‘Oldest Muslim Burial Site in Europe’ Discovered In France
New Age Islam News Bureau
26
Feb 2016
Photo: ‘Oldest Muslim burial site in Europe’ discovered in France
• Two Suicide Bombers Kill 15 at Shia Mosque in Baghdad
• Over 50 Militants Including 7 ISIS Loyalists Killed In Afghan Operations
• Philippine Army Kills 42 Islamist Militants in Battles in the Mountains of a Southern Island
• Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes on the Rise, But Bystanders Sometimes Stay Silent
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Europe
• ‘Oldest Muslim Burial Site in Europe’ Discovered In France
• EU 'Out' Campaign Attacks European Parliament for Recommending Saudi Arabia Arms Embargo
• European parliament calls for Saudi arms embargo
• Hungary’s Orban says EU-Turkey migrant deal an ‘illusion’
----------
Arab World
• Two Suicide Bombers Kill 15 at Shia Mosque in Baghdad
• Lebanon Disbands ISIL Terrorist Cell in Tripoli
• Egypt Sentences Four Christian Teenagers for Contempt of Islam
• Senior Militant Commander Killed in Air Raid in Syria's Aleppo
• Egyptian president Sisi 'put on sale' on eBay
• Syria: Kurdish Fighters Inflict More Losses on Terrorists in Aleppo
• Syria ceasefire process on despite US sabotage attempts, Russia says
• Army, Popular Forces Purge More Strategic Regions of Terrorists
• Syrian army retakes key town from IS
• Syrian Army Approaching Idlib Province
• Militant Centres at Hama-Homs Border Pounded in Syrian Air Raid
• Syrian Army Smashes Militants in Aleppo Neighbourhoods
• Syrian Warplanes Hit Militant Centres Hard across Central Province of Homs
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South Asia
• Over 50 Militants Including 7 ISIS Loyalists Killed In Afghan Operations
• 31 Militants Killed In Air, Ground Operations in Kunduz and Baghlan
• Pakistan Says All Taliban Groups Approached For Direct Talks with Afghan Govt
• US payments to Afghans in MSF clinic attack called inadequate
• Afghan passport identified as the least powerful in the world
• Afghanistan hails Pakistani authorities, police for the release of Wahidi
• Vohra reaffirm India’s commitment to equip and support Afghan forces
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Southeast Asia
Philippine Army Kills 42 Islamist Militants in Battles in the Mountains of a Southern Island
Azerbaijan’s Promotion of Interfaith Dialogue Hailed
Muslims and challenges of an infections ravaged world
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North America
• Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes on the Rise, But Bystanders Sometimes Stay Silent
• Resolution Introduced In US House to Block Sale of F-16 Fighter Jets to Pakistan
• Barack Obama warns Russia 'world will be watching' Syria ceasefire
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Mideast
• Erdoğan’s Office Criticizes US Bill Calling Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist
• Syria War Rages Hours before Deal to Halt Fighting
• Turkey has ‘serious worries’ about Syrian cease-fire, says presidential spokesperson
• Jailed Turkish journalists freed after top court ruled their rights violated
• Saudi fighter jets arrive at Turkish base
• Turkey, US special ops drills in legal limbo for 4 years
• Supreme Leader Asks Iranians to Disappoint Enemies by Mass Participation in Elections
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India
• Hizb Chief Hails Militants, Cops Rescue His Son during J&K Operation
• Pak Gives Candid Support to Jaish, Lashkar: Indian Army Chief
• India Writes To UN to Include Masood Azhar on Terrorist List
• JeM terrorist, 5 aides held in Kashmir
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Africa
• UN Cites Torture, Murder, Impunity in Largely Lawless Libya
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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‘Oldest Muslim burial site in Europe’ discovered in France
By From The Web on February 25, 2016
Skeletons in three graves in southern France, found facing towards Mecca, are believed to date from the eighth century.
Archaeologists working in southern France have identified three graves that are believed to represent the oldest Muslim burials ever found in Europe, dating to the eighth century.
The skeletons at medieval site at Nîmes were found facing Mecca, and a genetic analysis showed their paternal lineage was North African, said the study in the journal Plos One.
Furthermore, radiocarbon dating shows the bones likely date from the seventh to ninth centuries, suggesting they came from the Muslim conquests of Europeduring that period.
“Given all of these data, we propose that the skeletons from the Nîmes burials belonged to Berbers integrated into the Umayyad army during the Arab expansion in North Africa,” said the study.
The findings add a new dimension to knowledge about the era, which had been limited to history books and rare bits of archeological data.
“We knew that Muslims came to France in the eighth century but until now we did not have any material evidence of their passage,” Yves Gleize, an anthropologist with the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research and lead author of the study, told AFP.
The graves were first discovered in 2006 near a major roadway in Nîmes as construction workers were digging an underground parking garage.
A careful analysis in the years since has shown that the men were all laid on their sides, facing in the direction of Mecca, according to traditional Muslim burial rites.
One was in his 20s when he died, another in his 30s and the third was older than 50. Their bones showed no sign of injury in combat.
Another Muslim grave site has been found in Marseimulle, but it dates to the 13th century. One found in Montpellier may date to the 12th century.
themuslimvibe.com/muslim-current-affairs-news/oldest-muslim-burial-site-in-europe-discovered-in-france
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Two suicide bombers kill 15 at Shia mosque in Baghdad
Feb 26, 2016
BAGHDAD: Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a Shia mosque in Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 15 people in an attack claimed by Islamic State militants.
Fifty other people were wounded in the blast in the predominantly Shia Shulaa neighbourhood of the Iraqi capital, police and medical sources said.
The first bomber detonated his vest inside the mosque and the second blew himself up when security forces gathered at the site of the initial blast.
Four of the victims were members of the security forces, the sources said.
Islamic State, which controls swathes of Iraq's north and west, said the attacks targeted "apostates" - a term the ultra-hardline Sunni group uses to describe Shia Muslims.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Two-suicide-bombers-kill-15-at-Shia-mosque-in-Baghdad/articleshow/51148319.cms
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Over 50 militants including 7 ISIS loyalists killed in Afghan operations
By Khaama Press - Fri Feb 26 2016
At least seven militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group were killed during clearance operations in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the loyalists of the terror group were killed in air and ground operations in Achin district.
MoD said at least four others were also wounded during the operations in Pekha and Gor areas of Achin district.
A statement by MoD said the ISIS loyalists were among more than 50 insurgents killed during the clearance operations in the past 24 hours.
The statement further added that two militants including a commander of the militants were killed and another one was injured during an operation in Nari district of Kunar province.
