Age Islam News Bureau
5 Dec 2012
India
• Gujarat Riot Victims Won't Get Justice under Modi: Wife Of Killed MP In US Capitol
• DySP, Amin was there when cops burnt Kausarbi body: CBI
• Dusts off Sachar report to woo Muslims
• Want to visit Pakistan, but time not right, Manmohan says
• India warns Maldives of “adverse consequences” for ties
• New visa agreement to operationalise during Pak Interior Minister's Delhi visit
• India, Bangla to ink extradition treaty in Jan
• No decision on Afzal Guru’s mercy plea: H M
• India urges Israel to speed up defence projects
• Rehman Malik to celebrate birthday at Taj Mahal - courtesy Indian govt
• Have sought Centre permission to export perishable goods to Pakistan: Sukhbir
Arab World
• Charity Society Adopts 537 Begging Children from Arab Countries, Africa and Asia, In Jeddah
• 30 killed in mortar attack on Damascus school, says Syrian state media
• Egypt crisis: Morsi opponents vow to continue protests
• Egyptian Constituent Assembly: 'We've met 90 pct of journalists' demands'
• Egypt's online media shows solidarity with newspaper strike
• Saudi Government to pay greater attention on kindergartens
• Doha talks enter critical phase
• Pro-Syrian regime journalist assassinated
• Egypt's Mursi Back at Palace after Night of Protests
• Egypt slips in corruption index despite Arab Spring: Transparency International
Mideast Asia
• Palestinians tell UN: Rein in Tel Aviv
• India ‘greatest show of co-existence’: Israeli president
• Israel PM heads to Berlin as settlement row grows
• Iranian Nuclear Bomb Would Trigger Arms Race: Iran Ex-Official
• Iran claims it extracted data from US spy drone
North America
• US to fulfil Pakistan’s urgent defence needs
• US weighing military options if Syria uses chemical weapons
• American Muslims to Ask GOP to Reassess Relationship
• Ex-Aide to Bin Laden, Vital Witness for U.S., Seeks Sentence
• Panel Seeks Accountability after Benghazi Attacks
• U.S. Navy Denies Iran’s Claim to Have Captured Drone
• US faces fraught options on Syria's chemical arsenal
• US Tells Allies to Make Good on Afghan Pledges
Pakistan
• Pak military intelligence 'gathering information on journalists'
• ‘Terror infrastructure in Pakistan, PoK still intact’
• Suicide blasts kill three army men in Pakistan
• Prayer leader killed in Karachi
• Targeting terrorism: Only 4% of terror suspects convicted
• Khar, Kayani in Brussels: Pakistan wins praise, but is it enough?
• Hindus may plan migration if builder not punished: Pakistan Hindu Council
• Pak claims demolished temple 'did not exist'
• Banking on history, British brands thrive in Pakistan
• Police arrest two alleged Lej militants in Karachi
• Pakistan, Iran to cooperate against human trafficking
• Zardari will not lead election campaign: PPP Sr. Leader
Africa
• Somali Islamist Militants Kill at Least 11 Soldiers
• Nigeria's Islamist Extremists Grow More Dangerous
• Mali crisis: Tuareg rebels in talks with government
• Tunis Islamists 'attack unionists with knives'
Europe
• Serbia's NATO envoy 'commits suicide'
• UN cuts food rations to Syrians over cash shortage
• UN makes urgent call for Yemen dialogue
• Russian warships made call in Syrian port: reports
South Asia
• Maldives identifies “first” child HIV infection
• Bangladesh: Jamaat shutdown marked by arson, violence
• As GMR deadline nears, Waheed regime on the back-foot
• Bangladesh F M hopes war crimes trials' end this month
• In Afghanistan, Humour Finds Its Way in Lost Translation
• Afghan refugees: As deadline lingers, govt clueless over repatriation strategy
• 18 Rohingyas sent back to Myanmar
• Afrasheem’s murder was well planned, claims Police Commissioner
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia Failing to Improve Rights, Think Tank
• OIC, PMI to launch humanitarian mission for Rohingya, Rakhines refugees
• Malaysian monarch visits RI, meets President, talks culture
Australia
• Aussie Muslims Campaign for Women Rights
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Charity Society Adopts 537 Begging Children from Arab Countries, Africa and Asia, In Jeddah
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/gujarat-riot-victims-get-justice/d/9543
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India
Gujarat Riot Victims Won't Get Justice under Modi: Wife Of Killed MP In US Capitol
Dec 05 2012
Washington: Victims of the Gujarat riots will not get any justice if Narendra Modi becomes India's Prime Minister, the wife of a former MP killed by a violent mob in Ahmadabad a decade ago told US lawmakers, urging the Obama administration to continue denying visa to the Chief Minister.
"If he (Modi) succeeds in becoming the Prime Minister, my hopes for justice, along with the hopes of hundreds of thousands of Gujarat victims will be lost. I hope and pray that never happens," Zakia Jafri, wife of the former MP, Ahsan Jafri, said at the Capitol Hill yesterday.
"Your denial to change his (Modi's) persona non grata status is very vital to keep my hopes alive," Jafri said in her statement which was read out by her son-in-law Najid Hussain, while she was standing by his side.
Speaking on behalf of the Gujarat riot victims, Zakia and her daughter Nishrin Hussain urged both the US lawmakers and the Obama Administration not to grant Modi a US visa.
