120 killed in clashes near pro-Morsy rally
New Age Islam News Bureau
27 Jul 2013
Photo: Supporters of Egypt's top military officer, Gen. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday.
Arab World
• 120 killed in clashes near pro-Morsy rally
• 150 Syrian regime forces killed in Khan al-Assal battle: Activists
• Bombs strike favoured Ramazan hangouts in Iraq
• Morsi’s brother stands by army in home village
• Saudi citizenship eludes long-serving expats
• About 620 Saudi govt employees found using fake degrees
• Syria rebels meet U.N. Security Council, urge Russia to end Assad support
• VP ElBaradei says 'time to end polarisation' in Egypt
• Kuwaitis vote for new parliament amid boycott
India
• Stop Women from Entering Mosque: Waqf Board
• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh must reunite, Katju says
• Home ministry agrees to handover crucial Ishrat files to CBI by next week
• Ishrat case: CBI to quiz cleric in Jammu & Kashmir
• India offers stake to Dhaka in Tipaimukh Hydel project
Africa
• Some want Libya to be like Afghanistan, Somalia or Mali – Zeidan
• Tunisia killing could spell end to Islamist government
• Conditions 'acceptable' for Mali election: Chief observer
• Life after the militants still a grind in Malian city of Gao
• Two more assassinations in Benghazi
Pakistan
• Death toll in Parachinar blasts rises to 57
• Seven killed in attack on Coast Guards check post near Gwadar
• Pakistan proposes dates for peace talks with India
• Pakistan calls for Morsi’s release, urges return to democracy in Egypt
• PPP boycotted for fear of losing: Mamnoon
• Two terrorists held from Gilgit
• CPGS launches initiative to counter extremism in Pakistan
• MQM lost 92 workers among 217 in 6 months
• Pilgrims who miss this year will be given priority next two years: SHC
• Drone strikes be stopped forthwith: Nawaz
Mideast
• Turkey warns Syrian Kurd leader against autonomy plans
• Turkish PM Erdogan threatens to sue Times over open letter
• Small signs of change in Iran as Hassan Rouhani's inauguration approaches
• Gaza’s Ark aims at breaking the Israeli blockade... from within
• Israel blocks EU projects in West Bank
Europe
• Chomsky says Europe could help Mideast talks
• German president says whistleblowers like Snowden merit respect
• ‘Anti-Syrian’ hostility grows in Egypt – UN
• Russia will not extradite Snowden, says Putin’s aide
• UN, Syria chemical weapons talks productive
• UN gives Rwanda $400m to fight hunger, poverty
• EU's Ashton deplores deaths in Egypt, urges halt to violence
North America
• Meeting Girl students in Mumbai special for me, says Jill Biden
• Doubts and disbeliefs in Marathon bombing
• US assures Russia Snowden won’t be tortured or executed
• US to send two Guantanamo detainees to Algeria
Southeast Asia
• Displaced NTB Ahmadis to get ID cards, but with no religious preference
• No dilemma, Dr Mahathir, just the need for a better Malaysia
• Indonesia Revealed as Spy Target
• Burmese Refugees Hesitant to Return to Myanmar: NGO
South Asia
• Suicide bomber assassinates anti-Taliban leader in Afghanistan
• Teesta water pact may impact Hasina govt’s poll prospects
• Pakistani Schools in Afghan Province
• Most Indian voters trust Bangladesh
• Now the Chinese dilemma, sharing or grabbing power, says Dr Mahathir
• Bangla ex-PM Khaleda Zia to perform Umrah
• Afghan governor survives roadside bomb attack: officials
• Rohingya Asylum Seekers in Need of a Regional Solution: Experts
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
120 killed in clashes near pro-Morsy rally
July 27, 2013
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood said the death toll in a crackdown on Saturday by the army and police on supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsy has climbed to 120. About 4,000 people have been injured in the violence in eastern Cairo, the group said.
The Health Ministry, however, put the death toll at 20 people, saying they were killed in clashes with police.
Many casualties were transported to hospitals from the Rabaa al-Adawiyah Mosque sit-in, where the protesters have been camped for over three weeks. Hhundreds were reported wounded.
Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Morsy supporters near the sit-in, setting off clashes that lasted for hours in a possible sign of a new intolerance for marches that block city streets.
The clashes erupted late on Friday when millions took to the streets answering a call from the Army chief, who said he wanted a mandate to stop “potential terrorism” by Morsy supporters.
Pro-Army demonstrations
Earlier, on Friday, the largest crowds — called out by the Army — in two-and-a-half years of upheaval filled Egypt’s streets, while ousted President Mohamed Morsy was formally placed under investigation on a host of allegations including murder and conspiracy with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Morsy’s supporters also showed no signs of backing down, though they turned out in vastly smaller numbers. The demonstrations in Cairo were mostly peaceful into the evening. But by late Friday night in Cairo, a field hospital doctor said seven protesters were killed and hundreds injured.
In the city of Alexandria, seven people were killed and over 100 were injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of Mr. Morsy, officials said.
The announcement by prosecutors of the investigation against Mr. Morsy, which is likely to pave the way to a formal indictment and eventually a trial, was the first word on his legal status since he was deposed by the military July 3. Since then, the Islamist leader has been held incommunicado in a secret location.
Both sides tried to show how much public support they enjoy. But the millions who turned out for the pro-Army demonstrations overwhelmed the streets in multiple cities in Egypt, including some that rarely seen any rallies since the 2011 uprising.
Throngs of people turned out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and in other cities, answering a call by Army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who urged them to give him a mandate to stop “potential terrorism” by supporters of Mr. Morsy’s Muslim Brotherhood.
Portraits of the smiling Mr. el-Sissi in sunglasses dominated the crowd in Tahrir and one near the Presidential palace across town. Posters with his picture were emblazoned with the words “the love of the people,” and demonstrators wore small photos of him around their necks or carried a picture of his face on an Egyptian one-pound note.
Security was heavy after Mr. el-Sissi vowed to protect the rallies from attacks by rivals. Tanks guarded one entrance to Tahrir and police were stationed at other parts.
“The Army is here to protect the people. They don’t lie,” said Ezzat Fahmi, a 38-year-old in the crowd. He said Mr. el-Sissi called the rallies “so the entire world can see that the Egyptian people don’t want the Brotherhood anymore.”
Mr. El-Sissi’s plea came at a time when the political standoff with Morsy’s supporters showed no sign of resolution. It raised speculation that he may be planning a crackdown on the toppled president’s allies, who have held a sit-in outside the Rabaa al-Adawiyah Mosque in Cairo and near daily rallies elsewhere in the capital for three weeks.
