Libyan Grand Mufti Calls for End to Mixed-Gender Education and Employment

Sarabjit in 'deep coma', no surgery till condition stabilizes

PTI | Apr 27, 2013

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Indian national Sarabjit Singh was in a " deep coma" and put on ventilator support after being assaulted by a group of prisoners in a Pakistani jail, with doctors today saying that they will not be able to perform surgery on him till his condition stabilizes.

Sarabjit, 49, was in an Intensive Care Unit of the state-run Jinnah Hospital in Lahore, where he was admitted yesterday after being brutally beaten by at least six other prisoners within his barrack at the Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Official sources told PTI that Sarabjit was in a "deep coma" and doctors were unable to perform surgery on him yesterday because of extensive internal bleeding caused by a severe head injury.

"No surgery can be performed till his condition stabilises," a source said.

The sources quoted doctors at Jinnah Hospital as saying that Sarabjit's condition was measured as 5 on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which indicates the level of damage or injury to a person's central nervous system.

The GCS comprises tests of eye, verbal and motor responses. The three separate values and their sum are considered in deciding a person's status. The lowest possible GCS score is 3 while the highest is 15.

Pakistani TV news channels quoted their sources as saying that next 24 hours would be crucial for Sarabjit.

Two Indian High Commission officials got consular access to Sarabjit Singh in the ICU of Jinnah Hospital this morning.

"The officials of India's High Commission in Islamabad obtained access to Sarabjit in the ICU of Jinnah hospital, Lahore at 2:00 am," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.

"Doctors attending to Sarabjit Singh informed the Indian officials that he is in coma on ventilator and receiving IV drip," he said.

The Indian mission had contacted Pakistan's Foreign Office last night to seek consular access.

The two Indian officials went to the hospital and spent some time with Sarabjit. They then drove away from the hospital without speaking to the media. Security has been beefed up at the hospital, where dozens of police commandos have been deployed.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sarabjit-in-deep-coma-no-surgery-till-condition-stabilizes/articleshow/19750928.cms

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Peace Museum along India-Pakistan Border Depicting Strong Bonds before the Partition

Yudhvir Rana, TNN | Apr 26, 2013

ATTARI: A peace museum celebrating divided Punjab's shared architectural, cultural and culinary heritage is coming up at Attari near the India-Pakistan border. The double-storeyed museum spread over 6,000 sq feet is expected to be opened early next year and would showcase items to dispel myths and promote peace.

"It would help the youth understand strong bonds their elders shared before the Partition,'' said 27-year-old Aman Jaspal, the brain behind the fusion museum. He said it is not going to be a holocaust museum revolving around bloodshed during the Partition. "Instead it will display strong bonds different communities shared before the Partition,'' said Jaspal, a post-graduate from the Norwegian School of Economics. "It would help people forget the past and move ahead by touching hearts.''

Japsal said Islamabad's Des Pradesh restaurant that has preserved a temple and a Gurdwara within its complex had inspired him to create it particularly for the youth, who are curious but ignorant about their connection with the other side.

Pakistani architect Nayyar Ali Dada has designed the museum, taking inspiration from building designs in Amritsar and Lahore's walled cities. The brickwork, parapet design has been borrowed from old buildings of Lahore while floor patterns from Amritsar's Golden Temple and Dera Sahib Gurdwara.

Craftsmen from Lahore have worked on its furniture to recreate the city's authentic flavour.

The museum would have three sections - 'saada Punjab' (our Punjab), 'sada-tuhada Punjab' (our and your Punjab) and 'umeedan-da-Punjab' (Punjab of Hopes). It is aimed at creating a sequence of events for the visitors to understand the pre and post-Partition Punjab.

The museum would have maps of the undivided Punjab's villages along with their brief histories. Jaspal's wife, Sameena, who is helping her husband realize his dream, said they have proposed collaboration between universities on the either side for generating databases of these villages.

Jaspal is collecting pre-partition cinema and railway tickets besides letters, revenue stamps, newspaper clippings, artefacts and video clips for the museum.

"We don't mind paying for these valuable possessions,'' he said. "We have to buy certain video clips from the BBC and CNN from their archives.''

He said they had collected some material and many from Pakistan have volunteered to donate their possessions.

The museum would have a multimedia system for sharing experiences of people, who had witnessed the Partition for an understanding on how things went wrong.

Jaspal said the bilateral ties have of late been frosty and hoped the museum would inspire peaceful co-existence.

He said he has submitted a proposal with the Planning Commission urging it to take up the issue with Pakistan for the facilitation of his project. "We have proposed that an eight-member team of young professionals from the either country should work together to ensure that the museum design incorporates the vision and aspirations of our youth, free from the baggage of the past.''

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Coming-Peace-museum-along-India-Pakistan-border/articleshow/19734263.cms

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Kathak, poetry and couplets to remember Mirza Ghalib

 April 25, 2013

Bringing alive memories and to showcase the rich legacy of Mirza Ghalib, the Ghalib Memorial Movement has organised a two-day event "Yadgar-e-Ghalib" to mark the death anniversary of the legendary Urdu poet. The event will be held on April 26 and 27.

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit is likely to release a documentary film “Yadgar-e-Ghalib” on the occasion.

The event will include a Kathak performance by Uma Sharma, poetry recitation by prominent poets and recital of couplets of Ghalib by Pavan K Varma.

“The highlight of the event will be a mushaira with eminent poets in durbar tehzeeb rendered in Mughal style with shamadaan (flame kept in front of the orator),” said an organiser.

The verses for the performance have been selected for the occasion, to showcase the Sufi Ghalib. “The universal appeal of Ghalib’s thought makes people ponder over issues of life, death and love. This will leave the listeners spellbound,” said the organiser.

Commenting on the delay in observing Ghalib’s death anniversary, Firoz Bakht Ahmed, member of the movement, said, “The programme was supposed to take place on February 15. But it was postponed due to lack of artists, organisation and funds.”

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/Kathak-poetry-and-couplets-to-remember-Mirza-Ghalib/Article1-1050410.aspx

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Sopore: 4 cops feared dead in militant attack

 April 26, 2013

Four police personnel are feared dead in a militant attack in north Kashmir's Sopore area.

Preliminary reports suggest a patrolling police party was attacked by unidentified militants near Haigam area in the outskirts of Sopore.

