Barelvi Parties in Pakistan Call for Western Boycott
New Age Islam News Bureau
5 Oct 2012
Pakistan
• Barelvi Parties in Pakistan Call for Western Boycott
• Ummah should move UN over blasphemy: Religious Leaders
• No let-up in Balochistan violence; four more killed
• Pakistan drafts new rules for issuing Islamic bonds
• Suicide bombers may target Imran Khan's anti-drone rally: Pak govt
• Govt asked to list detention centres of agencies in KP
• Russia backs Pakistan fury on US drones
• Undeclared B'desh-model govt functioning in Pak, claims Gilani
• SAFMA, SAMC outraged at Khuzdar journalist’s killing
• Presidency made party in ISI case
• Govt asked to list detention centres of agencies in KP
• Militancy: When hundreds of Sikhs lost their homes in Orakzai
• Writing Swiss letter: SC grants four-day reprieve to PM Ashraf
• President immune from prosecution, says Naek
• Man’s moustache, beard shaved by brothers-in-law
• Ishq-e-Rasool day riots: Slap on the wrist jail time for men arrested for violence
• Fly me to the moon, says minister as he remembers childhood dream
Europe
• Kyrgyzstan: Lawmakers Charged With Inciting Crowds
• France to push for UN resolution on Mali crisis
• Britons face death penalty in Indonesia
• Abu Hamza ‘needs brain scan’
• Man Accused of Planning Bomb Attack in Spain
• British Judges to Rule on Extradition of 5 Detainees to U.S
• Moscow Faces Hard Choices in Tatarstan and Wider Volga Region
India
• Kashmir's potential is enormous; Mr Gandhi has opened a door for us: Ratan Tata
• PM’s visit hinges on progress of 26/11 case: Indian Foreign Secretary
• Naroda Patiya convict gets 31-year jail term
• Muslim outfit slams West Bengal CM on quota
• Nehru glue mends Omar & Rahul ties
• Jammu-based MLAs allege discrimination, walk out of J&K assembly
• Four arrested in connection with attack on Lt Gen K S Brar
• Radical outfits under NIA lens
• Rahul Gandhi falls back on family ties to woo Kashmiris
• 2002 Gujarat riots: Dipda Darwaza convicts move HC
Africa
• Rivalry between Libyan Cities Sharpens Over Rebel's Death
• Church Refuses to Pray for Dad Who Killed 5 Kids
• Islamists kill two civilians in northern Mali
• Private Army Formed to Fight Somali Pirates Leaves Troubled Legacy
• A Billionaire’s Foundation’s Award for Anti-Apartheid Hero
• S Africa opens Turkish-built mosque complex
• Nigeria anti-fraud EFCC agents jailed for taking bribes
• Nigeria police deny Mubi student killings arrests
• Mau Mau uprising: Kenyans win UK torture ruling
• Tunisia seeks death penalty over anti-US attacks
• Two Suspects Held in Istanbul Over Killing of U.S. Envoy: TV
• Libyan protesters unhappy over government line-up
• Sudan’s deal with South will not end conflict, says opposition
• South Africa mine clashes: Man killed in Amplats unrest
Arab World
• Saudis scramble to recruit Filipino maids
• UN condemns Syria over deadly Turkey border shelling
• Islamist-liberal cold war over Egypt's constitution contained but not over
• 15 percent Saudi teens smoke
• Two Coptic children accused of 'insulting Islam' released pending investigation
• Scholars laud UAE as tolerant society
• Jordan's King Abdullah dissolves parliament ahead of elections
• Fears of broader conflict after Turkey-Syria border shelling
• Is Saleh still calling the shots?
• Syrian Rebels Say Capture Air Defence Base near Damascus
• Syria denies apologising to Turkey over cross-border incident
• Amnesty for 569 Egyptian prisoners on 6 October anniversary
Mideast Asia
• Arab Israeli charged with spying for Hezbollah
• Turkey OKs military action against Syria
• Israel: US gunman shot dead by police after killing one
• Israel claims Syrian mortar strike was attack on NATO
• Iran Offers Plan, Dismissed by U.S., on Nuclear Crisis
• Political and Market Forces Hobble Israel’s Pack of Ink-Stained Watchdogs
• Merchants Reopen in Tehran, With Police Watching for More Protests
• Turkish Border Town Suffers Spill over of Syrian Violence
North America
• FBI offers $50,000 bounty for Qaeda suspect
• F.B.I. Agents Scour Ruins of Attacked U.S. Diplomatic Compound in Libya
• Pentagon voices support for Turkey in skirmish with Syria
• The humiliation of can-do American boys
• Barack Obama wanted to try Osama bin Laden in court if captured: Book
• US citizen sentenced to life in Iraq
South Asia
• Karzai Accuses U.S. of Duplicity in Fighting Afghan Enemies
• Afghan civil war feared as Taliban survive US surge
• Afghan reconciliation: Afghan peace chief’s visit may herald breakthrough
• Afghan official blames Taliban for insider attacks
• Islamic Etiquette released in Afghanistan
• Bangladesh: NHRC chief apologises to Ramu victims
• Maldives agrees to repatriation of Somalia detainees
• Maldives: ‘Journey of Pledges’ reaches Nilandhoo with no sign of security forces
• Govt. fundamentalism, lack of freedom of speech to blame for violence
• Monks in Myanmar protest at Bangladesh Embassy over attacks on Buddhist temples
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Rahul Gandhi has opened not a window, but a door for us
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Pakistan
Barelvi Parties in Pakistan Call for Western Boycott
October 5, 2012
LAHORE: The All Parties Ahl-i-Sunnat Conference on Thursday urged their supporters to boycott products from Western countries in protest against an anti-Islam movie made in America.
A resolution carried at the end of the conference, which was held at Jamia Naeemia and attended by representatives of 40 Barelvi Sunni parties, also condemned protesters in Pakistan who committed arson and vandalism while protesting against the movie. The resolution termed the making of the anti-Islam movie an act of terrorism and a bid to create conflict between religions.
The resolution also addressed the United Nations, saying the body should amend its charter to make blasphemy an international crime. It also demanded a code of ethics for media whereby it agreed not to air blasphemous material anywhere in the world.
The Barelvi parites demanded that the rulers of Muslim countries record their protest against the film in an effective way and that the Organisation of the Islamic Conference hold a meeting on the subject. They said the matter should be taken up in the International Court of Justice. They demanded that the Pakistan government explain its policy for the defence of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). They said the government must allow peaceful protests and crack down on those using the film as an excuse to riot. Finally, they reminded the government of its responsibility to ensure that all non-Muslims living in Pakistan and their worship places were safe.
‘Govt sheltering terrorists’
Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Haji Fazle Karim, addressing the conference, said that the movie was a Western attempt to portray Muslims as intolerant and that they had done this before. He said banned militant organisations were behind the violence in the protests against the film and they were operating “under the government’s shelter”. He said all the people arrested for violent protests in Lahore had been granted bail, which showed that the government had backed them.
Karim said that the United States was an “international terrorist”. He demanded the government convene a joint session of parliament to discuss its strategy against blasphemy. He asked the participants to educate the people about the movie during their Friday sermons.
He said the Sunni Ittehad Council would set off on a train march from Karachi on October 14. They would arrive in Lahore the next day and then set off for Islamabad. He said that he had changed the name from the ‘Pakistan Bachao March’ to the ‘Tahaffuz Namoos-i-Risalat March’.
