New Age Islam News Bureau
10
Jan 2013
• Indonesian Ulema Council Declares On-Street Religious Services as Haram
• Sex for Favours Hard to Pursue as Form of Bribery, Anti graft Body Concedes
• Indonesia to Help Heal Myanmar's Rakhine Conflict Scars
• Ministry of Tourism, MUI to Develop Shariah Tourism in Indonesia
South Asia
• Tablighi Jamaat World Congregation (Ijtema) begins on Friday in Bangladesh
• Maldives government to review laws that “victimise” sexually abused minors
• Over 200 Afghan policemen poisoned in Balkh province
• Afghan Amnesty Program Falls Short, Leaving Ex-Insurgents Regretful and Angry
• NATO puzzled by Afghan army’s demands for tanks
• Bangladesh seeks hike in manpower deployment
• 2 Hizb-ut Tawhid men held
• Maldivian Married couple arrested over possession of illegal narcotics
India
• Providing girl's photo to boy's family for marriage not allowed: Darul Uloom Deoband
• Pak cross-LoC raid: Brutality similar to 2000 strike by Ilyas Kashmiri
• RSS volunteers and Taliban no different: MPCC Chief
• India rejects Pak proposal for UN probe into soldiers' killings
• New Delhi summons Bashir to protest, Pak says let UN probe
• Subdued response in Pakistan
• Police file five fresh cases against Akbaruddin Owaisi
• MSEB engineer who made ‘Chhota Pak’ official faces probe
• BJP not surprised by reports of Hafiz Saeed's presence in Poonch
• Jihad will revive in Kashmir in 2014: Hafiz Saeed, Salahuddin
• India debunks Pak denials after barbaric attack
• Congress slams MIM's politics, likens it to idea of Pakistan
• Omar’s uncle seeks implementation of J&K plebiscite promise
• Visa-on-arrival for Pakistani nationals above 65 years from January 15
• Pakistani army's brutality may force India to rethink on peace
• India summons Pakistani envoy, lodges strong protest against killing of soldiers
• I’ll be amazed if PM goes on Pakistan visit: Omar
• Week before killing, LeT chief stirred trouble at LoC
• Nanavati commission orders probe into Sanjiv Bhatt's allegations
• Gulf-based businessman gets award from Indian president
Arab World
• Egyptian Constitution Heralds Dawn of an 'Islamic Caliphate'
• Nine killed in spate of Iraq attacks
• Syria fires ballistic missile at rebels, NATO says
• Dialogue organised by UNICEF and ACCD on social policies to ensure safety of children
• Syria coalition proposes transition govt; Brahimi sees Assad excluded in peace plan
• Egyptian pound hits new record low despite Qatar aid
• Morsi steers Fatah-Hamas reconciliation talks
• Jihadi Group Says It Stands with Other Syrian Rebels
• NATO Official Says More Missiles Launched in Syria
• Historic Old Jeddah Awaits Life-Saving Restoration
Pakistan
• Bomb, drone attack kill 16 people in Pakistan
• Man jailed for 10 years in blasphemy case of misquoting a Hadith
• Hope ceasefire violations won't derail peace process: Hina Rabbani Khar
• Any statement coming from a billion people from India does not deserve a response from Pakistan: Khar
• Soldier killed by Indian troops on J&K border: Pakistan
• Alarm bells ringing, Pakistan all for independent probe
• Pakistan has reservations over naming India most favoured nation: Jilani
• Explosion in Quetta; seven killed
• Pakistani truckers of NATO goods go on strike
• Pakistan's LoC attack linked to endgame in Afghanistan
• Judges open new 'Karachi' probe against Sarkozy
• Altaf to launch political 'drone' attack today
• ‘Arrested members of TTP behind killings of polio workers’
North America
• US asks India, Pakistan to cool off and talk
• U.S. not ruling out ‘zero option’ for 2014
• Casey pushes protection of women in Afghanistan
• US claims Iran hand in missing FBI agent
• CIA officials invisible at DC premiere of Osama bin Laden film
• US claims online bank hacking work of Iran
Europe
• Irish PM dismisses Pope’s criticism of change in abortion laws
• Exposé: Islamic Apartheid in Europe
• UK University suspends Uganda degrees in gay law row
• Nationalist Kyrgyz Leader Accused of Coup Bid
• UN envoy to hold new Russia-US talks on Syria crisis
Africa
• African Anglicans Denounce Church of England Gay Bishop Rule
• Tribal clashes in Libya's Kufra kill 4: Military official
• Malian Army Says Seized Major Town from Islamist Rebels
Mideast Asia
• Court in Gaza sentences militant to 15 years in jail
• Iran Says Sole Nuclear Plant at ‘Full Capacity’
• Ankara agrees on a peace plan with Kurdish rebels
• Palestinian Leader Rejects Deal on Syria Refugees
• Car explosion in Israeli city of Tel Aviv
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Over 200 Afghan policemen poisoned in Balkh province
URL:
Bombings kill 115 people in Pakistan
11 January 2013
QUETTA, Pakistan: A series of bombings killed 115 people across Pakistan on Thursday, including 81 who died in twin blasts on a bustling billiards hall in a Shiite area of the southwestern city of Quetta.
Pakistan’s minority Shiite Muslims have increasingly been targeted by radical Sunnis who consider them heretics, and a militant Sunni group claimed responsibility for Thursday’s deadliest attack — sending a suicide bomber into the packed pool hall and then detonating a car bomb five minutes later.
It was one of the deadliest days in recent years for a country that is no stranger to violence from radical Islamists, militant separatists and criminal gangs.
Violence has been especially intense in southwest Baluchistan province, where Quetta is the capital and the country’s largest concentration of Shiites live. Many are ethnic Hazara who migrated from neighboring Afghanistan.
The billiards hall targeted Thursday was located in an area dominated by the minority sect. In addition to the 81 dead, more than 120 people were wounded in the double bombing, said police officer Zubair Mehmood. The dead included police officers, journalists and rescue workers who responded to the initial explosion.
Ghulam Abbas, a Shiite who lives about 150 yard (meters) from the billiards hall, said he was at home with his family when the first blast occurred. He was trying to decide whether to head to the scene when the second bomb went off.
“The second blast was a deafening one, and I fell down,” he said. “I could hear cries and minutes later I saw ambulances taking the injured to the hospital.”
Hospitals and a local mortuary were overwhelmed as the dead and wounded arrived throughout the evening. Weeping relatives gathered outside the emergency room at Quetta’s Civil Hospital. Inside the morgue, bodies were laid out on the floor.
