Car Bomb Kills at Least 17 in Pakistan Tribal Region

Car Bomb Kills 17 in Pakistani Tribal Region

By DECLAN WALSH and IHSANULLAH TIPU MEHSUD

December 17, 2012

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A powerful car bomb exploded near government offices in a town in the northwestern tribal belt on Monday, killing at least 17 people and wounding dozens, local officials said.

The car bomb attack, in the Khyber tribal agency, followed a Taliban assault on the nearby international airport in Peshawar over the weekend that left at least 15 people dead, 10 of them militants, underlining the continued potency of Islamist fighters in the area.

In Monday’s attack, officials said that a vehicle loaded with an estimated 90 pounds of explosives was detonated by remote control in Jamrud, close to Peshawar, which borders the tribal belt.

Although the blast occurred near the offices of a senior government official, its immediate force ripped through the women’s waiting area of a bus stop, said Jahangir Azim, a senior official in the Khyber agency. The dead included four Afghan women and three children, he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which damaged shops and vehicles across a wide radius. The dead and an estimated 44 wounded people were taken to hospitals.

Khyber is home to several Islamist militant groups, some of which are affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, while others are fighting both the Taliban and the government.

Officials said they were unsure whether Monday’s attack was aimed at the government offices or at members of the Zakakhel subtribe, which has recently sided with the government against the Taliban. One bus stop in the vicinity of the blast is used by the Zakakhel to travel to their home area of Tirah Valley, which has recently seen fighting between members of a government-sponsored tribal militia and two rival Islamist groups.

“At the moment we are not in position to allege someone for the blast or to tell exactly what was the motive behind the attack by the perpetrators,” Asmatullah Wazir, a local government official, said by telephone.

In the Taliban attack against the Peshawar airport, five militants died during a failed attempt to break through the airport’s perimeter wall on Saturday night, while another five died during a shootout with security forces at a nearby house on Sunday morning.

At least five other people, including three civilians and two police officers, died in the attack, which was the first concerted attack on the Peshawar airport. Although the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, officials identified several of the attackers as Uzbeks, suggesting that elements linked to Al Qaeda had also participated.

Together, the two attacks killed at least 32 people and wounded more than 80, highlighting the challenges facing the security forces in the run-up to general elections that are due in the next six months.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/world/asia/car-bomb-wreaks-carnage-in-pakistan-tribal-region.html?_r=0

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Difa-e-Pakistan Council opposes MFN status for India

ANITA JOSHUA

December 17, 2012

Stages march to Wagah border and flaunts new map of an ‘Islamic South Asia’

Shouting “No-to-MFN [status to India]’’ slogans, the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) staged a protest march to the Wagah border on Sunday; showing not just its opposition to increased bilateral trade but also flaunting a new map of an ‘Islamic South Asia.’

After lying low for several months, the DPC has reactivated itself as the scheduled date for operationalising Pakistan’s decision to grant Most Favoured Nation status to India approaches. It is due to come into effect from next month.

And, since the day it chose for this protest action was also the 41st anniversary of Pakistan signing the ‘Instrument of Surrender’ in 1971 leading to the creation of Bangladesh, the DPC leadership played on that with the new map of ‘Islamic South Asia.’ “They made new maps of South Asia. Today, we present you a new map of ‘Islamic South Asia,’’’ said JuD leader Ameer Hamza.

The DPC leadership – including those of the Jamat-ud-Da’wah (JuD) – attached considerable importance to the significance of the protest march moving towards Wagah border. “The first time in 64 years, a caravan has moved towards India from Lahore. We have returned to the Wagah border to remind the promise to Muslims of Kashmir and Gujarat,’’ the speakers said, denouncing Interior Minister Rehman Malik for advocating friendship with India — “a country with the blood of Muslims on its hands.”

Farmers’ concerns ignored

According to the DPC leadership, farmers of Pakistan and the pharma industry had major apprehensions of open trade with India but the federal Commerce Ministry had ignored their concerns in its haste to grant MFN status to India. Further, it alleged that India was not interested in equal trade but in taking over Pakistan’s markets and ensuring access for its products into Afghanistan.