Sunni Tehrik head Sarwat Ijaz Qadri accused the media of not giving adequate coverage to their protests. He said the media sold its coverage and the SIC couldn’t afford to buy it. He said that the ST could force the media to mend its ways, but first it would like to hold talks with the owners of media outlets.
He criticised television channels, saying that they invited heads of terrorist groups to their programmes to ask them about their views on how to deal with terrorism. He said blasphemy laws like Pakistan’s should be introduced all over the world.
At the end of his speech, Qadri urged the participants to vote for him in the next general elections. He said if he was elected, he would hang the terrorists in public.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/447058/anti-islam-movie-barelvi-parties-call-for-western-boycott/
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Ummah should move UN over blasphemy: Religious Leaders
October 05, 2012
LAHORE – Leaders of religious parties at an All Parties Conference (APC) have demanded of the rulers of the Muslim countries to move a resolution in the United Nations (UN) for an international legislation against the blasphemers.
They also demanded of the Muslim rulers to press the US administration for holding a trial of the movie makers, promoters and distributors of the sacrilegious movie for the sake of inter-faith harmony and global peace.
Tahaffuz Namoos Risalat Mahaz (TNRM) organized the APC at Jamia Naeemia on Thursday and was participated by over 40 religious parties and organizations, while Mufti Muhammad Khan Qadri chaired the moot.
The leaders at the APC further demanded to call a moot in an effort for a forceful response and protest against the blasphemous film, besides a permanent commission of Muslim countries to prevent blasphemy.
Mufti Muhammad Khan Qadri addressing the participants termed the OIC as a dead horse and impressed upon Muslim rulers to have courage to defend the honour of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chairman, Fazal Kareem maintained that SIC would wrap up the colonial system through its Namoos Risalat Train March to be launched on October 14 from Karachi to Rawalpindi.
Sunni Tehrik leader Sarwat Ijaz Qadri said that thousands would make a solemn pledge to lay down their lives for the honour of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at the Azad Pakistan conference on Oct 7 in Liaqat Bagh, Rawalpindi. TNRM president Razaul Mustafa Naqshbandi alleged that the US blasphemous movie enjoyed the patronization of Washington administration.
A communiqué issued on the occasion condemned the series of blasphemies by European and US media and intellectuals over the last few years in the name of freedom of expression.
It said that the blasphemies were a catastrophe greater than 9-11 for the Muslims and amount to sabotage the world peace by causing the clash of civilizations.
It demanded a review of clause 3 of article 1 of UN charter to remove the insult of religions and religious ideals from the scope of freedom of expression and declare it a global crime.
It also demanded a permanent commission of Muslim countries to prevent blasphemy and called upon Pakistani government to file a case in International Court of Justice to punish those responsible for producing the movie.
It also called upon the rulers not to obstruct peaceful protests of the masses and urged upon the people to remain peaceful and avoid damaging public and private property, besides protecting the non Muslim citizens and their places of worship.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/lahore/05-Oct-2012/ummah-should-move-un-over-blasphemy
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No let-up in Balochistan violence; four more killed
October 5, 2012
QUETTA: As many as four people were killed and three others were injured in separate incidents in Quetta and Khuzdar on Thursday.
In the first incident, a man was killed and two others, including a Finance Department employee, sustained injuries after they came under fire in the Khuchlak area of Quetta.
According to police, the people were on their way to Pishin in a car when they were attacked. As a result, one of the men was killed and two others sustained critical wounds. The assailants fled from the scene.
Following the incident, police rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area and started a search operation. The body and the injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital.
“The victims were the employees of the Finance Department and were on their way to Pishin from Quetta when they were targeted,” police said.
The motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained. The deceased was identified as Sikandar Ali and the injured as Mushtaq Hussain and Saqib.
Separately, unidentified motorcyclists opened fire on a mechanic’s shop on Zarghoon Road in the provincial capital. Two people were killed on the spot. The deceased were identified as Imran Bhatti s/o Nazir Khan, a resident of Kasur and Shiraz s/o Fiaz Baig, a resident of Karachi.
The assailants escaped from the scene after committing the crime.
Police rushed to the scene and shifted the bodies to the Civil Hospital in Quetta.
Meanwhile, unidentified assailants opened fire on a barber’s shop in the provincial capital. A person identified as Muhammad Arif s/o Allah Data, a resident of Bahawalpur was injured. The injured was shifted to the Civil Hospital, Quetta.
Separately, a man was gunned down on Jinnah Road in Khuzdar. The deceased was identified as Ghulam Mustafa Marri. The body of the deceased was shifted to the District Headquarter Hospital, Khuzdar.
Police have registered cases into all the incidents and started investigation.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\05\story_5-10-2012_pg1_4
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Pakistan drafts new rules for issuing Islamic bonds
October 5, 2012
SYDNEY: Pakistan’s regulator has issued new draft rules for the issuance of sukuk or Islamic bonds, as part of a range of initiatives to boost the Islamic banking sector in the country.
Under the rules, released on Thursday, sukuk will have to be structured to comply with standards of the Bahrain-based Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Finance Institutions, as well as those set by the local regulator.
The draft rules also include requirements for disclosure of information about the issuers and for the issuers to appoint Islamic scholars who vet the sukuk structures. There is a consultation period on the draft until Oct. 15.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/05/pakistan-drafts-new-rules-for-issuing-sukuk/
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Suicide bombers may target Imran Khan's anti-drone rally: Pak govt
Fri Oct 05 2012
Islamabad : Authorities in northwest Pakistan warned that cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's march against the US drone campaign could be targeted by suicide bombers even as a faction of the local Taliban expressed its opposition to the rally today.
Militant groups have reportedly sent nine suicide bombers to the area around Kotkai village in South Waziristan tribal region, where the march by the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party will conclude on October 7.
These bombers could target those participating in the rally, government sources were quoted as saying by Geo News channel.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/suicide-bombers-may-target-imran-khans-antidrone-rally-pak-govt/1012445/
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Govt asked to list detention centres of agencies in KP
Waseem Ahmad Shah
5 Oct 2012
PESHAWAR, Oct 4: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday directed the defence and interior ministries to produce lists of all detention facilities operated and maintained by intelligence agencies, including Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI) and intelligence wing of Frontier Corps, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjoining tribal areas.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Shahjehan Khan Akhunzada took exception to the slow pace of recovery of the ‘missing persons’ and directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial police officer (PPO) and the Peshawarcapital city police officer to form a special team of experts to probe cases of these persons and inform the bench about results on the next hearing on Oct 23.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/05/govt-asked-to-list-detention-centres-of-agencies-in-kp/
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Russia backs Pakistan fury on US drones
Omer Farooq Khan
Oct 5, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Visiting Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday backed Pakistan's position on American drone attacks in the country's tribal regions, saying such strikes violate Islamabad's "sovereignty and integrity''.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Russia-backs-Pakistan-fury-on-US-drones/articleshow/16678916.cms
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Undeclared B'desh-model govt functioning in Pak, claims Gilani
October 05, 2012
Months after the Supreme Court unseated him, former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani has claimed that an "unannounced Bangladesh-model government" is functioning in Pakistan in the presence of a "worthless" Parliament that has no say in decision-making. "An unannounced Bangladesh-model
government is functioning in the country as decisions are taken somewhere else and Parliament is worthless. The opposition also wants such a government," Gilani said, indirectly referring to the Supreme Court's growing influence in the country.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/Undeclared-B-desh-model-govt-functioning-in-Pak-claims-Gilani/Article1-940195.aspx
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SAFMA, SAMC outraged at Khuzdar journalist’s killing
October 5, 2012
LAHORE: South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) and South Asia Media Commission (SAMC) have condemned the killing of a television reporter in Balochistan and called for an investigation into the murder.
