90-Year-Old Saudi Man Marries 15-Year-Old Girl, Sparks Condemnation
New Age Islam News Bureau
7
Jan 2013
Arab World
• 90-year-old Saudi man marries 15-year-old girl, sparks condemnation
• Saddam Hussein's vice president: It’s time to overthrow Iraq ‘Safavid’ government
• Dubai ruler among most followed leaders on Twitter, Barack Obama tops list
• Egyptian army foils an attempt to 'bomb Coptic church' in Sinai
• Egypt's Morsi backs calls for Assad war crimes trial
• Kuwaiti forces disperse protesters with stun grenades, smoke bombs
• Assad announces peace plan to resolve crisis
• Syria opposition rejects Assad reconciliation plan
• Kuwait jails second tweeter for 'insulting emir'
• Al-Sudais: Expansion work won’t affect water flow into Zamzam well
• The gusty winds of modernization in Arab
• Syria crisis: US decries Assad 'Western puppets' speech
• Bahrain court upholds life sentences on opposition
• Saudi wants to recruit more workers from Bangladesh
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia Envisions More Religion in Schools, Merging Science and Social Studies together
• Jakarta Police Investigating Online Ad Which Offered Babies for Sale
• Sharia tourism initiated to tap growing Muslim travel market
• Govt to Review Plan to Ban Women from Straddling Motorcycles in Aceh Town
• Indonesian Isle on Terror Alert after Shootings
• Using Facebook during office hours 'form of corruption in Malaysia'
• Female pillion riders should sit sideways on a motorbike: fatwa from Indonesian mayor
Europe
• Mali Crisis Paving Way for Militant Attacks on France-Judge
• Turkey’s EU membership is not a ‘given’: Swedish FM
• Assad speech ‘beyond hypocritical’
Africa
• 'Assassination bid' on president of Libya's national assembly
• Nine dead as Somali forces clash with Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists
• Reprisal fears cloud Libya probe into US consulate attack
• Call for Tunisia sues Ennahda at ICC over ‘crime against humanity’
• 6,000 Libyan gunmen sign up for police training
• Head of Libyan parliament survives attempt on his life
Pakistan
• Pakistani Taliban suicide wing chief dies in drone strike, 16 more Militants Killed
• ‘Imported jugglers’ want to derail democracy: Punjab CM
• Jirga orders two groups to pay millions in compensation for people killed
• Altaf says ‘political drone attack’ may be slightly delayed
• Qadri warns of unleashing march on Lahore
• Incidents of violence in Quetta claim three lives
• Man says his three brothers were killed on jirga order
• All citizens, parties must obey the Constitution says Pak Chief justice
• Mumbai attacks: ‘Pakistan’s response to wish list unsatisfactory’
• ‘Federating units bound with ideology of democratic Pakistan’: PPP Chairman
• Altaf deplores Minhaj-ul-Quran workers’ harassment
India
• Founder of Rahmani 30 coaching institute in Bihar to attend international conference on education in Oxford University
• Jamaat-e-Islami Hind calls for abolition of co-education and "sober and dignified" dress for girls
• J&K police do a U-turn after blaming Army for encounter
• TN govt hikes pension to Ulema by Rs 1,000
• Moderate Hurriyat chairman rejects Musharraf formula
• Ajmal Kasab pleaded for 'daya' in a four-line plea to the President of India
• Khurshid lauds South Asian Free Media Association, says media will break India-Pak ice
• Pak soldier killed, India says fired in retaliation
• Asaduddin Owaisi vows love for country & his brother
• 12th Plan: Brighter for Muslims, minorities
• Forensic lab report shows links among ‘Hindu terror bombs’
• AP govt soft on Akbaruddin Owaisi, alleges BJP
• Execution of rapists in public, 'sober' dress for girls: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
Mideast Asia
• Watchdog slams smears and loathing among Israel’s top brass
• Iran wants all “aliens” out of Afghanistan after 2014
• Tightly-controlled social media access to replace censorship in Iran
• Israeli PM: Global Jihadists moving into Golan border area
• Turkey lifts ban on thousands of books
• Iran backs Assad’s stance on Syria
• Israel Plans to Construct a Syrian Border Fence
• Netanyahu Rivals Fail to Form Election Pact in Israel
• Turkey says United Nations must stop Assad blocking aid
North America
• Stop war in Syria before it becomes “field of ruins”: Pope
• Muslim organization launches awareness campaign in Florida to present an accurate image of Islam
• Assad “detached from reality,” says U.S.
• US dismisses Assad speech, says he must step aside to allow transition
• Osama Bin Laden film, 'Zero Dark Thirty' torture is fiction: ex-CIA official
South Asia
• Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai leaves for official visit to US
• Bangla Opposition's black flag procession January 11
• Retrial plea of Mollah too rejected
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Indonesia Envisions More Religion in Schools, Merging Science and Social Studies together
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/90-year-old-saudi-man/d/9898
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Arab World
90-year-old Saudi man marries 15-year-old girl, sparks condemnation
Jan 7, 2013
Dubai: A 90-year-old Saudi man's marriage to a 15-year-old girl in exchange for a fat dowry has sparked widespread condemnation from human rights and social media activists in the kingdom.
The frightened girl locked out her husband refusing him entry to the bedroom for two successive days before fleeing back to her parents' home, the Al-Arabia reported. But the groom insisted that his marriage was "legal and correct", and that he paid $ 17,500 dowry to marry the girl, who is the daughter of a Yemeni father and Saudi mother.
He vowed to sue his in-laws to give him back the girl or return him the expensive dowry. The travails of the girl evoked widespread condemnation from the people, who used Twitter to criticise the parents of the girl for giving her out to a man decades older than her. Suhaila Zein el-Abedin, a member of the Saudi National Association for Human Rights, urged authorities to intervene "as soon as possible to save this child from tragedy."
