HSC Urdu paper shocker: ‘Write about father’s death’
New Age Islam News Bureau
26
Feb 2013
India
• HSC Urdu paper shocker: ‘Write about father’s death’
• Indian Islamic scholars condemn killing of Shia Muslims in Pakistan
• Rs 1, 71,960 Cr As Credit Given To Minorities: How Much Of It To Muslims?
• Will neither reject nor endorse Narendra Modi: Maulana Mehmood Madani
• Why Muslims are always blamed for terror attacks, asks Abu Azmi
• ‘Hyderabad blasts a bid to whip up communal clashes’: sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs
• People who destabilise country have no religion, says Bombay high court
• BJP slams Katju's article on Narendra Modi in Pakistan daily
• NSA to meet Karzai in Kabul today
• Man passing defence information to Pakistan held in Rajasthan
• Hyderabad blasts: NIA picks up 3 Simi activists for questioning
• Four IM men targeting India in return for ISI hospitality
• Investigating Officer in 26/11 terror case quits, had differences with seniors
• Police claim acid provoked Dhule firing — but not in their FIRs
• Cops assaulted by illegal Bangladeshi migrants had begun drive in Mankhurd
Southeast Asia
• Eight in 10 Malays say ‘Allah’ only for Muslims
• Philippines’ Aquino warns sultan in Malaysia standoff
• Revitalizing Indonesia’s arms production at a time of international sales decrease
Arab World
• Hezbollah Fighters Killed In Syria Will ‘Go To Hell’
• Syrian regime missiles kill 140 in Aleppo
• Car bomb kills five soldiers in Damascus as clashes erupt
• Saudis Step up Help for Rebels in Syria with Croatian Arms
• Hot air balloon crash in Egypt kills 19 foreigners
• Syria rebels to meet Kerry, dismiss Damascus offer
• Omani activists end hunger strike
Africa
• Mali Islamists warned about Sharia in al-Qaeda 'manifesto'
• Nigeria: 5 Killed, Hundreds Injured As Christians/ Muslims Clash
• Sudan: Tribal Fighting Kills 510 in Darfur since January
• Mali: AQIM Leader Condemns Destruction of Mali Mausoleums
• Tunisia probes ‘Harlem Shake’ students as video goes viral
• Eight Killed in Fighting Between Congo Rebel Factions: Sources
South Asia
• Maldives Religious NGO recommends beheading, firing squad over lethal injection
• Eight Bangladesh Islamist parties blame 'outsiders' for violence
• 3 to die for killing ATN Bangla cameraperson
• Maldives President calls for “respect and love” for Dhivehi language
• India must keep nudging Male towards free and fair elections: Indian Express
• Nasheed worried about other nations entering Indian Ocean
• Talk of Inquiry, but Not Much Is Sure After Afghan Ban on U.S. Troops
North America
• India financed problems for Pak in Afghanistan, says US defence secretary
• Ex-CIA man praises Indian leadership for avoiding warmongering
• US Army Corps ‘to operate from Karachi airport’
• US welcomes Syrian Opposition decision to attend Rome Summit
• Terror proof strong against US imam: Prosecutor
Mideast Asia
• World powers give Iran new offer at crunch talks
• Gaza militants fire rocket into Israel
• Militants vow to avenge Palestinian prisoner's death
Europe
• UN told atheists face discrimination around globe
• Russia Plans First Super Jet Delivery to Indonesia on Tuesday
• U.N. calls for independent inquiry into Palestinian death
• United Nations removes Osama bin Laden from sanctions list
• UN staffer missing on Israel-Syria border
Pakistan
• Pakistani transgender candidate to run for office
• Blast at shrine in Shikarpur leaves three dead
• At least five killed in Karachi violence
• Intl court's verdict on Kishenganga not a legal defeat: Pak
• Nawaz, Fazl join hands for polls
• Quetta killing verdict: Govt ordered to pay compensation
• Sharjeel blames PML-N for protecting terrorists
• Tahirul Qadri to visit Canada for ‘routine checkups’
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Syrian regime missiles kill 140 in Aleppo
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India
HSC Urdu paper shocker: ‘Write about father’s death’
Feb 26 2013
“AAPKE waalid ke achanak inteqaal hone par apne chhote bhaai ko taajiti khat likhiye...” (Write a brief letter to your younger brother informing him about your father’s death. (04 marks)
Shockingly, this was a question set for the Urdu language students of Class XII.
The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination in the state started from February 21. Between 3 pm and 6 pm on Thursday, when these students appeared for their first paper, Urdu (Index No 05), and attempted question No 9 (B), some were visibly shaken while others were enraged.
Syed Saba, an Urdu teacher with Abeda Inamdar Junior College for Girls, Pune, said the question left many of her students “confused and nervous”.
Mushtaque Ahmed, a Class XII student, said, “The question left most of us amazed and confused. How can the board expect us to answer such a question? How can they ask us to imagine the death of our own father? I and all my friends attempted the optional question on writing to uncle about your plans for summer vacation. Who would like to imagine death of one’s father?"
