Sep 17 2013
New Delhi : As Muzaffarnagar limps back to normalcy and Muslims’ anger against Samajwadi Party simmers in western UP, the question being asked is who will now reign over the minority vote bank.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) had already been meeting the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari. RLD chief Ajit Singh’s son Jayant has had at least two meetings with Bukhari, seeking his endorsement to forge a Jat-Muslim alliance in western Uttar Pradesh that was instrumental in the rise of Chaudhury Charan Singh.
“Jayant did meet me a couple of times. He talked about forging a Muslim-Jat alliance in western Uttar Pradesh and asked me to endorse RLD among Muslims,” Bukhari told The Indian Express.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/RLD-courts-Bukhari-to-forge-Jat-Muslim-alliance/1170190/?india
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Arab World
Saudi Grand Mufti Condemns Attacks on Non-Muslims
September 17, 2013
RIYADH – Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh condemned violence against non-Muslims living in Islamic countries as well as attacks on Muslims after labelling them as infidels.
In a statement carried on Monday by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Grand Mufti warned against dangers of Takfeeri ideology (the practice of one Muslim declaring another as an unbeliever).
“Given the dangerous developments in the Muslim world, I would like to warn against the danger of attacking Muslims and those (non-Muslims) under Muslim protection,” he said.
Al-Sheikh, who is also head of the Board of Senior Ulema and the Scientific Researches and Ifta Department, condemned such calls which cause the “shedding of blood of Muslims and of those living in their countries in peace.”
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130917180728
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Arab trade fair in Muslim region of China
World Bulletin/News Desk
17 September, 2013
The first China-Arab States Expo opened on Sunday in the northwestern autonomous region of Ningxia Hui, home to more than 10% of China's Muslim population.
Several heads of state as well as politicians and businessmen from 67 countries attend the event, which has attracted more than 7,300 domestic and overseas officials, China's state news agency Xinhua reports.
The exposition acts as a key platform to promote relations between China and Arab States, Xinhua says.
The China-Arab States Expo is jointly sponsored by China's Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the government of Ningxia. It has been held annually since 2010 under the name "China International Investment and Trade Fair and the China-Arab States Economic and Trade Forum."
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=118068
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Saudi urges world action on Syria beyond chemical arms
September 17, 2013
RIYADH: International intervention in Syria must go beyond dismantling the regime’s chemical arsenal, Saudi Arabia said Monday, in veiled criticism of a US-Russian deal that prevented Western military strikes against the Damascus.
The Saudi cabinet urged the international community not simply to focus on the issue of chemical weapons in the 30-month-long conflict in Syria in a statement after its weekly cabinet meeting, headed by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz.
The kingdom also renewed “calls for the international community to take effective decisions to immediately end the fighting in Syria” that has cost thousands of lives since 2011, said the cabinet statement published on the official SPA news agency.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/605076/saudi-urges-world-action-on-syria-beyond-chemical-arms/
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Bombs kill 5 soldiers in northern Iraq
17 September, 2013
Five soldiers were killed in two separate bombings in a northern Iraq city, authorities said.
Police officials said that the deadlier of the attacks in Mosul took place on Monday afternoon when a road-side bomb struck an army convoy, killing four soldiers.
Elsewhere in the city, a suicide bomber set off his explosive belt near the motorcade of a local military intelligence officer, killing one soldier and wounding six others, police said. The intelligence officer was unhurt in the attack.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/bombs-kill-5-soldiers-in-northern-iraq/article5134935.ece
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Jordan jails man for joining Al-Nusra
17 September 2013
AMMAN: A Jordanian man was sent to jail on Monday for joining the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front to fight against the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a judicial official said.
The military state security court initially sentenced the man to five years in prison but immediately halved the prison term, the official told AFP.