The rallies have often turned violent, with more than 180 people killed this month. The Morsy supporters and opponents blame each other for the bloodshed, and people in both camps have been seen carrying weapons.
The unrest, as well as claims that Islamist groups are stockpiling weapons and escalating attacks against troops in the Sinai, were used by the country’s new military-backed rulers as a basis for demanding popular support.
The interim leader, Adly Mansour, told the private TV station al-Hayat that his government seeks to include everyone, but it will not accept lawlessness, blocked roads and attacks on state institutions. He urged the pro-Morsy protesters to go home, promising they won’t be pursued or arrested.
“I can’t negotiate with whoever has committed a crime. But those who were duped or those who want to belong to Egyptian society, we welcome them,” he said. But he added- “The state must interfere (against lawlessness) firmly.”
Not long after the speech, police moved in quickly to break up a crowd of Morsy supporters marching on a main overpass in Cairo near the pro-Morsy sit-in, firing tear gas. Clashes with security forces ensued as protesters tried to extend their sit-in beyond the mosque into a main boulevard.
Witnesses said police forces fired birdshots and live ammunition at the crowd in clashes that lasted for hours. Field hospital doctor Alaa Mohamed said seven people were killed, most of them shot in the head and chest, including a 19-year-old. He said two other protesters were in critical condition, and hundreds were injured.
Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim told a private TV station that the sit-in at the Rabaa mosque will be removed by legal means. He did not elaborate but said residents of the area have filed police reports against the encampment.
Police spokesman Hani Abdel-Latif told The Associated Press that 53 pro-Morsy supporters were arrested around Egypt on Friday in possession of weapons, ranging from knives to homemade guns.
Mr. El-Sissi deposed Mr. Morsy after four days of huge protests by millions of Egyptians demanding the removal of the country’s first freely elected president following months of disagreements between him and the largely secular opposition.
The accusations against Mr. Morsy are connected to a prison break during the 2011 uprising against autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Gunmen attacked the Wadi el-Natroun prison northwest of Cairo, freeing inmates, including Mr. Morsy and about 30 other figures from the Muslim Brotherhood. The prosecutors allege Mr. Morsy and the Brotherhood worked with Hamas to carry out the break, in which 14 guards were killed.
Egypt’s MENA news agency said Mr. Morsy was being investigated over allegations of collaborating with Hamas “to carry out anti-state acts, attacking police stations and Army officers and storming prisons, setting fire to one prison and enabling inmates to flee, including himself, as well as premeditated killing of officers, soldiers and prisoners.”
In recent months, a court in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia has heard testimony from prison officials and intelligence officers indicating Mr. Morsy and his Brotherhood colleagues were freed when gunmen led by Hamas operatives stormed the prison.
Morsy supporters called the investigation politically motivated. Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Ahmed Aref said the move showed “the complete bankruptcy of the leaders of the bloody coup.”
Brotherhood officials have said they escaped when local residents broke into the prison to free their relatives and that they had no knowledge of it ahead of time.
U.S. concerned
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki expressed deep concern about reports of Mr. Morsy’s detention.
“I can’t speak to the specific charges. But we do believe that it is important that there be a process to work toward his release,” she said. “Clearly, this process should respect the personal security of him and take into account the volatile political situation in Egypt and that’s where our focus is. We have conveyed publicly and privately that his personal security and treatment is of utmost importance.”
MENA said Mr. Morsy has now been formally detained for 15 days pending the completion of the investigation. It did not say whether he would now be moved to a facility where he could receive family visits.
The head of the prison authority, Maj. Gen. Mostafa Baz, said he has not yet received orders for Mr. Morsy’s transfer to any of his facilities. The news agency indicated that Mr. Morsy has already been interrogated.
Egyptian institutions lined up behind Mr. el-Sissi’s call for Friday’s pro-military rallies, reflecting the extent of antagonism against the Brotherhood’s hold on power in the past year.
State TV and most of the private broadcasters showed the pro-Army rallies in various cities around Egypt, including aerial footage provided by military helicopters. Nationalist songs and parts of Mr. el-Sissi’s speech in which he called for support were played throughout the day.
On Friday evening, TV networks stopped running soap operas that are wildly popular during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In a further show of support, church bells rang out during evening prayers when hundreds of thousands of protesters broke their Ramadan fasts. Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Belbawi participated in the rally held outside the presidential palace.
A giant banner stretched across an entrance to Tahrir Square, the cradle of the 2011 uprising. It read- “The people, the source of all power, mandate the Army and police to purge terrorism.”
Three tanks guarded another street leading into the square, and helicopters swooped overhead.
“We have no parliament. Today is a quick referendum to support el-Sissi against the Brotherhood, whose members are terrorists,” said Mohammed el-Shaer, who stood in Tahrir holding a portrait of the general in a golden frame. El-Shaer held the hand of his 10-year-old daughter, who was dressed in a military fatigues.
In eastern Cairo, tens of thousands of Morsy supporters at the Rabaa mosque sit-in chanted against Mr. el-Sissi and vowed to continue their push for the president’s reinstatement. Others marched through some neighbourhoods of Cairo.
Their rallies were mostly covered on TV by Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr, and pro-Morsy activists emailed journalists videos and links to a live feed.
“When I first heard el-Sissi’s call I was anxious,” said 39-year-old Sayed el-Rawi, protesting outside the mosque. “But today, we saw that his speech encouraged more people to go down in the streets. ... They won’t be able to break up the sit in.”
The rival demonstrations are only deepening the country’s divisions since Mr. Morsy’s fall.
Clashes and fistfights broke out between both camps in Alexandria, with seven people killed and over 100 injured, according to health official Ibrahim el-Roubi. Some pro-Morsy supporters took cover inside a major mosque, leading to a standoff with opponents who besieged the place, locking them inside for hours.
Skirmishes also broke out in the Mediterranean coastal cities of Damietta and Mahalla, in the southern city of Luxor, and a Cairo neighbourhood that left 64 injured, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled el-Khateeb and local security officials said.
It remains unclear what steps the military is planning after Friday’s show of strength whether it would try to break up sit-ins by Mr. Morsy supporters or attempt to arrest more than a dozen Brotherhood figures who have warrants against them.
On the front page of the state-owned Al-Akhbar newspaper, the word “wanted” in English was plastered across photos of a number of Brotherhood leaders and allies who are facing warrants. Many of them are believed to be taking refuge at the Rabaa al-Adawiyah sit-in.
The prosecutors’ announcement on Mr. Morsy also could signal a greater move to go after the Brotherhood in courts. Besides Mr. Morsy, five other senior figures from the group have been detained.