Although the police have confirmed the attack, they have refused to confirm the deaths, reports suggest four cops may have been killed in the attack.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Srinagar/Sopore-4-cops-feared-dead-in-militant-attack/Article1-1050846.aspx

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1993 Mumbai blasts: 4 acquitted of smuggling RDX in Gujarat

TNN | Apr 26, 2013

AHMEDABAD: A local court on Thursday acquitted four people of their alleged involvement in transporting RDX used in the 1993 Mumbai bombings from Tatawadi coast in Gujarat's Valsad district.

The four Izra-ul-Haq, Mammumiya Panjumiya, Mustufa Majnu and Aamir Bandukwala were tried for smuggling the explosives and arms in an ambulance to Bhilad near Gujarat-Maharashtra border.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/1993-Mumbai-blasts-4-acquitted-of-smuggling-RDX-in-Gujarat/articleshow/19733743.cms

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Afghanistan not a mere bridge: Khurshid

SANDEEP DIKSHIT

 April 26, 2013

India's vision of Central Asia or the ``Heart of Asia Process’’ as it is being called is of trade, transit, energy and communication routes criss-crossing and knitting the entire region from Turkey to India and between Eurasia and the Arabian Sea, with Afghanistan at its heart, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told an audience comprising over a dozen of his counterparts from Afghanistan and surrounding countries besides another 16 senior officials from slightly distant countries and international organisations that have a stake in the country.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/afghanistan-not-a-mere-bridge-khurshid/article4657157.ece

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33 arrested for Nimaz communal tension, curfew on

 April 26, 2013

As many as 33 persons have been arrested in communal-violence hit Nimaz town where curfew continued on Friday and additional security personnel were deployed.

“We have arrested 33 persons for the communal tension in the town last evening and registered four cases,” IG (Jodhpur range), D.C. Jain said.

The town remained peaceful on Friday with over 300 STF (Special Task Force) and RAC (Rajasthan Armed Constabulary) personnel deployed in the area, Pali SP K.B. Vandana said.

Police pickets have also been set up with security personnel continuously conducting marches in the town, she said.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/33-arrested-for-nimaz-communal-tension-curfew-on/article4657365.ece

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Aboobacker Musliar meets Saudi Arabian official on Nitaqat

 April 26, 2013

Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar, general secretary, All India Sunni Jamiyyath ul Ulema, held discussions with Saudi Arabian Labour Department Director General Ahmed Humaidan in Riyadh early this week.

Mr. Aboobacker Musliar said that during the discussions, he had raised the issues concerning thousands of Keralites in the wake of the Nitaqat rules in Saudi Arabia.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kanthapuram-meets-saudi-arabian-official-on-nitaqat/article4655261.ece

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Terrorists sourcing two-wheelers from Kerala for bomb blasts: Intelligence officials

Ajay Kanth, TNN | Apr 26, 2013

KOCHI: Terrorist organisations like Indian Mujahideen (IM) have agents in Kerala to source two-wheelers which are used to plant bombs and trigger blasts in various parts of the country. Whether it is scooter or bike, according to state intelligence officials, large number of two-wheelers are stolen or sourced by the agents of terrorist organisations from various parts of the state and smuggled out to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Terrorists-sourcing-two-wheelers-from-Kerala-for-bomb-blasts-Intelligence-officials/articleshow/19738756.cms

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India protests questioning of UP minister at Boston airport

IANS | Apr 26, 2013

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: India has formally protested to the US the brief detention of Uttar Pradesh urban development minister Mohammad Azam Khan at Boston airport as he arrived to take part in an event at Harvard University.

Khan, who is accompanying UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for the presentation of a Harvard study on the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, was detained for about 10 minutes for "further questioning" at Boston Logan International Airport Wednesday, according to Indian officials.

The issue was raised in the Parliament by the Samajwadi Party (SP) members who protested the "insult" of their leader.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-protests-questioning-of-UP-minister-at-Boston-airport/articleshow/19735916.cms?

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Pakistan

Pak Clerics of different school’s Fatwa: Voting Compulsory

PTI | Apr 26, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani religious scholars on Thursday issued a 'fatwa' that declared voting in the country's upcoming general election was "compulsory under Islamic injunctions", a senior religious leader said.

Over 300 clerics from different schools of Islamic thought issued the decree in Islamabad nearly two weeks ahead of the May 11 general elections, Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Allama Tahir Ashrafi said.

The edict was in marked contrast to the stance taken by the banned Pakistani Taliban, who have described democracy as "un-Islamic" and warned people not to participate in the landmark polls.

Ashrafi said the fatwa contends that voting is an "Islamic obligation" of the people and the action of those who avoid voting will be considered a "sin". He said the decree was prepared after ascertaining the opinion of senior religious scholars, who urged people to vote.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-clerics-fatwa-Voting-compulsory/articleshow/19733314.cms

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Why Is General Kiyani Dictating Islamic Ideology As the Basis of the Country?

Baseer Naveed

23 April 2013

The General should be prosecuted for betraying his oath as a member of the Armed Forces

Just twenty days before the general elections the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, has come out with a policy statement which gives the political views of the Army. The statement was delivered with the express intention of getting elections results in favour of the fundamentalists, Jihadis and their supporting parties. While addressing the assembled troops at the passing out parade of 127th PMA Long Course, 46th Integrated Course and the first Mujahid Course at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, he said that since Islam was the basis of Pakistan's creation, it can never be separated from the body politic. He categorically emphasised this point when he said, "Let me remind you that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and Islam can never be taken out of Pakistan. However, Islam should always remain a unifying force. I assure you that regardless of the odds, the Pakistan Army will keep on doing its best towards our common dream for a truly Islamic Republic of Pakistan".

Full report at:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1304/S00360/pakistan-why-is-general-kiyani-dictating-islamic-ideology.htm

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Pak Taliban warn people not to participate in general election

 April 25, 2013

The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has distributed pamphlets in several Pakistani cities, including Peshawar and Karachi, warning people not to participate in next month's landmark general election. Leaflets distributed in several areas of Karachi, the country's largest city, threatened

people not to attend political rallies or cast their votes, Dawn News channel reported.