Anees Chishti, a Urdu language academician, who also served on the board of studies of MSBSHSE, said the incident only highlights the poor understanding of the board about the adolescent psychology. He commented that asking someone to write a condolence letter to his relative or friends on their personal loss was acceptable, but asking teenage students to write about the imaginary death of their father or mother was “crossing the line”.
“This only shows how the paper-setter is insensitive and ignorant about adolescent psychology. I would suggest that as a punishment to the Board, it should be made to give away 10 marks to all students, whether or not they attempted the question. Suppose a student did answer the question, won’t attempting to write such a letter leave him or her in a state of shock? Will he be able to sit for the examination in a right state of mind,” said Chishti.
MSBSHSE secretary Krishna Kumar Kadam said the chief moderators of the concerned subjects have the authority to decide on the fate of such questions. “Chief moderators of Urdu will meet and review the question. If they find something wrong with it, they will take a decision on it. It will have to be considered the motive of the paper-setter in asking such such a question.”
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hsc-urdu-paper-shocker--write-about-father-s-death-/1079798/
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Indian Islamic scholars condemn killing of Shia Muslims in Pakistan
Feb 26, 2013
MUMBAI: A group of Islamic scholars today called upon international bodies like United Nations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and governments across the world to devise ways to put an end to killing of Shia Muslims in Pakistan.
"It is extremely shameful," Islamic scholar Maulana Sayed Ahmedalo Abidi, Imam-e-Juma Khoja Jama Masjid Dongri and Principal of Houza Ilmiya Najifi House, told reporters here.
"Shias are being attacked, shot and bombed. This is extremely serious," he said, urging the Indian government to take up the issue in international forums.
He also appealed to the government of Pakistan to ensure that Shias were protected from violence unleashed by militants.
The Islamic scholars said the Army must be made directly responsible and accountable for the law and order situation and safety of all people, including Shias in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.
"The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan must look into the issue," said Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi, General Secretary All India Shia Muslim Personal Law Board.
Pakistan has been besieged by militant attacks in recent years, many of them carried out by Pakistani Taliban, who have been waging a bloody insurgency against the government.
Radical Sunni militant groups have also increasingly targeted the country's Shias because they do not view them as real Muslims, Rizvi said in a statement.
Many of these sectarian attacks have occurred in southwest Balochistan province, which has the largest concentration of Shias in Pakistan, he said.
The Islamic scholars also condemned the twin blasts at Hyderabad recently.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Islamic-scholars-condemn-killing-of-Shia-Muslims-in-Pakistan/articleshow/18694827.cms
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Rs 1, 71,960 Cr As Credit Given To Minorities: How Much Of It To Muslims?
By Mumtaz Alam
25 February 2013
New Delhi, Feb. 25: “For financial inclusion, the flow of priority sector credit to minorities at the national level during 2012-13 reached Rs 1,71,960 crore as on 30/9/2012, which was more than 15% of the total priority sector lending,” said President Pranab Mukherjee while addressing the joint session of Indian Parliament on 21st February. But the million dollar question is: How much of this huge amount went to Muslims?
If you ask the Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Minority Affairs to divulge the details and give community-wise break-up, they won’t excusing they don’t maintain community-wise data. However, one can find a big and clear answer from the prevailing worse economic condition of the largest minority of the country. Just a minuscule part of the Rs 1.71 lakh crores went to Muslims while the largest part went to other four constitutionally recognized minorities – who are business communities like Sikh and Jain and Christians.
Reacting over the claim of Rs 1.71 lakh crore in credit to minorities, Syed Zahid Ahmad, Economic Analyst and Writer, says this is a bluff. Muslims have not got much of it.
“It is just a bluff. Sachar Report has pointed out that Muslims have been under advantaged as for credit to minorities is concerned. Majority of the credit for minorities have been drawn by Sikh and Christian communities. There is no report to prove that credit has flown to Indian Muslims,” he says in an exclusive interview with Muslim Mirror.
He says major chunk of the minority credit by scheduled commercial banks has been disbursed in Punjab, particularly Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
“If you see the allocation of credit given by banks you will find majority of it in Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. In these places Muslims are very few. You see the population of Muslims in Punjab or Chandigarh. You cannot find much credit in Muslim-populated Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. Per capita credit in Bihar is just Rs 3500 while per capita credit in Chandigarh is more than Rs 5 lakh. So you can see which community is getting the enhanced credit facility,” said Mr. Zahid, Founder of EconomicInitiatives.com.
He also says that share of Muslims in bank deposit is 7.4% of the total national deposits while credit to minority is just 4.7%.
He says that Muslims have not been getting due share in the budget. “It's true Muslims have not been given due share in the national expenditure. In fact before the year 2005, there was no budget at all for minority. It is only after the publication of Sachar Committee report, that the government started thinking about uplift of minorities.
http://www.muslimmirror.com/slide-news/2694-rs-171960-cr-as-credit-given-to-minorities-how-much-of-it-to-muslims
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Will neither reject nor endorse Narendra Modi: Maulana Mehmood Madani
By Mir Ayoob Ali Khan
Feb 26, 2013
HYDERABAD: Maulana Mehmood Madani, general secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and former member of Rajya Sabha, who created a stir a few months ago by stating that the Muslims of Gujarat have begun to shed their antagonism towards Narender Modi, declined to either reject or endorse Modi's possible candidature as Prime Minister.
