Deoband denies links with Tahreek-e-Taliban, Hindustan, condemns statement

Taliban Execute Pakistani Policemen on Video, Army Says

Kulsoom Abdullah honors Muslim faith, makes history at US weightlifting nationals

Bahrain Shiites pull out of reconciliation talks

Muslim woman sues company over ‘hijab firing’

Bahrain’s main opposition quits national dialogue

Saudi Arabia accepts India's plea to increase Haj quota

US to restore military aid to Pakistan?

Mumbai blasts fail to stop Indo-Pak talks today

It's a slow death for us: Indian Mujahideen founder's parents

NIA quizzes terror convict in Ajmer jail

Mumbai blasts: Arrested IM agent bares pact with Taliban to terrorize India

Mumbai blasts: FIR filed against two suspected HUJI militants

Three killed, 16 injured in attack on NATO tankers: Peshawar

2 Kurds, Iran guard killed on Iraq border

Five government officials kidnapped in Balochistan

Wife of Malegaon blast suspect seeks divorce

30 reported killed in clashes in Syria

Four soldiers among 14 dead in southern Yemeni town clash

Afghan refugee gunned down in Qila Saifullah

Bangladesh Teacher Sacked in Mohammed Dispute

Malaysian Court Rejects Transsexual's Name Change

Israeli forces arrests Palestinian woman during visit to her detained husband

Faiz Usmani suffered heart attack, had clots in brain: Autopsy

RSS making bomb factories: Digvijay Singh

Samjhauta case: Aseemanand claims NIA fabricated evidence

ISI knew about Baitullah, Zawahiri meeting: Report

Mubarak out of coma: Officials

Pak looms large as Clinton flies to Mumbai blasts-hit India

Five Indian fishermen sent to jail in Qatar

Unity in Diversity Was Never More Relevant

Tunisian police fire in air to disperse rioters

Israeli weapons used in Karachi: Malik

Egypt’s new cabinet to be sworn in after protests

Thousands rally in Morocco over reform plan

Argentina welcomes Iran overture on 1994 bombing

Gen. Petraeus Hands Over Command in Afghanistan

Famine victims to get UN aid as Somali militia backs down

MAN NABBED WITH TEN BOMBS

Indo-Pak officials to meet tomorrow on cross-Loc CBMs

Benazir's former security guard killed, violence erupts

Don't need US military trainers: Pasha to CIA

Gaddafi defiant as rebels assault Brega

Syrian troops enter border town, hundreds detained

Centre unveils job plan for J&K youth

J&K Minister in centre of nepotism row

Father of admitted terrorist faces New York City trial

Pak, US top guns help mend ties

From Nato to Afghan forces: Security handover starts

Adviser to Karzai murdered

Yemen army, tribes in offensive to retake Zinjibar

Israel defence officials want Turkey ties repaired

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/deoband-denies-links-with-tahreek/d/5053

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Deoband denies links with Tahreek-e-Taliban, Hindustan, condemns its despicable statement

By New Age Islam News Desk

18 July 2011

New Delhi: Darul Uloom Deoband in its press release has said that anti national elements are systematically planning to disrupt the communal harmony of the nation, so that they can do whatever they wish to. There are email messages floating on the internet from a so-called Tahreek-e-Taliban-Hindustan, which is using Darul Uloom Deoband’s label for its heinous and despicable statements. According to Deoband the emails are trying to malign the name of the Islamic Seminary. The email says: “India was never a Hindu State. This country was governed by Muslims for centuries. We Tahreek-e-Taliban, Hindustan demand that the government of India give all those areas under Muslim governance where the majority of the population is Muslim. These areas must follow the Sharia law and all those who are other than Muslims will have to pay ‘Jaziya’ (Tax paid by non Muslim in a Islamic state).”

Well-known Islamic seminary in its press release had also said that, there are reports appearing in ‘Yugdharma’, a Hindi newspaper from Nagpur and another Marathi newspaper from Nagpur, mentioning this message as the Fatwa of Darul Uloom Deoband.

Acting Deoband VC Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani of the seminary in a written statement has clarified that ”We deem it necessary to clarify that neither does Darul Uloom Deoband have any relationship with the so-called movement nor does it recognize the ideologies propagated by it. Darul Uloom Deoband believes in peace, mutual harmony and national integration. We strongly condemn any such propaganda with or without our name.”

Seminary has urged the government to take appropriate action against the newspapers that are maligning the name of the religious institute with the help of these e-mails.

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Taliban Execute Pakistani Policemen on Video, Army Says

18 July 2011

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's army says the Taliban has released a video showing fighters executing 16 Pakistani policemen captured in a raid in the northwest.

The video shows the policemen lined up on a hillside, their hands tied behind their backs, standing in front of armed Taliban fighters wearing scarves to hide their faces.

One of the fighters accused the men of executing six children. The fighters opened fire on the policemen and then systematically fired a shot in the head.

Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said Monday the policemen were captured when the Taliban staged an attack from Afghanistan in Pakistan's Upper Dir district in June.

The video was published on the LiveLeak website.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/07/18/world/asia/AP-AS-Pakistan-Taliban-Video.html?ref=global-home&pagewanted=print

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Kulsoom Abdullah honors Muslim faith, makes history at US weightlifting nationals

18 July 2011

Kulsoom Abdullah has become the first woman to compete in the U.S. weightlifting championships while wearing clothing that covers her legs, arms and head.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Abdullah was cleared to compete in accordance with her Muslim faith after the International Weightlifting Federation ruled two weeks ago that athletes could wear a full-body “unitard” under the customary weightlifting uniform.

Abdullah, a 35-year-old from Atlanta who weighs roughly 105 pounds, lifted before a small crowd Friday in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Wearing a flowing black hijab and matching top with a tan, long-sleeved undershirt and long black socks, Abdullah cleared a snatch of 41 kilograms, or just over 90 pounds, and 57 kilograms in the clean and jerk.

