Islam and Science ‘Go Hand In Hand’: American Scholar and NASA Scientist
Age Islam News Bureau
27 Nov 2012
North America
• Islam and science ‘go hand in hand’: American Scholar and NASA Scientist
• 'Anti-Sharia' Law Supporters Push for Action on Michigan House Bill Targeting Islamic Ideology
• Egyptian govt ought to reflect will of the people: U.S.
• Oscars buzz for Bigelow’s Bin Laden film
• US reviewing India’s request on Headley- Rana extradition
India
• LeT threatens to strike at Vaishno Devi to avenge execution of Ajmal Quassab
• U P government wants to withdraw charges against 15 terror accused
• For 26/11 Italian victim, Gujarat was balm
• Zakia Jafri cannot file protest petition against SIT report: Court
• Ex-NSG commando Surender Singh holds forth on 26/11 symbolism
• Peacenik all set for drive from UK to India via Pak
• 700 Pakistani Bullets Found In Tripura
• A delivery that has puzzled J& K police
• Court remands Abu Jundal to judicial custody till December 10
• Salman Khurshid puts forward wish list to U.S., post-polls
• 7/11: HC allows defence to examine cops
• Ansari aide sidelined by LeT bosses: Cops
• Shahabuddin says didn’t ask Muslims to back Modi
• Indian US$25 million budget support loan delayed after Maldives fails to complete paperwork
Australia
• Australia to abstain from UN vote on Palestinians
Pakistan
• Shia Procession mourners accused of blasphemy
• We will defeat terrorism, Pakistan teen activist Malala tells journalist Hamid Mir
• Pak Taliban rule out peace, vow to fight 'secular rulers'
• Anti-Sexual Harassment Law: Enforcing legislation in FATA effectively
• ‘Quassab hanging may affect Pak trial’
• Suspected Taliban member arrested in Karachi
• Sindhi Hindu family’s heritage home in Hyderabad rescued from time
• 4 killed, two wounded in Balochistan
• Smoking Sheesha arguments land in ‘open space’
• Pakistan judge makes official stand up for hours as punishment
• 26/11 case: Pak sends terms of reference for visit of 2nd Judicial Commission
• TTP accepts responsibility of attack bid on Hamid Mir
• Pakistan protests Iran over cross-border mortars
Arab World
• King Abdullah interfaith dialogue centre opens in Vienna
• Saudi Arabia beheads three murderers
• 20 Civilians Killed in Syrian Strike on Olive Press, Rebels Say
• Bombs kill 6 in Iraq's disputed Kirkuk province
• Kingdom calls for Arab anti-AIDS strategy
• Baha prisoners’ care committee wants improvement in jails
• Mursi agrees to “limit” powers after talks
• Bahrain Police break up March after Ashura memorial service
• Egyptian minister says end of crisis 'imminent'
• Two killed in protests against Morsy decree
• Savvier, Rebels Shift Tactics in Syria
Africa
• Uniformed Men Kill 9 in Central Nigeria
• 40 Tunisia militants still on hunger strike
• Gunmen free inmates at Nigeria police station
• African Union considers international force in Congo
Europe
• Kazakhstan shuts down anti-President newspaper
• Norway shows video footage of mass murderer parking van bomb
• UN defends role in Maldives, emphasises “political impartiality”
• Tajikistan Blocks Facebook Access to Silence Critics
• UN to vote Thursday on raising Palestinian status
• Rights group demands Syria stop using cluster bombs
• HRW says Pakistan’s judges muzzling criticism in media
• UN praises Indonesia’s ‘outstanding efforts’
Southeast Asia
• Kelantan govt firm on implementing Islamic law on non-Muslims
• Malaysia contributes $2.02 lakh to Islamic University of Technology
• Solo’s Catholic mayor receives warm acceptance from Ulema
• Sharia banking sees extraordinary development in several countries
• National scene: NU group wants lawmaker to apologize
• Malaysian Islamic party urges Elton John show ban
• Hundreds of Thai schools shut over militant attacks
Mideast Asia
• Remains of Yasser Arafat exhumed for tests: Palestinian sources
• Troubled Iranian reactor in focus at UN nuclear agency
• Iran MP blames cyber police for blogger's death
• Iran losing Arab sympathy for backing Assad: Hamas
South Asia
• Maldives National Movement to protest against Nexbis
• Maldivian MP calls for killing of former President’s Special Envoy
• Dr Waheed will be PPM presidential candidate, predicts Nasheed
• “Not the right time” to reveal the details of MP’s murder, says Police Commissioner
• Karzai hints at flexibility in Afghan-US troop talks
• Ansari Was trained in Nepal by Pakistan national
• Audit Says Kabul Bank Began as ‘Ponzi Scheme’
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: LeT threatens to strike at Vaishno Devi to avenge execution of Ajmal Quassab
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islam-science-‘go-hand-hand’/d/9451
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North America
Islam and science ‘go hand in hand’: American Scholar and NASA Scientist
27 November 2012
A well-known American scholar and scientist of Bangladeshi origin was in Jubail recently to deliver a lecture on the Holy Qur’an and science.
Abdul Hye, who worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for nearly three decades, is actively engaged in propagating the message of Islam. His lecture was organized by Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali of the Jubail Dawa and Guidance Center.
He has delivered presentations to NASA team members and at the Islamic Center of East Lansing. His talk, based on copious references from the Holy Qur’an, helped enlighten a large number of men and women about Allah’s supreme power and His authority over His creations.
“It is my firm belief that Islam and science go hand in hand,” he said. “Science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind.”
Abdullah Al-Omairi, a steadfast backer of the Jubail Dawa Centre, thanked Hye for his eye-opening presentation and underlined the importance of conveying the message of the Holy Qur’an to one and all.
During a Q&A session, members of the audience raised points, which prompted Hye to come up with detailed explanations.
http://www.arabnews.com/islam-and-science-%E2%80%98go-hand-hand%E2%80%99
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'Anti-Sharia' Law Supporters Push for Action on Michigan House Bill Targeting Islamic Ideology
11/26/2012
Supporters of an "anti-sharia" bill that's been sitting in Michigan's State House Judiciary Committee for over a year are pushing state lawmakers to put the measure to a vote.
If adopted, the bill he introduced would "limit the application and enforcement by a court, arbitrator, or administrative body of foreign laws that would impair constitutional rights."
House Bill 4769 was introduced by State Rep. Dave Agema (R-Grandville) in June of 2011. Agema, who was chosen to be Michigan's Republican National Committeeman earlier this year, has a history of making controversial statements about Islam. He has gone on record claiming President Obama is a Muslim and has also linked the faith to violent behavior.