The Maulana, who was slammed for softening his stand on Modi, told TOI over phone from New Delhi, "It is for the BJP to decide on its PM candidate. Why should I make a comment at this stage for or against Modi. I am a Muslim but I am also a responsible citizen like any other secular Indian. I will wait and respond."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Will-neither-reject-nor-endorse-Narendra-Modi-Maulana-Mehmood-Madani/articleshow/18683456.cms
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Why Muslims are always blamed for terror attacks, asks Abu Azmi
Feb 26 2013
Mumbai : Alleging that Muslims were always being blamed for terror attacks in the country, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi claimed that the pattern of discrimination could be seen in the investigation into the recent Hyderabad blasts.
Azmi, the state SP president, who is also an MLA from Govandi area of Mumbai, demanded why Hindu extremist groups like the Bajrang Dal or absconder Ramchandra Kalsangra, a key suspect in the Samjhauta Express and the 2007 Hyderabad Mecca Masjid blast were not being considered, while Muslims were held guilty by suspicion.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/why-muslims-are-always-blamed-for-terror-attacks-asks-abu-azmi/1079885/
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‘Hyderabad blasts a bid to whip up communal clashes’: sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs
SANDEEP JOSHI
Feb 26 2013
Hidden behind last week’s twin blasts in Hyderabad are the nefarious designs of terrorists who wanted to trigger communal riots in the historic city. A small incident could flare up tensions in a highly polarised society that had recently witnessed vitriolic speeches by controversial leaders, both Hindu and Muslim, say sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/hyderabad-blasts-a-bid-to-whip-up-communal-clashes/article4452850.ece
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People who destabilise country have no religion, says Bombay high court
February 26, 2013
People who destabilise the country can have no religion, the Bombay high court said on Monday, while hearing the bail plea of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, one of the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts. The hearing will continue on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/mumbai/People-who-destabilise-country-have-no-religion-says-high-court/Article1-1017492.aspx
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BJP slams Katju's article on Narendra Modi in Pakistan daily
Feb 26 2013
New Delhi : The BJP on Monday attacked Press Council of India chief Markandey Katju for writing an article in a Pakistan daily against the Gujarat government and alleged that he was engaging in political activity while occupying a quasi-judicial post.
In the article in The Express Tribune, Katju had criticised the Narendra Modi-led government and alleged that Muslims did not feel safe under the Modi dispensation.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bjp-slams-katjus-article-on-narendra-modi-in-paki.../1079801/
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NSA to meet Karzai in Kabul today
Feb 26, 2013
NEW DELHI: As the timetable for withdrawal of ISAF forces from Afghanistan draws near, the day after is assuming greater significance for India. Having had an unprecedented run in stabilizing Afghanistan for the past decade, India's role in keeping Afghanistan safe from the Taliban will be crucial not only for the region, but also for New Delhi's own security.
National Security Advisor ( NSA) Shivshankar Menon will be in Kabul for a day on Tuesday, where he will meet President Hamid Karzai and other Afghan government officials, and also engage with a cross-section of emerging leaders in that country.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/NSA-to-meet-Karzai-in-Kabul-today/articleshow/18682914.cms
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Man passing defence information to Pakistan held in Rajasthan
Feb 26, 2013
JAISALMER/JODHPUR: A 34-year-old from Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district has been arrested for sending strategic information to Pakistan's ISI via emails and mobile calls for the past three years.
Sources say that Sumer Khan's uncle lives in Pakistan and was a mediator between him and the Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI. The man had allegedly gone to Pakistan at least thrice and had been trained to gather intelligence. The arrest has come just two days after the conclusion of India's biggest air exercise 'Iron Fist' in Jaisalmer.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Man-passing-defence-information-to-Pakistan-held-in-Rajasthan/articleshow/18683457.cms
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Hyderabad blasts: NIA picks up 3 Simi activists for questioning
Feb 26, 2013
HYDERABAD/KAKINADA: With investigators looking at the involvement of Indian Mujahideen (IM) in the Dilsukhnagar bomb blasts, National Investigation Agency sleuths on Monday picked up three members of the banned Student Islamic Movement in India from Samalkot town in East Godavari district for questioning, even as at least 10 activists of the outfit went missing from Hyderabad after the twin blasts.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hyderabad-blasts-NIA-picks-up-3-Simi-activists-for-questioning/articleshow/18683173.cms
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Four IM men targeting India in return for ISI hospitality
Feb 26, 2013
NEW DELHI: They had fled to Pakistan to escape the long arm of the law in India. Now, they are plotting terror strikes on India with unflinching regularity as a trade-off for their own safety.
