Child Molester Clerics beyond Reach of Long Arm of the Law
New Age Islam News Bureau
12 Dec 2012
Southeast Asia
• Child Molester Clerics beyond Reach of Long Arm of the Law
• Indonesia's AIDS Fight Begins at Home
Pakistan
• Ahmadis never treated as Muslims: Pak govt tells Parliament
• Pakistani militant suspects held uncharged in Swat: research by the BBC Urdu
• ‘Sex-ed’ books: LHC told that all literature recalled
• Pakistan should take up cases of Indians lodged there: Chishti
• 'Prime Minister' Imran Khan not to take oath of office from President Asif Ali Zardari
• Another doctor abducted in Quetta
• Mullah Nazir disclaims hand in Mehsud expulsion from Wana
• Death row prisoners: The fate of thousands ‘hanging’ in the balance
• Approve domestic violence bill before tenure ends, suggest human rights activists
South Asia
• Afghan police kill 9 Taliban fighters
• Maldives for deeper ties with China
• Where War Still Echoes, Recalling Earlier Battles in Afghanistan
• Death for three Xinjiang plane hijackers
• Afghan refugees in Pakistan resist pressure to return
• Bangladesh war crimes chief judge resigns over hacked calls
• We will win if a fair poll is held: Nasheed
India
• Hyderabad Urdu papers launch campaign for simple weddings
• No need to import Arab nation laws, SC tells judges
• System is fair and effective, Khurshid says on Pakistani national Chisti's acquittal
• Centre intervenes to help Indians in UAE facing deportation
• 1981 Air India plane hijack: Two move court for stay of fresh trial
• 12/12/12: Kashmir govt steps in as online rumour about cosmic rays goes viral
• Back with glory: India wins 6 medals at junior science Olympiad in Iran
• Terror strike possible from LeT, IM: home ministry
• J&K minister writes to Centre about Tulbul Navigation Project after Pak objections
• Stricter visa norms for non-sponsored Pak cricket fans
• Gujarat polls: Irfan Pathan in support of Narendra Modi
• Digvijaya for execution of death sentence to Afzal Guru
Africa
• Islamists' reign in Northern Mali grows more brutal, group say
• The boys who beg for Quranic schools in Senegal
• Monopoly Lagos version launched in Nigeria
• Tunisia Battling Islamic Extremists Brainwashing Children, Singing Praises To Osama Bin Laden
• Sudan's Army Killing Civilians in Border State Rebellions: HRW
• Django Sissoko named as Mali prime minister
Mideast Asia
• Turkish village becomes haven for Mayan doomsayers
• Iran arrests 28 over links to religious networks
• Israeli military raids offices of Palestinian NGOs
• IAEA Hopes for Access to Iran's Parchin Site
North America
• Drones violate sovereignty, but so do militants using Pakistani soil: Haqqani
• Urge Michigan Governor Not to Sign Anti-Islam Legislation
• US man gets 10 years in suicide-bomber plot
• Ask President Obama to Veto NDAA Over Guantanamo Restrictions
• Being Muslim in Fairfax County is balancing Islamic faith and American culture
• US military to keep 'strong' role in Middle East: Leon Panetta
Arab World
• Christian Copt Jailed for Blasphemy in Egypt
• ‘Friends of Syria’ Poised to Recognize Anti-Assad Rebels
• 634 including 207 Saudis arrested for bringing in banned drugs worth SR 886m
• Egypt army seeks national unity as crisis mounts
• Blast kills one in Syrian capital
• Egyptians abroad vote, army to host 'unity' talks
• Egypt referendum to be split over two weekends
• Egypt's defence chief calls for dialogue
• Gunmen fire at protesters, Egypt on the boil
• Haia for other Islamic countries suggested
• Moroccans Fear That Flickers of Democracy Are Fading
• No major changes in Kuwait's new government
Europe
• Russia to Close Radar Station in Azerbaijan
• International military chiefs hold talks on Syrian situation
• Russia likely to stay course on Assad, experts say
• France trying to reconcile Afghan rivals
• Armenians Fleeing Anew as Syria Erupts in Battle
• Kazakh Border Guard Gets Life Term in Killings of Soldiers
• Britain Does Not Rule Out Any Option on Syria
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Pakistani militant suspects held uncharged in Swat: research by the BBC Urdu
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/child-molester-clerics-reach-long/d/9646
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Southeast Asia
Child Molester Clerics beyond Reach of Long Arm of the Law
December 12 2012
Despite allegations of child molestation against a number of local clerics in the city, not one suspect has been detained due to a lack of solid evidence in each case, according to the police.
In the most recent case, allegedly committed by the founder of the Islamic educational Darul Ilmi Al-fikri Foundation in Pondok Cabe, South Jakarta, the police said they had no legitimate reason to arrest the suspect.
South Jakarta Police detectives chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hermawan said on Tuesday that according to Criminal Code Procedures, an arrest could only be made with two pieces of evidence: physical proof and a witness statement.
“Physical examinations of the [victims] did not present anything unusual. Also, the witnesses presented did not directly see the alleged assaults taking place, they only received verbal reports from the victims,” he said, adding that the police had not stopped seeking evidence for the case.
The police named Mika Maulana a suspect on Nov. 26, following a report filed by a teacher at the foundation, for allegedly molesting three teenage girls, aged 14, 16 and 17, between January and September. The police, however, soon released him, much to the anger of the victims’ families.
“It is not right that the man is walking around free, considering what he did to my 14-year-old daughter,” said the widowed mother of one of the girls at the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas Anak) office in East Jakarta on Tuesday.
The parents and their legal representatives are seeking support from the commission to have the suspect arrested.
One of the lawyers, Abu Bakar Lamatapo, said the police’s argument was debatable, as they already had statements from the three victims and two witnesses.
