Gujarat Riots: Justice is Done
Kasab is a terrorist, he should be hanged: Pakistan Interior Minister
Pakistan, India herald 'new era' of dialogue
Muslim cleric calls for campaign against Right to Education Act
‘Concerned ‘Delhi is mum on Tehran
Guru Nanak birth anniversary: 8,000 Sikhs arrive in Pak to celebrate
US want killers of Hindus in Pak brought to justice
India 'mindful' of Pak sensitivities over Afghanistan: US
Libyan exile reveals party plan
Iran 'will respond with full force' to any military threat
Iran won't leave N-path: Ahmadinejad
Iran defiant on nuclear plan, warns Israel
Iran worked on nuclear bomb design: IAEA
Iran’s Khamenei warns US, Israel against attack
Blasts hit Egypt gas pipeline to Israel
US steps up pressure on Pakistan to take action in N Waziristan
Turkey: Quake kills 7, dozens trapped
Syrian forces kill 16 more civilians: Rights group
Clash kills six in Khyber agency: officials
Arabs urged to act as Syria death toll soars
My government has authority to revoke AFSPA: Omar Abdullah
27 Indian fishermen arrested by Pakistani authorities
Al-Qaeda's North Africa branch says, It got Gaddafi's weapons
'China-Pakistan military exercise not targeted at India'
McCaul unclear Zardari can make good on his pledge
Tunisia to extradite Libyan ex-PM
New attack on Egypt gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan
Syrian opposition rivals in Cairo scuffle
Cash shortage threatens Pakistan flood aid
Little hope seen of Taliban settlement before 2014
“Demonic Islam,” dominionism and Friday’s rally in Detroit
Nuke watchdog drops N- bomb on defiant Iran
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/gujarat-riots-justice-done/d/5875
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Gujarat Riots: Justice is done
By D. P. Bhattacharya in Gandhinagar
November 10, 2011
31 get life term for killing 33 innocent women and children in the Sadarpura area of Gujarat in 2002
THE SADARPURA massacre was one of the most barbaric incidents of the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The victims were bundled into a room, locked in, burnt with acid and electrocuted by a bloodthirsty mob.
On Wednesday, nine- and- a- half years later, justice was done when a special court awarded life sentences to 31 people for the carnage. Their victims had included an eight- month- old baby.
The convicts had killed 33 people — among them 20 women and children — on March 1, 2002 in the village located in Mehsana district.
This is the first conviction in a major riots case tried in Gujarat. Two other riots cases of 2002 which saw convictions are the Best Bakery case and the Bilkis Bano rape case. Both were tried outside Gujarat.
The verdict was welcomed by the survivors of the brutal attack like 21- year old Sheikh Dilawar, who lost his parents and a sister in the carnage. Sheikh Ghulam Ali too survived the attack but lost 13 members of his family. They said they were happy with the court verdict.
However, they said that they would have been happier had more accused were convicted.
The fast track court acquitted 42 other accused in
NINE- YEAR WAIT FOR JUSTICE ENDS
the case out of a total 73 against whom charges had been framed. The court also awarded Rs. 50,000 each for the victims. Of the 42 who were acquitted, 11 were acquitted due to lack of evidence and 31 were given the benefit of the doubt. However, they have been asked to deposit Rs 25,000 each with the court and not leave the country without the court’s permission.
In all 76 people had been arrested in the case. Of them two died during trial and the case against one of them is being tried in a juvenile court. Those convicted have been charged with murder, attempt to murder, arson and rioting. However, the court has dropped the charges of criminal conspiracy against them.
Almost all those who were convicted are landowners belonging to the Patel Community based in Sardarpura. The list includes the then sarpanch of Sardarpura, Tribhuvan Patel and another former sarpanch of the village.
“ This is significant from the aspect that here is a case where the farm labourers got their masters punished for the heinous manner in which they had pushed them in a room and got them electrocuted,” said former Gujarat director general of police ( DGP) R. B. Shreekumar Cedric Prakash, an Ahmedabad- based rights activist said, “ With the conviction of 31persons in the massacre of 33 at Sheikh Mohalla in Sardarpura during the Gujarat carnage of 2002, the wheels of truth and justice are surely , though slowly, moving in the right direction.
Whilst there were more than 70 accused, the conviction of such a large number in a communal violence incident in the country is unprecedented. Other cases now need to be expedited and the guilty, irrelevant of the office they hold should be convicted as soon as possible.” Social activist Teesta Setalvad pointed out that the accused were very influential and included even the sarpanch. She said while no clear link was established with the saffron brigade, there were indirect influences which resulted in the incident.
Meanwhile, defence lawyer H. M. Dhruv said that all those convicted were from Sardarpura village. “ While almost all of them were land owner farmers, one of them is a teacher,” Dhruv said, adding that the victims were farm labourers. The defence had maintained that the accused were being falsely implicated and the real perpetrators of the heinous attack had come from other nearby villages.