Four top Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives - Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal, Amir Raza Khan and Fayyaz Kagzi - have been enjoying Pakistani spy agency ISI's hospitality with a quid pro quo of carrying out attacks on their homeland.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Four-IM-men-targeting-India-in-return-for-ISI-hospitality/articleshow/18683003.cms
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Investigating Officer in 26/11 terror case quits, had differences with seniors
Feb 26 2013,
Mumbai: The investigating officer in the 26/11 terror attack case, who had helped build a water-tight case against Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, has resigned, police sources said today.
Senior Inspector Ramesh Mahale (56) put in his papers yesterday after 35 years of service. The reason for sudden resignation was not yet clear although there was speculation that he had differences with seniors, sources said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/investigating-officer-in-2611-terror-case-quits/1080015/
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Police claim acid provoked Dhule firing — but not in their FIRs
Feb 26 2013,
Mumbai : Two FIRs filed by Dhule police in connection with the January 6 riots make no mention of the acid attack that they have claimed provoked them to open fire, killing six people, all Muslims.
“A mob of 2,000-3,000 Hindus and 3,000-4,000 Muslims were attacking each other. Stones, bricks, iron rods, iron pipes, sticks, glass bottles, tiles, bottles filled with kerosene were liberally used,” Dhule deputy SP Monika Raut said in her FIR, filed on January 6.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/police-claim-acid-provoked-dhule-firing--but-not-in-their-firs/1079826/
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Cops assaulted by illegal Bangladeshi migrants had begun drive in Mankhurd
February 26, 2013
The raid of police’s special branch on illegal Bangladeshis at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai on Sunday night, in which two policemen were assaulted, had begun earlier at Mankhurd, in which an illegal immigrant, Samshed Mandal, was held.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/mumbai/Cops-assaulted-by-illegal-Bangladeshi-migrants-had-begun-drive-in-Mankhurd/Article1-1017489.aspx
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Southeast Asia
Eight in 10 Malays say ‘Allah’ only for Muslims
Feb 26 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 – A whopping 83 per cent of Malay voters insist that only Muslims have the absolute right to call their god “Allah”, a poll released today showed.
Independent pollster Merdeka Center, which surveyed 1,021 voters in Peninsular Malaysia at the end of January, reported today that most of the Malay voters – which formed 59 per cent of the survey group – say only Muslims are entitled to use the Arabic word for god, contrary to a 2009 High Court judgment that ruled otherwise.
A significant 34 per cent of the Malay voters were also reported to back federal lawmaker Datuk Ibrahim Ali’s call last year, for Muslims to torch Malay-language copies of the Christian holy book that describes the Christian god as “Allah”.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/eight-in-10-malays-say-allah-only-for-muslims-poll-shows/
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Philippines’ Aquino warns sultan in Malaysia standoff
26 February 2013
MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino warned a sultan on Tuesday he would face the “full force of the law” unless he withdrew his gunmen from Malaysia, but the elderly ruler remained defiant.
Dozens of followers of the little-known Sultan of Sulu have been facing off with Malaysian security forces for two weeks, after they sailed from their remote southern Philippine island homes to stake a territorial claim.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/philippines%E2%80%99-aquino-warns-sultan-malaysia-standoff
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Revitalizing Indonesia’s arms production at a time of international sales decrease
Anton Aliabbas and Fitri Bintang Timur
February 26 2013
Early this week, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published its Top 100 list of arms-producing companies in the world. The report shows an international decline of weapons sales for the first time since the 9/11 tragedy, based on year-to-year comparisons.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/02/26/revitalizing-indonesia-s-arms-production-a-time-international-sales-decrease.html
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Arab World
Hezbollah Fighters Killed In Syria Will ‘Go To Hell’
26 February 2013
Former Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Sobhi Tfaili criticized the participation of Hezbollah fighters in the Syrian conflict, saying those who are killed in Syria will “go to hell” and are not considered martyrs.
During a televised interview this week, Tfaili “confirmed” that Hezbollah is fighting alongside the regime in Syria.
“Hezbollah members who kill children, terrorize people and destroy houses in Syria will not be martyrs and will end up in hell,” he said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/02/26/268422.html
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Syrian regime missiles kill 140 in Aleppo
The Associated Press, Beirut
February 26 2013
An international human rights organization says the Syrian military fired at least four ballistic missiles into the embattled northern city of Aleppo over the past week, killing more than 140 people, including 70 children.
Human Rights Watch says the attacks by the regime of President Bashar Assad on residential areas of Aleppo mark an "escalation of unlawful attacks against Syria's civilian population."
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/02/26/group-syrian-regime-missiles-kill-140-aleppo.html
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Car bomb kills five soldiers in Damascus as clashes erupt
Feb 26 2013
Beirut : A suicide car bomb blew up at an army checkpoint in northeastern Damascus, leaving five soldiers killed, a watchdog said, as rebels pressed toward the centre of the capital.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported heavy fighting around the checkpoint, located on the edge of rebel-held Qaboon district, and between the adjacent district of Jobar and the iconic Abbasid Square.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/car-bomb-kills-five-soldiers-in-damascus-as-clashes-erupt/1079890/
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Saudis Step Up Help for Rebels in Syria With Croatian Arms
By C. J. CHIVERS and ERIC SCHMITT
February 26, 2013
Saudi Arabia has financed a large purchase of infantry weapons from Croatia and quietly funneled them to antigovernment fighters in Syria in a drive to break the bloody stalemate that has allowed President Bashar al-Assad to cling to power, according to American and Western officials familiar with the purchases.
