32 militants killed, with 23 hostages: Algeria
New Age Islam News Bureau
20 Jan 2013
Africa
• 32 militants killed, with 23 hostages: Algeria
• Sudan, South Sudan border talks get nowhere, delay oil exports
• Northern Malians hope for quick military enforcement
• A long way from Algeria to al-Qaeda
• Nigerian Muslim leader attacked in Kano
• Jihadists’ Surge in North Africa Reveals Grim Side of Arab Spring
India
• Male-female equality is against nature, says Sunni scholar
• RSS, BJP camps promoting Hindu terror: Sushil kumar Shinde
• Hindu extremists planned to target Justice Sachar
• Shinde's Hindu terror remarks 'oxygen' to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism: BJP
• Peace process with Pakistan back on track 'considerably', Khurshid says
• Sarabjit slams Pak judiciary in book
• Omar Abdullah against ‘darbar move’ of shifting capital
• Be tough, not emotional in response to Pak, Rahul Gandhi says
• Kashmiri migrants can't be forced to return: Omar
• PM asks Pak to reciprocate India's efforts for friendship
• Upset India snubs Maldives, refuses to host foreign minister
• Dropped from fest, Pak play finds a stage, and a full house, in Delhi
South Asia
• 10 Japanese unaccounted for in Algeria crisis: Employer
• Human traffickers sabotaging border control deal: Nexbis
• Declare Khaleda a 'war criminal'
• Ijtema ends with prayers for peace
• PPM council elected at party’s first ever congress
• Clash over building temple, 16 injured
• 150 sued over Agri university killing
Mideast Asia
• US drone strikes kill eight al-Qaida members in Yemen
• Israel Leader Says Iran Key Issue, Not Settlements
• Iran hangs 2 for attack posted on YouTube
• Palestinians gather at new West Bank protest camp
• Iran says progress made in UN nuclear talks
Arab World
• OIC chief says new anti-Islamophobia approach needed
• Non-lethal chemical weapons used in Syria: Le Monde
• Saudi supports stability and development In Afghanistan
• Bahrain MPs for labour accommodation licence
• $ 400 m deal signed to launch 6th generation satellite
• Arab Spring issues ‘must be tackled at economic conference’
• Islamic website with extensive library launched
• 4 die in violence across Iraq
• As Killings Go On, Syria Reacts Strongly to War-Crimes Petition
• 4 Die in Egypt Clashes After Man Killed by Police
Europe
• Up to six Britons killed in Algeria, Cameron says
• Africa Must Take Lead in Mali, France Says
• Racist attack: Hundreds demonstrate in Athens over murder of Pakistani worker
• British facebook 'fantasist' jailed over beheading videos
• Savita Halappanavar death case: Thousands of Irish attend anti-abortion protest
• 'Algeria siege shows need to be relentless against terrorists'
North America
• Barack Obama blames 'terrorists' for Algeria hostage deaths
• US could be more engaged in ousting Assad: John McCain
• US targeted killings guidebook allows CIA drones in Pakistan: Report
• Attacks on polio workers would not deter us: Bill Gates
• US says seller of 9/11 coins to pay $750,000
• Bigelow faces heat for access to secret Osama info
• U. S. nuclear component reaches Pakistan via China
• US warns its citizens of travel dangers in Algeria
Pakistan
• Pakistan's commerce minister calls off visit to India
• Qadri slams Sharif brothers for ‘worst propaganda’ against him
• Imran vows huge ‘tsunami’ if caretaker PM not neutral
• Pak man, alleged murderer of 100, walks free
• Fire in a mall kills six in Lahore
• Quaid wanted ‘Mussalmans’ to enter film industry
• Manzar Imam was an anti-Taliban crusader: Police
• Punjab governor’s sons have joined PPP: Gilani
• Imposters: Gunmen in military uniform abduct and kill two persons
• Rights violations: Protesters rally against FC in Balochistan
• International ‘Milad-e-Mustafa’ rally to commence from Rawat
Southeast Asia
• Malaysian prime minister to make rare visit to Gaza
Police told to uphold human rights in Poso
Rape Becomes No Joke In Modern Indonesia
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Male-female equality is against nature, says Sunni scholar
URL:
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Africa
32 militants killed, with 23 hostages: Algeria
Jan 20, 2013
ALGIERS, Algeria: In a bloody finale, Algerian special forces stormed a natural gas complex in the Sahara desert on Saturday to end a standoff with Islamist extremists that left at least 23 hostages dead and killed all 32 militants involved, the Algerian government said.
With few details emerging from the remote site in eastern Algeria, it was unclear whether anyone was rescued in the final operation, but the number of hostages killed on Saturday, seven, was how many the militants had said that morning they still had. The government described the toll as provisional and some foreigners remain unaccounted for.
The siege at Ain Amenas transfixed the world after radical Islamists linked to al-Qaida stormed the complex, which contained hundreds of plant workers from all over the world, then held them hostage surrounded by the Algerian military and its attack helicopters for four tense days that were punctuated with gun battles and dramatic tales of escape.
Algeria's response to the crisis was typical of its history in confronting terrorists, favoring military action over negotiation, which caused an international outcry from countries worried about their citizens. Algerian military forces twice assaulted the two areas where the hostages were being held with minimal apparent mediation, first on Thursday, then on Saturday.
"To avoid a bloody turn of events in response to the extreme danger of the situation, the army's special forces launched an intervention with efficiency and professionalism to neutralize the terrorist groups that were first trying to flee with the hostages and then blow up the gas facilities," Algeria's interior ministry said in a statement about the standoff.
Immediately after the assault, French President Francois Hollande gave his backing to Algeria's tough tactics, saying they were "the most adapted response to the crisis."
"There could be no negotiations" with terrorists, the French media quoted him as saying in the central French city of Tulle.
Hollande said the hostages were "shamefully murdered" by their captors, and he linked the event to France's military operation against al-Qaida-backed rebels in neighboring Mali. "If there was any need to justify our action against terrorism, we would have here, again, an additional argument," he said.
In the final assault, the remaining band of militants killed the hostages before 11 of them were in turn cut down by the special forces, Algeria's state news agency said. The military launched its Saturday assault to prevent a fire started by the extremists from engulfing the complex and blowing it up, the report added.