Ironically, even as the DPC leadership was building up its anti-India rhetoric, visiting All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq advocated further opening of trade between the two Kashmirs to help the peace process. He is leading a seven-member APHC delegation to Pakistan at the invitation of the federal government and is expected to hold discussions with the senior-most leadership of the country over the next week.

With the local media not giving the DPC protest march the kind of coverage it used to get when this platform of religious right wing forces was launched last year, the various constituents of this grouping used the social media to send across their message through the day, posting photographs on their Facebook pages and tweeting along the way.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/difaepakistan-council-opposes-mfn-status-for-india/article4207153.ece

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South Asia

Afghan bomb blast kills 10 girls

Ten girls aged nine to 13 killed and two seriously injured as they gathered firewood outside their village in eastern Afghanistan

17 December 2012

Ten girls were killed when a bomb or landmine exploded as they were gathering firewood outside their village in eastern Afghanistan, an official said.

Police said they believed the device was an unexploded mine that had been laid years ago and was triggered as the girls walked through the open field on Monday morning. At least one other old mine was found nearby, provincial police spokesman Hazrat Hussian Mashreqiwal said.

Full report at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/17/afghan-bomb-blast-kills-10-girls

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Jamaat's 8-hr hartal in Sylhet division Wednesday

17 December 2012

Jamaat-e-Islami will enforce an eight-hour hartal in Sylhet division on Wednesday in protest against foiling of its rally in the city and demanding release of its central acting secretary general Shafiqur Rahman.

The shutdown will begin at 6:00am and continue till 2:00pm on Wednesday, Fakhrul Islam, Sylhet city unit Jamaat secretary, told our Sylhet correspondent.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=43245

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Hasina, Khaleda pay tribute to Liberation War martyrs

17 December 2012

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia yesterday paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of the War of Liberation by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar marking the country's 42nd great Victory Day.

The prime minister placed a wreath at the memorial at 6:34am.

She stood there for some time in solemn silence as the last post was played on bugle showing respect to the land's great heroes.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=261468

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Kidnap Gangs Use Leaked Bank Details to Prey on Afghan Tycoons

December 17, 2012

Kabul. Afghan construction magnate Haji Asadullah Ghaznawi was dragged from his office with a gun to his head and locked up in a slaughterhouse for almost three weeks.

Ghaznawi was later shocked to discover someone had leaked details of his bank account to the kidnap gang who pulled up in a car in broad daylight in Kabul a year ago and abducted him.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/kidnap-gangs-use-leaked-bank-details-to-prey-on-afghan-tycoons/562176

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Envoy urges expats to help develop Bangladesh

17 December 2012

Bangladeshi expatriates in the Kingdom were urged to help accelerate the socio-economic developments of their motherland.

Bangladesh Ambassador Mohamed Shahidul Islam made this request on the 42nd anniversary celebrations of his country's Victory Day held at the embassy premises of the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh yesterday .

“Our colleagues should work hard to enhance the image of Bangladesh in the Kingdom and also help contribute to the socio-economic development of their motherland,” Islam told the members of his community during a morning ceremony held here yesterday to mark Victory Day.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/envoy-urges-expats-help-develop-bangladesh

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Car bomb hits U.S. compound in Kabul

KABUL

 December 17, 2012

A car bomb exploded outside of a compound housing a U.S. military contractor in the Afghan capital on Monday, blowing apart an exterior wall and wounding dozens inside, company representatives and police said. In another part of the country, a suspected landmine killed 10 young girls, police said.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/car-bomb-hits-us-compound-in-kabul/article4209637.ece

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Africa

Tunisia uncovers Al-Qaeda network

 17 December 2012

TUNIS: Tunisian security forces have broken up a network that recruited fighters for Al-Qaeda in North Africa, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

“A terrorist network which was responsible for recruiting radical militants and sending them to strongholds of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has been dismantled,” a ministry spokesman said, quoted by the official TAP news agency. Seven people were arrested and were to appear in court on Thursday.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/tunisia-uncovers-al-qaeda-network

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Mass rape, amputations and killings – why families are fleeing terror in Mali

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

At refugee camps, reports are flooding in of horrific human rights abuses in a country once famous for its music and joyous lifestyle. Mark Townsend reports on the jihadist nightmare in the Sahel

They were told to assemble in Gao's market place at dusk. A man accused of using tobacco was escorted before the crowd by several members of the al-Qaida splinter group Movement for Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa.

