Music returns to Swat after the end of Taliban raj

Music returns to Swat after the end of Taliban raj

New Age Islam News Bureau

June 17, 2013

London: Artists play a major role in the promotion of the culture of a country. Artistes, dancers and singers of Swat (Pakistan) say that those who had bid adieu to their art due to the fear of Taliban have rejoined their profession after the establishment of peace in Swat and they are very happy about it. According to them their art is the legacy of their forefathers and they entertain people and give the message of peace to the world through their art. In their view, Swat has proved a fertile ground for the singers and artistes. It is said that half of the dancers, actors and singers of Khaibar Pakhtunkhwa are based in Swat. A local artiste Raihan (not the real name) told the BBC that they are helping in the establishment of lasting peace in the region through their art after the rout of Taliban from there. He said that after Taliban had established their domination in the region, they had put a ban on music and all the other performing arts. They had even killed the famous danseuse of Swat, Shabana. This had created panic among the artistes and they had migrated to other parts of the country to save their lives. As a result, the Pashto music suffered a downfall.

Many artistes make a living out of performing arts. A tabla player said that the Taliban tried to crush music during their reign and that’s why many families still hesitate to allow their women to sing professionally. He also said that the courage of the singers who dared to keep music alive amidst threats was praiseworthy. A female singer said that she liked music very much and so she chose the profession of singing despite social limitations, threats and family obstacles because music is not only her hobby but also a means of livelihood for her.

A danseuse based in Mengora said that now she goes to functions and other ceremonies without fear as dance is the only means of income for her.

Telefilms and plays have started being made again in Swat after a gap of several years providing livelihood to thousands of artistes and technicians. On an average, more than 200 telefilms and plays are produced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa every year.

Source: Jang, Karachi

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Pakistan Executes Homosexuals, But Leads World In Gay Google Searches

JUNE 16, 2013

The South Central Asian nation of Pakistan may be a bit schizophrenic when it comes to active homosexuals, executing that drug before their increasingly Islamic-based court system, but leading the globe in gay Google searches, as reported by the New York Post on June 14, 2013.

Citing both the left-of-centre news portal Mother Jones and the Pew Research Centre, the Post reports that when the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan were queried if gays should be openly accepted into their society, a mere 2 percent answered in the affirmative.

Yet the same nation that is increasingly turning those accused of "Buggery" over to Islamic Shari’a courts rather than the country's secular criminal courts, also happens to lead the world in a number of homosexual related Google search terms.

The Islamic Republic is second to none while Googling the following phrases based on search volume:

Shemale sex

Teen anal sex

Man f***ing man (self censored)

By a thin margin, Pakistan did place second globally for the words "gay sex pics."

Under the guise of tradition and considered a status symbol, many Pakistani men adhere to the age-old practice of Bacha Bazi, the term for an older man with a boy lover which literally translates to "boy player."

http://www.examiner.com/article/pakistan-executes-homosexuals-but-leads-world-gay-google-searches

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PkMAP says it views Ziarat Residency as a ‘symbol of slavery’

By Qaiser Butt

 June 17, 2013

ISLAMABAD: While the entire nation is in a state of shock over the destruction of the Jinnah’s Residency in Ziarat, a key coalition partner in the Balochistan government calls it a ‘symbol of slavery’.

The residence of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah at the idyllic hill station of Ziarat, which was considered a national heritage, was razed to the ground in a bomb attack claimed by an outlawed Baloch separatist group, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) early Saturday.

“The wooden house at Ziarat was a symbol of slavery as it was built for the colonial British officer Sir Robert Groves Sandeman who ruled Balochistan until his death in 1892,” Akram Shah, the general secretary of Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), told The Express Tribune.

“The house always reminded the Baloch and Pashtuns of the long period when they were the slaves of British Empire in Indian subcontinent,” Shah added. “For us, it’s no more than the house of the then agent to the governor general [of India], Sir Sandeman.”

Shah’s shocking statement prompted scathing criticism from a fellow politician from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

“Akram Shah has hurt the feelings of millions of patriotic people in Balochistan and of those who had an emotional attachment with the historic building [Ziarat residency},” Anwarul Haq Kakar told The Express Tribune. “The PkMAP leader should behave like a responsible politician and not forget that his party is a coalition partner in the Balochistan government.”

Kakar said that the terrorists who destroyed the ‘symbol of the federation in Balochistan’ deserved a befitting reply from the entire nation, particularly from the peace-loving people of the province.

PkMAP’s Akram Shah was also unhappy with the visit to Ziarat by two federal ministers — Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Pervaiz Rashid. The ministers should have instead attended the funeral of the victims of Saturday’s attacks in Quetta claimed by the banned sectarian extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/564257/heritage-under-attack-pkmap-says-it-views-ziarat-residency-as-a-symbol-of-slavery/

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NSA email monitoring in Pakistan led to terrorist arrest

 June 16, 2013

WASHINGTON:  The US government only searched for detailed information on calls involving fewer than 300 specific phone numbers among the millions of raw phone records collected by the National Security Agency in 2012, according to a government paper obtained by Reuters on Saturday.

The unclassified paper was circulated Saturday within the government by U.S. intelligence agencies and apparently is an attempt by spy agencies and the Obama administration to rebut accusations that it overreached in investigating potential militant plots.

The paper says NSA collection of email and telephone data helped U.S. authorities track down Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan immigrant who in 2009 was arrested for plotting to bomb the New York City subway system.

Zazi pleaded guilty to terrorism charges.

NSA monitoring of the email of alleged al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan led them to an unnamed person in the United States who was making “efforts to procure explosive material,” according to the government paper. The NSA gave its raw information to the FBI, which identified Zazi, who was then living in Colorado. After tailing him to New York, the FBI arrested him.