Full report at: khaama.com/over-50-militants-including-7-isis-loyalists-killed-in-afghan-operations-0177
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Philippine army kills 42 Islamist militants in battles in south
25 February 2016
MANILA - Philippine security forces killed as many as 42 Muslim rebels claiming links with Islamic State and captured their stronghold during five days of fighting in the mountains of a southern island, an army spokesman said on Friday.
Three soldiers were killed and 11 wounded when the forces seized the bastion of an affiliate of Jemaah Islamiah, a Southeast Asian network of Islamist militants, in the province of Lanao del Sur.
"Our troops were able to seize a stronghold of the terrorists on Thursday night," the spokesman, Major Filemon Tan, told reporters by telephone from the southern island of Mindanao, estimating that about 42 militants had been killed.
"We are still pursuing the rebels, using armored assets." Tan said the army was shelling rebel positions with 105-mm howitzers on Friday, while air force planes dropped bombs and helicopters fired rockets near the town of Butig, a base of the country's largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
But the MILF stayed away from the skirmishes and helped about 8,000 people displaced from their homes when the fighting began on Feb. 20, the military said.
The Philippines signed a peace deal with the MILF in March 2014, ending 45 years of conflict that killed more than 120,000 people, displaced 2 million and stunted growth in the poor but resource-rich south.
Army and police officials believe some Muslim rebel factions, including the small but violent Abu Sayyaf group, have pledged allegiance to Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, but say they have found no evidence to support this.
Elsewhere in Mindanao, soldiers were also chasing the Abu Sayyaf group, which is holding captive several foreigners, including a Japanese, a Dutch national, two Canadians and a Norwegian.
jpost.com/Breaking-News/Philippine-army-kills-42-Islamist-militants-in-battles-in-south-446204
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Anti-Muslim hate crimes on the rise, but bystanders sometimes stay silent
February 26, 2016
Marketplace investigates if Canadians would come to the aid of a stranger when discrimination is involved.
Two Muslim women are accosted and pushed on a Toronto subway. Another is assaulted and robbed after dropping off her kids off at school.
Incidents of anti-Muslim hate crimes are on the rise, according to the Canadian Arab Federation. Since the Paris attacks in November, there's been a sharp spike — enough that
breakingnews.ca/anti-muslim-hate-crimes-on-the-rise-but-bystanders-sometimes-stay-silent/
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Europe
‘Oldest Muslim burial site in Europe’ discovered in France
By From The Web on February 25, 2016
Skeletons in three graves in southern France, found facing towards Mecca, are believed to date from the eighth century.
Archaeologists working in southern France have identified three graves that are believed to represent the oldest Muslim burials ever found in Europe, dating to the eighth century.
The skeletons at medieval site at Nîmes were found facing Mecca, and a genetic analysis showed their paternal lineage was North African, said the study in the journal Plos One.
Furthermore, radiocarbon dating shows the bones likely date from the seventh to ninth centuries, suggesting they came from the Muslim conquests of Europeduring that period.
“Given all of these data, we propose that the skeletons from the Nîmes burials belonged to Berbers integrated into the Umayyad army during the Arab expansion in North Africa,” said the study.
The findings add a new dimension to knowledge about the era, which had been limited to history books and rare bits of archeological data.
“We knew that Muslims came to France in the eighth century but until now we did not have any material evidence of their passage,” Yves Gleize, an anthropologist with the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research and lead author of the study, told AFP.
The graves were first discovered in 2006 near a major roadway in Nîmes as construction workers were digging an underground parking garage.
A careful analysis in the years since has shown that the men were all laid on their sides, facing in the direction of Mecca, according to traditional Muslim burial rites.
One was in his 20s when he died, another in his 30s and the third was older than 50. Their bones showed no sign of injury in combat.
Another Muslim grave site has been found in Marseimulle, but it dates to the 13th century. One found in Montpellier may date to the 12th century.
themuslimvibe.com/muslim-current-affairs-news/oldest-muslim-burial-site-in-europe-discovered-in-france
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EU 'out' campaign attacks European Parliament for recommending Saudi Arabia arms embargo
February 26, 2016
A European Union membership referendum will be held on 23 June of this year Getty Images
The European Parliament’s support for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia shows why Britain must leave the European Union, one of the EU referendum “leave” campaigns has said.
Leave.EU said the EP’s 359 to 212 vote to back an EU-wide end to weapons sales to the autocratic petrostate risked starting a “damaging trade war”.
Andy Wigmore, head of communications for the group, said Saudi Arabian arms sales were worth billions of pounds to the British defence industry.
“The MEP who led the vote conceded that the Saudis told him they may cut off relations in retaliation, but brushed it off by saying ‘I hope these are just words’”, he said, arguing that the motion betrayed “an extraordinarily careless attitude”.
“It’s not that there may not potentially be a case for sanctions, but it seems bizarre for the EU to impose them on Saudi at the same time it has lifted them for Iran, and very shortly after signing a trade agreement with Vietnam, which has a record described as ‘dire in all key areas’ by Human Rights Watch.
“Plainly, we need to take back control of our trade policy and have it set in a consistent way by our own elected institutions. Contracting it out Brussels has held us back from making important deals with our old partners in countries like Australia and India and is embroiling us in fights we might not have chosen for ourselves.”
The European Parliament’s non-binding motion calls on member states to stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, which is currently conducting a widely-criticised military operation in neighbouring Yemen marked by high civilian casualties.
Saudi Arabia is intervening in Yemen to fight Houthi rebels, who control the country’s capital but are not internationally recognised as its government.
What has the EU ever done for us?
Criticisms of the country’s military operation have however included the bombing of multiple hospitals run by the charity Médecins Sans Frontières and the deaths of thousands of civilians, including 130 at a single wedding.
While international observers have recognised abuses on all sides, in late December UN human rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein said that a “disproportionate” number of attacks of civilians in Yemen had come from the Saudi-led invasion force.
“I have observed with extreme concern the continuation of heavy shelling from the ground and the air in areas with high a concentration of civilians as well as the perpetuation of the destruction of civilian infrastructure – in particular hospitals and schools – by all parties to the conflict, although a disproportionate amount appeared to be the result of airstrikes carried out by Coalition forces,” Mr Zeid said.
The UN has also said Saudi Arabia is contributing to a “humanitarian disaster” in Yemen.
The European Parliament voted for an embargo on Thursday
The Government must approve all arms exports by UK companies abroad. Overall UK licences granted to military equipment to the country are £6.7 billion since David Cameron took office in 2010 and £2.8 billion since the bombing of Yemen began.
