Malaysian Churches to Defy Ban on 'Allah'
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 Jan 2013
Arab World
• Saudi King Appoints 30 Women to Shura Council For First Time
• Al-Azhar Grand Imam Calls on Arab World to Stand by Palestine
• Syrian rebels say they've captured strategic military base
• Syria's rebels form their own secret police
• Turf War Feared After Syrian Rebel Leader Killed
• Brotherhood's Freedom & Justice Party elects new secretary-general
• Egypt’s prosecutor-general forms body to investigate crimes against revolutionaries
• Draft law on recovery of stolen Mubarak regime assets
Africa
• Mali asks for military help after Islamists capture strategic town
India
• Hindu Fanatics behind Several Sensational Cases: Govt
• Prayers for Akbaruddin Owaisi in temple of Hyderabad
• Pakistani markings on bombs, ammunition seized from Maoist attack site in Jharkhand
• Teach Pakistan a lesson like 1965: Hazare
• Police arrest eatery owner for inciting communal violence
• Demand for container depot at Atari as boom in trade is expected
• Militants shoot dead another sarpanch in J&K
• Old Hyderabad tense over Owaisi's arrest
• SGPC seeks Centre's intervention in ensuring Pak Sikhs' safety
• Busy with Delhi rape case, no time for Afzal’s mercy plea: H M
• Asad Owaisi condemns sedition charge against Brother Akbaruddin Owaisi
• Family of ‘killed’ Indian woman fears for lives of her two daughters in Pak
• MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi's hate speech lands TV channels in the dock
• Visit of Pak judicial commission will not be affected
• India 'closely monitoring' LoC, will protect interests: Antony
• India readies troops as Pakistan rattles arms across the border
• Malegaon man ran into ‘bomber’ before blasts; soon he was dead
• ‘India must suspend dialogue with Pak, they cannot be trusted’
Pakistan
• Kashmir Violence Could Turn 'Ugly': Pakistani Islamist Hafez Saeed
• Shia leaders call for army intervention after Quetta blasts
• Massacre in Quetta provides damning indictment of authorities: HRW
• Funerals and strike in Balochistan as three-day mourning begins
• Indians’ strong statements appalling, Hina Khar says
• Pak Uses UN Seat to Put India in Fix
• Court tells Fata officials: Stay in Miramshah until Wapda men are recovered
• Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother passes away
• Dr Tahirul Qadri is only a catalyst for change
• Out of wife's love, Pak man tears up passport to get off plane
• Pak calls in Indian High Commissioner, serves demarche
• Women’s empowerment must for progress: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
• Women must play role to make Pakistan a welfare state: Punjab CM
• Swabi killings: K-P govt to devise security plan for aid workers
North America
• US says no need for third party in India-Pakistan spat
• Images of a dead bin Laden still dangerous: US lawyer
• U.S. Rep. opposes federal grant to provide books about Muslim culture
• US, Afghanistan discuss ‘last chapter’ in war aims: Panetta
• Billions in Afghan aid could be wasted, US inspector says
• Clinton meets visiting Afghan President Karzai
• Priorities Are Far Apart for Karzai and Obama
• Marylanders to Protest Hate Group Leader's Speech
• Muslim group renews call for Iran to free Michigan man
South Asia
• Maldives cleric's murder raises fears of growing religious extremism
• Sri Lanka recalled envoy from Saudi over maid's execution
• Maldives legal system “inaccessible” to migrant workers: Transparency Maldives
Europe
• Islamic scholars' group slams French magazine ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
• Mali crisis: UN calls for 'swift deployment' of troops
• Ireland's Catholic Church calls for abortion referendum
• Four men arrested in London in Syria terror inquiry
• France Says Will Support Mali within U.N. Resolutions
• U.N. Mediator on Syria Meets Russian and U.S. Diplomats in Geneva
• Iran, U.N. envoy hold talks ahead of Geneva meet
Mideast Asia
• Israel president warns of new Palestinian uprising
• Evidence Suggests Paris Murders an Internal PKK Feud: Turkish PM
• Yemeni tribal chief killed in apparent Al Qaeda revenge attack
• IAEA Chief Says Not Optimistic on Iran Nuclear Talks
• Iran Finding Ways to Evade Sanctions, Treasury Department Warns
• Rare snowstorm paralyses Jerusalem area, north Israel
• Palestinian activists set up 'outpost' near Jerusalem
• Israel arms sales rose by 20% in 2012: Report
Southeast Asia
• Malaysian Churches to Defy Ban on 'Allah'
• Malaysian Islamic sect prepared for Mayan 'doomsday'
• Indonesian Maids Held Captive in Malaysia
• Agency takes blood samples of sex workers
• MUI ask a Christian official’s help on mass prayers
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Mali asks for military help after Islamists capture strategic town
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Malaysian Churches to Defy Ban on 'Allah'
Carolyn Hong
January 10, 2013
Kuala Lumpur. Churches in Malaysia said they will continue using "Allah" to refer to the Christian God, defying a decree by the Sultan of Selangor that only Muslims can use the word.
Two church bodies on Wednesday said in statements that "Allah" has been used by Christians for centuries, and that they regarded this as part of their constitutional right to the freedom of worship.
This comes after the Sikh community said the ban on "Allah" would be a restriction on its religious practices as the word has long been used in its scriptures.
Religion is a combustible topic in predominantly-Muslim Malaysia, and the minority non-Muslims have tended to avoid rocking the boat. But in recent years, they have become more vocal, turning long-suppressed issues into potential election fodder for the polls, to be held within six months.
The long-standing dispute over the use of "Allah" last exploded in 2010 when the High Court allowed the Catholic Church's publication, Herald, to use "Allah" to refer to the Christian God. Some Muslims were angry and two Muslim men firebombed a church.
It recently flared up again after Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng urged the government to allow the import of Malay-language bibles using the word "Allah."
The Sultan of Selangor, who is head of religion in the state, subsequently issued a decree that the word was a holy one exclusive for Muslims, and banned its use by non-Muslims in Selangor.