“I disagree that Islam is a religion of peace," he told Michigan Radio. "Just about every terrorist is a Muslim.”
“I think that’s really undemocratic to bottle it up like that. One should put it on the floor. Let the legislators have a stand up Yes or No vote. And if it fails, it fails,” Irving Ginsburg, a supporter of the bill, told Michigan Radio.
The bill has been opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and the Council on American-Islamic of Michigan (CAIR-MI).
“HB 4769 does nothing to protect our legal institutions but only contributes to the growing climate of fear-mongering against the American Muslim community which marginalizes and cast suspicion upon loyal Americans,” Dawud Walid, Executive Director of CAIR-MI said on his blog.
Sharia is a term meaning Islamic religious law. It's a moral and legal code that governs things like marriage, business, eating habits and other aspects of life for a devout Muslim.
In the last several years, "anti-sharia" laws have been passed in Arizona, Kansas, Louisana, South Dakota, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma voters passed a state proposal a law similar to Michigan's House Bill 4769 in 2010. However, that measure was struck down by a federal appeals court because it made a specific reference to sharia law -- and would have violated the U.S. Constitution by targeting a particular religion.
Last year Tenessee passed an anti-terrorism law that made the "material support" of Islamic law a crime that could be punished by 15 years in prison. An amended version of the law later removed references to Islam.
In May of this year Kansas governor Sam Brownback signed a law that prevents state courts and agencies from applying foreign laws in their decision-making. That law makes no specific mention of sharia or Islamic law, USA Today reports.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/anti-sharia-law-michigan-house-bill_n_2192221.html
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Egyptian govt ought to reflect will of the people: U.S.
27 November 2012
Expressing concern over President Mohammed Morsi’s decision to assume sweeping powers through a decree, the White House on Tuesday said that the Egyptian government ought to reflect the will of the people.
“We have some concerns about the decisions and declarations that were announced on November 22nd, and those concerns reflect the concerns that many Egyptians have and that others in the international community have, because we’ve approached this transformation in Egypt with basic principles in mind, and that is we support democracy,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/egyptian-govt-ought-to-reflect-will-of-the-people-us/article4139604.ece
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Oscars buzz for Bigelow’s Bin Laden film
November 27, 2012
LOS ANGELES: Oscar-winning filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow’s long-awaited movie about the hunt for and killing of Osama bin Laden is generating Academy Awards buzz, even before its release next month.
The director, who won Academy Awards in 2010 for Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker,” had extensive access to classified material in the making of “Zero Dark Thirty,” a process that began long before Bin Laden’s death in May 2011.
The movie centers on a female CIA analyst — played by Jessica Chastain — credited as a key force in the hunt for the al Qaeda chief, killed by US Navy SEALs in an audacious dead-of-night raid on his hiding place in Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/471593/oscars-buzz-for-bigelows-bin-laden-film/
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US reviewing India’s request on Headley- Rana extradition
Saurabh Shukla/ New Delhi
27 November 2012
THE US told India on Monday that it is reviewing its request for the extradition of 26/ 11 conspirators David Headley and Tahawwur Rana, who are currently in US custody.
This disclosure came from visiting US under secretary for political affairs, Wendy Sherman, on the fourth anniversary of the terror attack in Mumbai.
Sources said during talks between Sherman and foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai, the US diplomat said the US had grieved with India on 26/ 11 and that it would do everything to help India punish the perpetrators of the attack.
Full report at: Mail Today
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India
LeT threatens to strike at Vaishno Devi to avenge execution of Ajmal Quassab
Nov 26, 2012
JAMMU: An email threatening to target the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi was purportedly sent by the banned terror outfit Lashker-e-Toiba to a hotelier in Katra to avenge the execution of 26/11 terror attack convict Ajmal Quassab, police said today.
The email was received by A H Bhat, a hotelier of Devi Grand hotel, on November 24 threatening to target the shrine to avenge the hanging of Quassab, a senior police officer said tonight.
"Investigation is going on...We cannot rule out either of the two angles to it, one hoax, the other threat from the terror outfit," the officer said.
"We cannot deliberate on the issue further since preliminary investigation into the matter is going on," he added.
Police have seized the computer and other equipments on which the email had been sent.
Efforts are on to decode the email, police said. DIG, Udhampur-Reasi, Jagjeet Kumar and other senior officials of central agencies visited Katra and reviewed the security arrangements there.
Meanwhile, an alert has been sounded in the region with additional security being being put in place.
Police have intensified frisking people, checking of vehicles and keeping an eye on suspected movements.
The email could be a prank by some anti-national elements but no chances can be taken, the senior police official said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/LeT-threatens-to-strike-at-Vaishno-Devi/articleshow/17377894.cms
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U P government wants to withdraw charges against 15 terror accused
By Aman Sharma
Nov 27, 2012
NEW DELHI: The UP government plans to drop terrorism charges in 'public interest' against 15 under-trials accused of killing 43 people in all.
Three days ago, the Allahabad high court had slammed the UP government for its attempt to withdraw prosecution against a Muslim cleric named Waliullah and his associate Shameem, who were charge-sheeted for the Varanasi blast in 2006 that left 21 people dead.
The trial court's judgment against Waliullah has been reserved and the HC said it should be left to the judiciary to determine if the accused was guilty of terrorism.
However, keen to fulfil its pre-poll promise of withdrawing 'false cases' against Muslims, the UP government plans to drop charges against 13 more terror accused, including four men arrested in 2002, under POTA, for leaking information about troop movement during the Kargil war, five terrorists charge-sheeted for involvement in the attack on the CRPF camp in Rampur in 2008, and four men arrested for being behind the serial blasts in court premises in Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi in 2007, as well as a blast in Gorakhpur in 2007.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Akhilesh-Yadav-government-wants-to-withdraw-charges-against-15-terror-accused/articleshow/17383432.cms
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For 26/11 Italian victim, Gujarat was balm
Nov 27, 2012
AHMEDABAD: She was among the foreign nationals caught in the horror of the terror attack in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. Mariangela Niedu, 46, a hospitality professional in Italy, spent two days in Hotel Trident while it was under siege of the terrorists. She escaped with the help of the hotel staff.