"I know in my heart, Chief Minister Narendra Modi is responsible for the killing of my husband. I know when my husband asked for help he was told, 'Jafri you are on your own. Save yourself if you can'," she said.
"I also know Indian justice system may be slow, but it is robust. Had Chief Minister Modi resigned, or was removed from the office... the wheels of justice would have moved freely and swiftly.
"But instead of leaving the office, he doubled up on his grip on power and has done everything to obstruct and deny justice to the victims like myself," Jafri alleged.
Recounting the tragic hours of the day when her father was killed by the violent mob, Nishrin Hussain, who now is a US citizen, said, "I applaud the initiative of the Congresspersons in ensuring that the ban on Mr Modi's visa continues to stay in place."
"Maintaining the longstanding US policy on Narendra Modi's visa is important for the ongoing struggle for justice in Gujarat," she said.
Speaking on behalf of Coalition Against Genocide, Hyder Khan, said the recent conviction of a sitting member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, Mayaben Kodnani and indictment of Gujarat Minister Amit Shah, is actually a damning indictment of the Modi administration.
"Barring a handful of convictions, the hundreds of perpetrators who roamed the streets of Gujarat in February and March of 2002, killing, raping and destroying property continue to evade the law," Khan alleged.
Shaik Ubaid, one of the founders of the coalition said, "The revocation of Modi's visa by the US is the biggest impediment in Modi's grandiose plans for himself including becoming the prime minister of India".
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gujarat-riot-victims-wont-get-justice-under-naren.../1040748/
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DySP, Amin was there when cops burnt Kausarbi body: CBI
Dec 05 2012
Mumbai : CBI told Bombay High Court (HC), hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, on Tuesday that deputy superintendent of police (DySP) Narendra Amin was present when the body of Kausarbi was allegedly burnt by police.
The agency said Sohrabuddin and wife Kausarbi were picked up by Gujarat Police from a bus while they were travelling from Hyderabad to Sangli on November 23, 2005.
Sohrabuddin was allegedly shot three days later. Subsequently, Kausarbi was also killed and her mortal remains burnt.
Justice Abhay Thipsay, hearing Amin’s bail plea, had asked CBI to explain the exact role attributed to the police officer. But its counsel H Venegavkar said the precise manner of Kausarbi’s death was “not clear at present”.
Justice Thipsay also asked if there was proof that Amin was involved in the killing.
Senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani, representing Amin, said the police officer had been in custody for four years and 11 months.
DySP M L Parmar and inspector Balkrishna Prasad have also sought bail.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/amin-was-there-when-cops-burnt-kausarbi-body-cbi/1040704/
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Dusts off Sachar report to woo Muslims
Syed Khalique Ahmed
Dec 05 2012
Ahmedabad : A day after BJP promised modernisation of “madrasas” or Muslim religious seminaries in its poll manifesto, the Congress on Tuesday promised the implementation of “Sachar Committee’s recommendations”.
The Congress’s 39-page election manifesto promises “to provide government grants to all such schools and colleges for minorities, including technical and engineering institutes, that are run by organisations without charging any educational or hostel fee for the last five years”.
Aiming to win over minorities, the manifesto states, “The process to procure scholarship for minority community students will be made easy and they will be given sufficient educational loans or scholarships for higher studies.”
“Minority community students studying in technical fields like information technology, mechanical and civil engineering, MBA, MCA or even non-technical fields will be given 100 per cent scholarship for their studies,” it adds.
The party has also promised to set up a Gujarat State Minority Educational Institute Commission to monitor the overall functioning of schools for the minority community.
The party has also promised to set up a State Minority Commission in Gujarat, which never had one.
It has also promised a Gujarat State Financial Development Corporation, which will have more powers than the existing State Minority Financial Development Board.
However, not all Muslims were impressed with the Congress promise to implement Sachar Committee’s recommendations. “Why the Congress is not implementing it at the Centre and in the Congress-ruled state?” asks city-based businessman Zafar Sareshwala. “Charity must begin at home,” he says.
The Sachar panel report, which is of the nature of a diagnostic report about the conditions of Muslims in the country, was submitted to the central government in 2007.
President of Majlis Tahaffuz-e-Madaris (Association for Protection of Madrasas) Mufti Ahmed Devlavi says, “BJP must elaborate what it means by ‘modernisation’ of madrasas? If they mean offering facilities for teaching modern subjects like English, Gujarati, Hindi, mathematics, science, computer science and technical subjects, we are all having it in almost all madrasas in the state.”
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/...dusts-off-sachar-report-to-woo-muslims/1040728/
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Want to visit Pakistan, but time not right, Manmohan says
Dec 5, 2012
NEW DELHI: PM Manmohan Singh wrote to President Asif Ali Zardari last month saying that while he still wanted to visit Pakistan, this was not the right time to embark on it.
Highly placed government sources told TOI that Singh wrote to Zardari in response to the latter's letter inviting him to visit Pakistan on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 28.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Want-to-visit-Pakistan-but-time-not-right-Manmohan-says/articleshow/17484303.cms
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India warns Maldives of “adverse consequences” for ties
SANDEEP DIKSHIT
Dec 05 2012
India has warned the Maldives that cancelling the GMR Group’s Male airport project before the legal processes have been exhausted will have “adverse consequences” for bilateral ties.
