2 Coptic Christian Boys Held in Egypt on Charges They Defiled a Quran
New Age Islam News Bureau
4 Oct 2012
Arab World
• 2 Coptic Christian Boys Held in Egypt on Charges They Defiled a Quran
• 5 years, 600 lashes to a Saudi for indecent proposal on Facebook
• Jihadist group claims execution of 20 Syria soldiers
• Syrian shelling of Turkish village condemned by NATO and Pentagon
• Saudi to curb powers of religious police: reports
• Syrian fighters launch lethal raid at Douma
• For Kuwait's next ruler, family peace most urgent priority
• Arms blasts kill Hezbollah fighters in east Lebanon
• Egyptian Steel Magnate Jailed for Money Laundering
• 18 Republican Guards killed in Damascus province: NGO
• Jordan capital tenses for pro-King and rival Islamist demos
• First public hearing of Egypt's draft constitution Thursday
• Morsi grants Sadat & El-Shazli highest medal for October War 'victory'
• Requests to register groups as 'Muslim Brotherhood' declined, says ministry lawyer
• Islamist-secular struggle over Egypt constitution
• Iraq bomb hits private security convoy, kills four
• Haia field staff’s duties will be limited to Shariah violations
North America
• US planning Osama-style raid in Libya to avenge envoy’s killing?
• 9/11 attacks: US court orders Iran, al Qaeda, others to pay $6 bn
• No change in policy on Kashmir, says U.S.
• Iranian Gov accountable for the state of country: Hillary Clinton
• Will not rest till we track Benghazi attackers: Clinton
• Almost 1,000 Turn Out for Sold-Out CAIR Banquet
• Man arrested in arson at Islamic Centre of Greater Toledo
Europe
• Al-Qaeda hand in deadly forest fires in Europe, says Russia
• Syria says Turkey shelling 'tragic accident': Russia
• Kyrgyzstan Police Arrest MPs over Mine Protests
• Bosnia's court clears two Serbs of war crimes
Mideast Asia
• Suspected US drone strike kills 5: Yemen
• Rift Grows Between Israeli Leaders Over Relations With U.S.
• Rights Group Criticizes Hamas-Run Justice System in Gaza
• Violence and Protest in Iran as Currency Drops in Value
• Cajoling, Drugging and More as Rebels Try to Draw Defectors to Syrian Army
• Turkey Strikes Back for Second Day After Syrian Shelling Kills 5 Civilians
• Iran president blames US curbs for crisis
• Turkey asks UN Security Council to act after Syria attack
• Turkey strikes back at Syria, says will protect borders
• Houthi Rebels Seen Gaining New Influence in Yemen
• No one, including Turkey, wants the Syrian conflict to spread
• Israeli foreign minister predicts 'Persian Spring'
• Turkish police teargas anti-war protesters near parliament
India
• India banks on Mahatma Gandhi to connect with Egypt
• Kasab’s lawyers donate fees to 26/11 victims’ kin
• Malegaon blast: SC refuses interim bail to Purohit, others
• ‘Anti-Islam’ film: Protesters go on rampage, torch vehicles, police post
• Sanjiv Bhatt urges Narendra Modi to desist from "vindictiveness"
• I want to understand your pain: Rahul Gandhi to Kashmiris
• Muslim rallies on different issues force Kolkata American Centre shutdown
• 26/11 attacks: Abu Jundal to be produced before NIA court on Oct 8
• Kashmir Sarpanch killings: NC, PDP point fingers at each other
• 1993 Mumbai blast convict completes his MA from Nagpur jail
• Regional cooperation needed to combat piracy, terror: Antony
• Former Jamaat president Ansari dies
Africa
• Tanzania: Bishop warns of growing Islamisation
• Nigerian army swarms after 40 killed
• Nigerian president says massacre 'sad and shocking'
• Nigeria Police Make Arrests after College Massacre
• Doctors in Kenya strike over poor health care
• Concern for South African doctor held in Abu Dhabi over mystery conviction
Pakistan
• Pakistan struggles with smuggled Buddhist relics
• Russia backs Pakistan’s position on drone strikes
• Zawahiri may be in Pakistan: Imtiaz Gul
• Former chief Jamaat-e-Islami announces to hold moot on Muslim unity
• US drones killing innocent: Punjab Chief Minister
• Pakistan among top 20 happiest countries, beating India, US: Report
• 9 officials Child Care House in Pak accused of sexually assaulting 40 homeless kids
• Kayani backs Balochistan's solution within Pak constitution
• Nearly 3 million 'filthy rich' Pakistanis 'don't pay taxes'
• Pakistan, Russia renewing ties: FM Khar
• Pakistan tells Kabul it only retaliates fire
• Two killed in Quetta
• Govt should provide basic rights to Baloch, says JWP chief
• SC accepts plea to make President respondent
• Supreme Court summons Shahbaz Sharif in dual nationality case
• Bilour calls Imran’s Waziristan plan a farce
South Asia
• No new UAE visas for Bangladeshis
• Afghanistan to 'vigorously' seek peace with Taliban
• 32 Islamists charged for Sept 22, vandalism, Dhaka
• 10 Bangladesh madrasa board officials to explain Jamaat-e-Islami leader’s certificate forgery
• Sri Lankans Muslims condemn attacks on Buddhists
• Amnesty for punishment of perpetrators
• Afghan general visits Pakistan to discuss shelling
• Karzai pledges new Afghan president in 2014
Southeast Asia
• Bashir Calls Papua Bomb Plot Charges Unfair, Accuses SBY of 'Attack on Islam'
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Al-Qaeda has been blamed for a recent series of forest fires across Europe
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Arab World
2 Coptic Christian Boys Held in Egypt on Charges They Defiled a Quran
By KAREEM FAHIM and MAI AYYAD
4 Oct 2012
CAIRO — Two Coptic Christian boys have been detained by the authorities on charges that they defiled the pages of a Quran, the latest in a spate of recent cases involving accusations that people have insulted Islam.
The boys, ages 9 and 10, are being held in juvenile detention in the village of Ezbet Marco, south of Cairo, according to Ishak Ibrahim, a researcher with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights who is investigating the case. They were detained last Sunday, when the imam of the local mosque claimed that he saw the children tearing the pages of a Quran.
Other news reports said the boys were accused of urinating on the Quran pages.
The charges seemed likely to add to growing anxieties in Egypt about free speech rights, the sway of hard-line Islamists and the status of the country’s Christian minority, which fears an erosion of rights under an Islamist government. It also recalled the recent arrest in Pakistan of a Christian girl who was accused of burning Muslim texts in a case that drew attention to the use of blasphemy laws to intimidate minorities.
Mr. Ibrahim said there had been at least 17 cases involving the charge of contempt of religion since the 2011 uprising that deposed President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. A flurry of recent cases suggested the authorities were moving more aggressively to act on such accusations.
In one, a blogger, Alber Saber, who is from a Coptic Christian family, was tried after his neighbours accused him of posting on his Facebook page the video trailer for a purported film “Innocence of Muslims.” The trailer ignited protests around the world. Mr. Saber’s lawyers have denied that he posted the video.
In the latest episode, the imam, Ibrahim Ali, took the two boys to the local priest after saying that he saw them tear the Quran pages, and demanded that they be punished, according to Mr. Ibrahim. The priest apologized on behalf of the boys, scolded them, hit one of them and that evening filed a complaint at the local police station.