The bombs severely damaged the three-story building where the pool hall was located and set it on fire. It also damaged nearby shops, homes and offices.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni militant group with strong ties to the Pakistani Taleban, claimed responsibility for the attack. Hazara Shiites, who migrated from Afghanistan more than a century ago, have been the targets of dozens of attacks by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Quetta over the past year, but Thursday’s was by far the bloodiest.
Human Rights Watch sharply criticized the Pakistani government for not doing enough to crack down on the killings and protect the country’s vulnerable Shiite community. It said more than 400 Shiites were killed in targeted attacks in Pakistan in 2012, including over 120 in Baluchistan.
“2012 was the bloodiest year for Pakistan’s Shia community in living memory and if this latest attack is any indication, 2013 has started on an even more dismal note,” said Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan director at Human Rights Watch.
“As Shia community members continue to be slaughtered in cold blood, the callousness and indifference of authorities offers a damning indictment of the state, its military and security agencies,” Hasan said. “Pakistan’s tolerance for religious extremists is not just destroying lives and alienating entire communities, it is destroying Pakistani society across the board.”
Pakistan’s intelligence agencies helped nurture Sunni militant groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in the 1980s, to counter a perceived threat from neighboring Iran, which is mostly Shiite. Pakistan banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in 2001, but the group continues to operate fairly freely.
Earlier Thursday, a bomb targeting paramilitary soldiers in a commercial area in Quetta killed 12 people and wounded more than 40 others.
The bomb was concealed in a bag and placed near a vehicle carrying paramilitary soldiers, said Akbar Hussain Durrani, the provincial interior secretary. The bag was spotted by a local resident, but before the soldiers could react, it was detonated by remote control.
The United Baluch Army, a separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack in calls to local journalists. Pakistan has faced a violent insurgency in Baluchistan for years from nationalists who demand greater autonomy and a larger share of the country’s natural resources.
Elsewhere in Pakistan, a bomb in a crowded Sunni mosque in the northwest city of Mingora killed 22 people and wounded more than 70, said senior police officer Akhtar Hayyat.
No group claimed responsibility for that attack, but suspicion fell on the Pakistani Taleban, which has waged a bloody insurgency against the government in the Swat Valley, where Mingora is located, and other parts of the northwest.
Pakistan is also home to many enemies of the US who Washington has frequently targeted with drone attacks. A US missile strike in the northwest tribal region Thursday killed five suspected militants in the seventh such attack in two weeks, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
The recent spate of strikes has been one of the most intense in the past two years, a period in which political tensions between the US and Pakistan led to a reduced number of attacks compared to 2010, when they were at their most frequent.
It’s unclear whether the current uptick has been caused by particularly valuable intelligence obtained by the CIA, or whether the warming of relations between the two countries has made strikes less sensitive. Protests by the government and Islamic hard-liners have been noticeably muted.
The strike on Thursday occurred in a village near Mir Ali, one of the main towns in the North Waziristan tribal area, said Pakistani intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
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Abbot reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writers Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Shirin Zada in Mingora, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
http://www.arabnews.com/bombings-kill-115-people-pakistan
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Southeast Asia
Indonesian Ulema Council Declares On-Street Religious Services as Haram
Lenny Tristia Tambun | January 10, 2013
The Indonesian Ulema Council wants to prevent mass services from taking place on public streets, calling the practice disruptive and Haram, or forbidden, under Islam.
“Conducting Tabligh akbar [mass sermon] by closing a street causes loss for other people,” Syamsul Ma’arif, the secretary general of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), said on Thursday.
“For instance you want to take your wife to the hospital as she needs to be treated immediately, but you can’t do that because the road was closed. It is a public order disturbance by religious figure. Provincial government should be strict on this, don’t be selective.”
A mosque on Jalan Raya Pasar Minggu and on Jalan Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta, often conduct mass services on the street.
Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said that the Jakarta government would support the MUI’s edict by relaying the message through mass media and advertisement boards on Jakarta buildings.
“We have to inform the edict so people could read and see it, especially the organizers of religious services that often use and close the street that causes difficulties for people to go to their destination,” Basuki said.
Basuki said that the Jakarta government would build integrated market buildings, with the first and second storey to be used for the market, the third storey to be used as a multifunction hall, and the final storey to be used as a public health center, kindergarten and flats.
“Main roads should not be used by people for personal usage,” he said. “Main roads should not be used without permit. But they did it because there is no big multifunction room, so they block the road. But with the concept of an integrated market, they can use the multifunction hall.”
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/mui-declares-on-street-religious-services-as-haram/565257
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Sex for Favours Hard to Pursue as Form of Bribery, Anti graft Body Concedes
ID/Aris Cahyadi & Ezra Sihite | January 10, 2013
The national antigraft body says legislation against corruption fails to address the issue of sex for favours, but legislators counter that trying to police this form of bribery will be difficult and futile.
Adnan Pandupraja, a deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), raised the subject on Tuesday, saying that while the problem of sex for favours was known to exist, there was nothing in the law prohibiting it.
“The laws measure bribery on a scale of rupiah. If we could convert sex-based bribery into a rupiah sum, that would be interesting, but unfortunately there are no such regulations on this issue,” he said.
He added that it was important to address this matter because it was covered in the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which Indonesia has ratified.
“We still need to perfect our [ant graft legislation]. We plan to go into detail on this point so that it’s all clear,” Adnan said.
Giri Supradiono, a director at the KPK, said prevailing legislation went as far as acknowledging that bribes, though mostly in the form of money, also took other forms, including discounts and “enjoyment.”
He said that based on this, there needed to be clear guidelines that any kind of object or service offered in exchange for unlawful concessions from a recipient official to be deemed a bribe, including offers of sex.
The KPK’s proposal has been criticized as needless by Priyo Budi Santoso, a deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, who argued on Wednesday that existing laws were sufficiently comprehensive without having to take on the subject.
“If they want to get that specific point included in the law, that’s fine, but I think the law already covers all points of bribery. Do public officials fall for the sex for favors trick? I think they’d be too embarrassed to do it,” said Priyo, a Golkar Party official.
Saan Mustopha, from the Democratic Party, said he had no objections to the KPK pursuing such cases, but said the law must not be open to interpretation and investigators must be able to prove that a sex act was intended as a bribe.
“In theory I have no problem with it, but it must be enforceable,” he said.
Allegations of Indonesian public officials receiving sex in exchange for favours are rare. The most high-profile such allegation in the past year involved Emir Moeis, a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
Emir is accused of taking a $300,000 bribe from French power plant contractor Alstom to help it win a contract to build a power plant in Lampung in 2004.
During the early stage of the investigation last July, it was alleged that he was taken on a junket to Paris, where he partook in “special entertainment for men” at a cabaret club.