Niedu has a special bond with Gujarat - she came to the state after the attack to recuperate and erase the memories of blood and gore. Five years on, she tells TOI that India and Gujarat have become like her second home. Niedu now wants to find the girl who had helped her get out of the hotel.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/For-26/11-Italian-victim-Gujarat-was-balm/articleshow/17381035.cms
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Zakia Jafri cannot file protest petition against SIT report: Court
Nov 27, 2012
AHMEDABAD: A local court today ruled that Zakia Jafri, whose husband and former Congress MP Ehsan Zafri was killed in Gujarat riots, has lost the right to file protest petition against the SIT report, giving a clean chit to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, due to lapse of time.
Ehsan Jafri was among 69 people killed burnt alive by a mob during the riots at Gulburg Housing Society here on February 28, 2002.
Metropolitan Magistrate B J Ganatra ruled that Jafri cannot file the protest petition as she failed to file it despite being given sufficient time.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Zakia-Jafri-cannot-file-protest-petition-against-SIT-report-Court/articleshow/17389680.cms
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Ex-NSG commando Surender Singh holds forth on 26/11 symbolism
Nov 27, 2012
NEW DELHI: Anti-graft crusader Arvind Kejriwal was not the only one to tug at the hearts of people gathered at his party launch on Monday. There was a soldier, who seemed to exemplify the popular slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.' Ex-NSG commando Surender Singh made his public speaking debut at the gathering, but narrated his plight in an articulate manner.
Born in a poor farmer's family in Haryana's Chhara, Singh had seen action in the Kargil war in 1999, was a part of the United Nations Peace Mission to Congo and was later posted in strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipore. He was also one of the 26/11 heroes, having gunned down two terrorists during the Mumbai carnage.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ex-NSG-commando-Surender-Singh-holds-forth-on-26/11-symbolism/articleshow/17380987.cms
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Peacenik all set for drive from UK to India via Pak
By Yudhvir Rana
Nov 27, 2012
AMRITSAR: UK-based peace and friendship envoy for Pakistan and India — Sohail Malik, popularly known as Star Malik, having his roots in Pakistan — will be driving all the way to India from London via Europe, Middle East and Pakistan on a peace mission.
Starting on December 12 (12/12/12), he will collect messages of peace on his way from all countries en route and hand them over to Indian and Pakistani politicians and authorities. He will also carry messages for the release of Sarabjit Singh and other prisoners of war languishing (PoWs) in Pak jails.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Peacenik-all-set-for-drive-from-UK-to-India-via-Pak/articleshow/17380428.cms
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700 Pakistani bullets found in Tripura
Nov 27, 2012
AGARTALA: Over 700 Pakistani live cartridges, probably dating back to the 1971 war, were found when labourers were working on a tennis court near the governor's residence here, police said on Tuesday.
The bullets were found on Monday evening at Malancha Niwas near Raj Bhavan.
"The cartridges are likely to have been procured by Bangladeshi 'muktijoddhas' (freedom fighters) during the 1971 war as there was a big camp at Malancha Niwas," a police spokesperson said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/700-Pakistani-bullets-found-in-Tripura/articleshow/17385974.cms
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A delivery that has puzzled J& K police
By Naseer Ganai in Srinagar
27 November 2012
THE BIRTH of a baby boy to the wife of a wanted militant commander, who is allegedly involved in Delhi High Court blast case, has puzzled the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Police are trying to unravel whether the militant Shakir Hussain alias Chota Hafiz ( 26) visited his wife at his ancestral village in Palmar in Kishtwar district of Jammu or the wife visited him in his hideout somewhere in Kashmir Valley.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Court remands Abu Jundal to judicial custody till December 10
27 November 2012
LeT terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai attack key handler Abu Jundal was on Tuesday remanded to judicial custody till December 10 by a Delhi court in connection with a case lodged by the NIA against him for allegedly conspiring to launch terror strikes across the country.
Jundal was produced before District Judge I.S. Mehta, who had on Monday directed the Tihar Jail authorities to produce the accused before him, and the court sent him to jail under judicial custody for two weeks, the court sources said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/court-remands-abu-jundal-to-judicial-custody-till-december-10/article4140197.ece
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Salman Khurshid puts forward wish list to U.S., post-polls
SANDEEP DIKSHIT
27 November 2012
Seeks better deal for Indian professionals working in America, import of LNG; counter-terrorism, defence also discussed
In the first comprehensive high-level deliberations with the United States after the elections, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai put forward the Indian wish list of seeing a better deal for Indian professionals working there and the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-puts-forward-wish-list-to-us-postpolls/article4137828.ece
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7/11: HC allows defence to examine cops
Nov 27 2012
Mumbai : The Bombay High Court on Monday allowed the plea of 13 alleged SIMI members facing trial in the 7/11 train bomb blasts of 2006 to examine the three DCPs who had recorded the confessions of three of the 21 Indian Mujahedeen (IM) members.
The IM operatives had allegedly claimed responsibility of almost all major bomb blasts across the country since 2005.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/711-hc-allows-defence-to-examine-cops/1036723/
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Ansari aide sidelined by LeT bosses: Cops
Sagnik Chowdhury
Nov 27 2012
Terror accused Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal has told the Mumbai police that Fayaz Kagzi, an LeT operative from Beed district, was sidelined from the 26/11 terror attack plot due to his differences with LeT commander and David Coleman Headley’s handler Sajid Mir alias Wassi.
Kagzi fell out of favour with his Lashkar bosses after he scuttled an initial plan to send his close relative Masood alias Abu Zarar back to India for a terror mission. Kagzi, who is believed to be living in Saudi Arabia under the name Abdul Rahim, is wanted in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case and the 2010 Pune German Bakery blast case.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ansari-aide-sidelined-by-let-bosses-cops/1036710/
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Shahabuddin says didn’t ask Muslims to back Modi
Seema Chishti
Nov 27 2012
New Delhi : Stung by sharp response from Muslims after his open letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi — outlining nine things that could win the community’s support, despite the 2002 pogrom — former MP Syed Shahabuddin told The Indian Express that he has issued a clarification suggesting that he has been misinterpreted and, in fact, he wanted to warn “upper class” Muslims from moving towards Modi and urged them to “rethink”.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/shahabuddin-says-didn-t-ask-muslims-to-back-modi/1036700/
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Indian US$25 million budget support loan delayed after Maldives fails to complete paperwork
By Neil Merrett | November 27th, 2012
A US$25 million state loan from India required to help balance the Maldives’ budget for the remainder of 2012 has been delayed after the government failed to submit the requested paperwork, a diplomatic source has revealed.