Asking the Maldives not to take any “arbitrary or coercive measure,” the Indian response followed Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdul Samad Abdullah’s expression of inability to revisit the GMR project, in a telephonic talk with his Indian counterpart, Salman Khurshid.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-warns-maldives-of-adverse-consequences-for-ties/article4164824.ece
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New visa agreement to operationalise during Pak Interior Minister's Delhi visit
Dec 4, 2012
NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan will operationalise new 'liberalized' visa agreement between the two countries during the visit of Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik to New Delhi on December 11-13.
Both the sides had signed it in Islamabad in September, seeking to facilitate more people-to-people contact and trade. Indian home minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday formally invited his Pakistani counterpart for the visit. Islamabad is learnt to have confirmed the three-day visit of Malik who would also like to visit Agra to see Taj Mahal on December 12 which happens to be his birthday. "I have sent the invite (to Malik) through diplomatic channel.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-and-Pakistan-to-operationalise-new-visa-agreement-during-Rehman-Maliks-Delhi-visit/articleshow/17482665.cms
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India, Bangla to ink extradition treaty in Jan
Dec 05 2012
New Delhi : India and Bangladesh on Tuesday agreed to sign extradition treaty in January next year which is likely to facilitate the handing over of top ULFA leader Anup Chetia, presently lodged in a Bangladesh prison.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde met his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir where the two leaders agreed to finalise the extradition treaty, which is “under consideration by both governments”.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-bangla-to-ink-extradition-treaty-in-jan/1040475/
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No decision on Afzal Guru’s mercy plea: Shinde
Dec 5, 2012
NEW DELHI: Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Tuesday said his ministry had not yet taken any decision on the mercy petition of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru.
"So far, the file (Guru's) is with the home ministry. It has not come to me yet. So far, I have seen only one file of mercy petition and that was of (26/11 terrorist) Ajmal Kasab," he told reporters.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-decision-on-Afzal-Gurus-mercy-plea-Shinde/articleshow/17486588.cms
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India urges Israel to speed up defence projects
Dec 5, 2012
NEW DELHI: India has asked Israel to speed up crucial bilateral defence projects, including the around Rs 13,000 crore development of two advanced surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems to arm Indian armed forces against hostile aircraft, drones and helicopters.
This came at the 10th joint working group on defence cooperation here, co-chaired by defence secretary Shashikant Sharma and Israeli defence ministry director-general Major-General Ehud Shani.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-urges-Israel-to-speed-up-defence-projects/articleshow/17486604.cms
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Rehman Malik to celebrate birthday at Taj Mahal - courtesy Indian govt
December 5, 2012
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is not going to visit Pakistan just yet but India will have a significant Pakistani visitor on a significant day – Interior Minister Rehman Malik – whose birthday will see a grand celebration sponsored by the Government of India.
Singh wrote to President Asif Ali Zardari saying although he would like to visit Pakistan, the timing was not conducive just yet. This puts paid to the expectation that the visit might happen during this tenure of the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/475501/rehman-malik-to-celebrate-birthday-at-taj-mahal-courtesy-indian-govt/
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Have sought Centre permission to export perishable goods to Pakistan: Sukhbir
Dec 05 2012
Chandigarh : Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday said the Punjab Government has requested the Union Commerce Ministry to allow the export of perishable goods to Pakistan and other countries through the Wagah border. Sukhbir added that the move will increase their shelf-life and put Punjab products at par with international ones.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/have-sought-centre-permission-to-export-perishable-goods-to-pakistan-.../1040621/
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Arab World
Charity Society Adopts 537 Begging Children from Arab Countries, Africa and Asia, In Jeddah
5 December 2012
The Al-Birr Charity Society in Jeddah adopted a total of 537 children who were previously street beggars and sent them to a shelter this year.
Most of the children found begging in Jeddah are foreigners. They are found in streets, public squares, mosque courtyards and souks.
The society organized a number of cultural, social and sports programs with the aim of rehabilitating the children to lead normal lives.
The children are eventually sent to their respective countries or handed over to their relatives in the Kingdom.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/charity-society-adopts-537-begging-children-jeddah
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30 killed in mortar attack on Damascus school, says Syrian state media
BARBARA SURK
04 DECEMBER 2012
A mortar hit a ninth-grade classroom in the Damascus suburbs today, killing 29 students and a teacher, according to state media, as the civil war closed in on President Bashar Assad's seat of power.
The state-run news agency SANA blamed the attack on terrorists, the term the regime uses for rebels who are fighting to topple the government.
An Education Ministry official, however, said 13 students and one teacher had been killed. The discrepancy could not be immediately reconciled.
Full report at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/30-killed-in-mortar-attack-on-damascus-school-says-syrian-state-media-8381994.html
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Egypt crisis: Morsi opponents vow to continue protests
5 December 2012
Opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi say they will continue their protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo.
Some have erected tents around the perimeter wall after Tuesday saw tens of thousands of demonstrators besiege the palace and clash with police.