His case has not yet gone to trial.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/sex-for-favors-hard-to-pursue-as-form-of-bribery-antigraft-body-concedes/565181
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Indonesia to Help Heal Myanmar's Rakhine Conflict Scars
Zakir Hussain - Straits Times | January 10, 2013
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said his country is looking to help build shelters, schools and community centers and improve economic opportunities in Myanmar's Rakhine state as it recovers from scars of ethnic conflict.
"It is very important for us to offer a sense of hope to people, so that there are opportunities for employment and further reconciliation," he told reporters on Wednesday, giving an assessment of his two-day visit there this week.
"We have ahead of us not only the business of reconstructing physical infrastructure, but also rebuilding trust and security between the two sides."
His visit came months after reports of violence between Arakan Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims emerged.
The conflict continues to see an influx of boat people from the area to neighboring countries. Indonesia has, in recent years, also sought to play a role as Southeast Asia's biggest nation to help resolve regional conflict.
On Monday and Tuesday, Marty visited six refugee camps in the townships of Kyauktaw, Pauktaw and Maungdaw by helicopter, and on the outskirts of Sittwe by road, accompanied by Myanmar's Border Affairs Minister Thein Htay. They also talked with refugees from both sides of the divide.
"Feelings of distrust run high between the two communities, and there are urgent economic needs," Marty said.
He also discussed the issue of citizenship with Lieutenant-General Thein Htay. Many of the 800,000 or so Rohingyas are stateless.
Indonesian journalists accompanying him on the visit reported Lt. Gen. Thein Htay as saying that the issue of citizenship will take time, and has to involve the 60 million people of Myanmar.
Marty felt Myanmar wanted to address these tensions: "The fact that we were invited shows a willingness to be involved and to learn from other countries' experience.
"We don't see this being prolonged," he added. "People in affected states are showing a willingness to recover quickly."
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/indonesia-to-help-heal-myanmars-rakhine-conflict-scars/565277
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Ministry of Tourism, MUI to Develop Shariah Tourism in Indonesia
Jakarta Globe | January 08, 2013
Citing potentially large revenue from Muslim tourists, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry and the Indonesian Council of Ulema are joining forces to develop “Shariah tourism” in the archipelago.
“[Shariah tourism] is expected to become a new alternative for international tourists coming to Indonesia, and we hope it will be successful like Shariah banking,” Deputy Tourism Minister Sapta Nirwandar said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/ministry-of-tourism-mui-to-develop-shariah-tourism-in-indonesia/565034
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South Asia
Tablighi Jamaat World Congregation (Ijtema) begins on Friday in Bangladesh
January 10, 2013
Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims after hajj, begins on Friday on the bank of the Turag River at Tongi.
The first phase of the Ijtema will be held on January 11-13 while the second phase on January 18-20.
Tabligh Jamaat is organising the 48th Biswa Ijtema, also called the ‘World Muslims’ Congregation’.
The three-day congregation includes delivering boyans (sermons) on the fundamental issues of Tabligh, prayer for the spiritual adulation, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim Ummah.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=43860
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Maldives government to review laws that “victimise” sexually abused minors
By Neil Merrett | January 9th, 2013
The Maldivian government has today said it will review and potentially “correct” laws in the country it claims victimise young women and minors who have suffered sexual abuse.
President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad told Minivan News the government would be holding consultations with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and other relevant authorities to discuss how minors who have been sexually abused were being treated in the country.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/maldives-government-to-review-laws-it-claims-%E2%80%9Cvictimise%E2%80%9D-sexually-abused-minors-50821
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Over 200 Afghan policemen poisoned in Balkh province
January 10, 2013
A total of 250 Afghan policemen have been poisoned in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, Press TV reports.
Local officials said the incident took place in a police station in Marmul district on Tuesday night.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/01/09/282589/over-200-afghan-policemen-poisoned/
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Afghan Amnesty Program Falls Short, Leaving Ex-Insurgents Regretful and Angry
By AZAM AHMED
January 10, 2013
MEHTAR LAM, Afghanistan — Eidi Mohammed, a former Taliban commander who recently renounced violence and sought amnesty under the Afghan government’s reconciliation program, has had another change of heart. Now he is thinking about rejoining his old comrades. Jobless and losing hope he will ever find work, Mr. Mohammed, 38, took his frustrations to provincial officials. They told him there was nothing they could do.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/world/asia/many-afghan-ex-insurgents-regret-laying-
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NATO puzzled by Afghan army’s demands for tanks
January 9, 2013
KABUL: A senior international alliance officer in Afghanistan questioned Wednesday why the local army, which is due to take responsibility for security next year, has demanded tanks to fight insurgents.
US-led NATO combat troops will withdraw by the end of 2014, leaving Afghan forces to battle Taliban militants who use roadside bombs, suicide attacks and other guerrilla tactics to oppose the Kabul government.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/491712/NATO-puzzled-by-afghan-armys-demands-for-tanks/
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Bangladesh seeks hike in manpower deployment
10 January 2013
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called to increase the import of manpower from her country to Saudi Arabia.
She made her statement to Shoura Council Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh, who visited the Bangladeshi prime minister at her official residence Monday evening.
Al-Asheikh is currently on a visit to Bangladesh, where he also met with President Zillur Rahman on Tuesday at his Bagabhaban palace in Dhaka. The president also urged the visiting Saudi delegation to increase the import of manpower. Bangladesh state media quoted Prime Minister Hasina as calling upon the Saudi government to invest more in her country’s industrial and business sector for mutual benefits of the two countries.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/bangladesh-seeks-hike-manpower-deployment
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2 Hizb-ut Tawhid men held
January 10, 2013
The law enforcers arrested two members of Hizb-ut Tawhid, an Islamist outfit in the town yesterday. The arrested activists were identified as, Mohammad Bipul, 20, son Anwar Hossain of Mollataria village of Sadar upazila in Kushtia and Abdul Jabbar, 26, son of Haibatullah of Sindurkouta village under Gangni upazila in Meherpur. Acting on a tip off, a team from Sadar model police station arrested Bipul and Jabbar in Shaheed Satu Hall area at around 12:00pm when they were distributing leaflets on jihad (Islamic uprising). Police seized the leaflets and some calendars from the Hizbut men, said Golam Mortuza, officer in-charge (OC) of Sadar model police station. The founder of the Islamist outfit is Humayun Khan Panni of Tangail district.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=264552
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Maldivian Married couple arrested over possession of illegal narcotics
By Ahmed Nazeer | January 9th, 2013
Police have announced the arrest yesterday (January 8) of a married couple in connection to the discovery of 270 bullet-sized packets of illegal narcotics.
The drugs were said to have been discovered both at the couple’s home and at the workplace of the male suspect, according to local media.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/society/married-couple-arrested-over-possession-of-illegal-narcotics-worth-mvr-615600-50813
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India
Providing girl's photo to boy's family for marriage not allowed: Darul Uloom Deoband
Jan 10 2013
Muzaffarnagar : Leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband has said that providing the photograph of a girl to boy's family for marriage purpose is not allowed under Islamic law.