Abdullah finished fifth out of six competitors in her weight class.

http://abna.co/data.asp?lang=3&Id=254062

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Bahrain Shiites pull out of reconciliation talks

July 18, 2011

A senior member of Bahrain’s biggest Shiite party has said that its delegates have pulled out of talks with the island kingdom’s

Sunni rulers. Khalil al-Marzooq has said that top leaders of Al Wefaq party decided to withdraw from the US-backed talks during a meeting on Sunday, claiming the other side was not serious about addressing Shiite demands for greater rights and political freedoms.

Al-Marzooq told The Associated Press that the Government is not interested in political reform. They have “disregarded the Opposition’s efforts to make the talks meaningful,” said Marzooq, the leader of Wefaq’s delegation to the so-called national dialogue.

Washington has encouraged dialogue after months of Shiite protests and a crackdown that has killed at least 33.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/353909/Bahrain-Shiites-pull-out-of-reconciliation-talks.html

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Muslim woman sues company over ‘hijab firing’

18 July 2011

 (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Hani Khan, 20, says a manger at the company’s Hollister Co. store in San Mateo, Calif. outside ofSan Francisco hired her while she was wearing herhijab and told her she was allowed to wear it at work.

Khan says four months later a district manager and human resources manager asked her to remove the hijab while working. When she refused, Khan says she was suspended and then fired.

The lawsuit alleges violations of federal and state civil rights and employment laws.

Khan’s suit is certainly not the first employment discrimination charge against a company known for it’s so-called “look policy,” which critics say usually means white, young and athletic-looking.

Full report at:

http://abna.co/data.asp?lang=3&Id=254071

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Bahrain’s main opposition quits national dialogue

July 18, 2011

DUBAI: Bahrain’s largest Shia opposition group Wefaq said on Sunday it planned to pull out of a national dialogue, which was aimed at reforms after mass pro-democracy protests rocked the Gulf island kingdom earlier this year.

Opposition groups like Wefaq had complained since talks began on July 2 that they would never be able to get their proposed political reforms put into effect, as the opposition received only 35 of 300 seats at the talks. The government has defended its apportioning of seats, saying it wanted the talks to include all Bahrainis, whether they were involved in politics or not. “The Wefaq board decided to pull out of the so-called National Consensus Dialogue and submitted its decision to the Wefaq Shura council (upper council) for ratification,” Khalil al-Marzouq, spokesman for Wefaq, told Reuters.

Full report at:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\18\story_18-7-2011_pg4_3

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Saudi Arabia accepts India's plea to increase Haj quota

July 18, 2011

CHENNAI: Saudi Arabia has accepted India's plea to increase the quota of Haj pilgrims from the country from this year.

A Aboobacker, vice-president, Haj Committee of India, said in a statement that the exact quantum would be decided at a meeting between the Saudi Arabian government and a four-member delegation of Haj Committee of India at Medina on July 19.

The delegation headed by Aboobacker would comprise of ceo, Haj Committee of India, Dr Zaheer Hussain, Hassan Ahmed and Imam Mohammed Madani.

It would urge the Saudi government to provide all facilities for Haj pilgrims for their stay at Mecca and Madina, he said.

As a result in the hike in quota, Tamil Nadu would get more numbers for Haj pilgrims he said and thanked chief minister Jayalalithaa for her efforts in getting the quantum increased.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Saudi-Arabia-accepts-Indias-plea-to-increase-Haj-quota/articleshow/9259461.cms

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US to restore military aid to Pakistan?

July 18, 2011

The US is mulling to restore the suspended $800 million in military aid and equipment to Islamabad, Pakistan's spy chief was quoted Sunday as saying.

Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who heads the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), said this had been indicated by senior US officials, the Urdu daily Jang reported.

He also quoted American officials as promising that Washington would now on respect Pakistan's sovereignty.

Briefing army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on his one-day visit to the US, Pasha said his talks would remove mistrust between the two countries.

Full report at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/353834/US-to-restore-military-aid-to-Pakistan.html

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Mumbai blasts fail to stop Indo-Pak talks today

July 18, 2011

NEW DELHI: In a clear sign that India has not let the latest Mumbai blasts affect its dialogue process with Pakistan, senior officials will take the next steps in adding confidence-building measures on Monday.

India and Pakistan may increase the frequency of cross-LoC trade from the existing two days. This is expected to be one of the decisions emerging from the forthcoming meeting of foreign minister S M Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar in Delhi on July 27.

In the run-up to the meeting, Yash Sinha, joint secretary, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran will meet Zehra Akbari from the Pakistani foreign office to "recommend measures for strengthening and streamlining the existing cross-LoC trade and travel arrangements and propose modalities for introducing additional cross-LoC CBMs," an MEA statement said.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mumbai-blasts-fail-to-stop-Indo-Pak-talks-today/articleshow/9264041.cms

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It's a slow death for us: Indian Mujahideen founder's parents

July 18, 2011

BHATKAL (Uttara Kannada): Every time there is a blast somewhere, Shahida and Ismail are distraught. The parents of Indian Mujahideen (IM) founder Riyaz Bhatkal and his brother Iqbal Shahbandri, say that it is disconcerting when bomb blasts are linked to their sons.

"We are dying a slow death daily and have become living corpses," says Shahida, wiping the tears welling up in her eyes. "Would we have been in this state, if he was making money by making bombs," questions Shahida. "We don't want anybody's blood on our hands. I know my son. He is so compassionate and is incapable of taking lives," says Shahida.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Its-a-slow-death-for-us-Indian-Mujahideen-founders-parents/articleshow/9268297.cms

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NIA quizzes terror convict in Ajmer jail

July 18, 2011

JAIPUR: A National Investigative Agency (NIA) team quizzed terror convict Dr Jalees Shakil Ansari at Ajmer Central jail early Sunday morning for his possible role in the recent terror attacks in Mumbai.