El-Abedin noted that marriage in Islam must be based on mutual consent and this was not satisfied as demonstrated by the girl's move to lock herself up in the room. She said the girl's parents were also to be held responsible for marrying their daughter to a man of the age of her grand grandfather.
On twitter, Mouhammad Khaled Alnuzha ?@mkalnuzha, a legal expert asks Is this a case of human trafficking crimes punishable by law?
Nawal Saad @lhnalkhlwd wrote on his account: "When people of reason and wisdom are asked to be silent and the ludicrous are set loose, we will see these anti-human behaviors."
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/90yearold-saudi-man-marries-15yearold-girl-sparks-condemnation/314408-2.html
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Saddam Hussein's vice president: It’s time to overthrow Iraq ‘Safavid’ government
2013-01-05
BAGHDAD - Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, Saddam Hussein's vice president and the highest-ranking member of his regime still on the run, has backed ongoing rallies in Sunni-majority areas of Iraq in an online video.
The 53-minute video, posted on YouTube on Friday, shows Duri reading a prepared statement behind a desk with a small Saddam-era flag atop it, and appears to be his first video message since April 2012.
The authenticity and date of the clip could not be verified.
In it, the 70-year-old voiced support for protests being held in mostly-Sunni Arab areas in western and northern Iraq that have been airing a multitude of grievances with the Shiite-led government, though primarily criticising the alleged wrongful arrest of members of their minority community.
"Every city and region, all the Iraqi people and every national and Islamic power is with you, and supports you in achieving your demands to overthrow the Persian Safavid alliance," Duri said.
He was making a pejorative reference to the Shiite-led government in Baghdad, implying that it was under the domination of formerly Safavid-ruled neighbouring Iran.
Duri, who was the king of clubs in a US deck of cards showing the most-wanted members of Saddam's regime, said his Saddam-era group was "studying the firm and fair punishment of all who stand and support the Safavid project."
The Baath party, the ruling party in Saddam's Iraq, said Duri had died in 2005, but audio messages attributed to him were broadcast in 2006, 2008 and 2010, in addition to the April 2012 video.
Up to $1 million is offered for information leading to Duri's arrest or conviction, according to the website of the Rewards for Justice Programme, which is administered by the US State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
The protests in Iraq began on December 23, and were sparked by the arrest of at least nine guards of Finance Minister Rafa al-Essawi, a Sunni Arab and a leading member of the secular Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, which is part of Maliki's unity government but frequently criticises him in public.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=56280
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Dubai ruler among most followed leaders on Twitter, Barack Obama tops list
Jan 07 2013
Dubai: UAE Prime Minister and Constitutional monarch of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has been ranked among the world's 10th most followed leader on Twitter, a report has said.
According to US-based Digital Policy Council's news report, 910,000 followers were added to the Sheikh Mohammed's twitter account list last year, bringing his total number of followers to nearly 1.4 million.
No Indian leader was able to make into the top 10 list of most followed leaders. US President Barack Obama topped the list of most number of followers on twitter.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, President Abdullah Gul of Turkey, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico, Columbia's President Juan Manuel Santos, Argentinean President Cristina Fernadez De Kirchner, President Dilma Rouseff of Brazil and Queen Rania of Jordan were other world leaders to make into the top 10 leaders.
According to the report, three out of four heads of state currently use Twitter, with 123 world leaders out of 164 countries using accounts either in their name or through official government offices. The figure is a 78 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2011, report said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dubai-ruler-among-most-followed-leaders-on-twitter-barack-obama-tops-list/1055675/
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Egyptian army foils an attempt to 'bomb Coptic church' in Sinai
7 Jan 2013
The official Facebook Page of the Egyptian armed forces spokesperson, Colonel Ahmed Ali, has announced on Monday that forces "have foiled an attempt to bomb the Rafah Church in North Sinai."
According to the short statement, the army patrols discovered two cars carrying explosives in a street between the Church and a military facility under construction at 1am Monday.
Colonel Ali added that one of the two cars escaped and the army units in North Sinai are currently searching for it.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/61929/Egypt/Politics-/BREAKING-Egyptian-army-foils-an-attempt-to-bomb-Co.aspx
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Egypt's Morsi backs calls for Assad war crimes trial
Jan 7, 2013
WASHINGTON: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi told CNN Sunday he backs Syrian calls for Bashar al-Assad to be tried for war crimes, and predicted Assad's regime would fall in the country's bloody civil war.
"The Syrian people, through their revolution, and through the movement will, when the bloodshed stops, move to a new stage where they will have an independent parliament and the government of their choosing," Morsi said, according to excerpts released by the network.
"And then they will decide what they want to do against those who committed crimes against them. It is the Syrian people who decide."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Egypts-Morsi-backs-calls-for-Assad-war-crimes-trial/articleshow/17919136.cms
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Kuwaiti forces disperse protesters with stun grenades, smoke bombs
Jan 7, 2013
KUWAIT: Security forces used stun grenades to disperse hundreds of opposition activists trying to stage a march in Kuwait on Sunday, part of a series of protests against what they see as a rubber-stamp parliament, and made several arrests.
Protest marches have grown more frequent in the US-allied oil producer since the opposition boycotted a parliamentary election on December 1 over changes to voting laws that they saw as an attempt to favour pro-government candidates.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Kuwaiti-forces-disperse-protesters-with-stun-grenades-smoke-bombs/articleshow/17917744.cms
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Assad announces peace plan to resolve crisis
Jan 6, 2013
DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has proposed a plan to resolve the country's crisis which includes a national reconciliation conference, the formation of a new government and an amnesty.
"The first stage of a political solution would require that regional powers stop funding terrorists. The second stage will be calling a government conference on a national dialogue," Assad said in a speech at the opera house here Sunday.