A total of 685 Algerian and 107 foreigner workers were freed over the course of the four-day standoff, the ministry statement said, adding that the group of militants that attacked the remote Saharan natural gas complex consisted of 32 men of various nationalities, including three Algerians and explosives experts.
The military also said it confiscated heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, missiles and grenades attached to suicide belts.
Sonatrach, the Algerian state oil company running the Ain Amenas site along with BP and Norway's Statoil, said the entire refinery had been mined with explosives, and that the process of clearing it out is now under way.
Algeria has fought its own Islamist rebellion since the 1990s, elements of which later declared allegiance to al-Qaida and then set up new groups in the poorly patrolled wastes of the Sahara along the borders of Niger, Mali, Algeria and Libya, where they flourished.
The standoff has put the spotlight on these al-Qaida-linked groups that roam these remote areas, threatening vital infrastructure and energy interests. The militants initially said their operation was intended to stop a French attack on Islamist militants in neighboring Mali, though they later said it was two months in the planning, long before the French intervention.
The militants, who came from a Mali-based al-Qaida splinter group run by an Algerian, attacked the plant Wednesday morning. Armed with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers in four-wheel drive vehicles, they fell on a pair of buses taking foreign workers to the airport. The buses' military escort drove off the attackers in a blaze of gunfire that sent bullets zinging over the heads of crouching workers. A Briton and an Algerian, probably a security guard, were killed.
The militants then turned to the vast gas complex, divided between the workers' living quarters and the refinery itself, and seized hostages, the Algerian government said. The gas flowing to the site was cut off.
Saturday's government statement said the militants came across the border from "neighboring countries," while the militants said they came from Niger, hundreds of miles (kilometers) to the south.
On Thursday, Algerian helicopters kicked off the military's first assault on the complex by opening fire on a convoy carrying both kidnappers and their hostages to stop them from escaping, resulting in many deaths, according to witnesses.
The accounts of hostages who escaped the standoff showed they faced dangers from both the kidnappers and the military.
Ruben Andrada, 49, a Filipino civil engineer who works as one of the project management staff for the Japanese company JGC Corp., described how he and his colleagues were used as human shields by the kidnappers, which did little to deter the Algerian military.
On Thursday, about 35 hostages guarded by 15 militants were loaded into seven SUVs in a convoy to move them from the housing complex to the refinery, Andrada said. The militants placed "an explosive cord" around their necks and were told it would detonate if they tried to run away, he said.
"When we left the compound, there was shooting all around," Andrada said, as Algerian helicopters attacked with guns and missiles. "I closed my eyes. We were going around in the desert. To me, I left it all to fate."
Andrada's vehicle overturned allowing him and a few others to escape. He sustained cuts and bruises and was grazed by a bullet on his right elbow. He later saw the blasted remains of other vehicles, and the severed leg of one of the gunmen.
The site of the gas plant spreads out over several hectares (acres) and includes a housing complex and the processing site, about a mile (1.6 kilometers) apart, making it especially complicated for the Algerians to secure the site and likely contributed to the lengthy standoff.
"It's a big and complex site. It's a huge place with a lot of people there and a lot of hiding places for hostages and terrorists," said Col. Richard Kemp, a retired commander of British forces who had dealt with hostage rescues in Iraq and Afghanistan. "These are experienced terrorists holding the hostages."
While the Algerian government has only admitted to 23 hostages dead so far, the militants claimed through the Mauritanian news website ANI that the helicopter attack alone killed 35 hostages. One American, from Texas, is among the dead.
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Saturday that a Frenchman killed, Yann Desjeux, was a former member of the French special forces and part of the security team. The remaining three French nationals who were at the plant are now free, the Foreign Ministry said.
The British government said Saturday it is trying to determine the fate of six people from Britain who are either dead or unaccounted for.
Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said, "There is no justification for taking innocent life in this way. Our determination is stronger than ever to work with allies right around the world to root out and defeat this terrorist scourge and those who encourage it."
The Norwegian government said there were five Norwegians unaccounted for.
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Saturday one Romanian hostage was killed in the course of the siege, while the Malaysian government said two of its citizens were still missing.
The attack by the Masked Brigade, founded by Algerian militant Moktar Belmoktar, had been in the works for two months, a member of the brigade told the ANI news outlet. He said militants targeted Algeria because they expected the country to support the international effort to root out extremists in neighboring Mali and it was carried out by a special commando unit, "Those Who Signed in Blood," tasked with attacking nations supporting intervention in Mali.
The kidnappers focused on the foreign workers, largely leaving alone the hundreds of Algerian workers who were briefly held hostage before being released or escaping.
Several of them arrived haggard-looking on a late-night flight into Algiers on Friday and described how the militants stormed the living quarters and immediately separated out the foreigners.
Mohamed, a 37-year-old nurse who like the others wouldn't allow his last name to be used for fear of trouble for himself or his family, said at least five people were shot to death, their bodies still in front of the infirmary when he left Thursday night.
Chabane, an Algerian who worked in food services, said he bolted out the window and was hiding when he heard the militants speaking among themselves with Libyan, Egyptian and Tunisian accents. At one point, he said, they caught a Briton.
"They threatened him until he called out in English to his friends, telling them, `Come out, come out. They're not going to kill you. They're looking for the Americans,"' Chabane said.
"A few minutes later, they blew him away."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/32-militants-killed-with-23-hostages-Algeria/articleshow/18095000.cms
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Sudan, South Sudan border talks get nowhere, delay oil exports
Jan 20 2013
Khartoum/Juba : Sudan and South Sudan on Saturday failed to agree on how to withdraw armies from their disputed border after a round of talks in Ethiopia, delaying again the resumption of crucial oil exports.
The African neighbours came close to war in April in the worst border clashes since South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 under a 2005 deal which ended decades of civil war.
After mediation from the African Union, both countries agreed in September to set up a demilitarized buffer zone and resume oil exports from landlocked South Sudan through Sudan. Oil is vital to both economies.
But neither side withdrew its army from the 2,000-km (1,200-mile) border due to mistrust left from one of Africa's longest civil wars.
To end the stalemate the AU brought together Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and South Sudan's Salva Kiir two weeks ago in Ethiopia. But after a week of talks in Addis Ababa to discuss how to set up the buffer zone, as agreed by the presidents, both sides accused each other of making new demands.