The weapons began reaching rebels in December via shipments shuttled through Jordan, officials said, and have been a factor in the rebels’ small tactical gains this winter against the army and militias loyal to Mr. Assad.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/world/middleeast/in-shift-saudis-are-said-to-arm-rebels-in-syria.html?ref=world&_r=0
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Hot air balloon crash in Egypt kills 19 foreigners
Feb 26 2013
LUXOR, Egypt : An Egyptian security official says at least 19 foreign tourists were killed as their hot air balloon crashed near the famed ancient city of Luxor. The casualties included French, British and other nationals.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hot-air-balloon-crash-in-egypt-kills-19-foreigners/1079926/
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Syria rebels to meet Kerry, dismiss Damascus offer
February 26, 2013
Syria's opposition has cancelled a planned boycott of an international conference on the two-year conflict after appeals from Britain and the US, but rejected an offer of talks from Damascus.
US secretary of state John Kerry and British foreign secretary William Hague convinced the opposition to revoke its boycott on a Friends of Syria conference in Rome on Thursday after an appeal at a joint press conference in London.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/europe/Syria-rebels-to-meet-Kerry-dismiss-Damascus-offer/Article1-1017511.aspx
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Omani activists end hunger strike
26 February 2013
MUSCAT: Thirty jailed Omani activists have ended their two weeks-long hunger strike after the country’s Supreme Court began reviewing their appeals, a lawyer defending them told AFP yesterday.
“The detainees suspended their hunger strike after they learnt that the Supreme Court has decided to review their appeals,” Yakoob Al-Harithi said.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/omani-activists-end-hunger-strike
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Africa
Mali Islamists warned about Sharia in al-Qaeda 'manifesto'
By Mark Doyle
February 26, 2013
A "manifesto" left by Islamists in Mali indicates that disagreements between them may have led to their defeat - so far - on the battlefield.
The document, published by a French newspaper, is said to contain advice by the head of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abdel Malek Droukdel.
It criticises militants in Mali for implementing Islamic law too quickly and predicts France's intervention.
The document was found by journalists in Timbuktu, northern Mali.
The advice and instructions, said to be given by the Algerian Mr Droukdel, revealed in the Liberation paper, are dated 20 July 2012 - four months after a loose coalition of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups and ethnic Tuareg fighters took control of northern Mali.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21587055
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Nigeria: 5 Killed, Hundreds Injured As Christians/ Muslims Clash
BY WOLE AYODELE
24 FEBRUARY 2013
Five persons were killed Saturday in the ancient town of Wukari in Taraba State while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries as Christian and Muslim religious adherents engaged themselves in violent and bloody clash.
Besides, hundreds of houses and business premises, including places of worship were razed down by the warring groups who engaged in a gun duel, thereby rendering thousands of people homeless and striped of their means of livehood.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201302240247.html?viewall=1
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Sudan: Tribal Fighting Kills 510 in Darfur since January
25 FEBRUARY 2013
Khartoum — Tribal clashes over control of lucrative gold mines in North Darfur state have killed more than 500 people and wounded some 865 since January, a Sudanese lawmaker said on Monday, in what is a sharp increase on previous estimates given for the number of casualties from the violence.
Adam Sheikha, a federal parliamentary representative for Al Sireaf district, told reporters 510 people had been killed since the outbreak of violence - the first estimates covering recent fighting to come from a member of Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP). The UN previously put the figure at 100.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201302260022.html?viewall=1
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Mali: AQIM Leader Condemns Destruction of Mali Mausoleums in Secret Papers Found By RFI Journalist
25 FEBRUARY 2013
RFI journalist Nick Champeaux and a journalist from French newspaper Libération have discovered extraordinary papers in which the leader of Aqim, Abdel Malek Droukdel outlines his strategy for Mali.
The documents, dated 20 July 2012, four months after the jihadists took control of northern Mali, were found among others scattered on the floor of the offices of the ORTM national television station in Timbuktu.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201302251654.html?viewall=1
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Tunisia probes ‘Harlem Shake’ students as video goes viral
26 February 2013
TUNIS: Tunisian authorities have ordered a probe into the staging of a “Harlem Shake” show in a Tunis suburb by students who dance wildly and imitate sexual acts, after a video recording went viral on the Internet.
“The Ministry of Education has demanded an investigation and the department will take appropriate measures,” Education Minister Abdellatif Abid said on private Radio Mosaique.
He said there could be possible “expulsions” of students or “sacking” of educational staff who were behind the staging of the dance.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/tunisia-probes-%E2%80%98harlem-shake%E2%80%99-students-video-goes-viral
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Eight Killed in Fighting Between Congo Rebel Factions: Sources
February 26, 2013
KINSHASA (Reuters) - At least eight people were killed - most of them civilians - when fighting erupted between rival factions of eastern Congo's most powerful rebel group, a U.N.-backed radio station and a local source said.
