Blast Kills 14 outside Afghanistan's Supreme Court, Women, Children among Casualties
New Age Islam News Bureau
11
Jun 2013
Men carry a victim of a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul June 11, 2013. — Reuters pic
South Asia
• Blast Kills 14 outside Afghanistan's Supreme Court, Women, Children among Casualties
• Attacker in Afghanistan hid bomb in body
• DRP leader Thasmeen unveiled as President Waheed’s election running mate
• Maldives NGO to launch 2013 Ramazan Collection for Children’s Shelters
• Baby in Dhaka sold for 1000 taka only!
• 100 Jamaat-Shibir men sued in Bogra
• Key mayoral candidates eye minorities, Hefazat votes in Sylhet
Arab World
• New wave of Iraq violence in Sunni areas kills 70
• Bombs hit Syrian capital, at least 14 killed
• Bombs strike troops in Iraq, kill 6
• Saudi beheads Syrian for drug smuggling
• Syria child execution puts rebel justice in spotlight
• Syria rebels converge on airbase as US mulls support
• In Lebanon, bravado about Syrian civil war is replaced by foreboding
• Conflict in the Middle East is about more than just religion
• World-class Madinah pilgrim city to house 200,000 faithful
• Deaf-initely good move for mosques
• Egypt's Shura Council moves forward with army's right to vote
North America
• Whistleblower of US electronic surveillance on the run after N S A information leak
• 62% Americans OK with intrusion on privacy: Survey
• Surveillance of foreign phone calls helped nab Headley: US
• US files charges against Guantanamo inmate
• Kerry postpones Mideast visit amid Syria talks
India
• Narendra Modi's elevation saddest day for Advani: Urdu press
• Congress Muslim leader calls for joint strategy
• Advani's projection as symbol of secularism surprising: Omar Abdullah
• Cricket is war-torn Afghanistan's 'aman ki asha'
• SC dismisses Gujarat cop's plea in Ishrat Jahan shootout
• LeT militant killed in Pulwama
Southeast Asia
• Aceh Shariah ‘Under Social Media Attack’
• Malaysia among top 10 countries gobbling up US property
• Densus 88 Agents Kill Terrorism Suspect in Poso Shootout
• Malay NGOs slam Najib’s brother for backing AirAsia X CEO
• Malaysia’s BIMB starts talks with Tabung Haji for Bank Islam stake
Pakistan
• Two BNP-Mengal activists killed
• Terrorists in police uniform try to kidnap Shia doctor in Peshawar
• Imran’s immobility prolongs dispute over cabinet portfolios
• Pak claims Indian fighter jets enter its airspace
• Bill Gates offers to assist Pakistan in health sector
• Re-evaluation of secret agencies’ role sought
• CJ takes suo motu notice of ‘blasphemous content’ on internet
• Musharraf wins $10,000 bail in second Pakistan case
• ‘Islamabad to be made hub of cultural activities’
• Imran Khan claims assassination plot
Mideast
• Islamist Turkish PM Claims Protesters Entered Mosque with Shoes On
• Turkey detains a 'main perpetrator' of bombings that killed 51
• Reformist Aref drops out of Iran's presidential race
• Police clear Istanbul's Taksim Square
• Israel exports military equipment to Pakistan: Report
• Iran eyes 30 nuclear bombs a year: Israel minister
Europe
• Taliban willing to hold talks on reducing civilian casualties, says UN
• English Defence League leader condemns attacks on Muslims
• UN in talks with Germany to take in 10,000 Syrians
Africa
• Violence against Libyan Protesters Threatens to Undercut Power of Militias
• Mali mediators hopeful of accord to pave way for vote
• Libya armed militias cause chaos to public security
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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South Asia
Blast Kills 14 outside Afghanistan's Supreme Court, Women, Children among Casualties
11 June 2013
A bomb exploded on Tuesday near minibuses taking Supreme Court staff home in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Afghan police say the death toll in suicide attack has jumped to 14, according to AP.
Reuters had earlier reported a death toll of eight.
It was the second big attack in the city in two days.
On Monday, seven Taliban insurgents including suicide bombers attacked Kabul's main airport, Reuters said.
According to Reuters, Supreme Court workers were getting on minibuses to go home when the bomber struck.
“A large explosion occurred near the Supreme Court but it’s still not clear if it was a suicide attack or not,” said Najib Nikzad, the Interior Ministry's deputy spokesman, told Reuters.
Women and children were among the casualties, he said.
The bomb was in a car and was triggered as the minibuses left the compound, Nikzad told Reuters.
The Supreme Court is about 200 meters from the entrance to the heavily fortified U.S. embassy.
“We were sitting in a car when suddenly there was an explosion in the car behind me,” Kabul resident Mira Jan, bleeding from a wound in the head, told Reuters.
“After that I don't know what happened.”
(With Reuters and AP)
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/asia/2013/06/11/Blast-kills-8-outside-Afghanistan-s-Supreme-Court.html
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Attacker in Afghanistan hid bomb in body
New York Times
Jun 11 2013
KABUL: Afghanistan’s spy chief, Asadullah Khalid, was taking no chances.
A man had crossed into Afghanistan from Pakistan with important information he said he would only deliver personally to Khalid, who had just taken over as the head of the National Directorate of Security.
Khalid’s aides took the visitor to an armoured room in the basement of a safe house in Taimani, an upscale neighbourhood in the capital city, for a security screening. They were no doubt mindful of what happened in September 2011 when a Taliban peace emissary was allowed to meet with a prominent Afghan peace envoy and then killed him with a bomb hidden in his turban.
Watching the man over closed-circuit television, they ordered him to strip naked, which he did. Satisfied, they let him get dressed and took him to see their boss upstairs.
Then he blew up. The suicide bomber killed only himself, but Khalid sustained severe injuries.
Now, months after that attack, on Dec. 6, a spokesman for the National Directorate of Security, Shafiqullah Tahiri, confirmed that the attacker had hidden the bomb inside his rectum.
Two other Afghan security officials confirmed that the bomb had been hidden internally. Officials had earlier been quoted as saying the bomb had been hidden in the attacker’s underwear.