Police said Abdul Haq, who worked for a private TV channel, was shot while driving home around 100 yards from the local press club in Khuzdar, 230 kilometres south of Quetta.
“Journalists have been continuously targeted over the last few years. Authorities must act swiftly to end this cycle of violence and impunity,” SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam and SAMC President Kumar Ketkar said in a joint statement.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\05\story_5-10-2012_pg7_27
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Presidency made party in ISI case
Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD: There may be something more in store in the continuing executive-judiciary saga. Thursday’s proceedings of the case about the ISI doling out funds to politicians in the 1990s took a new twist when the Supreme Court decided to focus its attention on political activities in the presidency.
In an unexpected move, a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain which had taken up the 1996 petition of Tehrik-i-Istiqlal chief Air Martial (retd) Asghar Khan made the president’s office a necessary party through his Secretary General Salman Farooqi.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/05/distribution-of-funds-among-politicians-presidency-made-party-in-isi-case/
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Militancy: When hundreds of Sikhs lost their homes in Orakzai
By Umer Farooq
October 5, 2012
PESHAWAR: “It was at 2am on April 29, 2009, when I was informed about a possible attack by the Taliban. We were left with only one option and that was to leave the area because we could not confront them,” said Kalyan Singh, who was the chief of the Sikh community in Orakzai Agency at that time.
Kalyan then rushed out of his house and knocked at every door where Sikhs resided and told them to leave the agency as soon as possible.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/446972/militancy-when-hundreds-of-sikhs-lost-their-homes-in-orakzai/
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Writing Swiss letter: SC grants four-day reprieve to PM Ashraf
By Web Desk / Sunara Nizami
October 5, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan granted a four-day reprieve to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for revising the draft of a letter to be written to the Swiss authorities as per the court’s instructions, Express News reported on Friday.
The revised draft, submitted by Law Minister Farooq H Naek in today’s hearing of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case, was reviewed by the five-member bench in the judges’ chambers.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/447348/writing-the-swiss-letter-sc-grants-two-day-reprieve-to-pm-ashraf/
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President immune from prosecution, says Naek
5 Oct 2012
ISLAMABAD: Federal Law Minister Farooq H. Naek on Friday said the government wished to resolve the issue of the Swiss letter amicably and added that the president enjoyed immunity from prosecution under the country’s Constitution, DawnNews reported.
Naek said the first two paragraphs of the letter to be sent to Swiss authorities for reopening a graft case against President Asif Ali Zardari were in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/10/05/president-immune-from-prosecution-says-naek/
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Man’s moustache, beard shaved by brothers-in-law
October 5, 2012
VEHARI: A man’s moustache and beard were shaved on Wednesday by his brothers-in-law, a few days after his wedding. He was then handed over to the police for “teasing his younger sister-in-law”. The man, Hafiz Mohammad Shahzad, has denied the allegation.
Machewal police station officials registered two FIRs; a torture complaint by Shahzad against his brothers-in-law and one against Shahzad for teasing his sister-in-law; and arrested the three men.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/447122/mans-moustache-beard-shaved-by-brothers-in-law/
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Ishq-e-Rasool day riots: Slap on the wrist jail time for men arrested for violence
By Saba Imtiaz
October 5, 2012
KARACHI: When lawyers burst into the courtyard of the Anti-Terrorism Courts on Thursday afternoon to break the bad news to 27 suspects going to jail for rioting on September 21, one lad burst into tears – only to receive a consolatory hug from the investigating officer prosecuting him.
The lawyers did have some good news to tell their clients though: they are going to jail for only a few days. “You should be thanking the judge,” chided one of the lawyers, “and the investigating officer.”
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/447196/ishq-e-rasool-day-riots-slap-on-the-wrist-jail-time-for-men-arrested-for-violence/
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Fly me to the moon, says minister as he remembers childhood dream
October 5, 2012
KARACHI: When the Americans sent a man to the moon in 1969, the world was hooked. Millions followed Neil Armstrong’s footsteps as he made history.
Those who couldn’t watch this unfold on television read about it. An of course, there was Sputnik (‘travelling companion’ in Russian), which was launched by the USSR nearly a decade earlier in the midst of the Cold War. In 1999, to commemorate the contributions made to exploring space, science and technology, the United Nations decided to celebrate World Space Week around the world from October 4 to October 10.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/447190/fly-me-to-the-moon-says-minister-as-he-remembers-childhood-dream/
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Europe
Kyrgyzstan: Lawmakers Charged With Inciting Crowds
October 4, 2012
Prosecutors charged three lawmakers on Thursday with trying to violently overthrow the government and inciting crowds to take over buildings housing government offices and Parliament. More than 1,000 people attended a rally on Wednesday in Bishkek, the capital, ostensibly held to demand the nationalization of a gold mine. But the rally led to clashes with the police as the politicians demanded that top officials resign. Thousands of supporters of one detained lawmaker, Kamchibek Tashiyev, who leads the nationalist party Ata-Zhurt, gathered Thursday in the southern town of Jalal-Abad to protest his detention. Mr. Tashiyev and his two co-defendants, Sadyr Zhaparov and Talant Mamytov, are accused of inciting the crowd to attack government offices during the rally.
Mhttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/asia/kyrgyzstan-lawmakers-charged-with-inciting-crowds.html?ref=world&gwh=6D070B56276E19998E77CB53CC2D3D2D
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France to push for UN resolution on Mali crisis
By EDITH M. LEDERER
October 5, 2012
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - France announced Thursday it will circulate a draft U.N. resolution aimed at stepping up pressure on Mali's government and its West African neighbors to agree quickly on a workable military plan to oust Islamic militants who seized the north and are turning it into a terrorist hub.
France's U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud said his government envisages a two-stage plan - an initial resolution to encourage a political and military response to the crisis in Mali followed by a second resolution that would give U.N. Security Council authorization to an African intervention force.
Full report at:
http://www.wistv.com/story/19739088/france-to-push-for-un-resolution-on-mali-crisis
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Britons face death penalty in Indonesia
October 5, 2012
An Indonesian court yesterday indicted two Britons on multiple charges involving an alleged cocaine drug ring on the resort island of Bali, which could see them both face the death penalty.
Prosecutors told Bali's Denpasar district court that Lindsay June Sandiford in May smuggled 4.79 kilograms (10.6 pounds) of cocaine in the lining of her suitcase and that Julian Anthony Pounder had willingly received the drugs.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=252544
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Abu Hamza ‘needs brain scan’
October 04, 2012
LONDON (AFP) - Islamist preacher Abu Hamza should not be extradited from Britain to the United States because he needs a brain scan to establish if he has a “degenerative” condition, his lawyer said Wednesday. The Egyptian-born cleric and four other terror suspects are expected to learn on Friday if their last-ditch bids to secure injunctions to prevent their removal to the US have been successful. A lawyer for Abu Hamza told the London High Court on the second day of hearings that the 54-yr-old was making an application “pending the obtaining of an MRI brain scan which has been recommended by two doctors”.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/04-Oct-2012/abu-hamza-needs-brain-scan
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Man Accused of Planning Bomb Attack in Spain
By RAPHAEL MINDER
October 4, 2012
BARCELONA, Spain — The Spanish police said Thursday that they had arrested a man suspected of planning a bomb attack on a university campus, inspired by a 1999 mass killing at an American high school.