"We were facing difficulties during the talks in Addis Ababa because of the changing position of South Sudan which keeps altering every time we reach an agreement," Sudan's defence minister Abdel-Rahim Mohammed Hussein told reporters after his return at Khartoum airport.
Talks would be postponed until Feb. 13, he said.
Hussein said South Sudan made new demands for demilitarization of a disputed border area called Mile-14 and had not given up support for rebels fighting Sudan's government.
Khartoum accuses Juba of backing Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-North) rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, two Sudan states bordering the South. Juba denies this.
The SPLM-North, made up of fighters who sided with the South during the civil war, controls part of the Sudan side of the border, which complicates setting up the buffer zone.
South Sudan accused Sudan of refusing to withdraw its forces from the border and making new demands regarding "Mile-14".
"The Republic of South Sudan also agreed to resume oil production immediately ... (but) Sudan has refused to accept the oil for processing and transporting in Sudan," until the buffer zone was fully operational, South Sudan said in a statement.
MORE DELAYS
South Sudan, which says Sudan often bombs its territory, shut down its entire oil output of 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) a year ago after failing to agree export and transit fees with Khartoum. It had hoped to be producing 230,000 bpd by December.
Crude from southern fields will take two months to reach the Red Sea terminal on Sudan's coast after output resumes, South Sudan said this month, suggesting exports are unlikely to hit markets until April or even May after the latest delay.
The AU had planned to publish last week a timetable for setting up the buffer zone.
But in a statement on Saturday it only said both sides had made "substantial progress" and would hold further talks regarding the buffer zone and "the key issue on when oil exports could resume and under what circumstances."
It did not say when talks would resume.
Apart from oil and the buffer zone, the two countries must also agree on ownership of Abyei and other disputed areas.
On Thursday, Juba had raised hope of an understanding when it said it had started withdrawing its army from the border.
But it was unclear whether Juba had actually begun pulling out its forces because its military spokesman Philip Aguer told Reuters the army was still awaiting orders to do so.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sudan-south-sudan-border-talks-get-nowhere-delay-oil-exports/1062078/
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Northern Malians hope for quick military enforcement
January 20, 2013
Residents of northern Mali welcomed on Sunday the military intervention against Islamist rebels, but African nations were still struggling to get their troops on the ground due to financial shortfalls and logistical hurdles.
During an emergency summit in Ivory Coast on Saturday, West African leaders asked the international community to provide more support in Mali. To date, just 100 African troops - out of a planned contingent of 5,800 - have reached Mali’s capital Bamako.
About 2,000 French ground troops are leading the fight against Islamist insurgents in the country’s north. But French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has stressed that Africa ultimately “must take the lead.” Northern Mali’s local population is “relieved and happy that liberation is under way,” El Hadj Baba Haidara, a member of parliament for Timbuktu, told Malian news website Afribone in an interview. Northern Malian leaders had been appealing to the international community for help since May, he said.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), however, is not pleased by the pressure it has been put under to deploy its troops.
France had “imposed” a military option, head of ECOWAS and Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara complained, while West African leaders were still trying to find a political solution to the conflict.
African troops had initially scheduled to reach Mali only in September. Their deployment is now been planned for the coming weeks.
Despite the complaints, ECOWAS was nevertheless hoping for a quick resolution to the conflict, Mr. Ouattara said, so as to prevent Mali from “becoming a nest for terrorists.” African Union (AU) chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma also expressed “concern over the worsening of the scourge of terrorism” in the entire Sahel-Saharan region.
In other developments, unidentified gunmen killed two Nigerian soldiers who were on their way to Mali to help fight Islamist rebels, according to local newspapers reports. Several other soldiers were severely injured in the ambush.
A contingent of 190 soldiers was attacked on Saturday morning while travelling in three busses through Kogi state towards Bamako when it came under fire, Colonel Femi Olorunyomi told Nigerian newspaper The Tribune. Improvised explosives had also been planted on the highway.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/northern-malians-hope-for-quick-military-enforcement/article4325894.ece
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A long way from Algeria to al-Qaeda
JASON BURKE
January 20, 2013
Back in what is in effect jihadi pre-history, Osama bin Laden, then simply a well-connected and wealthy young Saudi ideologue and veteran of the Soviet-Afghan war, sent an emissary to Algeria to offer assistance to the Groupe Islamique Arme (Armed Islamic Group of Algeria), a band of savage extremists engaged in a no-holds barred battle with the Algerian state. The response was an unequivocal rejection, accompanied by some choice expletives. Bin Laden’s emissary was lucky to escape alive.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/a-long-way-from-algeria-to-alqaeda/article4323647.ece
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Nigerian Muslim leader attacked in Kano
20 January 2013
KANO, Nigeria: Gunmen opened fire on the convoy of one of Nigeria’s most senior Muslim leaders in the northern city of Kano yesterday, killing four people, although the Emir of Kano himself escaped unhurt, authorities said.
Violence has worsened in Kano, the north’s main city, in the past week, with near daily attacks by militant sect Boko Haram against security forces.
The Emir of Kano is one of the two most senior Islamic leaders in Nigeria, the other being the Sultan of Sokoto.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/world/nigerian-muslim-leader-attacked-kano
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Jihadists’ Surge in North Africa Reveals Grim Side of Arab Spring
By ROBERT F. WORTH
January 20, 2013
WASHINGTON — As the uprising closed in around him, the Libyan dictator Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi warned that if he fell, chaos and holy war would overtake North Africa. “Bin Laden’s people would come to impose ransoms by land and sea,” he told reporters. “We will go back to the time of Redbeard, of pirates, of Ottomans imposing ransoms on boats.”
In recent days, that unhinged prophecy has acquired a grim new currency. In Mali, French paratroopers arrived this month to battle an advancing force of jihadi fighters who already control an area twice the size of Germany. In Algeria, a one-eyed Islamist bandit organized the brazen takeover of an international gas facility, taking hostages that included more than 40 Americans and Europeans.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/world/africa/in-chaos-in-north-africa-a-grim-side-of-
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India
Male-female equality is against nature, says Sunni scholar
Jan 20, 2013
KOZHIKODE: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has got an unexpected supporter in Kerala. Sunni scholar and general secretary of All India Sunni Jam-Iyyathul Ulema, Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar, has come out with a statement supporting Bhagwat's remarks on the role of women in the Indian society.