The last time such a bomb was known to be used was in an attempt to kill a Saudi prince with a device thought to be the work of Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, one of the most skilled bomb makers of al-Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate.
Afterward, the counterterrorism unit of Europol, Europe’s police agency, warned that airlines might have to tighten their screening procedures because a rectal bomb could escape detection by normal X-ray scanning machines.
“The sensitivity and power of these machines would need to be increased or reviewed, in order to overcome shielding of the device by the human body,” Europol’s report said.
Asiri is also believed to be the creator of underwear bomb, used in an abortive attempt to bring down a US airliner in 2009.
ROD NORDLAND
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/new-tactic-attacker-in-afghanistan-hid-bomb-in-body/1127501/
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DRP leader Thasmeen unveiled as President Waheed’s election running mate
By Neil Merrett | June 10th, 2013
Leader of the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, has been unveiled as President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s running mate for September’s election.
Thasmeen’s appointment was confirmed by DRP Parliamentary Group Leader Dr Abdulla Mausoom, who claimed the move would allow the president to provide a viable alternative to the country’s two largest political parties.
The announcement was welcomed by one electoral rival in the form of the DRP’s government coalition partner, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), which labelled Thasmeen as “the weakest link” among all the current candidates standing in September.
The DRP last month announced that it would be joining the religious conservative Adhaalath Party and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) in a coalition backing President Waheed and his Gaumee Ithihaad Party (GIP) in the upcoming election. The Adhaalath Party was reported in local media today as giving its full support to the partnership of President Waheed and MP Thasmeen.
Dr Mausoom said that this coalition, under the banner, ‘forward with the nation’, still remained open for other parties to join ahead of September’s vote despite today’s decision.
At present, Dr Waheed and Thasmeen will be standing against PPM presidential candidate MP Abdullah Yameen and his running mate, former Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed – who was dismissed from the current government last month after announcing his decision to stand with the party.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed will also be standing for election as candidate for the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), but has yet to unveil his running mate. Nasheed resigned from office in February 2012 under controversial circumstances following a mutiny by sections of the police and military.
Meanwhile, the government-aligned Jumhoree Party (JP) has previously said it was undecided over whether to join President Waheed’s coalition, while expecting to nominate a presidential candidate at its national conference later this month.
The JP is headed by MP and local business tycoon Gasim Ibrahim.
“Natural reaction”
Considering the rival candidates expected to stand during September’s presidential election, DRP MP Dr Mausoom said the ‘forward with the nation’ coalition has been formed as a “natural reaction” to the previous governments of former Presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed.
“I think for people who do not see the merit in backing former Maldives Presidents Gayoom and Nasheed there is now an alternative,” he claimed, adding that both candidates would be a return to “square one” for democracy in the Maldives.
Mausoom claimed that President Waheed woukd now unite support behind a third option in Maldivian politics, that was opposed to the MDP and PPM – presently the country’s two largest political parties in terms of MP number.
He said that the coalition’s appeal as an alternative to both the Nasheed and Gayoom administrations would be its main strength.
“This is just the beginning,” Dr Mausoom added. “Thasmeen spoke today of the achievement’s of President Waheed’s government over the last year, in spite of difficult circumstances he faced.”
While both the MDP and PPM has dismissed the viability and effectiveness of coalition government in Maldives politics, Mausoom argued that the DRP had continued to back President Waheed along with several other parties in order to put national development first.
“We are at a point where we all have to climb down from party ideology and put the national interest first,” he said.
Mausoom claimed that the country’s previous coalition governments had been formed on a “circumstantial” basis, both in bringing former President Nasheed to power and then backed President Waheed. However, he claimed that parties within the ‘forward with the nation’ coalition backing President Waheed during the election were “pro-actively” united in their goal for national development.
Positive development
Speaking to Minivan News today, PPM MP Ahmed Nihan said that Thasmeen’s appointment as Dr Waheed’s running mate was not seen as a concern by the party and would actually serve as a positive development for its own election campaign.
Thasmeen took over as head of the DRP following former President Gayoom’s temporary retirement from political life in 2010.
Nihan argued that the PPM, which was founded in 2011 by a faction of MPs who broke away from the DRP alongside former President Gayoom, were “well aware of the political strength of Mr Thasmeen”.
“We are the only people who can make an informed judgement on [Thasmeen]. He is the weakest link among all the wannabe leaders at present,” he said.
Nihan said that the party would therefore carry on with it plans to begin campaigning in the north of the country ahead of September’s election.
“This is the very least of our concerns as a party,” he said.
Nihan nonetheless said that the party continued to remain concerned at what it alleged was President Waheed’s continued use of state funds and resources to support campaigning for the coalition.
“This is our one crucial concern. President Waheed needs to facilitate a free and fair election, but he has today used government speedboats to transport coalition members. This should not be seen n a democratic society,” he said. “Back in 2008, President Gayoom would have used his own party’s speedboat for campaign purposes.”
Meanwhile, MDP presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed contended during an interview with state broadcaster Television Maldives (TVM) on May 16 that President Waheed and the DRP has been forced to form a coalition out of necessity.
Nasheed therefore questioned the president’s coalition’s claims that it presented a “third way” for voters as opposed to the policies of the MDP and PPM. Nasheed reiterated his belief that power-sharing coalitions were not compatible with the Maldives’ presidential system of government.
“I do not see a citizen who wants ‘another way.’ What is the path to deliver this way [to development]? We do not hear [political parties] talking about that,” he said. “We are presenting one path to that [development]. We believe MDP’s policies will bring prosperity to the people. I do not see this third way you referred to as ‘a way.’ I see it as two men with no other way. That is not a political philosophy,” he said.
http://minivannews.com/politics/drp-leader-thasmeen-unveiled-as-president-waheeds-election-running-mate-59282
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Maldives NGO to launch 2013 Ramazan Collection for Children’s Shelters
By Minivan News | June 11th, 2013
Local NGO Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) is set to launch its latest annual Ramazan Collection for Children’s Shelters later this month, requesting donations of food, sports equipment, toiletries and clothing from the public.