In a fatwa issued yesterday, the seminary said providing photo of a girl to boy's family for fixing wedding is against Shariat law.
However, using photos for only essential purposes was allowed, it said.
The fatwa was issued in response to a question posed by a Muslim girl. The girl had asked if a photo can be send through an e-mail to boy's family for selection for marriage.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/providing-girls-photo-to-boys-family-for-marriag.../1057398/
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Pak cross-LoC raid: Brutality similar to 2000 strike by Ilyas Kashmiri
By Josy Joseph
Jan 10, 2013
NEW DELHI: Nobody wants to be on record, but many seasoned Pakistani watchers within the security establishment are beginning to suspect that Tuesday's attack on Indian soldiers may have been executed by the Special Services Group (SSG), the Pakistan army's commando unit. Reasons for this presumption are many — most important being that the one operation that has most parallels with the attack was a strike of February 2000, which was suspected to be an action by the SSG.
"I don't have any credible evidence to say for sure, but the way the operation was carried out, the beheading etc point fingers at the SSG," said a senior official in the security establishment. He said it had an uncanny resemblance to the February 27, 2000, operation, which was led by Ilyas Kashmiri, the dreaded terrorist commander who was killed recently in a US drone attack.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-cross-LoC-raid-Brutality-similar-to-2000-strike-by-Ilyas-Kashmiri/articleshow/17961775.cms
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RSS volunteers and Taliban no different: MPCC Chief
Jan 10, 2013
INDORE: Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Kantilal Bhuria said that there is no difference between RSS volunteers and Taliban, both believe in violence and have no respect for women in Indore. He said this while reacting to the attack by RSS volunteers in the residence of Congressmen.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/RSS-volunteers-and-Taliban-no-different-Kantilal-Bhuria/articleshow/17966649.cms
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India rejects Pak proposal for UN probe into soldiers' killings
Jan 10 2013
New Delhi : India on Thursday outrightly rejected Pakistan's proposal for UN investigation into Tuesday's incident on Line of Control (LoC) in which two Indian soldiers were killed with the body of one being badly mutilated.
The issue figured at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) which was briefed by Defence Minister A K Antony on the incident in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector on January eight and subsequent developments.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-rejects-pak-proposal-for-un-probe-into-soldi.../1057460/
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New Delhi summons Bashir to protest, Pak says let UN probe
Jan 10 2013
New Delhi : Expressing “deepest concern and protest” over the “barbaric and inhuman mutilation” of two Indian soldiers — one of whom was beheaded — New Delhi Wednesday summoned Pakistan’s envoy and told him that the fallout of the incident, if not contained, would have an “adverse impact” on bilateral relations.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/new-delhi-summons-bashir-to-protest-pak-says-let-un-probe/1057172/
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Subdued response in Pakistan
ANITA JOSHUA
January 10, 2013
Apart from official statements emanating from the Pakistan Foreign Office and the military, Islamabad’s reaction to the latest ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) has remained muted with even the media not giving it too much attention.
Even after Wednesday’s developments, when statements came out of both the capitals, the Pakistani media did not ratchet up the anti-India rhetoric.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/subdued-response-in-pakistan/article4291310.ece
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Police file five fresh cases against Akbaruddin Owaisi
Jan 10, 2013
NIRMAL (ADILABAD): Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, arrested for making a hate speech, was on Wednesday remanded in 14-day judicial custody and sent to Adilabad district jail, about 200 km from Hyderabad. Police filed five fresh cases against Akbaruddin while producing him before the magistrate, including those of criminal conspiracy and sedition.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Police-file-five-fresh-cases-against-Akbaruddin-Owaisi/articleshow/17962584.cms
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MSEB engineer who made ‘Chhota Pak’ official faces probe
Jan 10 2013
A scathing letter from the state minorities commission has forced Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to finally initiate action against a junior engineer for bills bearing the postal address ‘Chhota Pakistan’ issued to a few Nalasopara (West) residents.
The bills were received by a couple of households in Santosh Bhavan and Rashid Compound, sparking outrage. After receiving flak from the minorities commission in December, MSEB instituted an inquiry under Vasai suprintending engineer Dinesh Sabu.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/show-cause-mseb-engineer-who-made--chhota-pak--official-faces-probe/1057004/
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BJP not surprised by reports of Hafiz Saeed's presence in Poonch
Jan 10 2013
BJP leader Balbir Punj on Thursday said he is not surprised by reports that Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was in Poonch a week before the brutal killing of two Army jawans took place near Mendhar across the Line of Control (LoC), saying the 26/11 mastermind is very much a part of the Pakistani establishment, which is hell bent upon creating problems for India and also exporting terror to India.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/loc-attack-bjp-not-surprised-by-reports-of-hafiz-saeeds-presence-in.../1057436/
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Jihad will revive in Kashmir in 2014: Hafiz Saeed, Salahuddin
A delegation of separatists leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on a visit to Pakistan last month also met Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin
Riyaz Wani
January 8, 2013
A delegation of separatists leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on a visit to Pakistan last month also met Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, who India has named as terror masterminds. The duo told a delegation of separatists from Jammu and Kashmir that armed militancy would revive in the Valley in 2014, TEHELKA has learnt.
Full report at:
http://tehelka.com/jihad-will-revive-in-kashmir-in-2014-hafiz-saeed-salahuddin-tell-hurriyat-delegation/
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India debunks Pak denials after barbaric attack
Jan 10, 2013
NEW DELHI: The government may have asked the security forces manning the borders with Pakistan "not to further escalate the situation" as of now but it has also been made clear that a repeat of "such barbaric cross-border action" will not be tolerated again - militarily as well as diplomatically.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-debunks-Pak-denials-after-barbaric-attack/articleshow/17962491.cms
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Congress slams MIM's politics, likens it to idea of Pakistan
Jan 10, 2013
NEW DELHI: Congress compared MIM's politics to the idea of Pakistan, likening the Hyderabad controversy to what was espoused by the neighbouring country after Independence.
AICC spokesman Rashid Alvi said India had chosen to be a secular state contrary to Pakistan which opted to be an Islamic country on the very first day after its creation. "Everyone has equal constitutional rights in India but some parties still fan communal hatred for political gain. Law will take its course in what has happened in Hyderabad.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Congress-slams-MIMs-politics-likens-it-to-idea-of-Pakistan/articleshow/17962056.cms
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Omar’s uncle seeks implementation of J&K plebiscite promise
Jan 10, 2013
SRINAGAR: J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah's uncle Shiekh Nazir Ahmad has accused the "Indian establishment" of repeatedly stabbing the Kashmiri leadership in the back while seeking implementation of Jawaharlal Nehru's 1947 plebiscite promise.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Omars-uncle-seeks-implementation-of-JK-plebiscite-promise/articleshow/17962754.cms
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Visa-on-arrival for Pakistani nationals above 65 years from January 15
Jan 10, 2013
ATTARI: The visa-on-arrival facility at the Attari-Wagah check post to Pakistani nationals over 65 years of age will begin from January 15, but they would not be able to stay in Punjab, Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir.
