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Islamic World News ( 22 Sept 2013, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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In Deadliest Attack on Pakistani Christians, Taliban Kill 70 In Historic Peshawar Church


New Age Islam News Bureau

22 Sept 2013


60 killed, over 120 injured in suicide blasts outside Peshawar church. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD IQBAL

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Pakistan

 In Deadliest Attack on Pakistani Christians, Taliban Kill 70 In Historic Peshawar Church

 Jamaat-e- Islami to move resolution against Bangladesh verdicts

 Lower Dir: 12 terrorists killed, 2 security officials injured in clashes

 3 top militants killed in explosion in Pakistan

 Six killed in US drone strike in North Waziristan: Officials

 Taliban leader awaits fate in Karachi safe house

 Sharif gets army to back off on India peace bid

 Army to continue its role in Swat, says Kayani

 Karachi operation: Rangers arrest 42 suspects

 Imran warns of fallout if talks not held with Taliban

 Three Balochistan doctors released by Taliban

 

Arab World

 Assault on Iraq funeral, other attacks on Saturday kill 96

 Egyptian Islamist tries to ‘set woman on fire’ over pro-army ringtone

 Qatar to cooperate in teaching Arabic in UK

 Iraq struggles to keep Syria’s war out

 Syrian Christians may get pulled into war

 Mortar round hits Russia embassy compound in Damascus: NGO

 

Africa

 Al-Shabaab Twitter account suspended after Kenya mall attack claims

 Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Monarch, Abduct Wife

 Nigeria: Boko Haram - 8 Killed, 17 Injured in Abuja

 Death toll in northeast Nigeria attack rises to at least 142: Official

 6 more die as fighting drags on in Zamboanga city

 Israeli forces join Kenya battle to end deadly mall siege

 Organised 'terror gang' behind Nairobi mall attack: police sources

 Democratic Republic of Congo retakes four towns from Rwandan rebels

 

South Asia

 16 killed in Afghanistan Violence

 Radical Islamist group Hefazat-e Islam announces fresh programmes

 Polls “free and fair,” Maldives Elections Commission well-prepared: HRCM

 EC asks Adhaalath Party VP to explain “irreligious” allegations against Nasheed

 Hasina urges people to keep distance from BNP

 Extraordinary Maldives Majlis session cancelled amid chaos, vandalism in chamber

 Three US troops killed in Afghan 'insider attack'

 

Europe

 US 'blackmailing' Russia over Syria resolution: Russian FM

 Tajikistan arrests 10 suspected attack plotters: official

 UN Security Council condemns Nairobi mall attack

 Angry Brussels wants answers from Israel over aid

 EU officials demand Israel explain seizure of Palestinian aid

 

India

 PM condemns Nairobi terror attack

 Internal war brewing within IM: Yasin Bhatkal

 Pakistan again violates ceasefire in Kashmir

 Nod for panel’s access to Pak inmates in Indian jails

 Azam Khan is ‘UP’s Modi’, says Pesh Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid

 Pakistan team arrives for talks on power projects in Chenab basin

 

Mideast

 Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warns of dangers of dealing with U.S.

 Rowhani says West must accept Iran's right to enrich uranium

 Iran to take control of Russian-built reactor Monday

 European ‘prejudice’ a block to Turkey joining EU, says minister

 

Southeast Asia

 Shariah Officer Arrested for Hash Smuggling, Aceh Police Foil Prison Break

 Extremism in the name of Islam and Malaysian Muslims

 

North America

 US condemns deadly Kenya mall attack Washington

 Nawaz clear about Pak interests: US official

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/in-deadliest-attack-pakistani-christians,/d/13621

 

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Pakistan

 

In Deadliest Attack on Pakistani Christians, Taliban Kill 70 In Historic Peshawar Church

PTI | Sep 22, 2013

PESHAWAR: Two Taliban suicide bombers struck a historic church here on Sunday, killing at least 70 people, including women and children, in the deadliest attack on the minority Christian community in Pakistan's history.

Over 120 were injured in the attack on the historic All Saints Church at Kohati Gate area of Peshawar. The bombers set off their explosive vests as people were emerging from Sunday mass, said city commissioner Sahibzada Muhammad Anis.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa health minister Shaukat Yusufzai confirmed that 70 people, including women and children, were killed and 120 others injured. The dead included four children aged between three and eight years and a Muslim policeman.

Anis said some 600 to 700 people were inside the church at the time of the attack. Nearby buildings were damaged by the powerful blasts.

The Jandullah group, a faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out to avenge US drone strikes.

Ahmed Marwat, a spokesman for the group, told Newsweek: "Until and unless drone strikes are stopped, we will continue to strike wherever we find an opportunity against non-Muslims."

Jandullah earlier claimed responsibility for killing 10 foreign climbers in Gilgit-Baltistan and for an attack on an Inter-Services Intelligence compound in Sukkur.

Bomb disposal squad chief Shafqat Mahmood said two bombers carried out the attack. Each suicide vest contained an estimated six kilograms of explosives. Footage on television showed the walls of the church were pitted with ball bearings packed into the vests.

Witnesses said they had seen body parts and bloodstained clothes and shoes lying strewn at the site of the attack.