“He was charged with carrying out acts that the government does not approve and that would expose Jordan to the risk of acts of aggression and revenge,” he added, asking not to be named.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/464891
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16 Iraqi pilgrims killed in Iran road smash
AFP | Sep 17, 2013
TEHRAN: Sixteen Iraqis were killed and 20 more wounded on Tuesday when their bus crashed as they were travelling in western Iran, ISNA news agency reported.
"The accident took place around 2:40 in the morning ... It seems that the driver fell asleep, causing the accident. Sixteen Iraqis were killed and 20 others wounded, some seriously," a police official in Iran's western province of Lorestan said.
Many Iraqis travel to Iran on pilgrimage, particularly to visit the Muslim Shiite holy cities of Qom and Mashhad.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/16-Iraqi-pilgrims-killed-in-Iran-road-smash/articleshow/22654266.cms
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Damascus says West trying to impose will on Syrian people
17 September 2013
Al Arabiya
Syria’s foreign ministry on Tuesday accused Western powers of trying to impose its will on the Syria people following European pressure for a U.N. resolution to rid Syria of chemical arms.
“The United States, France and Britain have revealed their true objective... which is to impose their will on the Syrian people,” the foreign ministry said.
It also condemned the West for “supporting armed terrorist groups linked to the (al-Qaeda-allied) al-Nusra Front,” which has joined the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad.
The statement from Syria’s foreign ministry comes after Western powers Washington, London and Paris agreed to press a U.N. resolution to ensure the success of a U.S.-Russian plan that would see Syria's chemical arsenal destroyed within the next year.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/09/17/Damascus-says-West-trying-to-impose-will-on-Syrian-people.html
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'Army to continue operations till Sinai is terrorist-free': Spokesman
17 September 2013
Spokesman for the Egyptian Armed Forces, Ahmed Ali, says there will be more military operations against “terrorist” strongholds in Sinai, adding there is no timeframe for army action in the Peninsula.
“Starting from 7 August we launched a military operation that aims at abolishing terrorist and criminal groups in Sinai, implementing security, stability and enforcing the law,” Ali said during a press conference on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/81641/Egypt/Politics-/Army-to-continue-operations-till-Sinai-is-terroris.aspx
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Egypt has shown world 'truth' about Morsi's removal
17 September 2013
Egyptian authorities have made progress in promoting stability and have convinced the world of how and why elected leader Mohamed Morsi was removed from power, a spokesperson for interim president Adly Mansour has claimed.
Ihab Badawi said in an interview published on Tuesday in the pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the new government had succeeded in showing “the US, the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU)” the "truth about the 30 June protests” that culminated in the army’s deposition of Mohamed Morsi on 3 July.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/81790/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-has-shown-world-truth-about-Morsis-removal.aspx
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North America
Taliban unwilling to engage with US or any country: Special US Representative
Sep 17 2013
Washington: In the aftermath of the failed Doha peace process, the Taliban leadership is unwilling to hold peace talks with the US or for any other country, a top American diplomat has said.
"The Taliban are now, as a practical matter, unwilling to engage with the United States, with the Afghans, with anybody, as a practical matter. And we're not sure when they'll emerge from this," the Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, James Dobbins, told reporters at a news conference.
"We would still like to see that dialogue initiated, a dialogue which would involve the US and Taliban directly, but also would involve, in parallel, the Taliban and the Afghan Government or its High Peace Council," he said in his media interaction at the Washington Foreign Press centre on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/taliban-unwilling-to-engage-with-us-or-any-country-dobbins/1170286/
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US to help Syrian forces fight chemical weapons
17 September, 2013
President Barack Obama on Monday cleared the way for the U.S. to send chemical weapons-related assistance to the Syrian opposition, as well as international organizations working inside the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
The move comes nearly a month after a deadly chemical weapons attack near Damascus that raised the specter of a U.S. military strike and resulted in a diplomatic deal aimed at stripping Syria of its stockpiles of deadly gases. While the White House says the international response should deter future attacks, the authorization of chemical weapons-related assistance signalled that the U.S. was at least preparing for the possibility that the deadly gases might be used again.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/us-to-help-syrian-forces-fight-chemical-weapons/article5137271.ece
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U.S. says Sudanese president applied for visa
17 September 2013
Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has applied for a U.S. visa to attend the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the State Department said on Monday, adding that he should not make the trip because he is accused of war crimes.