Recent opinion polling by Opinium found that 62 per cent of UK adults oppose arms sales to Saudi Arabia, with only 16 per cent supporting them.
The UK Parliament’s International Development Committee earlier this month said the UK should suspend all arms sales to Saudi.
David Cameron has defended British support to the operation, arguing that the UK’s relationship with the petro-state was “important for our security”.
A Government spokesperson said of arms exports to Saudi Arabia: “We operate one of the most rigorous and transparent arms export control regimes in the world with each licence application assessed on a case by case basis, taking account of all relevant information, to ensure compliance with our legal obligations. No licence is issued if it does not meet these requirements.
“We regularly raise with Saudi Arabian-led coalition and the Houthis, the need to comply with international humanitarian law (IHL) in Yemen. We monitor the situation carefully and have offered the Saudi authorities advice and training in this area.”
Britain will hold an in-out referendum on whether to remain in the European Union on 23 June this year.
independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-out-campaign-attacks-european-parliament-for-recommending-saudi-arabia-arms-embargo-a6897036.html
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European parliament calls for Saudi arms embargo
February 26th, 2016
BRUSSELS: The European Parliament called on the European Union to impose an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, saying Britain, France and other EU governments should no longer sell weapons to a country accused of targeting civilians in Yemen.
EU lawmakers, who voted overwhelmingly in favour of an embargo, said Britain had licensed more than $3bn of arms sales to Saudi Arabia since Saudi-led forces began military operations in Yemen in March last year.
Nearly 6,000 people have been killed since the coalition entered the conflict, almost half of them civilians, according to the United Nations, and the European Parliament said it was acting on humanitarian grounds.
“This is about Yemen. The human rights violations have reached a level that means Europe is obliged to act and to end arms sales to Saudi Arabia,” said Richard Howitt, a British centre-left lawmaker who led efforts to hold the vote.
The parliament’s vote is not legally binding but lawmakers hope it will pressure EU governments to agree to an embargo, following a petition of 750,000 European citizens calling for the suspension of weapon sales.
Fellow British lawmaker Alyn Smith, a Scottish Nationalist who grew up in Saudi Arabia, has also written to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini calling for the embargo.
However, any EU embargo would go against US President Barack Obama’s policy of bolstering US military support for Saudi Arabia after Washington brokered a deal with Iran last year to curtail Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Britain and France are the main European suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia, while Germany also licensed arms exports of almost $200 million to the Sunni kingdom in the first six months of 2015, the latest economy ministry data available.
EU lawmakers warned the vote may prompt retaliation from Saudi Arabia, whose envoy to the European Union held several meetings with EU lawmakers and tried to dissuade the parliament.
“The Saudis said to me they may cut off relations. I hope those are just words,” Howitt said, adding that the quickest way to avoid an arms embargo was to end the conflict in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador, Abdulrahman Al Ahmed, defended the kingdom’s actions in a letter to EU lawmakers on Sunday, saying that “the larger ramifications of our not taking action in Yemen would have had devastating geopolitical consequences for the kingdom, Europe and the broader West as well.” Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of nine Arab countries that began a military campaign in March 2015 to prevent Houthi rebels, whom it sees as a proxy for Iran, from taking complete control of Yemen.
The Houthis and their allies, forces loyal to former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, accuse the coalition of launching a war of aggression.
Yemen has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The UN says famine looms as over half the population, or 14.4m people, face hunger. Clinics and hospitals have been repeatedly hit.
dawn.com/news/1241890/european-parliament-calls-for-saudi-arms-embargo
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Hungary’s Orban says EU-Turkey migrant deal an ‘illusion’
February 25, 2016
Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban has said the European Union's promise of money and other concessions for Turkey in return for preventing more people leaving its shores for Europe is an "illusion".
"We are begging Mr. [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan submissively for security on our borders, in exchange for money and promises, because we can't protect them ourselves," Orban told Thursday's mass-selling German daily Bild.
"This is making Europe's future and security dependent on the goodwill of Turkey."
EU countries this month approved a 3 billion euro ($3.3 billion) fund for Turkey to improve living conditions for refugees there in return for a promise to ensure that fewer of them migrate on to Europe.
The EU is counting on the deal to stem the influx after more than a million refugees poured in in 2015, the majority coming from the Middle East or Asia via Turkey. There is little sign of the flow ebbing this year.
Orban has been one of the most outspoken critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's welcoming stance towards refugees. On Wednesday, he announced plans for a referendum on EU plans to create a system of mandatory quotas for migrants.
"Brussels is making promises to the Turks that we can't keep -- or don't want to keep. The plan to take in hundreds of thousands of refugees from Turkey and distribute them across Europe is an illusion," he said.
If Hungary agreed to this, he said, "they would tie me up on the flagpole here in Budapest."
todayszaman.com/diplomacy_hungarys-orban-says-eu-turkey-migrant-deal-an-illusion_413248.html
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Arab World
Two suicide bombers kill 15 at Shia mosque in Baghdad
Feb 26, 2016
BAGHDAD: Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a Shia mosque in Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 15 people in an attack claimed by Islamic State militants.
Fifty other people were wounded in the blast in the predominantly Shia Shulaa neighbourhood of the Iraqi capital, police and medical sources said.
The first bomber detonated his vest inside the mosque and the second blew himself up when security forces gathered at the site of the initial blast.
Four of the victims were members of the security forces, the sources said.
Islamic State, which controls swathes of Iraq's north and west, said the attacks targeted "apostates" - a term the ultra-hardline Sunni group uses to describe Shia Muslims.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Two-suicide-bombers-kill-15-at-Shia-mosque-in-Baghdad/articleshow/51148319.cms
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Lebanon Disbands ISIL Terrorist Cell in Tripoli
Feb 26, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Lebanese security forces have dismantled a Takfiri terrorist cell in the city of Tripoli in Northern Lebanon, media reports said.
The ISIL terrorist cell was disbanded in al-Badawi region of Tripoli city, the Arabic-language Al-Nashra news website reported on Friday.
All members of the Takfiri terrorist cell were arrested by the security forces, the paper added.
The ISIL terrorists were preparing to carry out explosions and other acts of sabotage in Lebanon, it said.
In a relevant development in September, the Lebanese Army arrested a terrorist network of the ISIL Takfiri group that was planning to carry out bombings and to task persons with participating in Beirut's popular set-ins to stir up sedition in the country.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941207000879
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Egypt Sentences Four Christian Teenagers for Contempt of Islam
Feb 26, 2016
Egypt has witnessed a surge in blasphemy charges in recent months
DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images
Three of those convicted in Egypt will serve five years in jail, while a fourth defendant, aged 15, was sent to a juvenile detention centre for an indefinite period.