On an interview published in the Friday edition of Siraj, the mouthpiece of 'Kanthapuram' faction of Sunnis, he said, "The demand for male-female equality is against nature. Man and woman have different faculties and different responsibilities."
According to the Sunni leader, the problem is with the perception that men and women can be equal. Arguing that feminism is a western concept, he said, "When we accept ideas from outside, we need to consider whether they are acceptable to our society."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Male-female-equality-is-against-nature-says-Sunni-scholar/articleshow/18094590.cms
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RSS, BJP camps promoting Hindu terror: Sushil kumar Shinde
Jan 20, 2013
JAIPUR/ NEW DELHI: Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has accused the BJP and the RSS of fanning Hindu terrorism, a charge which drew angry reaction from both of them.
"Reports have come during investigation that BJP and RSS conduct terror training camps to spread terrorism... Bombs were planted in Samjhauta express, Mecca Masjid and also a blast was carried out in Malegaon.
"We will have to think about it seriously and will have to remain alert," Shinde said at the AICC meeting in Jaipur on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/RSS-BJP-camps-promoting-Hindu-terror-Sushilkumar-Shinde/articleshow/18100459.cms
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Hindu extremists planned to target Justice Sachar
Jan 20 2013
New Delhi: Alleged Samjhauta Express train bomber Rajendra Choudhary has claimed that Hindu right-wing extremists planned to target former Delhi high court chief justice Rajinder Sachar in October 2006.
The committee headed by Justice Sachar was to submit its report on the socio-economic conditions of Muslims before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2006 and the terror group, headed by slain RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi, was angry over the setting up of the panel.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/1062000/
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Shinde's Hindu terror remarks 'oxygen' to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism: BJP
Jan 20, 2013
NEW DELHI: BJP on Sunday attacked home minister Sushilkumar Shinde for accusing it and RSS of running terror training camps and demanded an apology from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for it.
"Their (Congress's) destructive mindset is reflected in the statement of the home minister. The statement he has given at the chintan shivir (brainstorming camp) is very objectionable. It's not only unacceptable but also dangerous," BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters here.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Shindes-Hindu-terror-remarks-oxygen-to-Pakistan-sponsored-terrorism-BJP/articleshow/18102780.cms
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Peace process with Pakistan back on track 'considerably', Khurshid says
Jan 20, 2013
NEW DELHI: Asserting that it will not be influenced by "jingoistic conversations" in sections of the media, the government said on Sunday peace process with Pakistan was back on track "considerably" but made it clear that "atmospherics" have to be right to move forward.
External affairs minister Salman Khurshid, while underlying that it is sensible not to hasten and rush into things, also denied that the government has been boxed into a corner over the ceasefire violations at the line of control and the beheading of an Indian soldier by Pakistani troops.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Peace-process-with-Pakistan-back-on-track-considerably-Khurshid-says/articleshow/18099001.cms
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Sarabjit slams Pak judiciary in book
Jan 20, 2013,
CHANDIGARH: Twenty-two years after he was sentenced to death by a court in Pakistan for allegedly triggering blasts, Sarabjit Singh has written, from the gallows in Lahore, about the irony in his life as the death sentence came on Indian Independence Day. His brief narration is a part of the book written on the Indian by his Pakistani counsel Awais Sheikh, who said that 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab's execution in India would have no adverse impact on Sarabjit's mercy petition pending with the Pakistan president.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sarabjit-slams-Pak-judiciary-in-book/articleshow/18095931.cms
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Omar Abdullah against ‘darbar move’ of shifting capital
Jan 20, 2013
NEW DELHI: Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has called for discarding the tradition of shifting the state capital to Jammu in winter, saying it smacks of escapism - running away from the harsh Srinagar cold while the Valley freezes.
He tweeted the suggestion on Saturday while acknowledging that the shifting process -- known as 'Darbar Move' -- cannot be done away with.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Omar-Abdullah-against-darbar-move-of-shifting-capital/articleshow/18095522.cms
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Be tough, not emotional in response to Pak, Rahul Gandhi says
Jan 20, 2013
JAIPUR: Hours before he was made the official No 2 in Congress, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday advocated hardnosed diplomacy and firm response to deal with Pakistan after the beheading incident at the Line of Control.
Referring to the diplomatic strategy followed by India after the 26/11 attacks, Rahul told senior party leaders that India should deal firmly with the neighbour but said it had to be based on national interest and not an emotional outburst.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Be-tough-not-emotional-in-response-to-Pak-Rahul-Gandhi-says/articleshow/18097104.cms
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Kashmiri migrants can't be forced to return: Omar
Jan 19, 2013
JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said Kashmiri Pandits cannot be forced to return to the Kashmir valley, which they left in the 1990s fearing for their safety.
"Their exodus was forced their return can't be. All I can do is redouble my efforts to facilitate conditions for Pandits to return to Kashmir," he posted on Twitter.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kashmiri-migrants-cant-be-forced-to-return-Omar/articleshow/18093159.cms
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PM asks Pak to reciprocate India's efforts for friendship
Jan 20 2013
Jaipur: Asserting that the recent beheading of the Indian soldier along LoC has cast a "negative impact" on bilateral ties, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked Pakistan to reciprocate India's efforts for friendship with it.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pm-asks-pak-to-reciprocate-indias-efforts-for-fri.../1062103/
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Upset India snubs Maldives, refuses to host foreign minister
Jan 20 2013
New Delhi: Sending a strong signal to Maldives that India is not willing to engage with its current leadership after the GMR controversy, the government has turned down an official request from the Maldivian foreign minister to visit India to set up a visit by the Maldivian president.
Foreign Minister Abdul Samad Abdullah tried his best to reach out to New Delhi on behalf of President Mohamed Waheed but failed. So much so that he came to Delhi on a private visit this month after his official request was rejected and sought meetings in a personal capacity, sources said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/upset-india-snubs-maldives-refuses-to-host-foreign-minister/1061992/
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Dropped from fest, Pak play finds a stage, and a full house, in Delhi
Jan 20 2013
New Delhi: The venue was different and smaller, but Lahore-based group Ajoka Theatre did stage its play Kaun Hai Yeh Gustakh in Delhi Saturday. Ajoka and another Pakistani group, NAPA Repertory Theatre, had been removed Thursday from the line-up of the 15th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the annual theatre festival of the National School of Drama, due to security concerns arising from tensions at the Line of Control.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dropped-from-fest-pak-play-finds-a-stage-and-a-full-house-in-delhi/1061972/
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South Asia
10 Japanese unaccounted for in Algeria crisis: Employer
Jan 20, 2013
TOKYO: A Japanese engineering firm said on Sunday that 10 Japanese and seven foreign workers remained unaccounted for at an Algerian gas plant that was seized by Islamist militants.