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States had received Bashir's application to attend the U.N. meeting, but “we would condemn any effort by him to do so.”
She declined to comment on whether the visa would be granted but said before Bashir goes to U.N. headquarters, he should present himself to the International Criminal Court in the Hague, which has indicted him.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/09/16/U-S-says-Sudan-s-president-applied-for-visa-to-attend-U-N-General-Assembly.html
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CAIR finds burnt pages of the Quran a day after Terry Jones planned burning
17 September, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. - Employees at the Centre for American Islamic relations are scouring surveillance video, trying to figure out who might have dropped off burnt pages of the Quran.
"Allah and his," read Samantha Bowden, CAIR Tampa's Communication Director. "I saw a couple pieces fluttering. Looked closer. All in these grooves, there were just bits and bits," she said.
Full report at:
http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_tampa/cair-tampa-finds-burnt-pages-of-the-quran-a-day-after-terry-jones-planned-burning-in-mulberry#ixzz2f8tIneUu
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Obama clears way for non-lethal aid to Syrian rebels
Sep 17 2013
Washington: US President Barack Obama has cleared the way for providing non-lethal assistance, including those related to chemical weapons, to the Syrian opposition fighting the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad.
"This action is part of longstanding and ongoing efforts to provide life-saving chemical weapons-related assistance to people in need in Syria," said Caitlin Hayden, spokesperson of the National Security Council.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/obama-clears-way-for-nonlethal-aid-to-syrian-rebels/1170309/
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Release of CAIR Islamophobia Report Delayed Due to D.C. Shootings
17 September, 2013
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Tuesday release of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) report, "Legislating Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact in the United States 2011-2012," will be delayed until further notice due to the fatal shootings at the Washington Navy Yard near the civil rights organization's Capitol Hill headquarters.
Full report at:
http://news.yahoo.com/postponed-release-cair-islamophobia-report-delayed-due-d-192500621.html
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Hundreds who lived or worked near ground zero have cancer
World Bulletin/News Desk
17 September, 2013
About 1,140 Americans have been diagnosed with cancers that resulted from the toxins at the site of the World Trade Center collapse, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Think Progress reported.
According to the report, those people are now eligible for care through the CDC’s World Trade Center Health Program, which provides free care for 9/11 first responders and survivors who lived near the site of the attack.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=118066
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Jihadist rappers world-wide in mourning, 'The American' killed in Somalia
17 September, 2013
Aficionados of busting rhymes, moves and caps are grieving the loss of the godfather of American-style Islamist Gangsta Martyr Rap, Omar Shafik Hammami, who was shot and killed in southern Somalia as reported by both USA Today on Sept. 13, 2013, and The Washington Post on Sept. 12, 2013.
Hammami was reportedly gunned down by rivals from south central Somalia, the al-Shaabab gang.
The 14,000 strong al-Shaabab has effectively erected their own dictatorial caliphate in the war-torn country and looked upon Hammami and his followers as an usurpers who needed to either leave or face some serious 187 (street slang for murder).
Full report at:
http://www.examiner.com/article/jihadist-rappers-world-wide-mourning-the-american-killed-somalia?cid=rss
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Africa
Al-Qaeda releases hostage video of seven kidnapped Westerners
17 September 2013
AFP, Dakar
Al-Qaeda’s North African branch has released a video purporting to show seven kidnapped Westerners, the Mauritanian news agency ANI reported, footage France’s foreign ministry deemed “credible.”
The hostages are four Frenchmen kidnapped from a uranium compound in northern Niger exactly three years ago along with a Dutchman, a Swede and a South African who were abducted from Timbuktu in northern Mali in November 2011.