Pamphlets were also distributed at Badabher, Mattani and Adezai areas on the outskirts of Peshawar and at Buner and Swat in the northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

In Buner, leaflets distributed near a mosque in Shingrai warned local residents against participating in the polls.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Pak-Taliban-warn-people-not-to-participate-in-general-election/Article1-1050364.aspx

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MQM election office bombed; six killed

Apr 26, 2013

KARACHI: At least six people, including three relatives, were killed while around thirteen people wounded when a high intensity bomb shattered the election office of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) located in Nusrat Bhutto Colony, North Naizamabad on Thursday night.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan has reportedly claimed the responsibility for the blast. According to details, the bomb was concealed in a motorcycle parked near the election office of MQM. Although the election office was closed over an order by party chief Altaf Hussain after a blast on Tuesday night, several people gathered outside were wounded and nearby property suffered heavy losses.

Full report at:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\26\story_26-4-2013_pg1_1

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Taliban plan to kidnap Musharraf, Pakistani spy agencies warn

PTI | Apr 26, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani intelligence agencies have warned that the Taliban have made plans to kidnap former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who is currently being held at his private residence here after being arrested in several criminal cases.

The intelligence agencies have issued an advisory that the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan might attempt to abduct Musharraf while he is being taken from his farmhouse to court, Geo News channel reported today.

The channel quoted its sources as saying that the Taliban was working with other jihadi groups to kidnap Musharraf.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Taliban-plan-to-kidnap-Musharraf-Pakistani-spy-agencies-warn/articleshow/19739223.cms

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Begging becomes business in Pakistan

AFP | Apr 26, 2013

RAWALPINDI: The sight of children, the disabled and disadvantaged begging at all hours of the day and night in Pakistan is a grim, constant reminder of the millions who live in abject poverty.

Yet malnourished members of the underclass have to collect not just enough spare change to feed them, but to pay off police and gang bosses.

Investigators say begging has turned into an organised business with mafia controlling key locations where they deploy their own lackeys or lease out ground to others on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Begging-becomes-business-in-Pakistan/articleshow/19737752.cms

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Bhutto murder case: Federal Investigation Agency gets Musharraf's physical remand

PTI | Apr 26, 2013

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Friday remanded Pervez Musharraf to the physical custody of the Federal Investigation Agency till April 30 in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.

During a brief hearing at the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman accepted the FIA's request to be given physical custody of the 69-year-old former military ruler.

The FIA's lawyers told the judge that they wanted physical custody of Musharraf so that he could be questioned in connection with the probe into Bhutto's assassination.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Bhutto-murder-case-Federal-Investigation-Agency-gets-Musharrafs-physical-remand/articleshow/19737483.cms

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Pakistan to seal Afghan border May 11 for election

 April 26, 2013

Pakistani officials say they'll seal their border with Afghanistan and restrict the movement of Afghan refugees on May 11 during parliamentary elections.

Officials at the interior ministry and the election commission said Friday the measure is aimed at preventing terrorist attacks during the vote.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Pakistan-to-seal-Afghan-border-May-11-for-election/Article1-1050620.aspx

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Pakistan should not get single penny till Afridi is released: Dana Rohrabacher

Apr 26 2013

Washington : A US lawmaker has said he will continue to bring Congressional amendments against any US aid to Pakistan unless Shakil Afridi, the Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA locate Osama bin Laden, is released from jail.

"I plan to offer an amendment to whatever foreign aid bill comes to the floor that suggests that Pakistan should get not one penny of support for anything until Afridi, the man who helped us bring to justice Osama bin Laden is freed from a Pakistani dungeon," Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistan-should-not-get-single-penny-till-afridi-is-released-dana-rohrabacher/1107962/

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From behind bars: 250 inmates of Karachi jail to vote

 April 26, 2013

KARACHI: For some prisoners of the Karachi Central Jail, a chance to cast their votes almost slipped away if it had not occurred to the facility’s senior superintendent that Thursday was the last day to register for postal ballot papers – the only way inmates can vote.

And when the officials at the jail finally realised the deadline, it was too late for most inmates – only 250 of the nearly 4,000 prisoners at the jail had their CNICs on them and will be casting their votes through postal ballot papers. Just hours before the deadline, the newly-appointed senior superintendent Kazi Nazir Ahmed complained how the election commission didn’t inform him well in advance about how prisoners were to vote. “They didn’t even send us the application forms.”

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/540569/from-behind-bars-250-inmates-of-karachi-jail-to-vote/

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Liberal parties being targeted to pave way for right-wing: Sattar

 April 26, 2013

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar said that liberal parties in the country, including the MQM, are being targeted to pave way for right-wing parties to come out on top in the elections.

He was addressing a gathering at MQM headquarters Nine-Zero in Karachi commemorating the loss of party workers killed in Thursday’s blast in the city. The party had called for a day of mourning on Friday (today) across the city to condemn the blast.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/540871/liberal-parties-being-targeted-to-pave-way-for-right-wing-sattar/

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JUI-F leader accuses ECP of violating constitution

Apr 26, 2013

QUETTA: The secretary-general of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, has accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of violating the constitution by issuing a warning to the candidates against seeking votes in the name of religion.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday at the Quetta Press Club, he criticised Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim for declaring that candidates seeking votes in the name of religion would be penalised.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/04/26/jui-f-leader-accuses-ecp-of-violating-constitution/

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South Asia

Fiery Afghan bus crash kills 30, Taliban blamed

April 26, 2013

A bus in southern Afghanistan collided with the burning wreckage of a truck that was attacked by Taliban insurgents, killing 30 bus passengers, an official said on Friday. Omar Zawak, the governor's spokesman in Helmand province, said the truck was set on fire by Taliban attackers and

left burning in the middle of a road. The approaching bus could not stop in time and ended up smashing into it.

The fiery crash happened about 55 kms (35 miles) outside the capital of Helmand province.

Friday's crash also left 11 passengers injured, Zawak added. He said the casualties included men, women and children.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/afghanistan/Fiery-Afghan-bus-crash-kills-30-Taliban-blamed/Article1-1050627.aspx

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Xinjiang clash that killed 21 being investigated: Chinese official

 April 25, 2013

Chinese police were on Thursday investigating eight suspects arrested in the ethnically divided Xinjiang region after clashes left 21 dead, with authorities reportedly accusing "terrorists" of ambushing police.

Local government officials said 15 police and social workers were killed in the western region on Tuesday, adding that six members of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority shot dead in the clashes were suspected of terrorist plotting.

But the Uyghur American Association, which is run by members of the minority living in the US, urged the international community to dismiss the terrorism claims, saying it was a way of justifying the use of extreme force.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/china/Xinjiang-clash-that-killed-21-being-investigated-Chinese-official/Article1-1050260.aspx

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Mollah seen with rifle at Al Badr camp in 1971   

 April 26, 2013

Abdul Quader Mollah was seen with a rifle at Physical Training Institute in the capital’s Mohammadpur, which was a camp of Al Badr, on November 1, 1971, which proves that he was against the Liberation War of Bangladesh, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told the Supreme Court yesterday.