The man, a 21-year-old Spaniard who studied electronics, was arrested Wednesday in Palma, Majorca, the capital of the Balearic Islands, as he was taking delivery of bomb-making materials at his home, the police said. They said they found about 310 pounds of the materials, including ammonium nitrate.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/europe/man-accused-of-planning-bombing-in-in-spain.html?ref=world
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British Judges to Rule on Extradition of 5 Detainees to U.S.
By SARAH LYALL and ALAN COWELL
October 5, 2012
LONDON — British judges have indicated that they will rule Friday on a protracted effort by the United States to secure the extradition of five detainees, including the firebrand Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, to face terrorism charges in American courts, British news reports said.
If the two judges turn down an appeal by the men, lawyers for the British government have said, the authorities will “be entitled to move instantly” to send the men to the United States, ending a legal tussle over their destinies that, for some of them, has spanned eight years and raised questions about the balance between civil liberties and national security.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/world/europe/british-judges-to-rule-on-extradition-
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Moscow Faces Hard Choices in Tatarstan and Wider Volga Region
October 5, 2012
On September 20, the Tatar youth activist organization Azatlyk staged a protest in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. The activists countered the demands of Tatarstan’s Russian population to drop the Tatar language from the curriculum of the republic’s public schools. The leader of Azatlyk, Nail Nabiullin, told the Regnum news agency that the Tatar activists did not want a repeat of the Bashkir scenario in Tatarstan. Bashkortostan President Rustem Khamitov had stated that the republic was lifting its requirement for all public schoolchildren in the republic to learn Bashkir.
Full report at: Source: Jamestown Foundation
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India
Kashmir's potential is enormous; Mr Gandhi has opened a door for us: Ratan Tata
Oct 5, 2012
SRINAGAR: Enthused with the wealth of human capital in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday pledged to do his bit in building a long-term relationship with the youth of the state and fulfil their aspirations.
Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata said he was feeling very emotional in saying that, "it has been a real step forward to be able to have a conversation with a great wealth of human capital that exists in Kashmir".
Gandhi told reporters after an interactive session with students of Kashmir University, "I think we have some of the brightest children in the room behind us. We need to work together with them and with other youngsters like them in Jammu and Kashmir to show them what can be achieved (and) what the future is and that they should take part in it".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kashmirs-potential-is-enormous-Rahul-has-opened-a-door-for-us-Ratan-Tata/articleshow/16683489.cms
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PM’s visit hinges on progress of 26/11 case: Indian Foreign Secretary
HASAN SUROOR
October 5, 2012
“The Prime Minister has said he is looking forward to the [Pakistan] visit”
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would like to see “substantive” progress on action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack before he visited Pakistan, said Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on Thursday. “The Prime Minister has said he is looking forward to the visit, but wants substantive progress on Pakistan’s action against perpetrators of the Mumbai attack,” he said answering questions after delivering a keynote address at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) as part of the Fifth IISS-MEA Foreign Policy Dialogue.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pms-visit-hinges-on-progress-of-2611-case-mathai/article3965554.ece
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Naroda Patiya convict gets 31-year jail term
Oct 05 2012
Ahmedabad: A special court here on Friday awarded 31 years rigorous imprisonment to a convict of the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case, who was produced in the court after he jumped bail.
Terming Suresh alias Shehzad Netalkar as one of the main conspirators, special judge Jyotsana Yagnik sentenced him to 21 years life imprisonment after serving 10 years under section 326 (voluntary causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the IPC.
On August 29, 2012, Netalkar was held guilty of murder (section 302), conspiracy and other sections of the IPC among 32 accused, including BJP MLA and former minister in Narendra Modi government - Maya Kodnani.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gujarat-riots-naroda-patiya-convict-gets-31year-jail-term/1012425/
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Muslim outfit slams West Bengal CM on quota
Oct 05 2012
Kolkata: AIUDF Sets November deadline for giving job reservation to Muslims
Firebrand Muslim leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury on Thursday accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “playing with fire” with the Muslims and warned that the community was aggrieved as it continued to be a deprived section.
Demanding reservation for Muslims in the state, the state president of All Indian United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the Assam-based political party, Mamata as “Brahmin Kanya”.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/muslim-outfit-slams-cm-on-quota/1012255/
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Nehru glue mends Omar & Rahul ties
By Mail Today Bureau in Srinagar
October 5, 2012
CONGRESS general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday invoked grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru as he attempted to bridge the gap between him and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah that had surfaced over the issue of giving powers to the sarpanches in the Valley.
At a function to lay the foundation stone of a tunnel which will link Kargil with Kashmir Valley throughout the year, Rahul and Omar recalled the bonhomie between Nehru and Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah as they vowed to strengthen the bond.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Jammu-based MLAs allege discrimination, walk out of J&K assembly
Oct 5, 2012
SRINAGAR: Several Jammu-based MLAs staged a walkout from the legislative assembly on Friday to protest the alleged discrimination in the sanction of posts in the higher education department.
Balwant Mankotia of National Panthers' Party (NPP) raised the issue of alleged discrimination against Jammu region during the Question Hour.
He claimed that only 400 posts were sanctioned for Jammu region out of the total 1,129 posts of assistant professors sanctioned for the state in the higher education department. Mankotia demanded parity between the Valley and Jammu regions.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jammu-based-MLAs-allege-discrimination-walk-out-of-JK-assembly/articleshow/16681869.cms
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Four arrested in connection with attack on Lt Gen K S Brar
Oct 5, 2012
LONDON: In a breakthrough, British police arrested four people, including a woman, in connection with the attack on Lt Gen (retd) K S Brar, the hero of the 'Operation Bluestar' in 1984.
"Officers from the MPS have arrested three men and one woman on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in connection with the investigation into the attempted murder of an Indian man (Brar) in central London on September 30," a spokesperson of the Metropolitan Police Service told .
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Four-arrested-in-connection-with-attack-on-Lt-Gen-K-S-Brar/articleshow/16681115.cms
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Radical outfits under NIA lens
Oct 5, 2012
NEW DELHI: The attack on Operation Bluestar commander Lt Gen K S Brar has jolted the security establishment to take a closer look at the pro-Khalistan activism and fund-raising by radical Sikh organizations supposedly working for welfare of incarcerated Sikh militants, as well as cyber sites openly promoting the Khalistan cause.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Radical-outfits-under-NIA-lens/articleshow/16678145.cms
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Rahul Gandhi falls back on family ties to woo Kashmiris
M Saleem Pandit
Oct 5, 2012
Z-MORH, SONMARG: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi arrived in Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday amid reports of growing differences between his party and ruling coalition partner National Conference and threat to panchayat members. He identified himself as a Kashmiri to reach out to the people and said he wanted to understand their pain.
"I want to hear you, understand your problems and work for their redressal," said Rahul.
At the foundation stone laying ceremony of the 6.5 km Z-Morh tunnel at Sonamarg, about 85 km from Srinagar to be built in five years by the Border Roads Organisation, Rahul said, "I am from a Kashmiri family and want to have lifelong relations with the people of J&K. No power can separate us."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rahul-Gandhi-falls-back-on-family-ties-to-woo-Kashmiris/articleshow/16677020.cms
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2002 Gujarat riots: Dipda Darwaza convicts move HC
Oct 05 2012
Ahmedabad : The 22 accused convicted in the 2002 Dipda Darwaza riot case moved the Gujarat High Court Thursday challenging their sentence awarded by a trial court.