By cross-checking Zazi’s phone number with its giant data base of raw phone traffic, the paper said more leads were generated for the FBI. One of those leads took authorities to Adis Medunjanin, who was convicted last year in the subway plot and sentenced to life in prison.

The administration has said that even though the NSA, according to top-secret documents made public by former agency contractor Edward Snowden, collects massive amounts of data on message traffic from both U.S. based telephone and internet companies, such data collection is legal, subject to tight controls and does not intrude on the privacy of ordinary Americans.

The paper circulated on Saturday said that data from the NSA phone and email collections programs not only led U.S. investigators to the ringleader of a plot to attack New York’s subway system in 2009, but also to one of his co-conspirators in the United States.

The paper discusses an NSA program that collects “metadata” – raw information that does not identify individual telephone subscribers – from major U.S. phone companies showing all calls made by those companies’ subscribers to phones within the United States and overseas.

It also mentions another NSA program, called Prism in leaked documents, that collects from internet companies what the paper says are emails of foreigners who might be of interest to counterterrorism or counter-proliferation investigators.

Millions of phone records were collected in 2012, but the paper says U.S. authorities only looked in detail at the records linked to fewer than 300 phone numbers.

A person familiar with details of the program said the figure of fewer than 300 numbers applied to the entire mass of raw telephone “metadata” collected last year by the NSA from U.S. carriers – not just to Verizon, which is the only telephone company identified in a document disclosed by Snowden as providing such data to the NSA.

The paper repeats assertions by administration spokesmen that NSA email and telephone data-collection programs contributed to the disruption of “dozens of potential terrorist plots here in the homeland and in more than 20 countries around the world.”

http://tribune.com.pk/story/564022/nsa-email-monitoring-in-pakistan-led-to-terrorist-arrest/

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TTP man, 3 MQM workers killed among 10

 Jun 17, 2013

KARACHI: Ten people including alleged commander of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), cop and three political workers were killed in separate incidents of target killing in the city on Sunday.

An alleged TTP commander was shot dead outside his home in Kunwari Colony early Sunday morning.

Pirabad SHO Abdul Moeed said that deceased Sher Alam aka Shera, son of Jalad Khan was the vice-commander of Kunwari Colony and its adjoining areas including Manghopir and Sultanabad. He was also the finance secretary of the TTP and responsible for holding ‘jirgas’. Full report at:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\06\17\story_17-6-2013_pg7_14

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‘No end to military atrocities in Balochistan’

 Jun 17, 2013

GENEVA: The Baloch people continue to face the brunt of a full fledged military campaign by the Pakistan military while the international community seemed unmoved by the atrocities, says Noordin Mengal, a Baloch representative at the UN Human Rights Council who has highlighted human rights issues at international forums.

Speaking at a conference held alongside the 23rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mengal said that the actual gravity of the situation in Balochistan needs to be understood. He said that as we speak, the people of Balochistan continue to bleed, suffer and mourn, as a military operation is ongoing in Balochistan. He said that Pakistan has continuously attempted to subdue the Baloch people’s struggle for their rights and has been usurping the wealth and natural resources of Balochistan.

Full report at:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\06\17\story_17-6-2013_pg7_22

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Nisar presents preliminary report on Ziarat attack in NA

 Jun 17, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday presented a preliminary report on the attack on Jinnah’s Ziarat residency in the National Assembly.

Speaking on the floor of the House, the interior minister said a joint investigation team had been constituted to investigate the attack on the building in which the Quaid-i-Azam spent the last days of his life in 1948.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/news/1018827/nisar-presents-preliminary-report-on-ziarat-attack-in-na

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MOHAMMAD ASGHAR

 Jun 17, 2013

RAWALPINDI, June 16: The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is reported to have asked two local businessmen to pay ‘protection money’ to them to help militants carry out ‘jihad’.

A senior police official told Dawn that the chief executive of an Islamabad-based business establishment had received four letters allegedly from the head of the TTP’s `finance wing’.

The businessman has been asked to pay $25 million. The letter, bearing the name of its sender, said the money was needed for jihad and it would be received abroad (in Dubai). “If you paid the money, we will protect you. Otherwise, there will be no guarantee.”

The TTP threatened that its ‘operational wing’ would come into action if the money was not paid.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/news/1018671/ttp-demands-protection-money

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Armed forces ready to face any challenge, says Kayani

 Jun 17, 2013

ISLAMABAD, June 16: Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Sunday reiterated the army’s resolve to meet future challenges squarely.

Addressing participants of the concluding session of military war games, the Exercise Azm-i-Nau-4, at the National Defence University, he said the army in coordination with the navy and air force was fully configured and prepared to thwart any aggression against the country.

“Military success depends on being fully prepared and the support of the people of Pakistan and other state institutions,” Gen Kayani said.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/news/1018737/armed-forces-ready-to-face-any-challenge-says-kayani

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Still not ready for peace talks, says Pakistani Taliban

By Tahir Khan

June 16, 2013

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Taliban say they will not change their decision of withdrawing peace talks offer to the government for now, as they are still mourning the killing of their deputy chief, Waliur Rehman Mehsud in a US drone strike. 

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) withdrew its dialogue offer to the new government a day after the TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan confirmed on May 30th that Waliur Rehman Mehsud was killed in the US drone strike in North Waziristan tribal region, along with six other militants.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/564014/tehreek-e-taliban-say-no-peace-talks-anytime-soon/

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 Alleged police informant killed by TTP in Manghopir

 June 17, 2013

KARACHI: An alleged police informant was killed by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in Manghopir in the late hours of Sunday.