“Based on an initial analysis, the video seems credible to us and provides new proof of life of the four French hostages kidnapped in Arlit (northern Niger) on September 16, 2010,” foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said Monday, adding that the eight minutes and 42 seconds of footage were being authenticated.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/09/17/Al-Qaeda-releases-hostage-video-of-kidnapped-Westerners-.html
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Central African Republic: Anti-Muslim Attack Leaves Town in Ruins
BY GABE JOSELOW, 17 September, 2013
Bouca, Central African Republic — Recent inter-religious fighting in the Central African Republic has raised tensions between communities and has threatened the rebel-led government. The town of Bouca, which was left in ruins following an attack targeting Muslims a week ago.
The fighting started at 5 a.m., at the time of morning prayers. Those who survived say the killers came from within their own community.
Entire families were murdered, at least 40 people total. Hundreds of homes were burned in just a few hours.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201309170193.html?aa_source=mf-hdlns
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Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Lashes Out At Morocco
BY MAWASSI LAHCEN, 17 September, 2013
Casablanca — In an unprecedented move, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) launched a 41-minute provocative video about Morocco last Wednesday (September 11th).
Styled as a "documentary", the internet video mocks the domestic and foreign policy of the country and its efforts to fight terrorism.
It also shows an image of the Moroccan monarch engulfed in flames.
The video includes footage of al-Qaeda militants training in the forests and mountains of Algeria under the personal supervision of Abdelmalek Droukdel (aka Abou Moussaab Abdelouadoud).
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201309170058.html?viewall=1
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Nigeria: FG Sends 186 Ex-Militants to S'Africa, UK for Educational, Vocational Training
17 September, 2013
About 186 former Niger Delta militants trained under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) at the weekend departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos for South Africa, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland for educational and vocational training.
This batch of delegates brings to 16,683 the number of ex-militants so far sent for offshore and local training in educational and vocational fields since the programme started in 2010 by the former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201309160307.html
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Southeast Asia
Christian-Muslim dialogue in Penang goes on smoothly, even protesters attend
BY ELIZABETH ZACHARIAH
SEPTEMBER 17, 2013
Despite many challenges, a Christian-Muslim dialogue at a church in Penang last night went on smoothly amid heavy presence of policemen.
Even the protesters who were against it attended the two-hour session at St. Mark's Church to listen to what was being discussed.
The dialogue was organised by PAS's Parit Buntar Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa (pic) and the party's Tasik Gelugor information chief Abdul Rahman Kasim, and Reverend John Kennedy from the Anglican church.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/christian-muslim-dialogue-in-penang-goes-on-smoothly-despite-protests
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Philippines: More than 62,000 displaced after the latest Muslim uprising...
Associated Press
17 September, 2013
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines — Philippine troops have started to battle their way into coastal villages in the south where Muslim rebels have held scores of residents hostage in a six-day standoff, sparking fierce clashes that have killed 56 people and displaced more than 60,000, officials said Saturday.
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said government forces surrounding about 200 fighters from a Moro National Liberation Front rebel faction have started to advance and slowly retake rebel-held areas and clear roads in villages in the coastal outskirts of Zamboanga, a major port city.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said the offensive was “calibrated” to protect a still-unspecified number of hostages still held by the rebels.
Full report at:
http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2013/09/15/philippines-jihad-displaces-more-than-62000-in-latest-muslim-uprising/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
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Philippine troops retake 70% of rebel-held villages
17 September 2013
ZAMBOANGA — Philippine officials say government troops have recaptured 70 percent of the coastal areas in a southern city that were seized by Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels and were using helicopter gunships in a bid to end the standoff.
Military officials said Monday that 114 rebels have been killed or captured since the hostage standoff started on Sept. 8 in Zamboanga city, but about 100 other insurgents were still occupying two coastal communities and were holding more than 100 residents as human shields.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130917180650
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Mideast
Tehran and Washington may meet for first time since 1979 at UN
Julian Borger , Hindustan Times
September 17, 2013
An exchange of letters between Barack Obama and the Iranian president, Hassan Rowhani, has set the stage for a possible meeting between the two men at the UN next week in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between a US and Iranian leader since Iran’s 1979
revolution.