“The fact that the man hasn’t been put behind bars has upset the parents, the victims and people living in those areas, which in itself could be another reason to issue an arrest warrant,” Abu said.
Komnas Anak chairman Arist Merdeka Sirait said the police should charge the suspect under the 2002 Child Protection Law rather than the Criminal Code on molestation, which the suspect could easily dodge by claiming what took place was consensual.
“Even if it was consensual, it was done to minors, who are supposed to be protected from such repugnant deeds,” he said.
The Criminal Code carries seven years’ imprisonment as a punishment for molestation, while the Child Protection Law carries a sentence of 15 years in jail plus a Rp 300 million (US$31,136) fine.
Another alleged sex offender who is still free is cleric Habib Hasan Assegaf, the leader of the Nurul Musthofa Islamic congregation in Jagakarta, South Jakarta. He was reported to police in February for allegedly sexually abusing 13 underage boys since 2002.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said the police were making slow progress in the Habib Hasan investigation, also due to a lack of evidence.
“The difficulty in investigating such cases is that sometimes the assaults occurred long before being reported, therefore making it hard to gather physical evidence,” Rikwanto said. (aml/fzm)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/12/child-molesters-beyond-reach-long-arm-law.html
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Indonesia's AIDS Fight Begins at Home
Arientha Primanita | December 12, 2012
Vice President Boediono said on Tuesday said that the handling of HIV/AIDS cases, including prevention and eradication campaigns, in Indonesia should not depend on foreign assistance but rely more on local authorities and communities.
“We should not have to keep relying on foreign assistance,” he said in a speech to mark World AIDS Day at a ceremony at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah park in East Jakarta.
Boediono said that regional leaders, including governors, district heads and mayors, should give more attention to the HIV/AIDS problems in their regions.
He identified 12 provinces with a relatively high prevalence of HIV/AIDS cases, including Jakarta, Papua and West Papua, East, Central and West Java, Yogyakarta and Bali.
The others are North Sumatra, West Kalimantan, South Sulawesi and Riau.
“Give special attention and earmark more funding and manpower to handle HIV/AIDS in your respective areas,” the vice president said.
He also called on the private sector to participate in HIV/AIDS prevention and eradication efforts.
“The way to do this is by including HIV/AIDS prevention and eradication programs in your corporate social responsibility programs. The role of society, including students and youths, is also very crucial at the front line of the battle,” he said.
Boediono expressed his appreciation for the initiatives of some government institutions in incorporating prevention and eradication programs and aiming a lot of their programs at youth.
These efforts include the distribution of books containing information on HIV/AIDS prevention, services for prison inmates, and the granting of awards to companies with active prevention and eradication programs at work.
“We need far more initiatives such as these and more institutions and civil society groups to be involved,” Boediono said.
He added that efforts should also be focused on trying to break the chain of HIV transmission between mothers and their children.
“There are two groups vulnerable to infection that need our special attention, and those are women and children. We should cut the transmission channels between them and also be more aware of them,” he said.
The protection of women and children from HIV/AIDS is the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day.
Boediono said that efforts to prevent and eradicate the disease are very important because it impacts the infected individuals, their families, and also the nation and society at large.
“It is a burden that undermines all segments of society,” he said.
Indonesia, he said, is already dealing with a “concentrated epidemic” of HIV/AIDS, defined as a prevalence of infection of more than 5 percent among high-risk groups such as commercial sex workers, intravenous drug users and homosexuals.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesias-aids-fight-begins-at-home/561144
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Pakistan
Ahmadis never treated as Muslims: Pak govt tells Parliament
Dec 12 2012
Islamabad : Pakistan's ruling PPP has informed Parliament that no government department has the authority to declare the minority Ahmadi sect members as Muslims following a complaint from a lawmaker of a hardline party.
"There has been no change in the government's policy. In the light of the Constitution, the Ahmadis or Qadianis are never treated as Muslims," Defence Minister Naveed Qamar told the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament.
He was responding to a point of order raised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F leader Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman.
Referring to media reports, Rehman said an event organised by the Pakistan embassy in the US to protest the blasphemous film 'Innocence Of Muslims' had referred to the Ahmadis as Muslims.
Rehman claimed that an email sent out by the embassy to invite several organisations to the event had included a reference to the "Ahmadia Muslim Jamaat."
"Aren't the embassies under the Constitution? Have they been given a free hand to undertake such activities?" he asked.
Rehman warned that if "proper action" was not taken by the government, his party would be forced to raise the issue outside Parliament.
Qamar promised a probe into the matter and said Qadianis and Ahmadis were "never treated as Muslims."
He further said no government functionary could go against the Constitution and there had been no change in the government's policy for Ahmadis.
Pakistan's Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims but were declared non-Muslims through a Constitutional amendment in 1974.
A decade later, they were barred from proselytising or identifying themselves as Muslims.
Some 1.5 million Ahmadis live across the country.
Several Ahmadi cemeteries in Punjab province have been vandalised this year. Members of hardline groups destroyed or removed gravestones with Quranic inscriptions.
Earlier this year, police removed Quranic inscriptions from several Ahmadi mosques and shops run by members of the community after receiving complaints from the public.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ahmadis-never-treated-as-muslims-pak-govt-tells-parliament/1044241/
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Pakistani militant suspects held uncharged in Swat: research by the BBC Urdu
Dec 12 2012
Hundreds of militant suspects arrested by the security forces in the northern Pakistani region of Swat remain unchanged in custody, research by the BBC Urdu service has revealed.
Some of them have died under suspicious circumstances in the three years since the army announced it had ousted the Taliban from Swat.
The army says that only about 20-30 militants died in custody since 2009.
It insists that all of them died naturally after falling ill.