Sher Alam aka Shera, 48, was killed outside his house in Kunwari Colony. Talking to The Express Tribune, Pirabad SHO Abdul Moeed said that the deceased was the area naib-commander and finance secretary of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, besides being responsible for holding jirgas. Moeed said that Alam was reportedly killed by his companions over financial misappropriation. “He was accused of not transferring the full extortion amount to Waziristan.”

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/564092/a-case-of-blown-cover-alleged-police-informant-killed-by-ttp-in-manghopir/

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Pakistan sixth most populous country in world: survey

 Jun 17, 2013

KARACHI: Pakistan is sixth most populous country in the world with an estimated population of 184.35 million in 2012-2013.

The growth rate of population during 2012-2013 is 2.0 percent. Under current circumstances, it is expected that Pakistan will attain fifth position in the world in terms of total population in 2050.

According to new Economic Survey of Pakistan 2012-13, the comparison of population data published by Population Reference Bureau shows that the world population growth rate reduced from 1.4 percent in 2011 to 1 percent in 2012. Nevertheless the decreased growth rate added 71 million people in global population, and the total world population crossed the figure of seven billion at the end of June 2012. Each year the number of human beings is on the rise, but the availability of natural resources, required to sustain this population, to improve the quality of human lives and to eliminate mass poverty remains finite.

Full report at:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\06\17\story_17-6-2013_pg7_23

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Arab World

Saudi Sheikh slaps travellers to Dubai with fatwa of “immoralities”

June 17th, 2013

A Saudi cleric has sparked controversy when he issued a fatwa (religious edict) this week barring travel to Dubai because of the spread of “immoralities” there.

Sheikh Mohamed al-Shanar used his Twitter account to answer a question by a woman on whether a woman can visit Dubai without a male guardian.

“A woman asks me if it she may go to Dubai without a guardian. I answer her saying: going to Dubai is forbidden, whether she was accompanied by a guardian or not [because of the spread of immoralities], and sins increase if travelling without a guardian was not a necessity,” the cleric said on his Twitter account.

In Saudi Arabia, woman usually must be accompanied by a male guardian to be able to travel.

His fatwa prompted a wave of reaction from social media users and even from other religious scholars, with many criticizing him as “odd” and “offensive.”

In an interview with Al Arabiya, Saudi Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Fozan, professor of comparative Islamic jurisprudence, described the fatwa as “incorrect and erroneous.”

Fozan explained that while the cleric said a woman shouldn’t travel to Dubai alone, he went a step further by “generalizing” and prohibiting both males and females.

Full report at:

http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/united-arab-immoralates-saudi-sheikh-slaps-travelers-dubai-fatwa-499832

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Wahhabi clerics call to boycott Iranian products

Jun 17, 2013

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) -  Calls to boycott Iranian products are gaining support in the region after a meeting of leading Sunni clerics in Cairo urged Muslims to declare a jihad against the Syrian regime supported by Iranian and Hezbollah fighters.

A declaration issued by the meeting also called for a boycott of ‘products, companies and interests’ of Iran. Several Kuwaiti supermarket chains have already begun boycotting Iranian goods.

Representatives of 76 Islamic organisations from the Arab world and some non-Arab Muslim countries, including noted Qatar-based Islamic scholar Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi were present at the meeting.

Full report at:

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=429995

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Three bombings kill at least 12 in Iraq - police

Jun 17, 2013

BAGHDAD — At least 12 people were killed in three bomb attacks in Iraq on Monday, police and medics said.

Concerns of a descent into full-blown conflict have been mounting in recent months as Iraq's delicate inter communal balance comes under growing strain from the civil war in neighboring Syria.

Full report at:

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130617170204

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Damascus blast kills 10 soldiers

 Jun 17, 2013

A car bomb targeting a checkpoint near a military airport in an upscale neighbourhood of the Syrian capital has killed 10 soldiers and wounded 10 others, activists said on Monday.

The attack, which took place late Sunday in the Mazzeh district in western Damascus, comes as President Bashar Assad’s forces press ahead with an offensive to regain territory they lost to the rebels trying to topple his regime.

The Army has scored major victories in key battlefields in western and central Syria in the past weeks, and is now setting its sights on the country’s largest city, Aleppo, in the north, parts of which have been opposition strongholds.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/damascus-blast-kills-10-soldiers/article4822921.ece

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Egyptian Shia cleric: "Today, al-Azhar is nothing except a name"

Jun 17, 2013

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Egyptian Shia cleric "Abdul Wali Nasr", who Has participated in the "Spring of Martyrdom" festival in Karbala, stated: "Today, al-Azhar is nothing except a name."

"Since al-Azhar was attacked by Salafists and Muslim Brotherhood, just a name, form and building remains of the school," he added in his speech.

"Imam Hussein (PBUH), is the key of Sacrifice, honor and decency and indeed he is like a rescue ship, as Prophet Mohammed (SAW) said: My Ahlul-Bayt are like the Ark of Noah. Whoever embarked in it was saved, and whoever turned away from it was perished." Abdul Wali Nasr added at the end.

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=430427

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Syria’s Mufti Warns against Christian, Islamic Wahabism

Jun 17, 2013

Grand Mufti of Syria Sheikh Badreddin Hassoun warned against Christian and Islamic Wahabism and said Syria is carrying the flag of defending the whole orient.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Speaking to Russia’s Interfax news agency, he said, “We are not defending ourselves only but the whole orient,” Al-Alam news network reported.

He said some of the elements fighting Syria’s government have come from places like Kyrgyzstan, Chechnya, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.

Full report at:

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=429998

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Hezbollah Secretary General: Mistaken Who Thinks That Takfiris Can Change Our Position

Jun 17, 2013

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah stressed that the resistance will be where it should, assuring that the struggle in Syria is between two projects and not between two sects.