The Christian Federation of Malaysia, which represents the mainstream Protestant churches and the Catholic Church, on Wednesday, issued an indignant statement.
"Malaysian Christians have been using the word 'Allah' in our Bahasa Malaysia bibles and in our faith to signify the Almighty God, and we will continue to do so," said its chairman Ng Moon Hing.
The Council of Churches of Malaysia, representing Protestant churches, said many indigenous communities use "Allah" daily. "We shall continue this practice... and call on all parties to respect this fundamental right," it said.
The issue has turned political. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat, including Parti Islam SeMalaysia, agreed that "Allah" can be used by non-Muslims if it is not used to try to convert Muslims. The ruling Barisan Nasional has not come up with a clear position.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/malaysian-churches-to-defy-ban-on-allah/565294
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Arab World
Saudi king appoints 30 women to Shura Council for first time
Saudi King Abdullah appoints 30 women in the Shura Council following consultations with religious leaders
11 Jan 2013
Saudi King Abdullah appointed 30 women to the previously all-male consultative Shura Council in decrees published on Friday, marking a historic first as he pushes reforms in the ultra-conservative kingdom.
The decrees, published by the official SPA news agency, give women a 20 percent quota in the Shura Council, a body appointed by the king to advise him on policy and legislation.
One decree amended an article in the council's statute to give women representation on the body while the other named the 150 members, among them 30 women.
King Abdullah took the decisions following consultations with religious leaders in the kingdom, where women are subjected to many restrictions and are not allowed to mix with men, according to the decrees published by the SPA.
They stipulate that men and women will be segregated inside the council, with a special area designated for females who will enter through a separate door so as not to mix with their male colleagues.
King Abdullah had been carefully treading towards change, introducing municipal elections for the first time in Saudi Arabia in 2005.
In September 2011 he granted women the right to cast ballots and run as candidates in the next local vote, set for 2015.
In announcing those changes, he also said he was planning to name women to the Shura Council.
Women's rights activists have long fought for the right to vote in the oil-rich Gulf kingdom, which applies a strict version of Sunni Islam and bans females from driving or travelling without the consent of a male guardian.
bur/mh/hkb/bpz
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/62247/World/Region/BREAKING-Saudi-king-names-women-to-Shura-Council-f.aspx
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Al-Azhar Grand Imam Calls on Arab World to Stand by Palestine
11 Jan 2013
Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb stresses Jerusalem's historical importance following meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
Following a recent meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb asserted that Jerusalem (Al-Quds) was not merely an occupied land, but a "holy Islamic and Christian site."
In a statement following the meeting, the grand imam asked Arab education ministries to prepare curricula highlighting Jerusalem's historical value.
El-Tayeb also condemned the ongoing construction of Jewish-only settlements on Palestinian land, and in Jerusalem in particular, pointing out that the practice represented a breach of international law.
"All Palestinian factions must unite in the face of the Zionists, who seek to uproot all Palestinians from Jerusalem and Gaza," he added.
According to El-Tayeb, Abbas presented proposals for achieving Palestinian reconciliation, especially between rival factions Hamas and Fatah, so as to "create the basis on which an agreement can be reached with Egypt as mediator."
At a press conference following the meeting, Abbas stressed the "central role" played by Egypt's Al-Azhar in all matters pertaining to Jerusalem and the wider Islamic world.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/62183/World/Region/Head-of-Egypts-AlAzhar-calls-on-Arab-world-to-stan.aspx
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Syrian rebels say they've captured strategic military base
By CNN Staff
January 11, 2013
Syrian rebel fighters say they have captured a strategic northern military base used by the government to bomb opposition strongholds.
Rebel fighters and militants from various Islamic groups, including the jihadist al-Nusra Front, took part in the offensive, an opposition spokesman said Friday.
They say they've seized control of buildings, ammunition and military equipment at the base in Idlib province, signaling a major blow to President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
Full report at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/11/world/meast/syria-civil-war/
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Syria's rebels form their own secret police
Jan 10, 2013
BEIRUT: Just the mention of the word would send shivers down the spine of Syrians: "mukhabarat", or secret police.
Abuses by President Bashar al-Assad's feared security units were among the reasons Syrians took to the streets in March 2011, leading to an uprising that has become a civil war.
But now some of the rebels fighting Assad say they have set up a mukhabarat of their own to "protect the revolution", monitor sensitive military sites and gather military information to help rebels plan attacks against government forces.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syrias-rebels-form-their-own-secret-police/articleshow/17971355.cms
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Turf War Feared After Syrian Rebel Leader Killed
January 11, 2013
Amman. The killing of a senior Islamist rebel commander near Syria’s border with Turkey could indicate a turf war between armed groups that will hamper their struggle to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, sources told Reuters.
Thaer al-Waqqas, northern commander of al-Farouq Brigades, one of Syria’s largest rebel groups, was shot dead at a rebel-held position in the town of Sermin, a few kilometers from Turkey, early on Wednesday morning, rebel sources said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/turf-war-feared-after-syrian-rebel-leader-killed/565393
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Brotherhood's Freedom & Justice Party elects new secretary-general
Following internal party election on Thursday, 53-year-old Alexandrian Hussein Ibrahim becomes new secretary-general of Muslim Brotherhood's FJP
10 Jan 2013
Hussein Ibrahim became the new secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) in internal party elections held Thursday.
Ibrahim clinched victory with 39 votes against 21 for opponent Helmy El-Gazar.
Ibrahim had served as head of the FJP's bloc in the now-dissolved People's Assembly (the lower house of Egypt's parliament).
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/62224/Egypt/Politics-/Brotherhoods-Freedom--Justice-Party-elects-new-sec.aspx
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Egypt’s prosecutor-general forms body to investigate crimes against revolutionaries
New prosecution body will look into fact-finding committee's report on crimes committed against protesters during and after 25 January Revolution
10 Jan 2013
Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah has ordered the formation of a special prosecution body to investigate crimes committed against revolutionaries by members of the former regime.