The 30-second film was shot on a mobile phone in January 2015 when the three defendands sentenced to jail were between 15 and 17.
It showed one of the students kneeling on the floor while reciting verses from the Quran and two others standing behind him and laughing.
Full report at: independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/egypt-sentences-four-christian-teenagers-for-contempt-of-islam-a6895381.html
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Senior Militant Commander Killed in Air Raid in Syria's Aleppo
Feb 26, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- A field commander of Nouriddeen al-Zinki movement (affiliated to the al-Nusra Front) was killed in the Syrian warplanes' strikes in the Western part of Aleppo province.
Fouad Naser Qadour, a notorious commander of the Nouriddeen al-Zinki terrorist group, was killed after the groups' strongholds in the Western battlefields of Aleppo province were pounded by the Syrian fighter jets.
Reports said on earlier today that the ISIL terrorist group pulled forces back from more positions in the Southeastern part of Aleppo province under the heavy offensives of the Syrian Army and National Defense Forces.
The Syrian government forces continued to advance against the ISIL terrorists and pushed them back form their strongholds near the villages of Man'aya, Joukheh and Sallaleh al-Kabireh in the Western side Rasma al-Nafal following hours of intense battle which ended in the killing and wounding of dozens of the terrorists.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941207000707
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Egyptian president Sisi 'put on sale' on eBay
Lizzie Dearden | The Independent | Feb 25, 2016
Bids from more than 100 users quickly rocketed to $100,300 (£72,000) but the page was taken down later on Wednesday.Bids from more than 100 users quickly rocketed to $100,300 (£72,000) but the page was taken down later on Wednesday.
The president of Egypt has been put "on sale" on eBay after vowing that he would sell himself to help the country's economy.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former army head who ousted his predecessor Mohammed Morsi, was widely mocked for his pledge as he laid out development plans on Wednesday.
"If it were possible for me to be sold, I would sell myself," he said in a speech on the state television, where he also reportedly asked Egyptians to donate to public funds by text.
An eBay user quickly held the president to his word by putting him up for sale on a joke page.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Egyptian-president-Sisi-put-on-sale-on-eBay/articleshow/51141321.cms
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Syria: Kurdish Fighters Inflict More Losses on Terrorists in Aleppo
Feb 26, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) engaged in heavy fighting with the ISIL terrorists in the Northeastern part of Aleppo province.
The Kurdish fighters stormed the ISIL gathering centers near the villages of Marwaha in the Southeastern part of the town of Sarin, killed or wounded several terrorists and destroyed their military equipment and vehicles.
On Wednesday, the Kurdish fighters, after almost six day of intense battle against al-Nusra Front, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Harakat Nouriddeen al-Zinki and Al-Shamiyah Front, imposed full control over the Bani Zeid Youth Housing Complex in Aleppo city.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941207000915
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Syria ceasefire process on despite US sabotage attempts, Russia says
Reuters | Feb 25, 2016
MOSCOW/BEIRUT: Russia said on Thursday the Syria ceasefire process was under way despite what it said were attempts by some US officials to sabotage it, while reiterating that Russian warplanes would continue pounding what it called terrorist groups.
The "cessation of hostilities" agreed by the United States and Russia is due to take hold on Saturday morning from midnight. Damascus has agreed to the deal, as has the main opposition alliance, though it is only ready to commit for two weeks given its deep reservations.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said "some US officials" had tried to "sabotage" the ceasefire plan "by interpreting it from such cardinally different points."
"By and large, a number of (US) officials in fact attempted to call into question the agreements reached, which were approved by the two presidents," she told a news briefing on Thursday. "It actually looked like sabotage."
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Russia-says-US-trying-to-sabotage-Syria-ceasefire/articleshow/51145579.cms
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Army, Popular Forces Purge More Strategic Regions of Terrorists
Feb 26, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army backed by the air force and popular forces drove out Takfiri terrorists from more important territories in key provinces across the country.
The army regained control over further Key villages, towns and cities in Hama, Aleppo, Lattakia, Deir Ezzur, Dara'a and Damascus provinces pushing back militants from their military positions and strongholds.
Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured in heavy clashes with the Syrian army and aerial bombardments of Syria's fighter jets.
Hama
A commander of Jeish al-Izza terrorist group, affiliated to the FSA (the so-called Free Syrian Army), was killed in the Syrian army's airstrikes in Hama, a military source said on Thursday.
"Musa Abdallah, a commander and TOW launcher in Jeish al-Izza was killed in joint airstrikes by the Syrian and Russian air force units on Lataminah in Hama," the source said.
The Syrian warplanes targeted a number of positions and center points of terrorist groups in the Eastern province of Hama, killing dozens of militants and destroying their military hardware.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941207000713
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Syrian army retakes key town from IS
February 26th, 2016
BEIRUT: The Syrian army retook a strategic town from the militant Islamic State group (IS) on Thursday, paving the way for the reopening of its sole supply route to main northern city of Aleppo.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops still needed to clear the militants from hills overlooking the key highway before it could be fully secured.
The road through the town of Khanasser is the sole link between government-held areas in and around Aleppo and those in the rest of the country.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1241882/syrian-army-retakes-key-town-from-is
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Syrian Army Approaching Idlib Province
Feb 26, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance forces are winning back two strategic heights in Lattakia province which will in turn pave their way to capture key areas in neighboring Idlib province.
The strategic al-Ra'yee and al-Qala heights in Lattakia province overlook Idlib province and capturing them will pave the way for the army's military advances in Idlib province.
If the Syrian government forces and the resistance fighters take full control of these heights, the al-Younsiyeh, al-Tafahiyeh, Ain al-Hoor and Zeitouniya will fall to the Syrian army's hands. Also, in this case the Syrian army will be only three kilometers away from the Turkish borders.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941207000986
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Militant Centers at Hama-Homs Border Pounded in Syrian Air Raid
Feb 26, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Air Force bombed the gathering centers of the ISIL terrorists in a desert-like region at the border of Hama and Homs provinces, battlefield sources said Friday, adding the terrorist group suffered a heavy death toll in the attacks.
"The ISIL concentration centers in Wadi al-Azib region in the Southeastern part of Hama province and near the Northern part of Homs province came under the heavy bombardments of the Syrian army's aircraft, which claimed the lives of dozens of the terrorists," the sources said.
Also on Thursday, the Syrian warplanes targeted a number of positions and center points of terrorist groups in the Eastern province of Hama.
Syrian army jets, in a concerted action, attacked several terrorist positions in Kefr Zeita, some 39 kilometers Northwest of Hama, and regions around the small town of Hirbnafsa.