The team also quizzed Lashkar-e- Taiba men Shabir Ahemad and Mohammed Yasir who are lodged at Ajmer central jail.

A convict in series of bomb blasts on trains across the country on December 5, 1993, Dr Ansari has reportedly been in constant touch with the Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI even from jail premises. Since his conviction on February, 28, 2004, Ansari is incarcerated at Ajmer jail. Jail sources said that an NIA team entered at the Ajmer jail on Sunday in a medical van during early morning hours.

In the wake of serial blasts in Mumbai on last Wednesday, six different teams of NIA have been visiting places including Ahmedabad, Ranchi, Hyderabad and Ajmer. Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/NIA-quizzes-terror-convict-in-Ajmer-jail/articleshow/9265308.cms

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Mumbai blasts: Arrested IM agent bares pact with Taliban to terrorize India

July 18, 2011

AHMEDABAD: Terror outfit Indian Mujahideen has tied up with Taliban for sinister plans in India. Crime branch officers, who arrested a key IM operative, Danish Riyaz, in June claim to have unearthed details of the joint venture between IM and Taliban.

A senior crime branch officer said, "Emails and correspondence of Danish with five top terror operatives, including Haroon of Kolkata, have revealed this conspiracy across international borders. Haroon had also been to Hyderabad to meet Danish to discuss their plans."

These developments had taken place before Danish was arrested from Vadodara railway station in June. "According to Haroon's emails, 10 hand-picked youth from across the country were to be sent to Pakistan and then Afghanistan for terror training," said another senior officer of the crime branch.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mumbai-blasts-Arrested-IM-agent-bares-pact-with-Taliban-to-terrorize-India/articleshow/9263280.cms

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Mumbai blasts: FIR filed against two suspected HUJI militants

18 July 2011

Kishanganj (Bihar): An FIR was on Monday filed against two suspected Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) members on charges of violating the Foreigners Act even as police was probing if the two had any links with the July 13 serial blasts in Mumbai.

The FIR was lodged against Md Riyazul Sarkar alias Akash Khan who was arrested on Saturday, besides Md Mahtab Alam, who was in the custody of the Pauakhali Police station in the district under the Foreigners Act, Superintendent of Police R K Mishra said.

"Sarkar claims to be an Indian and had stayed in Bangalore. We verified from Bangalore and other addresses he gave us and found the details wrong. One thing we can say is that Sarkar is not an Indian," he said.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mumbai-blasts-fir-filed-against-two-suspected-huji-militants/819032/

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Three killed, 16 injured in attack on NATO tankers: Peshawar

July 18, 2011

PESHAWAR: Three people were killed and 16 wounded when terrorists blew up one NATO supply oil tanker and opened fire on another near Peshawar late Saturday, police and officials said. The first incident took place near a market in a suburb of Peshawar, close to the Khyber tribal district, when a remote controlled bomb went off late Saturday, triggering a huge fire and destroying up to 100 shops, police said.

“The remote-controlled device planted under the tanker exploded before it entered the tribal area, the fire has engulfed five markets,” Muhammad Ijaz Khan, a senior police officer, said. Khan said the blaze destroyed up to 100 shops before the fire service brought it under control. “Two people were killed and 15 other were wounded in the attack,” he added. In the second attack, around 10 kilometres from the site of the first, terrorists opened fire on another oil tanker in Jamrud, killing the driver and wounding his helper, local official Arshad Khan said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks but the official blamed Taliban for the attacks. afp

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\18\story_18-7-2011_pg7_9

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2 Kurds, Iran guard killed on Iraq border

July 18, 2011

ARBIL: At least two Iranian Kurdish rebels and one member of Tehran’s elite Revolutionary Guards were killed during clashes along the Islamic Republic’s border with Iraq, the two sides said on Sunday.

The fighting came less than a week after Iran warned that it reserved the right to attack the bases of the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), in neighbouring Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region. “Since midnight, heavy battles have been ongoing between PJAK and the Iranian army, resulting in injuries among elements of our group,” rebel spokesman Sherzad Kamankar said.

Kamankar said two rebels were killed and four wounded, and that Iranian forces had suffered several casualties in the fighting near the Banjaween area of Iraqi Kurdistan’s Sulaimaniyah province.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency, separately, quoted an unnamed source in the Iranian border town of Sardasht as saying that five PJAK members and a Revolutionary Guard were killed in the clashes. The bodies of the five rebels were being “transferred to Sardasht,” it said.

The Guards have detained an injured PJAK member and have “full control of the Sardasht border area,” IRNA said. “The PJAK forces left lots of ammunition and escaped the area.”

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\18\story_18-7-2011_pg7_35

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Five government officials kidnapped in Balochistan

July 18, 2011

QUETTA: Tribal rebels have kidnapped five government officials in southwestern Pakistan to demand an end to military operations in the area, officials said Sunday.

The kidnapping took place early Sunday in Sorange district, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Quetta, the capital of the oil-rich but impoverished and restive province of Balochistan.

The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility, saying the kidnapping was in retaliation for fresh military operations against the Baloch population in the Kohlu district.

“Five officials of Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation including its Project Director were abducted by armed persons from their residential colony,”provincial home secretary Zafarullah Baloch told AFP.

The officials have been taken to an unknown place and teams have been sent to search for them, Baloch said.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/18/five-government-officials-kidnapped-in-balochistan.html

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Wife of Malegaon blast suspect seeks divorce

Mateen Hafeez

MUMBAI: Jannatun Nisa, wife of 2006 Malegaon bomb blast suspect, Abrar Ahmed, has approached the Sharia court in Malegaon for Khula (Islamic practice of women seeking divorce).

In her letter, Nisastated that she is fed up of tolerating people making sarcastic remarks against her while her in-laws said that she was trying to escape questioning by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Nisa, who is a resident of Malegaon's Fort area, wrote a letter to Qazi

Abdul Ahad Azhari, the chief qazi (judge) for Maharashtra under the sharia law, seeking separation (khula).