A representative for the Indian High Commission in the Maldives – who asked not to be named – told Minivan News that despite recent diplomatic tensions between the two nations, funding had actually stalled due to the Maldives’ government failing for over a month to submit the papers needed to complete the financing deal.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/indian-us25-million-budget-support-loan-delayed-after-maldives-fails-to-complete-paperwork-47954
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Australia
Australia to abstain from UN vote on Palestinians
27 November 2012
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has told government colleagues that she intends for Australia to abstain from a U.N. General Assembly vote on Palestinians becoming a nonmember observer state.
The Palestinians said the General Assembly will vote on Thursday on a resolution raising their status at the United Nations from an observer to a nonmember observer state in a move they believe is an important step toward a two-state solution with Israel.
In Australia, an official spokesman for a ruling Labor Party said on Tuesday that Ms Gillard told lawmakers that she had found government members had “some sharply held and different views” on the subject.
The spokesman told reporters on the usual condition of anonymity for such briefings that Ms Gillard said she intends for Australia to abstain from the vote.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/australia-to-abstain-from-un-vote-on-palestinians/article4139489.ece
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Pakistan
Shia Procession mourners accused of blasphemy
November 27, 2012
MULTAN: An FIR was lodged against 150 unidentified and 72 nominated members of the Shia community on Sunday for alleged blasphemy during a scuffle between the procession mourners and area residents which left at least 10 people injured.
Taking notice of the incident, District Police Officer Rai Ijaz suspended Abdul Hakeem station house officer Zakir Gujjar for not taking action and ordered the police officials concerned to start an inquiry against him. The DPO appointed Inspector Mehar Saeed as the new SHO of Abdul Hakeem police station.
The FIR was registered by Abdul Haadi Usman, a resident of Abdul Hakeem, who said that mourners passing through the area threw stones at banners with the Prophet (pbuh)’s name inscribed on them.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/471282/sectarian-violence-procession-mourners-accused-of-blasphemy/
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We will defeat terrorism, Pakistan teen activist Malala tells journalist Hamid Mir
Nov 27, 2012
ISLAMABAD: "We will defeat terrorism," teen peace activist Malala Yousufzai, currently recuperating in a British hospital after she was shot at by the Taliban, told journalist Hamid Mir after he escaped an attempt on his life Monday.
Malala, who is in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, made her first telephone call to Mir, Geo News reported on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/We-will-defeat-terrorism-Pakistan-teen-activist-Malala-tells-journalist-Hamid-Mir/articleshow/17384408.cms
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Pak Taliban rule out peace, vow to fight 'secular rulers'
Nov 27, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The banned Pakistani Taliban have ruled out the possibility of peace negotiations with the government and pledged to continue their fight against the country's "secular rulers".
Reacting to interior minister Rehman Malik's call to the militants to give up violence and join peace talks, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan said the group would continue its fight.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-Taliban-rule-out-peace-vow-to-fight-secular-rulers/articleshow/17385372.cms
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Anti-Sexual Harassment Law: Enforcing legislation in FATA effectively
November 27, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Since it was passed in 2010, not much has been done for the implementation of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
This was the crux of a two-day training workshop on Anti-Sexual Harassment Legislation that concluded here on Monday.
Five participants from Fata attended the session. They expressed the commitment to improve the work environment in their respective organisations.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/471402/anti-sexual-harassment-law-enforcing-legislation-in-fata-effectively/
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‘Quassab hanging may affect Pak trial’
Imtiaz Ahmed, Hindustan Times
November 27, 2012
While the trial of those accused of masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai attacks continues in fits and starts, the hanging of Ajmal Quassab may have a negative impact on the Rawalpindi trial, warn legal experts. “In the absence of pressure from the Pakistani government, suspects may be let off
the hook,” said a government official, requesting anonymity.
Refuting the rumours, interior minister Rehman Malik said that the government will not let anyone derail the process.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/Quassab-hanging-may-affect-Pak-trial/Article1-964751.aspx
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Suspected Taliban member arrested in Karachi
27 November 2012
KARACHI: A suspected Taliban member was arrested in a joint operation conducted by the intelligence agencies and police in Karachi’s Orangi Town area, while two suspected target killers were arrested from different areas of Karachi, DawnNews reported on Tuesday.
A man suspected to be an important member of the banned militant group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was arrested in the Data Nagar area of Orangi Town during a raid conducted by intelligence agencies and the area police.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/27/suspected-taliban-member-arrested-in-karachi/
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Sindhi Hindu family’s heritage home in Hyderabad rescued from time
By Mahim Maher
November 27, 2012
HAWAI’I / HYDERABAD: This story starts in Hawai’i and ends in Hyderabad, spans half a century, includes a death threat and arson, 27 heirs, Rs28 million and a happy ending. (Jawaharlal Nehru makes an appearance too, although in passing.)
This December, if all goes according to plan, 79-year-old Indru Watumull will travel from her home in Hawai’i to see her family home in Hyderabad, Mukhi House, whose building has been 95% restored after five decades of abandonment. “Every time I hear[d] of something happening in Pakistan [over the years], I’d wonder what’s happened to Mukhi House,” she told The Express Tribune at her home this summer.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/471424/sindhi-hindu-familys-heritage-home-in-hyderabad-rescued-from-time/
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4 killed, two wounded in Balochistan
27 November 2012
QUETTA: Four people were killed and two others wounded in a landmine blast and firing incidents in Bolan and Dera Bugti districts of Balochistan, on Monday.
According to Levies officials, a landmine exploded in a village in Shuran area of Bolan district which killed two persons on the spot and seriously injured another. Local administration moved the injured and dead to the nearby state-run hospital where the deceased were identified as Qaisir Shah and Younus Khan. “The deceased were riding a motorbike when it drove over a landmine which exploded with a huge blast, destroying the motorbike,” Levies official said. Local administration handed over the bodies to heirs after completing legal formalities and started investigation into the landmine blast. In another incident, unidentified bandits shot dead a person and wounded another in Bagh area of Bolan.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\11\27\story_27-11-2012_pg7_5
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Smoking Sheesha arguments land in ‘open space’
27 November 2012
LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, while hearing a petition by cafe owners challenging a crackdown order on smoking Sheesha, on Monday directed their counsel to clear the definitions of the phrases “public place”, “open place”, and “open space”.