Swat army spokesman Colonel Arif said that all those who perished were provided with the best medical help.
The military argues that while deaths in custody have continued into 2012, their frequency has significantly decreased from previous years.
The research suggests that few militants end up being successfully prosecuted in the courts.
'Extra-judicial killings'
In 2009 the military drove the Taliban out of Swat, allowing thousands who had fled their repressive rule to return to the area.
While the overall level of militant violence was reduced - with the notable exception of the shooting of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai in October - the army continues to be accused of custodial abuses, including extra-judicial killings.
The BBC Urdu research suggests that about 3,000 to 4,000 men have been arrested in Swat and six other districts within the Malakand division since 2008 on terrorism charges.
Correspondents stress that these figures are estimates, because no official figures have yet been released.
The research suggests that a lack of credible post-mortems in Swat has added to suspicions that hundreds of Taliban prisoners remain victims of systematic extra-judicial killings.
Similar claims were made in July 2010, when Human Rights Watch accused the army of carrying out 238 such killings in the Swat Valley since September 2009.
Unofficial sources say that the deaths in custody have increased substantially in recent months, however. Local newspapers and websites claim that the figures are much higher than admitted by the army.
'Sketchy prosecutions'
A spokesman for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Sher Mohammad Khan, said that most terrorism-related cases did not reach the courts either because the suspects were killed in custody or because they were released before the case came to trial.
Correspondents say that Swat is a case study for the rest of the country, underscoring how difficult it is to prosecute terrorist suspects in the aftermath of what was hailed as a successful military operation.
Prosecution rates are equally low in other Pakistani provinces.
Out of 250 militancy and terrorism cases registered nationally in the last three years, only 4% have been conclusive - the same rate as in Swat. The reasons are universally the same - lack of evidence.
Officials say that sketchy prosecutions combined with the reluctance of witnesses to give evidence in terrorism-related cases all contribute to the low conviction rate.
In Swat the case of a militant charged with beheading a policeman was eventually settled out of court without a sentence even though the evidence was stacked against him, the BBC Urdu research suggests.
The government says that it is trying to address the problem by changing the law to allow the evidence of a security officer to be sufficient to secure a conviction.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20677749
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‘Sex-ed’ books: LHC told that all literature recalled
December 12, 2012
LAHORE: The coordinator for a Bargad project under which literature containing material on sex education was distributed in schools has told the Lahore High Court that the booklets were recalled over a year ago and a petition seeking a ban on the NGO should be dismissed.
The LHC, after going through coordinator Bushra Sadiq’s two-page statement on Tuesday, directed the petitioner to file a rejoinder. Sadiq said that Bargad launched the Empowering Girls-Transforming Communities (EGTC) project in Gujranwala on January 21, 2010, in collaboration with local education authorities.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/478590/sex-ed-books-lhc-told-that-all-literature-recalled/
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Pakistan should take up cases of Indians lodged there: Chishti
December 12, 2012
Acquitted by the Supreme Court in a 20-year-old criminal case, Pakistani microbiologist Mohammed Khalil Chishti on Wednesday said his country should deal with cases of Indians lodged in jails there in the same way. "Just like the Supreme Court here has taken up my case (on
humanitarian grounds), their cases (Indians jailed in Pakistan) should be dealt like that," 82-year-old Chishti told reporters when asked how Pakistan should deal with cases of Indians jailed there.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Pakistan-should-take-up-cases-of-Indians-lodged-there-Chishti/Article1-971822.aspx
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'Prime Minister' Imran Khan not to take oath of office from President Asif Ali Zardari
Dec 12 2012
Lahore : Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has said he will not take oath of office from President Asif Ali Zardari if his party wins the 2013 general election and he becomes Prime Minister.
"The Tehrik-e-Insaf will sweep the coming elections and in such a scenario, I will not take oath as Prime Minister from President Zardari," Khan said while talking to journalists in Multan yesterday. He is currently touring Punjab to address a string rallies.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/prime-minister-imran-khan-not-to-take-oath-of-office-from-president-.../1044167/
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Another doctor abducted in Quetta
Dec 12 2012
QUETTA, Dec 11: A prominent doctor, working for the Helper Hospital, was kidnapped by unidentified armed men from the Sariab road.
Dr Abdul Aziz was on his way home from his private clinic when unidentified armed men intercepted him on Badini Link Road and took him away.
“The car of Dr Abdul Aziz was found near Bhoosa Mandi at Eastern bypass,” police said, adding that a search had been started for his recovery.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/12/another-doctor-abducted-in-quetta/
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Mullah Nazir disclaims hand in Mehsud expulsion from Wana
December 12, 2012
WANA: Pro-government Taliban commander Mullah Nazir, who survived a suicide attack last month, has denied playing a role in the expulsion of Mehsud tribesmen from parts of South Waziristan Agency.
A jirga of Ahmedzai Wazir tribal elders and clerics had asked Mehsud tribesmen to leave Wana, the main town of South Waziristan, by December 5 or else they would be forced out.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/478603/mullah-nazir-disclaims-hand-in-mehsud-expulsion-from-wana/
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Death row prisoners: The fate of thousands ‘hanging’ in the balance
December 12, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday sought the records of death row prisoners who have been awaiting execution for many years. The government had earlier announced that it would alter capital punishment with life imprisonment. However, in the absence of any clear policy, the fate of thousands remains undecided.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/478602/death-row-prisoners-the-fate-of-thousands-hanging-in-the-balance/
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Approve domestic violence bill before tenure ends, suggest human rights activists
December 12, 2012
KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly should pass the domestic violence bill before its tenure comes to an end. This was the call that made the rounds at a conference held to observe the Human Rights Day at the PMA House on Monday.