The move was made to comply with President Mohamed Morsi’s constitutional declaration of 22 November which said "crimes of terror committed against revolutionaries by anyone who held a political or executive position under the former regime" would be reopened.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/62198/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt%E2%80%99s-prosecutorgeneral-forms-body-to-investigat.aspx
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Draft law on recovery of stolen Mubarak regime assets
Egyptian justice ministry proposes new draft law to expedite recovery of assets sent abroad by members of Mubarak regime
11 Jan 2013
The Egyptian justice ministry has proposed a new draft law for the repatriation of stolen money sent abroad by members of the Mubarak regime, Ahram Online can reveal.
The new law will allow for investigations to be carried out in a “more efficient and professional way,” a source at the ministry said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/62237/Egypt/Politics-/EXCLUSIVE-Draft-law-on-recovery-of-stolen-Mubarak-.aspx
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Africa
Mali asks for military help after Islamists capture strategic town
11 Jan, 2012
Mali asked for military help from France after residents of the strategic northern town of Konna said Islamist rebels drove out the Malian army on Thursday, the fiercest fighting since militants took control of the country's north nine months ago.
The fall of Konna, about 600 km (375 miles) northeast of the capital Bamako, was a major setback to government forces, which said earlier on Thursday they were making headway against the alliance of al Qaeda-linked rebels.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=43878
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India
Hindu Fanatics behind Several Sensational Cases: Govt
Jan 11, 2013
NEW DELHI: Alleged Hindu fanatics arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) last month also shot at a nun and killed Ramesh Ninama, a key witness in the infamous murder case of Congress leader Pyar Singh Ninama in Madhya Pradesh.
The home ministry, while releasing its monthly report on Thursday, revealed that alleged Hindu fanatics arrested by NIA had not only confessed to having executed blasts such as those in Samjhauta Express, Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid and Malegaon but also owned up to some sensation murders and shooting incidents.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hindu-fanatics-behind-several-sensational-cases-Govt/articleshow/17976192.cms
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Prayers for Akbaruddin Owaisi in temple of Hyderabad
BJan 11, 2013
HYDERABAD: About 50 Hindus living in the Old City performed a 'Havan' at a temple for the release of Majlis-e-Ittehad ul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, who was arrested on Sunday over a hate speech.
The 41-year-old Majlis leader was remanded to 14-day judicial custody this week with multiple cases being filed against him. Legal experts say chances of his immediate release are remote.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Prayers-for-Akbaruddin-Owaisi-in-temple/articleshow/17975026.cms
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Pakistani markings on bombs, ammunition seized from Maoist attack site in Jharkhand
Jan 11, 2013
NEW DELHI: Grenades and ammunition made in Pakistan were among the items recovered from the site of the Maoist attack in Jharkhand, sources said, adding a fresh twist to the ongoing India-Pakistan stand-off.
Sources said a couple of grenades, pieces of blasted grenades and fired cases of bullets recovered from Latehar in Jharkhand have clear markings to show that they were manufactured in Pakistan. All ammunition contain details of the originating country, so do all the recovered ammunition from Latehar, where 11 CRPF Jawans were killed and their bodies booby trapped with explosives.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistani-markings-on-bombs-ammunition-seized-from-Maoist-attack-site/articleshow/17976299.cms
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Teach Pakistan a lesson like 1965: Hazare
Jan 10, 2013
RALEGAN-SIDDHI (Maharashtra): Social activist Anna Hazare Thursday demanded that India should "teach Pakistan a lesson" like it did in 1965 for the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops in Jammu and Kashmir.
"What they have done is simply unacceptable. How can they mutilate and take away the head of our soldier? This cannot be tolerated by any person," Hazare told reporters here.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Teach-Pakistan-a-lesson-like-1965-Hazare/articleshow/17970611.cms
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Police arrest eatery owner for inciting communal violence
AMRUTA BYATNAL
11 Jan, 2012
Even as the police on Thursday arrested one person in connection with the communal violence that broke out here on January 6 following an altercation, the curfew, which was imposed following the violence and the ensuing police firing that claimed six lives, was extended.
Dhule Superintendent of Police Pradeep Deshpande said that Kishore Wagh, the owner of the Maratha Mutton shop — the eatery where the scuffle broke out — was arrested for inciting violence and causing damage to property and remanded in police custody till January 13.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dhule-riot-police-arrest-eatery-owner-for-inciting-violence/article4295523.ece
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Demand for container depot at Attari as boom in trade is expected
DIVYA TRIVEDI
11 Jan, 2012
Huge jump seen in imports from Pakistan through land route
Hopeful of trade flourishing between India and Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab, customs officials have sought an Inland Container Depot (ICD) or a Container Freight Station (CFS) near the border town of Amritsar.
“We have written to the Central Board of Excise and Customs [CBEC] and suggested the setting up of a dry port somewhere near the Integrated Check Post [ICP] at Attari. They are expected to take up the matter with the Commerce Ministry soon,” said K.K. Sharma, Customs Commissioner, Amritsar.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/demand-for-container-depot-at-attari-as-boom-in-trade-is-expected/article4295387.ece
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Militants shoot dead another sarpanch in J&K
Jan 11, 2013
SRINAGAR: Unidentified terrorists killed a 'sarpanch' (democratically elected village head) in Sopore district of the valley on Friday afternoon.
According to police, unknown militants fired upon sarpanch, Habibullah Mir, resident of Gooripora Bomie, Sopore in the compound of his house. In a critical condition, Mir was shifted to sub-district hospital Sopore where he succumbed to his injuries. The body of the deceased was handed over to his relatives for last rites. Police has registered a case.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Militants-shoot-dead-another-sarpanch-in-JK/articleshow/17980789.cms?
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Old Hyderabad tense over Owaisi's arrest
IJan 11, 2013
HYDERABAD: Tension prevailed in the Old City of Hyderabad Friday after violent protests by a group of people protesting against MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's arrest for alleged hate speech.