The chief justice also directed the counsels for the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) and the petitioners to come on December 10 to convince the court about smoking at a public place, an open place or an open space.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\11\27\story_27-11-2012_pg13_2
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Pakistan judge makes official stand up for hours as punishment
Nov 27, 2012
LAHORE: In an action reminiscent of that of a school teacher punishing an errant student, a Pakistani judge made a government official stand up for hours in his courtroom for telling a lie.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court asked Muzaffarul Haq, a section officer of the Faisalabad district government, to stand in his courtroom for lying and for concealing facts about the appointment of a peon.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-judge-makes-official-stand-up-for-hours-as-punishment/articleshow/17385725.cms
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26/11 case: Pak sends terms of reference for visit of 2nd Judicial Commission
November 26, 2012
Pakistan has sent the terms of reference for visit of the second Judicial Commission to India to cross-examine key witnesses in the Mumbai attack case to speed up the prosecution of seven Pakistani suspects in that country. Without giving details of communication, official
sources said the terms of reference were received recently and have been sent to legal experts for their opinion.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/26-11-case-Pak-sends-terms-of-reference-for-visit-of-2nd-Judicial-Commission/Article1-964511.aspx
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TTP accepts responsibility of attack bid on Hamid Mir
27 November 2012
PESHAWAR: Speaking to Dawn.com on Tuesday, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the attempt to attack senior journalist Hamid Mir a day earlier and warned of more attacks on anyone pursuing the secular agenda.
Ehsan said that Mir was following a secular agenda and was helping those who were working against the principles of Islam adding that their organisation would continue to target all those who were becoming party to propagation against ‘jihad’.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/27/ttp-accepts-responsibility-of-attack-bid-on-hamid-mir/
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Arab World
King Abdullah interfaith dialogue centre opens in Vienna
27 November 2012
The King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) will promote world peace and serve the humanity, said Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal here yesterday.
Speaking to reporters after attending the centre’s opening ceremony, Prince Saud said: “This is a historic day. We hope the centre would contribute to bringing people closer and settle their disputes peacefully.”
The opening ceremony was attended by Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo and hundreds of religious leaders.
Prince Saud said he hoped the centre would "bring peace and understanding between the various religions. Religion has been the basis for many conflicts."
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/king-abdullah-interfaith-dialogue-center-opens-vienna
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Saudi Arabia beheads three murderers
November 26, 2012
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia on Monday beheaded three men convicted of separate murders across the kingdom, the interior ministry announced.
Mubarak Al Harithi and Obaid Allah Al Harithi, whose nationality was not given, were executed in Makkah province for having stabbed and shot dead a victim named as Eyad Al Harithi, it said in a statement carried by official news agency SPA.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-beheads-three-murderers-1.1110190
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20 Civilians Killed in Syrian Strike on Olive Press, Rebels Say
By HANIA MOURTADA and ALAN COWELL
November 27, 2012
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian rebels accused the authorities on Tuesday of launching an airstrike on an olive press “filled with people” in fields just outside the northern city of Idlib, killing at least 20 people and wounding 50 as they waited to have their olives turned into oil.
Two activist groups, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees, which rely on local activists for their reports, both said the strike exacted a heavy toll on civilians, making it only the latest in many such attacks that have caused casualties among noncombatants in Syria’s grinding civil war.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/28/world/middleeast/civilians-killed-in-syrian-strike-on-olive-press-rebels-say.html
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Bombs kill 6 in Iraq's disputed Kirkuk province
November 27, 2012
Car bombs killed four people in Kurdish areas of the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Tuesday, while roadside bombs killed two more in a nearby Arab town, a security official and a doctor said.
The attacks come a day after top security officials from the federal government and Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region reached an agreement aimed at easing high tensions in disputed areas of northern Iraq, which the country's parliamentary speaker has warned could lead to civil war.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/RestOfAsia/Bombs-kill-6-in-Iraq-s-disputed-Kirkuk-province/Article1-964984.aspx
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Kingdom calls for Arab anti-AIDS strategy
27 November 2012
An increase in the incidence of AIDS in some Arab countries is a cause for concern, because of its high mortality rate, Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al- Rabeeah said.
Ziad Al-Memish, undersecretary to the Ministry of Health for Public Health read out Al-Rabeeah’s message at the inauguration of the "Arab AIDS Initiative”, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh on Sunday.
Al-Memish said that a vulnerable group is being affected due to unhealthy social behavior. Under these circumstances, the minister stressed the importance of an Arab strategy to fight this disease, which could otherwise, take a serious toll on our communities.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/kingdom-calls-arab-anti-aids-strategy
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Baha prisoners’ care committee wants improvement in jails
27 November 2012
An official of the Prisoners Care Committee (PCC) has demanded immediate improvement in the conditions of prisons in the in Baha province.
Abdul Qadir Kuhlan, chairman of the Baha PCC, said prisoners are living in poor hygienic conditions, getting bad rations and sleeping in narrow rooms in the provincial prison.
Since there is no secluded rooms, inmates are denied their right to be alone with their visiting families, Al-Watan daily reported on Friday.
An official of the jail administration, Maj. Saleh Al-Ajab, attributed such problems to the fact that jails are housed in rented buildings.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/baha-prisoners%E2%80%99-care-committee-wants-improvement-jails
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Mursi agrees to “limit” powers after talks
By Ramadan Al Sherbini
November 27, 2012
Cairo: Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi has agreed to limit the application of a decree, granting him sweeping powers, to “sovereign matters”, according to an aide, in a step unlikely to satisfy the opposition.
“The president assured to the [Supreme Judicial] Council that the immunization of his decisions, mentioned in the constitutional declaration, is limited to sovereign matters only,” the presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said on Monday night, following crisis talks between Mursi and members of Egypt’s highest judicial authority.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/egypt/mursi-agrees-to-limit-powers-after-talks-1.1110657
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Bahrain Police break up march after Ashura memorial service
Nov 27, 2012
DUBAI: Bahraini security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to scatter hundreds of youths who tried to march towards the centre of the capital on Monday after annual Ashura services marking one of the holiest days in the Shi'ite Muslim calendar.
Bahrain, an important US ally and base for US warships, last year used martial law and help from Gulf neighbours to crush an uprising mainly by its Shi'ite majority against alleged discrimination. But unrest has since resumed with frequent clashes between demonstrators and police.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Bahrain-Police-break-up-march-after-Ashura-memorial-service/articleshow/17380291.cms
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Egyptian minister says end of crisis 'imminent'
Nov 26, 2012
CAIRO: Egypt's justice minister said on Monday that a resolution was "imminent" to the political crisis over President Mohamed Morsi's decision to grant himself sweeping new powers, a move that has touched off days of violent street protests.