The third stage, he said, would be the formation of a new government and declaration of an amnesty.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Assad-announces-peace-plan-to-resolve-crisis/articleshow/17913778.cms
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Syria opposition rejects Assad reconciliation plan
January 06, 2013
The opposition Syrian National Coalition rejects a reconciliation plan outlined by President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Sunday, spokesman Walid al-Bunni told AFP by phone.
"We said at the founding of the National Coalition that we want a political solution, but ... there are
now over 60,000 martyrs. The Syrians did not make all those sacrifices in order to bolster this tyrannical regime," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/RestOfAsia/Syria-opposition-rejects-Assad-reconciliation-plan/Article1-985820.aspx
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Kuwait jails second tweeter for 'insulting emir'
Head of Kuwait Society for Human Rights announces that opposition member gets a two-year jail sentence after 'insulting emir'
7 Jan 2013
Kuwait's lower court on Monday handed a two-year jail term to an opposition tweeter for allegedly insulting the emir in the second such sentence in as many days, a human rights activist said.
"Ayyad al-Harbi was sentenced to two years in jail," director of the Kuwait Society for Human Rights Mohammad al-Humaidi said on his Twitter account.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/61933/World/Region/Kuwait-jails-second-tweeter-for-insulting-emir.aspx
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Al-Sudais: Expansion work won’t affect water flow into Zamzam well
7 January 2013
The General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques revealed that the demolition work taking place as part of the ongoing expansion of the "mataf" (area for circumambulation around the Kaaba) has reached about 70 percent of the total works so far, indicating that the new foundations are undergoing extensive studies which will begin in the next two weeks.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/al-sudais-expansion-work-won%E2%80%99t-affect-water-flow-zamzam-well
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The gusty winds of modernization in Arab
Mohammed Alsaif
7 January 2013
EVERY YEAR, many Saudis find themselves in a conflicting cultural situation. They observe nearly the whole world engaging in celebrating the start of the New Gregorian year, while not finding a niche for them in this global celebration. Although it hardly seems like a problematic issue, it may hold future cultural challenges.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/gusty-winds-modernization
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Syria crisis: US decries Assad 'Western puppets' speech
January 7, 2013
The US has condemned a speech by Syria's President Assad that denounced his opponents as "puppets of the West".
The state department said a peace plan outlined by Mr Assad was "detached from reality", calling it "another attempt by the regime to cling to power".
The EU reacted by restating that the Syrian president had "to step aside and allow for a political transition".
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20928361
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Bahrain court upholds life sentences on opposition
Jan 7, 2013
MANAMA: A defense attorney says Bahrain’s highest court has upheld jail sentences against 20 opposition figures convicted of plotting to overthrow the Western-allied government, including eight prominent activists facing life in prison.
Monday’s decision is almost certain to bring strong criticism from rights groups and touch off more street protests in the violence-wracked Gulf kingdom. Bahrain’s majority Shias are pressing for a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled nation, which is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/07/bahrain-court-upholds-life-sentences-on-opposition/
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Saudi wants to recruit more workers from Bangladesh
Jan 7, 2013
Saudi Arabia had not stopped recruiting manpower from Bangladesh rather it was following a certain process in this regard, said the Speaker of Saudi Assembly yesterday.
“From now on, Bangladesh will export manpower in a systematic way and Bangladesh's manpower export market will further expand there,” the visiting Speaker of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia, Dr Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, told journalists on his arrival in the capital.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=264205
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Southeast Asia
Indonesia Envisions More Religion in Schools Merging Science and Social Studies together
By SARA SCHONHARDT
Jan 7, 2013
JAKARTA — Annisa Nurul Jannah, 11, was learning about how devices transmit heat, sound and electricity. “I like science because it teaches me a lot,” the sixth grader at Petamburan 04, a school in a working-class part of Jakarta, said about her favourite subject. “I’d be sad if it was removed from school.”
Millions of children in Indonesian elementary schools may no longer have separate science classes starting in June, the beginning of their next school year, if the government approves a curriculum overhaul that would merge science and social studies with other classes so more time can be devoted to religious education.
A draft of the proposal was posted online in November and December for public comment. The government is analyzing the feedback and will meet with a team of experts shortly to develop new lesson plans.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/world/asia/in-indonesia-science-may-give-way-to-
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Jakarta Police Investigating Online Ad Which Offered Babies for Sale
Lenny Tristia Tambun | January 07, 2013
The Jakarta Police are investigating a failed attempt to sell two babies online for Rp 10 million ($1,036) each, after the National Commission for Child Protection discovered the advertisement posted on shopping website Tokobagus.com.
“Detectives have been investigating [the case] since the information spread through mass media,” said Adj. Sr. Comr. Audie Latuheru, the head of the cyber crime unit at the Jakarta Police, as quoted by Antaranews.com on Monday. “Selling a baby is a crime.”
The advertisement, which has since been taken off the website, offered two 18-month-old babies for Rp 10 million each.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/jakarta-police-investigating-online-ad-which-offered-babies-for-sale/564855
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Sharia tourism initiated to tap growing Muslim travel market
Nurfika Osman
January 07 2013
Tourism targets: Tourists visit Taman Sari Water Castle in Yogyakarta on Sunday. The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry will design several programs to reach its target of 254 million domestic tourists and 9 million foreign tourists in 2013. Promoting sharia tourism across the archipelago by wooing tourists from Middle Eastern countries is one of the ministry’s programs.
The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry is set to leverage the country’s potential of sharia tourism this year in a bid to capture the expanding number of global Muslim travelers, especially tourists from the Middle East.
Full report at:
http://www2.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/07/sharia-tourism-initiated-tap-growing-muslim-travel-market.html
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Govt to Review Plan to Ban Women From Straddling Motorcycles in Aceh Town
Arientha Primanita | January 07, 2013
Bogor. The Indonesian government will review a plan to introduce a bylaw banning female passengers from straddling motorcycles in the Aceh city of Lhokseumawe.