"Then they chopped off his hand. They wanted to show us what they could do," said Ahmed, 39, a meat trader from the town in northern Mali.

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/15/rape-killings-terror-mali

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Freed opposition chief says Sudan government scared

17 December 2012

KHARTOUM: The head of Sudan’s opposition political alliance, freed after two days in detention, said yesterday that the government fears rising popular discontent in the crisis-hit nation. Farouk Abu Issa, who represents more than 20 opposition parties, told AFP he was released on Saturday by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

“They are scared because the country is in a real crisis,” he said. “They are scared that I am head of the opposition, and they are scared that the opposition will move” into action.

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

http://www.arabnews.com/freed-opposition-chief-says-sudan-government-scared

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Ben Ali’s fugitive son-in-law not in Seychelles

17 December 2012

VICTORIA, Seychelles: Seychelles on Saturday said the son-in-law of Tunisia's deposed ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has left the country, and denied statements by Tunisian authorities that he had been arrested there.

“Sakhr El-Materi was briefly questioned at Seychelles international airport upon his arrival.... El Materi was not arrested as was reported by some international media,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

http://www.arabnews.com/ben-ali%E2%80%99s-fugitive-son-law-not-seychelles

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Grenade attack hits Nairobi's mainly Somali Eastleigh area

17 December 2012

At least one person has been injured in a grenade attack in a predominantly Somali district of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, police say.

Three grenades were thrown from a vehicle towards shops in Eastleigh, witnesses said.

No group has so far said it carried out the attack.

However, the area has suffered previous attacks that officials have blamed on Somalia's al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militant group.

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20750972

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Arab World

Series of blasts in Iraq kill at least 25

17 December 2012

A series of attacks targeting both Iraqi security forces and civilians killed at least 25 people on Monday, officials and medics said, a day before the first anniversary of the departure of U.S. forces.

The violence comes after a string of attacks killed 19 people and wounded 77 on Sunday. Monday was the deadliest day in Iraq since November 29, when 50 people were killed.

Gunmen attacked a police checkpoint on the highway west of Tikrit, killing one policeman and wounding three, a police lieutenant colonel said.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/16/255473.html

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Dispute over Egypt referendum triggers protest call

December 17, 2012

Egypt's opposition is calling for mass protests on Tuesday after Islamists backing President Mohamed Morsi claimed victory in the first round of a referendum it alleges was riddled with polling violations.

The opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, urged Egyptians to

"take to the streets on Tuesday to defend their freedoms, prevent fraud and reject the draft constitution" ahead of the next round of voting on Saturday.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Africa/Dispute-over-Egypt-referendum-triggers-protest-call/Article1-973926.aspx

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Assad ordered murder of civilians, defected colonel tells Al Arabiya

17 December 2012

Syrian President Bashar Assad has personally given direct orders to “oppress civilian demonstrations by all available means,” including murder, according to a defected colonel who served in the ministry of interior.

Speaking in an interview with Al Arabiya, Colonel Enad al-Abbas, who was in charge of writing reports based on data collected from police headquarters in the country’s 14 governorates, said that a report was delivered to Assad’s personal office a little after midnight every day.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/17/255547.html

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Libya orders borders in south closed

17 December 2012

Libya's parliament has ordered the temporary closure of southern borders and declared seven southern regions restricted military areas.

A parliament spokesman, Omar Humidan, said the move was aimed at stemming the flow of illegal immigrants and goods.

There was no indication of how long borders with Chad, Niger, Sudan and Algeria would remain shut.