During a ceremony held by Hezbollah for the occasion of the Injured Fighter Day, Sayyed Nasrallah said that post-Qusayr stage is the same of pre-Qusayr since no change in developments taking place in Syria.

In this context, he stressed that the accusations of unbelief launched by Takfiris will not change the position of the resistance, and “who thinks that he can force us to change its stance through killing and terrifying is mistaken.”

As he said that the resistance is not interested in the battle talking place in Syria, Sayyed Nasrallah Hezbollah should be engaged in since it is aimed at destroying the whole region, not only Syria.

Full report at:

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=429829

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Sayyed Fadlullah condemns extremist fatwas issued by some religious scholars

Jun 17, 2013

His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Rajab 5th 1434 H. - June, 14th 2013. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries and thousands of believers attended the Friday prayer.

The First Sermon

In the first sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, talked about the virtue of forgiveness, one of the noblest virtues of Islam. He cited some examples from the biographies of the Prophet (p.) and Ahl El-Beit (a.s.), especially Imam Zein Al-Abideen (a.s.), to show that to forgive, especially graciously (to forgive without any rebuke), is one of the sublime morals they sought to teach.

Full report at:

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=430143

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Shoura member bats for wider labor protection coverage

 17 June 2013

The Shoura Council yesterday emphasized the need for changing some of the articles of the Labor Law to protect the rights of workers including foreigners.

A Shoura member objected to exempting some groups of the law. “This is not fair and will not serve the labor market. Labor laws all over the world are meant for protecting workers and their rights,” the member said.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/455274

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100,000 Syrians stuck in Kingdom

 17 June 2013

Syrian expats are facing a double problem. While some of them are unable to rectify their status before the July 3 deadline, those who have been successful cannot return home because of the ongoing war.

Of the approximately one million Syrians living and working in the Kingdom, a hundred thousand or 10 percent of them have been blocked by the Syrian Embassy in Saudi Arabia from going on final exit and even renewing their passports to correct their status.

“Ten percent of Syrian expatriates in the Kingdom differing on political views with the Syrian regime cannot renew their passports to correct their status within the grace period. Syrian expatriates have to go to neighboring countries to renew their passports because the Syrian mission in the Kingdom has refused to renew passports of those who are members of the Syrian opposition,” said Mohammed Al-Turkawi, a member of the Syrian opposition in Jeddah.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/news/455272

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Morsi gives Egypt governorships to Islamist allies

Jun 17, 2013

Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi has appointed a number of Islamist allies as regional governors.

The move strengthens what many see as the Muslim Brotherhood's grip on power.

The Brotherhood and its allies now control 13 of Egypt's 27 governorships.

The most significant appointment is for the tourist hotspot of Luxor, where the new governor comes from a party set up by an extremist group that carried out deadly attacks on foreigners in the 1990s.

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22937397

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Islamic State of Iraq leader defies Zawahiri in alleged audio message

By THOMAS JOSCELYN

June 15, 2013

An audio message attributed to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the emir of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), "surfaced on social networking web sites on June 14," according to the SITE Intelligence Group. The message was not disseminated through the ISI's official propaganda arm, the al Fajr Media Center, which reportedly refused to release it.

The message does appear to have come from al Baghdadi, however, who has been involved in a dispute with Abu Muhammad al Julani, the emir of the Al Nusrah Front, over the chain of command in Iraq and Syria.

Full report at:

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/06/islamic_state_of_ira_3.php#ixzz2WSYhtd3P

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India

Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra distributes scholarships worth Rs 20 lakh

New Age Islam News Bureau, June 17, 2013

Mumbai: Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind (Arshad Madani) distributed scholarship cheques worth Rs 20 lakh to girl and boy students. The Chairman of Maulana Azad Financial Corporation and MLA, Amin Patel gave away the cheques. Nine non-Muslim students were also given away scholarship cheques in the ceremony held held at the office of the Jamiat. Gulzar Azmi and Maulana Mustaqueem Azmi were also present on the occasion.

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Govt plans varsity status for 3 AMU centres

Anubhuti Vishnoi

Jun 17 2013

New Delhi: The Centre is planning to convert three centres of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) into full-fledged varsities. The move is seen as a way to compensate for the demand to make AMU a minority varsity and is part of a slew of measures aimed at minorities ahead of the general election.

Two AMU centres, Murshidabad in West Bengal and Malappuram in Kerala, besides the one proposed in Kishanganj, Bihar, will be converted to varsities. Land has been allotted for the centre at Kishanganj. There is also a plan to set up a centre in Aurangabad.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/govt-plans-varsity-status-for-3-amu-centres/1129956/

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Indians overstaying visa in Saudi Arabia to face action: Embassy

PTI | Jun 17, 2013

DUBAI: The Indian embassy in Riyadh has warned its citizens not to overstay their visa in Saudi Arabia and leave the country immediately once they have obtained Emergency Certificates to avoid penal action over Nitaqat law.

"Anyone who overstays their visa in Saudi Arabia beyond the grace period will face penal action including jail sentence, penalty and deportation with a ban on re-entry," the embassy said in a statement.

"The embassy again urges all overstaying Indian nationals to avoid such a situation by availing the 'concessions' announced by the Saudi authorities during the grace period which ends on July 3, 2013," it added.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/middle-east-news/Indians-overstaying-visa-in-Saudi-Arabia-to-face-action-Embassy/articleshow/20627214.cms

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Envoy discusses with Indian community on crackdown in Kuwait

 Jun 17, 2013

The Indian Ambassador Satish C. Mehta assured the Indian community that the crackdown by Kuwaiti authorities was against illegal expatriates and law-breakers.