It was by all accounts a gruesome killing. The victims had taken shelter in a house in the Sheikh locality in the village when a baying mob forced them into one room, locked it from outside and threw acid into it.
As if this was not cruel enough, they later pushed an iron road connected with a live wire into the room, which electrocuted the hapless victims. Twentyeight bodies were found inside the room. Five victims died later in hospital.
The survivors of the carnage maintain that there were two policemen in the village when the trouble had started, but the duo ran away to the other end of the village on the pretext of saving some shops. They misinformed their superiors on the ground situation, resulting in a delayed response.
Even as the convictions and the award of life sentence brought a sense of justice, there were signs that there was still some distance to go for the survivors and the families of the victims. They alleged that the witnesses in the case were “ under tremendous pressure” during the trial. But they declined to identify those who were pressuring them.
On Wednesday, while the families of the accused were present in the court premises, the victims chose to stay away – apparently because they have not yet been able to overcome their fear.
Former Gujarat DGP Shreekumar said that the special investigation team ( SIT) had probed the case according to the roadmap laid out by the Gujarat police. This explained why the list of convicts did not have senior functionary of the Sangh Parivar.
“ The acquittal of people for insufficient evidence means that there are evidences against them but not enough for conviction,” he said.
Shreekumar came down very heavily on the SIT. He said it was appointed to look at the lacuna in Gujarat Police’s probe into the incident but had failed to book any government functionary for the criminal conspiracy behind the massacre.
Number of convicts who were given life imprisonment in the case
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=10112011
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Kasab is a terrorist, he should be hanged: Pakistan Interior Minister
November 10, 2011
Demanding death for "terrorist" Ajmal Kasab, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Thursday said the proposed visit of a Judicial Commission to India will help quicken the trial of the 26/11 accused in his country.
"Kasab is a terrorist. He is a non-state actor. He should go to gallows," Malik told Indian journalists in Addu as Prime Ministers of the two countries were meeting to review bilateral ties.
Malik said that Pakistan Government was awaiting a visit of the Judicial Commission to India and get some evidence that will help in prosecuting the accused in his country if we have "credible evidence."
"Once that Commission will go to India, its findings are important for the judicial process in Pakistan. When the findings are there, they will be covering all the legal sides. Then there will be some judicially-satisfactory statement," he said.
Asked how long the Judicial Commission would stay in India, Malik said it would be there for three-four days as long as "you can accept them as guest."
To a question on when the trial would complete, the Minister said as soon as the report comes, the process will begin "but it is too early to say how long it would go on."
Asked about Pakistan removing Jamat-ud-Dawa from the terror list, Malik said, "Information is not evidence and there is need for concrete legal evidence for keeping them in the terror list".
On the release of JuD founder Hafiz Saeed, he said, "He was bailed out by the highest court of Pakistan and the government can't do anything about it".
He reiterated Pakistan's stand that it was not aware of Osama bin Laden's presence in the country. He said bin Laden was trained by intelligence agencies like CIA and ISI and he knew how to hide.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/767145.aspx
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Pakistan, India herald 'new era' of dialogue
November 10, 2011
Giving a push for normalisation of Indo-Pak ties, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday wanted the liberalised visa regime being negotiated to be put in place at the earliest.
During the one-on-one meeting which lasted for about an hour on the sidelines of the SAARC summit, Singh also told Gilani that it is imperative to bring to justice perpetrators of the November 2008 terror attack on Mumbai.
Singh said the two sides were happy with the progress made so far in bilateral relations and noted that the era of accusation and counter accusation should be left behind.
"We are happy with the progress made so far," Singh told reporters in a brief interaction. Sharing the Indian Prime Minister's sentiments, Gilani said, "We had very good meeting. We are moving in a positive direction ahead."
The prime ministers of India and Pakistan Thursday hoped that the next round of bilateral talks would be more productive and agreed to write a new chapter in the history of the relations between the two countries.
After the Singh-Gilani parleys, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told reporters that the two Prime Ministers were of the view that the liberalised visa regime which is being negotiated by the two neighbouring countries should be put in place at the earliest.
The two Prime Ministers met in a beach cottage at Shangrilla resort on the fringes of Indian Ocean and discussed a whole range of issues, including the need for Islamabad to take action against the 26/11 perpetrators and build on the recent Pakistani decision to grant the MFN status to India.
They are meeting for the second time this year after their discussions on the margins of the Indo-Pak encounter in the Cricket World Cup match in Mohali and third time in 18 months after their talks on the sidelines of the previous SAARC summit in Bhutan last year.
Singh says the next round of talks should be "far more productive and bring the two countries closer to each other than ever before."