They were protesting at a controversial draft constitution and President Morsi's decree granting himself wide-ranging new powers.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20605134
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Egyptian Constituent Assembly: 'We've met 90 pct of journalists' demands'
Secretary-general of Egypt's Constituent Assembly says banning imprisonment of journalists for press-related offenses would amount to 'discrimination in favour of particular professional class'
5 Dec 2012
The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate's demand to add an article to Egypt's draft constitution banning the imprisonment of journalists for press-related offenses would be considered "discrimination in favour of a particular professional class," Amr Darrag, secretary-general of Egypt's Constituent Assembly (which wrote the draft national charter), told reporters on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/59771/Egypt/Politics-/Constituent-Assembly-chief-Weve-met--pct-of-journa.aspx
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Egypt's online media shows solidarity with newspaper strike
News websites show support for press strike demanding protection of media freedom in Egypt
4 Dec 2012
Egypt's news websites have responded in a variety of ways to a media strike called for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Twelve Egyptian newspapers and five TV channels announced that they would go on strike for one day to object to the recently issued constitutional declaration and the draft constitution.
Newspapers announcing their participation did not publish a Tuesday edition. TV channels are expected to blacken their screens on Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/59759/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-online-media-shows-solidarity-with-newspape.aspx
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Saudi Government to pay greater attention on kindergartens
5 December 2012
Deputy Minister of Education for women Noura Al-Faiz said the ministry planned to pay greater attention to preschool education.
At the Shoura Council on Sunday Al-Faiz said women teachers are more skilled in teaching small children than men. She allayed the fears of some men about the consequences of women teaching small boys, Al-Madinah daily reported on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/government-pay-greater-attention-kindergartens
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Doha talks enter critical phase
MEENA MENON
Dec 05 2012
As the United Nations climate change conference enters the high level segment, with a ministerial round slated for Wednesday, negotiators are grappling with the impasse over issues of finance and the second period of commitment to the Kyoto Protocol from developed countries including the European Union (EU).
While Indian environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan may not be present to steer the country’s negotiations, like other countries of the G77 plus. China, India too is unhappy with the lack of commitment and silence from developed nations especially on the question of finances, intellectually property rights and technology transfer and equity.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/doha-talks-enter-critical-phase/article4164828.ece
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Pro-Syrian regime journalist assassinated
December 05, 2012
A Syrian journalist working for a government newspaper was killed in a south Damascus neighbourhood on Tuesday, state television announced.
"An armed terrorist group assassinated the journalist Naji Assaad in the Tadamun district of Damascus as he was on his way to the Tishreen newspaper," the broadcaster said.
A retired journalist in his sixties, Assaad contributed articles to Tishreen, the last of which was published on Monday, an official at the paper said.
The killing marked the second of a journalist in Tadamun in less than a fortnight. The neighbourhood has been plagued by intermittent battles between rebels and government forces since mid-summer.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/RestOfAsia/Pro-regime-journalist-assassinated/Article1-968494.aspx
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Egypt's Mursi Back at Palace After Night of Protests
December 5, 2012
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi returned to work in Cairo on Wednesday, although scores of protesters angered by his drive to push through a new constitution were still blocking one gate of the presidential palace.
The Islamist leader left the palace in the northern Cairo district of Heliopolis on Tuesday evening as tens of thousands of demonstrators surged around it, clashing briefly with police.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/05/world/middleeast/05reuters-egypt-politics.html?ref=middleeast&_r=0
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Egypt slips in corruption index despite Arab Spring: Transparency International
Dec 05 2012
Berlin : Egypt has slid in a global league table of perceived official corruption in the past year, and the "Arab Spring" revolutions have yet to produce serious anti-graft action across the region, Transparency International said on Wednesday.
In its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, the anti-graft organisation said Egypt had fallen six places to 118th out of 176 countries as levels of bribery, abuse of power and secret dealings remain high in the Arab world's most populous nation.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/egypt-slips-in-corruption-index-despite-arab-spring-transparency-international/1040788/
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Mideast Asia
Palestinians tell UN: Rein in Tel Aviv
5 December 2012
UNITED NATIONS: The Palestinians accused Israel in a letter to the United Nations of planning to commit further “war crimes” by expanding Jewish settlements after the Palestinians won de facto UN recognition of statehood and warned that Jerusalem must be held accountable.
In the letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council, the Palestinians said Israel was behaving “in a rogue, hostile and arrogant manner, contravening all principles and rules of international law and reacting with contempt to the will of the international community.” After the UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinians’ status at the world body on Thursday from “observer entity” to “non-member state,” Israel said on Friday it would build 3,000 more settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — areas Palestinians want for a future state, along with Gaza.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/palestinians-tell-un-rein-tel-aviv
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India ‘greatest show of co-existence’: Israeli president
Dec 05 2012
Describing it as the “greatest show of co-existence”, Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday said India can teach many countries of the world how to deal with delicate problems without compromising on freedom.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india--greatest-show-of-coexistence--israeli-president/1040470/
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Israel PM heads to Berlin as settlement row grows
5 December 2012
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due in Berlin on Wednesday for talks likely to focus on the growing crisis over settlement plans that could torpedo the viability of a Palestinian state.
Ahead of his departure on a trip that will take him briefly to Prague and then on to Berlin, Netanyahu brushed off the diplomatic pressure.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/israel-pm-heads-berlin-settlement-row-grows
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Iranian Nuclear Bomb Would Trigger Arms Race: Iran Ex-Official
December 5, 2012
VIENNA (Reuters) - A nuclear-armed Iran would cause a regional arms race and make Tehran more isolated and vulnerable, according to a former Iranian negotiator who argues that the Islamic state is not seeking to build nuclear bombs.