The horrific attack sparked protests by Christians across the country. In Peshawar, angry Christians blocked several roads with bodies of the dead and burning tyres. They also staged a protest at Lady Reading Hospital, where most of the victims were taken.

This was the worst attack in Pakistan's history on the Christian minority, which has not been targeted as frequently as other minorities like Shias or Ahmadis.

In March, a Muslim mob attacked a Christian colony in Lahore and torched two churches and over 100 houses. Christians often find themselves accused under the controversial blasphemy law.

In March 2002, five persons, including three foreigners, were killed and 45 injured when terrorists attacked a church in the diplomatic enclave of Islamabad.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the church, saying "terrorists have no religion and targeting innocent people is against the teachings of Islam".

Sharif said such cruel acts of terrorism "reflect the brutality and inhumane mindset of the terrorists". He expressed solidarity with Christians.

Imran Khan, whose Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party rules Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak visited the injured at Lady Reading Hospital.

The All Saints Church is one of the oldest in northwest Pakistan and was built in 1883 during the British era. The Kohati Gate area in Peshawar's old quarter has witnessed several militant attacks in recent years though none of them targeted Christians.

The congested Kohati Gate neighbourhood is usually packed with people, mostly women, as the area has several markets and shopping centres. Many Christians live in the vicinity and visit the church in large numbers for Sunday service.

The worshippers were leaving for a distribution of free food outside the church when the bombers struck. Rescue teams rushed to site and security forces cordoned off the area.

Bomb disposal squad chief Mahmood said police had found the heads of both bombers and sketches would be prepared soon.

An emergency was declared in hospitals across Peshawar. Officials of Lady Reading Hospital described the condition of 13 injured people as critical. Army officials said 11 people were taken to a military hospital so that they could be provided the best emergency treatment.

Awami National Party leader and former provincial minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain visited the site of the attack and expressed his sympathies to the Christian community.

The Council for International Religion called for three days of mourning and said all missionary schools and colleges in Peshawar would be closed for three days.

The ANP too called for three days of mourning to express solidarity with Christians.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/In-deadliest-attack-on-Pakistani-Christians-Taliban-kill-70-in-historic-Peshawar-church/articleshow/22896865.cms

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Jamaat-e- Islami to move resolution against Bangladesh verdicts

 September 22, 2013 

PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e- Islami (JI) in Pakistan is likely to submit a resolution during the current session of the lower house to condemn the sentences passed against JI leadership in Bangladesh.

Many leaders of the JI Bangladesh have been sentenced by an International Crimes Tribunal setup by ruling Awami League (AL) led government for supporting Pakistan army during 1971 and their alleged role in war crimes.

The JI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Sahibzada Mohammad Yaqub Khan from NA-34 Lower Dir is going to move a condemnation resolution next week against sentencing of the Islamic outfit’s Bangladesh leaders for supporting Pakistan and its army during 1971 war, said a statement.

The resolution would demand the government to take up the issue with Bangladesh government through diplomatic channels and exert its pressure to end convictions of the JI and other parties’ leaders, “as these leaders are being punished for their loyalty to Pakistan,” the statement said.

The mover of the proposed resolution Yaqub Khan told The Express Tribune that it was likely to be tabled in NA on Monday or Tuesday.

“The aged leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh are being punished for helping Pakistan during 1971 war. It is the obligation of Pakistan government to help these leaders and take a stand on this issue,” he added.

“It is a condemnation resolution,” he said, adding that his party was also in contact with other parties to garner support for the resolution and would also talk to the treasury benches to get their nod.

Senior leaders of the JI Bangladesh including its former Amir Professor Ghulam Azam, Ali Ahsan Mujahid and Abdul Qader Mullah have been sentenced by the tribunal formed by the AL-led government.

AL had won the 1970 general elections held during the martial law of General Yahya Khan but Pakistan Peoples Party under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto opposed transferring power to the eastern wing of the country. This led to wide spread protests in the then East Pakistan followed by military crackdown and war with India the surrender of Pakistan Army in December 1971 and finally the birth of Bangladesh.

Independent historians accuse AL of committing organised massacre of thousands of non-Bengalis through its militant outfit Mukti Bahini during 1970-71 and after the birth of Bangladesh.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/607677/punished-for-patriotism-ji-to-move-resolution-against-bd-verdicts/

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Lower Dir: 12 terrorists killed, 2 security officials injured in clashes

 September 22, 2013

LOWER DIR: An exchange of fire between terrorists and security forces resulted in the deaths of 12 terrorists while at least two two security officials suffered injuries in Lower Dir near the Pakistan-Afghan border late on Saturday night, reported Express News.

Express News Correspondent Ehtisham Khan reported that security officials were patrolling the border in Lower Dir at 10pm when a group of militants attempted to cross over from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

Security forces engaged the militants in a two-hour long exchange of fire. The firing resulted in the deaths of 12 militants who were part of a group estimated to be 15-20 individuals strong.

The Dir district of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa has been susceptible to militant and terror activities for a long time.