Starting from June 16, the organisation is requesting gift donations for 90 children aged between 0 and 18 years of age, who presently live in the shelters of Kudakudhinge Hiya, Amaan Hiya (Villimale’) and the Education and Training Centre for Children (Maafushi).
ARC has said it will be accepting donations at its Male’ office on Alikilegefaanu Magu from Sunday up to July 4, 2013 . Donations will be accepted during this period from 3:00pm to 6:00pm Sunday to Thursdays, and 2:00pm to 6:00pm on Saturdays.
The NGO has said that it would gratefully accept food and toiletries as well as new or gently used arts supplies and stationery, toys and sports equipment, as well as clothing and prayer items.
“Thanks to the community’s generosity, ARC’s previous collections were a great success and the children look forward to it every year,” the NGO said in a statement. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted, and your gifts given in the spirit of Ramazan will bring much joy to the children.”
Further information on the Ramazan collection is available online through ARC’s website, or by calling the NGO on 784 0360 during collection hours.
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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Baby in Dhaka sold for 1000 taka only!
Jun 11 2013
Police in Hakimpur upazila under the district rescued a seven-month-old baby and handed it over to the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) yesterday, two days after the kid’s indigent parents, also alleged drug addicts, sold him off just for Tk 1000 and two saris.
Dulali, a eunuch of Madyabasudevpur village under Hakimpur upazila, bought the kid from its parents Md Shamsul Alam and Nurjahan Begum for Tk 1000 and two saris on Saturday.
Shamsul and Nurjahan, residents of Parbatipur upazila in Dinajpur, were drug addicts and every day they were seen in Hili land port area, said Rafiqul Islam, a local.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/baby-sold-for-1000-taka-only/
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100 Jamaat-Shibir men sued in Bogra
Jun 11 2013
Police sued 100 Jamaat-Shibir men yesterday on charge of attacking police in Sutrapur area of the town on Sunday.
Sub-inspector of Sadar police station Kala Chand filed the case under the speedy trial act.
Police said Jamaat-Shibir men brought out a procession from Titu Milonayaton area on Sunday evening, protesting an ICT verdict that jailed three of their leaders for contempt of court.
Sensing the presence of police, the protesters hurled around 20 cocktails at them in Sutrapur area, leaving at least seven policemen including three officials injured. In, the law enforcers shot 63 rubber bullets to disperse the Jamaat-Shibir men.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/100-jamaat-shibir-men-sued-in-bogra/
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Key mayoral candidates eye minorities, Hefajat votes in Sylhet
Jun 11 2013
Both mayoral candidates Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran and Ariful Haque Chowdhury of the June 15 Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) polls are trying to woo indigenous communities, religious minorities and Hefajat-e Islam to cast votes in their favour.
Hindu Buddha Christian Oikya Parishad Sylhet district unit General Secretary Asit Bhattacharya, campaigning for Kamran, told The Daily Star that the three communities had some 61,000 voters in the city.
Outgoing mayor Kamran, being backed by the ruling Awami League (AL)-led 14-party alliance, is highlighting the development activities he initiated in the past five years in places of worship, especially temples.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/key-mayoral-candidates-eye-minorities-hefajat-votes-in-sylhet/
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Arab World
New wave of Iraq violence in Sunni areas kills 70
AFP | Jun 11, 2013
BAGHDAD: A wave of violence, mostly in Sunni areas of Iraq, killed at least 70 people on Monday, shattering hopes that tensions had been eased by a recent series of symbolic political gestures.
The attacks, which left more than 230 people wounded, are the latest in a surge in bloodshed that, coupled with a long-running political paralysis, has stoked fears of a revival of the all-out sectarian war that blighted Iraq in 2006 and 2007.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bloodshed, but Sunni militants linked to Al-Qaeda have in the past set off coordinated nationwide bombings in a bid to undermine confidence in the security forces and the Shiite-led authorities.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/New-wave-of-Iraq-violence-kills-70/articleshow/20532794.cms
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Bombs hit Syrian capital, at least 14 killed
AP | Jun 11, 2013
DAMASCUS (Syria): Two suicide bombers hit a central Damascus square during rush hour on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people, activists and the Syrian state media reported. Activists said one of the explosions took place inside the police station there and that many among the dead were policemen.
The blasts were the first major attack in the Syrian capital since the regime recaptured the strategic town of Qusair, held by the rebels for over a year.
The regime is believed to be building on its victory there to clear rebels from areas they held in the center of Syria, a linchpin area linking Damascus with the regime strongholds on the Mediterranean coast. Backed by fighters from Lebanon's Shiite group Hezbollah, the regime took control of Qusair, near the Lebanon border, after a three-week offensive.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Bombs-hit-Syrian-capital-at-least-14-killed/articleshow/20539913.cms
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Bombs strike troops in Iraq, kill 6
(AP) / 11 June 2013
Officials say roadside bombings have targeted army and police convoys in northern Iraq, killing six troops.
Police officials say a bomb struck a military convoy on Tuesday morning in the volatile city of Mosul, killing three soldiers and two officers.
A policeman was killed when a roadside bomb hit his convoy around midday, also in Mosul. The city is 360 kilometres (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2013/June/middleeast_June111.xml§ion=middleeast
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Saudi beheads Syrian for drug smuggling
11 Jun 2013
Saudi authorities beheaded on Tuesday a Syrian man convicted of trying to smuggle narcotics into the ultra-conservative kingdom, the interior ministry said.
Hussam al-Rjoob had attempted to "smuggle a large amount of narcotic tablets," the ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.
His execution in the northern province of Jawf brings to 51 the number of people executed in Saudi Arabia this year.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/73726/World/Region/Saudi-beheads-Syrian-for-drug-smuggling.aspx
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Syria child execution puts rebel justice in spotlight
Jun 11 2013
Beirut : Photographs of the bloodied face of a 14-year-old boy executed in front of his parents by jihadist rebels in northern Syria have thrown into stark relief the sometimes extreme justice meted out in rebel-held areas.