Israel and the United States suspect Iran is developing a nuclear arms capability and have not ruled out military action to prevent it from obtaining such weapons of mass destruction.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/05/world/middleeast/05reuters-nuclear-
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Iran claims it extracted data from US spy drone
12/05/2012
Tehran says ScanEagle drone was gathering military information; the US denies it lost a drone.
DUBAI - Iran has obtained data from a US intelligence drone that shows it was spying on the country's military sites and oil terminals, Iranian media reported its armed forces as saying on Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=294700
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North America
US to fulfil Pakistan’s urgent defence needs
5 December 2012
ISLAMABAD: The United States agreed on Tuesday to fulfil Pakistan’s urgent defence needs in the fight against terror.
“Recognising the enduring security requirements on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the two delegations agreed to cooperate on a prioritised set of Pakistan’s defence requirements,” a statement issued at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the Pakistan-US Defence Consultative Group said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/05/strategic-dialogue-resumes-after-18-month-break-us-to-fulfil-pakistans-urgent-defence-needs/
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US weighing military options if Syria uses chemical weapons
Dec 5, 2012
WASHINGTON: The White House and its allies are weighing military options to secure Syria's chemical and biological weapons, after US intelligence reports show the Syrian regime may be readying those weapons and may be desperate enough to use them, US officials said on Monday. President Barack Obama, in a speech at the National Defence University on Monday, pointedly warned Syrian President Bashar Assad not to use his arsenal.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-weighing-military-options-if-Syria-uses-chemical-weapons/articleshow/17484294.cms
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American Muslims to Ask GOP to Reassess Relationship
Coalition to announce full-page ad inviting better GOP-Muslim relations
12/4/12
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/4/12) -- On Wednesday, December 5, a coalition of American Muslim organizations will hold a noon news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to call on the Republican Party to reassess and improve its relationship with U.S. Muslims.
Full report at:
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Ex-Aide to Bin Laden, Vital Witness for U.S., Seeks Sentence
By BENJAMIN WEISER
5 December 2012
A former close aide to Osama bin Laden who became a crucial witness for the United States government after he defected from Al Qaeda more than 15 years ago has asked to be sentenced without further delay, an act that could breach his cooperation agreement with prosecutors.
The former aide, Jamal Ahmed al-Fadl, a Sudanese man who remains in hiding, fears that his six children will be sent back to Sudan, where bin Laden was once based, his lawyer, Ira D. London, recently told a judge in Federal District Court in Manhattan.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/nyregion/ex-bin-laden-aide-vital-witness-for-us-seeks-sentence.html?ref=world&gwh=AB8B7F5FF7AB6417E0C3B022E12036C2
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Panel Seeks Accountability After Benghazi Attacks
December 5, 2012
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After a car bomb struck the U.S. ambassador's residence in Lima in 1992, the State Department convened a special panel to answer the same questions now hovering over a review of the September attacks in Benghazi, Libya: How much security is enough? What is the right role for U.S. diplomats?
The Lima panel, known as an Accountability Review Board, issued a final report "that didn't find anybody had been delinquent," former U.S. Ambassador to Peru Anthony Quainton said. That report was never made public.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/05/world/05reuters-libya-usa-
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U.S. Navy Denies Iran’s Claim to Have Captured Drone
By THOMAS ERDBRINK
December 5, 2012
TEHRAN — The naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps have captured an American drone that Iran said entered its airspace over the Persian Gulf, state television reported Tuesday. The claim was quickly denied by the United States Navy and later by the Obama administration.
Iranian state news media said the aircraft was a ScanEagle built by Boeing, which, according to the company’s Web site, can be launched and operated from ships.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/world/middleeast/iran-says-it-seized-another-american-drone.html?ref=world
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US faces fraught options on Syria's chemical arsenal
US President Barack Obama warns Damascus of using chemical weapons against pro-democracy protesters and holds Al-Assad's regime accountable of the 'consequences'
5 Dec 2012
The United States could try to secure Syria's chemical arsenal by sending in special forces and staging bombing raids but any military action would be high-risk with a chance that weapons might fall into the wrong hands, experts and former officials said Tuesday.
As opposition forces steadily gain ground in Syria, Washington and its allies worry that President Bashar al-Assad's regime may turn to chemical weapons in desperation or that extremists may get hold of artillery rounds filled with sarin or mustard gas.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/59786/World/Region/US-faces-fraught-options-on-Syrias-chemical-arsena.aspx
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US Tells Allies to Make Good on Afghan Pledges
December 5, 2012
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Obama administration pressed its European allies on Wednesday to follow through on their pledges to Afghanistan's security after most international troops withdraw in 2014, fearful of being left with the check in an era of austerity budgets and defense cutbacks.
Donors pledged $4.1 billion a year to support Afghan forces from 2015 to 2017 at a May summit in Chicago — firming up a key plank of the U.S. strategy to leave behind a secure Afghanistan after battling insurgents for more than a decade. But many governments have yet to come through with the cash.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/12/05/world/europe/ap-eu-NATO-
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Pakistan
Pak military intelligence 'gathering information on journalists'
Dec 05 2012
Islamabad : Pakistan's Military Intelligence has launched a nationwide drive to gather information on journalists and columnists, with operatives going door-to-door to ascertain details about their religion, passports and bank account numbers as part of a "verification process".