“A debate on the bill is initiated after every few days in the provincial assembly but nothing has been done so far,” said the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) chairperson, Zohra Yusuf. Her organisation was among the nine civil society organisations, including the Aurat Foundation, PILER, Shirkat Gah, which came together at the seminar titled “Unite to End Violence against Women”.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/478629/approve-domestic-violence-bill-before-tenure-ends-suggest-human-rights-activists/
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South Asia
Afghan police kill 9 Taliban fighters
XINHUA
Dec 12 2012
Afghan police have killed nine Taliban militants and injured eight others during a series of operations over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released in Kabul on Wednesday.
The operations, according to the statement, were conducted in Nangarhar, Laghman, Kapisa, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Nimroz provinces during which six more insurgents were made captive.
There were no casualties on police side, the statement asserted. Taliban militants are yet to comment.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/afghan-police-kill-9-taliban-fighters/article4191684.ece
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Maldives for deeper ties with China
ANANTH KRISHNAN
Dec 12 2012
Maldives Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim on Tuesday held talks with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, on a visit that officials said was aimed at deepening military ties between the two countries.
Mr. Nazim told Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie that the Maldives “is willing to cement relations between the two countries and their militaries”, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/maldives-for-deeper-ties-with-china/article4188735.ece
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Where War Still Echoes, Recalling Earlier Battles in Afghannistan
By GRAHAM BOWLEY
December 12, 2012
HERAT, Afghanistan — For a country disfigured by decades of conflict, it seems fitting that Afghanistan should have a place set aside for reflecting on war.
The Jihad Museum on a forested hillside in the western provincial capital of Herat is many things: a temple to the mujahedeen heroes who battled the Soviets in the 1970s and ’80s, and a memorial for the hundreds of thousands of Afghans who were slaughtered or fled the fighting.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/world/asia/afghan-museum-recalls-a-previous-
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Death for three Xinjiang plane hijackers
12 December 2012
BEIJING: A court in China’s restive Muslim-majority region of Xinjiang sentenced three men to death yesterday after they were found guilty of trying to hijack an aircraft and detonate explosives, state media said.
The men, along with a fourth who received a life prison term, were among a group of six that tried to seize the aircraft after it had taken off from Hotan in the northwestern region and were thwarted by passengers and crew, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing a court statement.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/death-three-xinjiang-plane-hijackers
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Afghan refugees in Pakistan resist pressure to return
Dec 12 2012
JALALA: Despite pressure from Islamabad and incentives from the UN, the vast majority of the 1.6 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan are still refusing to return to a country gripped by war and poverty.
“Some people think that the security situation has improved in Afghanistan, but they’re wrong,” said Malak Nader, who represents 500 families in the Jalala refugee camp on the outskirts of Mardan, a farming town in northwestern Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/12/afghan-refugees-in-pakistan-resist-pressure-to-return/
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Bangladesh war crimes chief judge resigns over hacked calls
Dec 12 2012
DHAKA: The chief judge of Bangladesh’s war crimes court resigned on Tuesday after calls over the Internet in which he shared details of cases were published in the press.
“Judge Nizamul Huq tendered his resignation to the law secretary. He has cited personal reasons,” Bangladesh’s deputy law minister Quamrul Islam told AFP.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/11/bangladesh-war-crimes-chief-judge-resigns-over-hacked-calls/
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We will win if a fair poll is held: Nasheed
R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN
Dec 12 2012
Will invite GMR back if I win election, says ex-President
Having been pushing for early elections since the handover of power in February, the former Maldivian President, Mohamed Nasheed, has asserted that his party will win anytime if free and fair elections are held.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/we-will-win-if-a-fair-poll-is-held-nasheed/article4188741.ece
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India
Hyderabad Urdu papers launch campaign for simple weddings
Seema Chishti
Dec 12 2012
New Delhi : At a time when the big Indian wedding season is on in full swing, editors of three major Urdu papers of Hyderabad have launched a campaign to move towards simpler and more austere marriage celebrations, with an “appeal” to their readers.
The three broadsheets, Siasat, Munsif and Rahnuma-e-Deccan, are known to wield considerable influence.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hyderabad-urdu-papers-launch-campaign-for-simple-weddings/1043888/
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No need to import Arab nation laws, SC tells judges
Utkarsh Anand
Dec 12 2012
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday cautioned judges against venturing into “monstrous legalism” by relying on “erroneous notions of law” while handing out death penalty.
Appalled by a death sentence awarded to an accused in a case of robbery by a judge in Tamil Nadu, a Bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra asked the national and state judicial academies to “educate” judicial officers on how not to get influenced by opinion of any person and rely only on evidence. The Bench held that criminal courts shall not be guided or influenced by the views or opinions expressed by judges on a private platform and that they have to decide the case by examining relevant fact, evidence and by applying binding precedents.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/don-t-rely-on-opinions-no-need-to-import-arab-nation-laws-sc-tells-j.../1043886/
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System is fair and effective, Khurshid says on Pakistani national Chisti's acquittal
Dec 12, 2012
NEW DELHI: With the Supreme Court acquitting Pakistani national Mohammed Khalil Chishti of murder charge, external affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said on Wednesday such "gestures" could contribute to the "sense" between the two neighbours.
"We have to be pleased with the final judgement whether the judgement that convicts or judgement that acquits. I think we have to salute the system. The system is objective, fair, transparent and effective," he told reporters outside Parliament House.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/System-is-fair-and-effective-Khurshid-says-on-Chistis-acquittal/articleshow/17584067.cms
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Centre intervenes to help Indians in UAE facing deportation
Dec 12 2012
Ambassador asked to pursue matter with authorities
The Centre has decided to urge the UAE to reconsider its decision ordering about 18,000 Indians working there without proper papers to return to India within three months or face imprisonment. Instead it would ask the government to grant them visa and allow them to continue in their jobs.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-intervenes-to-help-indians-in-uae-facing-deportation/article4188925.ece
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1981 Air India plane hijack: Two move court for stay of fresh trial
Dec 11, 2012
NEW DELHI: Two alleged Sikh militants, sent back to India in 2000 after serving a life term in Pakistan for hijacking an Air India plane to that country in 1981, have moved a Delhi court seeking stay of a fresh trial against them here for the same offence.