India’s Ambassador in Kuwait has assured representatives of Indian community in the country that an ongoing crackdown in the gulf nation will only target illegal expatriates and law-breakers.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/envoy-discusses-with-indian-community-on-crackdown-in-kuwait/article4822569.ece

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Nitish hopes Muslim factor will offset BJP’s loss

TNN | Jun 17, 2013

NEW DELHI: Nitish Kumar's decision to end his 17-year-old alliance with the BJP may look an audacious political gamble, considering that JD(U) was trounced by arch rival Lalu Prasad's RJD in the Maharajganj Lok Sabha by-election earlier this month. The margin of defeat, 1.37 lakh votes, appeared to have stunned the JD(U). Yet, it is an important detail about the by-election which seems to have encouraged the Bihar chief minister to call off the alliance with BJP.

According to JD(U) strategists, a booth-wise analysis of the votes cast in Maharajganj turned up the pleasant fact that Kumar's candidate, though hardly a vote puller, had on average got 40% of the total votes in 60 villages in the constituency which are dominated by Muslims: a comforting fact for someone who has been in alliance with the BJP for 17 years, and considering that Lalu has formidable "secular" credentials as the man who arrested L K Advani while he was on his Rath Yatra for mobilizing support for the Ram temple campaign.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nitish-hopes-Muslim-factor-will-offset-BJPs-loss/articleshow/20624673.cms

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B Raman, India’s seasoned spymaster and trenchant US critic, dies at 77

Chidanand Rajghatta, TNN | Jun 17, 2013

WASHINGTON: His last tweet on May 30, as he battled the final stages of terminal cancer, read, ''Hanumanji willing, shd be back home coming Saturday.'' But as his life ebbed away over the last fortnight, Bahukutumbi Raman might have noted, in his usual dry and dispassionate manner, that (1) Hanumanji was not around (2) Hanumanji must have had other pressing matters and (3) One should prepare for scenarios without Hanumanji.

That's the standard government memo template he used for many years to convey matters of great strategic pith and moment to his fans, friends, and followers. He was not given to hyperbole or emotion or drama. Through the months of his cancer treatment, he tweeted about it in a matter-of-factly tone, once chastising someone who was persuading him to eat -- ''Affection for terminal cancer patients shd be simple and normal, not instructive.'' Through pain, medication, and therapy, some of which he disdained, he kept up a steady feed of advice, counsel, guidance, and inquiry to his constituents in the strategic sphere.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/B-Raman-Indias-seasoned-spymaster-and-trenchant-US-critic-dies-at-77/articleshow/20628240.cms

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South Asia

Al Qaeda facilitator targeted in eastern Afghanistan

By PATRICK MEGAHAN & BILL ROGGIO

June 15, 2013

Coalition and Afghan special operations forces targeted an al Qaeda facilitator in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar yesterday. He is the ninth al Qaeda operative or insurgent with ties to the terror group who has been targeted so far this year, and the sixth in the last 30 days.

The joint Afghan and Coalition force executed a search for an al Qaeda facilitator who is known to relay messages for senior al Qaeda leadership, according to the International Security Assistance Force. The target is also said to deliver "weapons, military equipment, and money" to al Qaeda cells for use in attacks. ISAF told The Long War Journal that the facilitator is an Afghan national of Pashtun ethnicity who is affiliated with "Arab" foreign fighters.

Full report at:

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/06/al_qaeda_facilitator_2.php#ixzz2WSZ28xfj

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Bomb attacks kill 10 soldiers in Afghanistan

 Jun 17, 2013

Roadside bomb attacks killed 10 Afghan soldiers ahead of the handover this week of full security responsibility for the country, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.

“Five soldiers were killed in Kandahar, Logar and Badkhshan provinces while five others were killed in Helmand province in roadside bombings,” the Ministry said in a statement without giving further details. The date of the attacks was not stated.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/bomb-attacks-kill-10-soldiers-in-afghanistan/article4823198.ece

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Changes to anti-terror law questioned at Prothom Alo roundtable, Bangladesh

 Jun 17, 2013

Speaker at a roundtable yesterday questioned whether the recent amendments to the anti-terrorism law passed on June 11 were made in the best interests of the country or to appease the international communities.

Dr Sharif Bhuiyan, a Supreme Court lawyer, noted that nine conventions of the United Nations, which are not treaties, have been included in the law.

“However, the policymakers did not read the conventions before they were included in the law which is unprecedented in the history of Bangladesh,” he said.

He was speaking at the roundtable discussion on “Anti-terror Act and Citizen’s Right” organised by Bangla daily Prothom Alo at its office in the capital.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/prothom-alo-roundtable-questions-amendments-to-anti-terrorism-law/

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Year-long campaign to stop child marriage launched

 Jun 17, 2013

A year-long campaign titled “Bride Not before 18” to stop child marriage in the country was launched by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and World Vision Bangladesh (WVB) yesterday.

A signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the issue was exchanged between NHRC and WVB at the launching ceremony at a hotel in the capital.

It is estimated that 66 percent of girls in Bangladesh are married off before the age of 18 and 32 percent before the age of 15, the MoU stated.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/year-long-campaign-to-stop-child-marriage-launched/

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PM remark bad signal for democracy: BNP

 Jun 17, 2013

The BNP has termed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remark about caretaker government as a “bad signal for democracy”.

“People have given their verdict in four city corporation elections in favour of the BNP demand for a caretaker government to hold the next general elections,” BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a press briefing at BNP heaquarters at Naypaltan Monday afternoon.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/pm-remark-bad-signal-for-democracy-bnp/

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Maldives Elections Commission delays publishing amended voter registry

By Mariyath Mohamed | June 16th, 2013 |

The Elections Commission (EC) has said it has been forced to delay the publication of an amended voter registry for September’s presidential election as a result of the number of complaints filed by the public.