“Even if we are going to die, me and my family, we won’t leave this place before our president comes back. Even if it takes seven years. We are ready to be martyrs in the name of religion and the nation,” he said.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/120-killed-in-clashes-near-promorsy-rally/article4959442.ece?homepage=true
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150 Syrian regime forces killed in Khan al-Assal battle: Activists
July 27, 2013
Agence France Presse
BEIRUT: At least 150 Syrian regime forces died in fighting with rebels for the control of Khan al-Assal, a key town in the northern Aleppo province, activists said Friday.
More than 50 of those killed were executed by rebels after the fall of Khan al-Assal on Monday, while the rest died fighting for the regime's last bastion in the west of Aleppo province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Thirty of those killed in both the executions and fighting were officers, the Observatory said.
Rebels had for months tried to take Khan al-Assal, a strategically located town in the west of Aleppo province.
It finally fell into rebel hands on Monday but fighting continued on its edges the next day, said the Observatory.
Amateur video filmed by rebels and distributed by the Observatory showed the bodies of dozens of regime forces in a building that had been the site of a battle.
"Mass graves for Bashar (al-Assad's) army," says one unidentified fighter, referring to the Syrian president, as a cameraman walks through the complex filming the corpses.
"These are Assad's dogs," the unidentified cameraman adds.
Khan al-Assal is located that leads to the western part of Aleppo city, where rebels have stepped up their bid to break a year-long stalemate in fighting with the army.
The mainstream rebel Ninth Division claimed responsibility for taking Khan al-Assal in a video statement distributed on Monday.
But footage distributed on Friday by the Observatory said jihadists including Al-Nusra Front were behind the takeover.
Fierce fighting raged in March in Khan al-Assal during eight days in which 200 rebels and government forces were killed but the insurgents seized the police academy and briefly controlled other positions.
Both sides have also traded accusations that chemical weapons were used in Khan al-Assal and killed around 30 people, according to a toll released in March by the Observatory and the regime.
Elsewhere in Syria opponents to Assad's regime held protests on Friday calling for his ouster, as they have done once a week for more than 28 months, said the Observatory.
Protesters gathered in several Syrian towns and cities, under the slogan of "Friday of the Unsheathed Sword of God".
The slogan refers to a name given to Khaled Bin Walid, a companion of Prophet Mohammad, whose mausoleum in the central city of Homs was bombarded and destroyed this week.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jul-26/225165-syrian-rebels-kill-dozens-in-offensives-in-north-and-south.ashx#ixzz2aGtDWxjw
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Bombs strike favoured Ramazan hangouts in Iraq
July 27, 2013
Young Iraqis often spend evenings in cafes after fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramazan, but a string of bombings against the popular hangouts means doing so now carries deadly risk.
In past years, Amer Issam met friends at a Baghdad cafe after iftar, the meal that breaks the daily Ramazan fast, but he has stopped doing so out of fear for his life.
“I do not want to turn into a Facebook picture passed on by friends,” he said, referring to images of young men killed in cafes shared by mourning friends or relatives on social media sites.
Iraqis often gather at cafes in the evenings during Ramazan to drink tea, smoke water pipes or play games including Mheibis, in which two teams compete to find a ring hidden in the hand of an opposing team member.
People also go to cafes to watch football matches they cannot see at home due to lengthy power cuts or lack of a subscription to the necessary satellite channel.
But deadly bombings that have struck cafes in recent weeks have kept many of the people who might have spent an evening out shut in their homes instead.
“Our business has decreased by 50 to 60 percent compared to Ramazan last year,” said Anwar Mohammed, who owns a cafe in Baghdad.
“The people who used to come here to eat and to smoke now prefer to ... take their orders to their house,” because “they are afraid to sit in the cafe,” he said.
Ali Adnan, who lives in the Dura area of south Baghdad, also noticed a lack of cafe patrons while waiting to meet friends.
“I went to a cafe in Baghdad and I found only four people,” he said.
While he waited for his friends to arrive, the four people left, leaving him alone. He soon decided to depart as well.
The attacks on cafes include a bombing earlier in July near a cafe in Baghdad in which nine people were killed and 35 were wounded, and another suicide bombing in the north Iraq city of Mosul that left six people dead and 21 wounded.
But the deadliest was in the northern city of Kirkuk, where a suicide bomber detonated explosives in a crowded cafe, killing 41 people and wounding 35.
“While people were gathered in this cafe, a fat man entered ... and we didn’t hear anything except ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is greatest), and then everything was destroyed,” said Ahmed al-Bayati, who was wounded in the leg by the blast.
Young men had come to the cafe to play Siniyah, a game popular in Kirkuk during Ramazan that is similar to Mheibis, in which teams compete to find a ring hidden under cups, Bayati said.
“The cafe was targeted ... because it combines all the components of Kirkuk,” which is home to a diverse religious and ethnic mix, said Jawdat Abdullah al-Bayati, who lost two of his brothers in the blast.
After the bombing, police told cafe owners to shutter their establishments until further notice, to prevent more such attacks.
Some Kirkuk cafes have since reopened, but with additional security measures by security forces and the cafe owners themselves.
The attacks on cafes are part of a surge in violence that has killed more than 2,700 people so far this year, striking all aspects of daily life, from mosques and markets to football fields and shops.
“Targeting the cafes aims to spread panic in the community and cause the largest (possible) amount of human losses, as the cafes are an easy target,” said Ali al-Haidari, an Iraqi expert in security and strategic affairs.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Haidari said he believes that Al-Qaeda’s local branch carried them out in “an attempt to increase popular anger against the government”.
But despite the danger posed by bombings, a number of young men still go to cafes, one of the few places they can gather at night.
“We’re not 100 percent happy sitting here. We’re worried. But we just say to ourselves, ‘Whatever happens is in the hands of God,’” Jilan Ali, a civil engineer, said at a Baghdad cafe.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\27\story_27-7-2013_pg4_6
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Morsi’s brother stands by army in home village
July 27, 2013
AL-ADWA, Egypt — Even though they ousted his brother from office, Sayed M0rsi does not have a bad word to say about Egypt's military.
"I have boundless confidence in the army," Sayed said, sitting in his sparse, drafty house, a picture of deposed president Mohamed Morsi hanging on the wall next to a framed verse from the Qur'an.
"I have patience. He does too," he told Reuters, referring to his elder brother. "He taught me that when someone makes you mad, don't antagonize them, you don't respond with anger."
Views in the Morsi family's home village of Al-Adwa reflect how many Egyptians feel about their military: its generals are fallible but as an institution it can bring a degree of stability and security to a country weary of political chaos.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130727174937
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Saudi citizenship eludes long-serving expats
27 July 2013
Many foreigners, who have worked in the Kingdom for several years contributing to its progress and prosperity, would love to have Saudi citizenship. Pakistani Mansoor Sajid, president group finance and control at Alhamrani Group of Companies, is one of them.