"It has been five years since my husband was arrested. My in-laws ill-treat me and I am suffering for no fault of mine. People term me as a police informer's wife and I have been staying with my brothers since Ahmed's arrest. Looking at the current situation, I have decided to seek khula and stay with my brothers," Nisa stated in her one-page letter.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Wife-of-Malegaon-blast-suspect-seeks-divorce/articleshow/9264294.cms

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30 reported killed in clashes in Syria

18 July 2011

DAMASCUS — At least 30 people were killed in 24 hours in the central Syrian city of Homs in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Bashar Al Assad’s regime, a human rights activist said on Sunday.

The deaths came as the army moved in on two border towns in the east and west seeking to quell anti-regime protest.

“More than 30 civilians have been killed over the past 24 hours in Homs in clashes that broke out late on Saturday between the opposition and supporters of the regime,” said Rami Abdel Rahman of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

He said the clashes in the city 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of the capital came after three regime supporters kidnapped last week were killed and their dismembered bodies were returned to their relatives on Saturday.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/July/middleeast_July403.xml&section=middleeast&col=

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Four soldiers among 14 dead in southern Yemeni town clash

17 July 2011

Four soldiers and 10 militants linked to Al Qaeda have been killed in clashes in the southern Yemeni town of Zinjibar, a military source said on Sunday.

The fighting since Saturday evening centred around the base of the 25th Mechanised Brigade, near which troops found and destroyed an arms cache belonging to elements linked to Al Qaeda, the source added.

A local official, Mahfuz Faraa, said the fighting was the ‘most violent’ since late May, when Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, fell to armed men claiming to represent the ‘Partisans of Sharia,’ a group linked to Al Qaeda.

‘I haven’t been able to leave my house, such is the intensity of the battle,’ Faraa said, adding that ‘the armed extremists reappeared after a four-day absence.’

Clashes also broke out at the southern approach to Zinjibar, according to witnesses who said soldiers of the 119th Brigade were trying to advance on the town.

Four wounded soldiers were taken to an Aden hospital, where a civilian who had also been wounded in Zinjibar had to have his left leg amputated, a medical source said.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/July/middleeast_July399.xml&section=middleeast&col=

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Afghan refugee gunned down in Qila Saifullah

July 18, 2011

QUETTA: Unidentified armed men gunned down an Afghan refugee in an Afghan refugee camp set up in the Muslim Bagh tehsil of Qila Saifullah district on Sunday. “Unidentified gunmen riding a bike opened fire at an Afghan refugee identified as Spen Khan, when he was on his way,” police said. However, the assailants manage to flee, police added. The cause behind the killing could not be ascertained as yet. app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\18\story_18-7-2011_pg7_11

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Bangladesh Teacher Sacked in Mohammed Dispute

July 18, 2011

Dhaka. A Hindu teacher in Muslim-majority Bangladesh has been sacked after allegedly making offensive remarks about the prophet Mohammed that triggered angry protests, officials said on Monday.

Shankar Biswas, a 32-year-old English teacher at a government high school in the southern town of Tungipara, infuriated students with his comments during class, senior police officer M. Rokonuzzaman said.

“Students and their parents staged instant protests and then some 5,000 people demonstrated the next day, demanding action. Some attacked his house,” he said, adding that Biswas had since fled.

Rokonuzzaman and other officials declined to reveal what the teacher was alleged to have said.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/seasia/bangladesh-teacher-sacked-in-mohammed-dispute/453618

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Malaysian Court Rejects Transsexual's Name Change

July 18, 2011

Kuala Lumpur. A court in Muslim--majority Malaysia rejected a bid on Monday by a transsexual to change her name after undergoing a sex--change operation.

A high court in conservative eastern Terengganu state ruled that a person's sex was determined at birth so Ashraf Hafiz Abdul Aziz, who was born a man, could not change the name on her identity card, her lawyer said.

"I fear for her... the difficulties she is going to face daily," lawyer Horley Isaacs told AFP. "What is this person going to do now? Can she go to a man's toilet?"

Isaacs said Ashraf Hafiz, a 25--year--old former pharmaceutical assistant, was born with an abnormally small penis and underwent a full sex--change operation in neighboring Thailand in 2008.

Isaacs said her family supported Ashraf Hafiz's application to change her name on her identity card to Aleeshya Farhana, but the National Registration Department had rejected it.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/malaysian-court-rejects-transsexuals-name-change/453588

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Israeli forces arrests Palestinian woman during visit to her detained husband

18 July 2011

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested the wife of Palestinian prisoner Munir Attoun on Sunday during a visit to her husband, Palestinian sources said.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested the wife of Palestinian prisoner Munir Attoun on Sunday during a visit to her husband, Palestinian sources said.

They said that the IOF soldiers searched the woman then took her to an interrogation center without giving a reason for the detention.

Attoun is held in the Gilboa prison.

http://abna.co/data.asp?lang=3&Id=254164

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Faiz Usmani suffered heart attack, had clots in brain: Autopsy

July 18, 2011

MUMBAI: The provisional post-mortem report of Faiz Usmani, who died in hospital today after being questioned in connection with last week's serial blasts in Mumbai, says that he had a heart attack and there were blood clots in his brain.

"Provisional post-mortem of Usmani suggests that 90 grams blood clot was found in his brain. He even had a heart attack. His heart has been kept separately for further medical examination," Deputy Police Commissioner (Crime) Nisar Tamboli said.

The report also says that no injury marks were found on his body, he added.

Usmani, brother of alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) member Afzal Usmani, who is currently lodged in jail for his role in the 2008 Gujarat blasts, was picked up for questioning yesterday by Chembur's crime branch unit and was rushed to a hospital in Sion at around 5:50 PM as he was not feeling well.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Faiz-Usmani-suffered-heart-attack-had-clots-in-brain-Autopsy/articleshow/9262285.cms

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RSS making bomb factories: Digvijay Singh

Venugopal Pillai

INDORE/UJJAIN: A day after Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh called for investigations into the role of "all terror groups" behind last week's serial blasts in Mumbai, he stepped up his tirade against the Sangh parivar saying RSS was "making bomb factories".