The Associated Press quoted the local leader of a hard-line Islamist group as saying that people in the town saw the boys take Quran pages behind a mosque and urinate on them. A local security chief, though, told The A.P. that the boys were found with tarnished pages but that no one saw the children urinate on them.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/world/middleeast/2-coptic-christian-boys-accused-of-defiling-a-Quran.html?ref=world
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5 years, 600 lashes to a Saudi for indecent proposal on Facebook
By Habib ToumiBureau
October 4, 2012
Manama: A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a man to five years in prison for making an indecent proposal on a social network.
The court in Dammam, in eastern Saudi Arabia, also ruled that the man who used a social network to announce his readiness for sex acts receive 600 lashes.
The man, believed to be in his 30s, was arrested after a Saudi national alerted the authorities about the posting of “an indecent proposal to offer himself for sexual acts” on a Facebook account, local news site Sabq reported.
The man was arrested and he admitted that had made the sex proposal via Facebook, the report said.
Saudi Arabia bans deviant sexual behaviour and its courts punish it with corporal sentences.
Online comments were unanimous about the “need to punish the man for going public with his vices.”
“I cannot believe that he has done this and he is supposed to be a mature person in his 30s,” Amer wrote.
Om Muhannad said that she was shocked by his proposal.
“I have always had concerns about teenagers, and now I read about a man in his 30s getting into such acts,” she wrote.
However, Abu Khalid said that the case needed special treatment.
“It is a serious issue and the man needs help. Let us pray that he overcomes his condition. It is very wrong to condemn him. We have to be careful because someone in the family could also be afflicted one day,” he wrote.
Mohammad Abu Adel said that people should not be quick to condemn the man.
“He may have mental or psychological issues. Do you seriously think that someone with a sane mind would do this? Please do watch what you post,” he commented on the news site.
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/5-years-600-lashes-for-indecent-proposal-1.1085024
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Jihadist group claims execution of 20 Syria soldiers
3 Oct 2012
Syrian Jihadist group, which considers members of Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect as 'heretics', claims responsibility for the death of 20 soldiers in September
A shadowy jihadist group claimed responsibility on Wednesday for the execution of 20 Syrian troops in the battleground city of Aleppo last month.
"God enabled the mujahedeen of the Al-Nusra Front in the city of Aleppo to capture and kill 20 heretic soldiers from the Hanano military post," the Al-Nusra Front said in a statement posted on jihadist forums.
The group, unknown in Syria until several months after the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's regime erupted in March last year, described the soldiers as "complicit in the bloodletting of the people of Syria."
The hardline Sunni Muslim group regards members of President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect as heretics.
Its statement was accompanied by a photograph of a man dressed in fatigues and sandals leaning over a row of kneeling soldiers and pointing a pistol at one of them.
The caption reads: "Al-Nusra Front: execution of 20 soldiers of the criminal despot who took part in the killing of Muslims."
On 10 September, amateur video posted on YouTube showed rebels summarily executing at least 20 troops in Aleppo, scene of some of Syria's fiercest fighting since the launch of a rebel offensive on 20 July.
The Hanano military compound in east Aleppo was briefly captured by rebel fighters last month before they pulled back.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at the time that 20 soldiers seized in the compound were summarily executed.
The Al-Nusra Front has claimed the majority of suicide attacks carried out during the uprising, including a twin suicide bombing in Damascus that killed 55 people in May.
Its relationship with the mainstream rebel Free Syrian Army is unclear.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/54729/World/Region/Jihadist-group-claims-execution-of--Syria-soldiers.aspx
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Syrian shelling of Turkish village condemned by NATO and Pentagon
Ian Traynor
4 October 2012
NATO ambassadors met in emergency session in Brussels on Wednesday to ponder their limited options over the escalating Syrian conflict after a cross-border incident with Syrian mortar fire left five dead in a Turkish village.
The unusual session of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels was demanded by Ankara, which has been pushing for a more muscular response from the western alliance to the atrocities in Syria.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/03/NATO-pentagon-shelling-turkish-village
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Saudi to curb powers of religious police: reports
Oct 03 2012
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia will curb the powers of its notorious religious police charged with ensuring compliance with Islamic morality but often accused of abuses, a newspaper report said today.
"The new system will set a mechanism for the field work of the committee's men which hands over some of their specialisations to other state bodies, such as arrests and interrogations," Al-Hayat daily quoted religious police chief Sheikh Abdullatiff Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh as saying.
Agents of the body known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice will also be banned from carrying out "searches without prior approval from the governor," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/saudi-to-curb-powers-of-religious-police-reports/1011387/
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Syrian fighters launch lethal raid at Douma
3 October 2012
DAMASCUS: Fighters stormed an army post in Douma killing six soldiers, while intense shelling by regime forces sent residents of the Damascus suburb fleeing in panic, a watchdog and activists said yesterday.
Other fighter-held bastions in and around Damascus were also bombarded at dawn.
The violence came hours after UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged Damascus to show compassion to its people.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/syrian-fighters-launch-lethal-raid-douma
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For Kuwait's next ruler, family peace most urgent priority
Oct 04 2012
Kuwait : When Kuwait's next ruler takes power he will need to reassure competing factions in the Al-Sabah dynasty that he is protecting their interests and maintaining stability, making progress toward democratic reforms unlikely, at least at the beginning.
Current ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 83, has resisted opposition demands for more policy-making authority in an increasingly assertive parliament, which he has dissolved several times.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/for-kuwaits-next-ruler-family-peace-most-urgent-priority/1011878/
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Arms blasts kill Hezbollah fighters in east Lebanon
October 04, 2012
Explosions at a Hezbollah weapons cache in the Bekaa valley in eastern Lebanon killed nine people on Wednesday, among them Hezbollah fighters, a security official and the Shiite militant group said. The security official said nine people were killed and seven wounded in the blasts. He
said four Syrian migrant workers were among the casualties, adding that one or more of them might have been among the dead.
Hezbollah said three of its fighters were killed in what it said was an accident at the storage depot.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/RestOfAsia/Arms-blasts-kill-Hezbollah-fighters-in-east-Lebanon/Article1-939571.aspx
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Egyptian Steel Magnate Jailed for Money Laundering
4 Oct 2012
CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court on Thursday convicted a Hosni Mubarak-era steel magnate of money laundering, sentencing him to seven years in prison and fining him 19.5 billion Egyptian pounds (about $3 billion).
Ahmed Ezz, also a leader in Mubarak's now-dissolved ruling party, is already serving a 10-year sentence for a corruption conviction last year. A powerful insider in the Mubarak regime, Ezz and Mubarak's son and onetime heir apparent Gamal had all but run the ruling party, capping a dizzying rise through its ranks in the last decade of Mubarak's 29-year rule.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/10/04/world/middleeast/ap-ml-egypt-.html?ref=middleeast
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18 Republican Guards killed in Damascus province: NGO
4 Oct 2012
At least 18 members of the Syria's elite Republican Guard force are killed during clashes with the armed rebels in the capital Damascus
An explosion followed by an exchange of fire with rebels in Damascus province on Thursday left 18 members of Syria's elite Republican Guard force dead, a watchdog said.