Police used batons and tear gas to disperse hundreds of youths coming out of the historic Mecca Masjid after Friday prayers as they resorted to stoning and tried to advance towards Charminar.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Old-Hyderabad-tense-over-Owaisis-arrest/articleshow/17981562.cms
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SGPC seeks Centre's intervention in ensuring Pak Sikhs' safety
Jan 11, 2013
AMRITSAR: The Akal Takht and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) have demanded Centre's intervention in ensuring safety of their community members in Pakistan. The demand has come in the wake of beheading of a 40-year-old Sikh man in Pakistan's tribal region on Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SGPC-seeks-Centres-intervention-in-ensuring-Pak-Sikhs-safety/articleshow/17977226.cms
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Busy with Delhi rape case, no time for Afzal’s mercy plea: Shinde
Jan 11, 2013
NEW DELHI: Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who had promised to take a quick decision on the mercy petition of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, on Thursday said he could not take a call on the matter as he was busy handling the situation arising out of the Delhi gang-rape incident.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Busy-with-Delhi-rape-case-no-time-for-Afzals-mercy-plea-Shinde/articleshow/17976406.cms
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Asad Owaisi condemns sedition charge against Brother Akbaruddin Owaisi
By A. Srinivasa Rao in Hyderabad
11 Jan, 2012
MAJLIS-E-ITTEHADUL Muslimeen (MIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday strongly condemned the action of the Andhra Pradesh Police in charging his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi with sedition, in connection with his alleged hate speech against a particular community the past month.
Asaduddin held special prayers at Nampally Dargah in Hyderabad in the afternoon along with religious leaders for the early release of his younger brother.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Family of ‘killed’ Indian woman fears for lives of her two daughters in Pak
Jan 11 2013
Ahmedabad: The family of Shirley Ann Hodges-turned-Shabnam Khan (39), who has reportedly been shot dead by her husband in Karachi, wants the custody of her two daughters. The family, which lives in Maninagar area here, reacted angrily to the news of their daughter’s alleged killing that reached them 35 days after the incident.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/1057823/
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MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi's hate speech lands TV channels in the dock
Jan 11, 2013
HYDERABAD: Though the Adilabad police had arrested MIM MLA Akbaruddin first in relation to the 'hate speech' he had delivered in Nirmal, their Hyderabad counterparts, who also booked a case against the Chandrayangutta MLA, are a step ahead of them in gathering evidence. On Thursday, the Osmania Univesity (OU) police issued notices to four local TV channels for airing Akbar's Nizamabad and Nirmal speeches.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/MIM-MLA-Akbaruddin-Owaisis-hate-speech-lands-TV-channels-in-the-dock/articleshow/17974831.cms
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Visit of Pak judicial commission will not be affected
Jan 11, 2013
NEW DELHI: Although the killing of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan army has sparked widespread outrage, the incident will not affect the visit of a Pakistani judicial commission to India in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case with home minister Sushilkumar Shinde seeing it as a "very positive step".
Shinde said the inclusion of Ujjwal Nikam, special prosecutor in the trial of Lashkar-e-Taiba gunman Ajmal Kasab in a team that visited Pakistan in December as an indicator of some positive movement.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Visit-of-Pak-judicial-commission-will-not-be-affected/articleshow/17976428.cms
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India 'closely monitoring' LoC, will protect interests: Antony
January 11, 2013
India on Friday said it was "closely monitoring" the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir after the killing of two of its soldiers along the LoC earlier this week.
"Ceasefire violations are a matter of serious concern," said defence minister AK Antony. There
are enough troops in Jammu and Kashmir and more troops could be deployed if there is a need, he said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-closely-monitoring-LoC-will-protect-interests-Antony/Article1-988152.aspx
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India readies troops as Pakistan rattles arms across the border
Jan 11 2013
Jammu : Tension today prevailed along the India, Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir where Army was on alert after repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops.
Reportedly, Pakistan is mobilising its troops along the border as well as cancelling all leave of its soldiers, indicating almost the highest level of war preparedness.
"The borderline with Pakistan is tense. But the situation is under control (along Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir)", an Army official said today.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/1057993/
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Malegaon man ran into ‘bomber’ before blasts; soon he was dead
Jan 11 2013
Malegaon: On September 27, 2006, the body of 38-year-old Azhar Parvez was found behind his home in Malegaon. His wrists were slit, there was a gash behind his left ankle, and the autopsy showed he had died of excessive bleeding. It was quickly surmised that Azhar, who was financially stressed and battling cancer, had committed suicide.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/1057854/
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‘India must suspend dialogue with Pak, they cannot be trusted’: BJP leader
Jan 11, 2013
New Delhi: In the wake of the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC), BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today advocated suspension of dialogue with Pakistan even as he admitted that the previous NDA government had also committed the mistake by engaging the neighbour in talks.
Sinha, who was External Affairs Minister in the NDA government, said that Pakistan could not be trusted even on agreements it signs with India and should be treated as an “enemy” for breaching accords.
Full report at:
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/india-must-suspend-dialogue-with-pak-they-cannot-be-trusted-yashwant-sinha-585124.html
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Pakistan
Kashmir Violence Could Turn 'Ugly': Pakistani Islamist Hafez Saeed
January 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The Pakistani Islamist leader accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai massacre said India was trying to destabilize Pakistan and predicted violence in the disputed region of Kashmir could get "ugly".
"We do not want any force to be used or any military operation for this. But the Indians are opting for the other alternative," Hafez Saeed told Reuters in a telephone interview on Friday.
Saeed founded Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the 1990s, the militant group which India blames for the rampage in Mumbai, where gunmen killed 166 people over three days. He denies any wrongdoing and links to militants.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/11/world/asia/11reuters-pakistan-india-
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Shia leaders call for army intervention after Quetta blasts
January 11, 2013
QUETTA: Shia leaders called on the military on Friday to seize control of the provincial capital of Quetta to protect the Muslim minority after one of the worst sectarian attacks in the country’s history.