"I have been saying RSS was spreading terrorism in the country and it has been making bomb factories," Singh was quoted as saying by a news agency. Singh's remarks have drawn condemnation from BJP, with the party describing his statement as "disgusting and objectionable".

Singh reiterated his statement to TOI. "The possibility of 'Sanghi' fascists' (being behind the blasts) cannot be ruled out," he said. He also clarified that he had not used the word "Hindu fascists" but "Sanghi fascists".

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/RSS-making-bomb-factories-Digvijay-Singh/articleshow/9258951.cms

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Samjhauta case: Aseemanand claims NIA fabricated evidence

Jul 18 2011

Panchkula (Haryana) : Swami Aseemanand, arrested in the Samjhauta train blast case, claimed he was not involved in the bombing and was made to give a confession under duress by the National Investigation Agency.

"I was forced by the NIA to confess that I was involved in the blast...I am not involved in the case.... The proof against me is also fabricated by the NIA," Aseemanand told reporters outside the special court hearing the case.

The court fixed August 17 as the next date for hearing on the charge sheet filed in the case by the NIA.

During the in-camera proceedings in the case, the NIA submitted the "deficient documents" related to the case and told the court that it would file a supplementary charge sheet against some other accused soon.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/818997/

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ISI knew about Baitullah, Zawahiri meeting: Report

Jul 18 2011

Islamabad: Pakistani intelligence officials knew about a meeting between al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and slain Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan head Baitullah Mehsud in 2008 but then “lost” track of the terror mastermind, according to a media report on Monday.

The meeting, which reportedly took place during the first half of 2008, might have been a precursor to the CIA's drone attacks against Mehsud, which ultimately killed him in August 2009.

It was not precisely known whether the meeting took place in South Waziristan tribal region, which was completely controlled by the Pakistani Taliban in 2008, or somewhere in Afghanistan.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/819035/

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Mubarak out of coma: Officials

Jul 18 2011

Cairo: Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, who is under detention in a hospital, has regained consciousness after lapsing into a coma, a top hospital official has said.

The 83-year-old ex-ruler, who is facing trial for corruption and murder, had fell into a coma yesterday at Sharm el-Sheikh hospital.

Mohamed Fathalla, the head of the Sharm el-Sheikh facility said that Mubarak had recovered.

“He is now stable after suffering a coma that did not last long,” CNN quoted Fathalla as saying.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/819040/

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Pak looms large as Clinton flies to Mumbai blasts-hit India

Jul 18 2011

Athens: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hopes to cement gains in ties with emerging global power India when she flies to New Delhi on Monday while heading off new friction with fragile US ally Pakistan.

Clinton's two-day trip to India, her second as secretary of state, follows President Barack Obama's visit last November and underscores Washington's growing bonds with the world's second most populous country and its $1.6 trillion economy.

Clinton will meet Indian leaders for a US-India strategic dialogue session, regular meetings designed to get officials from both sides working more closely together, and comes nearly a week after deadly triple bomb attack on India's financial hub of Mumbai.

She will then move on to Chennai, the eastern port city which has become a hub for US trade and investment, including a major auto engine plant for Ford Motor Co. .

US officials say Clinton's trip will demonstrate the breadth of cooperation -- which ranges from expanding military and intelligence work to educational exchanges and nuclear and other hi-tech energy projects.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/819014/

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Five Indian fishermen sent to jail in Qatar

Jul 17 2011

Dubai: Five Bahrain-based Indian fishermen have been sentenced to prison for a month in Doha for illegally entering into Qatar's waters.

Indian Embassy in Doha has warned fishermen from crossing international waters, due to their increasing numbers being detained in such cases.

The fishermen, who were in a group of eight, were caught by Qatar coastguards on June 2, local media reports said.

Those given one-month sentence were identified as Silvapillai Rajaratnam, Mois Pappiose, Alphons Raj, Maria Robin Raj and Robin Pious.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/818410/

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Unity in Diversity Was Never More Relevant

July 18, 2011

Modern Indonesia was conceived by taking into account the nation’s diversity and making room for it within the national polity.

Yes, Indonesia is a majority Muslim country but it is not an Islamic state. Hence all Indonesians, whatever their creed or religion, can call Indonesia their own.

This idea has come under threat in recent years with the rise of terrorism and Islamic radicals who seek to create an Indonesia of their own design, one where discrimination and injustice are promoted over values of tolerance.

They have used violence, rather than persuasion, to spread their ideology because they know that the vast majority of Indonesians do not buy into their vision.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/editorial-unity-in-diversity-was-never-more-relevant/453490

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Tunisian police fire in air to disperse rioters

July 18, 2011

TUNIS: Tunisian police fired into the air to disperse rioters in the capital early on Sunday and were attacked by crowds throwing petrol bombs in another city, in the most violent clashes yet involving Islamists.

The rioting is the starkest sign to date of the friction between Tunisia’s secular establishment and Islamists who have been growing more assertive since the country’s autocratic leader was ousted in a revolution six months ago.

The government said the rioting was orchestrated by extremist groups trying to undermine stability.

Full report at:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\18\story_18-7-2011_pg7_32

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Israeli weapons used in Karachi: Malik

By Shamim-ur-Rahman and Syed Irfan Raza

KARACHI/ ISLAMABAD: After a daylong visit President Asif Ali Zardari returned to Karachi from Iran and held meetings with officials on violence in Karachi and deteriorating law and order situation.

He expressed concern over the continuation of violence in the city and directed the Sindh home minister to take effective steps to quell violence.

According to official sources, the president asked the minister, Mr Manzoor Wasan, to take all possible measures to restore peace.