JGC Corp. said it had confirmed the safety of 61 of 78 workers after Algerian troops stormed the remote gas plant Saturday to end the hostage crisis that killed 23 foreigners and Algerians.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/10-Japanese-unaccounted-for-in-Algeria-crisis-Employer/articleshow/18097409.cms
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Human traffickers sabotaging border control deal: Nexbis
By Neil Merrett | January 19th, 2013
The Malaysian IT company at the center of legal wrangling over a deal to provide a border control system (BCS) to the Maldivian government has alleged “criminal elements” could be behind efforts to scupper the agreement.
Vice President for Nexbis Nafies Aziz told Minivan News that “intelligence” received by the company suggested groups backing the country’s lucrative human trafficking industry could be seeking to stymie the introduction of its BCS to undermine national security controls.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/human-traffickers-sabotaging-border-control-deal-nexbis-51383
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Declare Khaleda a 'war criminal'
January 20, 2013
Eminent journalist and cultural activist Kamal Lohani yesterday demanded that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia be declared a “war criminal” and sought her trial for her role “against” the ongoing war crimes trial.
“It is normal for a lady who was with the Pakistani army (in 1971) for nine months to speak against the war crimes trial,” said the adviser of Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee.
“Why should we follow a lady (Khaleda Zia) who misguides so many people, distorts actual history and drives people towards a path of lies?,” he said while presiding over a discussion in the capital's WVA Auditorium.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=265855
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Ijtema ends with prayers for peace
January 20, 2013
Over a million of Muslims sought world peace and divine blessings for mankind and the Muslim Ummah as the second phase of Biswa Ijtema concluded on Sunday through the final supplication, Akheri Munajat.
Indian religious scholar Zobayerul Hasan led the 18-minute munajat at the Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims after the Hajj, on the bank of river Turag in Tongi.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44131
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PPM council elected at party’s first ever congress
By Luke Powell | January 19th, 2013
Key positions within the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) were filled this weekend during elections at the party’s first ever congress.
Twelve out of the fourteen seats of PPM’s council were won by party members aligned with MP Abdulla Yameen, who is competing for the party’s presidential primary against interim Vice President of PPM, Umar Nasser.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/ppm-council-elected-at-partys-first-ever-congress-51378
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Clash over building temple, 16 injured
January 20, 2013
At least 16 people, including eight women, were injured in a clash over construction of a temple in Kaharol upazila of the district yesterday.
Six of the injured were admitted to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital while rest to to the upazila health complex.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=265929
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150 sued over Agri university killing
January 20, 2013
A murder case was filed against 150 people including 25 Bangladesh Chhatra League men on Sunday in connection with the gunfight that killed a madrasa student at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in Mymensingh yesterday.
Meanwhile, the university authorities have formed two committees to investigate Saturday's incident, reports our Mymensingh correspondent.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44146
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Mideast Asia
US drone strikes kill eight al-Qaida members in Yemen
Jan 20, 2013
SANAA: Three US drone strikes killed eight people, including at least four suspected members of al-Qaida, in the Yemen province of Marib, a tribal chief and witnesses said today.
One raid on Saturday late night targeted a vehicle transporting four suspected members of the jihadist network in Wadi Abida, east of the city of Marib, 170 kms east of Sanaa, the tribal source said. "The bodies of the four dead were ched," he said, requesting anonymity, adding that only the body of Ismail bin Jamil, a local al-Qaida chief, was identified.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/US-drone-strikes-kill-eight-al-Qaida-members-in-Yemen/articleshow/18099642.cms
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Israel Leader Says Iran Key Issue, Not Settlements
January 20, 2013
JERUSALEM (AP) — Two days before Israeli elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is shrugging off international criticism of Israeli settlement construction, calling Iran's suspect nuclear program the real threat to regional security.
Speaking to his Cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu said he told a group of visiting U.S. senators that "the problem is not building ... The problem in the Middle East is Iran's attempt to build nuclear weapons ... This was, and remains, the main mission facing not only myself and Israel, but the entire world."
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/01/20/world/middleeast/ap-ml-israel-
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Iran hangs 2 for attack posted on YouTube
January 20 2013
Iran state radio says two men have been hanged publicly after posting a video on YouTube showing them robbing and assaulting a man with a machete on a Tehran street.
The execution was carried out Sunday after officials called for a speedy investigation and trial because of public outrage. The video emerged in early December and was later shown on state TV.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/20/iran-hangs-2-attack-posted-youtube.html
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Palestinians gather at new West Bank protest camp
20 January 2013
BEIT IKSA: Some 200 Palestinians gathered yesterday at a new encampment in a West Bank village, protesting for the second consecutive day Israel’s intention to confiscate land.
“We have settled on the lands of the Beit Iksa village to prevent its confiscation by the Israeli army,” Osama Zayed, village resident and one of the organizers of the initiative, told AFP.
The activists erected four tents since Friday and were building a structure to serve as a mosque.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/palestinians-gather-new-west-bank-protest-camp
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Iran says progress made in UN nuclear talks
January 19, 2013
Iran said it had made some progress in resolving its disputes with the UN atomic watchdog, state media reported, even though the two sides' latest talks failed to seal a deal on letting inspectors visit a military site.
The Islamic state and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met this week, but did not manage to revive an investigation into Iran's suspected nuclear arms research, the UN organisation's officials said on Friday.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Iran-says-progress-made-in-UN-nuclear-talks/Article1-995318.aspx
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Arab World
OIC chief says new anti-Islamophobia approach needed
20 January 2013
The Feb. 6-7 Islamic summit in Cairo will deal with major challenges facing the Muslim world including the Syrian crisis, the Palestinian issue and Rohingya and Mali issues, said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
“The Cairo summit is significant as it comes at a crucial time and will deal with major challenges facing the Muslim world,” Ihsanoglu told Arab News in an exclusive interview at OIC headquarters in Jeddah yesterday. He said all OIC countries would attend the summit.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/oic-chief-says-new-anti-islamophobia-approach-needed
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Non-lethal chemical weapons used in Syria: Le Monde
January 20, 2013
Syrian forces used non-lethal chemical weapons against rebels in the town of Homs in late December, according to intelligence service sources cited by French daily Le Monde on Saturday.