The clashes deep inside territory controlled by the M23 insurgents risk undermining regionally-backed peace talks in neighboring Uganda between the fighters and Democratic Republic of Congo's government.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/02/26/world/africa/26reuters-congo-democratic-rebels.html?ref=africa&_r=0
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South Asia
Maldives Religious NGO recommends beheading, firing squad over lethal injection
By Mohamed Naahee | February 26th, 2013
Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf has called on Attorney General (AG) Azima Shukoor to amend the government’s draft bill on the implementation of death penalty, urging that convicts be beheaded or shot instead of given lethal injection.
In letter to the AG proposing its recommendations for the bill, Salaf explained that by beheading the convicted murderer, the pain he endured would be reduced while the heirs of the victim would still receive satisfaction.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/society/religious-ngo-jamiyyathul-salaf-recommends-beheading-firing-squad-over-lethal-injection-53689
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Eight Bangladesh Islamist parties blame 'outsiders' for violence
Feb 26 2013
Eight Islamist parties now blame it on "intruders".
They claim those who tore and burned the national flag and vandalised Shaheed Minars during the protest against the "atheist" Shahbagh bloggers on Friday do not belong to their organisations.
Shah Ahmadullah Ashraf, ameer of Khelafat Andolon, yesterday told The Daily Star that Jamaat activists or personnel from government agencies might have intruded into the protest and unleashed a wave of terror across the country to “blame each other”.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=270498
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3 to die for killing ATN Bangla cameraperson
Feb 26 2013
A Dhaka court on Tuesday handed down death penalty to three muggers for killing a cameraperson of private television channel ATN Bangla in 2010.
The convicts are: Md Sujan, Md Ratan and Md Rana.
Shafiqul Islam alias Mithu, 40, was found dead at Mirpur-Uttara embankment in Rustampur on the outskirts of the capital on May 9 in 2010.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=45053
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Maldives President calls for “respect and love” for Dhivehi language
By Minivan News | February 25th, 2013
President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has called for national programs to be introduced to foster “respect and love” for the Dhivehi language.
Speaking at a function organised by the Dhivehi Language Academy, the President stated that the promotion and preservation of the language was a national duty rather than the responsibility of an institution.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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India must keep nudging Male towards free and fair elections: Indian Express
By Minivan News | February 26th, 2013
The Maldives continues to remind India that small countries often pose big problems for their large neighbours, writes the Indian Express in an editorial.
Internal squabbles in the Maldives — with a population of barely 3,30,000, but occupying large strategic real estate in the Indian Ocean — have continued to test India’s diplomatic skills since President Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected leader of the island republic, was forced to resign in February 2012. India quickly recognised the new government led by Nasheed’s deputy, Mohammed Waheed.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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Nasheed worried about other nations entering Indian Ocean
Feb 26 2013
Male : As China seeks to expand its influence in Maldives, former President Mohamed Nasheed today said he is "worried" other nations might gain a foothold in the Indian Ocean and asserted that the strategic region's stability will depend on his country's "strong" ties with India.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nasheed-worried-about-other-nations-entering-indian-ocean/1079856/
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Talk of Inquiry, but Not Much Is Sure After Afghan Ban on U.S. Troops
By MATTHEW ROSENBERG
February 26, 2013
KABUL, Afghanistan — A day after President Hamid Karzai ordered elite American forces out of a strategic province near the capital, very little was clear other than his increasing assertiveness in dictating the Western military role in Afghanistan.
Interviews with numerous Afghan and American officials on Monday were striking mostly for their similarity: everyone seemed confused, scrambling to confirm details of the events that led the Afghan government to issue the ban and demand Western cooperation in investigating accusations.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/world/asia/with-afghan-ban-set-for-us-troops-inquiry-
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North America
India financed problems for Pak in Afghanistan, says US defence secretary
Feb 26, 2013
WASHINGTON: In a sharp contrast to US view on India's role in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama's defence secretary nominee Chuck Hagel has alleged that India has over the years "financed problems" for Pakistan in the war-torn country.
A video containing these remarks from an unreleased speech of Hagel at Oklahoma's Cameron University in 2011 was uploaded by Washington Free Beacon, sparking a strong reaction from India which said such comments are "contrary to the reality" of its unbounded dedication to the welfare of Afghans.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-financed-problems-for-Pak-in-Afghanistan-
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Ex-CIA man praises Indian leadership for avoiding warmongering
Feb 26 2013
Washington: Citing extensive presence of terrorist outfits in Pakistan, a former CIA official has praised the Indian leadership, especially PM Manmohan Singh, for showing restraint after every major terrorist strike, including the 26/11 attack, to avoid falling into the trap of warmongering as is desired by the promoters of these groups.