“[It will be reviewed] whether the bylaw is too much or [whether] it is to maintain the tradition,” said Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi on Monday.
“If it is to maintain the tradition, it is alright. [But] it should be studied first [to find out] what is the purpose of the regulation.”
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/govt-to-review-plan-to-ban-women-from-straddling-motorcycles-in-aceh-town/564859
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Indonesian Isle on Terror Alert After Shootings
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja - Straits Times | January 07, 2013
Indonesian police have put on high alert eastern Sumbawa — an island to the east of Bali — after police shot dead five terrorists in the area over the weekend, amid fears that the militants have local sympathizers after fleeing another island.
Anti-terror Detachment 88 (Densus 88) forces made two raids on the island, which is part of the West Nusa Tenggara province, last Friday and Saturday, killing five militants who had fled Poso town in Central Sulawesi province after they had killed several policemen.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesian-isle-on-terror-alert-after-shootings/564873
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Using Facebook during office hours 'form of corruption in Malaysia'
Jan 07 2013
Kuala Lumpur : Civil servants and staff of government-linked companies (GLCs) surfing social media or engaging in personal matters during working hours may be categorised as having committed corruption, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has said.
According to MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Sutinah Sutan, if a person spends three hours during his or her stipulated working hours for personal tasks, it can be deemed a form of corruption as the Government trusts and pays its employees to fully utilise the working period to complete tasks relating to the respective jobscope.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/using-facebook-during-office-hours-form-of-corruption-in-malaysia/1055612/
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Female pillion riders should sit sideways on a motorbike: fatwa from Indonesian mayor
January 07 2013
The plan to regulate how women sit as pillion riders on motorcycles in the city of Lhokseumawe in Aceh is not only stupid, it is also grossly indecent. The mayor of this gas town, Suaidi Yahya, may have cited sharia (Islamic law) in support of his plan, but the very idea itself is discriminative and indecent.
Stupid is something some of us can live with but indecent is something we have to stop.
Talk about stupid, one solution for female pillion riders, who find themselves on a motorbike with a man who is not driving safely, is to take the helm — to be the one wearing the pants — except that would probably be seen as even more indecent by the mayor especially if the man straddles behind her.
Full report at:
http://www2.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/07/editorial-stupid-and-indecent-proposal.html
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Europe
Mali Crisis Paving Way for Militant Attacks on France-Judge
Jan 7, 2013
PARIS (Reuters) - The insurgency that has seized the north of Mali is paving the way for attacks on France as more French Muslims of African origin are finding a cause in the conflict, Paris's top anti-terrorism judge warned on Sunday.
As Mali's former colonial ruler, France fears al Qaeda's North African arm, AQIM, is cementing a base in the West African state that would provide a launch pad against French political and economic interests at home and abroad.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/07/world/africa/07reuters-mali-crisis-
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Turkey’s EU membership is not a ‘given’: Swedish FM
Jan 7, 2013
IZMIR: Turkey’s prospect of joining the European Union at the end of a lengthy process is not a certainty, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told AFP Sunday, saying efforts would have to be made by both Ankara and Brussels.
“Nothing is given in the world. Nothing is given in life,” Bildt, a strong advocate of Turkey’s EU bid, said in the western city of Izmir, a day after addressing Turkish ambassadors from around the world during an annual gathering.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\07\story_7-1-2013_pg4_6
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Assad speech ‘beyond hypocritical’
7 January 2013
LONDON: Britain denounced President Bashar Assad’s speech yesterday calling for a conference of national dialogue to end the Syrian conflict as “beyond hypocritical.”
Foreign Secretary William Hague said Assad’s first speech to the nation since June was full of “empty promises” and would “fool no-one.”
In an address to an ecstatic audience in a Damascus theater, Assad called for a conference of national dialogue to be followed by a referendum on a national charter and parliamentary elections.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/assad-speech-%E2%80%98beyond-hypocritical%E2%80%99
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Africa
'Assassination bid' on president of Libya's national assembly
January 06, 2013
TRIPOLI: Mohammed Megaryef, president of Libya's national assembly, has escaped an attack on his hotel in the southern oasis of
Sabha in an incident his spokesman on Sunday called an assassination attempt.
"The hotel he was staying in was attacked for three hours. There was sniper fire. It seems to have been an assassination attempt," the assembly chief's spokesman, Rassmi Beruwien, told AFP of the incident that happened on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-82721-Assassination-bid-on-Libyan-leader:-spokesman
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Nine dead as Somali forces clash with Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists
Jan 7, 2013
MOGADISHU: At least nine people have died in clashes between Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist rebels and Somali government forces and their Ethiopian allies, a village elder said Sunday amid conflicting claims from both sides.
Shebab fighters late Saturday ambushed a convoy of several hundred Somali and Ethiopian troops that was advancing on two towns in the southern Gedo region still controlled by the Shebab — Bardhere and Burhdubo.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\07\story_7-1-2013_pg4_2
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Reprisal fears cloud Libya probe into US consulate attack
Jan 06 2013
Benghazi : Libya is pushing forward with its investigation into the deadly September 11 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, but fear of retaliation by Islamist extremists has proved a hurdle.
Security reports point to the possible involvement of an Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group in the attack that killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, a source close to the case said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/reprisal-fears-cloud-libya-probe-into-us-consulate-attack/1055280/
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Call for Tunisia sues Ennahda at ICC over ‘crime against humanity’
2013-01-05
TUNIS - An escalating confrontation between the Islamist regime in power in Tunisia since its 2011 revolution and a secular opposition party is to be taken to the International Criminal Court, the latter group said on Friday.
The opposition Nidaa Tounes (Call for Tunisia) party will lodge allegations of "crime against humanity" against several members and allies of the ruling Ennahda party "within days" in The Hague court, the party's lawyer, Abdessatar Messaoudi, said.