"Most of them died in the explosion," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman, who added that the clashes in Qudsaya, west of the capital, were continuing.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/54751/World/Region/-Republican-Guards-killed-in-Damascus-province-NGO.aspx
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Jordan capital tenses for pro-King and rival Islamist demos
3 Oct 2012
A showdown is looming between Jordan's government and the Islamist opposition, with two massive rival demonstrations slated for Friday in the capital Amman, raising fears of an escalation of tension
According to organisers, around 200,000 supporters of King Abdullah II's plans for reforms will rub shoulders with an expected 50,000 backers of the Muslim Brotherhood, the main opposition bloc, with the rallies set to take place at the same time at the same location.
"Our demonstration will be peaceful and civilised," said Zaki Bani Rashid, a Brotherhood official, reiterating the group's demands for a "fair electoral law, a serious fight against corruption and constitutional reforms."
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/54735/World/Region/Jordan-capital-tenses-for-proKing-and-rival-Islami.aspx
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First public hearing of Egypt's draft constitution Thursday
4 Oct 2012
Open reading of national charter sections to take place at Shura Council premises Thursday afternoon, Constituent Assembly confirm via Facebook after complaints assembly restricted public access
The first public hearing of the latest draft sections of Egypt's constitution will take place 2pm Thursday at the downtown Cairo premises of the Shura Council (upper house of parliament), the Constituent Assembly confirmed via its Facebook page.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/54766/Egypt/Politics-/First-public-hearing-of-Egypts-draft-constitution-.aspx
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Morsi grants Sadat & El-Shazli highest medal for October War 'victory'
4 Oct 2012
President Anwar Sadat and his chief of staff Saad El-Shazli awarded Egypt's highest honour for their conduct during 1973 October War
President Mohamed Morsi has granted former president Anwar Sadat and his chief of staff Saad El-Shazli the Nile Medal of Honour, Egypt's highest award, for their conduct during the 1973 War with Israel.
The medals were presented to relatives of the two men at the presidential palace in Heliopolis on Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/54754/Egypt/Politics-/Morsi-grants-Sadat--ElShazli-highest-medal-for-Oct.aspx
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Requests to register groups as 'Muslim Brotherhood' declined, says ministry lawyer
3 Oct 2012
Attempting to force the Muslim Brotherhood to settle its legal status, many have attempted to register the name legally. All such requests have been refused, says Mohamed El-Demerdash
All requests filed so far to legally register organisations under the name "the Muslim Brotherhood" have been found insufficient, requiring further documents, said Mohamed El-Demerdash, deputy head of the State Council and legal consultant of Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs, to the Middle East News Agency (MENA) Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/54678/Egypt/Politics-/Requests-to-register-groups-as-Muslim-Brotherhood-.aspx
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Islamist-secular struggle over Egypt constitution
By MAGGIE MICHAEL
October 4, 2012
CAIRO (AP) — Islamists are seeking to enshrine in Egypt's long-awaited new constitution a number of articles that secularists and liberals fear would bring theocratic rule and severely set back civil liberties, including provisions that could empower clerics to review laws and would stipulate that women's rights cannot violate Shariah law or "family duties."
Liberals and secularists have been struggling to keep out the provisions, but are finding themselves outnumbered and vulnerable to being overruled on the 100-member assembly that is writing the charter meant to set the path for post-revolution Egypt.
Full report at: Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press.
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Iraq bomb hits private security convoy, kills four
4 Oct 2012
A car bomb hit a private security convoy in Baghdad on Thursday, killing four people and wounding at least nine others, security and medical officials said
The bomb exploded in the Mansur area of west Baghdad about 9:00 am (0600 GMT), killing four people and wounding nine, an interior ministry official said. A medical source from Al-Yarmuk hospital confirmed the facility had received four bodies, but put the number of wounded at 14.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/54755/World/Region/Iraq-bomb-hits-private-security-convoy,-kills-four.aspx
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Haia field staff’s duties will be limited to Shariah violations
4 October 2012
President of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) said that the commission's field personnel will soon be banned from standing in front of mall gates and their duties will be limited to Shariah violations and acts that annoy shoppers.
Haia field staff in some regions recently prevented individual males (without their women relatives) from entering malls, which contradicts regulations that allow them entry and shopping. “No Haia member is entitled to prevent anyone from entering malls,” Abdullatif Al-Asheikh was quoted as saying by an Arabic newspaper.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/new-regulation-specifies-haia-field-staff%E2%80%99s-duties
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North America
US planning Osama-style raid in Libya to avenge envoy’s killing?
Oct 4, 2012
WASHINGTON: The US defence and intelligence agencies are preparing the groundwork for operations to kill or capture militants behind the attack on its mission in Libya's Benghazi resulting in death of four Americans including its ambassador.
Such an attack is subject to approval by President Barack Obama and would be taken only in consultation with the Libyan government, multiple media reports said on Wednesday, adding that the potential attacks might include drone attacks or the one like that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-planning-Osama-style-raid-in-Libya-to-avenge-envoys-killing/articleshow/16662468.cms
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9/11 attacks: US court orders Iran, al Qaeda, others to pay $6 bn
Oct 04 201
New York : A US judge formally ordered Iran, al-Qaeda and several other defendants on Wednesday to pay USD 6 billion compensation to the victims of September 11, 2001, in a largely symbolic ruling.
Although Iran denies any connection to 9/11, it was included in the list of alleged culprits by the US District Court in New York, along with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Afghanistan's Taliban guerrillas and al-Qaeda, which took credit for the massive terror attack.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is also named.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/911-attacks-us-court-orders-iran-al-qaeda-others-to-pay--6-bn/1011809/
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No change in policy on Kashmir, says U.S.
4 Oct 2012
The United States on Wednesday said there was no change in its stated policy that Kashmir was a bilateral issue that needed to be resolved between India and Pakistan, and would like to see the recent economic warming between the two sides translate into a better conversation on that issue.
“With regard to our own policy on Kashmir, it hasn’t changed. It’s been the same for a very long time,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters when asked about the sharp exchange of words between India and Pakistan during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-change-in-policy-on-kashmir-says-us/article3962487.ece
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Iranian Gov accountable for the state of country: Hillary Clinton
Oct 04 2012
Washington : With reports of protests from Iran over the collapse of the Iranian currency, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today said the government in Tehran is accountable for the situation inside the country.
"I think the Iranian government deserves responsibility for what is going on inside Iran. And that is who should be held accountable," Clinton told reporters in a joint media availability with the visiting Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/iranian-gov-accountable-for-the-state-of-country-hillary-clinton/1011793/
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Will not rest till we track Benghazi attackers: Clinton
Oct 04 2012
Washington : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today vowed that the US would not rest until it probes the attack on its consulate in Benghazi and tracks down those who killed "our people", but cautioned against jumping to any conclusion.
Four Americans including the US Ambassador to Libya were killed when the US Consulate in Benghazi was attacked by a violent mob over an anti-Islam film.
Initial reports said that it was a spontaneous protest, but subsequent investigation has led the US to declare it as a terrorist attack by people having some kind of links with al Qaeda in the region.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/will-not-rest-till-we-track-benghazi-attackers-clinton/1011795/
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Almost 1,000 Turn Out for Sold-Out CAIR Banquet
10/3/12
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/3/12) – Almost 1,000 community members, activists, diplomats, and civil rights and interfaith leaders turned out on Saturday evening for the 18th annual banquet of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Arlington, Va.
The sold out event, with the theme "Upholding Our Constitution, Defending Our Faith," followed CAIR's successful day-long Leadership Skills Training Conference.
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Man arrested in arson at Islamic Center of Greater Toledo
10/3/2012
Authorities have made an arrest in their investigation into a fire they say was started intentionally on Sunday at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo.