"I have always regarded Prime Minister Gilani as a man of peace," Singh said showering praise on his Pakistani counterpart. Gilani said all bilateral core issues including Kashmir, Sir Creek and Trade were discussed.
Taking the Thimphu engagement forward, the meeting came a week after Pakistan took a path-breaking decision to confer MFN status to India 16 years after it got a similar treatment from New Delhi and the return of the Indian Air Force's helicopter which had strayed into Pak-occupied Kashmir(PoK) across the LoC last month.
"We started a new process in Thimphu last year. That dialogue has made some positive results but more needs to be done. Therefore, we have decided to resume this dialogue with the expectation that all the issues that bedevilled the relationship will be discussed.
I am happy that Prime Minister Gilani endorses the view that we have an unique opportunity and therefore the next round of talks should be far more far more productive far more result oriented in bringing the two countries closer to each other than even before," Singh said.
Gilani thanked Singh for supporting Pakistan at the UN Security Council for a non-permanent seat. Before the meeting, the two prime ministers shook hands
and posed for photos. When the photographers pressed for a hand shake again Gilani responded "once more" and the two leaders shook again for the shutterbox.
This was followed by a brief delegation level talks after which the two leaders met separately. Trade and terror was among other issues which was on the agenda.
The delegation members included External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai.
From the Pakistani side, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and Interior Minister Rehman Malik were among those present.
On the eve of the Singh-Gilani parleys, Krishna met Khar at least thrice yesterday. Krishna said there was "shrinking" trust deficit
between the two countries though he asked Pakistan not to allow terrorism from its soil. Khar reciprocated by saying that her country's soil would not be allowed to carry out terror attacks.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/767152.aspx
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Muslim cleric calls for campaign against Right to Education Act
3 November 2011
By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: A Lucknow based Muslim cleric, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firhangi Mahali has appealed from the Muslims across the country to respond to the calls of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to boycott and oppose the Right to Education Act (RTE). He regarded the RTE as a “threat to our madarsa education system.”
“Everyone should answer the call of all India Muslim Personal Law Board to oppose RTE Act which is threat to our madarsa education system,” Firhangi Mahali said while addressing in a felicitation ceremony organized by Sir Syed Foundation at in Lucknow on Wednesday. Maulana Farhangi Mahali and director of UP Jal Nigam, PK Bhukesh were felicitated on the occasion.
Without specifying any substantial reason, the cleric started counting the features of the RTE Act which he considered, will clash with the independence of Madarsa, “the government will introduce a syllabus and procedure for the appointment of teacher which everyone will have to follow. We cannot follow such policies in madarsa as we have our own syllabus as well as procedure for selection of teachers."
Firhangi Mahali claimed that the RTE Act would end the madarsa education system, which he regarded as the centre of religion and spirituality. So he said that if there are any misunderstandings among the people of the community then they should sort it out by holding talks with each other rather than fighting about the teaching of Islam.
Chancellor of Integral University, Maulana Saeedur Rehman Azmi highlighted the importance of education for the Muslim community and stated that everyone in the community should acquire knowledge as it’s the only key for the development of the community.
http://twocircles.net/2011nov03/muslim_cleric_calls_campaign_against_right_education_act.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
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‘Concerned ‘Delhi is mum on Tehran
Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury in New Delhi
November 10, 2011
THE WAR of words between Iran and the international community sharpened on Wednesday after the IAEA released its report alleging development of nuclear weapons by Tehran.
This has fuelled intense speculation over additional and tougher sanctions by the West and the US and has increased diplomatic pressure on the country to stop its nuclear programme.
Western powers such as France and UK have demanded unprecedented UNSC sanctions in case Iran continues its defiance and even China has called for Tehran’s sincerity in the wake of the report.
The UK, another UNSC permanent member, called for sanctions against Iran’s financial, oil and gas sectors.
But India, which has been pushing for closer ties with Tehran, refrained from any immediate reaction and decided to adopt a wait and watch policy. The Manmohan Singh government studying the IAEA report has expressed “ serious concerns” regarding possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme, official sources said. “ The government will firm up its position only after fully studying the report,” a source said It has been learnt that the IAEA is likely to bring a resolution against Iran’s nuclear programme based on its current report either by the end of the week or early next week. India would decide its stand on the IAEA resolution after it was framed, sources informed.
For Full Report :
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=10112011
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Guru Nanak birth anniversary: 8,000 Sikhs arrive in Pak to celebrate the occasion
Nov 10, 2011,
ISLAMABAD: About 8,000 Sikh pilgrims from various countries, including India, Afghanistan and Britain, have arrived in Pakistan to join celebrations marking the 543rd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
The three-day celebrations began at Nanaka Sahib, the birthplace of the founder of the Sikh religion, on Tuesday.
Among the 'yatris' or pilgrims are over 3,000 Sikhs from India who travelled across the border in three special trains.