Full report at:
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=56277
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6,000 Libyan gunmen sign up for police training
Jan 7, 2013
TRIPOLI: Almost 6,000 gunmen have begun training to be policemen under a drive to disarm militias hindering Libya’s democratic transition although many others cling to street powers won in toppling Muammar Gaddafi, the new interior minister said in an interview.
Ashour Shuail took charge of Libya’s most formidable domestic policy challenge – establishing a legitimate, effective national police – late last year after his appointment by new Prime Minister Ali Zeidan.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\07\story_7-1-2013_pg7_5
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Head of Libyan parliament survives attempt on his life
Jan 7, 2013
TRIPOLI: The head of Libya’s parliament survived an assassination attempt unharmed at his home in the remote desert interior of the country, his spokesman said on Sunday. Mohamed al-Magariaf’s residence in Sabha, 800 kilometres south of the capital Tripoli, came under gunfire on Thursday evening. “(He) was unharmed and escaped the attack but three of his guards were injured,” spokesman Rasmy Burwein said. Magariaf was in Sabha for meetings with local officials and community leaders after Tripoli declared the region a closed military zone to try to curb rampant lawlessness.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\07\story_7-1-2013_pg7_7
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Pakistan
Pakistani Taliban suicide wing chief dies in drone strike, 16 more Militants Killed
Jan 7, 2013
ISLAMABAD: A top Pakistani Taliban leader, said to be the chief of the terror outfit's "fidai" or suicide wing, was among the 16 people killed in a drone strike in the country's northwest tribal region, media reports said on Monday.
Wali Muhammad alias Toofan Mehsud was believed to be killed in the attack in South Waziristan Sunday, Xinhua reported citing local media.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Taliban-suicide-wing-chief-dies-in-drone-strike-Reports/articleshow/17921658.cms
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‘Imported jugglers’ want to derail democracy: Punjab CM
Jan 7, 2013
LAHORE, Jan 6: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif says the nation is fully aware of negative designs of the ‘imported political jugglers’ who have got nationalities of other countries but have suddenly appeared in Pakistan with an ‘imported agenda’ to derail its democratic system.
He, however, hoped the masses would not allow negative tactics of such elements to succeed. He demanded those raising slogans of change and revolution in the country first reform themselves.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/07/imported-jugglers-want-to-derail-democracy-cm/
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Jirga orders two groups to pay millions in compensation for people killed
January 7, 2013
LARKANA: Tribal elders imposed heavy financial penalties on two groups on Sunday as they resolved a dispute that has claimed around 11 lives during the past 10 years.
Members of the Mian Khan Khakhrani group and the Zahoor Khani Khakhrani group had been involved in a bloody relationship over a land dispute that arose in 2003.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/490208/jirga-orders-two-groups-to-pay-millions-in-compensation-for-people-killed/
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Altaf says ‘political drone attack’ may be slightly delayed
Jan 7, 2013
KARACHI: Chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain, on Monday said that there might be a delay of a day or two in the ‘political drone attack’, DawnNews reported.
He added that one or two tools were needed to launch the so-called political drone attack.
The required tools would be available in a day or two, the MQM chief said, adding that as per the announcement, everything was ready for the attack.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/07/altaf-says-political-drone-attack-may-be-slightly-delayed/
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Qadri warns of unleashing march on Lahore
Jan 7, 2013
LAHORE: Tehrik-i-Minjhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri warned the Punjab government on Sunday that if it tried to obstruct its Jan 14 march on Islamabad he would unleash half of its participants on Lahore.
“We have been informed by leaders of our district, Tehsil and union councils that local police and administration are harassing our party workers, people and transporters in a bid to stop them from joining the long march. Therefore, we ask the Punjab government to stop using such tactics; otherwise half of the four million marchers will turn to Lahore and the rest will go to Islamabad,” he warned while talking to reporters after addressing a gathering of party workers, lawyers, farmers and other people.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/07/qadri-warns-of-unleashing-march-on-lahore/
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Incidents of violence in Quetta claim three lives
Jan 07 2013
QUETTA: Three people were killed and another three were injured in incidents of firing in various parts of Quetta, DawnNews reported on Monday.
According to the police, unknown gunmen opened fire on a taxi, killing one and injuring three others. The injured were shifted to the Central Military Hospital (CMH) in Quetta where the conditions of two were reported to be critical.
Separately, a man was shot dead when unknown gunmen opened fire on the Fatima Jinnah Road situated in the eastern Quetta.
In another incident, unknown assailants gunned down a man in Kuchlak bazaar on the outskirts of Quetta. The deceased was said to be a native of Balochiastan’s Loralai district.
http://dawn.com/2013/01/07/incidents-of-violence-in-quetta-claim-three-lives/
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Man says his three brothers were killed on jirga order
January 7, 2013
KOHISTAN: The Kohistan video scandal took a new turn after Afzal Kohistani requested the reopening of the case, and told The Express Tribune on Sunday that if the matter was not decided through court, a bloody feud may stretch for years between the Azadkhel and Salehkhel tribes.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/490257/kohistan-video-scandal-man-says-his-three-brothers-were-killed-on-jirga-order/
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All citizens, parties must obey the Constitution says Chief justice
January 7, 2013
LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said that all citizens and parties must be loyal to the state and the Constitution.
Addressing the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) at Aiwan-i-Iqbal on Saturday night, he said that under Article 5 of the Constitution, every citizen and political party was bound to be loyal to the state and obey the Constitution. Only such citizens could be given protection under the Constitution. He added that the Constitution prohibited the formation of a political party which might cause anarchy.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/490320/bar-address-all-citizens-parties-must-obey-the-constitution-says-chief-justice/
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Mumbai attacks: ‘Pakistan’s response to wish list unsatisfactory’
January 7, 2013
India has termed Pakistan’s response to its “wish list” with regards to the 2008 Mumbai attacks “unsatisfactory” calling it “critical” to “substantive movement” in bilateral relations.
Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said that what Islamabad has done so far in the case was “not to our satisfaction”, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
However, he added that he did not see Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s statements made during his India tour as a “setback” to the dialogue process.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/490282/mumbai-attacks-pakistans-response-to-wish-list-unsatisfactory/
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‘Federating units bound with ideology of democratic Pakistan’: PPP Chairman
Jan 7, 2013
KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said federating units are bound together with the ideology of a democratic Pakistan, free of terrorism and exploitation. He was talking to the PPP workers at Bilawal House in Karachi. He said Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto laid down their lives for the democratic rights of the people while fighting against dictatorial forces. Bilawal said the government’s reconciliation policy had resulted in the complete restoration of 1973 Constitution as per the aspiration of the people of Pakistan.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\07\story_7-1-2013_pg12_9
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Altaf deplores Minhaj-ul-Quran workers’ harassment
Jan 7, 2013
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has strongly condemned the harassment of the workers of the Minhaj-ul-Quran and Pakistan Awami Tehreek by the Punjab government and termed it as undemocratic and unconstitutional. He said in a statement issued her on Sunday, the exploitative forces are terrified because of the long march and the wave of awakening is giving sleepless nights to the rulers of the Punjab. It is because of their fear that they are using strong-arm tactics and utilizing government resources to harass the people who are waving a struggle to break the status quo. MQM chief warned the rulers of the Punjab to stop the harassments as the days of the decaying feudal system were numbered. He said that the long march of the 14th January would prove to be the last nail in the coffin of the oppressive feudal lords and moneyed people who were pursuing their opportunistic politics.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\07\story_7-1-2013_pg12_11
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India
Founder of Rahmani 30 coaching institute in Bihar to attend international conference on education in Oxford University
New Age Islam Edit Desk,
January 7, 2013
Moonghyr: The founder of Rahmani 30 coaching institute in Bihar, Maulana Wali Rahmani has been invited to attend an international conference on education to held in Oxford University in March this year. More than 30 educationists from all over the world are expected to attend the conference. The six day conference will have experts deliver their lectures on “A exploring a better policy towards training and education of the new generation”. The conference will also discuss the moral degradation among students and the rising trend of criminality among the students.
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Jamaat-e-Islami Hind calls for abolition of co-education and "sober and dignified" dress for girls
Jan 6, 2013
NEW DELHI: Execution of rapists in full public glare, abolition of co-education and "sober and dignified" dress for girls is among the 11 suggestions made by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) to Justice JS Verma committee on ensuring safety and security to women.
In a statement, JIH said it welcomed the government decision to set up committees to review the present anti-rape law and find out measures to make the society safe for the women against the backdrop of the gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind-calls-for-abolition-of-co-education/articleshow/17916755.cms
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J&K police do a U-turn after blaming Army for encounter
Jan 7, 2013
SRINAGAR: According to the Chinese calendar, 2013 is the year of the snake, denoting peace and prosperity. In Kashmir, though, the New Year has dawned with the Indian Army and the J&K police spitting venom at each other. As the latest border clashes show, the peace and camaraderie spoken about in Delhi and Islamabad hasn't made much of a change in the attempts to send in militants from POK. But the skirmishes between the men in olive and khaki, even if not bloody, are just as intense.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JK-police-do-a-U-turn-after-blaming-Army-for-encounter/articleshow/17918416.cms
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TN govt hikes pension to Ulema by Rs 1,000
Jan 07 2013
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa increased the pension to Ulema and announced Rs 3 crore financial assistance to Waqf Board besides increasing the annual subsidy to Haj Committee.
Jayalalithaa has ordered increasing the amount payable under the Ulema Pension Scheme by Rs 1,000 and increased the number of beneficiaries to 2,600, an official release said on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/tn-govt-hikes-pension-to-ulemas/1055676/
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Moderate Hurriyat chairman rejects Musharraf formula
Jan 07 2013
Srinagar: In a rebuff to moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the United Jihad Council (UJC) Chief Syed Salahuddin has rejected former Pakistan President Parvez Musharraf’s four point proposal for the resolution of Kashmir issue. The militant commander has also rejected peaceful means for the resolution of Kashmir issue saying “armed struggle” is the only option.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kashmir-salahuddin-rejects-musharraf-formula/1055545/
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Ajmal Kasab pleaded for 'daya' in a four-line plea to the President of India
Jan 07 2013
New Delhi : Ajmal Kasab, the face of the dastardly 26/11 terror strike on Mumbai who was hanged on November 21, had begged for "daya" (mercy) from the President through his four-line clemency plea written in elementary Urdu, which was rejected.
The hand written petition dated September 12, 2012, which has been made public more than a month after Kasab was hanged, shows glaring Urdu language errors.
The application has been provided to Lucknow-based activist Urvashi Sharma under the Right to Information Act.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistans-ajmal-kasab-pleaded-for-daya-in-a-fou.../1055727/
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Khurshid lauds South Asian Free Media Association, says media will break India-Pak ice
January 06, 2013
Lauding the efforts of the South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) to improve ties between countries in the region, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said it is the media that will break the ice between neighbouring nations and we all shall relish the water of that
ice.
Inaugurating the 8th Safma Conference in Amritsar on Sunday, Khurshid said there are many aspirations and demands of Safma that have not been fulfiled yet it has not lost hope and has constantly been working for betterment in the South Asian region.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NorthIndia/Khurshid-lauds-Safma-says-media-will-break-India-Pak-ice/Article1-985919.aspx
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Pak soldier killed, India says fired in retaliation
Jan 7, 2013
SRINAGAR: Pakistani troops violated ceasefire on Sunday by firing mortar shells towards Indian army posts at Hajipir area in Uri sector near the Line of Control.