The air raids claimed the lives of dozens of militants and left many more injured, inflicting heavy damage on the militants' positions.
The Syrian air force also pounded military positions and gathering centers of the terrorists groups in the city of Balada al-Sirmaniyah and the village of Qarqour, inflicting heavy losses on them.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941207000967
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Syrian Army Smashes Militants in Aleppo Neighborhoods
Feb 26, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army inflicted a heavy death toll on the militants in the Northern city of Aleppo's neighborhoods and pushed them back from the battlefields.
The Syrian army thwarted the militant groups' attempts to prevail over the government forces' lines of defense in al-Rashedin in the Western part of Aleppo city.
The militant groups left behind scores of the dead and wounded members and fled the battlefront.
Earlier reports said that a field commander of Nouriddeen al-Zinki movement (affiliated to the al-Nusra Front) was killed in the Syrian warplanes' strikes in the Western part of Aleppo province.
Fouad Naser Qadour, a notorious commander of the Nouriddeen al-Zinki terrorist group, was killed after the groups' strongholds in the Western battlefields of Aleppo province were pounded by the Syrian fighter jets.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941207000825
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Syrian Warplanes Hit Militant Centers Hard across Central Province of Homs
Feb 26, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian fighter jets, in a fresh round of combat sorties, targeted the concentration centers of the ISIL and al-Nusra Front in the Southeastern and Northern parts of Homs province and inflicted major losses on the terrorists.
The ISIL concentration centers near the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur), Bier al-Afa'ai and al-Mahasa came under the heavy attacks of the Syrian air fleet, which not only left scores of the militants dead or wounded by destroyed their military hardware.
The Syrian fighter jets struck positions of al-Nusra Front near the town of Talbiseh in the Northern part of Homs province, which ended in the killing or injuring of tens of terrorists.
In relevant development across the Central battlefield of the country on Thursday, the Syrian army troops hit the militant groups' centers hard in different parts of Homs province.
Tens of terrorists were killed in clashes with the Syrian forces near Talbiseh city on the Northern outskirts of Homs city.
Also the army attacked the positions and gathering centers of terrorists near Palmyra.
Elsewhere in the two towns of al-Qantou and Tir Ma'ala on the outskirts of Homs as well as Talbiseh, the Syrian artillery units hit hard and destroyed the terrorists' strongholds and centers.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941207000876
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South Asia
Over 50 militants including 7 ISIS loyalists killed in Afghan operations
By Khaama Press - Fri Feb 26 2016
At least seven militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group were killed during clearance operations in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the loyalists of the terror group were killed in air and ground operations in Achin district.
MoD said at least four others were also wounded during the operations in Pekha and Gor areas of Achin district.
A statement by MoD said the ISIS loyalists were among more than 50 insurgents killed during the clearance operations in the past 24 hours.
The statement further added that two militants including a commander of the militants were killed and another one was injured during an operation in Nari district of Kunar province.
Full report at: khaama.com/over-50-militants-including-7-isis-loyalists-killed-in-afghan-operations-0177
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31 militants killed in air, ground operations in Kunduz and Baghlan
By Khaama Press - Fri Feb 26 2016
At least thirty one anti-government armed militants were killed in separate military operations in northern Kunduz and Baghlan provinces of Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the operations were conducted in the past 24 hours by the Afghan National Security Forces who were backed by air support.
A statement by MoD said the operations in Kunduz were conducted as part of the Tufan-26 military operations led by the 209 Corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces.
The statement further added that 15 militants were killed and 28 others were wounded during an operation in Bandar-e-Kunduz area of Kunduz province.
At least 16 militants were killed and 5 others were wounded in a separate operation in Dand-e-Ghori and Dand-e-Shahabuddin districts of Baghlan provincce, the statement said, adding that the operations were conducted using air and artillery forces to pound the militants positions in Niazullah area.
According to MoD, the operations in Baghlan province are being conducted as part of Khurshid-20 operations to clear the areas under the militants control.
The anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the reports so far.
khaama.com/31-militants-killed-in-air-ground-operations-in-kunduz-and-baghlan-0174
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Pakistan says all Taliban groups approached for direct talks with Afghan govt
Feb 26 2016
By Khaama Press - Fri Feb 26 2016
The Pakistani Foreign Office said Thursday that all Afghan Taliban groups have been approached to participate in the upcoming direct talks with the Afghan government.
Nafees Zakaria, spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Office, told reports that a consensus exists that the upcoming talks between the representatives of the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban will be without pre-conditions.
“The QCG has a joint responsibility to move the reconciliation process forward and make a direct dialogue between the Afghan government and various Taliban groups and others possible,” he added.
This comes as Taliban group’s political office in Qatar said Wednesday that they are unaware of the proposed peace talks but they insisted on the group’s preconditions to sit-in for peace talks.
Pakistan has offered to host the first round of direct talks between the Afghan government and Taliban representatives following the conclusion of the fourth round of Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) meeting on Tuesday.
“The QCG member states invite all Taliban and other groups to participate through their authorized representatives in the first round of direct peace talks with the Afghan government expected to take place by the first week of March 2016,” according to a joint statement by QCG.
The statement further added that the fifth round of the QCG meeting will take place in Islamabad immediately after the first round of direct peace talks.
khaama.com/pakistan-says-all-taliban-groups-approached-for-direct-talks-with-afghan-govt-0172
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US payments to Afghans in MSF clinic attack called inadequate
Feb 26 2016
KABUL: The United States military is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to wounded survivors and relatives of the 42 Afghans killed when an American AC-130 gunship attacked a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which says the "sorry money" doesn't compensate for the loss of life.
The payments amount to $6,000 for each person killed, with the wounded receiving $3,000 each, representatives of the victims of the Oct 3 bombing told The Associated Press.
All 460 staff who were employed at the hospital at the time of the attack are expected to receive some amount of cash compensation.
US forces in Afghanistan have "expressed their condolences and offered a condolence payment to more than 140 families and individuals," the spokesman for the US military in Afghanistan, US army Colonel Mike Lawhorn, said.
He refused to give further details.
The trauma hospital was attacked during a firefight as US advisers were helping Afghan forces retake Kunduz from the Taliban, who had captured the northern city on Sept 28 and held it for three days.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1242073/us-payments-to-afghans-in-msf-clinic-attack-called-inadequate
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Afghan passport identified as the least powerful in the world
By Khaama Press - Fri Feb 26 2016
The Afghan passport has been identified as the least powerful in the world for the restrictions the Afghans face in terms of visa-free travel, according to an updated index by a London-based consulting firm.