Citing from the statement made by the prosecution witness Mozaffar Ahmed Khan, he said the claim that Quader Mollah, a Jamaat-e Islami leader, was a freedom fighter was not right.

Mozaffar Ahmed Khan had made the statement before the International Crimes Tribunal-2, which on February 5 sentenced Mollah to life term imprisonment for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/mollah-seen-with-rifle-at-al-badr-camp-in-1971/

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Jamaat charter contrary to country’s constitution    

 April 26, 2013

Some provisions of the charter of Jamaat-e-Islami are contrary to Bangladesh’s constitution and the Representation of People Order (RPO), said Mohsen Rashid, counsel for the Election Commission, yesterday.

He was placing arguments before the HC during its fourth day of hearing on a writ petition filed challenging the legality of Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration as a political party.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/jamaat-charter-contrary-to-countrys-constitution/

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Flogging of 15 year-old “tip of the iceberg” of Maldives’ treatment of sex offences: Amnesty’s South Asia Director

By Neil Merrett | April 25th, 2013

The high-profile case of a 15 year-old girl sentenced to flogging in the Maldives after confessing to having had consensual sex is the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of the country’s treatment of victims of sexual offences, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director Polly Truscott has said.

Following a nine day visit to the country, Truscot told Minivan News that other sexual abuse victims were believed to have had suffered similar treatment under the law as a result of systematic institutional failures.

Full report at:

http://minivannews.com/society/flogging-of-15-year-old-%E2%80%9Ctip-of-the-iceberg%E2%80%9D-of-maldives-treatment-of-sex-offences-amnestys-south-asia-director-56991

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No proposal for US military base in Maldives, insists Minister

Abdullah Jameel, Haveeru Online

Apr 25, 2013

Maldives Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim on Thursday refuted rumors suggesting that the United States had proposed to establish a military base in the Maldives.

Speaking to Haveeru, Nazim said US had agreements with several countries to carry out various training exercises.

“US has proposed joint military training exercises with our forces. The proposal is being discussed with the relevant authorities of the Maldives. The agreement will be signed on the advice of the Attorney General,” Nazim explained.

Full report at:

http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/48670

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UN warns of 'troubling rise' in Afghan violence

Apr 25 2013

Kabul : The U.N. envoy to Afghanistan said civilian casualties rose nearly 30 percent in the first three months of the year, calling it a troubling rise in violence.

The U.S.led NATO force said Wednesday that Afghan and coalition forces killed 13 insurgents in joint operations that began a day earlier in eastern Kapisa and Nangarhar provinces close to where the Taliban are thought to have kidnapped a group of foreign civilians.

The Afghan government said it was trying to win the release of eight Turks, an Afghan translator and two pilots one from Russia and the other from Kyrgyzstan who were kidnapped after their helicopter made an emergency landing in bad weather last Sunday in eastern Logar province adjacent to Nangarhar.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/un-warns-of--troubling-rise--in-afghan-violence/1107472/

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South Korea protests North Korean diplomats' bootlegging in Pak

Apr 25 2013

Islamabad : The reverberations of the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula are being felt in Pakistan, where South Korea has complained about the alleged involvement of North Korean diplomats in bootlegging.

South Korea is "at odds with Islamabad" over the alleged involvement of North Korean mission staff in illegally selling imported liquor to the Pakistani public. Seoul's mission in Islamabad has taken up the issue with Pakistani authorities, insisting that such activities violate UN sanctions, The Express Tribune reported today.

The matter came to light when officials of the Defence Housing Authority in Karachi received complaints from residents about the "illegal activities" of North Korean consulate staff in Pakistan's largest city.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/south-korea-protests-north-korean-diplomats--bootlegging-in-pak/1107475/

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Southeast Asia

Najib defends ‘Allah’ ban, rules out election debate

 April 26, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has expressed support for the appeal to overturn a High Court ruling which allows the use of the Arabic term “Allah” for God by non-Muslim groups in Malaysia, according to an interview with global news station Al Jazeera.

The caretaker prime minister also told Al Jazeera English’s Veronica Pedrosa in the interview, to be aired tomorrow, that he did not intend to have a public election debate with Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim before the May 5 polls.

“The concept of Allah is different in the Muslim sense than in the Christian sense, we should not upset the Muslims and Muslims should not upset the Christians, we are living in harmony for years and it should continue,” he was quoted as saying in an excerpt distributed by Al Jazeera English.

Full report at:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-defends-allah-ban-rules-out-election-debate/

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Youths pivotal in Malaysia’s first ‘social media’ election

 26 April 2013

Bukhairy Sofian is fed up with a ban on political activity at Malaysian universities, which he calls an outdated shackle on a tech-savvy younger generation yearning to express itself.

So the 23-year-old, who heads a student group advocating academic freedom, plans to support the upstart opposition in May 5 elections expected to be the country’s closest yet.

“Today, youngsters can find out everything through their cell phones. The youth have opened their eyes (to see) that they can change Malaysia for the better,” the political science student said.

His vote is one small victory for the opposition in a battle to win over youths who are exposed as never before to alternative political views online and tipped as potential kingmakers in the election.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/449406

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Indonesian leader airs concern on Myanmar violence

The Associated Press, Bandar Seri Begawan

 April 26 201

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has conveyed to his Myanmar counterpart his concerns about the deadly outbreak of anti-Muslim unrest in the former military-ruled nation, Indonesia's top diplomat said Wednesday.

The leader of the world's most populous Muslim country discussed the sectarian violence with President Thein Sein during a visit Tuesday to Myanmar, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian diplomatic summit in Brunei's capital.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/04/26/indonesian-leader-airs-concern-myanmar-violence.html

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Soi Lek likens Anwar to Pak Lah, says only interested in Islam

 April 26, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek warned voters not to put Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in power, saying a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government would be similar to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration that was only engrossed in Islamic affairs.

The MCA president took to the stump in Segamat today, repeating his party’s massive advertising campaign in its media that warned of a puritan Islamic administration under PR but continued stability and prosperity under Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Full report at:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/soi-lek-likens-anwar-to-pak-lah-says-only-interested-in-islam/

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Offence to ‘influence’ judiciary on Allah issue, says DAP

 April 26, 2013

GEORGE TOWN, April 26 — Any comment on the government’s pending appeal against a High Court ruling that non-Muslims can use the term “Allah” is sub judice and is an offence, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said today.