The weapons were used in four rockets fired on December 23, according to unnamed sources in Western intelligence services cited by the newspaper.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44126
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Saudi supports stability and development In Afghanistan
20 January 2013
Abu Dhabi: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its continual provision of assistance and support to promote stability and development in Afghanistan.
The Kingdom has also expressed its great interest in development of cooperative relations with Afghanistan at various economic, cultural and investment fields and at the bilateral, regional and international levels.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-supports-stability-and-development-afghanistan
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Bahrain MPs for labour accommodation licence
January 20, 2013
Five lawmakers in Bahrain are pushing the government for the adoption of annual inspections of all labour accommodations to ensure they meet rigorous health and safety standards.
The MPs said that no labour accommodation could be declared fit without the licence delivered by the labour, health, municipality ministries and the civil defence, United Arab Emirate-based newspaper Gulfnews reports.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44148
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$ 400 m deal signed to launch 6th generation satellite
20 January 2013
Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat) signed $ 400 million contracts to make and launch the sixth generation satellite (Badr7) in Riyadh yesterday.
Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Muhammad Mulla and French Economic Development Minister Arnaud Montebourg attended the ceremony.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/400-m-deal-signed-launch-6th-generation-satellite
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Arab Spring issues ‘must be tackled at economic conference’
20 January 2013
RIYADH: A two-day Arab economic summit that opens in Riyadh on Jan. 21 must break with tradition and tackle people’s aspirations in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said on Saturday.
“Our meeting should not be mired in routine,” Prince Saud said while presiding over a meeting to prepare for the third Arab Economic and Social Development Summit.
Prince Saud also said that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will unveil a specific strategy for regional growth at the third Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in Riyadh tomorrow.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/arab-spring-issues-%E2%80%98must-be-tackled-economic-conference%E2%80%99
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Islamic website with extensive library launched
20 January 2013
A major Islamic website (www.najeebqasmi.com) was launched here yesterday to spread the message of Islam.
The promoter of the site is Najeeb Qasmi, a graduate of the India-based Darul Uloom Deoband and Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi.
“The website has been launched to form an electronic library, where we can upload thousands of authentic Islamic books, easily available to the readers and to present my articles on various topics in a categorical manner,” said Qasmi.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/islamic-website-extensive-library-launched
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4 die in violence across Iraq
19 January 2013
BAGHDAD: Iraqi authorities say four people, including two off-duty policemen, have been killed in Iraq where violence has ebbed but insurgent attacks are still frequent.
Police officials say the first attack occurred yesterday morning when gunmen shot and killed the two policemen in a drive-by-shooting near the northern city of Mosul. Another policeman was wounded.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/4-die-violence-across-iraq
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As Killings Go On, Syria Reacts Strongly to War-Crimes Petition
By ANNE BARNARD
January 20, 2013
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Syrian government reacted with outrage on Saturday to a petition from 58 countries asking that it be investigated for war crimes, even as reports of new atrocities surfaced a day after the United Nations’ top human rights official called forcefully for the case to be referred to the International Criminal Court.
“The Syrian government regrets the persistence of these countries in following the wrong approach and refusing to recognize the duty of the Syrian state to protect its people from terrorism imposed from abroad,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/world/middleeast/syria-war-
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4 Die in Egypt Clashes After Man Killed by Police
January 20, 2013
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's Health Ministry says overnight clashes between police and residents of a densely populated district just north of Cairo have left four people dead.
Security officials say the clashes began when a bystander in Shubra al-Kheima was hit by a stray bullet fired by police chasing an alleged drug dealer. They began on Saturday night and continued until Sunday.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/01/20/world/middleeast/ap-ml-
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Europe
Up to six Britons killed in Algeria, Cameron says
Jan 20, 2013
LONDON: Three British nationals have been confirmed killed during a hostage crisis at a gas plant in Algeria, and a further three Britons along with a resident of Britain are believed to have died, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Sunday.
Islamist militants seized the remote compound in the Sahara desert before dawn on Wednesday, taking a large number of hostages. Details are still emerging of what happened when the Algerian army launched an assault to end the siege on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Up-to-six-Britons-killed-in-Algeria-Cameron-says/articleshow/18101597.cms
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Africa Must Take Lead in Mali, France Says
By STEVEN ERLANGER
January 20, 2013
PARIS — With French officials saying confidently on Saturday that an advance by Islamist militants on Bamako, Mali’s capital, had been halted, France’s foreign minister told African leaders that “our African friends need to take the lead” in a multilateral military intervention in Mali.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/world/africa/mali-france-
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Racist attack: Hundreds demonstrate in Athens over murder of Pakistani worker
January 19, 2013
ATHENS: Hundreds of people poured onto Athenian streets on Saturday, but this was not a rally against the government’s austerity measures and rising unemployment. Rather, migrant workers mostly from Pakistan participated, protesting against a rising trend of racism and fascism that they are facing from Greeks.
The extent of racism is believed to have precipitated in the murder of a Pakistani migrant worker earlier this week.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/496278/racist-attack-hundreds-demonstrate-in-athens-over-murder-of-pakistani-worker/
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British facebook 'fantasist' jailed over beheading videos
Jan 19 2013
London: A British man has been sentenced to five years imprisonment after he posted a string of ghastly beheading videos on a Facebook account set up by him.
Craig Allan Slee, 42, from Preston, has admitted to four charges of encouraging terrorism, dissemination of terrorist publications and possession of a prohibited weapon, under the 2006 Terrorism Act.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/british-facebook-fantasist-jailed-over-beheading-videos/1061844/
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Savita Halappanavar death case: Thousands of Irish attend anti-abortion protest
Jan 20, 2013
DUBLIN: About 22,000 people held a rally outside Ireland's parliament building on Saturday urging the government to conserve strict abortion laws and protect "the right of the unborn child".