“If Saudi Arabia offers me citizenship I would love to take it because my wife and I want to spend the rest of our lives in the vicinity of the two holy mosques,” Sajid told Arab News. He is now preparing to leave for Malaysia after 32 years of service in the Kingdom.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/459331
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About 620 Saudi govt employees found using fake degrees
27 July 2013
About 620 employees in various government departments in Saudi Arabia have been found to be using fake degrees, informed sources told Saudi-based newspapers Okaz and the Saudi Gazette on Friday.
The use of fake degrees was detected during a campaign launched last week by the kingdom's Ministry of Education and other concerned authorities, the sources said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/07/27/Report-620-Saudi-govt-employees-found-using-fake-degrees.html
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Syria rebels meet U.N. Security Council, urge Russia to end Assad support
27 July 2013
Syrian rebel leaders met with the U.N. Security Council for the first time on Friday to discuss the country’s two-year war and appealed to Russia to stop its powerful political and military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
The 15-member Security Council has been deadlocked on Syria. Russia, an ally and arms supplier of Assad, and China have three times blocked action against Assad supported by the remaining veto powers - the United States, Britain and France.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2013/07/27/Syria-rebels-meet-U-N-Security-Council-urge-Russia-to-end-Assad-support.html
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VP ElBaradei says 'time to end polarisation' in Egypt
27 July 2013
Interim Vice-President Mohamed ElBaradei has called for an end to the "polarisation" in Egypt following Mohamed Morsi's removal from power.
"It is time that we end this miserable state of polarisation using rational means. We have to be tolerant so that [Egyptian men and women] can build Egypt," ElBaradei said via Twitter.
Earlier on Friday, the former leading member of Egypt’s National Salvation Front (NSF) said that "non-violence, rule of law… and reconciliation based on inclusiveness are key principles to adhere to during this difficult time."
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/77495/Egypt/Politics-/VP-ElBaradei-says-time-to-end-polarisation-in-Egyp.aspx
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Kuwaitis vote for new parliament amid boycott
July 27, 2013
Voters in Kuwait are casting their ballots in the second parliamentary election in less than a year.
The vote was triggered by a ruling from the constitutional court that dissolved the previous parliament, elected in December, over a procedural flaw.
The vote is being boycotted by some opposition groups.
Kuwait has one of the most empowered parliaments in the Gulf region, but constant political tension has crippled its work.
Opposition groups ranging from liberals to Islamists and tribal leaders boycotted December's elections in protest at an electoral law decreed by Kuwait's emir last October which sparked mass protests.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23469630
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India
Stop Women from Entering Mosque: Waqf Board
July 27, 2013
The controversy over Muslim women participating in prayers at a mosque in K.R. Puram here took a new turn with the Karnataka State Board of Waqfs requesting the district administration to issue orders preventing entry of women into the mosque.
The board, in its letter dated July 25, addressed to Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of Hassan, has said that there is a single entrance for both men and women in the mosque and that is causing inconvenience. “Performing prayers on the mosque premises by both men and women is causing inconvenience and tension. There are no separate entrances for men and women and that is leading to the law and order problem”, the letter said. The letter has been signed by the in-charge Additional Chief Executive Officer of the board. Deputy Commissioner V. Anbukkumar told the The Hindu that his office had received the letter.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/stop-women-from-entering-mosque-wakf-board/article4957134.ece
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India, Pakistan, Bangladesh must reunite, Katju says
TNN | Jul 27, 2013,
NAGPUR: Press Council of India (PCI) chief, Markandey Katju, known for his controversial remarks, this time made an oblique reference to Narendra Modi who had called himself a 'Hindu nationalist' in a recent media interview. Katju also referred to BJP's Ram Janmabhoomi agitation as communalist and called for unification of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh into one secular state.
He was delivering a lecture on the role of media in promoting secularism organized by Lokmat group of newspapers.
"We must not be a Hindu nationalist, or even Muslim, Sikh or Christian nationalists. We must all be Indian nationalists. India is a country of diverse people and could not be run for a single day without secularism," Katju said while terming those dividing the country in name of caste or religion as anti-national.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Pakistan-Bangladesh-must-reunite-Katju-says/articleshow/21381537.cms
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Home ministry agrees to handover crucial Ishrat files to CBI by next week
Neeraj Chauhan, TNN | Jul 27, 2013
NEW DELHI: The CBI's standoff with the ministry of home affairs (MHA) was resolved on Friday in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case as the latter agreed to provide the files, including affidavits filed by then under secretary of MHA, RVS Mani. CBI director Ranjit Sinha was reportedly assured that the agency would be given all the files by next week.
The files are crucial for the CBI in the wake of change of opinion by the officer as the agency has to furnish credentials of three others killed in the 2004 encounter apart from Ishrat. Mani had given two affidavits before the Gujarat High Court within nearly two months — each contradicting the other on the antecedents of Ishrat. In the affidavit filed on August 6, 2009, Ishrat and three others were termed as terrorists, while in the other affidavit filed on September 30, 2009, it claimed that there was no conclusive evidence to suggest she was a terrorist.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Home-ministry-agrees-to-handover-crucial-Ishrat-files-to-CBI-by-next-week/articleshow/21382943.cms
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Ishrat case: CBI to quiz cleric in Jammu & Kashmir
July 27, 2013
The CBI, which is gathering details on the identities of two deceased in the Ishrat Jahan encounter Amjad Ali and Jishan Johar, will quiz a Muslim cleric and a medical personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, who allegedly came in contact with them.
Officials, however, told HT, “As of now, we are not checking with Pakistan via Interpol whether Amjad and Jishan were its citizens or not.”
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/Ishrat-case-CBI-to-quiz-cleric-in-Jammu-amp-Kashmir/Article1-1098986.aspx
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India offers stake to Dhaka in Tipaimukh hydel project
SANDEEP DIKSHIT
July 27, 2013
It has been a bone of contention from mid-1980s
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday offered Bangladesh a stake in the Tipaimukh hydel project, which has been a bone of contention ever since it was conceived in the mid-1980s.
Assuring that India would not do anything inimical to Bangladesh’s interests in the area of common water bodies, Dr. Singh suggested to visiting Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni that Dhaka could join the yet-to-take-off project in Manipur as a stakeholder.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-offers-stake-to-dhaka-in-tipaimukh-hydel-project/article4957224.ece
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Africa
Some want Libya to be like Afghanistan, Somalia or Mali – Zeidan
By Sami Zaptia
July 27, 2013
Reacting to the spate of bombings in Tripoli, Benghazi and Sirte on Tuesday (23 July) at Wednesday’s press conference, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said that there are some who want Libya to be like Afghanistan, Somalia or Mali.