The index found Germans held the most powerful passports in the world for third year in row in 2016, according to the index update, cited in a report by Washington Post.
A number of the European nations and the United States, Japan and Canada are closely following Germany as the top nations holding the most powerful passports in the world.
The only countries listed below Afghanistan are South Sudan and Palestinian territories, according to the index update, with South Sudan being the youngest sovereign state in the world and Palestinian territories less diplomatically recognized by countries in the West.
The index update by Henley & Partners attempts to quantify the power of passports based on the judgments of the top passports in the world by the amount of visa-free travel they entitle their owner to.
Full report at: khaama.com/afghan-passport-identified-as-the-least-powerful-in-the-world-0176
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Afghanistan hails Pakistani authorities, police for the release of Wahidi
By Khaama Press - Fri Feb 26 2016
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan (MOFA) confirmed the release of the former provincial governor of Herat province Syed Fazlullah Wahidi from the kidnappers in Pakistan.
According to a statement by MoFA, Mr. Wahidi was released from the captivity due to the efforts of Pakistani police and was recovered from Mardan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last night.
The statement further added that Mr. Wahidi was handed over to the consulate of Afghanistan in Peshawar city soon after his release from the captivity.
Hailing the Pakistani authorities and police for the release of Mr. Wahidi, the MoFA said Afghanistan is keen to maintain bilateral cooperation in such cases and other fields.
Mr. Wahid went missing from the vicinity of Islamabad on 12th February as he was visiting Pakistan along with his family members.
Full report at: khaama.com/afghanistan-hails-pakistani-authorities-police-for-the-release-of-wahidi-0175
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Vohra reaffirm India’s commitment to equip and support Afghan forces
By Khaama Press - Thu Feb 25 2016
The Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Manpreet Vohra reaffirmed his country’s commitment to equip and support the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
During a meeting with Hanif Atmar, the National Security Adviser, Mr. Vohra also promised India’s support towards the Afghan government’s policies for peace talks with the anti-government armed militant groups, being a member of
+ group.
According to the Office of the National Security Adviser, the group was formed in 2012 which include India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, United States, china and Afghanistan.
The group was formed with an aim to fight the menace of terrorism and secure peace and stability in Afghanistan, the Office of National Security Adviser said, adding that Mr. Atmar emphasized on the vital role of India in resolving regional disputes, being an active regional power.
India has played a crucial role by participating in the rebuilding of Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.
Since 2002, the Government of India has committed around USD 2 billion dollars to the socio-economic rebuilding of the Afghan state and society in accordance with the development priorities of the Government and the people of Afghanistan.
India took a major step in enhancing the capabilities of the Afghan security forces by supplying three Mi-25 gunship helicopters to the Afghan Air Force late last year.
khaama.com/vohra-reaffirm-indias-commitment-to-equip-and-support-afghan-forces-0171
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Southeast Asia
Philippine Army Kills 42 Islamist Militants in Battles in the Mountains of a Southern Island
25 February 2016
MANILA - Philippine security forces killed as many as 42 Muslim rebels claiming links with Islamic State and captured their stronghold during five days of fighting in the mountains of a southern island, an army spokesman said on Friday.
Three soldiers were killed and 11 wounded when the forces seized the bastion of an affiliate of Jemaah Islamiah, a Southeast Asian network of Islamist militants, in the province of Lanao del Sur.
"Our troops were able to seize a stronghold of the terrorists on Thursday night," the spokesman, Major Filemon Tan, told reporters by telephone from the southern island of Mindanao, estimating that about 42 militants had been killed.
Full report at: jpost.com/Breaking-News/Philippine-army-kills-42-Islamist-militants-in-battles-in-south-446204
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Azerbaijan’s promotion of interfaith dialogue hailed
25 February 2016
The members of the Legislature of the U.S. State of Oregon issued a proclamation commending the “long-standing traditions of interfaith tolerance, inclusion and harmony in Azerbaijan,” and applauding the efforts by Azerbaijan’s Government to foster these traditions on February 24.
Signed by the Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek, as well as by majority leaders of both chambers and many other legislators, the proclamation was presented to the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, Nasimi Aghayev, who was introduced on the Senate and House floor while visiting Oregon.
The proclamation commends Azerbaijan’s exemplary model of interreligious tolerance and harmony.
Full report at: azernews.az/azerbaijan/93330.html
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Muslims and challenges of an infections ravaged world
Feb 25 2016
Before the 13 January, 2016 World Health Organisation (WHO) declaration of Liberia as Ebola-free, 11,315 people reportedly died from the disease in six countries - Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, the US and Mali - after over 21 months of the first confirmed case recorded on 23 March 2014. About 28,637 other cases were reported.
The dust of Ebola has barely settled when the Zika Virus took the world centre stage and is running alongside the equally deadly Lassa fever.
Incidentally both Ebola and Zika were reportedly discovered in Africa; Ebola in 1976 near the Ebola River in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Sudan, while Zika’s earliest was in 1947 in Entebbe, Uganda.
While the Zika virus was subsequently isolated from a human in Nigeria in 1954, confirmed cases of infection from Africa and Southeast Asia were rare until 2007, when a major epidemic occurred in Yap Island, Micronesia Western Pacific Ocean, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
Full report at: dailytrust.com.ng/news/islamic-forum/muslims-and-challenges-of-an-infections-ravaged-world-1/135419.html
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North America
Anti-Muslim hate crimes on the rise, but bystanders sometimes stay silent
February 26, 2016
Marketplace investigates if Canadians would come to the aid of a stranger when discrimination is involved.
Two Muslim women are accosted and pushed on a Toronto subway. Another is assaulted and robbed after dropping off her kids off at school.
Incidents of anti-Muslim hate crimes are on the rise, according to the Canadian Arab Federation. Since the Paris attacks in November, there's been a sharp spike — enough that
breakingnews.ca/anti-muslim-hate-crimes-on-the-rise-but-bystanders-sometimes-stay-silent/
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Resolution introduced in US House to block sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan
PTI | Feb 26, 2016
WASHINGTON: A top US lawmaker has introduced a "joint resolution" in the House of Representatives to express Congress's disapproval over an arms deal with Pakistan which includes the sale of eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets to the latter.
"The government of Pakistan has been using weapons from the US to repress its own citizens and especially the people of Baluchistan," Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said on Thursday after he introduced the resolution in the House of Representatives which is similar to Indian Parliament's lower House, the Lok Sabha.
"The deciding factor of whether to support this joint resolution is, for me, the arrogant and hostile actions taken by the government of Pakistan against the man who helped bring Osama bin Laden to justice," Rohrabacher said.