"If Singh and (Sonia) Gandhi had responded with force, not restraint, as both (the then President, George W.) Bush and (the then President-elect, Barack) Obama had urged, this gang of terrorists could have created the war that they hoped for," a former official with the American intelligence agency and Brookings scholar, Bruce Riedel, says in his latest book, 'Avoiding Armageddon: America, India, and Pakistan to the Brink and Back'.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/excia-man-praises-indian-leadership-for-avoiding-warmongering/1079860/
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US Army Corps ‘to operate from Karachi airport’
Feb 26 2013
ISLAMABAD: The US Army Corps of Engineer has been granted permission to build a Tactical Command and Operations Centre (TCOC) compound at the Jinnah International Airport (JIAP), Karachi to exchange information with Pakistan Customs Drug Enforcement Cell concerning smuggling activities in and around Karachi, according to documents released by US Army Corps of Engineer, Middle East District.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/26/us-army-corps-to-operate-from-karachi-airport/
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US welcomes Syrian Opposition decision to attend Rome Summit
Feb 26 2013
Washington : The US has welcomed the Syrian Opposition leader's decision to attend the Rome Summit, as it insisted that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go.
Syrian National Coalition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib has said that the opposition groups will attend the Friends of Syria conference in Rome on February 28.
US Vice President Joe Biden called al-Khatib to discuss the Friends of the Syrian People meeting in Rome, the White House said today.
He welcomed Khatib's confirmation that Coalition members would attend the gathering and meet Secretary of State John Kerry.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-welcomes-syrian-opposition-decision-to-attend-rome-summit/1079908/
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Terror proof strong against US imam: Prosecutor
Feb 26, 2013
MIAMI: Evidence is overwhelming from hundreds of recorded conversations and financial records that an elderly Muslim cleric enthusiastically supported the violent Pakistani Taliban terror organization, a prosecutor said in a closing argument Monday.
Quoting several passages from FBI intercepts of Hafiz Khan's conversations, assistant US attorney Sivashree Sundaram said Khan repeatedly praised Taliban suicide bombers and grenade attacks that killed both Americans and Pakistanis. She pointed to other recordings in which Khan said he wished a 2010 attempt by a Taliban-linked operative to detonate a bomb in New York's Times Square had succeeded.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Terror-proof-strong-against-US-imam-Prosecutor/articleshow/18685069.cms
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Mideast Asia
World powers give Iran new offer at crunch talks
Feb 26 2013
Almaty : World powers were today offering Iran a softening of sanctions in exchange for concessions over its controversial nuclear programme, in crunch talks in Kazakhstan aimed at ending a decade of deadlock in the crisis.
The two-day meeting in the Kazakh city of Almaty comes as sanctions bite against the Islamic republic and Israel still refuses to rule out air strikes to knock out Iran's suspected nuclear weapons drive.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/world-powers-give-iran-new-offer-at-crunch-talks/1079981/
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Gaza militants fire rocket into Israel
Feb 26 2013
Israeli police say a rocket has been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. A police spokesman says there was damage to a road but no injuries.
It’s the first such rocket from the Palestinian territory to land in Israel since Israel-Gaza fighting in November 2012.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/gaza-militants-fire-rocket-into-israel/article4454870.ece
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Militants vow to avenge Palestinian prisoner's death
Feb 25, 2013
SAIR (PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES): Thousands of angry mourners attended the West Bank funeral of a man who the Palestinians say was tortured to death in an Israeli jail, as masked militants vowed to take revenge.
Israel reacted to the threat by demanding that the Palestinian Authority (PA) act "responsibly" to rein in unrest, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman Mark Regev calling for peace talks not violence.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Militants-vow-to-avenge-Palestinian-prisoners-death/articleshow/18679802.cms
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Europe
UN told atheists face discrimination around globe
Feb 26 2013
GENEVA: Atheists, humanists and freethinkers face widespread discrimination around the world with expression of their views criminalised and subject in some countries to capital punishment, the United Nations was told on Monday.
In a document for consideration by the world body’s Human Rights Council, a global organisation linking people who reject religion said atheism was banned by law in a number of states where people were forced to officially adopt a faith.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/26/un-told-atheists-face-discrimination-around-globe/
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Russia Plans First SuperJet Delivery to Indonesia on Tuesday
February 26, 2013
United Aircraft Corp. will deliver the first Sukhoi SuperJet-100 to an Indonesian customer on Tuesday, Mikhail Pogosyan, the head of the state-owned aircraft maker, said Tuesday in an interview on the Rossiya 24 television channel.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/russia-plans-first-superjet-delivery-to-indonesia-on-tuesday/574070
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U.N. calls for independent inquiry into Palestinian death
26 February 2013
The United Nations called late last night for an independent inquiry into the death of a Palestinian in Israeli custody, warning that mounting tensions risk an eruption of violence in the occupied territories.
The Palestinians also demanded an independent investigation in a letter to the U.N. Security Council, which said that Arafat Jaradat, who died at the weekend, could have been tortured.
U.N. Middle East peace envoy Robert Serry made the call for an investigation in a statement after talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on the Jaradat’s death.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/02/26/268356.html
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United Nations removes Osama bin Laden from sanctions list
February 26, 2013
UNITED NATIONS: Almost two years after his death at the hands of US special forces in Pakistan, a UN Security Council committee has removed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from its sanctions list, although an order freezing any assets of the extremist remains in place.