Fighters of Al-Qaeda front group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria accused Mohammad Qattaa of blasphemy but a human rights group said he had done nothing more than use a common Arabic phrase that makes reference to the Prophet Mohammed's name. Pictures of Qattaa's face, bloodied by the three shots that cut short his life on Sunday, spread like wildfire on social media websites, prompting a strong condemnation of his killing from the mainstream opposition.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/syria-child-execution-puts-rebel-justice-in-spotlight/1127642/
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Syria rebels converge on airbase as US mulls support
(AFP) / 11 June 2013
Syrian rebels have clashed with government troops after converging on a military airport in Aleppo, a monitoring group and state media said, as the United States said it was considering “all possible options” to help the opposition.
Buoyed by victory in the strategic town of Qusayr on the border with Lebanon, President Bashar Al Assad’s troops have been readying to open a northern front in Aleppo province on the border with Turkey.
The 26-month conflict pitting mainly rebels against Assad’s regime has on occasion spilled over into Lebanon and Turkey.
After suffering a string of battlefield losses in and around Qusayr in the past week, rebel fighters advanced on the Minnigh airbase in Aleppo province on Monday, a monitoring group reported.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=/data/middleeast/2013/June/middleeast_June109.xml§ion=middleeast
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In Lebanon, bravado about Syrian civil war is replaced by foreboding
Martin Chulov
Jun 11, 2013
Beirutis like to say that their city thrives on uncertainty. "We've been through worse," is a common refrain. "We're used to war every few years," is another.
In the last few months, though, bravado has been replaced by uncertainty and fear. Residents are often heard discussing the steadily deteriorating region in more foreboding tones.
"Is war really coming?" they regularly ask each other. Amid the rumble and whirl of drills and construction cranes, many in Beirut prefer not to draw conclusions. But away from the capital, the countryside resounds to the unmistakable drumbeat of war.
The largely Sunni north has taken on an increasingly heavy burden as Syria has unravelled. Lebanese men have gone to fight on Syrian battlefields, from where hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled to Lebanon.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/09/lebanon-bravado-syria-replaced-by-fear
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Conflict in the Middle East is about more than just religion
Recently, Shia-Sunni conflicts have seen Hezbollah help Syrian government forces to recapture Qusair. Battles rage between the two sides in Lebanon while in Iraq the monthly death toll from Sunni-Shia violence has topped 1,000. But religion alone does not explain the escalating tensions. Fundamental political shifts begun by the Arab spring are helping create new regional disputes in the Middle East
Peter Beaumont
Jun 11, 2013
Nine days ago the influential Sunni cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi denounced the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah movement – whose fighters helped Bashar al-Assad's regime retake the Syrian city of Qusair last week – as the "party of Satan".
Speaking in Doha not long before Qusair's fall, Qaradawi did not stop there: the cleric, whose speeches and sermons are heard by millions, went a dangerous step further, calling on Sunni Muslims with military training to support the Syrian uprising against Assad.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/middle-east-full-blown-religious-war
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World-class Madinah pilgrim city to house 200,000 faithful
11 June 2013
A state-of-the-art pilgrim city will be established in Madinah on an area of 1.6 million square meters along Hijrah Road with modern facilities and public transport systems to house 200,000 faithful who come for Haj and Umrah.
“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has instructed the Finance Ministry to implement the project,” said Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman, adding that it would boost pilgrim services in the city.
State-owned Public Investment Fund will finance the project, which is located close to the Prophet’s Mosque, he said. It includes a railway and bus station, offices of government agencies and a 400-bed hospital.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/454691
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Deaf-initely good move for mosques
11 June 2013
People with hearing disabilities will have special places for them in all mosques in city centres and governorates.
The move by the Ministry for Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance aims at enabling people with such disabilities to benefit from the Friday sermon which will be explained to them in sign language in coordination with the Saudi Society for Hearing Disabilities.
Tawfiq Al-Sudeiri, a top ministry official, said this agreement would help spread religious awareness among those with hearing disabilities. The society will provide translators.
“All ministry branches in the Kingdom have been notified, and they should announce that they have places for those with hearing disabilities,” he said.
A memorandum signed this year aims to boost religious awareness among such individuals.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/454689
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Egypt's Shura Council moves forward with army's right to vote
11 Jun 2013
The legislative committee of the Shura Council, the upper house of parliament which currently holds legislative powers, approved on Tuesday the reservations of the High Constitutional Court (HCC) on a draft law regulating political rights.
The court had found several of the articles of the law unconstitutional, including a provision that members of the police and the armed forces are not given the right to vote.
The court also objected to the fact that the Supreme Electoral Commission, the body tasked with supervising elections, is not given the right to monitor the use of private media in election campaigning.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/73720/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-Shura-Council-moves-forward-with-armys-righ.aspx
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North America
Whistleblower of US electronic surveillance on the run after N S A information leak
Chidanand Rajghatta, TNN | Jun 11, 2013
WASHINGTON: The American whistleblower who leaked the extent of US electronic surveillance on the world is on the run in Hong Kong, evoking images of breathless chases across the globe a la Jason Bourne, Robert Ludlum's fictional spy.
Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old contractor for the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton and a former CIA computer technician, checked out of a Hong Kong hotel after giving a widely-publicized 12-minute video interview to the Guardian, the paper he first chose to reveal the inner workings of the US National Security Agency.
He said decided to give up the comfort of a cushy job and life in Hawaii, where he lived with his girlfriend on a $ 200,000 salary, because he could not in all conscience be part of what was becoming a surveillance state that has developed the capacity and capability to tap into virtually every electronic communication in the world.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Whistleblower-on-the-run-after-National-Security-Agency-information-leak/articleshow/20531203.cms
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62% Americans OK with intrusion on privacy: Survey
PTI | Jun 11, 2013
WASHINGTON: Majority of Americans seem to back Obama administration's controversial secret surveillance programme to facilitate terrorism investigations even if personal privacy is compromised, according to a new survey.
A solid 62% Americans said the federal government's investigations for possible terrorist threats were more important, even if that intrudes on personal privacy, the national survey released yesterday by the Pew Research Centre and the Washington Post found.