Britain’s foreign secretary, William Hague, is also due to meet his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, at the UN general assembly meeting in New York, adding to guarded optimism that the June election of Rowhani, a Glasgow-educated moderate, and his appointment of a largely pragmatic cabinet, has opened the door to a diplomatic solution to the 11-year international standoff over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/europe/Tehran-and-Washington-may-meet-for-first-time-since-1979-at-UN/Article1-1123073.aspx
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Israel fears it may be asked to surrender its chemical weapons after Syria
PTI | 17 September, 2013
JERUSALEM: Wary of international pressures that Israel may also be asked to submit to UN supervision of its chemical weapons after Syria, the Jewish state remains adamant that it will not ratify chemical arms treaty as long as other states in the region refuse to recognise it.
Russian officials during recent weeks have repeatedly drawn a connection between Syria's chemical weapons and Israeli military capabilities, something that has not gone unnoticed among officials here.
Full report at:
http://tim
esofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-fears-it-may-be-asked-to-surrender-its-chemical-weapons-after-Syria/articleshow/22613616.cms
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Turkey shot down Syrian helicopter at border, Deputy PM says
17 September 2013
The Turkish Air Force shot down a Syrian helicopter on Sept. 16 at the border after the helicopter violated Turkish airspace, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said.
Turkish military aircraft taking off from a base in Malatya shot the M-17 helicopter after it allegedly continued to violate Turkish airspace despite repeated warnings, after which the chopper fell onto Syrian soil, Arınç said.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-shot-down-syrian-helicopter-at-border-deputy-pm-says.aspx?pageID=238&nID=54538&NewsCatID=352
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Jewish settlers storm Aqusa Mosque compound again
World Bulletin/News Desk
17 September, 2013
Scores of Jewish settlers on Monday stormed the Aqusa Mosque compound in the holy city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem).
A total of 132 Jewish settlers, including 42 intelligence agents, toured the compound while listening to lectures on the history of the alleged "Temple Mount," according to the Aqusa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage.
Al-Aqusa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site, has recently been the target of repeated violations by Jewish settlers, distressing Palestinian Muslims.
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=118093
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525 Palestinians serving life terms in Israeli jails
World Bulletin/News Desk
17 September, 2013
At least 525 Palestinian prisoners are serving lifetime jail terms in Israeli prisons, according to the Ramallah-based non-governmental organization Ahrar Center for Prisoners' Studies and Human Rights.
"The Israeli occupation is the only entity in the world that does not limit life sentences to a specific period," center director Fouad Khuffash said in a statement. "Under Israeli law, it's an open-ended jail term."
Full report at:
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=118088
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In public shift, Israel calls for Assad's fall
Sep 17 2013
Jerusalem : The Israeli ambassador told the United States that Israel has wanted to see Syrian President Bashar al-Assad removed from power since before the outbreak of war in Syria- a shift from its publicly-stated position.
It sees his defeat by rebels who include al Qaeda-linked Islamists as preferable to his current alliance with Iran, ambassador Michael Oren said.
His comments in an interview with the Jerusalem Post marked a move in Israel's public position on the civil war in Syria. Though old enemies, a stable stand-off has endured between the two countries during Assad's rule.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-public-shift-israel-calls-for-assad-s-fall/1170356/
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Pakistan
Former Pak minister Shahbaz Bhatti’s killer arrested
Sep 17, 2013
Pakistan police have arrested a Taliban militant allegedly involved in the killing of former minister for minorities affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, who was shot dead for speaking against the blasphemy laws.
Around two weeks ago, Hammad Adil was arrested in a raid, along with Muhammad Tanveer, an alleged Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ringleader.