"From January 15, people from Pakistan above 65 years of age can avail the visa-on-arrival on reaching the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP)," a government official said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Visa-on-arrival-for-Pakistani-nationals-above-65-years-from-January-15/articleshow/17962908.cms
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Pakistani army's brutality may force India to rethink on peace
Jan 10, 2013
NEW DELHI: An angry India on Wednesday summoned Pakistani high commissioner Salman Bashir to the foreign office to lodge a strong protest over the killing and mutilation of Indian soldiers, even suggesting that the incident may force New Delhi to do a rethink on its re-engagement with Pakistan. Hours later, Pakistan reacted by accusing India of making "baseless and unfounded allegations".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistani-armys-brutality-may-force-India-to-rethink-on-peace/articleshow/17960330.cms
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India summons Pakistani envoy, lodges strong protest against killing of soldiers
SANDEEP DIKSHIT
ANITA JOSHUA
January 10, 2013
Pakistan High Commissioner Salman Bashir was summoned to the External Affairs Ministry on Wednesday to protest against the killing of two Indian soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC).Pakistan, however, said it was sure the Indian Army started the chain of events and things took a turn for the worse early on Sunday morning with the death of one of its soldiers and critical injuries to another.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-summons-pakistani-envoy-lodges-strong-protest-against-killing-of-soldiers/article4289915.ece
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I’ll be amazed if PM goes on Pakistan visit: Omar
Harinder Baweja, Hindustan Times
January 10, 2013
Batting for a graded response against Pakistan after the savage killings of two Indian soldiers, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah told HT in an exclusive interview that he “would be amazed if the Prime Minister went to Pakistan”. “The peace process with Pakistan cannot continue as if nothing happened. The window for the Prime Minister’s trip has closed,’’ Abdullah said, adding, “Manmohan Singh has invested so much in the dialogue but now it will be difficult for him to take half a step forward.”
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/I-ll-be-amazed-if-PM-goes-on-Pakistan-visit-Omar/Article1-987507.aspx
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Week before killing, LeT chief stirred trouble at LoC
Harinder Baweja , Hindustan Times
January 10, 2013
Just a week before the savage killing of two Indian soldiers, Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks Hafiz Saeed was at the line of control (LoC) bordering Poonch in Jammu, according to an intelligence report. He was doing what he does best: Inciting Lashkar’s border action teams (BATs) to step up activity along the LoC. In the mischief department, the BATs provide an eager helping hand to Pakistani army regulars.
The Mendhar sector in which the Indian soldiers were killed and their bodies mutilated is in Poonch district.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Week-before-killing-LeT-chief-stirred-trouble-at-LoC/Article1-987489.aspx
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Nanavati commission orders probe into Sanjiv Bhatt's allegations
Jan 10, 2013
AHMEDABAD: The Nanavati commission, which is probing the 2002 post-Godhra riots, on Wednesday ordered a high-level inquiry into the alleged destruction of documents.
Heeding the demand by suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, the commission ordered the setting up of a committee comprising home secretary M D Antani and additional director general of police (ADGP), State Arms Unit, Tirthraj. The committee has been asked to report back within three weeks.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2002-post-Godhra-riots-Nanavati-commission-orders-probe-into-Sanjiv-Bhatts-allegations/articleshow/17961746.cms
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Gulf-based businessman gets award from Indian president
10 January 2013
K.T. Mohammed Rabeeullah, a prominent Indian businessman in the Gulf, yesterday received a prestigious award from Indian President Pranab Mukherjee for his outstanding contributions to the community and humanitarian services.
The award known as Pravasi Bharathiya Puraskaram was given during the concluding ceremony of a conference of Indian expatriates in Kochi, Kerala. Fourteen other prominent Non-Resident Indians also received the award. Rabeeullah, who is chairman Shifa Al Jazeera Medical Group, runs number polyclinics in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. The group employs more than 4,000 people from different countries, including 700 doctors. More than 35,000 people receive the services of Shifa polyclinics every day.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/gulf-based-businessman-gets-award-indian-president
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Arab World
Egyptian Constitution Heralds Dawn of an 'Islamic Caliphate'
8 JANUARY 2013
Cairo — Egypt's new constitution "prepares the way for an Islamic caliphate", according to the acting leader of Coptic Catholics, who is among three bishops to condemn the document as a fundamental attack on human rights.
Expressing their profound disappointment with the constitution signed into law on December 26, 2012, the bishops said only extremist Muslims' rights were guaranteed by the new document and that at particular risk were women, young people and religious minorities.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201301090816.html
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Nine killed in spate of Iraq attacks
January 10, 2013
BAGHDAD: A spate of bombings and shootings in Baghdad and a restive province north of the capital killed nine people on Thursday morning, security and medical officials said.
In Baghdad, a car bomb at 8:00 am (0500 GMT) killed at least three people and wounded 11 others near a police station in the predominantly Shia neighbourhood of Hurriyah, officials said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/10/nine-killed-in-spate-of-iraq-attacks/
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Syria fires ballistic missile at rebels, NATO says
Jan 10 2013
The Syrian military has fired a ballistic missile towards cities in the north, NATO says, making it the third such launch in recent days.
The BBC understands that the missiles were unguided and were fired in the direction of Aleppo and Idlib.
Last month, NATO approved the deployment of Patriot anti-missile batteries along Turkey's border with Syria.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20970866
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Preacher alarms many in Egypt with calls for Islamist vice police
By Yasmine Saleh and Shaimaa Fayed
January 10, 2013
CAIRO (Reuters) - Many Egyptian viewers were horrified when preacher Hisham el-Ashry recently popped up on primetime television to say women must cover up for their own protection and advocated the introduction of religious police.
That an obscure preacher could get publicity for such views was seen as another example of the confused political scene in Egypt since the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak gave birth to a cacophony of feuding voices.