A majority 56% find the National Security Agency's access to telephone call records to uncover terrorist activity "acceptable" vis-a-vis 41% who said it was "not acceptable".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/62-Americans-OK-with-intrusion-on-privacy-Survey/articleshow/20539197.cms
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Surveillance of foreign phone calls helped nab Headley: US
Jun 11, 2013
Pakistani-American Headley, 51, was arrested by the US security agencies in October 2009 for scouting the targets of the Mumbai attack for terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Top American officials have defended the controversial secret surveillance programme of the Obama administration, saying such efforts helped them to abort several terrorist attacks and nab terrorists like David Headley, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks convict.
"A second example, also occurring in 2009, involved one of those perpetrators of the Mumbai bombing in India, David Headley. And we aborted the plot against a Danish news publisher based on the same kind of information," National Intelligence Director James Clapper told the MSNBC.
Full report at:
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/1846594/report-surveillance-of-foreign-phone-calls-helped-nab-headley-us
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US files charges against Guantanamo inmate
AFP | Jun 11, 2013
WASHINGTON: The Pentagon announced on Monday that war crime charges carrying a life sentence have been brought against an Iraqi held at the Guantanamo Bay prison.
Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi is accused of "perfidy" for having allegedly worked with late al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden to attack US and coalition forces as well as civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He is also said to have served as an intermediary between al-Qaida and other extremist groups like the Taliban.
Iraqi faces life in prison if convicted by a military commission tribunal.
The charges marked the second time in nine months that an indictment has been brought against one of the 166 prisoners that remain at the US military-run prison in Cuba.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-files-charges-against-Guantanamo-inmate/articleshow/20531929.cms
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Kerry postpones Mideast visit amid Syria talks
AFP | Jun 11, 2013
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry postponed a trip to Israel and Palestinian territories this week to attend White House talks on Syria amid growing calls for America to arm the opposition.
The news came as Kerry's efforts to rekindle the Middle East peace talks appear to have bogged down, and as a flow of Hezbollah fighters into Syria is helping the regime win a string of victories against the rebels.
"The secretary will be in Washington this week. He had planned a trip that was widely reported across the region," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Kerry-postpones-Mideast-visit-amid-Syria-talks/articleshow/20531483.cms
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India
Narendra Modi's elevation saddest day for Advani: Urdu press
Mohammed Wajihuddin, TNN | Jun 11, 2013
MUMBAI: The Urdu press has called it the saddest day in L K Advani's life when Narendra Modi was elected the BJP's campaign committee chairman. Besides calling it a great betrayal for Advani by the party he nurtured so assiduously, Urdu dailies also expressed fear that Modi's elevation might further polarize Indian society.
The Inquilab said one could disagree with Advani's ideology and his worldview, but it could not be denied that he made enormous contribution to his party. "Advani would have never thought that one day, Rajnath Singh would give such a big position to Modi without his approval. This is faithlessness, rebellion and betrayal," writes the daily. "In the clamour to elevate Modi, the opportunist leaders of BJP marginalized Advani. For Advani, this is time to reflect and introspect."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Narendra-Modis-elevation-saddest-day-for-Advani-Urdu-press/articleshow/20531464.cms
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Congress Muslim leader calls for joint strategy
11 June 2013
Muslim members of Parliament in India should join hands and coordinate with each other to raise minority issues at the legislative body, according to Khaleequr Rahman, a senior Congress leader from Andhra Pradesh.
“They can meet ahead of every Parliament session to chart out an effective strategy to take up the Muslim cause on the floor of the House,” Rahman said during an interaction with the Indian community in Riyadh.
The function was organized by the Andhra Pradesh United Society (APUS).
He said that efforts are being made to create a Secretariat for Muslim parliamentarians in New Delhi.
Full report at:
“Waqf properties can be protected and used for the development of Muslims,” he said.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/454666
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Advani's projection as symbol of secularism surprising: Omar Abdullah
PTI | Jun 11, 2013
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday expressed surprise over the projection of L K Advani, who quit all BJP posts on Monday, as a symbol of secularism in NDA by some quarters.
"L K Advani as the NDA's mascot of secularism. Who would have imagined!!!!!!" Omar, whose National Conference was a constituent of the alliance from 1999-2003, wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Advanis-projection-as-symbol-of-secularism-surprising-Omar-Abdullah/articleshow/20535447.cms
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Cricket is war-torn Afghanistan's 'aman ki asha'
TNN | Jun 11, 2013, 03.17 AM IST
JAIPUR: War-torn Afghanistan is hoping for cricket to restore peace in the country.
Twenty-four-year-old captain of Afghanistan A cricket team Imran Khan, who is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in Jaipur, calls cricket as the new 'aman ki asha' for Afghanistan.
"My generation believes that it will be cricket which will restore peace in Afghanistan. But, we need support from countries like India to invite us to play in tournaments like the IPL," he says.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Cricket-is-war-torn-Afghanistans-aman-ki-asha/articleshow/20530881.cms
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SC dismisses Gujarat cop's plea in Ishrat Jahan shootout
IANS | Jun 11, 2013
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition by additional director general of Gujarat police PP Pandey challenging an arrest warrant issued against him in the 2004 staged shootout case of Ishrat Jahan and three others.
The apex court bench headed by Justice Gyan Sudha Misra said the petitioner, a Gujarat cadre IPS officer, could not approach them for challenging the arrest warrant issued by a magistrate, without approaching the high court.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-dismisses-Gujarat-cops-plea-in-Ishrat-Jahan-shootout/articleshow/20539638.cms
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LeT militant killed in Pulwama
AHMED ALI FAYYAZ
Jun 11 2013
In yet another gun battle in South Kashmir, police and security forces on Monday night claimed to have killed at least one militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba at Neelora village of Pulwama district.
The operation was launched when police received a tip-off regarding presence of two militants at Neelora late on Monday evening, Vijay Kumar, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (South Kashmir), told The Hindu over telephone from the site of the encounter. As the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K Police zeroed in on a hideout, the holed up militants opened fire. One militant, identified as Ashiq Lone of Hef Shirmal, died in the gun battle.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/let-militant-killed-in-pulwama/article4801322.ece
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Southeast Asia
Aceh Shariah ‘Under Social Media Attack’
By Jakarta Globe
Jun 11, 2013
The government in Aceh has claimed a social media movement is aiming to discredit Shariah law in the province, though it has refused to provide any details on who may be behind it.