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20751650

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Bahrain king says he respects ‘liberties’ as clashes erupt

17 December 2012

King Hamad said on Sunday that Bahrain still respects “liberties” and “tolerance,” as witnesses reported that police dispersed dozens of protesters in Shiite Muslim villages.

“Bahrain will remain a nation of law, institutions, liberties and tolerance between different religions and cultures,” he said in a speech marking National Day.

“Ensuring national consensus was and still is a purely Bahraini feature, without any foreign interference.”

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/17/255496.html

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A Bread Shortage Is the First Big Test of a Transitional Council in Aleppo

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

17 December 2012

GAZIANTEP, Turkey — Jalal al-Khanji, the closest thing the Syrian city of Aleppo has to a mayor, hopes to organize elections there within two weeks, but he fears that residents with empty stomachs are in no mood for an experiment in democracy.

Since late November, bread has been scarce, with a lack of fuel and flour shutting most bakeries in Aleppo.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/world/middleeast/syrians-face-severe-bread-

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Egypt Opposition Calls for Protests Against Basic Law

December 17, 2012

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's opposition called for nationwide protests against a constitution backed by President Mohamed Mursi, after a vote exposed deep divisions that could undermine his efforts to build consensus for tough economic measures.

The Islamist leader won a 57 percent "yes" vote for the constitution in a first round of a referendum at the weekend, according to state media, a margin that was less than his party had hoped for and which is likely to embolden the opposition.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/17/world/middleeast/17reuters-egypt-

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Syrian Vice President Says Neither Side Can Win War

December 17, 2012

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa said that neither the forces of President Bashar al-Assad nor rebels seeking to overthrow him can win the war which is now being fought on the outskirts of Assad's powerbase in Damascus.

Sharaa, a Sunni Muslim in a power structure dominated by Assad's Alawite minority, has rarely been seen since the Syrian revolt erupted in March 2011 and is not part of the president's inner circle directing the fight against Sunni rebels.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/17/world/europe/17reuters-syria-crisis.html?ref=middleeast

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Doctor Derek Keilloh ruled 'dishonest' over death of Iraqi detainee

17 December 2012

A former army medic has been found guilty of misleading and dishonest conduct after the death of Iraqi detainee Baha Mousa in 2003.

Dr Derek Keilloh, from Aberdeen, was serving as a medical officer with the Queen's Lancashire Regiment in Basra.

Mr Mousa died with 93 injuries in British army custody.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service ruled Dr Keilloh was aware of the injuries but failed to report them or examine other detainees.

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-20749265

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WAMY Distributes 11,000 Qur’an copies

 17 December 2012

Jeddah: The World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) distributed in the past few days, 11,000 copies of the Holy Qur’an in the Republic of Mali in West Africa.

The distribution comes in response to requests from schools, mosques, individuals and charities in Mali where Muslims account for about 95% of the total population of about 15 million people.

http://www.arabnews.com/wamy-distributes-11000-qur%E2%80%99-copies

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SABIC’s humanitarian mission recognized

17 December 2012

Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Disabled Children's Association (DCA), presented the Humanitarian Service Award (Corporate Charity) to Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) at a function here Saturday. The award was announced by the DCA during its seventh session. Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan Al-Saud, chairman of SABIC and the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, received the award on behalf of the company, in the presence of Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC vice chairman and CEO.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/sabic%E2%80%99s-humanitarian-mission-recognized

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Voting by expats ‘is vital for Egypt’

17 December 2012

Despite long lines and a few glitches in the voting process, Egyptians living in Saudi Arabia have not lost their enthusiasm for participating in Egypt’s fledgling democracy. The large turnout to cast votes on their country’s draft constitution in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere has prompted Egypt’s Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections to extend voting for two days. Polls overseas will close on Monday at 8 p.m.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/voting-expats-%E2%80%98-vital-egypt%E2%80%99

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Europe

In French countryside, Taliban edges towards peace table

17 December 2012

Efforts to draw the Taliban into a peace process to prevent Afghanistan from collapsing into civil war after NATO troops pull out in 2014 will take a small, but potentially significant, step forward in France this week.