The amended list of voters was originally due to have been published today in the government gazette.

EC Vice President Ahmed Fayaz said that despite the delay, the commission was in “full swing” with its preparations for the presidential election scheduled for September 7. He added that the commission was presently working to address a number of concerns, including assuring that the legitimate electorate were not deprived of their right to vote due to preventable issues.

Full report at:

http://minivannews.com/politics/elections-commission-delays-publishing-amended-voter-registry-59548

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Afghan police chief survives car bomb attack

 Jun 17, 2013

KABUL: An Afghan police chief survived a suicide car bomb attack on his convoy that wounded three officers early on Monday, officials said. It was the latest apparent attempt on a commander's life in an intense Taliban assassination campaign.

Broken glass and the charred remains of the bomber's car were strewn in a main road in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah after the attack.

Helmand provincial Police Chief Mohammad Nabi Elham sustained only minor injuries when the car bomber struck as he was on his way to his office at about 7 am.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/news/1018844/afghan-police-chief-survives-car-bomb-attack

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North America

NSA cannot spy on Americans without a warrant: US intelligence agency

 Jun 17 2013

Washington : A top American intelligence agency has refuted claims that the National Security Agency (NSA) can listen into domestic phone conversations without warrants.

The statement that a single analyst can eavesdrop on domestic communications without proper legal authorisation is incorrect and was not briefed to Congress," Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) said in a statement yesterday.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nsa-cannot-spy-on-americans-without-a-warrant-us-intelligence-agency/1130048/

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U.S. Seems Eager for Nuclear Talks With Iran’s New Leader

By DAVID E. SANGER

Jun 17, 2013

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s top foreign policy aides said Sunday that they planned to press Iran’s newly elected president to resume the negotiations over his country’s nuclear program that derailed in the spring.

But while the election of the new president, Hassan Rowhani, a former nuclear negotiator who is considered a moderate compared with the other candidates, was greeted by some administration officials as the best of all likely outcomes, they said it did not change the fact that only the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would make the final decision about any concessions to the West.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/17/world/middleeast/us-seems-eager-for-nuclear-talks-with-irans-new-leader.html?_r=0

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John Kerry calls PM Nawaz, discusses political issues

 Jun 17, 2013

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday called Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif assuring him of America’s continued cooperation with Pakistan and with the new government in the country.

Kerry congratulated the prime minister on taking the office and the two discussed matters of regional significance.

Kerry praised Pakistan's role in efforts to establish peace in the region, whereas Prime Minister Sharif laid emphasis on strengthening the strategic dialogue between the two countries.

Full report at:

http://beta.dawn.com/news/1018840/kerry-calls-pm-assures-cooperation-with-new-govt

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US not rushing to war in Syria

 Jun 17, 2013

The White House clarified days after it had come to know that the Syrian regime under President Bashar Al-Asaad had used chemical weapons on its own people.

US is not rushing to war in Syria, the White House has stressed, days after it said that that Syrian regime led by President Bashar Al-Asaad has crossed the red line by using chemical weapons against its own people.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/us-not-rushing-to-war-in-syria/article4822414.ece

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Online Muslim forums foster tolerance and fuel vitriol

Corrie Mitchell | Jun 11, 2013

WASHINGTON (RNS) Amid calls to get more Muslims using the Internet, experts who have studied Muslims online caution that the virtual Islamic community can be a “double-edged sword.”

While the proliferation of Muslim websites provides a platform for a multitude of voices, Sahar Khamis, communication professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, said there is a shortage in the amount of rational, critical deliberation and debate taking place online.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life recently released a report suggesting that Muslims who use the Internet tend to have a more favorable view of Western movies, music and television than their offline counterparts.

Full report at:

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/06/11/online-muslim-forums-foster-tolerance-and-fuel-vitriol/

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U.S. to Keep Warplanes in Jordan, Pressing Syria

By MICHAEL R. GORDON and THOM SHANKER

Jun 17, 2013

WASHINGTON — Ratcheting up the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, the United States will keep American warplanes and antimissile batteries in Jordan, officials said Saturday.

The decision, which came at the request of Jordan, means that a detachment of American F-16 warplanes and Patriot missile-defense systems would remain in Jordan after a military exercise there concludes next week. The move followed President Obama’s decision last week to send arms to Syrian rebels and came as efforts were being made on multiple fronts on Saturday to increase the pressure on the government.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/world/europe/russia-faults-proof-of-use-of-chemicals-in-syrian-war.html?pagewanted=all

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Africa

Children in Mali Conflict Forced to Fight, Detained With Adults and Tortured

16 JUNE 2013

Children in Mali, some as young as 13, who were recruited as child soldiers by armed groups or suspected of links with them, are now being detained by Malian forces alongside adults, where some say they've been tortured, Amnesty International revealed after returning from a four-week visit to the country.

The organization's delegates spoke to nine children between 13 and 17 years of age who were held with adults at the Maison centrale d'arrêt and at Camp I of the gendarmerie of Mali's capital, Bamako, on suspicion of association with armed groups.

Full report at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201306150104.html?viewall=1

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Nigeria: 104 Boko Haram Suspects Set for Release

BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA AND JONAH NWOKPOKU, 16 JUNE 2013

Lagos — About 104 suspected members of the Boko Haram sect, currently being held at the Kirikiri Minimum and Maximum prisons, Lagos, might soon be released.

Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this to newsmen, yesterday, when he led the committee on a visit to members of the sect in the prisons in Lagos State.

The visit, according to Turaki, who is also Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, is to interact with those who are being detained in connection with acts related to terrorism.