“We recognize there are still parties who are unhappy with the implementation of Islamic Shariah in Aceh,” Syahrizal Abbas, the head of Aceh’s provincial Shariah agency, said on Friday, as quoted by Antara news agency.
Syahrizal urged all parties in the province to use mass media and social media to promote positive perceptions of Islam.
Yasir Yusuf, the head of the Aceh branch of the Indonesian Cleric Association (Ikadi), echoed Syahrizal’s sentiments and said he had observed efforts to undermine the Islamization of Aceh.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/aceh-shariah-under-social-media-attack/
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Malaysia among top 10 countries gobbling up US property
Jun 11 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — Malaysians are among the top 10 biggest foreign buyers of US commercial property, the Financial Times (FT) has reported, joining the flow of investors from emerging markets looking to park their cash in a stable environment with higher yields.
Citing data from global real estate research and consulting firm Real Capital Analytics (RCA), the widely-read business and current affairs paper reported Malaysia to have entered the same league as Canada, Singapore, China, South Korea, Australia, Israel and Kuwait in buying up chunks of prime office space in New York as well as in gateway cities across the US valued at US$27.2 billion (RM84.3 billion) last year.
“Emerging markets such as China, Russia, Brazil, India, Israel and elsewhere are experiencing a lot of wealth creation, however they are also experiencing a lot of volatility in their home markets.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-among-top-10-countries-gobbling-up-us-property/
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Densus 88 Agents Kill Terrorism Suspect in Poso Shootout
By Farouk Arnaz
June 10, 2013
The Indonesian anti-terrorism agency’s crackdown on an organization accused of staging armed robberies to fund acts of terror in Central Sulawesi continued on Monday as agents engaged in a fire fight with a fleeing suspect, killing the man on a Poso street.
Densus 88 agents closed in on Nudin, an alleged member of fugitive terrorist Santoso’s East Indonesia Mujahideen network, Monday afternoon, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said. Nudin, who also goes by the name Bondan, attempted to flee the scene on motorcycle, speeding down Jalan Pulau Irian before colliding with a car. When agents approached the man, he opened fire, Boys said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/densus-88-agents-kill-terrorism-suspect-in-poso-shootout/
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Malay NGOs slam Najib’s brother for backing AirAsia X CEO
BY BOO SU-LYN
JUNE 11, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 – Malay-Muslim groups attacked CIMB Group chief executive Datuk Seri Nazir Razak today for defending AirAsia X leader Azran Osman Rani, labelling him a Malay who has forgotten his roots.
Nazir (picture) praised the captain of the long-haul budget airline yesterday for making a stand against Umno-owned Malay newspaper Utusan Malaysia’s purported racial instigation after the May 5 general polls, with the younger brother of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak saying it showed the “mark of a leader”.
“Nazir and Azran are the two best examples of Malays who fit the proverb, ‘Seperti kacang lupakan kulit’,” said the Malay-Muslim NGO Coalition in a statement today.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malay-ngos-slam-najibs-brother-for-backing-airasia-x-ceo/
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Malaysia’s BIMB starts talks with Tabung Haji for Bank Islam stake
Jun 11 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — Malaysia’s BIMB Holdings Bhd has received approval from the country’s central bank to begin talks with Lembaga Tabung Haji for the latter’s 18.5 per cent stake in Bank Islam, the country’s oldest Islamic bank.
BIMB, which presently owns 51 per cent of Bank Islam, is also in the process of acquiring the 30.5 per cent stake held by Dubai Financial Group. If it acquires both stakes, BIMB will control 100 per cent of Bank Islam.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/malaysias-bimb-starts-talks-with-tabung-haji-for-bank-islam-stake/
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Pakistan
Two BNP-Mengal activists killed
Jun 11 2013
QUETTA: Armed gunmen on Thursday killed two activists of the Balochistan National Party - Mengal in Khuzdar town of the southwestern province.
Police said armed gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire at the vehicle of Ali Akbar Mosiani, a district leader of BNP-M, in Khuzdar bazaar.
Mosiani was killed on the spot, police said, adding that the gunmen managed to escape from the spot. Moreover, only half an hour after Mosiani's killing, armed gunmen shot dead another BNP-M activist, Javed Baloch.
Full report at:
http://beta.dawn.com/news/1017540/two-bnp-mengal-activists-killed
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Terrorists in police uniform try to kidnap Shia doctor in Peshawar
June 11, 2013
PESHAWAR: A Shia doctor was seriously injured and his gunman was killed when terrorists in police uniform tried to kidnap him near Syed Anwar Medical Plaza, Dabgari Gardens in the jurisdiction of East Cantonment police station late Tuesday night.
Dr Shakir Hussain is an assistant professor at the Lady Reading Hospital. In the same incident, one of the kidnappers was killed by the doctor’s gunmen.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/561796/terrorists-in-police-uniform-try-to-kidnap-shia-doctor-in-peshawar/
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Imran’s immobility prolongs dispute over cabinet portfolios
ASHFAQ YUSUFZAI
Jun 11 2013
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan’s prolonged immobility due to skull and back injuries has been delaying the formation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet and end to wrangling among the ruling party’s members of the provincial assembly over portfolios, it is learnt.
On May 7, Imran Khan fell off a makeshift lift during an election rally in Lahore.
Doctors asked him to remain immobile until he fully recovered from skull and back injuries.
Insiders have said PTI, which have the most seats in the provincial assembly, is struggling to resolve differences within itself and with Jamaat-e-Islami, one of its coalition parties, over ministries.
Full report at:
http://beta.dawn.com/news/1017466/imrans-immobility-prolongs-dispute-over-cabinet-portfolios
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Pak claims Indian fighter jets enter its airspace
PTI | Jun 11, 2013
LAHORE: Pakistani officials on Tuesday alleged that two Indian fighter jets entered seven kilometres into the country's airspace over Punjab province.
They said the incident occurred over Pakpattan district, 200km from the provincial capital of Lahore.
The officials alleged the jets remained in Pakistani airspace for over one minute.
IAF sources in Delhi, however, rejected the claim saying, "Our pilots did not cross the border".