They were caught with the help from intelligence agencies from their hideout in Phulgran in Islamabad’s suburbs and a car laden with explosives was also seized from their possession, media reports said on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/former-pak-minister-shahbaz-bhattis-killer-arrested/article5137622.ece
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PM Nawaz Sharif seeks Turkey's guidance in wiping out extremism
2013-09-17
ANKARA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said Pakistan would seek help and guidance from Turkey in effectively wiping out the menace of extremism from the country.
The prime minister stated this in a meeting with Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Güler and other Turkish high security officials in Ankara.
Prime Minister Sharif said Pakistan would learn from the success story of Turkey's police as his government had taken initiatives to deliver on all fronts, a press release from the PM House said.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1043520/pm-seeks-turkeys-guidance-in-wiping-out-extremism
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Pak keen to have comprehensive dialogue with India, Nawaz Sharif says
PTI | Sep 17, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Asserting that people had given him the mandate to improve ties with neighbours, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said Pakistan is keen to have a comprehensive dialogue with India for the resolution of all issues including Kashmir.
Sharif said he is committed to a "serious sustained and constructive engagement" with India that must include the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
Describing the recent tension at the LoC as matter of concern, he said Pakistan will respond to the situation with "restraint and responsibility".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-keen-to-have-comprehensive-dialogue-with-India-Nawaz-Sharif-says/articleshow/22655125.cms
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Karachi violence claims six lives
2013-09-17
KARACHI: At least six persons, including a political party worker, were killed in various incidents of violence whereas Rangers and Police personnel arrested 30 suspects and recovered weapons during targeted operations conducted in Karachi.
At least three persons were killed in a gunfiring incident in Orangi town area of Karachi on Tuesday.
Unknown motorcylce-riding gunmen opened fire near Islam chowk in Orangi town area of Karachi killing three persons including an office bearer of a political party.
Fear and panic gripped the area following the shooting and markets and shops were closed in the locality.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1043519/karachi-violence-claims-six-lives
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Talks best option to rein in terrorism: KP CM
17 September 2013
DI KHAN: Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said on Monday negotiations were the best option to find a permanent solution to the scourge of militancy and terrorism.
Addressing a press conference after visiting DHQ Hospital DI Khan, he said that his government wanted peace, interfaith harmony and tolerance in society and would play a positive role during negotiations with the stakeholders concerned.
The chief minister said the provincial government has decided to introduce its own intelligence system to pre-empt terrorist activities. He said the stance of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf’s government on the issue of war against terror was “very clear”.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\09\17\story_17-9-2013_pg1_2
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PAIMAN screens Pashto drama series on extremism
17 September 2013
ISLAMABAD: The PAIMAN Alumni Trust screened an eight-episode Pashto drama series, Khob Wenam Alama (I have a dream) that touches upon the real life stories of extremism and its impact on the lives of women and youth.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly Deputy Speaker Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, while appreciating the PAIMAN effort, said he hoped the drama series would enlighten the people on extremism and the plight of women and youth in strife-torn KP and create the much-needed awareness on the subject.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\09\17\story_17-9-2013_pg7_10
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Four LJ suspects among 56 held in Karachi
17 September 2013
KARACHI: Law Enforcing Agencies claimed to have apprehended around 56 suspects including members of banned outfits, target killers and extortionists, during separate targeted raids and operations across the city here on Monday.
Additional IG Shahid Hayat while addressing a press conference held at CPO office disclosed the arrest of at least ten suspects including members of a banned organisation.
Speaking to the press conference, AIG Shahid Hayat said that police raided a house in Maripur and arrested two gangsters Tariq and Abdul Hamid alias Munna. He said that the accused were involved in targeted killing and extortion.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\09\17\story_17-9-2013_pg7_11
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Envoys laud Pakistani couple’s philanthropic effort for needy
17 September 2013
RIYADH — Many a people just come and leave without being noticed. Pakistani couple Dr. Mansour Memon and Dr. Erum Qalbani, however, are known for their commendable services rendered for welfare of the Pakistani community.
Known as The Memons, the couple’s have played an integral role in representing and portraying the soft image of Pakistan.