Under the auspices of a French think-tank, two senior Taliban officials will sit down for informal talks on the war-ravaged country’s future with the government and other opposition forces, including the Northern Alliance.

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/17/255510.html

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Radical cleric Abu Qatada runs up £500,000 legal aid bill to stay in UK

Jamie Doward

15 December 2012

Abu Qatada, the cleric once described as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, has received more than £500,000 in legal aid, a figure expected to rise as he continues to resist government efforts to deport him.

The figure, believed to be one of the largest awarded to an individual, will infuriate the home secretary, Theresa May, who has been leading attempts to remove a man she describes as "a serious risk to our national security".

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/15/abu-qatada-legal-aid-bill

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UN chief alarmed by escalating violence in Syria

17 December 2012

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm on Sunday at the worsening violence in Syria, including the reported mass killing of Alawites and alleged firing of long-range missiles on Syrian territory, Ban's spokesman said.

"The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued dramatic escalation of violence in Syria over the past several days, and the grave danger facing civilians in areas under fire," Ban's spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said in a statement.

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=43232

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Kazakh national day marked

 17 December 2012

Exotic sweet dishes, various products, and national dresses were on display at the celebration of the 21st independence day of Kazakhstan at Hyatt Park Jeddah on Saturday.

Guests got the chance to wear the traditional Kazakh costume for a personal photo shoot. A documentary on the development of Kazakhstan was shown on a big screen.

Chief guest of the program Mohammed N. Bokharee, director of the protocol department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with consuls general of several countries, high officials, diplomats, businessmen, and media personalities were present on the occasion.

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

http://www.arabnews.com/kazakh-national-day-marked

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Mideast Asia

Abbas urges Assad to ‘not drag Palestinians into Syria fighting’

17 December 2012

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has spoken out against the Syrian regime’s shelling of the Yarmouk refugee camp on Sunday.

The camp was bombarded by a Syrian warplane, killing at least 25 people, according to activists at the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Abbas condemned Damascus for its shelling of the Yarmouk, urging "All parties involved in the Syrian conflict to refrain from harming our people in the refugee camps. Don't drag them into your fighting."

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/17/255539.html

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Iran details six-point plan to end Syria crisis

17 December 2012

Iran has detailed a plan to put an end to the crisis in its ally Syria, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the start of national dialogue between Damascus and rebels, media reported on Monday.

The proposal, whose details were published on Sunday by the foreign ministry, was originally announced on Oct. 14, when Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi gave it to visiting international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/17/255589.html

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Palestinian premier: Boycott Israeli goods

16 December 2012

RAMALLAH, West Bank: The Palestinian premier is calling on his people to boycott Israeli products.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad told reporters Sunday the boycott is to protest Israel’s withholding of funds to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/palestinian-premier-boycott-israeli-goods

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Gunmen kill military intelligence officer in south Yemen

December 17, 2012

ADEN, Yemen: Masked men shot dead a military intelligence officer in southern Yemen on Monday, a local security source said, the latest in a series of killings targeting security officials in the Arabian Peninsula state.

Two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on Shaker al-Bani late on Sunday near his house in the southern city of Ghayl ba Wazir in Hadramout province, killing him instantly, the source said.

Full report at:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Dec-17/198820-gunmen-kill-military-intelligence-officer-in-south-yemen.ashx#ixzz2FJGnMLz8

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Syria warplanes bomb Palestinian refugee camp, ‘killing twenty-five'

 16 December 2012

A Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus was bombarded by Syrian warplanes on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The activists said at least 25 people were killed. Yarmouk, in southern Damascus, is part of an arc sweeping from the east to southwest of the Syrian capital where Assad’s forces have been trying for several weeks to push back rebels from the gates of his power base.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/16/255426.html

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Iran Says It, World Powers Must End Nuclear Stalemate

December 17, 2012

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister said on Monday a way must be found to end the protracted deadlock between Iran and six world powers over Tehran's nuclear program.