“Everybody knows what the situation in the country is and knows the state we received it in after 42 years (of Qaddafi rule)”.
“There are some who want to stop the progress of Libya to a civilian state.”
The Prime Minister attacked the selfish philosophy of some Libyans who put their own narrow interests above those of the country. If every Libyan was going to behave in this manner (going on strike, using force and arms to obtain concessions from the state, blockading airports, ports and oil installations), then we cannot do anything about it, added Zeidan.
Full report at:
http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/07/26/some-want-libya-to-be-like-afghanistan-somalia-or-mali-zeidan/
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Tunisia killing could spell end to Islamist government
July 27, 2013
The assassination of a second opposition politician in six months has piled the pressure on Tunisia's troubled Islamist-led coalition government, which came to power in the wake of the Arab Spring but is struggling to right the economy and rein in extremists.
With the country brought to a virtual standstill by a general strike and the revelation that the same gun was apparently used by an al-Qaida-linked Islamist extremist cell in the two assassinations, calls grew Friday for the 18-month-old transitional government to stand down.
On Friday six opposition parties holding 42 seats announced their withdrawal from the 217-seat national assembly and called for the government, elected in the aftermath of the overthrow of the country's long-time dictator, to be replaced by a national unity government tasked with finishing off the constitution and paving the way for fresh elections.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/africa/Tunisia-killing-could-spell-end-to-Islamist-government/Article1-1099088.aspx
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Conditions 'acceptable' for Mali election: Chief observer
27 July 2013
BAMAKO: Conditions have been met for a credible presidential election in Mali, the head of the European Union observation mission said on Friday, 48 hours ahead of the first round.
Voters will have a choice of 27 candidates as they go to the polls on Sunday for the first time since a separatist uprising led to a coup in March last year, and then a sweeping militant offensive which upended one of the region's most stable democracies.
"I really think the personality who emerges during this election will have more than enough legitimacy," Louis Michel told reporters in the capital Bamako.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/459317
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Life after the militants still a grind in Malian city of Gao
July 27, 2013
GAO, Malin ancient capital of West Africa’s Songhai empire, the Malian city of Gao was for centuries a bustling trade center for Tuareg nomads taking lucrative camel caravans of gold, salt and dates across the Sahara desert.
These days, visitors are unlikely to find much business being done, the dusty tree-lined avenues emptied of many of the mud-brick shops which thrived before Islamist invaders occupied the city last year.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130727174971
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Two more assassinations in Benghazi
27 July 2013
Benghazi was the scene of further violence yesterday, with two more security officials assassinated in the city, one while he was at prayer.
Retired Commander of the local Defence and Training department of the Libyan Air Force, Salem Alsarah, was shot during evening prayers last night.
“Alsarah was killed while he was praying during Taraweeh Prayers at the Al-Tauba mosque in the city’s Al-Laythi district,” spokesman for the Benghazi Joint Security Forces (BJSF), Mohamed Hejazi, told the Libya Herald. He added: “I don’t know what kind of people these are who can kill in the house of God.”
Full report at:
http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/07/27/two-more-assassinations-in-benghazi/
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Pakistan
Death toll in Parachinar blasts rises to 57
July 27, 2013
PARACHINAR/PESHAWAR: Another 12 people wounded in Friday’s twin blasts that ripped through a congested market and a taxi stand in northwestern Pakistan’s Parachinar town succumbed to their injuries on Saturday, increasing the death toll to 57.
Hospital official Shabir Hussain and Shia leader Hamid Ali said Saturday that another 167 were wounded in Friday's bombings in the town of Parachinar, which sits in the Kurram tribal area that borders Afghanistan to the west.
Hussain said almost all the dead and wounded were Shias. Moreover, Ali said at the time of the explosion the market was full of Shias, who were buying items for their evening meal that breaks the daytime fast during the holy month of Ramazan.
''We demand protection. We request the government to take action against those who routinely kill our people,'' he told The Associated Press.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032291/death-toll-in-parachinar-blasts-rises-to-57
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Seven killed in attack on Coast Guards check post near Gwadar
SYED ALI SHAH
July 27, 2013
QUETTA: A pre-dawn attack on a Coast Guards check post left seven personnel dead and seven others injured near Balochistan’s port city of Gwadar.
Armed militants attacked the check post situated in the Pakistan-Iran border area of Sanstar on Saturday and fled into nearby mountains immediately afterwards.
Home Secretary Balochistan Akbar Hussain Durrani confirmed the incident, adding that the militants attacked the check post with heavy weapons, including rockets.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032299/seven-killed-in-attack-on-coast-guards-check-post-near-gwadar
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Pakistan proposes dates for peace talks with India
July 27, 2013
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and India are gearing up to resume the third round of the bilateral Composite Dialogue from next month, starting with the water and power secretary-level meeting here to discuss the Wullar Barrage issue.
Islamabad has proposed two sets of dates to Delhi for senior official-level talks that would be held here in August and September, it is learnt.
The third round of Pakistan-India dialogue was launched in September 2012 and suspended due to tension caused by border incidents between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Pakistan has proposed August 27-28 for the Wullar Barrage meeting between the water and power secretaries, sources told The Nation, adding that talks on the Sir Creek maritime boundary issue have been slotted for September 16-17 and would be led by the surveyor-generals of the two countries.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/27-Jul-2013/pakistan-proposes-dates-for-peace-talks-with-india
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Pakistan calls for Morsi’s release, urges return to democracy in Egypt
July 27, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday called for the immediate release of deposed Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi and urged the restoration of democratic institutions in Egypt.
“Pakistan urges all sides in Egypt to address the legal and constitutional issues in an inclusive and peaceful manner to enable the country to successfully restore the democratic institutions as early as possible,” Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said in a press statement issued Friday.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032090/pakistan-calls-for-morsis-release-urges-return-to-democracy-in-egypt
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PPP boycotted for fear of losing: Mamnoon
July 27, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz’s candidate for the presidential election, Mamnoon Hussain, has said the Pakistan Peoples Party was boycotting the July 30 poll for fear of losing.