Ahmed Mekki spoke to reporters shortly before Morsi was due to meet members of the supreme judiciary council to discuss the decrees the Islamist president announced last week that put him above any kind of oversight, including that of the courts. The judiciary council is in charge of the courts.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egyptian-minister-says-end-of-crisis-imminent/articleshow/17378234.cms
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Two killed in protests against Morsy decree
27 November 2012
Two people died in demonstrations over Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy’s decree of sweeping new powers for himself, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
Another 444 people were injured in the clashes between Mr Morsy’s opponents and supporters, authorities said.
Mr. Morsy, who headed the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party before becoming Egypt’s first elected president, decreed last week that all his decisions and laws are immune to legal challenge and barred courts from dissolving the constituent assembly drafting the country’s new constitution.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/two-killed-in-protests-against-morsy-decree/article4139537.ece
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Savvier, Rebels Shift Tactics in Syria
By ANNE BARNARD
November 27, 2012
BEIRUT, Lebanon — At a hydroelectric dam on the Euphrates River on Monday, Syrian rebels relaxed in the operations room, checking a computer screen, sipping tea and projecting confidence after driving off government forces and seizing crates of rocket-propelled grenades. All of this was proudly recorded and quickly uploaded for the world to see.
Swarming the heavily guarded dam was the latest in a monthlong string of tactical successes in which rebels have raided government installations, including numerous air bases, from northern Syria to the suburbs of Damascus. The raids allowed the rebels to boast of their growing effectiveness, undercut the morale of government forces and reinforce their arsenals.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/world/middleeast/rebels-claim-they-seized-air-bases-
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Africa
Uniformed Men Kill 9 in Central Nigeria
November 27, 2012
JOS, Nigeria (AP) — An activist says nine people have died in an attack on a Christian village in central Nigeria, a region beset by religious and ethnic tensions.
Mark Lipdo, head of the Stefanos Foundation, a Christian advocacy group, said Tuesday that witnesses told him gunmen in army uniforms sprayed bullets from a van Monday night as they sped along the road leading to Plateau state's airport.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/11/27/world/africa/ap-af-nigeria-
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40 Tunisia militants still on hunger strike
26 November 2012
TUNIS: At least 40 Tunisian militant prisoners are still on hunger strike, the justice ministry told AFP yesterday, hours after announcing that the almost two-week protest had ended.
“After checking, only some of the strikers have ended (their protest). We have no set number because it changes all the time,” said ministry official Fadhel Saihi.
“Of around 120 striking at the beginning, nearly 80 have stopped, so there are around 40 left,” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/40-tunisia-militants-still-hunger-strike
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Gunmen free inmates at Nigeria police station
27 November 2012
LAGOS, Nigeria: Police in Nigeria say gunmen attacked a major police station near the country’s capital that is holding members of a radical sect, freeing some prisoners.
A statement confirmed an attack happened early yesterday morning at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad station near Abuja. Federal police spokesman Frank Mba said the gunmen’s assault allowed some 30 prisoners to escape. Mba said 25 had already been recaptured.
That station is holding suspected members of the radical sect known as Boko Haram. Mba denied any Boko Haram members escaped in the attack, though security officials routinely downplay such attacks.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/gunmen-free-inmates-nigeria-police-station
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African Union considers international force in Congo
AMAN SETHI
27 November 2012
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AUPSC) contemplated an “International Neutral Force” in the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and asked for a draft Concept of Operations for its deployment in collaboration with the existing United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MUNUSCO), one of the most expensive peacekeeping forces in the world.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/african-union-considers-international-force-in-congo/article4140076.ece
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Europe
Kazakhstan shuts down anti-President newspaper
27 November 2012
ALMATY: A court in Kazakhstan on Monday ordered the closure of a major opposition newspaper, in a crackdown against critical parties and media accused of calling for the overthrow of President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
The General Prosecutor’s Office had earlier said that a number of media outlets including Vzglyad and Golos Respubliki newspapers and Internet sites Respublika and Stan-TV contained “propaganda promoting the violent overthrow of government and undermining state security.” On Monday, the deputy editor of Vzglyad newspaper said a district court in Kazakhstan’s biggest city Almaty had ordered the media outlet to halt publication. “Today, we’ve received a court ruling,” Olesya Shchelkova told AFP. “As a result, we, like Respublika newspaper, were banned from publishing a printed edition and, naturally, were banned from posting our stories on our Facebook page.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\11\27\story_27-11-2012_pg14_2
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Norway shows video footage of mass murderer parking van bomb
26 November 2012
OSLO: Norway’s public broadcaster NRK on Monday published for the first time video footage of right-wing mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik parking his van bomb that killed eight people in Oslo in July 2011.
Captured by video surveillance cameras, the images show Breivik parking his white van on July 22 at the very foot of a building tower that housed the prime minister’s offices.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/norway-shows-video-footage-mass-murderer-parking-van-bomb
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UN defends role in Maldives, emphasises “political impartiality”
By JJ Robinson | November 26th, 2012 |
The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator has issued a statement defending the UN’s activity in the Maldives and reiterating its “strict impartiality toward political parties”.
The statement follows a recent accusation from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) that while “the IPU, CMAG, Canada, the Human Rights Committee, the EU and certain international NGOs such as Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights have expressed varying degrees of alarm at the Maldives’ backsliding on democracy and human rights, others including the UN Resident Coordinator and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have remained shamefully silent.”
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/un-defends-role-in-maldives-emphasises-political-impartiality-47952
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Tajikistan Blocks Facebook Access to Silence Critics
November 27, 2012
DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Tajikistan has blocked access to Facebook in response to a slew of comments spreading "mud and slander" about veteran President Imomali Rakhmon and officials in the Central Asian republic.
The ban on the popular social networking site is the latest crackdown on dissent in Tajikistan a year before an election that could extend Rakhmon's two-decade rule.
Beg Zukhurov, head of the state-run communications service that is enforcing the ban - the second time Tajikistan has blocked Facebook this year - accused unnamed donors of paying users to post negative comments about "respected figures".
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/11/27/world/asia/27reuters-tajikistan-
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UN to vote Thursday on raising Palestinian status
Nov 27, 2012
UNITED NATIONS: The Palestinians said the UN General Assembly will vote on Thursday afternoon on a resolution raising their status at the United Nations from an observer to a nonmember observer state, a move they believe is an important step toward a two-state solution with Israel.
Unlike the security council, there are no vetoes in the general assembly and the resolution is virtually certain of approval. The world body is dominated by countries sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and the resolution only requires a majority vote for approval. To date, 132 countries, over two-thirds of the UN member states, have recognized the state of Palestine.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/UN-to-vote-Thursday-on-raising-Palestinian-status/articleshow/17382046.cms
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Rights group demands Syria stop using cluster bombs
27 November 2012
BEIRUT: Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based rights group, on Tuesday called on Syria’s army to stop using cluster bombs, two days after at least 11 children were killed in an air strike on the town of Deir Assafir south of Damascus.