He was commenting on BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s support for the appeal against the 2009 ruling in an interview with the Al Jazeera station to be aired tomorrow. An excerpt of the interview was obtained and reported by The Malaysian Insider today.

“The appeal is still pending and only the Court of Appeal can overturn the High Court decision,” Karpal (picture) said.

Full report at:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/offence-to-influence-judiciary-on-allah-issue-says-karpal/

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Indonesian Militant Serving 19 Years Escapes

April 26, 2013

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A militant serving a 19-year prison sentence for beheading three Christian schoolgirls has escaped while visiting his sick wife and is still at large, Indonesian police said Friday.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said Basri, 36, fled from his house in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso last week when a guard who escorted him from jail to the home left him unguarded for several hours.

Basri, who like many Indonesians uses a single name, was sentenced to 19 years in jail in 2007 for the beheadings and a series of attacks that terrorized Poso, where a Muslim-Christian conflict killed at least 1,000 people from 1998 to 2002.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/04/26/world/asia/ap-as-indonesia-militant-escapes.html?ref=asia&gwh=CE2B6D41E4226032F0E24B9510B58927

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For Indonesian Atheists, a Community of Support Amid Constant Fear

By SARA SCHONHARDT

April 26, 2013

JAKARTA — Karina is an atheist, but her friends jokingly call her “the prophet.” That is because she is helping nurture a community for unbelievers in predominantly Muslim Indonesia, where trumpeting one’s disbelief in God can lead to abuse, ostracism and even prison.

“It’s very normal for atheists to be paranoid because the environment does not support them,” said Ms. Karina, 26, who uses only one name. But, she said, “in this group people don’t need to be afraid.”

Indonesian Atheists was founded with a Facebook page in 2008 and now holds regular gatherings. The Internet has offered its members a safe space to air their opinions, and the feeling of community has made them braver about gathering in public. But recent prosecutions of people who made online comments deemed blasphemous by the country’s courts have stoked fears that they too could come under attack.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/27/world/asia/26iht-indonesia26.html?pagewanted=all

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Arab World

At least 19 Iraqis killed in police clashes with militants

 Apr 26, 2013

BAGHDAD: At least 10 Iraqi policemen and nine Sunni Islamist militants were killed in clashes on Thursday in the northern city of Mosul, the third day of the fiercest fighting since U.S. troops left Iraq in December 2011, military sources said.

Gunmen launched an attack in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, on Wednesday night and seized western parts of the city after using a mosque loudspeaker to rally Sunnis to join the battle.

Military sources said federal police and the army had regained control over most of the area on Thursday but were still surrounding a police headquarters seized by militants, who were holding five hostages.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/04/25/at-least-19-iraqis-killed-in-police-clashes-with-militants/

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Bomb blast kills four outside Sunni mosque in Iraq capital

Reuters | Apr 26, 2013

BAGHDAD: A roadside bomb exploded outside a Sunni mosque in a southern district of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing four worshippers as they left following Friday prayers, police and medical staff said.

The attack, which targeted the Kubaisi mosque, follows three days of the most widespread fighting in Iraq since US troops withdrew in December 2011.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Bomb-blast-kills-four-outside-Sunni-mosque-in-Iraq-capital/articleshow/19742350.cms

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Gunmen quit Iraq town as 190 killed in four days

 Apr 26, 2013

KIRKUK: Iraqi security forces began moving back into a northern town on Friday after gunmen who seized it withdrew, as the death toll from four days of violence reached 190, officials said.

The gunmen pulled out of Sulaiman Bek under a deal worked out by tribal leaders and government officials, local official Shalal Abdul Baban and municipal council deputy chief Ahmed Aziz said.

They had swarmed into the predominantly Sunni Turkmen town on Wednesday after deadly clashes with the security forces, who pulled back as residents fled.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/04/26/gunmen-quit-iraq-town-as-190-killed-in-four-days/

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Egypt’s Pope says Islamist rulers neglect Copts

Friday, 26 April 2013

Egypt’s Christians feel sidelined, ignored and neglected by Muslim Brotherhood-led authorities, who proffer assurances but have taken little or no action to protect them from violence, Coptic Pope Tawadros II said.

In his first interview since emerging from seclusion after eight people were killed in sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians this month, the pope called official accounts of clashes at Cairo’s Coptic cathedral on April 7 “a pack of lies”.

He also voiced dismay at attempts by President Mohamed Mursi’s Islamist allies to purge thousands of judges appointed under ousted President Hosni Mubarak, saying the judiciary was a pillar of Egyptian society and should not be touched.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/26/Egypt-s-Pope-says-Islamist-rulers-neglect-Copts.html

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Al-Maliki warns of sectarian civil war as violence surges

 26 April 2013

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki warned yesterday of a return to “sectarian civil war,” with 169 people killed in three days of violence and troops surrounding a town held by gunmen.

Maliki urged ordinary Iraqis “to take the initiative, and not be silent about those who want to take the country back to sectarian civil war,” in remarks broadcast on state television.

The violence began on Tuesday when security forces moved in against anti-government protesters near the Sunni town of Hawijah, sparking clashes that left 53 people dead.

A wave of subsequent unrest, much but not all of it apparently revenge attacks for the Hawijah clashes, killed dozens more people, and brought the toll by Thursday to 169 dead and 280 wounded.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/449459

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Key Islamic seminary, Al-Azhar University braces for historic election

Ashraf Khaled

25 April 2013

Academics at Al-Azhar University, Egypt’s and the Muslim world's oldest seat of higher learning, will soon get the opportunity to elect the massive institution’s president for the first time in its history.

The Supreme Al-Azhar Council, which is in charge of the public university, has agreed that its president will be selected through an electoral college representing the university's academics – a move inspired by secular higher education institutions in the country.

Full report at:

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20130425155845479

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Iraqi forces enter Suleiman Bek town after gunmen leave

26 April 2013

Iraqi security forces began moving back into a northern town on Friday after gunmen who seized it two days ago made an agreed withdrawal, officials said.

The gunmen pulled out of Sulaiman Bek in Salaheddin province early in the day under a deal worked out by tribal chiefs and government officials, local official Shalal Abdul Baban and municipal council deputy chief Ahmed Aziz told AFP.