Last Sunday, at least 16 pro-government tribals, including three women, were killed and nine more wounded in a bomb attack targeting a passenger van in Lower Dir. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the attack.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/607587/lower-dir-12-terrorists-2-security-officials-injured-in-clashes/

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3 top militants killed in explosion in Pakistan

September 22, 2013

Three militant commanders,including a spokesperson of Lashkar-i-Islam (LI), were killed today when the IED they were making exploded in northwest Pakistan near Afghan border, security sources said. The incident occurred in the group's Markaz (centre) in the restive tribal region near Nallah, in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency bordering Peshawar.

The militant group's spokesperson Younas along with Ghufran and Abu Darda of Tariq group of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, were killed in the explosion, sources said.

LI supports Tariq Gedar group in Bara that attacks civilian and military convoys on Kohat road and in Frontier Region Peshawar.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/3-top-militants-killed-in-explosion-in-Pakistan/Article1-1125537.aspx

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Six killed in US drone strike in North Waziristan: Officials

 September 22, 2013

MIRANSHAH: At least six people were killed in a US drone strike on a suspected militant compound in North Waziristan on Sunday, officials said.

The attack took place in Shawal , about 55 kilometres west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district, along the Afghan border.

“US drones fired four missiles into a militant compound. At least six militants were killed and three others were wounded,” a security official told AFP.

A second security official confirmed the attack and death toll.

The officials said the identities of those killed were not yet clear.

US drone attacks are deeply unpopular in Pakistan, but Washington views them as a vital tool in the fight against Taliban and al Qaeda militants in the lawless tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/607743/six-killed-in-us-drone-strike-in-north-waziristan-officials/

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Taliban leader awaits fate in Karachi safe house

September 22, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a former Taliban second-in-command released in Pakistan this weekend, is being kept in a safe house in Karachi as regional powers debate his role in the Afghan peace process, sources said on Sunday.

Afghanistan sees Baradar as a respected figure who could use his influence among the Taliban to help coax moderate commanders

to the negotiating table and convince warring parties to stop fighting after more than a decade of war.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/607800/taliban-leader-awaits-fate-in-karachi-safe-house/

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Sharif gets army to back off on India peace bid

Imtiaz Ahmad, IANS

 September 21, 2013

Unlike his predecessors, Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif seems to have got some leeway from the country’s powerful military establishment in pursuing peace with India. Islamabad’s relations with New Delhi fall under the ambit of the army leadership, which closely monitors any dealings Pakistan’s diplomats or politicians make. “The ISI works out of the foreign office. India, China and the US are areas of special concern,” concedes a former Pakistan envoy to India.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Sharif-gets-army-to-back-off-on-India-peace-bid/Article1-1125412.aspx

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Army to continue its role in Swat, says Kayani

2013-09-22

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Saturday visited Swat valley and reiterated that Army would continue to play its role in rebuilding the area and assisting civil administration in maintenance of law and order.

"Praying for martyred Maj-Gen Sanaullah Khan, Lt. Colonel Touseef Ahmed and Lance Naik Irfan Sattar, he paid rich tribute to them for their ultimate sacrifice and said that the whole nation would remain indebted to them," said an ISPR press release.

The mentioned army officers were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Upper Dir near the Afghan border on September 15. The Pakistani Taliban militants had claimed responsibility for the attack later.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1044543/army-to-continue-its-role-in-swat-says-kayani

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Karachi operation: Rangers arrest 42 suspects

2013-09-22

KARACHI: Rangers’ forces on Saturday arrested 42 suspects via a targeted operation in different parts of the city, while hand grenades confiscated earlier were also destroyed, DawnNews reported.

Under orders from the Supreme Court and the federal government, both the police and Rangers security forces are conducting an operation in the city.

Rangers conducted an operation in Mubina town and arrested six suspects. According to official sources, the suspects were involved in car-lifting activities.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1044667/karachi-operation-rangers-arrest-42-suspects

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Imran warns of fallout if talks not held with Taliban

IKRAM JUNAIDI

2013-09-22

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that another all-party conference should be convened if the government wants to launch an operation in tribal areas.

At a meeting of the PTI’s central executive committee, he talked about the negative impact the killing of military officers in a terrorist attack in Upper Dir had cast on the prospect of talks with the Taliban.

At the same time, he warned that there would be fallout on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa if efforts to hold talks with the Taliban failed.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1044634/imran-warns-of-fallout-if-talks-not-held-with-taliban

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Three Balochistan doctors released by Taliban

SYED ALI SHAH

2013-09-21

QUETTA: The Taliban militants have set free three doctors kidnapped in Balochistan's Killa Saifullah district more than three months back, family sources said on Saturday.

Armed gunmen had picked up three doctors and two paramedics from Killa Saifullah district on June 12 this year.

Obaidullah Jan Babat, brother of one of the released doctors and member of Balochistan Assembly from Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), told Dawn.com that all three doctors have been released by their captors.