The two, in their plea to additional chief metropolitan magistrate Sameer Bajpai has said the trial in the case be stayed as the matter is pending before the Delhi HC, which on April 8 will decide their plea for quashing the FIR.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/1981-Air-India-plane-hijack-Two-move-court-for-stay-of-fresh-trial/articleshow/17573756.cms
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12/12/12: Kashmir govt steps in as online rumour about cosmic rays goes viral
Peerzada Ashiq, Hindustan Times
December 12, 2012
People in Kashmir on Tuesday had a sleepless night when an online message went viral that cosmic rays from Mars will enter into Earth and damage mobile phones. The government had to come up with an official statement to dispel the rumour.
Late on Wednesday evening, a message attributed to NASA and BBC news service went viral online with people sharing it on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Srinagar/12-12-12-Kashmir-govt-steps-in-as-online-rumour-about-cosmic-rays-goes-viral/Article1-971832.aspx
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Back with glory: India wins 6 medals at junior science Olympiad in Iran
December 12, 2012
The Indian junior science Olympiad team returned to the city with six silver medals on Tuesday from the International Junior Science Olympiad in Tehran.
The six-member team comprising students from Classes 9, 10 and 11 participated in the ninth edition of the Olympiad between December 1 and December 10 in Iran.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Back-with-glory-India-wins-6-medals-at-junior-science-Olympiad-in-Iran/Article1-971678.aspx
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Terror strike possible from LeT, IM: home ministry
December 11, 2012
Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and Indian Mujahidin and two Sikh militant groups have threatened to carry out terror acts in India, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
"The available intelligence inputs indicate abiding interest of militant outfits like LeT, IM,
Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Tiger Force to carry out terrorist violence in India," Minister of State for Home R P N Singh said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Terror-strike-possible-from-LeT-IM-home-ministry/Article1-971380.aspx
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J&K minister writes to Centre about Tulbul Navigation Project after Pak objections
By M Saleem Pandit
Dec 12, 2012
JAMMU: J&K irrigation and flood control minister Taj Mohi-ud-din has written to Union water resources ministry commissioner (Indus) G Aranganathan on the state government's position on the Tulbul Navigation Project in north Kashmir.
Aranganathan had sought information about the project after his Pakistani counterpart, Mirza Asif Baig, wrote to him last month about his government's objections to it. Islamabad has maintained that the project violates the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) between the two countries.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JK-minister-writes-to-Centre-about-Tulbul-Navigation-Project-after-Pak-objections/articleshow/17578839.cms
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Stricter visa norms for non-sponsored Pak cricket fans
By Vishwa Mohan
Dec 11, 2012,
NEW DELHI: Pakistani spectators, who would be visiting India without having local sponsors to watch cricket matches between December 25 and January 6, will have to follow stricter visa conditions than those who have sponsorship from friends or relatives.
They will not only have to enter or exit India at designated cities\post - Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai (by air) and Attari (by train or bus) - but also have to stay in designated hotels, which have been selected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Stricter-visa-norms-for-non-sponsored-Pak-cricket-fans/articleshow/17574670.cms
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Gujarat polls: Irfan Pathan in support of Narendra Modi
Dec 12, 2012
VADODARA: Cricketer Irfan Pathan on Wednesday shared the stage with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in BJP's campaign rally at Kheda on Wednesday.
Irfan turned up at the rally that was organized for the second phase of polling in the state.
The 28-year-old all-rounder, Irfan, who belongs to Vadodara and has been forced out of cricketing action by an injury, waved at the crowd, who had come to listen Modi's speech.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/specials/gujarat-assembly-elections/Gujarat-polls-Irfan-Pathan-in-support-of-Narendra-Modi/articleshow/17586077.cms?
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Digvijaya for execution of death sentence to Afzal Guru
Dec 12, 2012
RAGHOGARH: (MP) Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said today that he favoured execution of death penalty awarded to Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru.
"I am in favour of the execution of capital punishment to Afzal Guru," he told reporters at his ancestral town, Raghoharh in Guna district.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Digvijaya-for-execution-of-death-sentence-to-Afzal-Guru/articleshow/17586513.cms
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Africa
Islamists' reign in Northern Mali grows more brutal, group say
SUDARSAN RAGHAVAN
12 DECEMBER 2012
On a sweltering afternoon, Islamist police officers dragged Fatima al-Hassan out of her house in the fabled city of Timbuktu.
They beat her up, shoved her into a white pickup truck and drove her to their headquarters. She was locked up in a jail as she awaited her sentence: 100 lashes with an electrical cord.
"Why are you doing this?" she recalled asking.
Hassan was being punished for giving water to a male visitor.
The Islamist radicals who seized a vast arc of territory in northern Mali in the spring are intensifying their brutality against the population, according to victims, human rights groups, and U.N. and Malian officials. The attacks are being perpetrated as the United States, European countries and regional powers are readying an African force to retake northern Mali, after months of hesitation.