The gunmen swarmed into the predominantly Sunni Turkmen town on Wednesday after deadly clashes with the security forces, who pulled back in the face of the offensive as residents fled.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/26/Iraqi-forces-enter-Suleiman-Bek-town-after-gunmen-leave-.html

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KSA tells UN: Rein in Israel

26 April 2013

Israeli defiance and intransigence stand in the way of achieving lasting peace in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the UN has told the Security Council.

“Israel’s continued expansion of settlements and its treatment of Palestinian prisoners are expressions of its defiance and disdain of the international community,” Kingdom’s Permanent UN Representative Ambassador Abdullah Al-Muallemi said.

Speaking at an open debate on the Middle East, he said that Israeli settlers were continuing their attacks on Palestinians.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/449486

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Syrian troops capture key town near Damascus

AP | Apr 26, 2013

BEIRUT: After five weeks of battle, Syrian government troops captured a strategic town near Damascus, cutting an arms route for rebels trying to topple President Bashar Assad's regime, state media and activists said on Thursday.

By taking the town of Otaybah, east of the capital, the army dealt a major setback to opposition forces that in recent months have made gains near the city they eventually hope to storm.

Also Thursday, the White House and other top Obama administration officials said that US intelligence has concluded with "varying degrees of confidence" that the Syrian government has twice used chemical weapons in the civil war, which has dragged on for two years.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syrian-troops-capture-key-town-near-Damascus/articleshow/19733437.cms

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Mideast Asia

Kurdish rebels to begin pullout from Turkey on May 8

 25 April 2013

ANKARA, Turkey: Kurdish rebels announced on Thursday they would on May 8 begin withdrawing from Turkey into their safe haven in northern Iraq amid a peace drive between Ankara and the rebel movement.

But the armed group warned Turkey’s powerful military against “provocations” which would see the end of the pledged withdrawal by outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters.

“As part of ongoing preparations, the withdrawal will begin on May 8, 2013,” PKK leader Murat Karayilan was quoted as saying by the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency.

“The withdrawal is planned in phases ... and is aimed to be finalized as soon as possible,” he said without providing any exact timetable.

But the PKK leader also urged the Turkish army “to act with the same sensitivity and seriousness.”

“Our forces will use their right to retaliate in the event of an attack, operation or bombing against our withdrawing guerilla forces and the withdrawal will immediately stop,” Karayilan warned.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/449388

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11 Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen given prison terms

 26 April 2013

SANAA: A Yemeni court yesterday sentenced 11 convicted Al-Qaeda militants to up to 10 years in prison for forming armed gangs to destabilize the country and planning attacks on foreign embassies and security forces.

The sentencing came as militants attacked a military camp in the central town of Radda, about 160 km south of Sanaa, setting off clashes that killed three soldiers and eight militants. Radda was briefly seized by Al-Qaeda militants last year before the Yemeni government waged an offensive to drive them out.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/449458

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Israel urges U.S. action over Syrian chemical weapons

26 April 2013

The United States should consider military action to curb Syrian chemical weapons after Washington went public with suspicions they have been used in the country’s civil war, Israel’s deputy foreign minister said on Friday.

The challenge by Zev Elkin, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, underscored tension this week over the allies’ assessments on Syria, as well as longer-running disputes about how aggressively to confront Iran’s nuclear program.

The White House said on Thursday the Syrian government had probably employed chemical arms on a small scale against rebels. The disclosure created a bind for President Barack Obama, who has declared such use a “red line” that must not be crossed.

Full report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/26/Israel-urges-U-S-action-over-Syrian-chemical-weapons.html

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Gazans Tiring Of Hamas Authoritarianism, Fatah Gains

APRIL 23, 2013

Hamas’s increasingly draconian rule of law isn’t sitting well with many Gazans, writes Now Lebanon. In fact, the support for the ruling-party is eroding, especially among Gaza’s youth.

Take for example Ayman as-Sayyed, who describes being put in a Jeep along with ten other young men, who were then taken to the police station “under the pretext of sporting an indecent haircut.”

The article continues: “The young men were forced to stand while handcuffed: two lines were cut into their hair and they were told to go to a hairdresser to have the haircut completed. Full report at:

http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/04/23/gazans-tiring-of-hamas-authoritarianism-fatah-gains/

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Seeds Of Future Wars Sown By Yemen’s Military Shake-Up

25 April 2013

On April 10, Yemen’s President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi boldly issued a decree to restructure the nation’s military. The most notable achievements of this decree was dismantling former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s grip on the military by sending many of his relatives abroad as diplomats.

The decision reinforced Mr. Hadi’s previous military decrees to abolish the First Armored Division led by Gen. Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, and the Republican Guard, led by Mr. Saleh’s eldest son, Ahmed. These two units stirred the most controversy.

Still, the decree is a major gamble by Mr. Hadi, who is looking to ease the tensions that have paralyzed Yemen for the past two years. This move is aimed to define the function of the new military, but it will likely increase tensions in the long run rather than solve them.

Full report at:

http://www.yementimes.com/en/1671/opinion/2274/Seeds-of-future-wars-sown-by-Yemen%E2%80%99s-military-shake-up.htm

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Israel shoots down drone from Lebanon

Reuters | Apr 25, 2013

JERUSALEM: An Israeli fighter plane shot down a drone from Lebanon over the Mediterranean sea on Thursday as it was approaching the Israeli coast, the military said.

"I view with great gravity this attempt to violate our border. We will continue to do what is necessary to defend the security of Israel's citizens," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-shoots-down-drone-from-Lebanon/articleshow/19728279.cms

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Europe

Parents say Boston bomb suspect was killed in a US conspiracy

David M Herszenhorn, NYT News Service | Apr 25, 2013

MAKHACHKALA, RUSSIA: The parents of the two brothers accused in the bomb attack that killed three people and wounded more than 260 near the finish line of the Boston Marathon insisted on Thursday that their sons were innocent and had no connection to radical Islam.

In an outpouring of anguish and anger at a news conference here in the capital of Dagestan, the brothers' father, Anzor Tsarnaev, and mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, also made accusations of a conspiracy in which the American authorities murdered their older son, Tamerlan, after seizing him.