The Indiana State Police late Tuesday confirmed the arrest of Randy Linn, 52, of St. Joe, Ind. Mr. Linn was arrested by authorities from state police, the Fort Wayne Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Fort Wayne Police Department about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Fort Wayne, Ind. He is said to be the person of interest who was captured by a surveillance camera outside the center, 25877 Scheider Rd., during the fire. “We believe the person in the photos is the person we have in custody,” said Shane Cartmill, spokesman for the State Fire Marshal's Office.
Full report at:
http://www.ourtownperrysburg.com/local/2012/10/03/Man-arrested-in-arson-at-Islamic-Center-of-Greater-Toledo.html
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Europe
Al-Qaeda hand in deadly forest fires in Europe, says Russia
4 October 2012
MOSCOW: Russia's Federal Security Service chief blamed Al-Qaeda yesterday for a recent series of deadly forest fires in Europe, saying they were set by arsonists as part of the group's strategy to exhaust its enemies with low-cost attacks.
"One should note that setting fires to forests in the countries of the European Union is a new tendency in Al-Qaeda's strategy of a 'thousand cuts'," the state RIA Novosti news agency quoted Alexander Bortnikov as saying at a meeting of heads of security agencies.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/al-qaeda%E2%80%98hand%E2%80%99-wildfire
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Syria says Turkey shelling 'tragic accident': Russia
4 Oct 2012
Syria has recognised that its deadly shelling of a Turkish town was a "tragic accident" and has vowed that it will not happen again, its close ally Russia said Thursday.
The Syrian authorities told Russia "what happened at the border with Turkey was a tragic accident, and that it will not happen again. ... We think it is of principal importance that Damascus states this officially," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/54777/World/Region/Syria-says-Turkey-shelling-tragic-accident-Russia.aspx
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Kyrgyzstan Police Arrest MPs Over Mine Protests
October 4, 2012
BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyz police on Thursday arrested three members of parliament who led a crowd that tried to storm the government headquarters in a protest over a Canadian-owned gold mine.
Wednesday's clashes between police and supporters of the opposition Ata Zhurt party were the most violent in the capital Bishkek since the April 2010 revolt that ousted then-president Kurmanbek Bakiyev.
The protesters want the mine, crucial to Kyrgyzstan's fragile economy, to be nationalized.
The three parliamentarians are being held on suspicion of trying to seize power. Prosecutors have 48 hours to decide whether to charge them.
(Writing by Dmitry Solovyov and Robin Paxton; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/04/world/asia/04reuters-kyrgyzstan-clashes.html?ref=asia
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Bosnia's court clears two Serbs of war crimes
Oct 3, 2012
SARAJEVO: Bosnia's war crimes court has acquitted two former Bosnian Serb policemen accused of participating in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
The court said on Wednesday that prosecutors failed to prove Dragan Neskovic and Zoran Ilic committed crimes against humanity by rounding up Muslim Bosniak men for execution and then firing into the piles of bodies to make sure there were no survivors.
Judges concluded that witness statements were contradictory and the credibility of some of them was doubtful.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Bosnias-court-clears-two-Serbs-of-war-crimes/articleshow/16657972.cms
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Mideast Asia
Suspected US drone strike kills 5: Yemen
Oct 4, 2012
SANAA, YEMEN: Yemeni security officials say a strike by a suspected US drone has hit two cars in which al-Qaida-linked militants were traveling in a southern province, killing at least five of them.
The officials said all five known to have been killed in the late Thursday morning strike in Shabwa province were in one of the two vehicles. They had no word on casualties in the second car, and no further details on the identities of those targeted.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Suspected-US-drone-strike-kills-5-Yemen/articleshow/16668813.cms
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Rift Grows Between Israeli Leaders Over Relations With U.S.
By ISABEL KERSHNER
4 Oct 2012
JERUSALEM — A growing rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Ehud Barak, a political rival, centers on Israel’s strategic relations with the United States as Mr. Barak tries to turn the tension between Mr. Netanyahu and Washington to his political advantage.
After years of a close alliance during which the pair almost exclusively directed Israel’s campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Barak have been trading the kind of barbs that would appear, at least for now, to mean an end to that kind of intimate cooperation.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/world/middleeast/rift-grows-between-netanyahu-and-barak-in-israel.html?ref=middleeast
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Rights Group Criticizes Hamas-Run Justice System in Gaza
By FARES AKRAM
4 Oct 2012
GAZA CITY — Human Rights Watch on Wednesday accused Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs the Gaza Strip, of running a criminal justice system rife with arbitrary arrests, torture and unfair trials. Hamas officials responded sharply, challenging the methodology of the group’s research.
In a 43-page report titled “Abusive System,” Human Rights Watch detailed seven cases and called for an immediate moratorium on capital punishment in the Gaza Strip, as well as an end to prosecutions of civilians in military courts.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/world/middleeast/human-rights-watch-report-critical-of-hamas-justice-system-in-gaza.html?ref=world
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Violence and Protest in Iran as Currency Drops in Value
By THOMAS ERDBRINK and RICK GLADSTONE
4 Oct 2012
TEHRAN — The first outbreak of public anger over Iran’s collapsing currency and other economic maladies jolted the heart of the capital on Wednesday, with the riot police violently clamping down on black-market money changers, hundreds of citizens marching to demand relief and merchants in the sprawling bazaar closing their shops in protest.
Iran’s official news media said an unspecified number of people, including two Europeans, had been arrested in the turmoil, which was documented in news photographs, at least two verifiable videos uploaded on YouTube and witness accounts.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/world/middleeast/clashes-reported-in-tehran-as-riot-police-target-money-changers.html?ref=world
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Cajoling, Drugging and More as Rebels Try to Draw Defectors to Syrian Army
By KAREEM FAHIM and HWAIDA SAAD
4 Oct 2012
ANTAKYA, Turkey — For months, the disparate militias known as the Free Syrian Army relied on defections from the Syrian military to lead a credible if halting challenge to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Every day seemed to bring word of new recruits. Soldiers fled in packs, or officers stole across a border, lifting the rebels’ morale while swelling their ranks.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/world/middleeast/syria-rebels-press-harder-to-gain-more-fighters.html?hp
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Turkey Strikes Back for Second Day After Syrian Shelling Kills 5 Civilians
By TIM ARANGO, SEBNEM ARSU and ANNE BARNARD
4 Oct 2012
ISTANBUL — For the second straight day, the Turkish military pounded targets inside Syria on Thursday in retaliation for a mortar attack a day earlier that killed five civilians in Turkey. The shelling came as the Parliament in Ankara debated measures permitting cross-border raids while senior officials insisted that NATO ally Turkey did not want a war with its Arab neighbor — an escalation that could turn Syria’s bloody civil strife into a regional conflict with international involvement.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/middleeast/syria.html?hp&_r=0
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Iran president blames US curbs for crisis
Oct 4, 2012
DUBAI: The Iranian currency rial has hit record lows, losing 40% of its value against the US dollar in a week. The rial has been losing value almost daily as western economic sanctions imposed over Iran's disputed nuclear programme have cut Iran's export earnings from oil, undermining the central bank's ability to support the currency.