The intelligence operatives have approached journalists with a two-page form in Urdu to gather information on them, The News daily reported today.
The names of nearly 100 well-known media personalities, including women journalists who live on their own and a columnist who is a sitting member of Parliament, are on the list of persons on whom information is being gathered, the report said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-military-intelligence-gathering-information-o.../1040814/
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‘Terror infrastructure in Pakistan, PoK still intact’
Dec 05 2012
“Reports of 42 militant camps functioning there, with about 2,500 militants,” Mullappally tells LS
There are about 2,500 militants in various camps in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the intelligence and security agencies of the neighbouring country are actively supporting them in their infiltration bids into India.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/terror-infrastructure-in-pakistan-pok-still-intact/article4164823.ece
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Suicide blasts kill three armymen in Pakistan
Dec 05 2012
Intelligence officials say a pair of suicide bombers rammed their truck filled with explosives into the gate of an army camp in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border, killing three soldiers.
The officials say the attack Wednesday in Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan tribal area, also wounded eight soldiers. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to talk to the media.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/suicide-blasts-kill-three-armymen-in-pakistan/article4166511.ece
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Prayer leader killed in Karachi
December 5, 2012
KARACHI: A prayer leader was killed in the New Karachi area of the city, Express News reported on Wednesday.
Panic gripped the area soon after the killing.
While near Numaish Chowrangi, angered relatives and traders protested against a targeted killing in the city.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/475515/family-traders-protests-over-target-killing-in-karachi/
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Targeting terrorism: Only 4% of terror suspects convicted
December 5, 2012
PESHAWAR: Despite concrete evidence gathered against those involved in terrorist acts, conviction rates in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) hover at a measly 4%.
Accrued evidence include camera footage and confiscated suicide vests which could count as ‘ample proof’ in court, K-P Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said at the Officer’s Mess following the 153rd cabinet meeting of the K-P government on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/475313/targeting-terrorism-only-4-of-terror-suspects-convicted/
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Khar, Kayani in Brussels: Pakistan wins praise, but is it enough?
Shada Islam
5 December 2012
BRUSSELS: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s impressive and gruelling two-day effort to make friends and influence European and NATO policymakers has resulted in a wave of strong pro-Pakistan rhetoric from the likes of Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO secretary general.
But talk — although diplomats, including the very articulate Ms Rabbani, clearly thrive on it — is not enough.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/05/khar-kayani-in-brussels-pakistan-wins-praise-but-is-it-enough/
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Hindus may plan migration if builder not punished: Pakistan Hindu Council
Dec 5, 2012
AMRITSAR: Pakistan Hindu Council has expressed fears that many Hindus might plan migration from Pakistan if the government didn't take steps to assure religious freedom of the community there.
Reacting strongly to the recent demolition of a temple in Karachi, patron of Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Vankwani told TOI over the phone that, "If the government didn't take strict action against the builder, there was possibility of migration of Hindus from Pakistan," adding that the fate of other buildings owned by Hindus was also uncertain.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hindus-may-plan-migration-if-builder-not-punished-Pakistan-Hindu-Council/articleshow/17484999.cms
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Pak claims demolished temple 'did not exist'
Imtiaz Ahmad, Hindustan Times
December 05, 2012
A Hindu temple in Karachi's congested Soldier Bazar area was demolished by the country's military lands and cantonment department this week and now the department insists that the temple did not exist in the place the demolition was carried out.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/Pak-claims-demolished-temple-did-not-exist/Article1-968492.aspx
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Banking on history, British brands thrive in Pakistan
Samira Shackle
5 December 2012
Karachi’s Dolmen City Mall is a large, plush building that would not be out of place in Dubai. Heavily fortified with security guards, the interior is impressive, with its cavernous corridors and gleaming marble floor – a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the city’s other shopping areas.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/05/banking-on-history-british-brands-thrive-in-pakistan/
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Police arrest two alleged Lej militants in Karachi
5 December 2012
KARACHI: Apparently foiling a terrorist plan of a suicide attack on an Imambargah, police on Tuesday arrested two alleged militants belonging to banned Lashker-i-Jhangvi (LeJ) in Karachi, DawnNews reported.
According to police sources, Azizabad police resorted to counter-firing when suspects in a Highroof van refused to stop at a security check-point and opened fire on officials near the Karachi Academy in Azizabad.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/05/police-arrest-two-alleged-lej-militants-in-karachi/
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Pakistan, Iran to cooperate against human trafficking
5 December 2012
ISLAMABAD: An a delegation of Iranian parliament led by Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman, National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Majlis-i-Shura, met with Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday, DawnNews reported.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Mushahid Hussain Syed.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/05/pakistan-iran-to-cooperate-against-human-trafficking/
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Zardari will not lead election campaign: PPP Sr. Leader
December 5, 2012
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will not lead the election campaign nor become a part of it, said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Syed Khursheed Shah on Wednesday, Express News reported.
The PPP leader was speaking in Islamabad.
Shah also commended Zardari for his role as the president of Pakistan.