Full report at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201306140923.html

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Libya: No Impunity for 'Black Saturday' Benghazi Deaths

17 JUNE 2013

Tripoli — Libyan authorities should promptly and thoroughly investigate the violent clashes in Benghazi on June 8, 2013, that left 32 people dead. The authorities should also hold those who violated the law accountable, the group said.

Witnesses described to Human Rights Watch how demonstrators in Benghazi gathered at the headquarters of the Libya Shield 1 Brigade, one of the larger militias in the city, to protest its conduct, which residents viewed as abusive and unaccountable, and to demand the deployment of Libya's official army and police forces instead.

Full report at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201306141077.html?viewall=1

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Tunisia gets $1.2 bn funding from Islamic Development Bank

June 17th, 2013

Tunisia has won $1.2 billion in funding from the Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB), aimed at backing industrial, agricultural and trade projects in the country whose finances have been weak since a revolution two years ago.

The IDB funding line will include loans and grants, the Tunisian prime minister's office said in a statement on Friday. The funding line will be for three years, with disbursements of $400 million each year until 2015.

Full report at:

http://www.albawaba.com/business/tunisia-funding-islamic-499688

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Lockerbie compensation: Libyan officials acquitted

Jun 17, 2013

Two senior Libyan officials have been acquitted of "squandering public funds" by agreeing to pay $2.7bn (£1.7bn) in compensation to victims of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

Former Foreign Minister Abdelaaty al-Obeidi and former General people's Congress head Mohamed al-Zway have been on trial since September 2012.

Col Muammar Gaddafi agreed to pay the compensation in 2003.

These are the first verdicts against his officials since he was ousted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22936678

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Mideast

Iran media salutes new president as ‘sheikh of hope’

AFP | Jun 17, 2013

TEHRAN: The election of moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani as Iran president signals a return of hope and reforms and that the people desire a policy of moderation over extremism, newspapers said on Sunday.

"A salute to Iran and to the Sheikh of hope," the pro-reformist Etemad daily declared on its front-page over a colour picture of a smiling Rowhani flashing a V-for-victory sign.

"The sun of my moderation has risen," said Arman, another pro-reformist publication.

Rowhani was declared Iran's new president on Saturday, ending eight years of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's conservative grip on the top job that had isolated the Islamic republic internationally.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-media-salutes-new-president-as-sheikh-of-hope/articleshow/20624339.cms

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Iran's Ahmadinejad given court summons

AP | Jun 17, 2013

TEHRAN: Iran's official news agency says a criminal court has summoned outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over a lawsuit filed by the country's parliament speaker and others.

Monday's report by IRNA gave no further details, but Ahmadinejad and the speaker, Ali Larijani, have waged political feuds for years. In February, Ahmadinejad released a barely audible videotape that purported to show discussion over bribes that included Larijani's brother.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Irans-Ahmadinejad-given-court-summons/articleshow/20630473.cms

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Turkish trade unions to support protests

 Jun 17, 2013

Turkish trade unions urged their members to walk out of work on Monday and join demonstrations in response to a widespread police crackdown against activists following weeks of street protests.

“I am calling on public workers and labourers to not participate in unlawful demonstrations otherwise they will bear the legal consequences,” Muammer Guler said. “Our police will be on duty as usual.”

A day earlier, riot police cordoned off streets, set up roadblocks and fired tear gas and water cannons to prevent anti-government protesters from converging on Istanbul’s central Taksim Square, while a few kilometers (miles) away Mr. Erdogan addressed hundreds of thousands of government supporters.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/turkish-trade-unions-to-support-protests/article4823120.ece

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Police to consider protesters in Istanbul’s Taksim Square terror organization members: Minister

Jun 17, 2013

Everyone who enters Istanbul’s Taksim Square, the heart of nearly 20-day-long protests against the government, will be considered a member or a supporter of a terrorist organization, Turkey’s European Union minister said in a televised interview late last night.

“I request our citizens who supported the protests until today kindly to return to their homes,” Egemen Bagis said in an interview on broadcaster A Haber.

“From now on the state will unfortunately have to consider everyone who remains there a supporter or member of a terror organization,” he said. “Our prime minister has already assured [activists] about their aim with the protests. The protests from now on will play into the hands of some separatist organizations that want to break the peace and prioritize vandalism and terrorism.”

Full report at:

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/police-to-consider-protesters-in-istanbuls-taksim-square-terror-organization-members-minister.aspx?pageID=238&nID=48875&NewsCatID=338

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Europe

French Muslims Demonstrate against Islamophobia

Jun 17, 2013

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The protestors gathered in front of the city hall, calling for immediate reaction of the city’s mayor and other officials in the face of crimes committed against Muslims, lexpress website reported.

Abdul Aziz Chambi, head of the organization against racism and Islamophobia (CRI) was among the protesters. He said while anti-Islamic attacks continue in France, the country’s officials remain silent over the attacks.

He said violence against Muslims is never justifiable and that there must be an end to anti-Muslim attacks.

Full report at:

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=430345

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Newcastle striker racially abused by 'English Defence League'

By Brett Wilkins

Jun 16, 2013

Newcastle - Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse has allegedly been racially abused by a local English Defence League group on its Facebook page.

NBC Sports reports that the 28-year-old Cisse, a Senegalese Muslim, informed his team that he would not wear next year's new kit, sponsored by short-term loan company Wonga.

Cisse is refusing to wear the new shirt because Muslims are forbidden from profiting from money-lending under Sharia law, although as the Telegraph reports, Cisse wore the logo of Virgin Money last year, a bank which offers interest loans.