An official from Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority said that the Indian jets violated Pakistani airspace over Head Sulemanki area of Pakpattan district.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-claims-Indian-fighter-jets-enter-its-airspace/articleshow/20538124.cms
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Bill Gates offers to assist Pakistan in health sector
Jun 11 2013
ISLAMABAD: Former CEO of Microsoft and famous philanthropist Bill Gates has offered to extend his support to the newly-elected government of Pakistan in the health sector.
In a letter delivered Tuesday to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by Dr. Waqar Ajmal Special Representative of Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Gates promised to extend financial and technical assistance to the Government of Pakistan as far as possible.
Full report at:
http://beta.dawn.com/news/1017532/bill-gates-offers-to-assist-pakistan-in-health-sector
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Re-evaluation of secret agencies’ role sought
Jun 11 2013
ISLAMABAD, June 10: An ex-serviceman, who had been picked up and brutally tortured, moved the Supreme Court on Monday seeking an order for the constitution of a parliamentary committee for reassessing the role of secret agencies, including the Military Intelligence and the Inter-Services Intelligence.
The re-evaluation by the parliamentary committee will help avoid crippling of young soldiers and end the recovery of mutilated dead bodies, Naik Mohammad Iqbal said in his application filed in the court through Advocate Inamul Raheem.
Mr Iqbal was taken into custody by intelligence agencies on Nov 27, 2004, when his battalion was deployed on the Leepa Front in Azad Kashmir but, according to his counsel, he was never informed about the charges.
Full report at:
http://beta.dawn.com/news/1017512/re-evaluation-of-secret-agencies-role-sought
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CJ takes suo motu notice of ‘blasphemous content’ on internet
Jun 11 2013
ISLAMABAD: The top judge of Pakistan on Monday took suo motu notice on “ever increasing blasphemous material circulating on the internet,” indicated by a British national of Pakistani origin, said a press release issued by the Supreme Court.
Barrister Amjad Malik, the applicant, prayed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry would issue necessary directions to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the government and other concerned institutions of the country to block such “objectionable pages promoting blasphemy in the name of freedom of expression.”
Full report at:
http://beta.dawn.com/news/1017316/cj-takes-suo-motu-notice-of-blasphemous-content-on-internet
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Musharraf wins $10,000 bail in second Pakistan case
(AFP) / 11 June 2013
Pakistan’s ex military leader Pervez Musharraf was granted bail Tuesday in a second case relating to his nine-year rule, bringing closer his possible release after nearly two months of house arrest.
The retired general, who returned from four years of self-imposed exile in March, is officially barred from leaving the country and has been detained at his villa on the edge of Islamabad since April 19.
Last month, he won bail over charges that he conspired to murder former premier Benazir Bhutto, and on Tuesday for his dismissal of judges and imposition of emergency rule in 2007.
Musharraf’s lawyer Ilyas Siddiqui told AFP that bail had been posted at one million rupees ($10,000) and that his defence team would seek bail in a third case dating back to his 1999-2008 rule.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/international/2013/June/international_June338.xml§ion=international
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‘Islamabad to be made hub of cultural activities’
Jun 11 2013
ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Syed Tahir Shahbaz has said that Islamabad will be made a hub of cultural activities, as these activities are the best source of recreation and amusement for the people.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of Margalla Festival, Shahbaz said the CDA would make all-out efforts to promote the regional cultures of Pakistan in the federal capital.
He said that the civic body would celebrate the Margalla Festival as an annual festival. He said that prominent artists and singers from across the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, performed brilliantly and entertained the residents of the city.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\06\11\story_11-6-2013_pg11_6
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Pakistan's Imran Khan claims assassination plot
PTI | Jun 11, 2013
LAHORE: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has claimed that a plot was hatched to assassinate him during an election rally in Punjab before Pakistan's general elections on May 11.
"I was informed by the government before the May 11 polls that there was a plot to assassinate me at an election rally on GT Road," Khan said while talking to a group of journalists at his residence at Zaman Park here yesterday.
The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf did not give other details about the plot. He also did not identify who was behind the move.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistans-Imran-Khan-claims-assassination-plot/articleshow/20537881.cms
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Mideast
Islamist Turkish PM Claims Protesters Entered Mosque with Shoes On
June 10, 2013
By Daniel Greenfield
Erdogan’s response to the protests has been a meltdown on a Gaddafi scale. It’s actually best to assume that Gaddafi’s old speechwriter got a job in Turkey. And it was always inevitable that Erdogan, Obama’s favorite “moderate Islamist” would go Full Islamist. And that’s exactly what he did.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his speech at the Ankara airport today accused protesters of entering the Dolmabahçe Mosque with shoes on and beer bottles in their hands during a fierce police crackdown last weekend, as reported especially on social media after protesters had taken refuge at the mosque.
“They entered the Dolmabahçe Mosque with their beer bottles and their shoes on. They have insulted my headscarf-wearing daughters and sisters. And they haven’t stopped at that,” he said, repeating reports that had been denied by the mosque’s muezzin and imam.
Full report at:
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/islamist-turkish-pm-claims-protesters-entered-mosque-with-shoes-on/
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Turkey detains a 'main perpetrator' of bombings that killed 51
11 Jun 2013
(Reuters) - Turkey said it had detained a "main perpetrator" of the bombings that killed 51 people near the Syrian border last month, adding that the Turkish man had been caught as he tried to flee over the frontier.
Turkey has accused Syria of involvement in the twin attacks in the border town of Reyhanli on May 11, but Damascus has denied any role.
The provincial governor's office in Hatay Province where Reyhanli is located, said on Tuesday it had detained one of the bombers as he tried to cross into Syria.
"On Monday June 10 at around 23:00, an individual with the initials N.E., who is considered to be one of the main perpetrators of the bombing incidents ... was caught near the border in our province's Yayladagi district," it said.
Full report at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/11/us-syria-crisis-turkey-idUSBRE95A0N020130611?feedType=RSS
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Reformist Aref drops out of Iran's presidential race
Reuters | Jun 11, 2013
DUBAI: Reformist former Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref has withdrawn from Iran's June 14 presidential election, he said in a statement carried by the ISNA news agency on Tuesday.