There was no claim on the part of Taliban for kidnapping the doctors. However, one of the family members of the kidnapped doctors, who requested not to be named, told Dawn.com that Taliban from the tribal belt had kidnapped the doctors.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1044463/three-balochistan-doctors-released-by-taliban

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Arab World

 

Assault on Iraq funeral, other attacks on Saturday kill 96

AP

2013-09-22

BAGHDAD: Two suicide bombers, one in an explosives-laden car and the other on foot, struck a cluster of funeral tents packed with mourning families in a Shia neighborhood in Baghdad, the deadliest in a string of attacks around Iraq that killed at least 96 people on Saturday.

The assaults, the latest in a months-long surge of violence, are a chilling reminder of insurgents' determination to re-ignite sectarian conflict more than a decade after the US-led invasion.

Thousands of Iraqis have been killed in violent attacks in recent months, a level of bloodshed not seen since Iraq pulled back from the brink of civil war in 2008, despite appeals for restraint from Shia and Sunni political leaders.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1044665/assault-on-iraq-funeral-other-attacks-kill-96

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Egyptian Islamist tries to ‘set woman on fire’ over pro-army ringtone

22 September 2013

An Egyptian Islamist allegedly attempted to set his colleague on fire, after he heard her mobile phone’s pro-army ringtone, the online edition of local newspaper al-Ahram reported on Saturday.

The man, described by the newspaper as a supporter of deposed Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi, reportedly backed the Muslim Brotherhood, which Mursi hails from.

The newspaper said the 23-year-old woman had told the police that her colleague started insulting her after he heard the ringtone. He then attempted to set her on fire by dousing her in petrol.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2013/09/22/Egyptian-Islamist-tries-to-set-woman-on-fire-over-pro-army-ringtone.html

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Qatar to cooperate in teaching Arabic in UK

Sep 22, 2013

Manama: Qatar and the UK have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the teaching and learning of Arabic language and culture across UK schools.

The signing was part of the agreements reached by Shaikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Minister of Culture Ed Vaizey.

The meeting in City Hall in London reviewed Qatar and the UK’s mutual interest in developing areas of collaboration in science, technology and education.

Full report at:

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/qatar/qatar-to-cooperate-in-teaching-arabic-in-uk-1.1230796

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Iraq struggles to keep Syria’s war out

Sep 22, 2013

Baghdad: In a recent video produced by a Syrian jihadist group, several men believed to be members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria stop three Syrian truckers transporting goods through Iraq’s Anbar province, which borders Syria.

The Sunni militiamen quiz the truckers about how they pray, trying to determine if the men are Sunnis or Shiites. When their answers reveal them to be Alawites, a Shiite offshoot predominately loyal to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, the gunmen force the three men to kneel on the side of the road before executing them.

Full report at:

http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iraq/iraq-struggles-to-keep-syria-s-war-out-1.1234065

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Syrian Christians may get pulled into war

Sep 22, 2013

ISTANBUL — A huge statue of the Virgin Mary towers over churches, monasteries and mosques in the Syrian city of Maaloula, where a dialect of the Aramaic language of Jesus is still spoken.

The town has managed to stay out of the Syrian conflict between Sunni Muslim rebels and the regime of dictator Bashar Assad, as have most of Syria's 2 million Christians.

But worsening violence has forced the community into a corner: Continuous clashes between the rebels and the regime in this isolated town of 2,000 people as well as other Christian towns over the past two weeks have many Christians worried that they will no longer be allowed to stay neutral.

Full report at:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/09/21/syria-christians/2843139/

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Mortar round hits Russia embassy compound in Damascus: NGO

AFP

Beirut, Lebanon, September 22, 2013

A mortar round hit the compound of the Russian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the attack, which struck inside the compound but did not appear to hit the embassy's main building.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Mortar-round-hits-Russia-embassy-compound-in-Damascus-NGO/Article1-1125598.aspx

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Africa

 

Al-Shabaab Twitter account suspended after Kenya mall attack claims

22 September 2013

The Twitter account of Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab rebels was suspended Saturday after they used the site to claim responsibility for an attack on a Nairobi shopping mall that left 39 dead and 150 wounded.

A message from Twitter on the English-language @HSM_Press account read that the account was suspended, the third time this year that the group has been expelled from the site.

According to Twitter users are blocked “for any unlawful purposes or in furtherance of illegal activities”.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/2013/09/22/Al-Shabaab-Twitter-account-suspended-after-Kenya-mall-attack-claims.html

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Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Monarch, Abduct Wife

BY EMEKA MAMAH, 22 SEPTEMBER 2013

Wife of the traditional ruler of Abba- Igogoro in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Igwe Omale Nwogbo, Adiza, has been kidnapped by unknown persons who invaded her home.

The woman was kidnapped days after some armed men invaded the palace and inflicted machete cuts on her husband before shooting at three other persons with him in his palace at about 8pm.

According to police sources, the traditional ruler was meeting with some people in his Igogoro palace when the gunmen struck and reportedly shot one Joshua Urama at the back while Igwe Ogbo himself, Emmanuel Tobechukwu Idoko and Sunday Ogbo sustained injuries on their heads and faces. Igwe Ogbo was said to have been reportedly given three machete cuts on his head.

Full report at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201309220018.html?aa_source=mf-hdlns

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Nigeria: Boko Haram - 8 Killed, 17 Injured in Abuja

Sep 22, 2013

Abuja — Eight people were killed and about 17 others suffered severe gunshot wounds yesterday when a combined team of soldiers and State Security Service (SSS) operatives sacked a purported Boko Haram enclave in an uncompleted building around Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja.