Shia leaders also told Reuters they would not allow the 82 victims of two bomb attacks in Quetta on Thursday to be buried until their demands were met.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/492578/shias-leaders-call-for-army-intervention-after-quetta-bombs/
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Massacre in Quetta provides damning indictment of authorities: HRW
January 11, 2013
NEW YORK: The Pakistani government’s persistent failure to protect the minority Shia Muslim community in Pakistan from sectarian attacks by Sunni militant groups, is reprehensible and amounts to complicity in the barbaric slaughter of Pakistani citizens, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. The government should immediately hold accountable those responsible for ordering and participating in deadly attacks targeting the Shia across Pakistan and particularly the Hazara Shia in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/11/massacre-of-shia-in-quetta-provides-damning-indictment-of-pakistani-authorities-hrw/
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Funerals and strike in Balochistan as three-day mourning begins
January 11, 2013
QUETTA: On a day of bereavement and grief, Chief Minister of Balochistan Aslam Raisani announced a three-day mourning period in the province on Friday, following the huge loss of life and devastation caused by three blasts.
In addition, a strike was also being observed in Quetta against the deadly car and bomb blasts, which claimed at least 102 lives.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/11/funerals-and-strike-in-balochistan-as-three-day-mourning-begins/
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Indians’ strong statements appalling, Hina Khar says
Jan 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday said her country would not respond to "any statement coming from a billion people from India", just days after soldiers were killed along the Line of Control. However, she hoped that the row would not derail the peace process with India and stressed the need for the two countries to use existing mechanisms to resolve such issues.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indians-strong-statements-appalling-Hina-Khar-says/articleshow/17977401.cms
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Pak Uses UN Seat to Put India in Fix
11 Jan, 2012
EXCLUSIVE By Saurabh Shukla in New Delhi
As head of UNSC it wants to internationalise Kashmir issue
Pakistan's offer to India to let the UN probe the brutal killing of the two Indian soldiers in Mendhar is a well thought out diplomatic ploy.
Pakistan assumed rotational presidency of the UN Security Council on January 1 and this month is crucial. It was planning special sessions on peacekeeping and counter- terrorism, and its offer for a UN probe was aimed at leveraging its position as the UN Security council chair where this incident near the Line of Control could have been used to reinforce the centrality of the Kashmir issue.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Court tells Fata officials: Stay in Miramshah until Wapda men are recovered
January 11, 2013
PESHAWAR, Jan 10: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday directed the additional chief secretary and secretary (law and order) of Fata Secretariat to set up their camp office at Miramshah in North Waziristan Agency and stay there until the safe recovery of the eight kidnapped employees of Gomal Zam Dam project.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Khalid Mahmood directed the two officials to go to North Waziristan and supervise the entire efforts made for the recovery of the kidnapped persons.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/11/court-tells-fata-officials-stay-in-miramshah-until-wapda-men-are-recovered/
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Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother passes away
January 11, 2013
LAHORE: Abbas Sharif, younger brother of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, died in Lahore on Friday at the age of 58, DawnNews reported.
The funeral will be held this evening at 7 pm at the family’s residence in Raiwind.
According to sources, Abbas was electrocuted and was brought to the Sharif Medical Complex for treatment. However, doctors were unable to save his life.
Abbas Sharif was elected as a PML-N lawmaker to the National Assembly (MNA) in 1993.
He leaves behind a wife, two daughters and two sons.
http://dawn.com/2013/01/11/nawaz-sharifs-younger-brother-passes-away/
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Dr Tahirul Qadri is only a catalyst for change
MAK Lodhi
January 11, 2013
LAHORE: With only a couple of days left for Dr Tahirul Qadri’s onslaught on the capital, the status quo forces — political parties, civil and military establishments, the civil society, elitists, feudal lords, business community, even the ordinary citizens — remain bewildered and bamboozled about the aim and intent of holding what looks like a tables-turning mega political event.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-153762-Dr-Tahirul-Qadri-is-only-a-catalyst-for-change
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Out of wife's love, Pak man tears up passport to get off plane
Jan 10, 2013
LAHORE: A Pakistani man tore up his passport in a bid to get off an Italy-bound flight after getting a phone call from his distressed wife who was upset about his decision to go abroad, officials said today.
Faisal Ali, a resident of Gujarat district of Punjab province, tore up the passport minutes before the Pakistan International Airlines flight was to take off from Lahore airport yesterday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/mad-mad-world/Out-of-wifes-love-Pak-man-tears-up-passport-to-get-off-plane/articleshow/17970619.cms
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Pak calls in Indian High Commissioner, serves demarche
Jan 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Foreign Office today called in Indian high commissioner Sharat Sabharwal to lodge a protest over the death of a Pakistani soldier in an incident of firing along the Line of Control (LoC), which has witnessed a string of clashes since the weekend.
Officials in the Foreign Office told PTI that Sabharwal was served a demarche by foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani over Thursday's incident in Battal sector of the LoC, which the Pakistan Army said had resulted in the death of a soldier.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-calls-in-Indian-high-commissioner-lodges-protest/articleshow/17981279.cms
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Women’s empowerment must for progress: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
11 January, 2013
LAHORE: No society can achieve the goal of progress and prosperity until women in that society are given their rights, said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday.
Speaking at a meeting arranged by Aurat Foundation, Qureshi said the charter of PTI would guarantee women’s empowerment.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\11\story_11-1-2013_pg13_2
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Women must play role to make Pakistan a welfare state: Punjab CM
11 January, 2013
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Thursday Pakistan could be transformed into an Islamic welfare state if women play their “effective and active role” in the country.
“Daughters of the nation can play a vigorous role in the development of country by acquiring education,” the chief minister said at a function to distribute laptops among students at Lahore College for Women University.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\11\story_11-1-2013_pg13_7
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Swabi killings: K-P govt to devise security plan for aid workers
January 11, 2013
PESHAWAR: The provincial government is working on a plan to ensure security for aid workers, said Information Minister Main Iftikhar Hussain, while talking to journalists at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC).