The sole reformist candidate still standing in the election, Aref said he had received a message from reformist former President Mohammad Khatami on Monday evening saying his remaining in the race was not "expedient".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iranian-reformist-Aref-drops-out-of-presidential-race/articleshow/20534702.cms
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Police clear Istanbul's Taksim Square
Jun 11 2013
Turkish riot police have cleared Istanbul's Taksim Square, which has been occupied by anti-government protesters for close to two weeks.
Police deployed water cannon and fired tear gas and rubber bullets, causing many protesters to flee the square into adjoining Gezi Park.
Some activists hurled fireworks, fire bombs and stones at police.
The unrest began after a crackdown on an environmental protest over Gezi Park's redevelopment.
The protests then widened, with demonstrators accusing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-22851765
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Israel exports military equipment to Pakistan: Report
PTI | Jun 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Israel has exported military equipment, including hi-tech gear used in combat jets over the past five years to Pakistan and Arab countries with which it has no diplomatic relations, according to a media report on Tuesday.
The report released by Britain's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which deals with British government permits for arms and security equipment exports, said besides Pakistan, Israel has exported military equipment to Egypt, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Israel-exports-military-equipment-to-Pakistan-Report/articleshow/20536052.cms
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Iran eyes 30 nuclear bombs a year: Israel minister
AFP | Jun 11, 2013
JERUSALEM: Iran is working round the clock to enlarge its nuclear infrastructure with the eventual aim of developing an industry capable of building up to 30 bombs a year, an Israeli minister charged on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said Tehran was "very close" to crossing the red line laid out by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year.
But he said it was biding its time and building uranium-enrichment facilities before making the final push for weapons-grade material.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-eyes-30-nuclear-bombs-a-year-Israel-minister/articleshow/20531528.cms
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Europe
Taliban willing to hold talks on reducing civilian casualties, says UN
11 June 2013
The Taliban have said they are willing to discuss how to reduce civilian casualties in the ongoing insurgency in Afghanistan, a top UN envoy said on Tuesday.
Jan Kubis, the UN special representative for Afghanistan said that the militants had agreed to hold talks with the UN and discuss the issue of civilian deaths, which rose by 24 percent in the first half of 2013 compared to last year.
“I can confirm that we sent publicly and also through our channels a signal of our willingness to discuss with Taliban issues of human rights... civilian casualties and how to reduce them,” he told reporters in Kabul.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/asia/2013/06/11/Taliban-willing-to-hold-talks-on-reducing-civilian-casualties-says-UN.html
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English Defence League leader condemns attacks on Muslims
Jun 11 2013
The leader of the English Defence League has said he "utterly condemns" attacks on Muslims.
Tommy Robinson denied claims his group had firebombed an Islamic community centre in London, where the letters EDL were sprayed on the building.
He told the BBC the graffiti could have been placed there to make it look as if the group was responsible.
The Muslim Women's Network UK said it had seen a rise in verbal abuse and intimidation since the Woolwich murder.
Mr Robinson was speaking after six men were jailed for planning to bomb an EDL rally in West Yorkshire.
The men, who all lived in or near Birmingham, were each jailed for more than 18 years. Their bomb plot failed because they arrived two hours after last year's rally in Dewsbury had finished.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22852371
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UN in talks with Germany to take in 10,000 Syrians
11 June 2013
The UN refugee agency said Tuesday that it was in talks with Germany over the potential resettlement of 10,000 Syrians who have fled their war-torn homeland, and was probing the issue with other rich nations.
“We are working with governments, including European governments, to examine ways in which further admission programs and or resettlement programs for Syrians could be successfully used,” said UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards.
“We have been, with the German government, for some time been looking at possible resettlement for up to 10,000 Syrian refugees. Germany is one of the world’s largest refugee receiving countries, but I don't think numbers have at this stage been discussed with others,” he told reporters.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/06/11/UN-in-talks-with-Germany-to-take-in-10-000-Syrians.html
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Africa
Violence Against Libyan Protesters Threatens to Undercut Power of Militias
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
11 Jun 2013
BENGHAZI, Libya — Gathering here to bury nearly 30 civilian protesters killed the night before by a powerful militia, mourners said Sunday that they hoped a backlash after the massacre would finally cow Libya’s freewheeling brigades into submitting to the central government.
“It is sad that whenever we reach our goals we have to lose souls in the process,” said Naja Abdel Wanis, 28, an engineer. The militia, known as Libya Shield, had already fled, he said, adding, “There is no longer a Libya Shield.”
Militia leaders argue that Libya’s weak transitional government still badly needs their superior firepower. But after this weekend’s clashes, there were signs on Sunday that Libyans’ shock at the violence against civilians might undercut the influence of the biggest militia leaders just as they appeared poised to consolidate their political power.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/world/africa/libyan-violence-threatens-to-undercut-power-of-militias.html
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Mali mediators hopeful of accord to pave way for vote
11 June 2013
Burkina Faso’s mediators hosting talks between Mali’s government and armed Tuareg rebels said Monday they hoped for an agreement to enable elections to be held next month.
“We’re counting on to conclude an accord,” Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Djibrill Bassole said after a weekend of talks between Malian officials and the Tuareg rebels who control the key northeastern city of Kidal.
But he warned that “distrust” persisted between the rivals, following an eruption of deadly fighting last week as government troops advanced towards Kidal following reports of “ethnic cleansing” there.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2013/06/11/Mali-mediators-hopeful-of-accord-to-pave-way-for-vote.html
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Libya armed militias cause chaos to public security
11 June 2013
The lack of unified management of security forces in Libya has caused a chaos in Libya residents’ daily life.
After the war ended, armed militia organizations took control of the country rather than the regular troops. Many Libyans think the militia organization has created uncertainty in the local safety.
Nearly 70 percent of armed militias have been incorporated into the Libya national army after the war. A formal military and police system has been established only nominally.
However, a chaotic phenomenon has appeared in the region. The armed militia groups, who are nominally incorporated into the national army, are still having their own forces and command on their own.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2013/06/11/Libya-armed-militias-cause-chaos-to-public-security.html
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