"The two sides have reached a conclusion that they must exit the current stalemate," Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/17/world/middleeast/17reuters-iran-nuclear.html?ref=middleeast

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Southeast Asia

Indonesia: Pork Bakso Fiasco Won’t Be Last Unless Beef Supplies Rise

Ronna Nirmala & Markus Junianto Sihaloho | December 17, 2012

Calls to bolster the depleting supply of beef in Jakarta have increased after the recent discovery of a meat-processing plant that mixed pork into beef meatballs sparked outrage among consumers.

Pork is much cheaper than beef in Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population. In Islam, pork is considered haram, or forbidden.

Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo said on Sunday that with beef prices continuing to soar, there was a risk that more butcher shops and meat-processing plants would try to pass of pork as beef. Random inspections of markets have revealed that such practices are widespread, he added.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/pork-bakso-fiasco-wont-be-last-unless-beef-supplies-rise-joko/562186

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India

Malik stirs fresh row: ‘Ansari source of Indian agency’

Dec 17 2012

New Delhi : In yet another controversial statement, visiting Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Sunday called 26/11 terror accused Abu Jundal alias Zabiuddin Ansari the “source” of an “elite agency” of India. He also called the attack a failure of intelligence agencies on both sides.

“Abu Jundal’s statement was taken in Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, he was brought here. We have all the information. And in his own statement, Abu Jundal said he is a criminal, having been charged in many cases, and that he also worked as one of the sources of a very elite (intelligence) agency of India. Now, see, he has used the agencies also and went rogue,” Malik said.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/malik-stirs-fresh-row--ansari-source-of-indian-agency-/1046296/

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Quota row: SP for reservation to Muslims

NEW DELHI

 December 17, 201

In an apparent move to counter the push for quota in promotion for SC/ST in government jobs, Samajwadi Party in Rajya Sabha on Monday demanded proportionate reservation for Muslims through a Constitutional amendment.

The issue triggered an uproar in the House in the morning with SP members rushing into the Well leading to its adjournment for 30 minutes during Question Hour.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/quota-row-sp-for-reservation-to-muslims/article4209371.ece

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India to allow Pakistan to grill 26/11 witnesses

Shishir Gupta

December 17, 2012

Testing the Pakistan government’s commitment to bringing the perpetrators of 26/11 to book, India has conveyed to visiting dignitary Rehman Malik its readiness, for the first time, to allow a judicial commission from that country to cross-examine the Mumbai attack witnesses.

But this will happen only if Indian investigators are, in exchange, allowed to examine proof against the Lashkar-e-Taiba submitted by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency to an Islamabad court hearing the 26/11 case.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-to-allow-Pakistan-to-grill-26-11-witnesses/Article1-973700.aspx

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For Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Hafiz Saeed is 'Mr' and 'Shri'

 Dec 17 2012

New Delhi : Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed may be the key conspirator of the Mumbai terror attacks, but Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde referred to him in Parliament using honorifics like 'Mr' and 'Shri'.

Shinde, during the course of a statement on the visit of Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik, addressed Saeed as 'Mr' and 'Shri' twice each.

"Mr Rehman Malik, Interior Minister of Pakistan has been telling us repeatedly that he had arrested Mr Hafiz Saeed thrice and that on each occasion, he was let off by the courts for lack of evidence," Shinde said in an identical statement in both Houses of Parliament.

"We had been given to understand by the Interior Minister of Pakistan that Mr Hafiz Saeed had been arrested on the charges of being a part of the conspiracy for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. .... When we pursued this matter, they have given us papers pertaining to the detentions of Shri Hafiz Saeed in 2002 and 2009.

"From the papers given to us, it is clear that the detentions of Shri Hafiz Saeed in the aforesaid cases were for other reasons and not for his role as a conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Therefore, I can only say that Mr Rehman Malik appears to have been misinformed in the matter," the Minister said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/for-home-minister-sushilkumar-shinde-hafiz-saeed-is-mr-and-shri/1046520/

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Malik’s India visit ends in total failure

Dec 17, 2012

Rajnish Sharma

Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik’s three-day India visit ending Sunday was described as a “damp squib” by top government sources, who said New Delhi was disappointed at no substantial forward movement on contentious issues like action against Hafiz Saeed, a categorical assurance on giving voice samples of 26/11 accused and a crackdown against terror outfits operating from Pakistani soil.