They have played vital roles in fund-raising campaign for the flood-affected poor people in Pakistan in 2011 and 212 under the aegis of the Embassy and the Ambassador of Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130917180624
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Europe
UN calls on all Maldives presidential candidates to accept election results
By JJ Robinson | September 17th, 2013
The UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives, Tony Lisle, has issued a statement encouraging “all presidential candidates to respect the results” of the first round of presidential elections.
The statement, in line with those of all other observers on the September 7 polls including delegations from the Commonwealth, UK, India, Australia, Malaysia, US, EU, Japan and Thailand, follows a sustained campaign by third-placed candidate Gasim Ibrahim to annul the result.
Gasim’ Jumhooree Coalition, which includes the Islamist Adhaalath Party, polled 24.07 percent (50,422 votes) in the first round, narrowly missing out on a place in the run-off to second place Abdulla Yameen’s 25.35 percent
Gasim has, however, variously contended that he should have received between 10,000 to 30,000 more votes, and has disputed the result in the High Court, Supreme Court, at rallies, and on his television station – Villa TV - declaring that he should have placed first.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/un-calls-on-all-presidential-candidates-to-accept-election-results-65756
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Russia, France admit to differences on how to resolve Syria conflict
AFP | Sep 17, 2013
MOSCOW: Russia and France on Tuesday admitted they still had differences over how to solve the Syrian conflict ahead of a debate in the UN Security Council over stripping the country of its chemical arsenal.
After meeting in Moscow, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and French counterpart Laurent Fabius said they had differing visions of how to proceed toward the common goal of a peaceful and chemical weapons-free Syria.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Russia-France-admit-to-differences-on-how-to-resolve-Syria-conflict/articleshow/22660349.cms
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Western powers to push for United Nations resolution on Syria
17 September 2013
Western powers readied on Tuesday to push for a United Nations resolution to rid Syria of chemical weapons, one day after a report by the world body describing a "chilling" sarin gas attack there.
U.N. chemical inspectors confirmed on Monday the use of sarin gas in the Aug. 21 attack in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, adding that the chemical agent was carried by rockets.
As was anticipated, the report did not say who was responsible for the attack in the rebel-held Damascus suburb.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/09/17/Western-powers-to-push-for-United-Nations-resolution-on-Syria.html
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UN fears 'deteriorating' human rights in Afghanistan
AFP
2013-09-17
KABUL: The UN human rights chief on Tuesday expressed fears that progress made in Afghanistan since the fall of the hardline Taliban regime in 2001 was draining away as Nato-led troops withdraw.
Navi Pillay said on a visit to Kabul that she had heard growing evidence of a sharp reversal in human rights, especially for women, despite more than a decade of international intervention and billions of dollars of aid.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1043517/un-fears-deteriorating-human-rights-in-afghanistan
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Syrian Circassian Refugees in Turkey Ask to Be Repatriated to Russia
17 September, 2013
The chairman of the Solidarity Committee of World Circassians, Nusret Bas, recently handed over a petition of Circassian refugees from Syria to the Russian consul in Istanbul, Alexei Yerkhov. The appeal was prepared on behalf of 146 Circassian refugees residing in the southern Turkish city of Nizip, which is close to the Syrian border. The refugees said in the petition that their ancestors were displaced from their homeland in 1864 and resettled in Syria.
Full report at: The Jamestown Foundation
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UN inspectors' report shows Assad govt behind attack: France
Reuters | Sep 17, 2013
MOSCOW: A report by UN inspectors who investigated an August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria leaves no doubt about the responsibility of President Bashar al-Assad's government, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said on Tuesday.
"When you look at the amount of sarin gas used, the vectors, the techniques behind such an attack, as well as other aspects, it seems to leave no doubt that the ( Assad) regime is behind it," Fabius told journalists after a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/UN-inspectors-report-shows-Assad-govt-behind-attack-France/articleshow/22657407.cms
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