Pro-life activists, backed by the Catholic Church, called on Ireland's socially conservative prime minister not to introduce planned legislation that would loosen some of the world's most restrictive regulations on abortion.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Savita-Halappanavar-death-case-Thousands-of-Irish-attend-anti-abortion-protest/articleshow/18096235.cms
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'Algeria siege shows need to be relentless against terrorists'
20 January 2013
PARIS/ALGIERS: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday that the hostage-taking in Algeria showed the need to be “relentless in the face of terrorism.”
“These are killers, they rob, they rape, they ransack,” Fabius told Europe 1 radio when asked about the hostage-taking by Al-Qaeda-linked militants, which ended with Algerian special forces storming the remote desert facility.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/algeria-siege-shows-need-be-relentless-against-terrorists
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North America
Barack Obama blames 'terrorists' for Algeria hostage deaths
Jan 20, 2013
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said that blame for deaths stemming from a hostage crisis in Algeria lay with the "terrorists" who had earlier taken foreigners captive at a remote gas plant.
The remarks were the president's first direct comments about the protracted hostage crisis. His statement was released several hours after Algerian troops stormed the gas plant to end a situation that had began four days earlier.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Barack-Obama-blames-terrorists-for-Algeria-hostage-deaths/articleshow/18096683.cms
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US could be more engaged in ousting Assad: John McCain
Jan 20, 2013
JERUSALEM: Leading Republican Senator John McCain said on Saturday night that Washington could be doing more to back the "effort" of the Syrian people in ending the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Speaking at the beginning of a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, McCain recalled his visit to a refugee camp in Jordan earlier that day, "to see the suffering of the Syrian people up close".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-could-be-more-engaged-in-ousting-Assad-John-McCain/articleshow/18095247.cms
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US targeted killings guidebook allows CIA drones in Pakistan: Report
January 20, 2013
WASHINGTON: The administration of President Barack Obama is completing a counterterrorism manual that will establish clear rules for targeted-killing operations, The Washington Post reported late Saturday.
But citing unnamed US officials, the newspaper said the guidebook would contain a major exemption for the CIA’s campaign of drone strikes in Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/496564/us-targeted-killings-guidebook-allows-cia-drones-in-pakistan-report/
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Attacks on polio workers would not deter us: Bill Gates
January 20, 2013
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has said the recent attacks on polio fieldworkers in Pakistan would not stop his foundation from succeeding in eradicating the crippling virus.
“It’s not going to stop us succeeding,” he said, in an interview with the Telegraph. “It does force us to sit down with the Pakistan government to renew their commitments, see what they’re going to do in security and make changes to protect the women who are doing God’s work and getting out to these children and delivering the vaccine,” he added.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/496464/attacks-on-polio-workers-would-not-deter-us-bill-gates/
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US says seller of 9/11 coins to pay $750,000
Jan 20, 2013
NEW YORK: A company that sold Sept. 11 commemorative coins supposedly containing silver from ground zero has agreed to pay $750,000 to settle charges that it deceived consumers.
The Federal Trade Commission says Port Chester, New York-based National Collector's Mint charged customers for items they never ordered and failed to identify its wares as imitations.
A law passed in 2010 created an official Sept. 11 medal to benefit the museum being built at the World Trade Center site.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-says-seller-of-9/11-coins-to-pay-750000/articleshow/18097033.cms
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Bigelow faces heat for access to secret Osama info
Jan 20, 2013
CIDCO bags honour at the National Energy Conservation Award, 2012S andy Hook massacre: US gun lobby suspends Facebook pageCIA director David Petraeus quits over extramarital affairUS Senate passes bill to avert 'fiscal cliff' tax hikes
It's the most talked-about film on the Oscars list - and not just because the critics are raving about it.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Bigelow-faces-heat-for-access-to-secret-Osama-info/articleshow/18097373.cms
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U. S. nuclear component reaches Pakistan via China
NARAYAN LAKSHMAN
January 20, 2013
"Conspirators used licences of legitimate customers"
Pakistan is circumventing matters of legality and geopolitical complexities in the procurement process for nuclear components.
This may well be the conclusion reached in the case of Qiang Hu, a Chinese national who has been charged in Massachusetts with “conspiracy for violating U.S. export controls by allegedly selling thousands of pressure transducers to unnamed customers through his position of sales manager at MKS Instruments Shanghai Ltd. in China”.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/u-s-nuclear-component-reaches-pakistan-via-china/article4323435.ece
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US warns its citizens of travel dangers in Algeria
January 20, 2013
The US State Department is warning American citizens about the risks of travel to Algeria and is authorising the families of State Department staff to leave the country if they choose.
The warning comes after the Algerian government reported that special forces stormed a natural gas complex in the Sahara desert to end a standoff with Islamist extremists. Algerian officials say at least 23 hostages and all 32 militants involved were killed.
In its travel warning on Saturday night, the State Department cites credible threats of the kidnapping of Western nationals and says there is a high threat of terrorism and kidnappings in Algeria.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-warns-its-citizens-of-travel-dangers-in-algeria/article4325717.ece
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Pakistan
Pakistan's commerce minister calls off visit to India
Jan 20, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan commerce minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim has called off a scheduled visit to India to attend a business meet later this month, against the backdrop of tensions between the two countries over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control.
Fahim told the media that he had decided against travelling to India as the business meet would clash with an upcoming meeting between a government team and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who had led a massive protest against the ruling Pakistan People's Party last week.
He said that as one of the signatories of the agreement between the government and Qadri, he had to attend the meeting to be held in Lahore on January 27 to discuss the cleric's demands.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistans-commerce-minister-calls-off-visit-to-India/articleshow/18101222.cms
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Qadri slams Sharif brothers for ‘worst propaganda’ against him
January 20, 2013
Fiery cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who led a massive protest against Pakistan government, has claimed that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif, who had once “carried him on their shoulders” to show their love and respect for him, had now started the “worst propaganda” against him.
Mr. Qadri, who heads the Tehrik Minhaj-ul-Quran, said the incident had occurred some years ago when the Sharif brothers were living in self-exile in Saudi Arabia.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/qadri-slams-sharif-brothers-for-worst-propaganda-against-him/article4325736.ece
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Imran vows huge ‘tsunami’ if caretaker PM not neutral
January 20, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday said that his party had yet not been consulted for the nomination of a neutral caretaker prime minister and vowed a huge tsunami if a neutral caretaker prime minister was not appointed.