Panicking Iranians have scrambled to buy hard currency, pushing down the rial whose increasing weakness is hurting living standards and threatening jobs. "Everyone wants to buy dollars and it's clear there's a bit of a bank run," said a Western diplomat based in Tehran. "Ahmadinejad's announcement of using police against exchangers and speculators didn't help at all. Now people are even more worried."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-president-blames-US-curbs-for-crisis/articleshow/16662540.cms
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Turkey asks UN Security Council to act after Syria attack
Oct 4, 2012
UNITED NATIONS: Turkey on Wednesday asked the UN Security Council to take the "necessary action" to stop Syrian aggression and ensure that Syria respect its territorial sovereignty after a mortar bomb fired from Syria killed five Turkish civilians.
"This is an act of aggression by Syria against Turkey," Turkish U.N. Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan said in a letter to the president of the 15-nation Security Council, Guatemalan Ambassador Gert Rosenthal.
"It constitutes a flagrant violation of international law as well as a breach of international peace and security," said the letter, which was obtained by Reuters.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Turkey-asks-UN-Security-Council-to-act-after-Syria-attack/articleshow/16663016.cms
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Turkey strikes back at Syria, says will protect borders
Oct 04 2012
Akcakale (Turkey) : Turkish artillery hit targets near Syria's Tel Abyad border town for a second day on Thursday, killing several Syrian soldiers according to activists and security sources, after a mortar bomb fired from the area killed five Turkish civilians.
Turkey's government said aggressive action against its territory by Syria's military had become a serious threat to its national security and sought parliamentary approval for the deployment of Turkish troops beyond its borders.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/turkey-strikes-back-at-syria-says-will-protect-borders/1011854/
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Houthi Rebels Seen Gaining New Influence in Yemen
Andrew Hammond | October 04, 2012
Sanaa. When riots erupted this month over an anti-Islam film made in California, Houthi rebels, long confined to remote corners of Yemen by then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh, covered the capital Sanaa in posters, banners and graffiti denouncing the United States.
Western diplomats and Sunni Islamists were taken aback by the sudden show of strength in a city from which the Shiite rebel group had long been banished.
“They really have a very broad strategy to increase their influence on politics and society — we believe for very negative purposes,” said one senior Western diplomat.
“My take on the rhetoric is that it is bought and paid for by the government of Iran and they are simply following instructions that they get from Tehran.”
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/houthi-rebels-seen-gaining-new-influence-in-yemen/548206
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No one, including Turkey, wants the Syrian conflict to spread
Ian Black
4 October 2012
Responses to the Syrian bombing of a Turkish village were swift, but Ankara, its neighbours and the west have no interest in war
Overnight fighting across the Syrian-Turkish border is a sudden and alarming escalation of the conflict but on past form, beyond any immediate retaliation for the incident, it still looks unlikely to change the overall contours of the crisis.
The speed and sharpness of NATO's late-night response, backed up by strongly worded statements from the US, Britain and other member states, may turn out to be firmer than any reaction on the ground. Any intervention will probably be limited in both scope and duration.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/04/no-one-turkey-syrian-conflict-spread
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Israeli foreign minister predicts 'Persian Spring'
4 Oct 2012
Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman expects 'Persian Spring' in Islamic Republic due to mounting public pressure on Ahmedinejad regime due to international sanctions
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday he believes "the Arab Spring will be followed by a Persian Spring," with international sanctions against Iran leading to renewed domestic unrest.
His remarks came a day after scuffles broke out in central Tehran in the first sign of unrest over Iran's plunging currency, which has lost more than half its value since last week as European and US sanctions have bitten.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/54759/World/Region/Israeli-foreign-minister-predicts-Persian-Spring.aspx
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Turkish police teargas anti-war protesters near parliament
4 Oct 2012
Police in Ankara fire teargas at a small group of nearly 30 people who are protesting war against Syria as tension mounted between Turkey and its Arab neighboring state after Al-Assad troops shelled into Turkey
Turkish police fired tear gas to stop a small group of anti-war protesters approaching parliament on Thursday as deputies debated a motion that could authorise military action in Syria if the government deems it necessary.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/54772/World/Region/Turkish-police-teargas-antiwar-protesters-near-par.aspx
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India
India banks on Mahatma Gandhi to connect with Egypt
Oct 4, 2012
NEW DELHI: The overriding spirit of the Tahrir Square revolution as millions of young Egyptians protested peacefully to change the decades-old Hosni Mubarak regime was of "silmayyiya" (peaceful). India, attempting to engage a new Egypt, is seeking to connect the spirit of the revolution with Mahatma Gandhi's teachings.
This week, the Indian government used the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti to launch a global poster design competition, which brings out the spirit of non-violence and peace in the Tahrir Square revolution. Titled 'Did you sense the spirit of Gandhi in Tahrir Square?', the competition is inviting entries from Indians and Egyptians across the world to give artistic expression to the peaceful intent of the Egyptian revolution and the inspiration it drew from Gandhi.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/India-banks-on-Mahatma-Gandhi-to-connect-with-Egypt/articleshow/16662560.cms
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Kasab’s lawyers donate fees to 26/11 victims’ kin
Oct 4, 2012
NEW DELHI: If Mumbai police personnel showed exemplary courage in fighting the 26/11 terrorists with outdated weapons and even lathis, lawyers Raju Ramachandran and Gaurav Agrawal displayed "high professional ethics" by donating Rs 14.5 lakh, due to them for defending the lone surviving Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab, to families of security personnel who died in the attacks.
When Kasab moved the apex court challenging his conviction and death penalty for 26/11, he had no one to defend him. The court appointed Ramachandran and Agrawal as amicus curiae to protect the principle of natural justice by making provision for Kasab's defence.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kasabs-lawyers-donate-fees-to-26/11-victims-kin/articleshow/16661975.cms
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Malegaon blast: SC refuses interim bail to Purohit, others
Oct 04 2012
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant interim bail to ex-Army officer Shrikant Prasad Purohit, Pragya Thakur and other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
A Bench of Justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad refused to grant any interim relief after senior advocate U R Lalit appearing for the accused contended they have been behind bars for four years and their petitions are not being heard by the apex court.
"We will not give interim bail at this stage," the bench said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/malegaon-blast-sc-refuses-interim-bail-to-purohit-others/1011834/
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‘Anti-Islam’ film: Protesters go on rampage, torch vehicles, police post
Oct 04 2012
Ahmedabad : A large number of protesters, who hit the streets against an anti-Islam US film, went on rampage in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, setting ablaze several vehicles and a police post in Karanj area .
Although the protest was planned against the US film, it turned against the Mufti of Shahi Jami Masjid, the biggest mosque of Gujarat.
The protesters gathered outside the mosque and shouted slogans against Mufti Shabbir Alam Sidddiqui who had appealed to the community on Tuesday not to take out any rally or observe bandh.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-antiislam--film-protesters-go-on-rampage-torch-vehicles-police-post/1011782/
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Sanjiv Bhatt urges Narendra Modi to desist from "vindictiveness"
Oct 03 2012
Ahmedabad : Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt today asked the BJP-ruled Gujarat Government to desist from "vindictiveness" and revoke a "half-baked" suspension order issued against him.
On October 1, on the recommendation of the Union home Ministry, the Gujarat government had revoked the suspension of Bhatt, in one of three cases against him. He was suspended on August 8, 2011, when he was posted as the Principal of State Reserve Police (SRP) Training Centre at Sorath Chowky in Junagadh district.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sanjiv-bhatt-urges-narendra-modi-to-desist-from-vindictiveness/1011425/
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I want to understand your pain: Rahul Gandhi to Kashmiris
Oct 04 2012
Sonmarg : Reaching out to the people of Kashmir, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said he wants to understand their "pain" and help connect them with the development of the country.