A protest was held outside the PPC by the Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network and representatives of several other organisations on Thursday in light of the January 1 attack in which seven aid workers in Swabi were shot dead.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/492335/swabi-killings-k-p-govt-to-devise-security-plan-for-aid-workers/
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North America
US says no need for third party in India-Pakistan spat
Jan 11, 2013
WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday spiked Pakistan's effort to seek third-party intervention in its border flare-up with India unless both countries desired it, saying "at the moment, we're urging them to talk to each other."
US reaction to the border incidents came amid signs that Pakistan is riding on the tensions to draw attention to its sundry disputes with India even as it is losing control of its western regions and the center is caving in. But Washington did not rise to Pakistan's bait to get involved in the ongoing border flare-up.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-says-no-need-for-third-party-in-India-Pakistan-spat/articleshow/17976450.cms
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Images of a dead bin Laden still dangerous: US lawyer
US President Barack Obama refuses to release images taken during the killing operation of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, pointing to a legal exception that covers security-related classified documents
11 Jan 2013
Twenty months after U.S. special forces killed Osama bin Laden, the United States told a court on Thursday it is not ready to release images taken after the al Qaeda leader's death because they still might lead to violence.
A federal appeals court heard arguments in a lawsuit over whether the government must release the images under the Freedom of Information Act, a 1966 law that guarantees public access to some government records.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/62235/World/International/Images-of-a-dead-bin-Laden-still-dangerous-US-lawy.aspx
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U.S. Rep. opposes federal grant to provide books about Muslim culture
January 10, 2013
Pat Gannon
U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-Farmville, has taken a stand against a recent grant to Craven Community College to provide 25 books and a DVD to “introduce Muslim cultures to Americans,” Jones’ office said in a news release.
The “Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys” grant came from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Jones has consistently opposed federal spending bills that give money to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, his office said.
Full report at:
http://watchdogs.blogs.starnewsonline.com/22415/u-s-rep-walter-jones-opposes-grant-to-provide-muslim-books-to-craven-community-college/
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US, Afghanistan discuss ‘last chapter’ in war aims: Panetta
11 Jan, 2012
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and Afghan President Hamid Karzai discussed on Thursday the "last chapter" in building a sovereign Afghanistan that can provide its own security, including the nature of US involvement after combat troops withdraw in 2014.
Panetta said he and Karzai made "very good progress" on the issues they discussed, but he declined to say whether they had agreed on the size of any residual US force that would remain in Afghanistan to do counterterrorism operations and training once combat troops withdraw.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=43876
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Billions in Afghan aid could be wasted, US inspector says
Jan 11, 2013
WASHINGTON: Billions of dollars in American assistance to Afghanistan could ultimately go to waste without better planning and security in the war-torn nation, a US investigator said on Thursday.
John Sopko, the congressionally mandated special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, aired his concerns as Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks in Washington to prepare for next year's withdrawal of US combat troops.
"We are at a risk now of wasting billions of dollars if the agencies charged with implementing new programs and constructing new facilities do not first answer some basic questions," Sopko said at the Stimson Center think tank.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Billions-in-Afghan-aid-could-be-wasted-US-inspector-says/articleshow/17975911.cms
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Clinton meets visiting Afghan President Karzai
11 Jan, 2012
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai to hold discussions over a host of issues including the progress on bilateral security agreement and presence of US forces in the country after 2014.
During a one-on-one meeting at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, the two leaders also discussed upon economic sustainability of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of U.S.-led international troops.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/clinton-meets-visiting-afghan-president-karzai/article4297548.ece
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Priorities Are Far Apart for Karzai and Obama
By MARK LANDLER, MICHAEL R. GORDON and MATTHEW ROSENBERG
January 11, 2013
WASHINGTON — The last time President Obama and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan spoke face to face, it was on a video conference call on Sept. 21. Mr. Obama, distracted by an election in which the Afghanistan war was barely discussed, deflected Mr. Karzai’s most probing questions about the future of the American commitment there.
On Friday, the two leaders will finally confront those questions at the White House. For Mr. Karzai, it may prove to be a jolting illustration of how sharply Mr. Obama has scaled back his ambitions in a conflict he once called a war of necessity — going so far as to entertain an option to leave behind no American troops after 2014, when the NATO combat mission ends.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/world/asia/karzai-and-obama-to-meet-to-discuss-
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Marylanders to Protest Hate Group Leader's Speech
1/10/13
(GAITHERSBURG, MD, 1/10/13) -- On Saturday, January 12, the Maryland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MD) will hold a multi-faith protest outside the Maryland Conservative Action Network Conference in Annapolis because Pamela Geller, the leader of a designated anti-Muslim hate group, is speaking at the event.
CAIR-MD previously issued an action alert asking community members to contact Delegates Nic Kipke and Neil Parrott and County Commissioners Richard Rothschild and Blaine Young to withdraw from participating in the conference.
Full report at:
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Muslim group renews call for Iran to free Michigan man
By Oralandar Brand-Williams
JANUARY 9, 2013
Detroit — A local Muslim civil rights organization renewed its calls Wednesday for "due process" for a Muslim man from Michigan who has been held by the Iranian government for more than a year.
Wednesday marked Amir Hekmati's 500th days of detention.
Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine and Flint native, has been detained by Iranian authorities since August 2011 amidst allegations that he was spying while he was in the country. Hekmati's relatives say that he went to Iran to visit family and tour the Persian Gulf nation.
Full report at:
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130109/METRO/301090448#ixzz2HfVa7NH4
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South Asia
Maldives cleric's murder raises fears of growing religious extremism
Killing throws spotlight on island's struggle to reconcile issues of Islam, society and politics after end of dictator's 30-year rule
Jason Burke in Malé
9 January 2013
The killers worked quickly. Their victim did not even have time to reach his front door, only a few yards away. Stabbed repeatedly in the head and back, Afrasheem Ali, member of parliament and a cleric, bled to death in minutes.