The pilgrims will visit Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Panja Sahib at Hasanaadal, Dera Sahib and other holy sites.
For Full Report :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Guru-Nanak-birth-anniversary-8000-Sikhs-arrive-in-Pak-to-celebrate-the-occasion/articleshow/10677395.cms
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US want killers of Hindus in Pak brought to justice
Nov 10 2011,
Washington : The US today underlined the need to bring to justice those involved in gunning down three Hindus in Pakistan's southern Sindh province.
"We have seen the reports of these murders. We understand that an investigation is underway and we look forward to seeing the perpetrators brought to justice," the State Department said in a written statement.
Three Hindus, including a doctor, were killed near Shikarpur town in Sindh province on Monday.
Responding to questions about the killing of the three Hindus, the State Department slammed the targetting of religious, ethnic and other minorities.
"We condemn all violence directed at religious, ethnic and other minorities. We call attention to the issue of sectarian violence in the Human Rights Report and the International Religious Freedom Report, issued annually by the Department of State," the State Department said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/873774/
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India 'mindful' of Pak sensitivities over Afghanistan: US
Nov 10 2011,
Washington : The United States has said India has adopted a "very responsible" approach towards Afghanistan and stayed away from taking up a major role in training security forces of the war-torn country so as not to exacerbate Pakistan's concerns.
"I think India has actually been very careful, very mindful of the fact that Pakistan is sensitive to the types of assistance it provides to the Afghans," Michele Flournoy, US Under-Secretary of Defence for Policy, said.
"It has consciously chosen not to take a major role, for example, in the training and development of the security forces. They have a small police training programme for female police officers in India," she said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, according to a copy of the transcript provided by the Pentagon here.
But India really has chosen "to stay away from that effort in order not to exacerbate Pakistan's concerns," Flournoy said.
For Full Report :
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/873854/
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Libyan exile reveals party plan
Richard Spencer, Doha
November 11, 2011
LIBYA'S most senior Muslim figures are forming a new political party intending to rule the country on the ''moderate'' interpretation of Islamic law used in both Turkey and Tunisia.
The cleric seen as the figurehead of Libya's Islamist movement said a provisional manifesto had already won support from some of the country's most important political and religious leaders.
Ali al-Sallabi, who spent eight years in Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's most notorious prison, Abu Salim, denied reports that he would stand for president himself but confirmed his move into secular politics.
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He said the movement, given the provisional name of The National Gathering for Freedom, Justice and Development, supported basing Libya's constitution on sharia law, but that it would be moderate and pursue democratic politics on the model of similar parties in Turkey and Tunisia. ''This is not an Islamist party but a nationalist party,'' Dr Sallabi said. ''But its political agenda respects the general principles of Islam and Libyan culture.''
Until the revolution, Dr Sallabi had been living in exile in Qatar. He is closely associated with the controversial Doha-based cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, regarded as the spiritual leader of the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood movement.
For Full Report :
http://www.smh.com.au/world/libyan-exile-reveals-party-plan-20111110-1n9fx.html
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Iran 'will respond with full force' to any military threat
November 10, 2011
TEHRAN: Iran “will respond with full force” to any attack, or even any threat of military action, the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told students at a Tehran military college Thursday.
“The enemies, especially America and its stooges and the Zionist regime (Israel), should know that it is not Iran’s custom to invade any country or nation. But it will respond with full force to any aggression or even threats in a way that will demolish the aggressors from within,” he said, according to a statement on his official website.
Khamenei’s forceful language followed threats last week from Israel that air strikes could be in the offing against Iran’s nuclear sites. Israeli President Shimon Peres said last weekend that such action was becoming “more and more likely.”
Rhetoric between Iran and its two principal foes, Israel and the United States, has risen since the release Tuesday of a UN report saying there was “credible” evidence suggesting Iran’s atomic programme was being used to research putting nuclear warheads in ballistic missiles.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/289675/iran-will-respond-with-full-force-to-any-military-threat/?print=true
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Iran won't leave N-path: Ahmadinejad
Nov 10, 2011,
TEHRAN: Iran won't retreat "one iota" from its nuclear program, but the world is being misled by claims that it seeks atomic weapons, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday in his first reaction since a United Nations watchdog report that Tehran is on the brink of developing a warhead.
Ahmadinejad also strongly chided the UN International Atomic Energy Agency, saying it is discrediting itself by siding with "absurd" US accusations. "This nation won't retreat one iota from the path it is going," Ahmadinejad told thousands of people in Shahre-Kord in central Iran. "Why are you ruining the prestige of the (UN nuclear) agency for absurd US claims," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-wont-leave-N-path-Ahmadinejad/articleshow/10674754.cms
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Iran defiant on nuclear plan, warns Israel
November 10, 2011
Agence France-Presse . Tehran
Iran vowed Wednesday it ‘will not budge an iota’ from its nuclear path despite a new UN report hardening suspicions it is seeking atomic weapons, as an Iranian general warned Israel of ‘destruction’ if it launched an attack.