At a meeting at the Bilawal House, the home minister briefed the president on the security situation since the deployment of Rangers to clear the Kati Pahari area of gunmen and to evacuate the families trapped in that area.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/18/israeli-weapons-used-in-karachi-malik.html

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Egypt’s new cabinet to be sworn in after protests

18 July 2011

Egypt’s new cabinet will be sworn in on Monday after a reshuffle that protesters said had partially satisfied their demands for deeper political and economic reforms.

A core of protesters, who have camped out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square since July 8, said they wanted further measures, including a quicker trial of Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted as president on Feb. 11 in a popular uprising.

Mubarak’s lawyer said the former president, who has been in a hospital in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh since April, had slipped into coma, but hospital officials and the deputy health minister denied the report.

Protesters in Tahrir, the centre of uprising, unfurled a huge banner on Sunday that read: “Mubarak must stand trial.”

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/July/middleeast_July402.xml&section=middleeast&col=

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Thousands rally in Morocco over reform plan

18 July 2011

RABAT- Thousands of supporters and opponents of constitutional changes offered by Morocco’s king protested on Sunday, indicating debate over the country’s future sparked by the “Arab Spring” uprisings has not ended.

Protests took place in three cities and passed off without any clashes. The biggest show of strength by the opposition was in the northern city of Tangier where witnesses said about 12,000 marched to press the 47-year-old king for deeper reforms.

King Mohammed, a staunch ally of the West, is expected to hand over some of his powers to elected officials under a new constitution, which was approved in a referendum earlier this month. But he will retain a say over strategic decisions.

Full report at:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/July/international_July863.xml&section=international&col=

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Argentina welcomes Iran overture on 1994 bombing

18 July 2011

BUENOS AIRES- Argentina on Sunday welcomed an offer from Iran to help investigate the 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center that killed 85 people and which local prosecutors blame on Iranian officials.

Argentine prosecutors say that Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi is among those behind the attack. Iran denies any links to the bombing.

Local newspapers over the weekend carried a news release from the Iranian government offering to start talks aimed at “shedding light” on the bombing that leveled the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association building.

“The foreign ministry hopes to receive an official communication from its Iranian counterpart,” the Argentine government said in a statement, which went on to call the overture from Iran “unprecedented and very positive.”

But the AMIA issued a statement saying the organization did not believe Iran’s offer to be sincere. “We know Iran very well and we recognize this as a joke,” the statement said, pointing out that Monday will mark the 17th anniversary of the bombing.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/July/international_July862.xml&section=international&col=

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Gen. Petraeus Hands Over Command in Afghanistan

18 July 2011

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Gen. David Petraeus handed over command of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan to Gen. John Allen on Monday, transferring responsibility for the nearly 10-year war as Kabul's international allies draw up exit plans from the conflict.

Petraeus steps down after a mixed one-year stint in charge of the more than 140,000 international troops in the country. He was the architect of the counterinsurgency strategy that aimed to bring peace through an emphasis on decisive strikes against known insurgents and protecting the local population.

But as he leaves, it is unclear if either strategy has made Afghanistan safer. Violent attacks have continued, though international military officials argue they are not as widespread or as intense as they would have been otherwise.

Allen, who officially took command at a ceremony in Kabul on Monday morning, said the drawdown of U.S. forces that started earlier this month and the transition of some areas to Afghan control this week does not mean that international forces are easing up in their campaign to defeat the Taliban insurgency.

"It is my intention to maintain the momentum of the campaign," Allen said at the handover ceremony in the Afghan capital. He said however, that he does not expect the fight to be easy.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/07/18/world/asia/AP-AS-Afghanistan.html?ref=global-home&pagewanted=print

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Famine victims to get UN aid as Somali militia backs down

By Daniel Howden,

18 July 2011

The United Nations has resumed aid deliveries into Islamist-controlled Somalia in an effort to stem the daily tide of 3,500 famine refugees pouring into neighbouring countries.

Humanitarian assistance was delivered this weekend into central Somalia for the first time since UN operations werehalted 18 months ago following threats and extortion by the radical Islamic militia, the Shabab.

The devastating drought and famine across the Horn of Africa has sent millions of starving people into camps in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. The international response has been hindered by the chaos in Somalia, where foreign aid agencies have been denied access to Shabab-controlled regions.

However, the scale of the crisis has prompted the militia, which is fighting a war with the UN-backed government, to soften its stance and allow in aid groups with "no hidden agenda".

Full report at:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/famine-victims-to-get-un-aid-as-somali-militia-backs-down-2315441.html

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MAN NABBED WITH TEN BOMBS

July 18, 2011

WHAT started as normal altercation between a man and his wife ultimately led to an explosive recovery by the police in the Danilimda area of Ahmedabad on Sunday. Acting on a tipoff from his wife, the police raided the house Shahzad on Sunday morning and seized 10 crude bombs, some raw explosives and two country- made pistols.

Shahzad, 30, had a tiff with his wife on Saturday night when he had threatened to blow her away.

The police initially found only one crude bomb in Shahzad’s possession, he later confessed to having stocked more bombs in the nearby Chandola lake.

Mail Today

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Indo-Pak officials to meet tomorrow on cross-Loc CBMs

July 18, 2011

Ahead of the Foreign Minister- level talks between India and Pakistan later this month, the joint working group between the two countries on cross-LoC confidence building measures will be held here tomorrow.

The meeting will "recommend measures for strengthening and streamlining the existing cross-LOC trade and travel arrangements and propose modalities for introducing additional Cross-LoC CBMs," official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said here.

The meeting will be the first engagement between the two countries after the Mumbai triple blasts on July 13. It will be represented by officials of the External Affairs and Home Ministries while Pakistan will be represented by an officer of the rank of Director General from their foreign ministry.