Addressing journalists, Imran Khan said that the federal and Punjab governments were trying to purchase votes by dolling out heavy funds in the name of development funds to their lawmakers and even candidates. He warned that if the election commission did not intervene, such a practice may trigger a major political disaster. “The PTI will take out a huge tsunami march if a neutral umpire (caretaker prime minister) is not appointed. We will protest to save the democratic process from a total disaster,” he maintained.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\20\story_20-1-2013_pg7_1
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Pak man, alleged murderer of 100, walks free
Jan 19 2013
Karachi: A Pakistani man accused of more than 100 counts of manslaughter in the port city of Karachi has been released after he was acquitted in many cases and got bail in the rest, a media report today said.
Ajmal Pahari had been detained for the last four months under the maintenance of public order (MPO).
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-man-alleged-murderer-of-100-walks-free/1061872/
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Fire in a mall kills six in Lahore
January 20, 2013
At least six persons, including a child and a woman, were killed when a massive fire broke out in a commercial plaza in this eastern Pakistani city today, officials said.
The incident occurred in Awan-e-Mashriq plaza at the historic Lakshmi Chowk in the old quarters of Lahore early this morning.
The blaze, which initial investigations showed was triggered by an electrical short circuit, soon engulfed two adjacent buildings.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/fire-in-a-mall-kills-six-in-lahore/article4325857.ece
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Quaid wanted ‘Mussalmans’ to enter film industry
January 20, 2013
KARACHI: Where successive Pakistani governments have subjected the country’s once prosperous film industry to official neglect, a recently discovered letter penned by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah reveals the country’s founder gave seminal importance to the industry.
“I am in receipt of your letter of December 30th 1944, and I wish more Mussalmans would enter into this realm of film industry, and I shall always be glad to do all I can to help it. I have noted that Mr Mahboob is producing a historical picture “Humayun”, and if I have an opportunity of seeing it I might be able to express my opinion about it, but generally I do wish that more Mussalmans would enter this line, as there is plenty of scope for them in the film industry,” reads the Quaid’s letter, dated January 6, 1945.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/496489/quaid-wanted-mussalmans-to-enter-film-industry/
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Manzar Imam was an anti-Taliban crusader: Police
January 20, 2013
KARACHI: For the last three years, slain provincial legislator Manzar Imam had been on the hit-list of militants over his “collaboration” with law enforcement agencies in apprehending Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi members, investigators revealed.
On Thursday, armed men on motorcycles shot dead the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) legislator, along with his driver and two security guards, in the Orangi Town neighbourhood of Karachi. Investigators told The Express Tribune that in August 2010, Imam had closely coordinated with law-enforcement agencies in arresting the LeJ militants involved in Haider’s assassination – Waseem, aka Waseem Barodi, and Abdullah, aka Taimoor.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/496454/manzar-imam-was-an-anti-taliban-crusader-police/
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Punjab governor’s sons have joined PPP: Gilani
January 20, 2013
RAHIM YAR KHAN: Three sons of Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood have joined Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), announced former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday, reported Express News.
Addressing a rally in Rahim Yar Khan along with the Punjab governor, Gilani welcomed Murtaza Mehmood, Mustafa Mehmood and Ali Mehmood to the party.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/496567/punjab-governors-sons-have-joined-ppp-gilani/
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Imposters: Gunmen in military uniform abduct and kill two persons
January 20, 2013
Three unidentified gunmen wearing military uniforms on Saturday killed two persons, identified as Abdul Rehman and Muhammad Nawaz, said an official of the Gomal police station.
The bodies of the deceased were then thrown on the street in Kot Azam area of Gomal, about 25 kilometres west of Tank city.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/496437/imposters-gunmen-in-military-uniform-abduct-and-kill-two-persons/
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Rights violations: Protesters rally against FC in Balochistan
BJanuary 20, 2013
QUETTA: The Baloch Human Rights Organisation (BHRO) on Saturday staged a demonstration outside the Quetta Press Club against the ongoing operation in Mastung and Mashkay.
In their speeches, BHRO activists alleged that Frontier Corps (FC) personnel had killed two men, Abdul Rasheed Baloch and Shah Jahan Baloch, after a raid by at least two dozen FC vehicles in the Perkanoarea locality of Mastung. Abdul Rasheed’s younger brother Fida and two women were also injured as a result of firing by the FC, they said.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/496498/rights-violations-protesters-rally-against-fc-in-balochistan/
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International ‘Milad-e-Mustafa’ rally to commence from Rawat
January 20, 2013
ISLAMABAD: An International “Milad-e-Mustafa” rally would be taken out from Rawat on Sunday in connection with Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birth anniversary celebrations. The rally, which is organised by Jamat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnah, would commence from Rawat and culminate at Karachi Company (G9 Markaz) after passing through the Islamabad Highway.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\20\story_20-1-2013_pg11_2
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Southeast Asia
Malaysian prime minister to make rare visit to Gaza
January 20, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will visit Gaza this week, an official said Sunday, in what would be a rare visit by a foreign leader to the impoverished Palestinian territory.
Najib will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and other officials on the one-day visit on Tuesday, an aide to the prime minister told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The aide declined to give details of the visit or its purpose, saying an official statement would be issued on Monday.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/496556/malaysian-prime-minister-to-make-rare-visit-to-gaza/
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Police told to uphold human rights in Poso
January 19 2013
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) went to the National Police headquarters on Friday to remind the police force to uphold human rights principles in dealing with extremists in Poso, Central Sulawesi.
The commission, which conducted an investigation into the growing tensions in Poso, reported that it found indications of basic human rights violations in the way the police treated suspected terrorists, some of whom were shot dead during raids.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/19/police-told-uphold-human-rights-poso.html
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Rape Becomes No Joke In Modern Indonesia
Catriona Richards | January 20, 2013
The question of whether rape can be joked about is one that is frequently debated. It’s a sensitive topic that has opponents quite reasonably call foul, while supporters cry censorship and demand the right to free speech.
Until Supreme Court justice candidate Muhammad Daming Sunusi made headlines for his offensive quip about rape this week, I was under the impression that rape jokes were generally tolerated in Indonesian society.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/rape-becomes-no-joke-in-modern-indonesia/566443
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/32-militants-killed,-with-23/d/10079