The designated fast-track court in Mehsana had in July sentenced 21 accused to life imprisonment while then Visnagar police inspector M K Patel was convicted of dereliction of duty and was sentenced to one-year imprisonment.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/2002-gujarat-riots-dipda-darwaza-convicts-move-hc/1012269/
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Africa
Rivalry between Libyan Cities Sharpens Over Rebel's Death
October 5, 2012
MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) - For Misrata shopkeeper Akram Abdesalam Sider, there is only one way Libya's leaders should deal with the former Muammar Gaddafi stronghold of Bani Walid - attack it.
The rivalry between the two towns is long standing and they backed opposing sides in last year's war.
But the divide has grown deeper since the death last week of Misrata rebel fighter Omran Shaban after two months in detention in Bani Walid. He was released in critical condition and flown to Paris but died soon after.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/05/world/africa/05reuters-libya-
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Church Refuses to Pray for Dad Who Killed 5 Kids
BY MORAA OBIRIA
4 OCTOBER 2012
FIVE children killed by their father, who committed suicide afterwards, were buried at Chesirikwa village in Kuresoi district on Tuesday.
John Kiprono Kirui, 45, was not eulogised in the funeral, the final blessing only mentioned the children, "may the Lord rest the souls of the innocent children in the eternal peace".
The boys are Amos Kipkoech aged ten, twins Dominic Kiprop and Caleb Kipchirchir aged nine, Daniel Kiplagat aged five, and Gideon Kipng'eno aged two. The faithful at Chesiririkwa Pentecostal Assemblies Church did not pray for the man's soul. The church pastors said Kirui was "not a Christian hence not a saint".
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201210040205.html
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Islamists kill two civilians in northern Mali
5 Oct 2012
Officials say Al-Qaeda allied Islamist militants kill two people following an attack in war-torn Mali
Armed Islamists in northern Mali attacked a vehicle and killed two civilians overnight, a witness and local official said Friday.
"There were nine of us in the vehicle between Timbuktu and Douentza. The Islamists ordered us to stop, the driver slowed but they opened fire nonetheless and two people in the front were killed," a survivor told AFP. A local official confirmed the incident and accused the region's Islamist masters of "sowing terror and desolation".
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/54862/World/International/Islamists-kill-two-civilians-in-northern-Mali.aspx
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Private Army Formed to Fight Somali Pirates Leaves Troubled Legacy
By MARK MAZZETTI and ERIC SCHMITT
2012/10/05
WASHINGTON — It seemed like a simple idea: In the chaos that is Somalia, create a sophisticated, highly trained fighting force that could finally defeat the pirates terrorizing the shipping lanes off the Somali coast.
But the creation of the Puntland Maritime Police Force was anything but simple. It involved dozens of South African mercenaries and the shadowy security firm that employed them, millions of dollars in secret payments by the United Arab Emirates, a former clandestine officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, and Erik Prince, the billionaire former head of Blackwater Worldwide who was residing at the time in the emirates.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/africa/private-army-leaves-troubled-legacy-in-somalia.html?hp
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A Billionaire’s Foundation’s Award for Anti-Apartheid Hero
October 5, 2012
A billionaire’s foundation says it will give anti-apartheid hero Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa an award for “speaking truth to power” that comes with a $1 million grant.
In announcing the one-off award Thursday, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation said Tutu “is and has throughout his life been one of Africa’s great voices for justice, freedom, democracy and responsible, responsive government.”
Tutu was an anti-apartheid leader during the most desperate years of the struggle against racist rule. The Nobel peace laureate has continued to be outspoken on world events, sharply criticizing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and China’s treatment of Tibetans.
The London-based foundation also gives an annual $5 million prize for good governance in Africa, awarded to a former head of state. Ibrahim was born in Sudan.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/award-for-desmond-tutu/article3965039.ece
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S Africa opens Turkish-built mosque complex
October 5, 2012
MIDRAND: South Africa on Thursday inaugurated a giant mosque complex built by Turkey, with 55-metre (180-foot) Ottoman minarets towering over a religious centre the authorities described as the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
The Nizamiye mosque dominates the clear skies on the main highway between the capital Pretoria and economic hub Johannesburg. President Jacob Zuma cut a red ribbon at the entrance to the structure, flanked by government ministers from South Africa and Turkey.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\05\story_5-10-2012_pg4_2
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Nigeria anti-fraud EFCC agents jailed for taking bribes
5 October 2012
Two anti-corruption agents in Nigeria have been given five-year prison terms for accepting bribes.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said its officers had been found guilty of asking for about $630 (£390) from a politician to stop a supposed investigation.
He informed the EFCC which organised a sting operation to catch the agents.
The EFCC has faced criticism in its attempts to tackle what some see as entrenched high-level fraud in Nigeria.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19843161
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Nigeria police deny Mubi student killings arrests
5 October 2012
Nigerian police have denied that there have been arrests in connection with the killing of at least 26 people at a college hostel in Mubi.
But police spokesman Mohammed Ibrahim told the BBC many officers had been deployed to the north-eastern town in the search for the attackers.
Most victims were students called out by name by the gunmen who went from door-to-door, police said.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19807964
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Mau Mau uprising: Kenyans win UK torture ruling
5 October 2012
Three Kenyans who were tortured by British colonial authorities can proceed with their legal claims against the UK government, a court has ruled.
London's High Court ruled the case, relating to the 1950s Mau Mau uprising, could proceed despite the time elapsed.
The ruling means the case will now go to a full trial. Lawyers for the three hailed it as a "historic" judgement.
While the government accepts UK forces tortured detainees it denies liability and will appeal against the decision.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-19843719
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Tunisia seeks death penalty over anti-US attacks
October 05, 2012
Tunisian authorities are seeking the death penalty against several suspects who have been detained over attacks on the US Embassy and the neighboring American school last month, defense lawyers said. Anouar Ouled Ali and Mondher Charni said an unspecified number of the 87 people now held
in custody risk capital punishment on charges including attacks against state security. The September 14 violence came amid roiling protests across the Muslim world over a private US-produced film that mocked the Prophet Muhammad.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Africa/Tunisia-seeks-death-penalty-over-anti-US-attacks/Article1-940061.aspx
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Two Suspects Held in Istanbul Over Killing of U.S. Envoy: TV
October 5, 2012
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Two suspects in the killing of U.S. ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens have been detained at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Turkish broadcaster Kanal D reported on its website on Friday.
It said Turkish police held the two suspects, described as Tunisian citizens, as they tried to enter the country with fake passports.
Police in Istanbul declined comment on the report.
Stevens was one of four Americans who died when Islamist gunmen stormed the Benghazi consulate last month.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/05/world/africa/05reuters-usa-libya-stevens-turkey.html?_r=1&ref=africa&gwh=2199454A6112B377E11AA9A3AA4EB92B
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Libyan protesters unhappy over government lineup
5 October 2012
TRIPOLI: More than 100 Libyans demonstrated at the headquarters of the General National Congress yesterday angry over the lack of representation of a western town in a proposed new Cabniet line-up.