On a visit to Kashmir after a year, Gandhi said the youth in the state should join the development process taking place in the country in various sectors such as education, health, infrastructure and electricity.
"I want to establish a relationship with you. A lifelong relationship," he said addressing a public gathering here, while recalling the close ties between Sheikh Abdullah and his great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru and his father Rajiv Gandhi's strong links with Farooq Abdullah.
Gandhi said that he wants to work with state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah similarly for betterment of the state.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/i-want-to-understand-your-pain-rahul-gandhi-to-kashmiris/1011924/
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Muslim rallies on different issues force Kolkata American Center shutdown
Madhuparna Das
Oct 04 2012
Kolkata : As several Muslim organisations, all backed by mainstream political parties, prepared to demonstrate on the streets of Kolkata on October 4 and 5, the city’s American Center announced a two-day shutdown on Wednesday, and asked US citizens to stay away from areas where the protests were scheduled.
Security has been beefed up around American consulate buildings.
“The American Center will be closed on October 4-5, 2012, due to planned demonstrations in Kolkata,” the US consulate said in an emergency notice. “US citizens should avoid areas of planned demonstrations, such as Esplanade and Shahid Minar... US citizens should remain alert to reports of demonstrations interfering with traffic and are advised to plan accordingly,” it said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/muslim-rallies-on-different-issues-force-kolkata-american-center-shutdown/1011703/
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26/11 attacks: Abu Jundal to be produced before NIA court on Oct 8
Oct 4, 2012
NEW DELHI: The 26/11 key handler and LeT terrorist Abu Jundal was on Thursday remanded in judicial custody by a Delhi court after the Mumbai ATS produced him before it saying he was no longer wanted for his interrogation in cases registered against him in Maharashtra.
Jundal was produced before chief metropolitan magistrate Vidya Parkash by the Mumbai ATS and was sent to Tihar jail.
Mumbai ATS had secured his custody from the Delhi court earlier on July 21 for interrogation of his roles in the Aurangabad arms haul case, the 26/11 Mumbai mayhem, the German bakery blast and the Nasik Academy attack.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/26/11-attacks-Abu-Jundal-to-be-produced-before-NIA-court-on-Oct-8/articleshow/16668150.cms
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Kashmir sarpanch killings: NC, PDP point fingers at each other
Peerzada Ashiq
October 03, 2012
Kashmir’s ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday traded charges against each other over the recent spate of grassroots representatives’ killings in the valley, hinting at deliberate appropriation of
votes for the 2014 assembly polls.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Srinagar/Kashmir-sarpanch-killings-NC-PDP-point-fingers-at-each-other/Article1-939224.aspx
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1993 Mumbai blast convict completes his MA from Nagpur jail
Pradip Kumar Maitra
October 03, 2012
Yakub Memon, who was convicted and awarded death for 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts which killed 257 people, recently completed his post-graduate degree in English from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
Memon, a chartered accountant, is the brother of Ibrahim Mushtaq
(Tiger) Memon, one of the prime accused of the Mumbai blasts. His accounting firm used to handle the finances of Tiger's illegal operations.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Maharashtra/1993-Mumbai-blast-convict-completes-his-MA-from-Nagpur-jail/Article1-939315.aspx
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Regional cooperation needed to combat piracy, terror: Antony
October 03, 2012
Calling for greater Asian regional cooperation for the security of the Indian Ocean, defence minister AK Antony on Wednesday underlined that India was augmenting its capabilities to fight a host of interlinked threats, including piracy and terrorism.
"The various challenges, including the menace of piracy and armed robbery, drugs and arms trafficking and unregulated and unreported fishing to name a few, threaten both the short-term and long-term stability of the region," Antony told delegates attending the 8th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) here.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Regional-cooperation-needed-to-combat-piracy-terror-Antony/Article1-939362.aspx
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Former Jamaat president Ansari dies
4 October 2012
Prof. Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari, former president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and an Islamic scholar of international repute, breathed his last at his residence in Aligarh yesterday, following a brief cardiac failure. He was 81. The funeral prayer will be offered at Aligarh at 9 a.m. today.
Born on September 1, 1931, Prof. Ansari did Alimiyat from Darsgah Islami, Rampur in 1953, B.A. Arabic in 1957, M.A. in Philosophy in 1959 and Ph.D. in Philosophy in 1962 from Aligarh Muslim University, and M.T.S in Comparative Religion and Theology from Harvard University in 1972.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/former-jamaat-president-ansari-dies
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Africa
Tanzania: Bishop warns of growing islamisation
By Eva-Maria Kolmann
4th October 2012
Bernadin Mfumbusa, Bishop of Kondoa Diocese, warned in an interview with the international Catholic charity "Aid to the Church in Need", of an increasing islamisation of Tanzania. It could be seen that more and more itinerant preachers from Saudi Arabia and the Sudan were entering this East African country and that Muslims were increasingly making political demands.
Full report at:
http://members4.boardhost.com/acnaus/msg/1349313359.html
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Nigerian army swarms after 40 killed
4 October 2012
KANO: Nigerian soldiers moved house to house yesterday in an urgent bid to hunt down attackers responsible for the massacre of 40 people who were shot or had their throats slit in a student housing area.
The raid in the early hours of Tuesday near a polytechnic university shook the town of Mubi, located in Nigeria’s volatile northeast, where Boko Haram militants have carried out scores of previous attacks.
Last week in Mubi, Nigeria’s military conducted a high-profile raid targeting the group, killing a senior Boko Haram figure and arresting 156 suspected members.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/nigerian-army-swarms-after-40-killed
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Nigerian president says massacre 'sad and shocking'
3 Oct 2012
Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan says Tuesday massacre killing forty people, is 'sad and shocking', hours after the military carried out a house-to-house raid
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday called a massacre of 40 people in a student housing area "sad and shocking" while directing security agencies to find the perpetrators, his spokesman said.
"The president described the incident as tragic, sad and shocking," Reuben Abati told journalists.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/54693/World/International/Nigerian-president-says-massacre-sad-and-shocking-.aspx
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Nigeria Police Make Arrests After College Massacre
October 4, 2012
KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Police hunting for the killers of 26 people in a college residence in northeast Nigeria said they had raided houses and made a number of arrests on Wednesday.
The attackers went from room to room in the building in the town of Mubi, in remote Adamawa state, on Tuesday morning and killed the people they found there with guns and machetes.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/04/world/africa/04reuters-nigeria-killings.html?_r=1&ref=africa
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Doctors in Kenya strike over poor health care
Oct 3, 2012
NAIROBI: Doctors in Kenya's public hospitals on Wednesday spent their 17th day on strike to protest the dilapidated state of public health care. Emergency rooms in some of Kenya's public hospitals frequently don't have gloves or medicine, and power outages sometimes force doctors to use the light from their phones to complete a procedure.
Kenya's government fired 1,000 of the 2,000 striking doctors last week despite a shortfall of skilled medical practitioners. The government had promised to implement reforms in health care last year after doctors walked off the job and held protests.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Doctors-in-Kenya-strike-over-poor-health-care/articleshow/16658882.cms
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Concern for South African doctor held in Abu Dhabi over mystery conviction
Sarah Boseley
3 October 2012
Cyril Karabus, 77, detained for two months over 10-year-old case he did not know about, while files remain missing
A South African doctor who dedicated himself to saving the lives of black children from cancer throughout the apartheid era has been refused bail by a court in Abu Dhabi, where years ago he was accused and convicted without his knowledge of killing a young leukaemia patient.