"They started firing mortar shells towards our posts in Uri sector around 3.15am," an army spokesman said. He said that some shells landed close to civilian habitation though no damage was done.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-soldier-killed-India-says-fired-in-retaliation/articleshow/17920450.cms
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Asaduddin Owaisi vows love for country & his brother
By A. Srinivasa Rao in Hyderabad
Jan 7, 2013
MAJLIS- E- ITTEHADUL Muslimun ( MIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has sought to play down the hate speech delivered by his MLA brother Akbaruddin Owaisi at Nirmal in Adilabad and Bodhan in Nizamabad.
Addressing a large gathering at Old Idgah ground in Tandur town in Ranga Reddy district on Saturday night, Asaduddin hit back at the critics of the MIM saying he and his brother are not anti- national and anti- Hindu as are being projected in the media. “ We are not against the Hindus.
Full report at: Mail Today
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12th Plan: Brighter for Muslims, minorities
Zia Haq, Hindustan Times
January 06, 2013
The 12th five-year Plan has suggested specific programmes, including increased spending on minority welfare, to reverse discrimination felt by Muslims, a key issue hindering social equity in India’s growth.
The 12th Plan aims to groom 20,000 young Muslim men and women nationally who should be able to “respond to both perceptions as well as actual instances of alienation and hostility” faced by the community.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/12th-Plan-Brighter-for-Muslims-minorities/Article1-985936.aspx
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Forensic lab report shows links among ‘Hindu terror bombs’
Jan 07 2013
New Delhi : The NIA has received a forensic report showing that bombs used in the blasts at Malegaon (2006, 2008), Ajmer Sharif (2007), Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad (2007), Modasa in Gujarat (2008) and on board the Samjhauta Express (2006) bear similarities with each other.
The report from a Hyderabad lab, accessed by The Indian Express, points out several similarities in the six blasts — including the bomb and bomb container used, the bomb-making techniques, the electronic circuit, and the arming and trigger mechanisms.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/forensic-lab-report-shows-links-among--hindu-terro.../1055551/
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AP govt soft on Akbaruddin Owaisi, alleges BJP
Jan 07 2013
Hyderabad : Hitting out at the Andhra Pradesh government for allegedly failing to take prompt action over the “hate speech” of MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, the BJP on Monday accused the Congress of going soft on him as both are still alliance partners in Hyderabad.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ap-govt-soft-on-akbaruddin-owaisi-alleges-bjp/1055693/
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Execution of rapists in public, 'sober' dress for girls: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
Jan 06 2013
New Delhi : Execution of rapists in full public glare, abolition of co-education and "sober and dignified" dress for girls are among the 11 suggestions made by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind to Justice J S Verma Committee on ensuring safety and security to women.
In a statement, JIH said it welcomed the government decision to set up committees to review the present anti-rape law and find out measures to make the society safe for the women against the backdrop of the gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/execution-of-rapists-in-public-sober-dress-for-girls-jamaateis.../1055347/
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Mideast Asia
Watchdog slams smears and loathing among Israel’s top brass
Jan 7, 2013
JERUSALEM: Israel’s government watchdog criticised outgoing Defence Minister Ehud Barak and former armed forces chief Gabi Ashkenazi on Sunday over a relationship full of “loathing and mistrust” that had hurt the military’s hallowed national image.
The findings detailed mud slinging at the very top of Israel’s defence establishment and briefly shifted local media focus away from the approaching January 22 national election. Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\07\story_7-1-2013_pg7_25
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Iran wants all “aliens” out of Afghanistan after 2014
ATUL ANEJA
January 07, 2013
As Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai prepares for a visit to the United States, Iran has made it plain that it opposes the presence of American troops on Afghan soil after a formal exit in 2014.
Using a convoluted formulation, the visiting head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili said in Kabul that not only should “aliens” leave the country, Afghanistan’s national sovereignty must also always be respected. Mr. Jalili — fresh from his visit to India where Afghanistan’s transition post-2014 was a salient topic for discussion — praised the Afghan people’s “historical background in not accepting aliens”. He added that this was Afghanistan’s “big asset” that imparted a powerful impulse to preserve “national sovereignty”.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-wants-all-aliens-out-of-afghanistan-after-2014/article4280206.ece
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Tightly-controlled social media access to replace censorship in Iran
Jan 7, 2013
Iran is designing ‘intelligent software’ that would give citizens restricted, controlled access to banned social networking sites.
EHRAN - Iran is designing "intelligent software" that would give citizens restricted and controlled access to banned social networking sites, local media Sunday quoted police chief Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghadam as saying.
"Smart control of social networks will not only avoid their disadvantages, but will also allow people to benefit from their useful aspects," Ahmadi Moghadam said, as cited by the 7Sobh daily.
Full report at:
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=56291
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Israeli PM: Global Jihadists moving into Golan border area
By HERB KEINON
01/06/2013
Netanyahu directs Defence Ministry to build fences on all of Israel's frontiers, "first and foremost on our border with Syria."
Israel needs to construct a border fence with Syria on the Golan Heights because the Syrian army has moved away from the frontier, and global jihad elements have moved into the area in its place, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.
Netanyahu’s comments came at the weekly cabinet meeting where he announced that the completion of the 230-km. fence along the Egyptian border erected in just over two years has completely stemmed the tide of illegal migration into Israel from Sinai.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=298565
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Turkey lifts ban on thousands of books
Jan 06 2013
Istanbul : From communist works to a comic book, thousands of titles banned by Turkey over the decades were taken off the restricted list, thanks to a government reform.
In July, the parliament adopted a bill stipulating that any decision taken before 2012 to block the sale and distribution of published work would be voided if no court chose to confirm the ruling within six months.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/turkey-lifts-ban-on-thousands-of-books/1055270/
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Iran backs Assad’s stance on Syria
Jan 7, 2013
TEHRAN: Iran on Monday threw its weight behind a plan outlined by Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad to end the civil war in his country, reiterating Tehran’s solid support for its most important regional ally.