Officials in the United States have said that Tamerlan was shot during a wild standoff with the police and was run over by a car driven by his younger brother as he escaped from the scene. The younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was captured and has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction. He is recovering in a Boston hospital and may face the death penalty if convicted. Officials have also released video showing the brothers near the site of the marathon bombing.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Parents-say-Boston-bomb-suspect-was-killed-in-a-US-conspiracy/articleshow/19730529.cms

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After Boston Bombings, Putin Calls for US-Russia Intelligence Sharing

April 25, 2013

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has often complained that he battles alone against terrorism by Islamic extremists.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Washington and Moscow Thursday to share security information to fight terrorism.

Putin said the need for unity was illustrated by the Boston bombings, which U.S. law enforcement authorities say were carried about by ethnic Chechens on American soil.

He said if that if Moscow and Washington truly join forces, “we will not allow these strikes and suffer such losses."

Putin was speaking at his annual marathon TV call-in show. Sitting at a desk behind a laptop computer, Russia’s 60-year-old president talked for nearly five hours, answering 85 questions out of nearly 2 million that were sent by telephone, email and SMS.

Full report at:

http://www.voanews.com/content/putin-urges-cooperation-with-us-against-terrorism/1648532.html

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Serbia president apologizes for Srebrenica ‘massacres’ of 8,000 Muslims

 26 April 2013

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina: Serbia’s nationalist President Tomislav Nikolic yesterday personally apologized for the first time for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslims, but stopped short of calling it genocide.

“I kneel and ask for forgiveness for Serbia for the crime committed in Srebrenica,” Nikolic said of the slaughter, the worst atrocity in Europe since World War II.

“I apologize for the crimes committed by any individual in the name of our state and our people,” he said in an interview to be aired on Bosnian national television, parts of which have been released on YouTube.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/449455

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UK ‘prepared’ if Syria uses chemical arms

 26 April 2013

AMMAN: Britain and its allies are “well prepared” to deal with the situation if Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime decides to use chemical weapons, a British minister said yesterday in Amman.

“We are extremely conscious of the threat of chemical weapons in Syria. The UK with partners are looking very carefully at how any particular incident might be dealt with,” Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt told a news conference.

“But we continue to make the point to the Syrian regime this is a line which must not be crossed. The consequences are far too grave. The UK is well prepared with its partners to meet the challenges, but I would not go into details.”

The United States has warned any use or transfer of chemical weapons would cross a “red line” and could trigger military action.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/449456

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US confirms Syria used chemical weapons

AP | Apr 25, 2013

ABU DHABI: US intelligence has concluded "with some degree of varying confidence," that the Syrian government has used sarin gas as a weapon in its 2-year-old civil war, defense secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday.

Hagel, speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi, said the White House has informed two senators by letter that, within the past day, "our intelligence community does assess, with varying degrees of confidence, that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically, the chemical agent sarin."

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-confirms-Syria-used-chemical-weapons/articleshow/19729396.cms

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UNSC approves creation of Mali peacekeeping force

Reuters | Apr 25, 2013

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council unanimously approved on Thursday the creation of a 12,600-strong peacekeeping force in Mali starting July 1, which will be supported by French troops if needed to combat Islamist extremist threats in the West African country.

France, aided by some 2,000 troops from Chad, began a military offensive in January to drive out Islamist fighters, who had hijacked a revolt by Mali's Tuareg rebels and seized two-thirds of Mali.

The UN peacekeeping force - to be known as MINUSMA - will assume authority from a UN-backed African force deployed there to take over from the French. Most of the African force, known as AFISMA, is likely to become part of the peacekeeping operation, diplomats say.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/UNSC-approves-creation-of-Mali-peacekeeping-force/articleshow/19729970.cms

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Terror plot: Eleven jailed for Birmingham bomb plan

 April 26, 2013

Eleven members of a Birmingham terror cell that planned an attack to rival the 7 July and 9/11 atrocities have been jailed.

The group's leaders were Irfan Naseer, Irfan Khalid and Ashik Ali. Naseer, 31, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 18 years, Khalid, 28, was given 18 years and Ali 15 years.

The judge said Naseer wanted part of Birmingham to be a "little war zone".

Eight other members of the terror cell were also sentenced on Friday.

Rahin Ahmed was sentenced to 12 years, with a further five on licence. Ashik Ali's older brother, Bahader, was given six years. Mohammed Rizwan and Mujahid Hussain were each given four years.

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22290927

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North America

Tamerlan was trained in Georgia: paper

VLADIMIR RADYUHIN

 April 26, 2013

American investigators have travelled to Dagestan to interview the bombers’ parents and to look for terrorist connections he could have established there.

Even as investigators into the Boston Marathon bombings zero in on the Chechen connection of the suspected bombers, a Russian daily claimed one of the suspected terrorists received training in neighbouring Georgia.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said quite bluntly the senior Tsarnaev brother, Tamerlan, had been radicalised during his six-month visit to Dagestan and Chechnya last year.

“[H]e learned something where he went and he came back with a willingness to kill people,” he said during a visit to Belgium on Wednesday.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/tamerlan-was-trained-in-georgia-paper/article4654632.ece

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Obama’s reluctance to use ‘jihadist,’ ‘Islamist’ embarrassing

April 24, 2013

By Jessica Chasmar

Charles Krauthammer slammed President Obama on Fox News Tuesday night, saying the president’s reluctance to use words like “jihadist” and “Islamist” to describe the threat of radical Islam to the country is “embarrassing.”

“I say I don’t know what he’s thinking, but I sure know what he’s saying and doing,” the Washington Post columnist said, appearing on “The O'Reilly Factor.” “The lengths to which he will go to avoid telling us the truth about the enemy is becoming comical and certainly embarrassing. For example, he will never — forget about use the word ‘jihadist.’ He’ll never use that — but he refuses to use the word ‘Islamist,’ which is used throughout the Muslim world. It’s used by journalists, by authors, on the street, in the parliament everywhere, in Egypt. It’s used in Lebanon. It’s used everywhere by Muslims. And yet, Obama won’t touch it because he refuses to use any words that might imply a connection between radical Islam and terrorism, which as anybody who is over the age of nine knows is the single greatest cause of terror in the world today.”

Full report at:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/24/krauthammer-obamas-reluctance-use-jihadist-islamis/

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CAIR-MI Files Suit Seeking Adequate Diet for Muslim Inmates During Ramadan

 April 26, 2013

(SOUTHFIELD, MI, 4/25/13) – The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) has filed a lawsuit on behalf of several Muslim inmates against the Michigan Department of Corrections for the denial of an adequate diet during the yearly month-long fast of Ramadan.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division, challenges a policy that requires Muslim inmates to sacrifice an adequate diet when they elect to participate in the Ramadan fast. Muslim inmates receive less than half the calories that other inmates receive. The suit also challenges a policy that prevents Muslims from maintaining a religiously-mandated, or halal, diet.