Full report at:

http://www.asianage.com/india/malik-s-india-visit-ends-total-failure-741

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Pak never arrested Saeed for 26/11 attacks: Shinde

NEW DELHI

December 17, 2012

Calling Pakistan’s bluff, India on Monday said JuD chief Hafiz Saeed had never been arrested in connection with Mumbai terror attacks even though its Interior Minister Rehman Malik claimed so.

Making a statement in both Houses of Parliament, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Malik, who just concluded his visit here, was “misinformed” about the actual reasons for the arrest of Saeed whom India blames as the main conspirator in the 26/11 attacks.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pak-never-arrested-saeed-for-2611-attacks-shinde/article4209386.ece?homepage=true

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Indian agencies failed to prevent 26/11, says Malik

NEW DELHI

 December 16, 2012

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Sunday blamed Indian security agencies for their “failure” to prevent the Mumbai terror attack and alleged that Indian non-state actors were involved in the massacre.

Mr. Malik also said had there been interaction between Pakistan and India and regular sharing of information, the 26/11 attack could have been prevented.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-agencies-failed-to-prevent-2611-says-malik/article4206599.ece

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Osmania University Ph.D. admissions mired in controversy

December 16, 2012

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The issue of mass copying and impersonation in Osmania University examinations has rattled the authorities. Following an expose in these columns, deans of various departments at the university and principals of affiliated colleges have held meetings to look into matter.

The controversial Ph.D. admissions appear to have taken its toll. Prof. B. Venkataeshwarlu, Dean, Faculty of Arts, has submitted his resignation unable to bear the pressure from students but the Vice-Chancellor has not accepted the same, it is said.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/osmania-university-phd-admissions-mired-in-controversy/article4206234.ece

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Indian origin actor plays Osama in 'Zero Dark Thirty'

17 2012

New York : Indian origin British actor Ricky Sekhon says he spent sleepless nights after bagging the role of Osama Bin Laden in Kathryn Bigelow's 'Zero Dark Thirty'.

The 29-year-old 6-foot-4 actor who describes himself as "the least dangerous person I know", said he got the part after being called to audition for a role the casting director was not allowed to name, reported New York Post.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indian-origin-actor-plays-osama-in-zero-dark-thirty/1046493/

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Ajmal Kasab hanging, Abu Jundal deportation hog limelight in 2012

Dec 17 2012

Mumbai : The hanging of 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab, deportation of his handler Abu Jundal from Saudi Arabia, explosions in Pune, arrest of two girls over their Facebook post and August 11 violence at Mumbai's Azad Maidan grabbed the headlines in Maharashtra in 2012.

In a secret operation, LeT terrorist Kasab was hanged in the high-security Yerwada Jail in Pune on November 21 after a four-year-long trial.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ajmal-kasab-hanging-abu-jundal-deportation-hog-limelight-in-2012/1046433/

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North America

American Muslim group confronts religious extremists

17 December 2012

The Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Christian church that provided the council with a venue for its conference devoted part of the event on Saturday to confront critics who alleged the church is unwittingly furthering an Islamic agenda against American values.

An invitation to MPAC by senior pastor Edwin Bacon, rector All Saints Episcopal Church, to host the conference sparked a flurry of hate mail and national attention in the United States from conservative Christian and anti-Muslim hate groups. Bacon said he saw an opportunity to confront religious bigotry. Although Bacon said, “Christians can be hateful,” the All Saints congregation was “unconditional and enthusiastic” in its support to host the MPAC event.

Mark Townsend

15 December 2012

http://www.arabnews.com/american-muslim-group-confronts-religious-extremists

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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/car-bomb-kills-least-17/d/9716