In a conversation with DawnNews, Hussain said the PPP had put forward Senator Raza Rabbani, who was going to be the party’s presidential candidate, and Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan for fear of defeat, adding that those who call themselves the flag bearers of democracy in Pakistan were now damaging the democratic process.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032303/ppp-boycotted-for-fear-of-losing-mamnoon
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Two terrorists held from Gilgit
July 27, 2013
SKARDU: Gilgit police nabbed two alleged terrorists from Al Saba Chowk and also recovered a local-made bomb, on Friday. SSP Ali Zia claimed that the two suspected terrorists wanted to attack a mosque during the holy month of Ramazan but they were arrested on receipt of secret information. During interrogation, they both confessed that they belonged to Gilgit and got training from South Waziristan.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\27\story_27-7-2013_pg7_9
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CPGS launches initiative to counter extremism in Pakistan
July 27, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies (CPGS), Islamabad, has recently launched a mega project titled ‘SALAM: Innovating Means to Resolve Radical Extremism in Pakistan’.
The aim of the project is to introduce measures for the large-scale de-radicalisation initiatives in Pakistan by suggesting viable policy options to all stakeholders. The project is particularly focused on devising non-military tools (soft power) to fight this menace. It will be carried out in three phases.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\27\story_27-7-2013_pg7_14
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MQM lost 92 workers among 217 in 6 months
By Saud Khan
July 27, 2013
KARACHI: On going targeted operations by the law enforcers have failed to curb violent during the progressing year 2013, and 217 lives have been lost in various incidents of bomb blasts and target killings.
Police and Rangers conduct dozens of operations in various localities of the port city on a daily basis and hundreds of suspects are kept in custody for interrogation. A majority of these suspects are released after questioning, and only a handful booked for petty crimes, leaving a very few remaining in custody.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\27\story_27-7-2013_pg12_1
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Pilgrims who miss this year will be given priority next two years: SHC
July 27, 2013
KARACHI: All those pilgrims who were intending to perform Hajj this year but missed their chance due to quota cuts will be given priority the next two years.
The Sindh High Court gave this ruling at a hearing on Friday.
“At issue is nothing less than the desire and intention of Pakistanis to perform Hajj pilgrimage this year,” observed Justice Muneeb Akhtar, head of the single bench, which gave the verdict. “The sad reality is, however, that this year many intending pilgrims will not be able to achieve their hearts’ desire.”
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/582410/hajj-quota-cuts-pilgrims-who-miss-this-year-will-be-given-priority-next-two-years-shc/
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Drone strikes be stopped forthwith: Nawaz
July 27, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said on Friday that drone strikes should immediately be stopped and stated the desire to have strong and cooperative relationship with the United States. He said he would support any initiative for peace in Afghanistan.
The prime minister was talking to US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson, who called on him at the PM’s office. The meeting was held in advance for the visit of US Secretary of State John F Kerry, who is likely to visit Pakistan in the coming few days. Sources said that the issue of drone attacks also came under discussion during the meeting.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-24402-Drone-strikes-be-stopped-forthwith-Nawaz
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Mideast
Turkey warns Syrian Kurd leader against autonomy plans
AFP | Jul 27, 2013
ISTANBUL: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned against any plans for an autonomous Kurdish region in northern Syria as officials met the leader of the war-torn country's main Kurdish group on Friday.
Turkish government officials held talks with Saleh Muslim, the leader of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) which is seen as the Syrian branch of Turkey's banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Erdogan confirmed press reports of the meeting and said the PYD's "dangerous actions" would be on the agenda.
"They will be given the necessary warnings," said the prime minister, whose government is negotiating an end to the three-decade insurgency by the PKK.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Turkey-warns-Syrian-Kurd-leader-against-autonomy-plans/articleshow/21382598.cms
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Turkish PM Erdogan threatens to sue Times over open letter
July 27, 2013
Turkey's prime minister has threatened legal action against a UK newspaper for publishing an open letter criticising his handling of recent protests.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Times of "renting out its pages for money".
Hollywood celebrities and academics were among those who signed the letter this week accusing Turkey's government of "dictatorial rule".
A row over a park in Istanbul last month triggered widespread anti-government protests.
At least four people were killed and thousands more injured as police cracked down on demonstrators who accused Mr Erdogan of becoming increasingly authoritarian.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23474404
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Small signs of change in Iran as Hassan Rouhani's inauguration approaches
26 July 2013
A young Iranian couple, Masoud Bastani and Mahsa Amr-Abadi, both journalists and both imprisoned on account of their writing, have seen very little of each other for the past four years. Like many Iranian prisoners they were granted occasional temporary releases, but officials always made sure they were not allowed out at the same time.
"The authorities wanted to make life yet more miserable for the two, like an extra punishment," said one of their friends. Their convictions were for colluding and spreading propaganda against the state, a frequent charge against dissidents and independent journalists. This month, however, Bastani and Amr-Abadi were reunited at their house in Tehran, and pictures on Facebook showing the smiling couple embracing one another delighted their friends and followers.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/26/signs-of-change-iran-rouhani-inauguration
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Gaza’s Ark aims at breaking the Israeli blockade... from within
July 27, 2013
GAZA CITY — Palestinian laborers and foreign activists are working tirelessly to transform a large fishing boat into "Gaza's Ark" with the aim of exporting local produce in the latest bid to break Israel's blockade on the coastal strip.
The Ark, which is being fitted out to carry goods and more than 100 passengers, is expected to set sail for Europe when it is completed by the end of July in the latest high-profile attempt to challenge Israel's maritime lockdown on the tiny Hamas-run territory.
If they are successful, this will be the first time goods from Gaza have been exported by sea since the signing of the 1994 Oslo Peace Accords.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130727174896
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Israel blocks EU projects in West Bank
27 July 2013
Israel has blocked the European Union from aiding tens of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank, in retaliation for an EU ban on financial assistance to Israeli organizations in the occupied territories.
The EU imposed its restrictions last week, citing its frustration over the continued expansion of Jewish settlements in territory captured by Israeli forces in the 1967 Middle East War. The new guidelines render Israeli entities operating there ineligible for EU grants, prizes or loans, beginning next year.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/07/27/Israel-blocks-EU-projects-in-West-Bank
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Europe
Chomsky says Europe could help Mideast talks
27 July 2013
GENEVA: Europe could provide the key to success for a US-brokered resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians, prominent American academic Noam Chomsky said Friday.
Without intervention by Europe, which could use its political and economic weight, the talks likely won’t amount to much, said Chomsky during a talk with international reporters at the Geneva Press Club. But if Europe were willing to break from American policies supporting Israel, he said, that could swing momentum toward a breakthrough.
Preliminary peace talks agreed to after a shuttle mission by US Secretary of State John Kerry are to begin in Washington next Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/459322
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German president says whistleblowers like Snowden merit respect
Reuters | Jul 26, 2013
BERLIN: Germany's president, who helped expose the workings of East Germany's dreaded Stasi secret police, said whistleblowers like US fugitive Edward Snowden deserved respect for defending freedom.