Full report at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/353824/Indo-Pak-officials-to-meet-tomorrow-on-cross-Loc-CBMs.html

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Benazir's former security guard killed, violence erupts

July 18, 2011

Aamir Shah, the former security guard of assassinated Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and a senior leader of the ruling PPP, was gunned down here, triggering a fresh wave of violence in Pakistan’s financial capital.

Shah, 42, who headed the Peoples Unity Union of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), was killed by attackers on motorcycles who opened fire at his white Toyota Corolla near Kamran Chowrangi in the troubled Gulistan-e-Jauhar area on Saturday.

Shah, who started his political career with the Peoples’ Youth Wing (of the PPP), was Bhutto’s security guard when she returned to Pakistan in October 2007 to contest the general elections in the country.

The killing of the senior PPP activist sparked a fresh wave of violence in Pakistan’s biggest city, claiming as many as 11 lives over the last 24 hours and leaving scores wounded.

The domestic and international operations of Pakistan’s national carrier were also badly hit after employees went on a snap strike to protest and mourn the killing of Shah.

Shah, who succumbed to his injuries in a private hospital, was among the party’s senior activists and he had served at many different posts in his 18 years with the party.

Witnesses said the gunmen intercepted Shah’s car before shooting the PPP leader and his friend Mairaj Khalid Jagirani.

Full report at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/353933/Benazirs-former-security-guard-killed-violence-erupts.html

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Don't need US military trainers: Pasha to CIA

July 18, 2011

Pakistan does not need US military trainers for its counter-terrorism operations, ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha conveyed to his CIA counterpart during his recent fence-mending visit to the US following escalation of tensions between the two sides.

The US recently suspended $800 million of its military assistance to Pakistan after the latter expelled American military trainers from the country in the aftermath of Osama bin Laden’s killing by US personnel in Abbottabad.

According to a report in The Nation daily, General Pasha told CIA Acting Director Michael Morrel that Pakistan will not allow resending a number of US military trainers sent back in the wake of the May 2 Abbotabbad raid.

However, military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told the media on Saturday that resumption of military aid was not on the agenda of Pasha’s visit. He said Pasha had a one-on-one meeting with Morrell during which a range of intelligence issues were discussed and “both sides focused more on the way forward”. Pasha also reportedly told the CIA chief that in future, the visit of US military personnel to Pakistan would be subjected to ISI clearance.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/353922/Dont-need-US-military-trainers-Pasha-to-CIA.html

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Gaddafi defiant as rebels assault Brega

July 18, 2011

Fresh blasts rocked Tripoli on Sunday after veteran Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi vowed never to give in to mounting calls to go into exile despite a new offensive by rebels seeking to oust him.

At least 13 explosions were heard before and just after 0430 IST on Sunday. An AFP journalist was unable to say immediately what the targets had been.

State television reported that “the colonialist crusader aggressor” had raided civilian and military sites in the Ain Zara district and in Tajoura in the eastern suburbs.

The blasts came just hours after Gaddafi had insisted in a defiant speech that he would never quit his homeland.

“They are asking me to leave. That’s a laugh. I will never leave the land of my ancestors or the people who have sacrificed themselves for me,” he said in a loudspeaker address to supporters in Zawiyah, west of the capital.

I’m ready to sacrifice myself for my people, and I will never quit this land sprinkled with the blood of my ancestors who fought Italian and British colonialists,” he said.

“These rats have taken our people hostage in Benghazi, Misrata and the western mountains, using them as human shields,” Gaddafi said of the rebels’ eastern stronghold and their two enclaves in the mainly Government held west.

“Five million armed Libyans will march on them and liberate the occupied towns as soon as the order is given.”

Full report at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/353918/Gaddafi-defiant-as-rebels-assault-Brega.html

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Syrian troops enter border town, hundreds detained

July 18, 2011

Syrian troops backed by tanks stormed a town on Sunday near the border with Lebanon as security forces rounded up more than 500 people, including a leading dissident, across the country over the past two days, activists said.

The military operation came as opposition figures called for a united front to bring down President Bashar Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for more than 40 years. A four-month-old uprising is posing the most serious challenge to the Assad dynasty.

Syria-based human rights activist Mustafa Osso said Government forces entered the town of Zabadani, 40 kilometers northwest of Damascus, early on Sunday. The town has seen a string of protests calling for Assad’s downfall since the uprising began in mid-March. Osso said authorities have detained more than 500 people since Friday, when hundreds of thousands of Syrians turned out for the largest protests since the revolt began.

Full report at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/353914/Syrian-troops-enter-border-town-hundreds-detained.html

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Centre unveils job plan for J&K youth

July 18, 2011

The Centre has finalised a programme to provide incentives to the corporate houses, who recruit youth from Jammu and Kashmir. The National Skill Development Corporation (NCDC) would be nodal agency in this regard and Ministry of Home Affairs and the State Government would monitor the programme, approved recently by the Cabinet.

As per the scheme, the NCDC would reimburse 50 per cent or up to Rs 1.25 lakh to the corporate houses on a training of any youth they recruit from the valley. The Corporation would bear the accommodation and travel expenses during the training.

“If they were not selected, his/her name would be accommodated in the list prepared by the placement cell. Our target is to provide around corporate jobs to 8,000 youths from the valley per year,” said senior officers.

“During the training time, spanning around one year, we would provide them a stipend of Rs 2,500 month,” officials added. This ambitious project was first mooted by Rangarajan Committee and was supported by Confederation of Indian Industries and Infosys.

According to the Centre’s estimation there are around 1.5 lakh unemployed graduates in the State. This project is launched for five years, with a target of providing more around 40,000 corporate jobs in the troubled valley.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/353944/Centre-unveils-job-plan-for-JK-youth.html

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J&K Minister in centre of nepotism row

July 18, 2011

Two months after the daughter of Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Abdul Raheem Rather was selected for the post of lecturer, Department of Ophthalmology under Jammu’s Government Medical College, an RTI application and replies filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) have raised a fierce controversy in the State.