“The Islamic republic… supports President Bashar al-Assad’s initiative for a comprehensive solution to the country’s crisis,” Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said in a statement on his ministry website.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/07/iran-backs-assads-stance-on-syria/
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Israel Plans to Construct a Syrian Border Fence
By ISABEL KERSHNER
Jan 7, 2013
JERUSALEM — Israel announced Sunday that it was constructing a border fence along the length of its armistice line with Syria in the Golan Heights and that it was coordinating its intelligence with the United States in light of the deteriorating security situation in Syria.
In remarks at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Syrian Army had moved away from the frontier and that jihadist forces had moved in.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/world/middleeast/israel-plans-to-build-syrian-border-fence.html?ref=middleeast&_r=0
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Netanyahu Rivals Fail to Form Election Pact in Israel
Jan 7, 2013
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Three Israeli centrist and left-leaning parties have failed in an initial attempt to form a united bloc that might have cut into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opinion poll lead before the January 22 election.
"We didn't reach any agreement, unfortunately," centrist Hatenuah party chief Tzipi Livni told Israel Radio on Monday after she took part in a late-night meeting on Sunday with the heads of the centrist Yesh Atid and left-leaning Labour parties.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/07/world/middleeast/07reuters-israel-
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Turkey says United Nations must stop Assad blocking aid
6 Jan 2013
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday the United Nations needed to take a clear stance on Syria and send a message to President Bashar al-Assad not to prevent the distribution of aid.
"If it is clear now that Assad will not do anything new, then the U.N. Security Council must decide on a stance on the situation in Syria," Davutoglu said, after Assad gave a speech in Damascus.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/61905/World/Region/Turkey-says-United-Nations-must-stop-Assad-blockin.aspx
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North America
Stop war in Syria before it becomes “field of ruins”: Pope
Jan 07 2013
VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict on Monday urged the international community to end what he called the endless slaughter in Syria before the entire country became “a field of ruins”.
He made the appeal in particularly strong terms during a yearly “state of the world” address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican.
He said Syria, where the United Nations estimates that 60,000 people have been killed, was “torn apart by endless slaughter and (is) the scene of dreadful suffering among its civilian population”.
He called for an “end to a conflict which will know no victors but only vanquished if it continues, leaving behind it nothing but a field of ruins”.
http://dawn.com/2013/01/07/stop-war-in-syria-before-it-becomes-field-of-ruins-pope/
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Muslim organization launches awareness campaign in Florida to present an accurate image of Islam
‘Why Islam’ Reaches Florida
January 6, 2013
By ISWM
CAIRO – A leading Muslim organization has launched a new awareness campaign in the central US state of Florida to present an accurate image of Islam and create new opportunities for dialogue with American society.
“Our goal is to reach out and start a dialogue with our fellow Americans,” Dr. Zahid Bukhari, president of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), said in a press release obtained by OnIslam.net.
“We see it as our responsibility to introduce our faith, Islam, and clarify any misconceptions about American Muslims.”
Full report at:
http://masjidma.com/2013/01/06/why-islam-reaches-florida/
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Assad “detached from reality,” says U.S.
Jan 7, 2013
The United States has rejected Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s fresh proposal to end the civil war in his country, asserting his new road map is “detached from reality.”
“Bashar al-Assad’s speech today is yet another attempt by the regime to cling to power and does nothing to advance the Syrian people’s goal of a political transition. His initiative is detached from reality, undermines the efforts of Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi, and would only allow the regime to further perpetuate its bloody oppression of the Syrian people,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/assad-detached-from-reality-says-us/article4282214.ece
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US dismisses Assad speech, says he must step aside to allow transition
Jan 7, 2013
WASHINGTON: The US state department dismissed a speech by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Sunday as a meaningless attempt to retain power in his war-torn country and urged the beleaguered strongman to step down.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-dismisses-Assad-speech-says-he-must-step-aside-to-allow-transition/articleshow/17918154.cms
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Osama Bin Laden film, 'Zero Dark Thirty' torture is fiction: ex-CIA official
Jan 07 2013
Washington: Bloody interrogations like those depicted in Hollywood's take on the hunt for Osama bin Laden "Zero Dark Thirty" never really happened, according to the former CIA official who ran such programmes.
"The truth is that no one was bloodied or beaten in the enhanced interrogation programme which I supervised from 2002 to 2007," Jose Rodriguez wrote in a Washington Post article headlined: "Sorry Hollywood. What we did wasn't torture."
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/osama-bin-laden-film-zero-dark-thirty-torture-is-fiction-excia-.../1055610/
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South Asia
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai leaves for official visit to US
Jan 7, 2013
KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday left for a three-day official visit to the US where he will meet his American counterpart Barack Obama and discuss key issues including a bilateral security agreement, the Presidential Palace said.
The discussions would focus on security, economic and political transition in Afghanistan, equipping and strengthening of Afghan security forces, and the peace process, Xinhua reported.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Afghanistan-President-Hamid-Karzai-leaves-for-official-visit-to-US/articleshow/17924034.cms
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Bangla Opposition's black flag procession January 11
Jan 7, 2013
The BNP-led 18-party alliance will bring out black flag processions across the country on January 11 protesting the 2007 political changeover.
A military-backed government took over the state power on January 11, 2007 (widely known as 1/11) for nearly two years, when top political and business leaders were put behind bars.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=264151
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Retrial plea of Mollah too rejected
Jan 7, 2013
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 rejected the retrial petition of war crimes suspect Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Mollah on Monday.
The detained Jamaat assistant secretary general is now facing six charges for his alleged crimes against humanity committed during the country's Liberation War in 1971.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=43771
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/90-year-old-saudi-man/d/9898