The words of defiance fell while the United States and its allies said they were looking at imposing more sanctions on Iran, and Tehran’s chief ally, China, urged the Islamic republic to cooperate with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency.
The IAEA report Tuesday said ‘credible’ evidence existed of Iran working towards making nuclear warheads to fit inside Shahab-3 medium-range missiles.
Iranian officials immediately characterised the report as ‘baseless’ and ‘politically motivated,’ and hewing to intelligence provided by Iran’s arch-foe the United States.
The president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told a crowd in western Iran Wednesday in a speech broadcast on state television: ‘We will not budge an iota from the path we are committed to.’
He reiterated that, contrary to the IAEA report, Iran’s nuclear programme was exclusively civilian and peaceful in nature, saying ‘we don’t need the atomic bomb.’
His deputy armed forces chief, Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, warned however that any sign of Israel carrying out threats to attack Iran’s nuclear sites ‘will see its destruction.’
Jazayeri said in an interview with Iran’s Arabic-language channel Al-Alam that the Israeli nuclear site of Dimona was ‘the most accessible’ target.
For Full Report :
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/39440.html
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Iran worked on nuclear bomb design: IAEA
Nov 9, 2011,
VIENNA: Iran appears to have worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be conducting secret research, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a report likely to raise tensions in the Middle East.
Citing what it called "credible" information from member states and elsewhere, the agency listed a series of activities applicable to developing nuclear weapons, such as high explosives testing and development of an atomic bomb trigger.
The report immediately exposed splits among the big powers about how best to handle the row over Iran's nuclear aims: the United States signalled tougher sanctions on Tehran but Russia said the report could hurt chances for diplomacy.
It was preceded by Israeli media speculation that the Jewish state may strike against its arch foe's nuclear sites. But Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday no decision had been made on embarking on a military operation.
For Full Report :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Iran-worked-on-nuclear-bomb-design-IAEA/articleshow/10668592.cms
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Iran’s Khamenei warns US, Israel against attack
10 November 2011,
“Our enemies, particularly the Zionist regime (Israel), America and its allies, should know that any kind of threat and attack will be firmly responded.
Our nation, the Revolutionary Guards and army will answer attacks with strong slaps and iron fists,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/10/irans-khamenei-warns-us-israel-against-attack.html
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Blasts hit Egypt gas pipeline to Israel
Nov 10 2011,
Cairo : An Egyptian pipeline sending gas to Israel and Jordan was hit by two explosions early on Thursday, Egypt's security services and the official news agency said.
A first blast occurred around 1:00 am (0430 IST) 40 kilometres west of the town of al-Arish in the north of the Sinai peninsula, a security source said.
A second unexplained explosion took place near a pumping station in the same sector, the official news agency MENA said, adding that the army was deploying in the region.
The pipeline, which carries gas through the Sinai and on to Jordan and Israel, had already been attacked six times since former president Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February.
Witnesses said they had seen armed men at the scene of the first blast, the security source said. He did not know if there had been any victims.
MENA, also quoting witnesses, said a blaze could be seen after the explosion.
Previous attacks have disrupted gas deliveries to both destination countries several times, but it was not immediately clear what impact the latest incidents would have. The most recent attack was on September 27 and left one person injured.
For Full Report :
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/873853/
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US steps up pressure on Pakistan to take action in N Waziristan
10 November 2011,
Keeping up pressure on Pakistan to strike at militant groups in North Waziristan, US has warned if Islamabad does not become a part of the solution, it could be branded as part of the problem.
Pointing out that a "sort of witches brew of militant groups" was sheltering in the rugged area, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Michele Flournoy said US is engaged in a very "candid and intensive" discussions with Pakistan about how they can together deal with some of these groups.
"Insurgency continues to benefit from sanctuaries and support inside Pakistan. This has contributed to rise of cross-border incidents and the security situation in Regional Command East remains tenuous as a result," Flournoy said.
For Full Report :
http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/10-Nov-2011/US-steps-up-pressure-on-Pakistan-to-take-action-in-N-Waziristan
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Turkey: Quake kills 7, dozens trapped
Nov 10, 2011,
ANKARA : Rescue workers have pulled out 23 survivors from the rubble of three buildings, collapsed by an earthquake in eastern Turkey, the country's disaster management authority said Thursday. At least seven were killed and dozens of others trapped.
Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said Wednesday's quake toppled 25 buildings in the city of Van but only three of them were occupied since the others have been evacuated after suffering damages in last month's powerful temblor.
Atalay said Thursday that the rescue work was now concentrating at the site of two collapsed hotels and one apartment building. The disaster management authority said 23 survivors were pulled out along with the bodies of seven people.