“This attack shows how cluster munitions kill without discriminating between civilians and military personnel,” said Mary Wareham, arms division advocacy director of the HRW.
“Due to the devastating harm caused to civilians, cluster bombs should not be used by anyone, anywhere, at any time,” Wareham added.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/27/rights-group-demands-syria-stop-using-cluster-bombs/
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HRW says Pakistan’s judges muzzling criticism in media
27 November 2012
NEW YORK: Pakistan’s judges should cease using their contempt of court powers to prevent the media from airing programming critical of the judiciary, the Human Rights Watch said today.
Since Pakistan’s independent judiciary was restored to office in 2009, the judiciary has repeatedly sought to prevent its criticism in the media through threats of contempt of court proceedings, which can bring prison terms, the HRW said in a press release.
The statement from the HRW added that since Oct 2012, the high courts in Islamabad and Lahore have been issuing orders to stop the broadcast of television programs criticising the judiciary.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/27/hrw-says-pakistans-judges-muzzling-criticism-in-media/
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UN praises Indonesia’s ‘outstanding efforts’
November 27 2012
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has given Indonesia praise for what it called “outstanding efforts in tackling corruption”.
Beate Trankmann, UNDP country director in Indonesia, also applauded the country’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for its prosecution of graft cases.
“We have a well-founded body of experience here in Indonesia with the KPK ... It is generally regarded as a well-functioning anticorruption commission,” she said during the conference on principles for anticorruption agencies in Jakarta on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/27/un-praises-indonesia-s-outstanding-efforts.html
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Southeast Asia
Kelantan govt firm on implementing Islamic law on non-Muslims
25 November 2012
KOTA BAHARU (Nov 25, 2012): The Kelantan government remains firm on implementing Islamic law on non-Muslims despite strong objection from DAP national chairman Karpal Singh.
State Housing, Tourism, Arts and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan said the state government was prepared to face the risk of being sued by non-Muslims as each policy made in Kelantan was in line with the provisions in the Constitution.
"I don't want to comment on Karpal's statement. Firstly, I did not hear it directly from him, and secondly, if Karpal sees this legislation, he will agree with me. He's a lawyer.
Full report at:
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/548795
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Malaysia contributes $2.02 lakh to Islamic University of Technology
27 November 2012
The Malaysian government has contributed US$ 202,440 to the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), a subsidiary organ of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), says a press release.
The assistance was provided as full settlement of the mandatory contribution of Malaysia's government, a member state of the OIC, to the IUT.
Norlin binti Othman, high commissioner of Malaysia in Bangladesh, handed over the cheque to Prof Dr M Imtiaz Hossain, vice chancellor of the IUT, at Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka on November 22.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=258910
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Solo’s Catholic mayor receives warm acceptance from ulema
Kusumasari Ayuningtyas
November 27 2012
Muslims, noted community leaders and members of grassroot organizations alike have graciously accepted Catholic Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo of Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, a move that removes the widespread perception that the city is a hotbed for sectarian and racial conflict.
Even though Surakarta is known as the base for the well-known Ngruki Muslim Boarding School and an area frequently hit by anti-Chinese riots and a series of terror acts, all of Hadi’s programs in managing the city run smoothly without any resistance from the public.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/27/solo-s-catholic-mayor-receives-warm-acceptance-ulema.html
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Sharia banking sees extraordinary development in several countries
Slamet Susanto
November 27 2012
Sharia banking has been experiencing extraordinary developments in several countries including Indonesia, home to 191 Sharia banks. In Indonesia, this particular banking system has been enjoying an average growth-rate of 40.2 percent per year from 2007 to 2011.
The figure was revealed during a one-day seminar on Islamic deposit insurance of the International Association of Deposit Insurers and Islamic Deposit Insurance Group (IADI-IDIG) held in Yogyakarta, on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/27/sharia-banking-sees-extraordinary-development.html
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National scene: NU group wants lawmaker to apologize
November 27 2012
JAKARTA: Pagar Nusa, the martial arts wing of the country’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, called on Democratic Party lawmaker Sutan Bhatoegana to make a public apology for what it called an ill-advised comment on the former chairman of the organization, Abdurrrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid.
The organization said that it would not be responsible if its members decided to target Sutan over his statement saying that Gus Dur was impeached from his position as president because he was corrupt.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/27/national-scene-nu-group-wants-lawmaker-apologize.html
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Malaysian Islamic party urges Elton John show ban
November 27, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR: An Islamic political party on Tuesday urged the government of predominantly Muslim Malaysia to ban a concert by Elton John, saying the openly gay British pop icon promotes “immoral” values.
John, who is popular in Malaysia, is scheduled to perform on Thursday at a resort outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.
“This concert must be cancelled. Artists who are involved in gay and lesbian activities must not be allowed to perform in Malaysia as they will promote the wrong values,” Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi, chief of the youth wing of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), told AFP.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/471599/malaysian-islamic-party-urges-elton-john-show-ban/
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Hundreds of Thai schools shut over militant attacks
27 November 2012
BANGKOK: Teachers in insurgency-wracked southern Thailand decided Monday to suspend classes at hundreds of schools in the region over the killings of education workers by Muslim militants.
“We want to put pressure on security forces and the government to take greater care of our safety,” Boonsom Thongsriply, chairman of the teachers association in the region, told AFP.
The move means 321 schools will temporarily shut from Tuesday in Pattani, one of several southernmost provinces plagued by an eight-year-old insurgency. It is unclear when they will reopen.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\11\27\story_27-11-2012_pg4_5
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Mideast Asia
Remains of Yasser Arafat exhumed for tests: Palestinian sources
27 November 2012
Palestinian authorities on Tuesday opened Yasser Arafat’s grave and foreign experts took samples from his remains as part of a long-shot attempt eight years after the iconic leader’s mysterious death to determine whether he was poisoned, as relatives and some political successors have claimed.
The exhumation began before dawn, under the cover of huge sheets of blue tarpaulin draped over Arafat’s mausoleum in his former government compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/yasser-arafats-remains-exhumed/article4140142.ece
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Troubled Iranian reactor in focus at UN nuclear agency
27 November 2012
Iran is set to be in focus at a UN atomic agency board meeting starting Thursday, not only because of ongoing suspicions of a covert weapons drive but also over safety concerns over its only operating nuclear power plant.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s latest report on Iran on November 16 showed that despite sanctions pressure, Iran has continued to expand its capacity to enrich uranium to purities of 20 percent, close to the 90 percent mark needed for a weapon.