President Zardari has been tangled in a court case pertaining to him holding dual offices. A Lahore High Court bench had issued an order against the president holding a political office and conducting political activities in the presidency.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/475518/zardari-will-not-lead-election-campaign-khursheed-shah/
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Africa
Somali Islamist Militants Kill at Least 11 Soldiers
December 5, 2012
BOSASSO, Somalia (Reuters) - Somali Islamist militants have killed at least 11 soldiers in an attack on a military base in the semi-autonomous Puntland region, a regional minister and the rebels said on Wednesday.
The attack underscores concerns that security in the relatively peaceful region will worsen after a large number of al Shabaab rebels were squeezed out of their southern and central strongholds by African troops and moved north.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/05/world/africa/05reuters-somalia-conflict.html?ref=africa&_r=0
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Nigeria's Islamist Extremists Grow More Dangerous
December 5, 2012
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The radical Islamist sect in Nigeria known as Boko Haram is growing more violent with a record number of people killed this year as the government struggles to control the situation.
An Associated Press count shows more than 770 people have been killed in Boko Haram attacks this year. That makes 2012 the worst year of violence attributed to the group. Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/12/05/world/africa/ap-af-nigeria-violent-sect.html?ref=africa
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Mali crisis: Tuareg rebels in talks with government
5 December 2012
Government officials in Mali have held the first direct talks with rebel groups that seized the north of the country after a coup earlier this year.
The Burkina Faso meeting paves the way for more talks with Tuareg and Islamist rebels, as both have pledged to respect national unity and reject terrorism.
The West African regional group Ecowas had said it was ready to deploy 3,300 troops to reclaim rebel-held territory.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20604187
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Tunis Islamists 'attack unionists with knives'
5 December 2012
Tunisian pro-government supporters have clashed with unionists a week after protests over rising unemployment.
Islamists attacked members of the General Tunisian Workers' Union (UGTT) in the capital, Tunis, with knives and sticks, eyewitnesses told Reuters.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20591728
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Europe
Serbia's NATO envoy 'commits suicide'
Dec 5, 2012
BELGRADE: Serbia's ambassador to NATO committed suicide by jumping from a multi-storey car park at Brussels airport on Tuesday, local media reported.
Serbia's foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday that Branislav Milinkovic had "died tragically" in the Belgian capital but gave no further details.
NATO expressed regret at the news.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Serbias-NATO-envoy-commits-suicide/articleshow/17492517.cms
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UN cuts food rations to Syrians over cash shortage
December 05, 2012
The United Nations has had to cut food rations for hundreds of thousands of people in conflict-stricken Syria because of cash shortages, officials said.
The World Food Program would not give a size for the cuts but said more are possible if it does not get cash. It estimates it needs $20 million to keep operations going in December.
"We had to reduce the food rations since we upscaled our food assistance from 850,000 to reach 1.5 million people in September," said Abeer Etefa, a spokeswoman for the food agency, on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Americas/UN-cuts-food-rations-to-Syrians-over-cash-shortage/Article1-968554.aspx
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UN makes urgent call for Yemen dialogue
UN calls Yemeni political parties to initiate a national dialogue after the 2011 Gulf-brokered deal that ended President Al Abdullah Saleh's autocratic rule
5 Dec 2012
The United Nations made an urgent call Tuesday for Yemen's political parties to initiate a national dialogue, warning that its transition was under threat.
The UN-brokered power transition deal that eased president Ali Abdullah Saleh out of office a year ago after three decades in power and following protests calls for the national dialogue to produce a new constitution and electoral law.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/59804/World/Region/UN-makes-urgent-call-for-Yemen-dialogue.aspx
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Russian warships made call in Syrian port: reports
5 Dec 2012
Two Russian warships have made a rare call at Russia's controversial Mediterranean naval base in Syria to resupply and refuel, reports said on Wednesday.
The landing ships Novocherkassk and Saratov docked in the port of Tartus for several hours but their crews did not go ashore, the Interfax and ITAR-TASS news agencies reported.
"They loaded up on fuel and water and had minor repairs. No shore leave was planned for the crew," a source in the naval chief of staff told the Interfax news agency.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/59799/World/Region/Russian-warships-made-call-in-Syrian-port-reports.aspx
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South Asia
Maldives identifies “first” child HIV infection
By Neil Merrett | December 4th, 2012
Senior health figures have called on the government, NGOs and members of the private sector to help step up attempts to promote AIDS prevention in the country after authorities discovered that a two year-old child had tested HIV positive earlier this year.
While accepting that HIV infection rates remained relatively low in the Maldives, Minister of State for Health Lubna Zahir Hussain said that efforts needed to be increased across all sectors of society to tackle attitudes towards high-risk behaviours that allow the virus to be transmitted.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/society/authorities-urge-renewed-aids-prevention-efforts-as-maldives-identifies-first-child-hiv-infection-48246
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Jamaat shutdown marked by arson, violence
HAROON HABIB
Dec 05 2012
With support from its political ally, Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) and other Islamist groups, Jamaat-e-Islami enforced a nation-wide dawn-to-dusk hartal (shutdown) on Tuesday amid sporadic violence .