The magnitude-5.7 quake was a grim replay of the previous magnitude-7.2 earthquake that hit Oct. 23, killing more than 600 people.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Turkey-Quake-kills-7-dozens-trapped/articleshow/10676337.cms
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Syrian forces kill 16 more civilians: Rights group
Nov 10, 2011,
DAMASCUS: Syrian troops have killed 16 civilians, five of whom were attending a funeral in Damascus and were caught up in the regime's continuing crackdown on dissent, a human rights group said.
Starting at dawn, when the crackle of gunfire could be heard sustained for half an hour, the death toll steadily rose through the day.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday: "Six civilians were killed in the Damascus neighbourhood of Barzeh, five of whom were slain by security forces who fired on the funeral of a young man.
"Three other civilians perished under the bullet of the regime's forces at Inkhel, in the southern Daraa region, and seven protesters were wounded in the neighbouring locality of Jassem who were protesting against the repression," it added.
The continuing killing -- which on Tuesday resulted in another 20 bodies -- has increased international anger at Syria which only last week signed up to an Arab League peace plan that called for an end to violence.
For Full Report :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/worldarticlelist/articleshow/10677748.cms
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Clash kills six in Khyber agency: officials
10 November 2011,
The area close to the border with Afghanistan has been plagued by fighting between armed forces and militants tied to the Pakistani Taliban, and fresh fears of unrest caused more than 18,000 people to flee the district last month.
Four members of a local peace committee, or pro-government militia, and two militants were killed during an exchange of fire, senior local administration official Rehan Gul Khattak told AFP.
“Militants with Lashkar-e-Islam (Army of Islam) attacked a patrol of the local peace committee, which triggered a gunfight in Akakhel area,” he said, adding that the more than 30 militants escaped following the attack.
Local intelligence officials confirmed the incident and casualties.
Pakistan’s army has previously launched a series of offensives targeting the Lashkar-e-Islam, a Taliban-allied militant group waging a local insurgency.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/10/clash-kills-six-in-khyber-agency-officials.html
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Arabs urged to act as Syria death toll soars
November 10, 2011
Agence France-Presse . Damascus
The Arab League on Tuesday came under mounting pressure to act after Syria’s regime failed to implement its peace blueprint and tightened a bloody siege on the flashpoint city of Homs.
The United Nations said meanwhile that the regime’s repression has left more than 3,500 people dead since protests against the autocratic rule of the president Bashar al-Assad erupted in mid-March.
And in Brussels, diplomats said the EU is readying a freeze on European Investment Bank credits to Syria as it mulls more sanctions on Assad’s regime, with a decision expected at a meeting of foreign ministers next Monday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 20 people — eight soldiers and 12 civilians — were killed across the country on Tuesday alone, among them a girl who died in Homs, as soldiers pressed on a military campaign in the central industrial hub.
‘A civilian was killed during raids in the neighbourhood of Baba Amro,’ where soldiers were searching for people wanted by the regime’s security services, the Britain-based rights group said in a statement.
For Full Report :
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/39444.html
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My government has authority to revoke AFSPA: Omar Abdullah
Nov 10, 2011,
SRINAGAR: After his tough talk with the Army for withdrawing AFSPA from parts of Jammu and Kashmir, chief minister Omar Abdullah today said his government has the authority to revoke the controversial law and sought a 'workable' solution from the Army.
"I have the authority. The elected state government of any state has the authority. In this case (revocation of AFSPA), the authority rests with the governor who would act on the basis of the state government's recommendations," Omar said, renewing his bid for lifting the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Insisting that 'no' is not an option for him, the chief minister told reporters here that he had sought a "feasible and workable" solution from the Army at yesterday's Unified Command Headquarters (UHQ) meeting in Jammu.
Meanwhile, Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad strongly backed Omar Abdullah's call to lift the AFSPA from some parts of the state.
For Full Report :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/My-government-has-authority-to-revoke-AFSPA-says-Omar-Abdullah-Ghulam-Nabi-Azad-backs-him/articleshow/10681183.cms?prtpage=1
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27 Indian fishermen arrested by Pakistani authorities
Nov 10, 2011,
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have arrested 27 Indian fishermen on charges of fishing illegally in the country's waters, officials said on Thursday.
The Maritime Security Agency arrested the fishermen and seized five fishing boats on Monday, said a spokesman for the MSA.
Several Indian fishing boats entered Pakistan's Exclusive Economic Zone during the Eid holidays but a MSA vessel cleared the area and detained the five boats, he claimed.
The spokesman said the boats had intruded 40 to 50 nautical miles inside Pakistan's territorial waters.
The Indian fishermen were later handed over to the Docks Police in Karachi and an FIR was lodged against them.
"Well over 100 Indian fishermen have been arrested by the Pakistani maritime authorities during the current year," Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum president Muhammad Ali Shah said.