Full report at:
http://news.yahoo.com/preacher-alarms-many-egypt-calls-islamist-vice-police-140724660.html
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Morsy steers Fatah-Hamas reconciliation talks
ATUL ANEJA
January 10, 2013
Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsy is holding talks to reconcile differences between Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas — a step that reinforces Cairo’s leadership in regional diplomacy to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Mr. Morsy is slated to meet later on Wednesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Khalid Meshaal, the Hamas leader, who has arrived in Cairo from Doha — his new abode in exile after he decided to quit Damascus, his previous headquarters.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/morsy-steers-fatahhamas-reconciliation-talks/article4291029.ece
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Riyadh summit to draw up Arab economic blueprint
10 January 2013
JEDDAH: Leaders of major Arab countries will attend the third Arab Economic and Social Development Summit that opens in Riyadh on Jan. 21. The summit, which the Kingdom hosts for the first time, is expected to draw a road map for the region’s economic development.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has sent invitations to Arab heads of state including Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi, King Abdallah of Jordan and President Michel Suleiman of Lebanon to attend the two-day conference.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/riyadh-summit-draw-road-map-arab-economic-development
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Cyber attacks threaten 69% of Saudi firms
10 January 2013
JEDDAH: Computer security software corporation Symantec has revealed to Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper that 69 percent of Saudi companies cannot cope with cyber attacks due to their “lack of data backup operations on daily basis”.
Samer Sidani, regional director of Symantec Saudi Arabia, told the paper that “Corporate data and information is a direct communication link with users; therefore, it has great importance and priority.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/cyber-attacks-threaten-69-saudi-firms
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Dialogue organised by UNICEF and ACCD on social policies to ensure safety of children
10 January 2013
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD) will be organizing a roundtable dialogue on social protection policies for children.
The dialogue, to be held on Jan. 15-16 at UNICEF’s headquarters in Riyadh, will bring together academics and representatives from civil societies as well as policy makers of some Gulf countries. The move is within the framework of UNICEF’s new direction to organize as well as participate in dialogues concerning policies that affect children in the Gulf countries to bring the latest international trends in this area. Learned lessons from local and regional expertise will be presented.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/dialogue-social-policies-ensure-safety-children
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Syria coalition proposes transition govt; Brahimi sees Assad excluded in peace plan
10 January 2013
BEIRUT/DAMASCUS/CAIRO: A core Syrian opposition group is proposing that the leading National Coalition set up a transitional government in areas outside regime control, according to a document obtained by AFP.
The Syrian National Council called on the Cairo-based umbrella group the Syrian National Coalition to “appoint an interim government, with guarantees that it will be internationally recognized and supported.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/syria-coalition-proposes-transition-govt-brahimi-sees-assad-excluded-peace-plan
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Egyptian pound hits new record low despite Qatar aid
10 January 2013
CAIRO: The Egyptian pound slid to a new record low yesterday, only a day after Qatar threw Cairo an economic lifeline by sending $ 2.5 billion in aid to help it tackle a currency crisis.
Demand for dollars remained strong as businesses and ordinary Egyptians continued selling the local currency, fearing their funds would lose even more value after weeks of political strife and pressure on Egypt’s foreign reserves, bankers told Reuters.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/egyptian-pound-hits-new-record-low-despite-qatar-aid
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Jihadi Group Says It Stands With Other Syrian Rebels
By JOSH WOOD
January 10, 2013
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Nusra Front, Syria’s largest and most powerful jihadist rebel group, has built a reputation as an effective fighting force in the country’s civil war, even though its extremist ideology — and accusations that it is part of Al Qaeda — have caused friction in Syria and anxiety abroad.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/world/middleeast/10iht-m03-syria-
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NATO Official Says More Missiles Launched in Syria
January 10, 2013
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A short-range ballistic missile was fired inside Syria on Wednesday, following similar launches last week, a NATO official said on Thursday.
The official condemned as "reckless" the missile launches, which U.S. officials called an escalation of the 21-month-old Syrian civil war when their use was first spotted last month.
"The use of such indiscriminate weapons shows utter disregard for the lives of the Syrian people," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/10/world/europe/10reuters-syria-crisis-
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Historic Old Jeddah Awaits Life-Saving Restoration
January 10, 2013
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In the heart of Saudi Arabia’s sprawling Red Sea port city of Jeddah, centuries-old buildings tilt and buckle above the historic district’s narrow alleys, withering away in the absence of decisive action to protect them.
The seventh-century historic district, with its mud and coral town houses adorned with ornate wooden balconies, holds the only remnants of the traditional architecture of the Hijaz, as the western Arabian Peninsula is known.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/historic-old-jeddah-awaits-life-saving-restoration/565244
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Pakistan
Bomb, drone attack kill 16 people in Pakistan
By By ABDUL SATTAR and SEBASTIAN ABBOT, Associated Press
Jan 10 2013
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A bomb targeting paramilitary soldiers killed 11 people in southwest Pakistan on Thursday, while five suspected militants died in a U.S. drone strike in the country's northwest, officials said.
The drone strike was the seventh in two weeks, one of the most intense series of attacks in the last two years, a period in which political tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan led to a reduced number of strikes compared to 2010, when they were at their highest.
Full report at: Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Man jailed for 10 years in blasphemy case of misquoting a Hadith
January 10, 2013
CHAKWAL: After a trial spread over 14 months and conducted in an uneasy environment, Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Pervez Akhtar jailed a blasphemy accused for 10 years and imposed a fine of Rs200, 000 on Tuesday evening.
The verdict left the lawyers of both groups baffled and they now intend to go to the Lahore High Court — one would file an appeal for getting the sentence quashed while the other would file a review petition.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/10/man-jailed-for-10-years-in-blasphemy-case/
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Hope ceasefire violations won't derail peace process: Hina Rabbani Khar
Jan 10 2013
Islamabad : Pakistan today hoped that the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control would not be a setback to or derail the peace process with India.
"You asked whether this will set back or derail the (peace) process. I will hope not and I (do not) see it derailing or setting back the process," Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said during a news conference at the Foreign Office this afternoon.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hope-ceasefire-violations-wont-derail-peace-process-hina-rabbani-kha.../1057469/
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Any statement coming from a billion people from India does not deserve a response from Pakistan: Khar
Jan 10 2013
Islamabad : In a hugely arrogant move by Pakistan's Hina Rabbani Khar takes India to task for raising brutally beheaded soldiers' case.
Seething at India's temerity to raise the ceasefire violation, entering of Indian territory by Pak troops and the barbaric decapitation of 2 soldiers, Khar went on to say, "Any statement coming from a billion people from India does not deserve a response from Pakistan".
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/paks-hina-rabbani-khar-takes-india-to-task-for-raising-brutally-behea.../1057469/
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Soldier killed by Indian troops on J&K border: Pakistan
Jan 10, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani military said Indian troops shot and killed a Pakistani soldier on Thursday, the third deadly cross-border incident reported in five days in the Kashmir region.
"Pakistan army soldier, Havildar Mohyuddin, embraced shahadat (martyrdom) due to unprovoked firing by Indian troops at Hotspring sector in Battal at 2:40 pm (0940 GMT) today," the military said in a text message to reporters.