Eye witnesses and some residents in the area told Weekly Trust that the incident occurred between 11 pm and 1 am on Thursday night.

Apo is a large, high-brow settlement originally designed for legislators while they are in office, but now occupied by a mixture of lawmakers, other politicians, retired officials and other individuals.

Full report at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201309210011.html?viewall=1

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Death toll in northeast Nigeria attack rises to at least 142: Official

AFP | Sep 22, 2013

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria: The death toll from an attack in northeastern Nigeria that saw insurgents dressed as soldiers set up checkpoints and gun down travellers on a highway has risen to at least 142, an official said on Sunday.

"We recovered 55 bodies on Wednesday and 87 on Thursday," Abdulaziz Kolomi, an official with the environmental protection agency in Borno state, where the attack occurred, told AFP.

The previous toll from the attack in the Benisheik area was 87.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Death-toll-in-northeast-Nigeria-attack-rises-to-at-least-142-Official/articleshow/22895031.cms

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6 more die as fighting drags on in Zamboanga city

Sep 22, 2013

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines — Five rebels and a 71-year-old woman were killed as fighting dragged on in a southern Philippine city between government troops and Muslim insurgents holding out with about 20 civilian hostages, officials said.

The woman was killed when a stray mortar shell allegedly fired by the rebels loyal to Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari hit her house in Zamboanga city.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said five rebels were killed and two soldiers were wounded as troops battled rebels from close range. He said 35 rebels were still holding out.

Troops are searching two neighborhoods for rebels who seized scores of civilians as human shields Sept. 9 when government forces repulsed their bid to occupy the city.

Full report at:

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130922181227

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Israeli forces join Kenya battle to end deadly mall siege

Sep 22, 2013

Kenyan troops backed by Israeli forces battled Sunday to end a siege in an upmarket shopping mall and free hostages held by Somali militants in an attack that has so far killed 59 people.

 Sporadic gunfire could be heard as Kenyan security officials said they were attempting to kill or capture the remaining attackers and end the 26-hour-long bloodbath at the Westgate mall.

 "The Israelis have just entered and they are rescuing the hostages and the injured," a Kenyan security source told AFP. The Israeli foreign ministry refused to confirm or deny its forces were involved.

Full report at:

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/israeli-forces-join-kenya-battle-to-end-deadly-mall-siege.aspx?pageID=238&nID=54894&NewsCatID=357

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Organised 'terror gang' behind Nairobi mall attack: police sources

September 21, 2013

A well-organised "terror gang" is believed to be behind an armed assault on a Nairobi shopping mall, senior police sources told AFP, adding they had also detained one wounded suspect. "This cannot be a normal robbery because all the survivors are saying how the group confronted them and opened fire," a senior police official told AFP on condition he remained anonymous.

"We have reports there were up to 10 or so attackers and they appeared to be wearing a similar outfit, and others covered their faces," another police official said.

"The pattern of the attack and the way they were speaking to their targets clearly point to a well-planned attack by a terror gang," he said.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Africa/Organised-terror-gang-behind-Nairobi-mall-attack-police-sources/Article1-1125384.aspx

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Democratic Republic of Congo retakes four towns from Rwandan rebels

AFP | Sep 22, 2013

LUBERO: The Democratic Republic of Congo said on Saturday that it had retaken control of four towns in its restive eastern province which had been held by Rwandan ethnic Hutu rebels the FDLR.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende said in a statement that troops had "recovered villages long occupied by the rebels" in a vast operation in the Lubero region of the North-Kivu province which borders Rwanda.

UN-sponsored Radio Okapi said the villages of Lusuli, Vuvati, Buhenge et Kataro had been retaken "progressively and without combat" as the rebels had already left the area.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Democratic-Republic-of-Congo-retakes-four-towns-from-Rwandan-rebels/articleshow/22871413.cms

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South Asia

 

16 killed in Afghanistan Violence

IANS | Sep 22, 2013

KABUL: At least 16 people have been killed in violence in Afghanistan, authorities said on Sunday.

Four pro-government militiamen and three Taliban militants were killed in clashes at Hazrat-e-Sultan in Kunduz city, Xinhua reported citing a police officer.

In an overnight operation in Wardak province, police killed two militants and arrested four.

One civilian and six militants were killed in an attack on a police checkpoint in Nazyano district of eastern Nangarhar province Saturday night. Four people were injured, including a policeman.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/16-killed-in-Afghanistan-attacks/articleshow/22895211.cms

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Radical Islamist group Hefazat-e Islam announces fresh programmes

Sep 22, 2013

Radical Islamist group Hefazat-e Islam at a rally in Fatikchharhi of Chittagong on Saturday threatened to besiege the secretariat if the government did not stop passing a bill on Qawmi madrasa education.

The speakers did not mention any deadline; however, Organising Secretary Azizul Haq Islamabadi told the Dhaka Tribune that they would observe the programme after January 31 next year.