Weighing in on a debate that could influence September's federal election, President Joachim Gauck struck a very different tone from that of chancellor Angela Merkel, who has assured Washington that Berlin would not shelter Snowden.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/German-president-says-whistleblowers-like-Snowden-merit-respect/articleshow/21373767.cms
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‘Anti-Syrian’ hostility grows in Egypt – UN
July 27, 2013
GENEVA — Egyptian authorities have arbitrarily arrested and detained Syrian refugees as sentiment against them grows, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday.
The climate of hostility has increased since the Egyptian army seized power this month, human rights groups say. More than 90,000 Syrians are believed to have come to Egypt to escape the civil war, now in its third year.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130727174943
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Russia will not extradite Snowden, says Putin’s aide
VLADIMIR RADYUHIN
July 27, 2013
Russia will not extradite U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden, a Kremlin spokesman said citing President Vladimir Putin.
“Russia has never extradited anyone and will not extradite anyone in the future,” said Dmitry Peskov, Mr. Putin’s press secretary.
Mr. Snowden, who filed for asylum in Russia last week, is currently waiting for clearance from Russian migration authorities to leave the transit zone at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, where he has been stranded for more than a month with his U.S. passport revoked.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/russia-will-not-extradite-snowden-says-putins-aide/article4956729.ece
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UN, Syria chemical weapons talks productive
July 27, 2013
The United Nations and Syria said Saturday that they had reached an agreement on what they called the “way forward” for verifying alleged use of chemical weapons in the war-torn country.
“The discussions were thorough and productive and led to an agreement on the way forward,” the UN said in a statement without elaborating.
Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, said the statement had been jointly issued with the Foreign Ministry without giving details.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/un-syria-chemical-weapons-talks-productive/article4959814.ece
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UN gives Rwanda $400m to fight hunger, poverty
27 July 2013
KIGALI: The United Nations has pledged $400 million over five years to help Rwanda reduce poverty, hunger and disease, the government said.
Rwanda relies on external funding, including aid, for about 40 percent of its budget, which stands at 1,653 billion francs ($2.6 billion) for the fiscal year that started this month.
Some $276 million will go towards development including health, nutrition, education and the environment, while the rest will go to economic and governance projects, the government said in a statement issued on Thursday. Several international donors last year cut or held back aid to Rwanda over its alleged backing of rebels in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, a charge Kigali denies.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/459319
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EU's Ashton deplores deaths in Egypt, urges halt to violence
27 July 2013
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton "deeply deplores" deaths during demonstrations in Egypt and urges all sides to halt violence, the EU said on Saturday.
"(Ashton) is following with concern the latest developments in Egypt and deeply deplores the loss of life during yesterday's demonstrations ... She also calls on all actors to refrain from violence and to respect the principles of peaceful protest and non-violence," a spokeswoman for Ashton said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/77522/Egypt/EUs-Ashton-deplores-deaths-in-Egypt,-urges-halt-to.aspx
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North America
Meeting students in Mumbai special for me, says Jill Biden
July 27, 2013
US Second Lady Jill Biden has described her recent visit to a Muslim girls school in Mumbai as "special", while hailing the passion for learning among students in India.
Biden, who visited the Anjuman-i-Islam Saif Tyabji Girl's school in Mumbai this week, wrote in a White House blog entry that she was impressed with the talent of girls from the school.
"As an educator, today was a special day for me in Mumbai. I visited the Anjuman-i-Islam Saif Tyabji Girl's school," she said.
She was in India with her husband, US Vice President Joe Biden on a four-day visit to the country from July 22-25.
"The students that I've met around the world, especially in India, have shown great passion for learning and - this dedication is what will empower women throughout this country and abroad to leave the world better than how we found it," Biden wrote in the blog entry following her India trip.
Full report at:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/meeting-students-in-mumbai-special-for-me-says-jill-biden-113072600394_1.html
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Doubts and disbeliefs in Marathon bombing
By David Abel | GLOBE STAFF JULY 27, 2013
There are those who believe the bombs and blood were staged, the amputees and others injured were actors in some kind of Hollywood production designed to justify martial law.
Others acknowledge the carnage but say it was perpetrated by a secret squad of special operations soldiers. And there are those who insist that inconsistencies in early reports, erroneous statements by public officials, and unreleased evidence from prosecutors — among other things — reflect anything from a government coverup to an effort to frame the suspects.
Full report at:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/07/26/despite-evidence-tsarnaev-has-his-supporters/fnSnWQ4rcvUDhiVhnTCIDN/story.html
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US assures Russia Snowden won’t be tortured or executed
July 27, 2013
WASHINGTON — Former US security contractor Edward Snowden would not face the death penalty or be tortured and would have all the protections of the US civilian court system if he were sent home, the chief US prosecutor wrote in a letter to his Russian counterpart this week.
In the letter dated Tuesday July 23 and released on Friday, US Attorney General Eric Holder wrote that he sought to dispel claims about what would happen to Snowden if Russia handed him over to face charges of illegally disclosing government secrets about surveillance programs.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130727174953
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US to send two Guantanamo detainees to Algeria
July 27, 2013
WASHINGTON: Two men held at the notorious detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be sent back to Algeria, the White House said Friday.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the Defence Department advised Congress of the proposed transfer. “As the president has said, the United States remains determined to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Carney said.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/27-Jul-2013/two-gitmo-detainees-to-be-sent-to-algeria
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Southeast Asia
Displaced NTB Ahmadis to get ID cards, but with no religious preference
Panca Nugraha
July 27, 2013
After spending years living in Wisma Transito displacement camp without ID cards, dozens of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Ahmadis may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after a group of local officials visited them and promised they would soon be given the cards.
However, the ID cards would say nothing of the Ahmadis’ religion.
“A group of officials led by Sautma Sihombing from the Home Ministry has stated they want to issue ID cards for us, but with one condition that the religion column is left empty,” Ahmadiyah displacement coordinator Syahidin said on Friday.
He said according to Sautma, the Ahmadis would be treated like people who had no religious preferences.
“I consider myself a Muslim but why they don’t want to put our religious preference on our ID cards?” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/07/26/displaced-ntb-ahmadis-get-id-cards-with-no-religious-preference.html
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No dilemma, Dr Mahathir, just the need for a better Malaysia
JULY 27, 2013
Maybe a decade ago, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic, right) could have counted on having the last word on everything; where the adoring millions would have devoured all his half-truths and fibs and allowed him the luxury of shoveling his porous theories of life in Malaysia on the masses.