"Today, India troops resorted to unprovoked firing at a Pakistani post named Kundi," it added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Soldier-killed-by-Indian-troops-on-JK-border-Pakistan/articleshow/17969822.cms
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Alarm bells ringing, Pakistan all for independent probe
Imtiaz Ahmad
January 10, 2013
Pakistan has called for an independent inquiry into the killing of two Indian soldiers in a cross-border violation, saying that UN observers should investigate the matter. Earlier, Pakistan has said that the allegations were "baseless and unfounded".
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/Alarm-bells-ringing-Pakistan-all-for-independent-probe/Article1-987435.aspx
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Pakistan has reservations over naming India most favoured nation: Jilani
January 10, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday said Pakistan had some reservations over giving India the status of most favoured nation (MFN), DawnNews reported.
Speaking to media representatives in Islamabad, Jilani said the commerce ministers of India and Pakistan would hold talks on those reservations in the next few days.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/10/pakistan-has-reservations-over-giving-mfn-status-to-india-foreign-secretary-jilani/
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Explosion in Quetta; seven killed
January 10, 2013
QUETTA: At least seven people were reported killed and 20 others injured in a blast that took place near Quetta’s Bacha Khan chowk on Thursday, DawnNews reported.
The injured included at least four Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and the explosion damaged shops and buildings in the area.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/10/explosion-in-quetta-several-injured/
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Pakistani truckers of NATO goods go on strike
Jan 9, 2013
PESHAWAR: Truckers who carry supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan went on strike in northwest Pakistan to protest lower pay, inadequate security and corrupt officials who demand bribes from the truckers, officials said.
The supply route is an important lifeline for international forces in landlocked Afghanistan. The coalition ships about a significant portion of its nonlethal supplies through Pakistan into southern Afghanistan. The other land route through northern Afghanistan, Central Asia and Russia is longer and more expensive.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistani-truckers-of-NATO-goods-go-on-strike/articleshow/17959198.cms
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Pakistan's LoC attack linked to endgame in Afghanistan
January 10, 2013
The endgame in Afghanistan could embolden the Pakistan army and spell trouble for India-Pakistan ties, feels observers and experts.
The US is increasingly patching up with the Pakistan army because they give final touches to the exit plans from Afghanistan. "The brutal murder and Pakistan army's aggression should be seen in the context of the larger security architecture in South Asia and Afghanistan," said former diplomat M K Bhadrakumar.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Pakistan-s-LoC-attack-linked-to-endgame-in-Afghanistan/Article1-987447.aspx
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Judges open new 'Karachi' probe against Sarkozy
January 10, 2013
French judges on Thursday authorised a fresh probe against ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy as part of the so-called "Karachi affair," a judicial source told AFP, in the latest legal headache faced by the former leader. Three judges decided to proceed with a probe to see whether Sarkozy violated a confidentiality law when the Elysee presidential palace published a press release on the affair in September 2011.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Europe/Judges-open-new-Karachi-probe-against-Sarkozy/Article1-987669.aspx
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Altaf to launch political 'drone' attack today
January 10, 2013
KARACHI: Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s political “drone” will strike today (Thursday) at 5pm, a statement issued by the party’s Raabta Committee stated.
The party chief will address MQM officials today in an emergency meeting where he will divulge details regarding the impending “political drone” attack.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/492098/altaf-to-launch-political-drone-attack-today/
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‘Arrested members of TTP behind killings of polio workers’
January 10, 2013
KARACHI: The Crime Investigation Department claimed to have arrested five alleged members of outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who they said were also involved in killings of the female polio workers and bomb blasts on Ayesha Manzil.
The accused, Ayub Khan, Bilal aka Mushtaq, Tauseef Ali aka Bhai Jan, Saifullah alias Mushtaq and Motim Khan, were arrested after an encounter with the CID police at their hideout in Ittehad Town.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/491788/cid-arrests-arrested-members-of-ttp-behind-killings-of-polio-workers/
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North America
US asks India, Pakistan to cool off and talk
Jan 10, 2013
WASHINGTON: The US has asked India and Pakistan to cool down tensions over the killing of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control in ( LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and talk to each other to improve relations.
"We're urging both sides to take steps to end the violence. We continue to strongly support any efforts to improve relations between the two countries," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters on Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-asks-India-Pakistan-to-cool-off-and-talk/articleshow/17964540.cms
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U.S. not ruling out ‘zero option’ for 2014
NARAYAN LAKSHMAN
January 10, 2013
The U.S. has not ruled out a total troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by 2014, according to official remarks on the eve of an important meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai here.
On a conference call with media prior to Mr. Karzai’s arrival, Deputy National Security Adviser for strategic communication Ben Rhodes responded to a question on whether a “zero option” was on the table saying, “that would be an option that we would consider, because the President does not view these negotiations as having a goal of keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan”.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-not-ruling-out-zero-option-for-2014/article4291224.ece
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Casey pushes protection of women in Afghanistan
By Salena Zito
January 10, 2013
American lawmakers should pay attention to corruption and the security environment in Afghanistan as the country prepares for its 2014 elections, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey said Wednesday.
Casey, D-Scranton, one of several members of Congress who met with Afghan President Harmid Karzai as he opened a three-day visit to Washington, said the United States should continue to demand protection of Afghan women and girls during the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghan forces.
Full report at:
http://triblive.com/politics/politicalheadlines/3265823-74/casey-afghan-women#axzz2HYX7v5s8
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US claims Iran hand in missing FBI agent
Daily Mail
January 10, 2013
EXTRAORDINARY photographs of former FBI agent Robert Levinson who has been missing for almost six years reveal the hand of the Iranian government in his kidnapping US intelligence officials said.
Posing in an orange jumpsuit like those worn by detainees at Guantanamo Bay the politically charged images of Levinson were sent directly by email to his family in 2011 — but investigators could find no trace of the source — indicating a high level of technological expertise.
Full report at: Mail Today
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CIA officials invisible at DC premiere of Osama bin Laden film
Jan 10 2013
Washington : There were journalists in droves, glasses of wine proffered by waiters and hors d'oeuvres devised by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck at the Washington premiere of a movie about the CIA, but prominent agency officials were nowhere to be seen.
Although official records show the spy agency cooperated generously with the makers of "Zero Dark Thirty," which dramatizes the 10-year hunt for Osama bin Laden, the movie's graphic depictions of torture have made it a political hot potato of the kind Washington thrives on but which mystifies Hollywood.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cia-officials-invisible-at-dc-premiere-of-osama-bin-laden-film/1057306/
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US claims online bank hacking work of Iran
Jan 10 2013
San Francisco : There was something disturbingly different about the wave of online attacks on American banks in recent weeks. Security researchers say that instead of exploiting individual computers, the attackers engineered networks of computers in data centers.