The three member interview board of the JKPSC comprising MM Bhat, KB Jandial and Prof Tejit Singh (expert) had cleared name of Dr Shagufta Raheem, for the post of lecturer, despite dissent note questioning credentials of an expert brought on record by one of the members of the interview board.

Official sources told The Pioneer, "Even the senior officers of the special branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had reportedly briefed Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah about the alleged foul play but no corrective action was taken at the right time to avoid favouritism".

After the declaration of the result by the JKPSC on April 15, 2011 an attempt was made to brush aside all the allegations of 'match fixing' against the senior National Conference Minister but now the aspirants who had appeared for the interview have once again started demanding justice and fresh inquiry from the Chief Minister.

Full report at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/353897/JK-Minister-in-centre-of-nepotism-row.html

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Father of admitted terrorist faces New York City trial

July 18, 2011

NEW YORK: While FBI agents grilled a Denver airport shuttle van driver named Najibullah Zazi about a chilling terror plot to attack New York City subways in the fall of 2009, Zazi's father courted some trouble of his own by agreeing to answer a couple of innocent-sounding questions about his family and acquaintances.

The son, one of the city's most notorious terrorism suspects since the Sept 11 attacks, has since largely disappeared from the headlines after pleading guilty last year. But the father, though a far lesser player, is still feeling the full brunt of a federal probe that has shredded the fabric of a working-class clan of Afghan immigrants.

Mohammed Wali Zazi is set to go on trial tomorrow in federal court in Brooklyn on charges he obstructed justice by lying to investigators and by tampering with and destroying evidence to cover up his son's foiled scheme to spread terror and death beneath the streets of New York. The former New York City taxi driver denies the allegations.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Father-of-admitted-terrorist-faces-New-York-City-trial/articleshow/9264952.cms?prtpage=1

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Pak, US top guns help mend ties

July 18, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Military leaders of Pakistan and the US have held a flurry of meetings over the past week aimed at easing tensions in bilateral ties, with the Foreign Office saying that Islamabad is trying to convert "strategic convergence" into gains for both countries.

The outgoing commander of US forces in Afghanistan, Gen David Petraeus, and his successor-to-be, Lt Gen John Allen, met Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Thursday.

This was preceded by US central command chief Gen James Mattis' visit to Islamabad and ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha's trip to Washington.

Reports have indicated that the two sides held discussions on easing tensions that reached a new high after the covert US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad on May 2.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-US-top-guns-help-mend-ties/articleshow/9264450.cms

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From Nato to Afghan forces: Security handover starts

July 18, 2011

KABUL: Afghanistan began the long-publicized transition to control of its own security amid secrecy, on Sunday, a reminder of how volatile the country is even as Nato troop drawdowns get under way.

Ministers flew to central Bamiyan province, one of the most peaceful places in Afghanistan, for a ceremony that was not announced in advance, did not run live on any TV channel and to which only a small number of media outlets were invited.

Nato will hand security over to the Afghan police and army in a gradual process due to be completed by the end of 2014, paving the way for most foreign troops to return home.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/From-Nato-to-Afghan-forces-Security-handover-starts/articleshow/9264390.cms

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Adviser to Karzai murdered

July 18, 2011

KABUL: A senior adviser to Afghan President Hamid Karzai was murdered at his home near the parliament in Kabul, a senior government official said late on Sunday night.

Jan Mohammad Khan, former governor of southern Uruzgan province and a key ally of the embattled president, was killed in an attack.

The killing comes less than a week after the president's half-brother Ahmed Wali Karzai was assassinated by a close friend at his home in the southern province of Kandahar, birthplace of the Taliban. "He (Khan) was very close to Karzai. He was as important as AWK (Ahmed Wali Karzai)," said a senior official. Like Karzai, Khan hailed from a powerful family from the Popalzai tribe in Afghanistan's restive south.

According to sources, Khan's nephew runs a 3,000-strong militia in Uruzgan. His death will further inflame the volatile politics of the southern region, where the Taliban are battling US-led troops for control of the area.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Adviser-to-Karzai-murdered/articleshow/9264353.cms

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Yemen army, tribes in offensive to retake Zinjibar

July 18, 2011

ADEN: Yemeni forces backed by armed tribesmen launched an offensive to retake Zinjibar, capital of southern Abyan province, officials said on Sunday, after months of fighting with militants who seized the capital and another city.

Dozens have been killed and some 54,000 civilians have fled Abyan, which has descended into daily bloodshed as the army faces a rising challenge from militants the government says have ties to al Qaeda.

After weeks of pleas for support from a besieged military brigade near Zinjibar, the government sent the first reinforcements on Saturday, aiming to flush militants out of the seaside city. Zinjibar lies east of the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, where some 3 million barrels of oil pass daily.

Full report at:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\18\story_18-7-2011_pg7_7

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Israel defence officials want Turkey ties repaired

July 18, 2011

JERUSALEM: Israel’s defence establishment wants to see ties with Turkey repaired, even supporting an apology to Ankara for a bloody 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Israel’s Haaretz daily reported Sunday. Relations between the former allies have been in tatters since the military operation, in which nine Turkish activists were killed when Israeli commandos raided a flotilla trying to breach a blockade on the Gaza Strip. Ankara has demanded an official apology from Israel for the killings, but Israel has so far refused, in part fearing that such an apology could open the way for commandos who took part in the raid to be prosecuted. But Haaretz reported on Sunday that defence and justice ministry officials have in recent weeks suggested that Israel could in fact head off potential lawsuits by Turkish human rights organisations by offering an apology. Israeli lawmakers, including Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, have said publicly that the Jewish state will not apologise for the raid, warning that expressing any such sentiment would be humiliating. But Israeli officials also acknowledge that upgrading relations with Ankara is a high diplomatic priority and that the Jewish state would benefit from a return to the once-warm ties the countries had. afp

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\07\18\story_18-7-2011_pg4_6

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/deoband-denies-links-with-tahreek/d/5053