He said the two countries should forge an alternative method to check illegal fishing instead of arresting each other's fishermen.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/27-Indian-fishermen-arrested-by-Pakistani-authorities/articleshow/10677541.cms
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Al-Qaeda's North Africa branch says, It got Gaddafi's weapons
Nov 10 2011,
Nouakchott : Al-Qaeda's North Africa franchise acknowledged it had acquired part of slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's arsenal, in comments by one of its leaders quoted today.
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, believed to be one of the leaders of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), made the remarks to Mauritanian news agency ANI, which has carried interviews and statements from the group in the past.
"We have been one of the main beneficiaries of the revolutions in the Arab world," said Belmokhtar, an Algerian national.
"As for our acquisition of Libyan armament, that is an absolutely natural thing," he said, without elaborating on the nature of the weapons purportedly acquired.
Officials and experts have expressed concern that part of Gaddafi's considerable stock of weapons could end up in the hands of AQIM, which has bases in the Sahel and currently holds several foreign hostages.
According to several experts, AQIM has acquired surface-to-air missiles which could pose a threat to flights over the region.
For Full Report :
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/873814/
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'China-Pakistan military exercise not targeted at India'
November 9, 2011
BEIJING: The Chinese Ministry of National Defence on Wednesday dismissed media reports that the China and Pakistan joint military exercise was being conducted to exert pressure on India, and said that the anti-terror drill was not targeted at any third country.
According to the annual exchange plan between China and Pakistan’s militaries, the two armies will hold the ‘Friendship 2011′ joint anti-terror exercise near Islamabad.
The China Daily quoted the Information Office of the Ministry of National Defence saying, “this is the first joint drill of the two armies this year and is not targeted at any third nation. It is aimed at enhancing the capability of the two militaries to handle non-traditional security threats and launch joint anti-terror activities.”
The two-week long exercise will begin on November 16.
Fu Xiaoqiang, an expert on South Asian studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, rejected the report and accused the Indian media of basing such reports on “hearsay evidence.”
“They always wear blinkers to examine China’s cooperation with Pakistan. For example, we all know there are many Chinese experts and engineers in Pakistan working on large projects. It is the Indian media which linked that with security issues,” he said.
Premier Wen Jiabao, during his visit to India, had suggested that the Indian media stop overplaying security issues and make more positive efforts to improve bilateral relations.
The premier had said that, in recent years, there has been no conflict in the China-India border area, “but the border issue has been hyped as a rather serious problem.”
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McCaul unclear Zardari can make good on his pledge
November 10, 2011
ISLAMABAD: The head of the Homeland Security delegation, Michael McCaul, downplayed the significance of President Asif Ali Zardari’s remarks about “eradicating” the Haqqani network, saying it was unclear whether President Zardari had the power to make good on his pledge, given the influence of the military in Pakistan. “The president, on the record, said ‘I am going to work with you to eradicate them,’” McCaul said. He further quoted Zardari as saying: “I know these people very well, they are snakes and I’m going to go after all of them.” McCaul said he welcomed the president’s statement, but “the real question is how much does this president control the military” and the country’s spy service. McCaul said the American delegation asked to meet the Pakistani army and spy chiefs, but this was not possible. He said that US will continue to attach great importance to bilateral relations. agencies
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\10\story_10-11-2011_pg1_2
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Tunisia to extradite Libyan ex-PM
November 10, 2011
A Tunis appeals court on Tuesday approved a request by the new Libyan authorities for the extradition of their former Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, the court's clerk said.
The court "approved the extradition request" made by the new Libyan authorities for the extradition of Mahmudi, despite concerns expressed by rights groups and Mahmudi himself over his safety.
Mahmudi, 70, was prime minister until the final days of the Gaddafi regime. He was arrested on September 21 on Tunisia's southwestern border with Algeria.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=209567
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New attack on Egypt gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan
10 November 2011,
Two blasts took place near the Mazar area, some 30km (18 miles) west of the town of Al-Arish, near the Israeli border, Reuters reports.
The attackers used remote-controlled bombs, shutting the pipeline.
This is the sixth attack on the pipeline since the uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak.
A security source told Reuters that initial investigations suggested that improvised explosive devices were positioned under the pipeline and were detonated from a distance.
Two trucks and extended wires were found at the scene, he added.
The blasts are apparently carried out by groups opposed to the sale of Egyptian gas to Israel.
There have been allegations that under former President Mubarak, gas prices for a 20-year deal struck in 2008 were set artificially low.
Jordan depends on Egyptian gas to generate 80% of its electricity while Israel gets 40% of its natural gas from the country. Syria also imports gas from Egypt.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15670301
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Syrian opposition rivals in Cairo scuffle
10 November 2011,
The delegation from the Syrian National Coordination Committee was targeted because of its perceived moderate stance towards the Syrian regime.