Full report at:

http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2013/sep/21/hefazat-announces-fresh-programmes

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Possible BNP violence will be dealt with severely: MK Alamgir

Sep 22, 2013

Home Minister MK Alamgir on Sunday said if the opposition parties tried to instigate violence in the name of their movement to oust the government, they would be dealt with severely.

The minister made this remark on Sunday after presiding over a meeting of the cabinet committee of law and order situation review held at the home ministry conference room.

Full report at:

http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2013/sep/22/possible-bnp-violence-will-be-dealt-severely-mk-alamgir

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EC asks Adhaalath Party VP to explain “irreligious” allegations against Nasheed

By Mariyath Mohamed | September 22nd, 2013

Adhaalath Party Vice President Dr Mauroof Hassan has said the Elections Commission Complaints Bureau has sent him a second request asking him explain his justifications for calling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate and former President Mohamed Nasheed ‘ladhini’ (irreligious).

Mauroof said that although the EC had asked him to provide a response before 12:00pm Sunday (September 22), he had not yet sent a reply.

“I am currently working on drafting a response and will send it in when I am able to complete it,” he told Minivan News, adding he could not say how long this might take.

Full report at:

http://minivannews.com/politics/elections-commission-asks-adhaalath-party-vp-to-explain-irreligious-allegations-against-nasheed-66297

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Hasina urges people to keep distance from BNP

Sep 22, 2013

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged the countrymen once again to vote for the ruling Awami League as opposition “BNP means repetition of terrorism, militancy and corruption.”

At a party meeting, the Awami League chief said: “Only Awami League has the right to urge people to cast their votes in favour of the party as the incumbent government did a lot for the welfare of the people.”

She also urged all to keep distance from the main opposition BNP and its partners, and also to remain alert about their propaganda.

Full report at:

http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2013/sep/22/hasina-urges-people-keep-distance-bnp

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Extraordinary Maldives Majlis session cancelled amid chaos, vandalism in chamber

By Zaheena Rasheed | September 22nd, 2013

An extraordinary meeting of the People’s Majlis was cancelled today after Speaker Abdulla Shahid’s microphone was vandalised during a Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and Jumhooree Party (JP)-led effort to disrupt parliamentary proceedings.

Twenty-nine MPs of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had asked Shahid to schedule an extraordinary sitting claiming certain politicians were “destroying constitutional tenets and straying from the path of democracy”, as the JP seeks to annul the first round of September’s presidential polls in the Supreme Court.

Full report at:

http://minivannews.com/politics/extraordinary-majlis-session-cancelled-amid-chaos-vandalism-in-chamber-66299

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Three US troops killed in Afghan 'insider attack'

 September 22, 2013

KHOST: An Afghan soldier shot dead three US troops Saturday, officials said, in the latest “insider attack” to shake efforts by the two armies to work together to defeat Taliban militants.

Attacks in which Afghan forces turn their guns on their international partners have killed scores of US-led troops, breeding mistrust and undermining efforts to train up local forces ahead of the NATO coalition’s withdrawal next year.

“Three International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members died when an individual wearing an Afghan National Security Forces uniform shot them in eastern Afghanistan today,” a statement from the coalition said.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/607732/three-us-troops-killed-in-afghan-insider-attack-2/

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Europe

 

US 'blackmailing' Russia over Syria resolution: Russian FM

Sep 22, 2013

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday accused the United States of blackmailing Russia over a tough UN resolution against Syria, and said the West is blinded by the idea of regime change in the war-torn country.

 "Our American partners are beginning to blackmail us: if Russia won't support a resolution under Chapter VII in the UN Security Council, then we will stop the work in the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons," Lavrov said in a Channel One interview, according to Russian agencies.

Full report at:

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-blackmailing-russia-over-syria-resolution-lavrov-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=54912&NewsCatID=359

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Tajikistan arrests 10 suspected attack plotters: official

AFP

2013-09-21

DUSHANBE: Police in Tajikistan have arrested 10 people suspected of planning a series of attacks to destabilise the country ahead of the presidential polls this year, an official said Saturday.

The suspects, claimed to be mostly young men who “received training in Pakistan”, were seized and disarmed in the capital of Dushanbe, a representative of the Tajikistan interior ministry told news agency AFP.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1044446/tajikistan-arrests-10-suspected-attack-plotters-official

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UN Security Council condemns Nairobi mall attack

 September 22, 2013

The UN Security Council condemned "in the strongest possible terms" a deadly attack on a Nairobi shopping mall on Saturday claimed by Somalia's al Qaeda-linked Shebab rebels.

Fourteen hours after the attack began, Kenyan troops were still trying to secure the area and neutralise the fighters who killed 39 people and wounded 150 more. The rebels were holding hostages inside.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/UN-Security-Council-condemns-Nairobi-mall-attack/Article1-1125501.aspx

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Angry Brussels wants answers from Israel over aid

 21 September 2013

AFP, Brussels

Brussels has demanded an explanation from Israel following the confiscation of humanitarian aid meant for Palestinians in the West Bank, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s spokesman said Saturday.

“The EU deplores the confiscation of humanitarian aid yesterday by Israeli security forces,” Michael Mann said in a statement.