The demonstrators entered the premises and aired their grievances to representatives of the legislative assembly, the first elected authority after four decades of dictatorship under slain leader Muammar Qadhafi, witnesses said.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/libyan-protesters-unhappy-over-government-lineup
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Sudan’s deal with South will not end conflict, says opposition
5 October 2012
KHARTOUM: Sudan and South Sudan will remain locked in conflict despite reaching a border security deal last week, leading Sudanese opposition figure Hassan Turabi said.
The two African countries have been wrangling over contested areas along the border and other issues since breaking apart last year under a peace deal that ended decades of civil war.
Under pressure from the United Nations and African Union, the two agreed last Thursday to set up a demilitarized border zone and resume oil exports from the landlocked South after Juba shut them down in a row with Khartoum over transit fees.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/sudan%E2%80%99s-deal-south-will-not-end-conflict-says-opposition
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South Africa mine clashes: Man killed in Amplats unrest
5 October 2012
A man has been killed during clashes between striking miners and police at a mine in South Africa's platinum belt, police say.
Spokesman Thulani Ngubane denied accusations that the man had been shot by the police during unrest at an Anglo American-owned mine.
This is the latest unrest in South Africa's mines - 34 miners were shot dead by police in August.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19841710
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Arab World
Saudis scramble to recruit Filipino maids
5 October 2012
Filipino household service workers are in huge demand going by the number of applications received from Saudis for their recruitment after a deal between the two countries came into effect Monday.
The Eastern Province alone recorded 1,240 applications within the first three days, giving a big boost to the activities of Saudi manpower recruitment agencies.
The new contract agreement, which contains 19 articles, will guarantee both parties’ rights, including a monthly salary of SR 1,500 to be paid directly to the household workers through their bank account. It also prevents maids from working at any place other than their sponsor’s residence and gives them the right to keep passport and iqama (residency permit) in their custody.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudis-scramble-recruit-filipino-maids
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UN condemns Syria over deadly Turkey border shelling
Oct 5, 2012
AKCAKALE, TURKEY: The UN Security Council condemned Syria "in the strongest terms" over its deadly shelling of a border town in Turkey, but Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there were no plans to go to war.
Turkish artillery hit back at Syrian army positions on Wednesday night and again on Thursday, and the Turkish parliament gave its authorisation for further military action.
But on Friday, calm had returned to the border area and there were no further Turkish reprisals, monitors said, as Damascus apologised.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/54817/Egypt/Politics-/Islamistliberal-cold-war-over-Egypts-constitution-.aspx
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Islamist-liberal cold war over Egypt's constitution contained but not over
A closed-door meeting between Constituent Assembly members Wednesday night manages to settle some differences over religous articles but contentious points still threaten the drafting of Egypt's constitution
Gamal Essam El-Din , Friday 5 Oct 2012
Secular and Islamist factions in Egypt's Constituent Assembly battled it out during a five-hour closed door meeting Wednesday night on several contentious articles relating to religion that are, reportedly, holding up the completion of Egypt's national charter.
Spokesman of the constitution-drafting body Wahid Abdel-Meguid told Ahram Online on Thursday that assembly Chairman Hossam El-Gheryani had forced representatives of the differing political forces to meet with the objective of "settling their differences and moving forward to complete the first draft of the constitution".
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/54817/Egypt/Politics-/Islamistliberal-cold-war-over-Egypts-constitution-.aspx
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15 percent Saudi teens smoke
5 October 2012
Up to 15 percent of teenagers in Saudi Arabia smoke, said Sulaiman Alsabi, chairman of the anti-smoking charity society (Naqa’a).
He said tobacco companies are targeting intermediate school students and that this is the reason behind conducting the awareness campaign entitled "before he or she smokes".
Al-Sabi told Al-Hayat newspaper that his society conducted research to find out how far tobacco companies influence students. The research covered a number of Riyadh’s schools and came up with recommendations to focus on intermediate schools.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/15-percent-saudi-teens-smoke
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Two Coptic children accused of 'insulting Islam' released pending investigation
Emad Abu-Zeid
4 Oct 2012
Christian boys arrested for allegedly tearing up Quranic verses released but not acquitted, says attorney general; families sign document confirming children will attend questioning session
Two Coptic children arrested for insulting Islam in the Upper Egyptian village of Ezbet Marco were released Thursday afternoon pending investigation, according to Ahram Online's reporter in Beni Suef.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/54811/Egypt/Politics-/Two-Coptic-children-accused-of-insulting-Islam-rel.aspx
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Scholars laud UAE as tolerant society
Anwar Ahmad
Oct 4, 2012
ABU DHABI: A group of scholars has praised the UAE as a model of tolerance and religious cohesion, but say it needs to better spread its message across the region so other nations can emulate it.
They also said the country's example of how a peaceful society can function had led to the disapproval of groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.
The scholars made their comments in a seminar for students, sponsored by Al Mezmaah Studies and Research Centre at Zayed University, on Monday night.
It focused on Islam from political, legal, religions and social perspectives.
Full report at:
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/scholars-laud-uae-as-tolerant-society
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Jordan's King Abdullah dissolves parliament ahead of elections
Oct 5, 2012
AMMAN: Jordan's King Abdullah on Thursday dissolved the country's pro-government rubber stamp parliament, a constitutional move to pave the way for elections expected early next year.
The announcement was made on the eve of a rally organised by the main Islamist opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, which is hoping to stage its largest demonstration on Friday since Arab Spring-inspired protests erupted last year.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Jordans-King-Abdullah-dissolves-parliament-ahead-of-elections/articleshow/16680013.cms
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Fears of broader conflict after Turkey-Syria border shelling
ATUL ANEJA
October 5, 2012
After cross-border mortar fire from Syria killed five civilians, Turkey has responded with heavy shelling — a step that threatens to widen the conflict by drawing NATO into the equation.
Turkey, a member of NATO, pressed all the red buttons on Wednesday that could draw Syria into a larger military confrontation with the West. After an emergency meeting with his inner circle on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.N. envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, blaming the Syrian government for the firing.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/fears-of-broader-conflict-after-turkeysyria-border-shelling/article3964587.ece
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Is Saleh still calling the shots?
4 October 2012
Seven months after he reluctantly handed over the presidency, Ali Abdullah Saleh’s continuing sway over Yemen is worrying Western nations who fear that the political transition could descend into chaos.
While Saleh is held responsible by many Yemenis for the more than 2,000 deaths during last year’s uprising, it was the storming of the US embassy on September 13 that appears to have jolted Western countries into changing their view of a man long seen by Washington as its best bet for containing militants.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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Syrian Rebels Say Capture Air Defense Base Near Damascus
October 5, 2012
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels say they captured an air defense base with a cache of missiles outside Damascus, a rare advance in a city where President Bashar al-Assad's forces have them on the back foot.
A video posted on YouTube shows dozens of rebels dressed in army fatigues celebrating as black smoke rises from a military installation behind them.
A middle-aged man holding an assault rifle says the assault on the base, in the Eastern Ghouta area was carried out by a rebel battalion from the town of Douma - both places are a few miles east of the capital.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/05/world/middleeast/05reuters-syria-crisis-
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Syria denies apologising to Turkey over cross-border incident
ATUL ANEJA
5 October 2012
Syria has clarified that it condoled the deaths of innocent civilians in Wednesday’s cross-border mortar fire incident but had not apologised to Turkey as it was yet to ascertain the identity of those who had carried out the attack.
Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations Security Council Bashar Al-Jafari told the El-Nashra website on Thursday that the Syrian government had not send any apology letter to the Turkish government.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/syria-denies-apologising-to-turkey-over-crossborder-incident/article3968569.ece
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Amnesty for 569 Egyptian prisoners on 6 October anniversary
5 Oct 2012
Morsi continues his policy of pardoning some prisoners to celebrate public holidays
The prisoners service sector has approved President Mohamed Morsi's decision to pardon 569 common prisoners for the 6 October national holiday.
The pardoned prisoners were chosen by a committee headed by the deputy interior minister for prison affairs.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/54852/Egypt/Politics-/Amnesty-for--Egyptian-prisoners-on--October-annive.aspx
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Mideast Asia
Arab Israeli charged with spying for Hezbollah
An Israeli court charges an Arab Israeli with espionage, contact with Lebanon's Hezbollah group, aiding “the enemy” in time of war and conspiracy to aid “the enemy”
4 Oct 2012
An Israeli court on Thursday charged an Arab Israeli with gathering information for Lebanon's Hezbollah, including details of security arrangements for President Shimon Peres, the Shin Bet security agency said.
In a statement, Israel's domestic security service said Milad Mohammed Khatib, from the Arab village of Majdal Krum in northern Israel, was charged with espionage, contact with an enemy agent, aiding the enemy in time of war and conspiracy to aid the enemy.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/54831/World/Region/Arab-Israeli-charged-with-spying-for-Hezbollah.aspx
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Turkey OKs military action against Syria
Oct 5, 2012
AKCAKALE (TURKEY): Turkey's parliament on Thursday authorized military action against Syria but said it was not a mandate for war following cross-border fire that sent tensions soaring.
The vote came as Turkish artillery hit targets inside Syria in retaliation for the shelling that killed five Turkish nationals. Turkey said Syria apologized and vowed the incident would not happen again.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Turkey-OKs-military-action-against-Syria/articleshow/16678937.cms
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Israel: US gunman shot dead by police after killing one
Oct 5, 2012
An American man who killed one person after opening fire at a hotel in Israel's southern resort of Eilat has been shot dead by Israeli police.
His motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, police said, and he has not been publicly identified.
Israeli media reported that he had been an employee of the hotel who had an argument with a colleague.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-19841596
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Israel claims Syrian mortar strike was attack on NATO
5 Oct 2012
Syrian attack on Turkey has to be considered an assault on a NATO member-state, Israeli Deputy PM says
Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor said on Thursday a deadly Syrian mortar strike on a Turkish town had to be considered an attack on a member of the NATO alliance.
Israel is technically at war with Damascus and occupies the Golan Heights that it seized in the 1967 war and later annexed, but it has generally taken a cautious line on the uprising in its Arab neighbour.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/54868/World/Region/Israel-claims-Syrian-mortar-strike-was-attack-on-N.aspx
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Iran Offers Plan, Dismissed by U.S., on Nuclear Crisis
By DAVID E. SANGER
2012/10/05
WASHINGTON — With harsh economic sanctions contributing to the first major protests in Iran in three years, Iranian officials have begun to describe what they call a “nine-step plan” to defuse the nuclear crisis with the West by gradually suspending the production of the uranium that would be easiest for them to convert into a nuclear weapon.
But the plan requires so many concessions by the West, starting with the dismantling of all the sanctions that are blocking oil sales and setting off the collapse of the Iranian currency, that American officials have dismissed it as unworkable. Nonetheless, Iranian officials used their visit to the United Nations last week to attempt to drum up support, indicating that the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is finally feeling the pressure.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/middleeast/iranians-offer-9-step-plan-to-end-nuclear-crisis.html?ref=world&gwh=24074792C8AEE2735F629BA936B9923F
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Political and Market Forces Hobble Israel’s Pack of Ink-Stained Watchdogs
By ISABEL KERSHNER
2012/10/05
JERUSALEM — The mainstream newspaper Maariv is on the verge of closing, apparently having lost a fierce 64-year contest against the populist Hebrew tabloid Yediot Aharonot. On Thursday, Haaretz, the flagship broadsheet of Israel’s left-wing intelligentsia, was not published for the first time in three decades; the newsroom held a one-day strike to protest the planned layoff of scores of employees.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/middleeast/concentration-and-politics-hobble-
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Merchants Reopen in Tehran, With Police Watching for More Protests
By RICK GLADSTONE
October 4, 2012
Most merchants in Tehran’s grand bazaar reopened for business on Thursday as an unusually large number of police officers were deployed around the city’s black-market money trading district, witnesses reported, a day after a crackdown on suspected speculators led to civil disturbances and a large protest march by Iranians demanding relief from the plummeting value of the currency, the rial.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/middleeast/tehran-merchants-reopen-with-
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Turkish Border Town Suffers Spill over of Syrian Violence
October 5, 2012
AKCAKALE, Turkey (Reuters) - Standing outside his two-storey house, Mehmet stretched his arm through his shattered living room window, pulling at a tear in the net curtain as shards of glass crunch under his feet
"This is how close we came," he said.
Mehmet was sitting at home with his family on Wednesday when mortars fired from Syria came crashing down near his house in Akcakale, a Turkish border town that has seen itself unwittingly sucked into the conflict raging in its southern neighbour.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/10/05/world/middleeast/05reuters-syria-crisis-
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North America
FBI offers $50,000 bounty for Qaeda suspect
October 04, 2012
WASHINGTON - US authorities offered a $50,000 reward on Wednesday for an American of Syrian descent with alleged Al-Qaeda ties, who is accused of plotting to kill US military personnel overseas.
Officials have been searching for Ahmad Abousamra, 31, since November 2009, when a federal warrant was issued for his arrest. He has been indicted on nine charges, including providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country and conspiring to provide material support to Al-Qaeda.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/04-Oct-2012/fbi-offers-50-000-bounty-for-qaeda-suspect
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F.B.I. Agents Scour Ruins of Attacked U.S. Diplomatic Compound in Libya
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
2012/10/05
WASHINGTON — Escorted by several dozen Special Operations forces, F.B.I. agents on Thursday entered the ruins of the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, as part of their investigation into the killings there of ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
Security fears had kept the F.B.I. agents from traveling the 400 miles from the American Embassy in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, to collect evidence at a crime scene that was trampled, looted and badly burned by militants more than three weeks ago. Administration officials said Thursday the delay was caused in part by the Libyan government, which they described as slow in granting approval for the mission.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/africa/fbi-agents-scour-ruins-of-attacked-us-
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Pentagon voices support for Turkey in skirmish with Syria
By Kristina Wong
October 3, 2012
The Pentagon expressed support Wednesday for NATO member Turkey, whose forces shelled targets in Syria in response to a Syrian mortar attack on a Turkish border town that killed five civilians.
“This is yet another example of the depraved behavior of the Syrian regime, and why it must go. We regret the loss of life in Turkey, a strong ally, and continue to monitor the situation closely,” Pentagon press secretary George Little said in a statement Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/3/pentagon-voices-support-for-turkey-in-skirmish-wit/
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The humiliation of can-do American boys
October 05, 2012
WILLIAM BLUM
In Afghanistan, the US military has tried training sessions, embedded cultural advisers, recommended reading lists, and even a video game designed to school American troops in local custom. But 11 years into the war, Nato troops and Afghan soldiers are still beset by a dangerous lack of cultural awareness, officials say, contributing to a string of attacks by Afghan police and soldiers against their military partners.