Cyril Karabus pioneered treatment for cancer and blood disorders at the Red Cross hospital in Cape Town, where he worked for 35 years, and trained numerous doctors at Cape Town University, some of whom work at the Great Ormond Street and Whittington hospitals in London.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/03/south-african-doctor-abu-dhabi
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Pakistan
Pakistan struggles with smuggled Buddhist relics
4 Oct 2012
ISLAMABAD: Lacking the necessary cash and manpower, Pakistan is struggling to stem the flow of millions of dollars in ancient Buddhist artefacts that looters dig up in the country’s northwest and smuggle to collectors around the world.
The black market trade in smuggled antiquities is a global problem that some experts estimate is worth billions of dollars per year. The main targets are poor countries like Pakistan that possess a rich cultural heritage but don’t have the resources to protect it.
The illicit excavations rob Pakistan of an important potential source of tourism revenue, as valuable icons are spirited out of the country, and destroy any chance for archaeologists to document the history of the sites.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/04/pakistan-struggles-with-smuggled-buddhist-relics/
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Russia backs Pakistan’s position on drone strikes
By Kamran Yousaf
October 4, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Calling drone attacks a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia backs Pakistan’s position on this matter.
Russian foreign minister was speaking to media after his meeting with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/446820/russia-backs-pakistans-position-on-drone-strikes/
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Zawahiri may be in Pakistan: Imtiaz Gul
October 4, 2012
NEW DELHI: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri may be residing in Pakistan, claims defence and security analyst Imtiaz Gul in his new book, Firstpost reported on Thursday.
In his book “Pakistan: Before and After Osama“, Gul stated “the city that would most suit him and provide him with the peace he needs to strategise his takeover is Islamabad.”
“…it will be no surprise if American or Pakistani intelligence were to scoop him up from Rawalpindi or Islamabad one day – the way they netted Khalid Sheikh Mohammed from Rawalpindi near the armed forces’ General Headquarters. The 9/11 mastermind was finally indicted in early April 2012 along with four others, with prosecution demanding death penalty for him,” he said in his book.
Zawahiri is an Egyptian cleric who became the new al Qaeda chief after Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/446814/zawahiri-may-be-in-pakistan-imtiaz-gul/
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Former chief Jamaat-e-Islami announces to hold moot on Muslim unity
October 04, 2012
ISLAMABAD - Mili Yakjehti Council (MYC) is organising two-day Ittehad Ummat Conference, which will be participated by Imam Kaaba and religious figures from Iran, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Egypt.
Addressing a press conference, Mili Yakjehti Council (MYC) President former chief Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Qazi Hussain Ahemd said that religious figures from different school of thoughts would gather to eliminate frivolous differences. There is dire need to stop the incidents like desecration of the Holy Quran and all religious scholars will discuss this issue in detail.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/04-Oct-2012/qazi-announces-to-hold-moot-on-muslim-unity
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US drones killing innocent: Punjab Chief Minister
October 04, 2012
LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif called on British Home Secretary Theresa Mary May at London on Wednesday and discussed with her the issue of drone attacks and terrorism.
Agreeing that the joint efforts are needed for stamping out terrorism and extremism, the two leaders laid stress on enhanced cooperation between the Punjab government and the UK to get rid of the menace. Recruitment of prosecutors, educational reforms, training of forensic science laboratory staff and anti-terrorism measures also came under discussion.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/04-Oct-2012/us-drones-killing-innocent-shahbaz
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Pakistan among top 20 happiest countries, beating India, US: Report
October 3, 2012
KARACHI: Pakistan ranked 16th among 151 countries of the world on the Happy Planet Index (HPI) 2012, beating India and the United States which ranked 32nd and 105th respectively. Costa Rica was termed the happiest country, followed by Vietnam and Colombia.
The Happy Planet Index was calculated using life expectancy, experienced well-being and ecological footprint (per capita) of the countries with data collected from various sources including UNDP and Gallup data. The index was compiled by New Economics Foundation (NEF).
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/446303/pakistan-among-top-20-happiest-countries-beating-india-us-report/
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9 officials Child Care House in Pak accused of sexually assaulting 40 homeless kids
Oct 04 2012
Lahore: Pakistani police have filed a case against nine government officials on charges of sexually assaulting some 40 homeless children at a shelter in Punjab province, officials said today.
The children were living in a shelter run by the Child Protection Bureau, a government care facility, in Faisalabad district, 100 km from Lahore.
Employees of the Bureau had allegedly subjected them to physical abuse for some time, the officials said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/9-pak-officials-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-40-homeless-kids/1011850/
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Kayani backs Balochistan's solution within Pak constitution
Oct 04 2012
Islamabad : Amidst growing criticism of the role of the military and security agencies in Balochistan, Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said his force will "fully back" any solution to the problems of the restive province that are within the country's Constitution.
"The army will fully back any solution under the Constitution of Pakistan," Kayani was quoted as saying in a rare public statement on the situation in Balochistan, which has been rocked by militant and sectarian violence for the past few years.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kayani-backs-balochistans-solution-within-pak-constitution/1011856/
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Nearly 3 million 'filthy rich' Pakistanis 'don't pay taxes'
Oct 04 2012
Islamabad : Over 2.38 million people in Pakistan belonging to the wealthy class are tax evaders, revealed statistics compiled by the National Database and Registration Authority.
Nearly three million people possess a National Tax Number (NTN), but only 1.4 million of them filed income tax returns last year. Sources identified 2.38 million people who live in palatial houses, own luxury cars, travel abroad frequently, possess arms, hold multiple bank accounts and pay hefty utility bills, but pay no income tax, reports The Dawn.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nearly-3-million-filthy-rich-pakistanis-dont-pay-taxes/1011881/
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Pakistan, Russia renewing ties: FM Khar
4 Oct 2012
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday said that every Pakistani wanted the country’s relations with Russia to be strengthened, adding that, Pakistan and Russia were renewing their ties, DawnNews reported.
Addressing a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Khar said she hoped that the Pakistani and Russian heads of state would soon meet.
Khar said she and the Russian foreign minister held talks on regional and global challenges confronting both countries.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/04/pakistan-russia-renewing-ties-fm-khar/
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Pakistan tells Kabul it only retaliates fire
4 Oct 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army only fires after its villages and border posts come under attack from across the border, the ISPR said on Wednesday.
It said further Pakistani and Afghan generals held talks on cross-border shelling and militants’ attack on Pakistani security posts along the border.
According to the ISPR, Afghan Army delegation, headed by Afghan National Army Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Afzal Aman, visited the General Headquarters for meeting with his counterpart Major General Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmad.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\04\story_4-10-2012_pg1_5
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Two killed in Quetta
4 Oct 2012
QUETTA: Two people, including a woman, were killed in a firing by unidentified men on Sariab Road on Wednesday. According to details, unidentified men opened fire on a tailor’s shop located in Arif Street, Sariab Road. Resultantly, two people, including a woman, were killed. Their bodies were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta. The man was identified as Saeed Ahmed, who belonged to Bangulzai tribe and was a resident of Burma Hotel area, Sariab Road; however, the woman could not be identified. The assailants managed to escape the scene. The motive behind the killing could not be known. Police have registered a case and started investigation.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\04\story_4-10-2012_pg7_12
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Govt should provide basic rights to Baloch, says JWP chief
4 Oct 2012
LAHORE: Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief Talal Bugti on Wednesday said the government should provide basic rights to the Baloch, or else he country may face consequences.