The murder last October in Malé, the capital of the Maldives, shocked many. Claim and counterclaim quickly circulated. The police hinted the killers of the cleric, from a party loyal to the former autocratic ruler of the island nation, had political links to the opposition. But according to Ibrahim, a gang leader in Malé, the murderers were from a gang of extremist Muslims angered by Ali's moderate views. He was slain immediately after a live TV show in which he discussed his faith.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/09/maldives-cleric-murder-islamist-extremism
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Sri Lanka recalled envoy from Saudi over maid's execution
January 11, 2013
Sri Lanka has recalled its envoy to Saudi Arabia to protest the execution of a young maid from the country even as the media here lamented the government's failure to prevent Riyadh from going ahead with the action.
Sri Lanka recalled its ambassador, Ahamed Javad, with immediate effect on Thursday in the aftermath of the execution of a Sri Lankan maid despite an appeal by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/SriLanka/Sri-Lanka-recalled-envoy-from-Saudi-over-maid-s-execution/Article1-988175.aspx
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Maldives legal system “inaccessible” to migrant workers: Transparency Maldives
By Luke Powell | January 10th, 2013
Migrant workers suffering poor treatment from their employers are giving up on taking their cases to court due to the “inaccessibility” of the Maldives legal system, an official from Transparency Maldives’ Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) has claimed.
ALAC Communications and Advocacy Manager Aiman Rasheed told Minivan News today that a large number of human rights abuse cases in the Maldives are “potentially” going unreported due to foreign workers not taking their disputes to court.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/maldives-legal-system-inaccessible-to-migrant-workers-transparency-maldives-50942
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Europe
Islamic scholars' group slams French magazine ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
11 January 2013
The International Association of Islamic Scholars (IAIS) condemned the publication by the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, of cartoons and a comic book ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
In a statement released to the media, IAIS expressed concern about the magazine's conduct. It said the magazine's behaviour violated basic international norms. It also said that the publication of such offensive content violates the concept of dialog among religions.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/islamic-scholars-group-slams-french-magazine
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Mali crisis: UN calls for 'swift deployment' of troops
11 Jan, 2012
The UN Security Council has called for the "swift deployment" of an international force to Mali.
The call comes after Islamist militants said they had entered the key central town of Konna.
The UN has approved plans to send some 3,000 African troops to Mali to recapture the desert north, which is controlled by the militants.
On Friday, French President Francois Hollande said France would only help Mali within a UN framework.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20981837
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Ireland's Catholic Church calls for abortion referendum
Jan 11 2013
London : Ireland's Catholic Church today suggested a referendum on changing the country's controversial anti-abortion laws, months after an Indian-origin dentist died after doctors allegedly refused to abort her fetus stating "this is a Catholic country".
Catholic Bishop of Elphin Christopher Jones told a parliamentary hearing in Dublin that terminating a pregnancy was never morally permissible.
The debate on the issue intensified after 31-year-old Halappanavar died from blood poisoning at the Galway University Hospital on October 28 after doctors allegedly refused to perform an abortion stating "this is a Catholic country".
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/irelands-catholic-church-calls-for-abortion-referendum/1057592/
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Four men arrested in London in Syria terror inquiry
11 Jan, 2012
Detectives investigating the support of alleged terrorist activity in Syria have arrested four men, Scotland Yard has said.
Three men, aged 18, 22 and 31, were held at separate residential addresses in east London.
A 33-year-old man was arrested at Gatwick airport on Wednesday as he tried to take a flight out of the UK.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20976211
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France Says Will Support Mali Within U.N. Resolutions
January 11, 2013
PARIS (Reuters) - France will support Mali's request for military assistance to help counter an offensive by Islamist rebels but strictly within the framework of U.N. Security Council resolutions, President Francois Hollande said on Friday.
Mali asked for French help on Thursday after residents of a northern town said the rebels, who control much of the northern two-thirds of the country, drove out the Malian army in a major setback to government forces.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/11/world/europe/11reuters-mali-rebels-
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U.N. Mediator on Syria Meets Russian and U.S. Diplomats in Geneva
By NICK CUMMING-BRUCE
January 11, 2013
GENEVA — Senior United States and Russian diplomats met on Friday with Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations and Arab League special envoy, to discuss possible mechanisms for ending the Syrian conflict but with little sign that an agreement was close.
Mr. Brahimi’s talks with United States Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov of Russia will consider ways to implement an agreement major powers reached in Geneva last June providing for the formation of a transitional government and ending almost two years of conflict in which the United Nations says 60,000 people have died.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/12/world/middleeast/syria-war-
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Iran, U.N. envoy hold talks ahead of Geneva meet
ATUL ANEJA
11 Jan, 2012
Iran has held talks with Lakhdar Brahimi, U.N. and Arab League envoy on Syria, who is set to jointly hold talks with American and Russian officials in Geneva on Friday.
Mr. Brahimi’s meeting with William Burns, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, and Mikhail Bogdanov, Kremlin’s West Asia envoy, has generated speculation that a plan to defuse the Syrian crisis that is jointly engineered by Moscow and Washington, is in the works.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-un-envoy-hold-talks-ahead-of-geneva-meet/article4295221.ece
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Mideast Asia
Israel president warns of new Palestinian uprising
11 Jan, 2012
JERUSALEM: Israel's president has warned that the Palestinians are liable to launch a new uprising if the Jewish state doesn't do more to try to reach a peace accord, stepping up his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Jan 22 elections.
The presidency in Israel is a ceremonial position and presidents generally refrain from political statements. But this was the second time in less than two weeks that President Shimon Peres' criticism of Netanyahu's approach to the Palestinians has found an international platform.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israel-president-warns-of-new-Palestinian-uprising/articleshow/17971577.cms
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Evidence Suggests Paris Murders an Internal PKK Feud: Turkish PM
January 11, 2013
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The execution-style killing in Paris of three Kurdish female activists, including a founder of the PKK militant group, appears to have been the result of an internal feud, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.