Full report at:

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Syria govt has used chemical weapons on small scale: US

Apr 26 2013

Washington : The American intelligence community has assessed with “varying degrees of confidence” that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale, specifically the chemical agent sarin, the White House said Thursday.

In identical letters to Senators Carl Levin and John McCain, the White House said its assessment is based in part on physiological samples, adding, “the US intelligence community assesses with some degree of varying confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale.”

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/syria-govt-has-used-chemical-weapons-on-small-scale-us/1107732/

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Police: Boston suspects planned to attack New York

AP | Apr 26, 2013

NEW YORK: The Boston marathon bombers were headed for New York to blow up their remaining explosives in Times Square before they were intercepted by police in a blazing gun battle, officials said.

New York City police commissioner Raymond Kelly said Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told interrogators from his hospital bed that he and his older brother had decided spontaneously last Thursday night to drive to New York and launch an attack. In their stolen SUV they had five pipe bombs and a pressure-cooker explosive like the ones that blew up at the marathon.

The plan fell apart when the Tsarnaev brothers got into a shootout just outside Boston that left Tamerlan Tsarnaev dead, Kelly said.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Police-Boston-suspects-planned-to-attack-New-York/articleshow/19732432.cms

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Boston bombing suspect moved to prison from hospital

Reuters | Apr 26, 2013

BOSTON: Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been moved to a prison at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, from the hospital where he had been held since his arrest by police a week ago, the US Marshals Service said on Friday.

The 19-year-old ethnic Chechen, who was badly wounded in an overnight shootout last week with police hours after authorities released pictures of him and his older brother, also a suspect, had previously been held at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where some of the victims were also being treated.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Boston-bombing-suspect-moved-to-prison-from-hospital/articleshow/19740984.cms

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Hearing about rights, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev seals lips

AP | Apr 26, 2013

BOSTON: The surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings acknowledged to the FBI his role in the attacks but did so before he was advised of his constitutional right to keep quiet and seek a lawyer, US officials said on Wednesday. Once Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was read his rights on Monday, he immediately stopped talking, according to four officials of both political parties who were briefed on the interrogation but insisted on anonymity because the briefing was private.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Hearing-about-rights-Dzhokhar-Tsarnaev-seals-lips/articleshow/19733271.cms

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Australia

Opposition Leader condemns Melbourne University over sex segregation at Islamic events

BY: BEN PACKHAM

 April 26, 2013

TONY Abbott has condemned Melbourne University for allowing gender segregation at on-campus Islamic events, branding the practice "a leap back into the dark ages".

"I just think it's un-Australian what's happened here and I can't understand for a second why Melbourne University would tolerate it," the Opposition Leader said.

"I would expect members of parliament who want to see a fair and decent and passionate society which treats women equally ... to be up in arms about this."

At an April 13 lecture on Islamic Jihad in Syria, signs directed "sisters" to the back of the theatre, and "brothers" to the front.

Gender segregation was also encouraged at an information session for prospective Australian Islamic Peace Conference volunteers held by the Islamic Research and Educational Academy at the university's Public Lecture Theatre on March 10.

Full report at:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abbott-condemns-melbourne-university-over-sex-segregation-at-islamic-events/story-fn59niix-1226630024655

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Africa

Nigeria, the new Holy Land -Maharaj Ji

Sulaimon Olanrewaju

 26 April 2013

Recently, April 17, 2013 specifically, the One Love Family, founded by Satguru Maharaj Ji, celebrated its 26th year of occupying its global headquarters in Ibadan. Giving the background to the celebration, Satguru Maharaj Ji, during an interactive session with journalists at the weekend, said the “One Love Family of Satguru Maharaj Ji, which initially commenced its soul saving journey in a rented house at Shittu Thompson Street, Off Soboyejo Street in Iju, Lagos State, later relocated to its permanent site at No. 33 of the same street. Subsequently, however, the One Love family of Satguru Maharaj Ji built its headquarters located at the current site, Km. 10 Ibadan-Lagos Expressway, Opposite Odo-Ona Kekere via divine recommendation. April 17 this year, therefore, marked the 26th anniversary celebration of its founding day in the new site. Of course, this movement symbolises the mission’s rapid growth.”

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/10397-nigeria-the-new-holy-land-maharaj-ji

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Nigeria: 25 Killed in Crossfire between Nigeria Military, Gunmen in Northeastern Yobe

 April 26, 2013

A total of 25 people, including police and assailants, were killed on Thursday in a crossfire between military operatives and gunmen in Gashua Town of Bade local government area of northeast Nigeria's Yobe State, according to local police authorities.

State police commissioner Sanusi Rufai confirmed the casualties figure to reporters, saying five policemen and 20 gunmen lost their lives during the gun duel which lasted for several hours.

Full report at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201304260254.html

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Sudan: Ex-Security Officer, 'Arab Spring' Founder Ambushed in Darfur

 April 26, 2013

Adila — A former security services officer who defected three weeks ago and formed a movement called "Arab Spring" was ambushed by his ex-colleagues in East Darfur. Four people were killed in the attack on Thursday, but it is not clear whether the dissident is one of the dead.

Mohamed Ibrahim, known as Hamudi, had been working in the Sudanese security services for 20 years. In his latest placement, Hamudi was responsible for securing East Darfur's oilfield of Surga Ummhadit, which was inaugurated last December in Adila locality.

The dissident, however, was unhappy with the policy of oilfield administrators towards local citizens regarding employment conditions and salaries, said a source from the local tribe of Maaliya. Hamudi comes from the same tribe.

Full report at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201304260053.html

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Mogadishu shooting: Top Somali legal official killed

 April 26, 2013

Somalia's deputy chief prosecutor has been shot dead by three masked men in Mogadishu, officials say - shortly after the UK reopened its embassy in the city.

Ahmad Shaykh Nur Maalin was attacked after he left a city centre mosque.

He is the most senior official to be killed in Mogadishu since a new government took office last year.

Foreign Secretary William Hague was in Mogadishu on Thursday to open the first British embassy in Somalia since 1991.

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22306625

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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/libyan-grand-mufti-calls-end/d/11307