It was intending to discuss the Arab League's plan to end bloodshed in Syria and begin dialogue.
Violence has continued in Syria since the government said it had agreed to the plan a week ago.
Activists say more than 100 people have died in the province of Homs alone.
On Wednesday, more than 20 people were killed in Homs, Daraa, Hama and elsewhere in Syria, according to the Local Coordinating Committees, an activist network.
Demonstrations were reported to have erupted in some places where the security forces have withdrawn, such as Kesweh and Hama.
Reports from inside Syria are hard to verify as the Syrian government has severely restricted access for foreign journalists.
'Insiders' and 'outsiders'
In the Egyptian capital, protesters in front of the headquarters of the Arab League carried banners reading: "The National Coordination Committee does not represent me."
Continue reading the main story.
For Full Report :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15661382
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Cash shortage threatens Pakistan flood aid
November 10, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Western aid agencies in Pakistan warned on Wednesday that they might have to halt flood relief efforts in the cash-strapped country because of funding shortfalls.
Floods in August hit Sindh province in the south, killing at least 430 people and disrupting the lives of nine million. Many people are still camping out in the open with little food, water or shelter.
Western aid agencies made an urgent appeal for $357 million in September, but only 23 percent of that has been secured.
If more cash doesn’t arrive soon, aid agencies such as Oxfam, Save the Children and Care may be forced to leave flood victims to fend for themselves.
Aid agencies fear flood victims could suffer from a major outbreak of dengue fever, malaria and acute respiratory infection.
“The sort of things that we’re really concerned about are those very basic humanitarian essentials like access to clean water and sanitation which over 60 percent of the affected population at the moment still don’t have access to,” said Oxfam’s Country Director in Pakistan, Neva Khan.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\10\story_10-11-2011_pg1_4
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Little hope seen of Taliban settlement before 2014
November 10, 2011
LONDON: When the Russians pulled out of Afghanistan in 1989, they left behind a government in Kabul which outlasted the Soviet Union, kept terrorists at bay, and collapsed only after the money ran out.
A similar scenario is taking shape again, only this time - Western countries hope - without the money running out.
Analysts say there is little prospect of a political settlement with Taliban terrorists by 2014, when the United States and its allies plan to pull out most combat troops.
Instead, the aim is to leave behind a government strong enough to escape the fate of its Soviet-era predecessor, which collapsed in 1992 in a bitter civil war, and whose president Mohammad Najibullah was eventually captured, tortured and executed by the Taliban when they overran Kabul in 1996.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\10\story_10-11-2011_pg1_7
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“Demonic Islam,” dominionism and Friday’s rally in Detroit
NOVEMBER 8, 2011
BY W. KIM HERON
Update: At noon on Wednesday, Nov. 9, a number of local faith leaders will gather at Grand Circus Park for a press conference countering Friday’s “The Call: Detroit” rally. According to a press release from the group, the speakers are to “announce an alternative event for people of faith to pray for Detroit in an inclusive, non-political way.
“Leaders from Detroit’s Christian and Muslim communities have expressed concern about ‘The Call: Detroit,’ whose leaders frequently demonize Islam and promote ‘dominionist’ theology, which advocates a takeover of government, media and business by conservative Christians.”
Announced for Wednesday’s press conference are Rev. Charles Williams II, Pastor, Historic King Solomon Baptist Church; Rev. D. Alexander Bullock, Pastor, Greater St. Matthews Baptist Church; Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellerman, Pastor, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church; and Imam Dawud Walid, Executive Director, CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), Michigan.
Back in August on this blog, we wrote about the Christian dominionismmovement and plans for a major rally in Detroit on 11-11-11 aimed at converting Muslims to Christianity and advancing the movement’s vision of what Christianity and America should be.
For Full Report :
http://blogs.metrotimes.com/index.php/2011/11/demonic-islam-dominionism-and-fridays-rally-in-detroit/
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Nuke watchdog drops N- bomb on defiant Iran
By Manoj Joshi in New Delhi
November 10, 2011
UN report says its activities point towards warhead on horizon N- bomb on defiant Iran
WAR clouds may not yet be over West Asia, but the winds are certainly blowing them that way. In its latest report on the Iranian nuclear programme, the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) has virtually said that Tehran is making a nuclear bomb. It has been stated in United Nations officialese, but its import could not be more obvious. Iran, the IAEA has charged, has carried out tests and experiments “ relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device”. As of now the US and France have declared that they will seek to enhance the already tough sanctions the UN Security Council has imposed on Iran. Russia, which along
with China, went along with two rounds of sanctions, has said it will not back more sanctions. This could have the paradoxical effect of pushing Israel into attacking the Iranian nuclear sites and dragging its close ally and mentor into a larger war in the region.
For Full Report :
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=10112011
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/gujarat-riots-justice-done/d/5875