Earlier this month, the Obama administration officially announced it would go through with the $700 million arms deal with Pakistan.
Alleging that Osama bin Laden was a "mass murderer" of 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001, he said anyone who helped bring him to justice is an "American hero".
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Resolution-introduced-in-US-House-to-block-sale-of-F-16-fighter-jets-to-Pakistan/articleshow/51148990.cms
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Barack Obama warns Russia 'world will be watching' Syria ceasefire
AFP | Feb 26, 2016
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama put the onus for upholding a ceasefire in Syria firmly on the regime and its Russian ally, warning Moscow and Damascus that the "world will be watching."
Hours before the Saturday cessation of hostilities comes into force, Obama huddled with his top national security advisors yesterday to plot the way forward and discuss the campaign against the Islamic State group.
"Everybody knows what needs to happen," Obama said, welcoming a partial ceasefire that has ravaged Syria for five years, killing 270,000 people and displacing more than half of the population.
"All parties that are part of the cessation of activities need to end attacks, including aerial bombardment. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach areas under siege."
"A lot of that is going to depend on whether the Syrian regime, Russia, and their allies live up to their commitments," he said in remarks at the State Department.
"The coming days will be critical, and the world will be watching."
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Barack-Obama-warns-Russia-world-will-be-watching-Syria-ceasefire/articleshow/51148805.cms?
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Mideast
Erdoğan’s office criticizes US bill calling Muslim Brotherhood terrorist
February 26, 2016
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's aide and spokesperson İbrahim Kalın has criticized a bill approved on Wednesday by the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee that calls on the US Department of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.
Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Kalın said the committee's decision is “thought provoking,” adding that Turkey will continue to follow the process closely.
Kalın said the Muslim Brotherhood has not been involved in any terrorist activity in the past 30-40 years and that it was able to get elected in Egypt before the current Egyptian administration. He said designating the MB a terrorist organization will only please real terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Qaeda.
Kalın also said the West has failed badly in regards to its attitude toward Islam and the Arab world.
Full report at: todayszaman.com/anasayfa_erdogans-office-criticizes-us-bill-calling-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist_413389.html
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Syria war rages hours before deal to halt fighting
February 26, 2016
Heavy air strikes were reported to have hit rebel-held areas to the east of Damascus as fighting continued across much of western Syria on Friday, hours before a US-Russian plan aimed at halting the fighting is due to take effect.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring organization reported at least 10 air raids and artillery shelling targeting the town of Douma in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.
Rescue workers in the opposition-held area, reporting on their Twitter feed, said there were confirmed civilian casualties but did not say how many. Syrian military officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The "cessation of hostilities" agreement is due to take effect at midnight (2200 GMT on Friday).
Full report at: todayszaman.com/latest-news_syria-war-rages-hours-before-deal-to-halt-fighting_413369.html
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Turkey has ‘serious worries’ about Syrian cease-fire, says presidential spokesperson
February 26, 2016
Turkey has serious worries about the Syrian cease-fire deal due to ongoing fighting, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's aide and spokesman said on Friday, hours before the US-Russian deal was due to start.
Speaking at a news conference at the presidential palace, İbrahim Kalın also said that while Turkey had no plans for a unilateral ground operation in Syria, it will respond to any incidents threatening its national security in line with its rules of engagement.
Fighting has continued across much of western Syria, with heavy air strikes reported to have hit rebel-held areas to the east of Damascus. The "cessation of hostilities" agreement is due to take effect at midnight (2200 GMT on Friday).
Full report at: todayszaman.com/latest-news_turkey-has-serious-worries-about-syrian-cease-fire-says-presidential-spokesperson_413370.html
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Jailed Turkish journalists freed after top court ruled their rights violated
February 26, 2016
Two prominent Turkish journalists from a leading opposition newspaper have been freed in the early hours of Friday after Turkey's top court ruled that their detentions had violated their rights.
A large group of supporters greeted Cumhuriyet newspaper's editor-in-chief Can Dündar and the paper's Ankara representative, Erdem Gül, as they emerged from a van after being freed from Silivri prison on the outskirts of İstanbul.
The arrest of journalists last November drew international condemnation and revived concern about media freedom in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
They were detained after the publication of video footage purporting to show the state intelligence agency helping send weapons to Syria.
Full report at: todayszaman.com/latest-news_jailed-turkish-journalists-freed-after-top-court-ruled-their-rights-violated_413368.html
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Saudi fighter jets arrive at Turkish base
February 26, 2016
Saudi Arabian warplanes arrived at Turkey's İncirlik base on Friday to take part in aerial missions against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria.
Presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın said at a news conference in Ankara that the Saudi military aircraft have begun arriving at İncirlik but did not provide details as to how many aircraft have arrived so far.
Private Doğan news agency said four warplanes arrived at the base.
The Saudi deployment comes as a US and Russia-engineered cease-fire is due to take effect at midnight on Friday. The truce agreement, however, does not cover ISIL, Syria's al-Qaeda branch known as the Nusra Front, or any other militia designated as a terrorist group by the UN Security Council.
Full report at: todayszaman.com/anasayfa_saudi-fighter-jets-arrive-at-turkish-base_413390.html
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Turkey, US special ops drills in legal limbo for 4 years
February 25, 2016
The joint special operations exercises between the Turkish and US armed forces remain in legal limbo because of the failure to complete the approval process on the Turkish side.
A debate in the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission on Wednesday revealed that the agreement, signed in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Turkish and American military officials on July 10, 2012 in Ankara and July 24, 2012 in Stuttgart, respectively, has not yet been approved but the exercises have been conducted nonetheless.
The deal was made between the Turkish General Staff and the Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) and covered the execution of combined military special operations forces exercises. It has no expiration, and the parties may notify each other in advance to terminate it.
“We're completing the paperwork on an exercise that was already done, right?” asked Oğuz Kaan Salıcı, a member of the Foreign Affairs Commission from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
In the reasoning for the endorsement of the agreement, the government claimed the deal was about a joint special operations exercise that was hosted by the US in Colorado on Sept. 10-28, 2012.
Full report at: todayszaman.com/diplomacy_turkey-us-special-ops-drills-in-legal-limbo-for-4-years_413297.html
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Supreme Leader Asks Iranians to Disappoint Enemies by Mass Participation in Elections
Feb 26, 2016
TEHRAN (FNA)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called on the Iranian people to foil enemies' plots against the country by their high turnout in the Friday elections.
"Elections are always important and they are more important in some junctures. I advise all people as before to participate in the elections," Ayatollah Khamenei said after casting his vote in Tehran in the early hours of voting on Friday morning.