Bin Laden had been subjected to a travel ban and asset freeze since he was listed by the Security Council al-Qaeda sanctions committee on January 25, 2001. He was shot and killed on May 2, 2011 by US forces who stormed his compound in Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/512771/united-nations-removes-osama-bin-laden-from-sanctions-list/
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UN staffer missing on Israel-Syria border
Feb 26, 2013
UNITED NATIONS: A member of the UN peacekeeping force charged with monitoring the cease-fire between Israeli and Syrian troops on the Golan Heights is missing, the United Nations said Monday.
UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey would not say whether the missing person was a military or civilian member of the international or local staff.
"We can confirm that a staff member is not accounted for and we are in touch with the relevant parties to determine what has happened,'' del Buey said. "We have no further comment at this time.''
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/UN-staffer-missing-on-Israel-Syria-border/articleshow/18684627.cms
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Pakistan
Pakistani transgender candidate to run for office
Feb 26 2013
KARACHI: A member of Pakistan’s transgender community is to contest upcoming general elections on a ticket of equal rights, saying the community has more to offer than begging or dancing at weddings.
The elections, due by mid-May, will mark the first democratic transition of power after an elected government’s full term in Pakistan’s 65-year history.
It will also be the first time Pakistan’s estimated 500,000 “eunuchs” are eligible to seek office, after the Supreme Court in 2011 ordered the government to issue them with identity cards and to register them as voters.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/25/pakistani-transgender-candidate-to-run-for-office/
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Blast at shrine in Shikarpur leaves three dead
Feb 26 2013
SHIKARPUR: A blast at a shrine in interior Sindh has left three people dead and several others injured, DawnNews reported.
The explosion took place at the Dargah Hajan Shah Mauri shrine in Shikarpur when a large number of devotees were present.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/25/blast-at-shrine-in-shikarpur-leaves-three-dead/
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At least five killed in Karachi violence
Feb 26 2013
KARACHI: At least five persons including a woman and a member of a religious organisation were killed in separate incidents if violence in Karachi on Tuesday, DawnNews reported.
An activist of a religious organisation was killed when unknown gunmen opened fire in Karachi’s Lines area. Enraged protestors set out to the streets burning tyres and blocking roads in Saddar area. The demonstrators marched towards the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry near Shaheen complex demanding actions against the killers, from where they dispersed off after authorities held negotiations with them.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/02/26/at-least-killed-in-karachi-violence/
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Intl court's verdict on Kishenganga not a legal defeat: Pak
Feb 26 2013
Downplaying the recent verdict by International Court of Arbitration upholding India's right to divert water from the Kishenganga hydro project, Pakistan today said it was not a legal defeat for the country.
Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that the
arbitration award was not a legal defeat for Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan had put two questions of legal nature before the Court of Arbitration which were within its jurisdiction for determination.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/intl-courts-verdict-on-kishenganga-not-a-legal-defeat-pak/1080048/
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Nawaz, Fazl join hands for polls
By Kashif Hussain
Feb 26 2013
LAHORE: PML-N Preisdent Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have declared an alliance for the upcoming general elections and have constituted two joint committees for sorting out issues related to seat adjustments between the two parties.
On Monday, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has good religious and political influence in the country’s western border areas, especially tribal areas, held an exclusive meeting with Nawaz Sharif at his residence at Raiwind Farms and later held a joint press conference in which the two leaders announced the alliance. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, along with other party leaders, including opposition leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Iqbal Zafar Jhagra from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was also present in the meeting.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\02\26\story_26-2-2013_pg1_1
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Quetta killing verdict: Govt ordered to pay compensation
February 26, 2013
Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaurdhy gave a short order for the suo motu notice of the Hazara Town bombing on Tuesday ordering the authorities to provide compensation to the survivors and to ensure that a minority group is not left alone, Express News reported.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/512828/sc-takes-suo-moto-notice-of-hazara-killings/
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Sharjeel blames PML-N for protecting terrorists
February 26, 2013
The Pakistan People’s Party member Sharjeel Memon blamed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of backing the terrorists who were responsible for the recent Quetta blast.
Talking to Express News, he said “in the past we saw the PML-N allying with banned religious organizations and give statements like, ‘don’t attack Punjab we understand your ideology’,” Memon accused. He was emphasizing on the links that PML-N allegedly had with extremist groups in the past.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/512788/sharjeel-blames-pml-n-of-protecting-terrorists/
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Tahirul Qadri to visit Canada for ‘routine checkups’
February 26, 2013
LAHORE: Minhajul Quran International (MQI) chief Tahirul Qadri announced on Tuesday that he will visit Canada for a week for “routine checkups”.
“The dates of all my medical checkups were spread over several weeks, but I had them consolidated in one week to shorten my trip,” he said while speaking to the media in Lahore.
He added that he will depart on Wednesday or Thursday and will return by March 10.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/512811/tahirul-qadri-to-visit-canada-for-routine-checkups/
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