Full report at:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/352331#ixzz2WRyKsaML

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West arming Syrian rebels who eat human flesh, Vladimir Putin says

Reuters | Jun 17, 2013

AMMAN/LONDON: Russian President Vladimir Putin, arriving in Britain ahead of an international summit set to be dominated by disagreement over the US decision to send weapons to Syria's rebels, said the West must not arm fighters who eat human flesh.

In Syria, rebels fought back on Sunday against forces of President Bashar al-Assad and his Lebanese Hezbollah allies near Aleppo, where Assad has announced a campaign to recapture the rebel-held north after seizing a strategic town this month.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/West-arming-Syrian-rebels-who-eat-human-fleshVladimir-Putin-says/articleshow/20622563.cms

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Military Suppliers Push for Europe-Made Drone

By NICOLA CLARK

Jun 17, 2013

PARIS — Three of Europe’s top military contractors urged the region’s governments on Sunday to support a joint program to develop a reconnaissance drone to reduce dependence on American and Israeli manufacturers.

In a joint statement, EADS, European Aeronautic Defense and Space, the parent company of Airbus, with Dassault Aviation of France and Finmeccanica of Italy, said a regional collaboration in unoccupied aerial vehicles would “support the capability needs of European armed forces while optimizing the difficult budgetary situation through pooling of research and development funding.”

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/17/business/global/defense-contractors-urge-a-drone-made-in-europe.html

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Russia says it will not allow Syria no-fly zones

Jun 17, 2013

(Reuters) - Russia, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, will not permit no-fly zones to be imposed over Syria, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Monday.

"I think we fundamentally would not allow this scenario," Lukashevich told a news briefing, adding that calls for a no-fly zone showed disrespect for international law.

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Writing by Steve Gutterman, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/17/us-syria-crisis-russia-idUSBRE95G0CA20130617

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London: Seerah of Imam Sajjad (AS) Discussed Online

 Jun 17, 2013

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) -  On the occasion of birth anniversary of Imam Sajjad (AS), the Seerah and virtues of the Imam (AS) were discussed at “Islam and Life” online forum held by the Islamic Centre of England.

According to IQNA’s branch in Europe, the program was addressed on June 14 by Hojat-ol-Islam Majidi who clarified the Seerah of the Imam (AS), his Imamate, Hadiths and works.

The online forum is held by the center weekly on Fridays from 7 p.m. local time.

Full report at:

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&Id=430141

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Southeast Asia

Indonesian government receives FAO’s award for reduced hunger and malnourishment

June 17 2013

The Indonesian government received an award from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) presented to recognize its consistent work in reducing hunger and malnourishment towards achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

On behalf of the government, Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Radjasa accepted the award in “Notable Result” category at the 38th FAO Conference in Rome, Italy, on Sunday.

In his remarks, Hatta expressed his gratitude to FAO director general Jose Graziano da Silva for the award it had presented to Indonesia.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/06/17/ri-receives-fao-s-award-reduced-hunger-and-malnourishment.html

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Lessons from Turkey: An Open Letter to Muslim Democrats in Malaysia

JUNE 17, 2013

The Islamic Renaissance Front observes the protests in Turkey very closely. We believe there is much at stake in how AKP (The Justice and Development Party) will engage with the demonstrators at this point, especially with regards to the relationship between Islam and Democracy.

Full report at:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/article/lessons-from-turkey-an-open-letter-to-muslim-democrats-in-malaysia/

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American Students Visit Surabaya, Indonesia on Religious Pluralism Tour

By Jakarta Globe

 June 17, 2013

It was perhaps the worst possible time for officials in Surabaya to host students from two US universities hoping to learn about pluralism and democracy.

Hours after the six students from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan arrived on Friday evening; local media reported that one of Indonesia’s last remaining vestiges of its Jewish community had been reduced to a pile of rubble.

Beth Shalom in Surabaya, Java’s only synagogue, was demolished in May after being sealed off by Islamic hard-liners since 2009.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/bad-timing-for-study-tour-about-religious-pluralism-2/

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Indonesia’s SBY concerned about Malaysia’s alleged electoral fraud, says Anwar

JUNE 17, 2013

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed concern about the alleged fraud in the Malaysian general elections and the impact of Saturday's Black 505 rally on the country, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said last night.

The PKR leader told the Black 505 rally in Batu Pahat, Johor, that Yudhoyono (commonly referred to as SBY) had invited him for a briefing and confirmed he did not meet Datuk Seri Najib Razak who was also in Jakarta this past weekend.

"There was no previous communication between me and President SBY and I took care to watch the Malaysian government's 'face'. I know TV3 and Utusan will spin a story about me being a foreign stooge," Anwar told the crowd that packed the rally.

Full report at:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/indonesias-sby-concerned-about-malaysias-alleged-electoral-fraud-says-anwar/

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Activists urge more focus on social welfare in Indonesia

 June 17 2013

Activists have urged the city to focus on programs that give the urban poor as much access as possible to social welfare and job security.

Hamong Santono of the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), said key characteristics of the urban poor were vulnerability to losing income caused by job uncertainty and helplessness in the face of floods and disease caused by poor basic infrastructure.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/06/17/activists-urge-more-focus-social-welfare.html

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Central Asia

Dual Russian Citizens To Get Turkmenistan Travel Papers

June 14, 2013

Turkmen citizens who also hold Russian passports will be eligible to receive Turkmen travel documents.

Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry announced on June 14 that it will start issuing passports to Turkmen nationals with dual citizenship on June 17.

The announcement comes seven years after Turkmen authorities started refusing to issue new biometric passports to Turkmen citizens with dual Russian citizenship, saying they had to renounce their Russian citizenship first.

Full report at:

http://www.rferl.org/content/turkmenistan-russia-dual-citizens/25017393.html

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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/music-returns-swat-after-end/d/12118