"Anyone who loves Iran, the Islamic Republic and national honor, greatness and glory should take part in these elections," he added.
"We have enemies who are witnessing elections with their greedy eyes and our choice (of candidates) should disappoint the enemy," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Full report at: en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941207000184
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India
Hizb chief hails militants, cops rescue his son during J&K operation
M Saleem Pandit | TNN | Feb 26, 2016
SRINAGAR: Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin hailed three slain Lashkar-e-Taiba militants for giving "a tough fight" to Indian security forces during the Pampore encounter even as J&K police and paramilitary forces safely evacuated his younger son Syed Mueen, a computer analyst working at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute, just before the three militants stormed the government building last Saturday.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hizb-chief-hails-militants-cops-rescue-his-son-during-JK-operation/articleshow/51148002.cms
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Pak Gives Candid Support to Jaish, Lashkar: Indian Army Chief
TNN | Feb 26, 2016
NEW DELHI: Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag on Thursday slammed Pakistan for giving "candid support" to terror groups like Jaish-eMohammed and Lashkar-eTaiba, and urged the international community to "isolate" nations who harbour and train terrorists as a matter of state policy.
At a seminar organised by Army think-tank CLAWS on 'Sub-conventional Conflicts: Emerging Threats and Challenges', Gen Suhag said the growing influence of terrorist organisations like IS, Al Shabab and Boko Haram had found new space on the global front through use of social and other forms of media.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-gives-candid-support-to-Jaish-Lashkar-Army-chief/articleshow/51147826.cms
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India writes to UN to include Masood Azhar on terrorist list
ANI | Feb 26, 2016
NEW DELHI: India has submitted a formal request to the United Nations Committee 1267, seeking inclusion of the name of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar on the sanctions' list, said government sources.
"I can also confirm to you that we will be moving the 1267 Committee to also include the name of Masood Azhar on the sanctions list. It is a great anomaly that the organization Jaish-e-Mohammad is listed but not its leader," said Vikas Swarup, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, on Thursday.
"We have already given a list of terrorists affiliated to Al Qaeda, Taliban and other terrorist groups to the 1267 Committee. At this stage it would not be prudent to disclose anything further as to the names of these people because, as you know, this is a part of a process now," he added.
Previously, India's move to get Masood Azhar banned by the UN was scuttled by China.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-to-push-UN-to-include-Masood-Azhar-on-terrorist-list/articleshow/51151277.cms
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JeM terrorist, 5 aides held in Kashmir
M Saleem Pandit | TNN | Feb 26, 2016, 04.54 AM IST
SRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir police on Thursday arrested a Pakistani Jaish-eMohammad terrorist along with his five local associates from north Kashmir's Baramulla town.
"Acting on specific information that a Pakistani fidayeen terrorist has made entry into Baramulla town, police along with CRPF and Army men launched multiple operations in and around Baramulla in north Kashmir," a police spokesman said.
During an operation, the fidayeen, Mohammad Sidiq, was arrested. The spokesman said Sidiq is a resident of Sialkot. His accomplices were identified as Suhail Arif Ganaie, Rashid Rasool Bhat, Javaid Ahmad Dhobi, Farhan Fayaz Liloo and Ehsan Fayaz Lillo.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JeM-terrorist-5-aides-held-in-Kashmir/articleshow/51147832.cms
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Africa
UN cites torture, murder, impunity in largely lawless Libya
AP | Feb 25, 2016
GENEVA: A UN human rights report has documented thousands of cases of beheadings, arbitrary detention and torture involving electrocution and beatings with pipes and cables in an increasingly lawless Libya, where impunity has grown since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi nearly five years ago.
Issuing its 95-page report on Thursday, the office of the high commissioner for human rights said it has reasonable grounds to believe that all parties have been involved in the violations of human rights law in Libya, a country divided up among tribal groups, an Islamic State offshoot, a government in Tripoli supported by Islamist-allied militias and an internationally recognized government in the eastern city of Tobruk.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/UN-repor
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Pakistan
F-16 sale to Pakistan badly timed, 'complicates' India-US ties, says US senator John McCain
PTI | Feb 25, 2016
WASHINGTON: Top Republican senator John McCain on Thursday acknowledged the "timing" of the announcement on the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan was "really bad" and that the Obama administration needs to explain the reason behind its decision which "complicates" India-US relations.
At a time, when the US is pushing hard to improve its defence relationship with India as part of its effort to maintain its dominance in the Asia Pacific region, such a move tends to "complicate" India-US ties, McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters at the Defence Writers Group.
"I think that the future of Asia, if we want to have the kind of influence that we always had and a deterrence to the Chinese behaviour is a very close relationship between the United States and India. Which by the way the F-16 issue complicates that," McCain said.
Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has put a hold on the administration's notification to the US Congress early this month on the proposed sale of F-16s to Pakistan.
Full report at: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/F-16-sale-to-Pakistan-badly-timed-complicates-India-US-ties-says-US-senator-John-McCain/articleshow/51145196.cms
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Musharraf treason case: SC annuls verdict to include Dogar, others in probe
Feb 26, 2016
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court accepted on Friday Justice (retd) Abdul Hameed Dogar's appeal to exclude him from the investigation into the treason case against former president Pervez Musharraf.
Justice (r) Dogar had challenged the Dec 12, 2015, order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) which upheld the Nov 27, 2015, order of the three-man special court hearing a treason case against former President Pervez Musharraf which had ordered the investigation team concerned to re-investigate the treason case by ‘interrogating’ Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, former minister Zahid Hamid and former chief justice of Pakistan Abdul Hameed Dogar as well as people who could be presumed to be associated with the commission of the alleged crime.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1242063/musharraf-treason-case-sc-annuls-verdict-to-include-dogar-others-in-probe
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Pakistanis invest $2.18bn in Dubai properties
February 26th, 2016
KARACHI: Pakistanis purchased 6,106 properties during 2015 as compared to 5,079 units last year, an increase of 20 per cent, Dubai Land Department (DLD) figures showed on Thursday.
Around AED 8 billion ($2.178bn) worth of properties were purchased by Pakistanis during the year as compared to AED 7.588bn ($2.066bn) last year, up 5.43pc.
Media statements that the government was investigating Pakistani investments in Dubai property market seemed ineffective due to the rise in purchases.
According to the DLD’s report, the overall real-estate investment exceeded AED 135bn in 2015 (55,928 investors) as compared to around AED 109bn (41,715 investors) a year ago.
Pakistanis have invested AED 24bn in Dubai property market since 2013.
Full report at: dawn.com/news/1241906/pakistanis-invest-218bn-in-dubai-properties
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