Since September, intruders have caused major disruptions to the online banking sites of Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, US Bancorp, PNC and others.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-claims-online-bank-hacking-work-of-iran/1057041/
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Europe
Irish PM dismisses Pope’s criticism of change in abortion laws
January 10, 2013
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Wednesday weighed into the country’s abortion debate to dismiss the Pope’s criticism of proposed new laws.
The debate has been re-ignited since Indian origin dentist Savita Halappanavar’s death after being denied a termination of an unviable foetus at an Irish hospital in October 2012.
As a parliamentary committee began a second day of hearings in Dublin on the issue today, the Irish PM called for “understanding” after Pope Benedict XVI expressed his “dismay” at the proposed introduction of abortion legislation “in various countries, even those of Christian tradition” at an annual Vatican address on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/irish-pm-dismisses-popes-criticism-of-change-in-abortion-laws/article4290789.ece
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Exposé: Islamic Apartheid in Europe
January 09, 2013
The same Europe which falsely charges Israel of imposing apartheid on Route 60 in Judea and Samaria has established Islamic segregation in its own midst.
It has been called "Halal House". Islamically correct apartment complexes. It's the last frontier of Dutch multicultural policies that encouraged immigrants to live in parallel societies.
From the outside, the apartments of the Amsterdam neighbourhoods of Bos and Lommer look like ordinary suburban blocks for married couples. But inside, the Dutch authorities furnished the houses in accordance with Islamic law.
Full report at:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/12705#.UO5vBuRthm4
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UK University suspends Uganda degrees in gay law row
Jan 9 2013
A UK university is suspending accreditation for courses at a Ugandan university, in response to proposed legislation against homosexuality.
The University of Buckingham says it has been "increasingly concerned" about a proposed anti-gay bill in Uganda and its "constraints on freedom of speech".
As such the university says it will no longer validate courses at Victoria University in Kampala.
Buckingham says it will make "viable arrangements" for existing students.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20958929
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UN urges India, Pak to de-escalate tensions through dialogue
Jan 10, 2013
UNITED NATIONS: The UN has urged India and Pakistan to respect the ceasefire and "de-escalate" tensions over the recent cross-border firings through dialogue.
The United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) made the plea even as it received a complaint from Pakistan which claimed that Indian troops had allegedly crossed the Line of Control(LoC) and "raided" a border post on January 6. India has denied it has crossed the LoC.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/UN-urges-India-Pak-to-de-escalate-tensions-through-dialogue/articleshow/17964837.cms
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Nationalist Kyrgyz Leader Accused of Coup Bid
January 10, 2013
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — Crowds of supporters of a firebrand nationalist leader rallied Thursday outside a courthouse in Kyrgyzstan where he is on trial accused of leading an attempted coup.
Kamchibek Tashiyev heads the Ata-Zhurt movement, which has a substantial following in southern regions of the politically and ethnically divided ex-Soviet Central Asian nation. Observers fear mass protests could strain the country's fragile stability.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/01/10/world/asia/ap-as-kyrgyzstan-nationalist-
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UN envoy to hold new Russia-US talks on Syria crisis
Jan 10, 2013
WASHINGTON: UN peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi will meet with top Russian and US officials in Geneva on Friday, for fresh talks on how to end the bloody 21-month conflict in Syria.
Both Moscow and Washington confirmed Wednesday that talks would go ahead between joint UN-Arab League envoy Brahimi, as well as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and US Undersecretary of State William Burns.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/UN-envoy-to-hold-new-Russia-US-talks-on-Syria-crisis/articleshow/17961964.cms
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Africa
African Anglicans Denounce Church of England Gay Bishop Rule
January 10, 2013
PARIS (Reuters) - Senior African Anglican leaders have lined up to denounce the Church of England's decision to allow celibate gay bishops, warning it would only widen the divisions within the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Archbishop Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria, effectively the largest province in the Communion, said such reforms "could very well shatter whatever hopes we had for healing and reconciliation within our beloved Communion."
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/10/world/africa/10reuters-anglican-africa-
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Tribal clashes in Libya's Kufra kill 4: Military official
Jan 10, 2013
TRIPOLI: Four people were killed in clashes pitting Toubou tribesmen against a brigade linked to the Libyan army in the southern town of Kufra, a military official told AFP on Wednesday.
"Four Toubou tribesmen were killed on Tuesday in clashes against Shield Libya," an army force made up of former rebels, the official said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Tribal-clashes-in-Libyas-Kufra-kill-4-Military-official/articleshow/17962099.cms
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Malian Army Says Seized Major Town From Islamist Rebels
January 10, 2013
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's army forced Islamist rebels out of an important north-eastern town on Wednesday, a senior army official said, the first major pushback by government forces since the north of the country fell to insurgents last year.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/10/world/africa/10reuters-mali-
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Mideast Asia
Court in Gaza sentences militant to 15 years in jail
Jan 10 2013
A Hamas-run court in the Gaza Strip has sentenced a leader of a rival militant group to 15 years in jail.
Zaki al-Sakani was convicted of terrorism and illegally possessing explosives and weapons, his brother Mohammed told the Maan news agency.
Sakani, a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, which is associated with Fatah, was arrested in 2008.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20958070
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Iran Says Sole Nuclear Plant at ‘Full Capacity’
January 09, 2013
Tehran. Iran’s sole nuclear power plant is now linked to the national energy grid at full capacity after having to be taken off-line for two months, the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization said on Wednesday.
“There are no particular problems,” organization head Fereydoon Abbasi Davani told state television.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/iran-says-sole-nuclear-plant-at-full-capacity/565197
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Ankara agrees on a peace plan with Kurdish rebels
10 January 2013
ANKARA: The Turkish government and jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan have agreed on a road map to end a three-decade-old insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, media reported yesterday.
The deal was reached during a new round of talks between Ankara and Ocalan and aims to have the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) lay down arms in March, a private news network reported.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/ankara-agrees-peace-plan-kurdish-rebels
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Palestinian Leader Rejects Deal on Syria Refugees
January 10, 2013
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he rejected a conditional Israeli offer to allow Palestinians from war-torn Syria to resettle in the West Bank and Gaza.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/01/10/world/middleeast/ap-ml-palestinians-
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Car explosion in Israeli city of Tel Aviv
Jan 10 2013
There has been an explosion by a car in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
Reports say at least four people were injured in the blast, on Menachem Begin Street, a major thoroughfare.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said there was a strong possibility the blast was a criminal incident and a "settling of scores" but did not rule out political violence.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20972183
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/indonesian-ulema-council-declares-street/d/9947