“Representatives of the EU have already contacted the Israeli authorities to demand an explanation and express their concern over the incident.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/09/21/Angry-Brussels-wants-answers-from-Israel-over-aid.html

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EU officials demand Israel explain seizure of Palestinian aid

 22 September 2013

Israel has been asked by top European Union officials on Saturday to explain why its soldiers seized a truckload of humanitarian aid intended for Palestinians.

On Friday, Israeli soldiers manhandled European diplomats and seized emergency aid that was intended to be delivered to Palestinians whose homes were demolished this week, Reuters news agency reported.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/09/22/European-Union-tells-Israel-to-explain-seizure-of-Palestinian-aid.html

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India

 

PM condemns Nairobi terror attack

Sep 22, 2013

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday wrote to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, condemning the terror attack in Nairobi in which two Indians were among those killed and said a concerted global effort is required to control such mindless violence.

He directed the External Affairs Ministry to extend all help to Indian nationals who were victims of the attack at a mall in the Kenyan capital.

“The Prime Minister has sent a letter of condolence to Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta condemning the attack at a shopping mall in Nairobi,” the PMO said in New Delhi.

In his letter, Dr. Singh said “concerted global effort is required to control such mindless violence.”

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/manmohan-condemns-nairobi-terror-attack/article5157016.ece

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Internal war brewing within IM: Yasin Bhatkal

September 22, 2013

A split like situation has emerged in Indian Mujahideen with its operatives in India hugely miffed with their Karachi based chief Iqbal Bhatkal because of his lavish second marriage with a local woman who, they believe, do not conform to Islamic ways, claims Mohammad Ahmad Sidibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal, a counter-terror official familiar with the interrogation said.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/Internal-war-brewing-within-IM-Yasin-Bhatkal/Article1-1125442.aspx

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Pakistan again violates ceasefire in Kashmir

IANS | Sep 22, 2013

JAMMU: Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir late Saturday, an army spokesman said on Sunday.

Indian troops retaliated, and the exchange of gunfire continued till the early hours of Sunday.

"Pakistani troops fired at our positions in Hamirpur area of the LoC in Rajouri without any provocation late last night (Saturday)," defence spokesman Captain SN Acharya told IANS.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistan-again-violates-ceasefire-in-Kashmir/articleshow/22891492.cms

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Nod for panel’s access to Pak inmates in Indian jails

Sachin Parashar, TNN | Sep 22, 2013

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the proposed Manmohan-Sharif meeting in New York next week, India has made a small but significant gesture to impart a semblance of normalcy to bilateral ties. Sources told TOI that New Delhi has proposed a set of dates for the Pakistani members of the India-Pakistan judicial committee on prisoners to visit India in the second half of October.

The committee will carry out inspection of prisons where Pakistanis are lodged. This is the first time India has proposed any visit from Pakistan, or given in to any demand by Islamabad, since the August 6 ceasefire violations that led to the killing of five Indian soldiers. India was on the verge of resuming the dialogue process with Pakistan when the incident forced it to backtrack.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nod-for-panels-access-to-Pak-inmates-in-Indian-jails/articleshow/22873172.cms

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Azam Khan is ‘UP’s Modi’, says Pesh Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid

Pankaj Shah, TNN | Sep 22, 2013

LUCKNOW: Shahi Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid Syed Ahmad Bukhari on Saturday joined the chorus of opposition in taking a pot shot at senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, calling him "Narendra Modi of Uttar Pradesh". He accused Khan of orchestrating the riots that led to massacre of Muslims and forced many to leave their home in the riot-hit Muzaffarnagar district.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Azam-Khan-is-UPs-Modi-says-Syed-Ahmad-Bukhari/articleshow/22873812.cms

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Pakistan team arrives for talks on power projects in Chenab basin

Sep 22, 2013

A Pakistani delegation arrived here on Saturday for the 109th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission — the first for this year.

The four-day meeting at the level of the Indus Commissioners will discuss Pakistan’s objections to the construction of four hydrothermal projects in the Chenab basin in Jammu and Kashmir under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

Three of the projects — Ratle (850 MW), lower Kalnai (48 MW) and Miyar Nallah (120 MW) — are run-of-the-river projects, while the 1000-MW Pakaldul project involves a “very insignificant pondage,” Water Ministry sources told The Hindu.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pakistan-team-arrives-for-talks-on-power-projects-in-chenab-basin/article5154720.ece

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Mideast

 

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warns of dangers of dealing with U.S.

22 September 2013

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard has warned the country’s diplomats over diplomatically engaging with the United States, according to a statement at the weekend.

The warning comes ahead of expected diplomatic contacts between both countries.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rowhani will both be in New York next week to attend the United Nations’ General Assembly. The White House has said that an encounter between the two leaders is possible, although there was no meeting scheduled.

“Historical experiences make it necessary for the diplomatic apparatus of our country to carefully and skeptically monitor the behavior of White House officials so that the righteous demands of our nation are recognized and respected by those who favor interaction,” a statement from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said, published by Iran’s Tasnim news agency on Saturday.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/09/22/Iran-s-Revolutionary-Guard-warns-of-dangers-of-dealing-with-U-S-.html

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Rowhani says West must accept Iran's right to enrich uranium

 22 September 2013

President Hassan Rowhani said Sunday that Western governments must recognise Iran's right to enrich uranium in any deal to allay their concerns about its nuclear programme.