Sakine Cansiz, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and two fellow activists were found shot in the head early on Thursday in an attack which overshadowed peace moves between Turkey and the guerrillas.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/11/world/europe/11reuters-france-
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Yemeni tribal chief killed in apparent Al Qaeda revenge attack
January 11, 2013
CAIRO: A prominent tribal chief was killed in an ambush, an apparent revenge attack by Al Qaeda for his security links, Yemeni security officials said.
The officials said suspected Al Qaeda militants fatally shot Ali Abdul-Salam Thursday and wounded two of his guards as they rode in his vehicle in the southern province of Abyan.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/11/yemeni-chief-killed-in-apparent-al-qaeda-revenge-attack/
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IAEA Chief Says Not Optimistic on Iran Nuclear Talks
January 11, 2013
TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear agency chief said on Friday he was not optimistic about talks with Iran next week on getting access to a military base Western powers suspect has been used for atom bomb-related work.
The comments by Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), contrasted with a more upbeat assessment given by the Vienna-based U.N. agency after a meeting with Iranian officials last month.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/11/world/middleeast/11reuters-nuclear-iran-
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Iran Finding Ways to Evade Sanctions, Treasury Department Warns
By RICK GLADSTONE
January 11, 2013
Despite onerous sanctions that have basically shut Iran out of the global financial system, the country is still finding some ways to bypass them, the Treasury Department said Thursday, describing what it called a small but “emerging threat” to the effectiveness of the sanctions effort.
Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which supervises American enforcement of the sanctions, said the Iranians were using private exchange houses and trading companies in other countries, masking transactions with fake identities and relying on the paperless practice known as hawala, common in parts of the Middle East and Asia, in which money is transferred informally and often illegally through trustworthy couriers.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/world/middleeast/iran-finding-ways-to-circumvent-
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Rare snowstorm paralyses Jerusalem area, north Israel
Jan 10, 2013
JERUSALEM: The worst snowstorm in 20 years shut government offices, public transport and schools in Jerusalem and along the northern Israeli region bordering on Lebanon on Thursday.
Many Palestinians in the hilly occupied West Bank were also snowed in and dozens were forced to flee flooded homes.
Elisha Peleg, an official in charge of emergencies with Israel's municipality for Jerusalem, urged residents to remain at home and stay off the streets, telling Israel Army Radio the area had overnight seen its greatest snowfall since 1992.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Rare-snowstorm-paralyses-Jerusalem-area-north-Israel/articleshow/17971525.cms
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Palestinian activists set up 'outpost' near Jerusalem
11 Jan 2013
Palestinian activists on Friday began setting up an "outpost" in E1, a strip of West Bank land east of Jerusalem where Israel said it would build thousands of new settler homes.
"We have set up 20 tents, and have enough equipment to stay here for a long time," said Abir Kopty, spokeswoman for the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee.
Kopty told AFP that more than 200 Palestinians were camping at the site which they had named Bab al-Shams, or 'gate of the sun,' which is located in a corridor of land between the edge of annexed east Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim settlement.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/62240/World/Region/Palestinian-activists-set-up-outpost-near-Jerusale.aspx
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Israel arms sales rose by 20% in 2012: Report
A recently-issued Israeli report reveals a 20 percent increase in arms exports; defence ministry did not confirm the news
10 Jan 2013
Israeli arms exports rose by 20 percent to $7 billion (5.3 billion euros) in 2012, according to defence ministry estimates cited by the Haaretz newspaper on Thursday.
The increase comes despite the global economic crisis, which has seen many states cut down on weapons purchases.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/62211/World/Region/Israel-arms-sales-rose-by--in--Report.aspx
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Southeast Asia
Malaysian Islamic sect prepared for Mayan 'doomsday'
Jan 11 2013
Kuala Lumpur: A Malaysian Islamic sect that stockpiled a huge cache of swords, gunpowder and other weaponry was preparing for last month's much-hyped Mayan apocalypse prophecy that never came true, police said today.
The 46-year-old leader of the sect, which called itself "Sky Banner", was arrested Saturday in the southern state Malacca, and a police raid at his home turned up an array of weapons and survival gear.
State police, who have not yet named the leader, said the group appeared to be preparing for the chaos of a post-apocalyptic world.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/malaysian-islamic-sect-prepared-for-mayan-doomsday-with-swords-gu.../1057985/
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Indonesian Maids Held Captive in Malaysia
Camelia Pasandaran | January 11, 2013
Malaysian police freed 20 Indonesian maids held in captivity at a Kuantan maid agency on Thursday, an Indonesian embassy official said.
The women found work as maids, but were recently sent back to the agency after their employers were dissatisfied with their performance, the Indonesian news portal antarabengkulu.com reported.
They were then held for several days at the agency’s office, Suryana Sastradiredja, spokesman for the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia, said. The women allegedly faced starvation and abuse by agency staff while they were held in the office.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/indonesian-maids-held-captive-in-malaysia/565380
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Agency takes blood samples of sex workers
January 11 2013
In a bid to curb the spread of HIV in the municipality, the administration has taken blood samples from 187 street sex workers, an official said on Thursday.
“We take blood samples to find out whether or not they have contracted HIV in separate joint operations with the Public Order Agency,” said M. Rusmin, head of the communicable diseases prevention unit at the South Tangerang Health Agency.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/11/agency-takes-blood-samples-sex-workers.html
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MUI ask a Christian official’s help on mass prayers
January 11 2013
The Jakarta administration has thrown its support behind the Indonesia Ulema Council’s (MUI) decision to issue an edict against the holding of mass prayers that block main roads, leading to traffic jams.
Deputy Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian, said the administration agreed with MUI and would help communicate the edict to the city’s residents.
Ahok said the administration would put up messages about the edict on billboards and TV.
“The messages will be seen and read by the citizens, especially organizers of the religious activities who often use the roads and closing them, causing trouble for fellow citizens,” Ahok told reporters. Despite the inconvenience of chaotic traffic jams created by mass prayers, sermon groups led by clerics have gained popularity among Muslim youths in Jakarta in the past few years.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/11/mui-ask-a-christian-official-s-help-mass-prayers.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/malaysian-churches-defy-ban-allah/d/9966