After a meeting with Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP-Noorani) President Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair and Secretary General Zawar Bahadur, Talal said that the army and intelligence agencies should have no role in politics. The JWP leader said the army operation was going on in Balochistan. He demanded that the government abolish no-go areas in the areas of Marri and Bugti tribes.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\04\story_4-10-2012_pg7_13
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SC accepts plea to make President respondent
October 4, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court accepted the request of Salman Akram Raja, the counsel of former air chief air marshal (retd) Asghar Khan, to make the President of Pakistan a respondent in a case pertaining to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) financing politicians in the 1990 elections, Express News reported.
The court issued notices to the President’s principal secretary in this regard.
A five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing the case.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/446810/asghar-khan-petition-sc-accepts-plea-to-make-zardari-respondent/
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Supreme Court summons Shahbaz Sharif in dual nationality case
October 4, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court summoned Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in the dual nationality case on Thursday, reported Express News.
The court also summoned Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz who had earlier alleged that Sharif is a dual nationality holder.
The apex court is currently hearing cases against lawmakers with dual nationalities and had suspended as many as 11 lawmakers last week, including Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
On Wednesday, the court suspended the National Assembly membership of Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) MNA Shehnaz Sheikh for holding Australian nationality while being a Pakistani national.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/446818/supreme-court-summons-shahbaz-sharif-in-dual-nationality-case/
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Bilour calls Imran’s Waziristan plan a farce
Oct 4, 2012
PESHAWAR: Calling Imran Khan’s proposed peace march to South Waziristan a farce, senior Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour on Thursday alleged that Khan was travelling to the tribal region on ‘someone’s’ request and was therefore allowing Americans to participate in the rally, DawnNews reported.
Speaking to media representatives at an event in Peshawar, Bilour said the United States was planning to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan and alleged that Khan was staging a farce by leading the rally to South Waziristan.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/04/bilour-calls-imrans-waziristan-plan-a-farce/
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South Asia
No new UAE visas for Bangladeshis
4 Oct 2012
Authorities in the UAE have stopped issuing all kinds of entry permits for Bangladeshi passport holders because of security concerns over identification and fake documents, the gulf news reports.
Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, assistant undersecretary for Naturalisation and Residency and Ports Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, told gulf news the suspension of issuing visas is not permanent and is not a ban.
Current Bangladeshi visa holders in the UAE will not face any difficulties in extending their visa or renewing residency permits, the Dubai-based online newspaper reports on Wednesday.
He said the situation will return to normal once a number of issues are resolved by the government of Bangladesh.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=41381
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Afghanistan to 'vigorously' seek peace with Taliban
October 4, 2012
WASHINGTON: Afghanistan will work “vigorously” to seek peace with Taliban insurgents, Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul vowed Wednesday at the launch of new body set up to steer ties with the US.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also vowed the United States would stand by Afghanistan as it seeks to emerge from decades of war, even after all US and NATO combat troops have left the country by late 2014.
“We know that difficult days lie ahead. But despite the challenges, the United States is committed to the people of Afghanistan and we have made progress together that too often is overlooked,” she said.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/446709/afghanistan-to-vigorously-seek-peace-with-taliban/
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32 Islamists charged for Sept 22, vandalism, Dhaka
4 Oct 2012
Police yesterday pressed charges against 32 leaders and activists of 12 like-minded Islamist parties including Islami Oikya Jote Secretary General Abdul Latif Nejami in a case filed for damaging and torching vehicles in the capital on September 22.
Masud Rana, sub-inspector at Shahbagh Police Station and also the case's investigation officer, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court of Dhaka.
Names of four other leaders including Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan Ameer Maulana Shah Ahmadullah Ashraf were dropped from the charge sheet as police did not find their link with the charges.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=252396
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10 Bangladesh madrasa board officials to explain Jamaat-e-Islami leader certificate forgery
4 Oct 2012
A parliamentary sub-committee probing Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee's certificate forgery yesterday asked ten former and current top officials of the Madrasa board to explain their alleged role in the scam within 10 days.
“The Madrasa board officials, through unfair means, helped Sayedee change his name, and date of birth,” Biren Sikder, member of the three-member of sub-committee, told The Daily Star after a meeting at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=252380
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Sri Lankans Muslims condemn attacks on Buddhists
4 Oct 2012
Sri Lanka’s minority Muslims condemned attacks on minority Buddhists in the Muslim-majority Bangladesh and demanded that authorities there punish those responsible.
N.M. Ameen, president of Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, an umbrella organisation of over 100 Muslim civil society groups, said Wednesday that any ethnic incident against minorities in Bangladesh or any other South Asian country “is surely to reflect in our country Sri Lanka too.”
About 7 percent of Sri Lanka’s 20 million people are Muslims, and 74 percent are mostly Buddhist Sinhalese.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/sri-lankans-muslims-condemn-attacks-on-buddhists/article3961121.ece
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Amnesty for punishment of perpetrators
4 Oct 2012
The perpetrators of arson attacks on temples and Buddhist villages in the south of Bangladesh must be brought to justice, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.
In a press release the international rights body said that steps must be taken to protect the ethnic minorities.
More than 20 Buddhist temples and monasteries and at least one Hindu temple, along with scores of homes and shops, were set on fire during attacks in Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong areas on Saturday and Sunday. Hundreds of people protested the posting of an allegedly derogatory image of the Quran on social network site Facebook, the release added.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=41379
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Afghan general visits Pakistan to discuss shelling
4 Oct 2012
ISLAMABAD: A senior Afghan army general visited Pakistan on Wednesday to discuss alleged Pakistani shelling across the mountainous border that has heightened tensions between the two neighbours, a statement said.
Afghanistan has for months accused Pakistan of staging repeated shelling barrages across the two eastern provinces of Kunar and Nuristan, killing dozens of Afghans and forcing several families to flee their homes.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/04/afghan-general-visits-pakistan-to-discuss-shelling/
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Karzai pledges new Afghan president in 2014
Afghan President Hamid Karzai reveals his willingness to step down and pave way for new president by 2014, a step that will coincide with scheduled withdrawal of NATO forces
4 Oct 2012
Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged Thursday that he would step down as required by the constitution at the end of his second term in 2014 and that nothing would prevent presidential elections being held.
The election coincides with the scheduled withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan and questions have been raised about whether the security situation could make it impossible for the vote to go ahead.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/54762/World/International/Karzai-pledges-new-Afghan-president-in-.aspx
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Southeast Asia
Bashir Calls Papua Bomb Plot Charges Unfair, Accuses SBY of 'Attack on Islam'
Farouk Arnaz | October 04, 2012
Convicted terrorist Abu Bakar Bashir has blasted the police’s “lenient” action against members of a Papuan pro-independence group allegedly plotting a coordinated bombing attack, calling it proof that the government was waging war against Islam.
Hasyim Abdullah, a lawyer for the firebrand cleric, said on Tuesday that Bashir was outraged at the “unfairness” between his treatment by the authorities and the handling of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) members who were reportedly planning a series of bombings in the restive province last week.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/bashir-calls-papua-bomb-plot-charges-unfair-accuses-sby-of-attack-on-islam/548067
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/2-coptic-christian-boys-held/d/8875