Fifty-one coalition troops have been killed this year by their Afghan counterparts. While some insider attacks have been attributed to Taliban infiltrators, military officials say the majority stem from personal disputes and misunderstandings.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/05-Oct-2012/the-humiliation-of-can-do-american-boys
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Barack Obama wanted to try Osama bin Laden in court if captured: Book
Oct 4, 2012
NEW YORK: President Barack Obama wanted to try Osama bin Laden in a federal court if the US Navy SEALS had managed to capture the al-Qaida chief from his hideout in Pakistan, a new book has claimed.
Obama said he wanted to put bin Laden on trial in a US courtroom if the terror mastermind survived last year's daring raid on his Abbottabad compound, Mark Bowden, has claimed in his book on the bin Laden raid, "The Finish".
Obama said that he anticipated the same resistance that forced him to abandon a New York City trial for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-conspirators, the New Daily News reported.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Barack-Obama-wanted-to-try-Osama-bin-Laden-in-court-if-captured-Book/articleshow/16673035.cms
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US citizen sentenced to life in Iraq
4 October 2012
An Iraqi court has sentenced an American citizen to life in prison on charges of assisting al-Qaeda and financing terrorist activities in Iraq, according to a government statement released Thursday.
The Interior Ministry said Omar Rashad Khalil, 53, was recruited by al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2005. Khalil, an architectural engineer, is of Palestinian descent and entered the country in 2001, the ministry statement said.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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South Asia
Karzai Accuses U.S. of Duplicity in Fighting Afghan Enemies
By ALISSA J. RUBIN and HABIB ZAHORI
2012/10/05
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, on Thursday accused the United States of playing a “double game” by fighting a war against Afghan insurgents rather than their backers in Pakistan, and by refusing to supply his country with the weapons it needs to fight enemies across the border. He threatened to turn to China, India and Russia for those arms.
He also accused the Western news media of trying to undermine the confidence of the Afghan people by publishing articles suggesting that a civil war and economic collapse might follow the departure of NATO troops at the end of 2014. However, he also promised, using his strongest words to date, that he would step down from the presidency and that there would be an election.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/world/asia/karzai-accuses-us-of-duplicity-in-fighting-
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Afghan civil war feared as Taliban survive US surge
October 5, 2012
KABUL: With the end of the US surge in Afghanistan, the Taliban have survived the biggest military onslaught the West will throw at them - and fears are growing that a disastrous new civil war looms.
The last of the extra 33,000 soldiers US President Barack Obama deployed nearly three years ago left late last month, and the remaining NATO force of some 112,000 will follow by the end of 2014.
Although a small contingent of foreign troops may remain to conduct counter-terror operations, Western politicians stress that what Obama once called the ‘good war’ will ‘end’ in 2014.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\10\05\story_5-10-2012_pg7_26
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Afghan reconciliation: Afghan peace chief’s visit may herald breakthrough
By Qaiser Butt
October 5, 2012
ISLAMABAD: As the international community accelerates its efforts to windup the Afghan reconciliation process before the withdrawal of US and Nato forces from the country, Afghan High Peace Council (AHPC) chief Salahuddin Rabbani will visit Islamabad this month to resume peace talks with Pakistani leaders, a foreign ministry source told i.
“Significant positive developments are expected when leaders from Islamabad and Afghanistan will hold talks on new proposals to end the hostilities,” the official said.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/447234/afghan-reconciliation-afghan-peace-chiefs-visit-may-herald-breakthrough/
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Afghan official blames Taliban for insider attacks
By Kristina Wong
October 4, 2012
A top Afghan official said Thursday that he has believed for years that most insider attacks on foreign troops have resulted from the Taliban’s infiltration of Afghanistan’s security forces — an assessment that contradicts Pentagon conclusions.
The insider attacks — in which Afghan soldiers and police turn their weapons on their international coalition trainers — have killed more than 50 foreign troops this year, and frayed trust between NATO and Afghan forces.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/4/afghan-official-blames-taliban-insider-attacks/
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Islamic Etiquette released in Afghanistan
3 Oct 2012
New books are published in Afghanistan on Islamic principles by Iran's Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.
IBNA: According to the public relations and information office of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO), entitled as Islamic Etiquette and Attention, the two books are written with the aim of promoting the thinking level of Afghans regarding religious issues.
Reza Elham has authored the Islamic Etiquette is from the Institute of Hazrat Sekineh Seminary. 1,000 copies of the book are published in Afghanistan. Moreover, Attention is written by the same author and is published with 500 copies.
Full report at:
http://www.ibna.ir/vdcawwn6a49nm01.tgk4.html
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Bangldesh: NHRC chief apologises to Ramu victims
October 5, 2012
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman on Friday apologised to Buddhist community for the recent communal violence that left 12 of their temples burnt out.
"We are ashamed, aggrieved, sorry and asking for your forgiveness," the NHRC chairman told the people while visiting Shima Bihar (temple) at Ramu in Cox's Bazar.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=41399
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Maldives agrees to repatriation of Somalia detainees
By Daniel Bosley | October 4th, 2012
Director of Somalian state Puntland’s Counter-Piracy Directorate, Abdirasak Mohamed Dirir, has travelled to the Maldives to finalise the repatriation of 40 Somalian youths currently detained in the Maldives.
Foreign Office Spokesman Ibrahim Muaz Ali has confirmed that the director had met with Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz, and Special Advisor to the President Dr Hassan Saeed.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/maldives-agrees-to-repatriation-of-somalian-detainees-44880
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Maldives: ‘Journey of Pledges’ reaches Nilandhoo with no sign of security forces
By Daniel Bosley | October 4th, 2012
The Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) ‘Journey of Pledges’ has today reached Nilandhoo in Ghaafu Alif Atoll with no sign of the security forces.
Local media yesterday reported that boats had been sent to return former President Mohamed Nasheed to Male’ to face trial .
Party spokesman Hamed Abdul Ghafoor said that the five boat flotilla had received a warm welcome from the island’s 1000-strong population as well as the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) dominated council.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/mdps-journey-of-pledges-reaches-nilandhoo-with-no-sign-of-security-forces-44869
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Govt. fundamentalism, lack of freedom of speech to blame for violence
By Lucy Johnson | October 4th, 2012
Dear Dr Hassan Saeed,
I would like to express the following comments in response to your letter in The Guardian today, ‘Violent protests in the Maldives’.
Rather than suggesting that the recent increase of violent behaviour in the Maldives is a direct result of MDP protests, it would seem more obviously related to the state-sponsored fundamentalism and lack of freedom of speech which has been endemic over the last few months.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/society/comment-state-sponsored-fundamentalism-and-lack-of-
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Monks in Myanmar protest at Bangladesh Embassy over attacks on Buddhist temples and homes
5 October 2012
YANGON, Myanmar - More than 100 monks in Myanmar have demonstrated at Bangladesh's embassy to protest recent attacks against Buddhist temples and homes in Myanmar's South Asian neighbour.
The Buddhist monks staged Friday's protest in reaction to Sept. 30 riots in Bangladesh's coastal district of Cox's Bazar. Thousands of Muslims there set fire to at least 10 temples and 40 homes allegedly because of anger over a photo of a burned Qur’an posted on Facebook, allegedly by a Buddhist.
Full report at:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Monks+Myanmar+protest+Bangladesh+Embassy+over+
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/barelvi-parties-pakistan-call-western/d/8888