Maybe a decade ago he could have got away with the self-serving opinion piece published in the Umno-controlled New Straits Times today, where he talked about a so-called Chinese dilemma, accusing the DAP of trying to set up Singapore in Malaysia, with the Chinese wielding economic and political power instead of sharing power.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/no-dilemma-dr-mahathir-just-the-need-for-a-better-malaysia
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Indonesia Revealed as Spy Target
July 27, 2013
The Indonesian government is seeking answers after recent media reports suggested that British and American intelligence targeted foreign leaders, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, when they attended the 2009 Group of 20 meetings in London.
Local analysts in Jakarta have raised concerns that the latest report could raise distrust and suspicion between Australia and Indonesia at a time when many consider the bilateral relationship to be at its peak.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesia-revealed-as-spy-target/
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Burmese Refugees Hesitant to Return to Myanmar: NGO
July 27, 2013
A recent pilot survey of thousands of Burmese refugees in Thailand could play a key role in gauging possible large-scale repatriation.
“The whole idea is to get a sense of refugee sentiment about their future beyond living in the camps,” Vivian Tan, regional spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), told IRIN in Bangkok.
According to The Border Consortium (TBC), an umbrella group of NGOs working along the 1,800km Thai-Myanmar border, there are close to 130,000 refugees from various ethnic groups in nine Thai government-run camps in the area, many of whom have been in the country for decades.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/burmese-refugees-hesitant-to-return-to-myanmar-ngo/
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South Asia
Suicide bomber assassinates anti-Taliban leader in Afghanistan
July 26, 2013
KABUL: A suicide bomber on a motorcycle struck a busy marketplace in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least seven people including an anti-Taliban militia leader, officials said.
The attack, which took place in the Qarabagh district of the insurgency-wracked Ghazni province, also injured seven civilians, deputy provincial police chief Asadullah Insafi told AFP.
“We think that the target of the attack was commander Dawlat Khan, who was martyred along with three of his bodyguards, and three civilians in this attack,” Insafi said.
Khan led a group of militiamen who were taking on the Taliban in several villages and planned to join the ranks of the Afghan Local Police (ALP), Insafi added.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/582541/suicide-bomber-assassinates-anti-taliban-leader-in-afghanistan/
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Teesta water pact may impact Hasina govt’s poll prospects
TNN | Jul 27, 2013
NEW DELHI: Bangladeshi foreign minister Dipu Moni on Friday warned India that not moving ahead on the land boundary issue and Teesta water agreement could influence the outcome of the upcoming polls in Bangladesh. India maintains that it has received unprecedented cooperation from the Sheikh Hasina government in the neighbouring country, especially on security-related issues.
"If this bill does not go through and if the Teesta water-sharing deal is not signed, they will surely become important issues in the run-up to parliament elections in my country," said Moni.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Indias-delay-over-border-bill-Teesta-water-pact-may-impact-Hasina-govts-poll-prospects-Dipu-Moni/articleshow/21384653.cms?
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Pakistani Schools in Afghan Province
Lack of state schools in Taleban-dominated parts of Paktika mean children are forced to learn in Urdu
By Abdali Mahzun
July 27, 2013
Fifteen-year-old Afghan schoolboy Emran Khan is proud of his detailed knowledge of Pakistani history.
Questioned about the number of provinces in Pakistan, he smiles and answers confidently, “Four states – Sind, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan.” Asked when Pakistan became independent, he immediately replies that it was on August 14, 1948.
But similar questions about his own country, Afghanistan, leave him baffled. He does not know when it celebrates its independence day, and thinks it has 21 provinces instead of 34.
Emran Khan is in the eighth grade of school in the village of Nurabad, which is in Paktika province, part of Afghanistan, not Pakistan. As for the first king of Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah Durrani, he can only say, “I don’t know.”
Full report at:
http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2013/07/25/pakistani-schools-in-afghan-province.html#ixzz2aHRQGxT9
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Most Indian voters trust Bangladesh
July 27, 2013
Bangladesh ranks the highest among the countries Indian voters trust while Pakistan ranks the lowest, according an opinion poll jointly conducted by CNN-IBN TV channel and The Hindu newspaper.
Asked which countries should India either trust a ‘great deal’ or ‘somewhat’, 48 percent chose Bangladesh while 46 percent picked Russia, said the poll that was published yesterday.
Explaining the high trust in Dhaka, India’s former high commissioner to Bangladesh Deb Mukharji told The Hindu: “I think this is largely to do with developments in the past five years where Bangladesh has addressed our security concerns very comprehensively whereas in previous regimes, trouble makers were given support.”
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/most-indian-voters-trust-bangladesh/
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Now the Chinese dilemma, sharing or grabbing power, says Dr Mahathir
JULY 27, 2013
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad accused the DAP today of trying to set up Singapore in Malaysia where Chinese wield economic and political power instead of sharing power under the Barisan Nasional (BN) concept.
In an opinion piece in Umno-controlled News Straits Times, the influential former prime minister said the DAP had weakened BN senior member MCA until "the idea of sharing with the Malays political and economic power has become insupportable".
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/now-the-chinese-dilemma-sharing-or-grabbing-power-says-dr-m
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Bangla ex-PM Khaleda Zia to perform Umrah
27 July 2013
Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Saturday (today) to perform Umrah.
Her press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan said on Friday she would go to Madinah from Dhaka.
“She will visit the Prophet’s Mosque,” he said. Khaleda will then go to Makkah and perform Umrah.
He said the BNP chief would be accompanied by her brother Shamim Eskander, party’s Vice Chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury and her secretary among others. The former premier is expected to return to Bangladesh on Aug. 7.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/459345
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Afghan governor survives roadside bomb attack: officials
July 27, 2013
KABUL: The governor of a province in northern Afghanistan survived a roadside bomb attack Saturday while he was headed to work, officials said.
“The governor of Samangan province (Khairullah Anosh) was heading to his office in his pick-up truck in Aibak city. Along the way his vehicle hit a roadside bomb,” Sediq Aziz, his spokesman told AFP.
“As a result of the attack, the governor along with his two bodyguards were slightly wounded,” Aziz said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032296/afghan-governor-survives-roadside-bomb-attack-officials
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Rohingya Asylum Seekers in Need of a Regional Solution: Experts
July 27, 2013
Thousands of Rohingyas from Myanmar are fleeing persecution to countries elsewhere in the region, underscoring the need for a stronger regional solution, activists and experts say.
“A coordinated and immediate regional response will put pressure on the government to do more to ease the plight of the Rohingya people and prevent the situation from spiraling out of control,” Joey Dimaandal, a program associate for the South East Asia Committee for Advocacy (SEACA), a capacity building network for community-based organizations in Southeast Asia, told IRIN.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/rohingya-asylum-seekers-in-need-of-a-regional-solution-experts/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/120-killed-clashes-near-pro/d/12787