Rowhani said that should extend to "all rights of the Iranian nation, particularly nuclear rights and the right to enrich uranium on its territory within the framework of international rules".

His comments, at an annual military parade, came on the eve of his departure for the U.N. General Assembly in New York where he is scheduled to meet French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/09/22/Rowhani-says-West-must-accept-Iran-right-to-enrich-uranium-.html

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Iran to take control of Russian-built reactor Monday

22 September 2013

AFP, Tehran

Iran will take control of a Russian-built nuclear power station at Bushehr on its Gulf coast on Monday, Iranian Atomic Energy Agency chief Ali Akbar Salehi said.

"Tomorrow (Monday) the 1,000 megawatt Bushehr nuclear power station will be handed over to Iran," Salehi told the official IRNA news agency on Sunday.

"But for another two years it will be under Russian guarantee and a number of Russian experts will remain in place to give advice and technical assistance," he added.

Salehi is to join Russian officials at the plant for an official handover ceremony on Monday.

He said he expected work to start soon on a second nuclear power plant on completion of talks with Moscow.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/09/22/Iran-to-take-control-of-Russian-built-reactor-Monday-.html

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European ‘prejudice’ a block to Turkey joining EU, says minister

 22 September 2013

Reuters, Istanbul

Turkey will probably never join the European Union because of prejudicial attitudes by the bloc’s existing members, Ankara’s chief EU negotiator said, in what appeared to be the first high-level acknowledgment that its decades-long bid might fail.

Turkey was more likely to negotiate special access to the EU market, like Norway, EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis said, according to an article in London’s Telegraph newspaper published on Saturday.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/09/22/Turkey-will-probably-never-join-the-EU-says-Ankara-negotiator-.html

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Southeast Asia

 

Shariah Officer Arrested for Hash Smuggling, Aceh Police Foil Prison Break

Sep 22, 2013

Banda Aceh. A Shariah Police officer was arrested Saturday night for allegedly attempting to supply hashish to a prisoner at West Aceh’s Meulaboh penitentiary  while officers caught another prisoner attempting to saw through the jail’s bars in a failed escape attempt.

Achar, 41, was reportedly seen by police passing a package of hash through the prison’s walls, West Aceh District Police chief Adj. Sr. Cmr. Faisal Rivai said. Officers, tipped off by a prisoner, conducted a stakeout of the Paya Peunaga prison and at 6:30 p.m. they allegedly caught the Shariah Police member handing off the drugs.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/aceh-police-foil-prison-break-attempt-shariah-officer-arrested-for-hash-smuggling/

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Extremism in the name of Islam and Malaysian Muslims

SEPTEMBER 22, 2013

The Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project recent report on Muslims’ values towards extremism which was based on its face-to-face interviews conducted in 11 countries makes for interesting analysis. 822 Malaysians participated in the survey. 522 of them identified themselves as Muslim. When asked whether violence such as suicide bombing is justified to defend Islam from its enemies, 5% of the Malaysian Muslims surveyed said it is “often justified”, 22% said “sometimes justified”, 12% said it is “rarely justified”, 58% said it is “never justified”, while 3% indicated that they did not know or refuse to answer.

In 2010 Malaysia had 28.3 million citizens of which 61.3% identified themselves as Muslim. This is 17,347,900 people. If the Pew Research Center’s sample was representative of Malaysian Muslims, then the survey results would be the general view of Malaysian Muslims. If we then extrapolate the survey results, the following propositions could be made:

867,395 Malaysian Muslims think that violence such as suicide bombing is “often justified” to defend Islam from its enemies.

Full report at:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/extremism-in-the-name-of-islam-and-malaysian-muslims-joshua-woo

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North America

 

US condemns deadly Kenya mall attack Washington

September 22, 2013

he White House condemned as "despicable" the attack that left at least 39 people dead at a Nairobi shopping mall, vowing to assist Kenya's counterterrorism efforts.

Americans were reportedly among the injured - estimated at 150 - in the attack claimed by Somalia's al Qaeda-linked Shabab militants, the US state department said on Saturday.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the despicable terrorist attack on innocent civilians today at the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya," US National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/US-condemns-deadly-Kenya-mall-attack-Washington/Article1-1125530.aspx

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Nawaz clear about Pak interests: US official

ANWAR IQBAL

2013-09-22

WASHINGTON: The Nawaz Sharif government is going to be “very clear” about Pakistan’s interests when it has differences with the United States, says the White House.

At a briefing in Washington, Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser at the White House, also observed that both governments wanted to build a stronger relationship and the Obama administration was ready to work with the Sharif government to achieve this target.

“Even as we have differences on some issues between the US and Pakistan, (we want) to make sure that the trajectory of the relationship is a positive one,” he said.

Full report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1044627/nawaz-clear-about-pak-interests-us-official

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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/in-deadliest-attack-pakistani-christians,/d/13621

 

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