The hartal, aimed at mounting pressure on the Sheikh Hasina government to release their top brass currently on trial for war crime charges and to stop the war crimes trial, was also apparently intended to show the strength of the party which had violently opposed Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/jamaat-shutdown-marked-by-arson-violence/article4164718.ece
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As GMR deadline nears, Waheed regime on the back-foot
R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN
Dec 05 2012
Nasheed’s party successfully gets amendments to Parliamentary rules cleared to impeach the President
As the December 7 deadline that the Maldivian government set for throwing out the Male airport operator, the India-based multinational GMR, nears, two developments have forced the government on the back-foot : One, a piece of legislation that has been passed in the Majlis (Parliament), and two, the main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party’s reformed ways.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/as-gmr-deadline-nears-waheed-regime-on-the-backfoot/article4164826.ece
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Bangladesh F M hopes war crimes trials' end this month
5 December 2012
Finance Minister AMA Muhith has expressed hope that trial of the war criminals would be completed within December, although it has been late.
He was addressing as chief guest at the council of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust) unit of pro-AL student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=259981
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In Afghanistan, Humor Finds Its Way in Lost Translation
By EILEEN GUO
5 December 2012
Funny isn't an adjective often used to describe Afghanistan. Yet to many Afghans, the war and the foreigners waging it can present a surprising source of humor.
Afghans around the country tell anecdotes about encounters with NATO troops. The best of these are encapsulated, shared and sometimes aggrandized in the form of half-funny, half-sad tales told over warm chai or at picnics. Sometimes told with a laugh, sometimes told with a tone of bitterness, these stories tend to be about cultural mishaps and miscommunication that, 11 years after the start of the international intervention, still occur with alarming frequency.
Full report at:
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/in-afghanistan-humor-finds-its-way-in-lost-translation/?ref=world&gwh=FD3C4B71B9199B80EC96D582A4710EEF
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Afghan refugees: As deadline lingers, govt clueless over repatriation strategy
December 5, 2012
PESHAWAR: As the deadline for the repatriation of Afghan refugees nears, the government does not appear to have a clear strategy to deal with the mass exodus.
Pakistan had earlier announced December 31 as the last date to repatriate all individuals who fled Afghanistan to escape fighting between local warlords and foreign forces. However, little headway has been made on how exactly the government intends to send the hundreds of thousands of people back to their homeland by the end of the year.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/475305/afghan-refugees-as-deadline-lingers-govt-clueless-over-repatriation-strategy/
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18 Rohingyas sent back to Myanmar
5 December 2012
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) yesterday sent back 18 Rohingyas to Myanmar who were detained from different points of Ukhia upazila in Cox's Bazar.
BGB personnel held the Rohingyas from Bhalukhali, Ghumghum and Tambru of Naynkha Chari point early hours yesterday, said Lt Col Khalequazzaman, commanding officer of BGB 17 Battalion.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=259982
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Afrasheem’s murder was well planned, claims Police Commissioner
By Mohamed Naahee | December 4th, 2012
Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has claimed that the murder of MP for Ungoofaaru constituency Dr Afrasheem Ali was a well planned murder worth MVR 4 million (US$260,000).
In a press conference held on Tuesday to brief the media about the high profile murder case, Riyaz stated that the new revelations came made amidst several difficult challenges for police investigators.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/afrasheem%E2%80%99s-murder-was-well-planned-worth-mvr-4-million-claims-police-commissioner-48389
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Southeast Asia
Indonesia Failing to Improve Rights, Think Tank
Dessy Sagita | December 05, 2012
Indonesia has failed to make commendable progress in its human right records over the past year, despite repeated claims by the government that the record has improved, a leading think tank says.
In its 2012 Human Right Enforcement Performance Index released on Tuesday, the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace announced that Indonesia had made very little progress over the past year in the eight categories of human rights protection that it evaluated.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/setara-says-indonesia-failing-to-improve-rights/559930
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OIC, PMI to launch humanitarian mission for Rohingya, Rakhines refugees
December 04 2012
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) are in talks to jointly launch a humanitarian mission for refugees of the deadly conflict between the Rohingya and Rakhine ethnic groups in Myanmar.
OIC secretary-general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and PMI chairman usuf Kalla discussed the operation in a closed meeting at PMI headquarters on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/04/oic-pmi-launch-humanitarian-mission-rohingya-rakhines-refugees.html
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Malaysian monarch visits RI, meets President, talks culture
Bagus BT Saragih
December 05 2012
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has welcomed the Malaysian head of state, King Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, and his wife, Agong Haminah at a state ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.
“Your visit to Indonesia today is a repeat of your visit to this country dozens of years ago,” Yudhoyono said. “During this visit, I hope that your majesty and your delegation can help improve our friendly relations, cooperation and partnership between the two countries.”
Yudhoyono met the king, who holds the official title of Yang di-Pertuan Agong as Malaysia’s head of state, behind closed doors.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/05/malaysian-monarch-visits-ri-meets-president-talks-culture.html
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Australia
Aussie Muslims Campaign for Women Rights
03 December 2012
MELBOURNE – Resorting to Islamic teachings urging protection of women and children rights, Victoria Muslim men and women have organized a White Ribbon Day, reflecting Islam’s support for respectful family relationships.
“It’s important that conversations take place at the community level promoting counseling, psychological and spiritual, for both abusers and the abused,” Nadeem Hussain, the president of Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), told MuslimVillage.com on Monday, December 3.
The event was organized by the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), Youth Victoria, and sponsored by the Australian Multicultural Foundation.
Full report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/asia-pacific/460278-aussie-muslims-campaign-for-women-rights.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/gujarat-riot-victims-get-justice/d/9543