Full report at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/islamists-reign-in-northern-mali-grows-more-brutal-group-say-8410637.html
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The boys who beg for Qur’anic schools in Senegal
In Dakar, an estimated 8,000 young boys (talibés) attend Qur'anic schools (daaras) to gain a religious education. Many daaras are true to this aim. However, a growing number pay little attention to the health, education or wellbeing of their young talibés, forcing them to beg on the streets of Senegal's capital and pocketing the money they collect
Senegalese children forced to beg by renegade teachers' betrayal of principle
The venerable tradition of Senegalese children studying with marabouts is being distorted by a wayward minority who illegally exploit their young charges to turn a profit
Misha Hussain in Dakar
11 December 2012
An estimated 50,000 children in Senegal are forced to beg on the streets and give the money they earn to religious teachers, despite a 2005 law forbidding this exploitation. A stone's throw from Île de Gorée, a symbol of colonial slavery lying off the coast opposite Dakar, another form of bondage threatens children from impoverished families in Senegal and throughout west Africa.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2012/dec/11/senegalese-children-forced-beg-renegade-teachers
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Monopoly Lagos version launched in Nigeria
Dec 12 2012
The first African city edition of the famous board game Monopoly has been launched in Lagos.
The Nigerian metropolis is one of the fast-growing cities in the world.
The board's layout was unveiled at an event in Lagos City Hall, with the manmade Banana Island named as the upmarket equivalent of Mayfair in the London edition.
Makoko, the slum on stilts over the city's lagoon, is the cheapest property for sale on the Lagos board.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20681168
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Tunisia Battling Islamic Extremists Brainwashing Children, Singing Praises To Osama Bin Laden
Dec 11th, 2012
Muslim hardliners are targeting small children in Tunisia as education professionals and parents are increasingly concerns about religious indoctrination.
A video titled “Dedication from Children of Unification in Tunisia to Mullah Omar” recently spread on social networking websites, sparking a broad controversy.
Full report at:
http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/tunisia-battling-islamic-extremists-brainwashing-children-singing-praises-to-osama-bin-laden-32182/
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Sudan's Army Killing Civilians in Border State Rebellions: HRW
December 12, 2012
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese government forces are killing civilians in rebel-held border areas with indiscriminate bombardments that include improvised "barrel bombs" filled with nails and jagged metal, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
A senior member of the Arab-African country's ruling party dismissed the report as "completely incorrect".
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/12/world/africa/12reuters-sudan-hrw.html?ref=africa&gwh=497F9C3160E8F5F1881D9576A0374545
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Django Sissoko named as Mali prime minister
Dec 12 2012
Malian interim President Diouncounda Traore has appointed a new PM, less than 24 hours after his predecessor was forced to resign by the military.
Django Sissoko, an official in the presidency, has been named to succeed Cheick Modibo Diarra, who has been under arrest since his resignation.
The appointment was announced on state television.
The role of the military in the forced resignation of Mr Diarra has been condemned by the UN and many countries.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20687562
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Mideast Asia
Turkish village becomes haven for Mayan doomsayers
December 11, 2012
Believers of the Mayan calendar prediction that the world will end on December 21 have flooded into a small village in western Turkey, near the ancient Greek city of Ephesus. Some New Age spiritualists are convinced of a December 21 "doomsday" foretold by Mayan hieroglyphs -- at least according to some interpretations.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/HTNext/LifeAndUniverse/Turkish-village-becomes-haven-for-Mayan-doomsayers/Article1-971471.aspx
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Iran arrests 28 over links to religious networks
Dec 11, 2012
TEHRAN: Tehran's chief prosecutor says authorities have arrested 28 Iranians for alleged links to foreign-based TV networks advocating the Baha'i religion, which is banned in the Islamic Republic.
A report today by semi-official Mehr news agency quotes Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi as saying intelligence officers arrested the members of "counterrevolutionary networks" in 10 buildings across the city of Tehran.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-arrests-28-over-links-to-religious-networks/articleshow/17576130.cms
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Israeli military raids offices of Palestinian NGOs
Dec 12 2012
The Israeli military has raided the West Bank offices of three Palestinian non-governmental organisations.
One of the groups, Addameer, said troops had entered its premises in Ramallah at 03:00 (01:00 GMT) and confiscated laptops and a video camera.
The office was "destroyed" and filing cabinets "ransacked", it added.
The Israeli military said the NGOs were linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which Israel considers a terrorist group.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20679199
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IAEA Hopes for Access to Iran's Parchin Site
December 12, 2012
VIENNA (Reuters) - U.N. nuclear inspectors are ready to go to Iran's disputed Parchin military complex if the Islamic state were to allow it during talks in Tehran later this week, a senior official said on Wednesday.
The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes Iran has carried out explosives tests with nuclear applications at Parchin, a sprawling facility southeast of Tehran, and has repeatedly asked for access to it.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/12/world/middleeast/12reuters-iran-nuclear-parchin.html?ref=middleeast
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North America
Drones violate sovereignty, but so do militants using Pakistani soil: Haqqani
By Huma Imtiaz
December 12, 2012
WASHINGTON: Former Pakistan ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani on Tuesday said that while his country was a victim of terror, it was also to blame for not using full force of the state to crush militant groups.
Speaking at the launch of the Asia Society’s report on the US and South Asia after Afghanistan, the former Pakistani ambassador emphasised that Pakistan has to cut all ties with the militant groups.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/478753/drones-violate-sovereignty-but-so-do-militants-using-pakistani-soil-haqqani/
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Urge Michigan Governor Not to Sign Anti-Islam Legislation
12/11/2012
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/11/2012) –- The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today announced that state legislator Dave Agema's anti-Islam bill, known officially as HB 4769, may pass this week during Michigan's lame duck legislative session. (The bill is currently on the legislative calendar.)
CAIR-MI is calling on all people of conscience to urge Governor Snyder to veto the biased bill which is among those that seek to impose government-sanctioned discrimination on followers of a minority faith.
Full report at:
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US man gets 10 years in suicide-bomber plot
Dec 12 2012
CHICAGO: A man who pleaded guilty to a plot to attend a Somalia training camp with the dream of becoming a suicide bomber was sentenced Tuesday to nearly 10 years in prison.