Iran says that this process is to produce nuclear medicines but Western countries and independent experts say that it is producing far more enriched uranium than can be justified by Teheran’s civilian programme in its current form.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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Iran MP blames cyber police for blogger's death
An Iranian parliamentarian slams the death of Sattar Beheshti, an anti-regime blogger who opposition activists say had been tortured to death while in detention
27 Nov 2012
An Iranian MP has blamed the death in detention of blogger Sattar Beheshti on the country's cyber police, news agency Fars reported on Monday.
"The action taken by the judiciary in Beheshti's case was lawful, but the cyber police's infraction is indisputable," said Mehdi Davatgari, the parliament's special representative on the case.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/59278/World/Region/Iran-MP-blames-cyber-police-for-bloggers-death-.aspx
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Iran losing Arab sympathy for backing Assad: Hamas
27 November 2012
CAIRO: Iran must reconsider its support for the Syrian regime if it does not want to alienate Arab public opinion, the deputy chief of the Iranian-backed Palestinian movement Hamas said on Monday.
“Iran’s position in the Arab world, it’s no longer a good position,” Mussa Abu Marzuk, whose movement’s politburo had been based in Damascus, said during a briefing to reporters at his new headquarters in the Egyptian capital.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/26/iran-losing-arab-sympathy-for-backing-assad-hamas/
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South Asia
Maldives National Movement to protest against Nexbis
By Minivan News | November 27th, 2012
The Maldives National Movement is to begin protesting against Nexbis and the Border Control System (BCS) project, should the GMR contract be annulled.
The National Movement was formed by government coalition parties who oppose the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) development being run by GMR.
Speaking at a press conference held at Traders Hotel today (November 26), Steering Committee member of National Movement and Minister of State for Tourism Ahmed Shameem said that the group aims to protest against all illegal agreements made.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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Maldivian MP calls for killing of former President’s Special Envoy
By Luke Powell | November 26th, 2012
Adhaalath-aligned MP Ibrahim Muthalib has called in parliament for former President Mohamed Nasheed’s Special Envoy, Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, to be “hanged to death” as a “traitor to the Maldives”.
Speaking in the parliamentary chamber on November 26, Muthalib called for the arrest of Zaki, claiming that “traitors have to be killed” else they will “destroy the country”.
Muthalib’s comments follow those made by Adhaalath Party Leader Sheik Imran at the ‘GMR go home’ rally earlier this month.
Speaking at the rally, Sheik Imran reportedly stated that Zaki would “leave both worlds” on the day GMR is “chased out of the country”.
The latest threat comes after Zaki warned India that rising fundamentalism in the Maldives threatened the country’s economic interests.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/mp-muthalib-calls-for-killing-of-former-presidents-special-envoy-ibrahim-hussain-zaki-47923
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Dr Waheed will be PPM presidential candidate, predicts former President Nasheed
By Ahmed Naish | November 26th, 2012
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik will become the presidential candidate of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) with the backing of its leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, former President Mohamed Nasheed has predicted.
Speaking at a rally in Shaviyani Foakaidhoo on Saturday night during the on-going ‘Journey of Pledges’ northern tour, Nasheed alleged that his former vice president held secret consultations with PPM interim leader and figurehead, former President Gayoom, before the controversial transfer of presidential power on February 7.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/dr-waheed-will-be-ppm-presidential-candidate-predicts-former-president-nasheed-47889
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“Not the right time” to reveal the details of MP Afrasheem’s murder, says Police Commissioner
By Mohamed Naahee | November 26th, 2012
Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has stated that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) believes it is “not the right time” to reveal the details behind the brutal murder of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Afrasheem Ali.
In an interview given to local newspaper Haveeru this Sunday, the commissioner said that police would disclose the information only when it gained full “confidence” in the case and said investigations were still being carried out.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/not-the-right-time%E2%80%9D-to-reveal-the-details-of-mp-
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Karzai hints at flexibility in Afghan-US troop talks
27 November 2012
KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai hinted on Tuesday that his government would be flexible in negotiating “sensitive” issues in a new security pact with the United States.
Karzai did not spell out what issues he was referring to, but one of the most sensitive questions involves immunity from local prosecution for US troops remaining in Afghanistan after Nato forces withdraw in 2014.
Washington recalled all its troops from Iraq after Baghdad refused to grant US soldiers immunity, and Karzai has in the past warned there could be similar problems in Afghanistan.
But in a speech to industrialists and businessmen in Kabul, the president suggested that a deal would be reached.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/27/karzai-hints-at-flexibility-in-afghan-us-troop-talks/
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Ansari Was trained in Nepal by Pakistan national
Prawesh Lama
Nov 27 2012
New Delhi: Syed Zabiuddin Ansari has confessed to the investigation agencies that he had met LeT key operative Fayaz Kagzi at a hotel in Kantipath, Kathmandu, prior to the attacks. He was also trained in Nepal by a Pakistan national.
Both Kagzi and Ansari were taught to make bombs from crackers and given money to flee to Pakistan by another LeT operative in Nepal.
Since 2005, Ansari was motivated by Kagzi to take up Jihad. Ansari, Kagzi and Junaid, a Pakistani national, had met in Nepal.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-was-trained-in-nepal-by-pakistan-national-/1036713/
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Audit Says Kabul Bank Began as ‘Ponzi Scheme’
By MATTHEW ROSENBERG
November 27, 2012
KABUL, Afghanistan — Kabul Bank became Afghanistan’s largest financial institution by offering the promise of modern banking to people who had never had a saving or checking account. What it really dealt in was modern theft: “From its very beginning,” according to a confidential forensic audit of Kabul Bank, “the bank was a well-concealed Ponzi scheme.”
Afghan and American officials had for years promoted Kabul Bank as a prime example of how Western-style banking was transforming a war-ravaged economy. But the audit, prepared this year for Afghanistan’s central bank by the Kroll investigative firm, gives new details of how the bank instead was institutionalizing fraud that reached into the hundreds of millions of dollars and obliterated Afghans’ trust after regulators finally seized the bank in August 2010 and the theft was revealed.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/world/asia/kabul-bank-audit-details-extent-of-fraud.html?hp&gwh=2E631DEC53F84701AAB9F4A304764F3C
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islam-science-‘go-hand-hand’/d/9451