Standing in orange jail clothes, his hands behind his back, 29-year-old Shaker Masri looked calm as a judge imposed the sentence for one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a terrorist group.
”That you were willing to die in harming others is extremely disturbing to this court,” US District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman told him.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/12/us-man-gets-10-years-in-suicide-bomber-plot/
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Ask President Obama to Veto NDAA Over Guantanamo Restrictions
12/10/12
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/10/12) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is asking all Americans who value civil liberties to urge President Obama to veto the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (NDAA), which restricts his authority to transfer or prosecute detainees held at Guantanamo or to close the facility.
Today's request follows a recent letter sent to the president by CAIR and 25 other national civil and human rights and religious liberties groups making the same request.
Full report at:
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Being Muslim in Fairfax County is balancing Islamic faith and American culture
By Amna Rehmatulla/The Connection
12 DECEMBER 2012
Immigrants face the challenge of balancing Islamic faith and American culture.
Over the years, Muslims from different countries migrated and settled in the Fairfax County area; however, the children of immigrant parents often struggle the most because they have to balance their Islamic faith along with the influence of American culture.
Sarah Khan has lived in the Springfield area for the past 42 years after coming to America from Pakistan at the age of 11. “In the 1970s, there was one mosque: the Islamic Centre in Washington, D.C. everybody just went to that one. So, as Muslims we were very united. Full report at:
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2012/dec/11/being-muslim-fairfax-county/
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US military to keep 'strong' role in Middle East: Leon Panetta
Dec 12, 2012
KUWAIT CITY: The US military will retain a "strong presence" in the Middle East despite a strategic shift to Asia, defence secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday during a visit to Kuwait.
The United States plans to deploy a majority of its naval fleet to the Asia-Pacific along with other advanced weaponry but Panetta insisted that a robust American force would remain in place in the Middle East.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-military-to-keep-strong-role-in-Middle-East-Leon-Panetta/articleshow/17578894.cms
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Arab World
Christian Copt Jailed for Blasphemy in Egypt
December 12, 2012
CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian Copt arrested on suspicion of posting online an anti-Islam film that ignited Muslim protests around the world was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison, a court source said
Computer science graduate Alber Saber, 27, was arrested at his Cairo home on September 13 after neighbors accused him of uploading sections of the film "Innocence of Muslims" and making another movie mocking all religions.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/12/world/middleeast/12reuters-egypt-christian- ---------
‘Friends of Syria’ Poised to Recognize Anti-Assad Rebels
By AIDA ALAMI and ALAN COWELL
December 12, 2012
MARRAKESH, Morocco — Representatives of more than 100 countries and organizations gathered here on Wednesday for a meeting of the so-called Friends of Syria, a body set up to galvanize international backing for the rebels seeking the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/world/middleeast/syria-war-developments-
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634 including 207 Saudis arrested for bringing in banned drugs worth SR 886m
12 December 2012
The Interior Ministry said yesterday that it had arrested 634 drug smugglers and traffickers including 207 Saudis during the past three months.
Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the ministry said the arrested criminals had attempted to smuggle various types of drugs worth SR 886.31 million.
The arrested men included 174 Yemenis and 253 foreigners belonged to 32 countries. The arrest took place during the Hijri months of Shawwal, Dul Qaada and Dul Hijjah.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/634-arrested-bringing-banned-drugs-worth-sr-886m
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Egypt army seeks national unity as crisis mounts
Dec 12, 2012
CAIRO: Egypt's army chief called for talks on national unity to end the country's deepening political crisis after a vital loan from the IMF was delayed and thousands of pro- and anti-government demonstrators took to the streets.
The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, was called in response to a destabilising series of protests since President Mohamed Morsi awarded himself sweeping powers on Nov. Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-army-seeks-national-unity-as-crisis-mounts/articleshow/17577916.cms
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Blast kills one in Syrian capital
Dec 12 2012
Two explosive devices went off in a suburb of Syria’s capital Damascus on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring five others, local media said.
The bombs rocked the entrance of al-Qariat Street, the Sham FM radio said.
Other local media placed the death toll at five. But the account could not be verified with the absence of official comments.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/blast-kills-one-in-syrian-capital/article4191627.ece
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Egyptians abroad vote, army to host 'unity' talks
Dec 12, 2012
CAIRO: Egyptians abroad began voting on Wednesday in a referendum on the new constitution that President Mohamed Morsi fast-tracked through an Islamist-dominated drafting assembly, in a setback for the opposition who had hoped to delay the process.
The official state news agency reported voting had started at Egyptian embassies abroad, the same day as the army scheduled talks between rival factions in Cairo aiming to reunite a country deeply divided by the crisis over the referendum.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egyptians-abroad-vote-army-to-host-unity-talks/articleshow/17585816.cms
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Egypt referendum to be split over two weekends
Dec 12 2012
Egypt's referendum on a controversial draft constitution is to be held on two weekends, because of a lack of judges willing to oversee the vote.
The opposition has called for the referendum to be scrapped, but voting has begun in Egyptian embassies abroad.
Voting in Egypt itself will now take place in some areas on 15 December and in others a week later.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20692407
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Egypt's defense chief calls for dialogue
Dec 11, 2012
CAIRO: Egypt's official news agency says the defense minister has invited politicians to hold talks to find a way out of the nation's worsening political crisis.
The MENA report Tuesday says defense minister Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi invited Egyptians from all fields, including politicians, artists and athletes, to take part in a dialogue Wednesday, three days ahead of a referendum on a disputed draft constitution.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypts-defense-chief-calls-for-dialogue/articleshow/17576473.cms
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Gunmen fire at protesters, Egypt on the boil
Dec 12, 2012
CAIRO: Thousands of opponents and supporters of Egypt's Islamist president staged rival rallies in the nation's capital on Tuesday, four days ahead of a nationwide referendum on a contentious draft constitution.
The demonstrations got underway just hours after masked assailants set upon opposition protesters staging a sit-in at Tahrir Square, firing birdshot and swinging knives and sticks, according to security officials. At least 11 protesters were wounded in the pre-dawn attack, according to a health ministry spokesman quoted by the official MENA news agency.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Gunmen-fire-at-protesters-Egypt-on-the-boil/articleshow/17579840.cms
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Haia for other Islamic countries suggested
12 December 2012
All Islamic countries should have a committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia), which would ensure correct practices among Muslims. Islamic countries would benefit from having such a body and could take advantage of the Kingdom’s experience in this field.
Participants in a conference that the Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Chair for the Study of the Haia at the Islamic University organized, in collaboration with the General Presidency of the Haia, suggested this.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/haia-other-islamic-countries-suggested
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Moroccans Fear That Flickers of Democracy Are Fading
By SUZANNE DALEY
2012/12/11
TANGIER, Morocco — Until recently, politics in Morocco involved red carpets and speeches in high Arabic that the average citizen could not understand. But on a campaign swing this fall through a working-class area of this port city, Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane stood on a makeshift podium in a muddy vacant lot.
He spoke without notes, kissed babies passed forward by the crowd and promised, as he has done all along, to fight corruption and return the government to the people.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/world/africa/moroccans-fear-that-flickers-of-
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No major changes in Kuwait's new government
Dec 12 2012
Kuwait's ruler has named a new Cabinet that makes no major changes in membership and reinstated the Finance Minister who resigned earlier this year under pressure from opposition lawmakers.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/no-major-changes-in-kuwaits-new-government/article4191740.ece
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Europe
Russia to Close Radar Station in Azerbaijan
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
December 12, 2012
MOSCOW — The Russian government said Tuesday that it would shut down operations at a major radar station in Gabala, Azerbaijan, that can detect missile launchings throughout the Middle East, after failing to reach an agreement on a new lease with the Azeri government.
The radar station was built in 1985 when Russia and Azerbaijan were still part of the Soviet Union. For the past decade, Russia has paid Azerbaijan $7 million a year in rent for the facility, along with other operational charges. With the lease set to expire, the two countries had been in protracted negotiations over new terms, with Azerbaijan demanding $300 million a year.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/world/europe/russia-to-shut-down-radar-station-in-
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International military chiefs hold talks on Syrian situation
Dec 12 2012
LONDON: International military chiefs met in London to discuss the Syria conflict, a diplomatic source said Tuesday, after a report that they discussed plans to train rebels and give air and naval support.
General David Richards, the head of Britain’s armed forces, held talks recently in London with military leaders from France, Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and a US general, the Independent newspaper reported.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/11/international-military-chiefs-hold-talks-on-syrian-situation/
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Russia likely to stay course on Assad, experts say
Dec 11, 2012
MOSCOW: Recent hopes that the Kremlin would end its support of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad melted quickly, and analysts say Moscow ultimately may change its stance only if Assad ends up cornered.
Russia's refusal to join the West in calling for Assad's ouster is rooted both in a sober geopolitical calculus and deep suspicions about Western intentions _ as well, perhaps, as a desire to save face after supporting the Syrian leader for so long. Moscow sees little profit in dumping its last ally in the Middle East, and President Vladimir Putin has described calls for a regime change in Syria as a dangerous example of Western meddling in a sovereign country's affairs.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Russia-likely-to-stay-course-on-Assad-experts-say/articleshow/17573969.cms
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France trying to reconcile Afghan rivals
Dec 11, 2012
PARIS: (AP) France is trying to ease tensions in Afghanistan by talking to conflicting parties and sees Pakistan as key to stabilizing the region, the country's president said Tuesday.
France is hosting a rare face-to-face gathering of Afghanistan's major players, including the Taliban, next week. The cooperation of Pakistan, which has long-standing ties to the Taliban, is seen as pivotal to reviving peace talks.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/France-trying-to-reconcile-Afghan-rivals/articleshow/17574007.cms
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Armenians Fleeing Anew as Syria Erupts in Battle
By ALIA MALEK
December 12, 2012
YEREVAN, Armenia — At the newly opened Cilician School in this former Soviet republic, the textbooks are in Arabic, photocopied from a single set flown out of war-torn Syria. The curriculum is Syrian, the flag on the principal’s desk is Syrian, and the teachers and students are all Syrians.
They are also ethnic Armenians, driven by Syria’s civil war to a notional motherland most barely know.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/world/middleeast/syrian-armenians-seek-shelter-in-
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Kazakh Border Guard Gets Life Term in Killings of Soldiers
By ANDREW ROTH
December 12, 2012
MOSCOW — A military court in a remote city in eastern Kazakhstan sentenced a 20-year-old border guard to life in prison on Tuesday over the killings of 15 people, in a case that has drawn widespread skepticism of the authorities in the former Soviet state.
In May, 14 soldiers and a gamekeeper were killed in Arkankergen, in a mountain range on the Chinese border, and the soldiers’ outpost was burned. A few days later, the surviving young guard, Vladislav Chelakh, was found hiding nearby. Investigators said he confessed; prosecutors said he had been hazed.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/world/asia/kazakh-border-guard-sentenced-in-15-
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Britain Does Not Rule Out Any Option on Syria
December 12, 2012
LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary William Hague warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday against any use of chemical weapons, and said Britain does not rule out any option to save lives in Syria.
"Syria needs a political transition leading to an inclusive new government, with full executive authority. This is the course most likely to achieve stability in the country," he said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/12/world/europe/12reuters-britain-
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