Over 270 Al-Nusra Front Terrorists Killed in Syrian Army Operations in Sweida Province
New Age Islam News Bureau
16
Jun 2015
Amid a wave of outrage after the attack at the school in Peshawar, the government announced "National Action Plan" to fight against the militants.
Arab World
• Over 270 Al-Nusra Front Terrorists Killed in Syrian Army Operations in Sweida Province
• Iraqi Airstrikes Kill 30 ISIL Suicide Bombers near Baghdad
• Loudspeaker Ban for Taraweeh Prayers in Makkah
• Egypt Court Sentences Mursi to Life in Prison
• Dozens of ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraqi Airstrikes, Mortar Shelling in Anbar, Salahuddin
• Iraq's Sadr: Saudis, US Stoking Sectarian Tension
• Kurds in ‘full control’ of ISIS-held town
• 20 dead, 100 wounded in rebel fire on Aleppo: Syria TV
• 40 foreign suicide bombers a month enter Iraq: PM
• OIC adopts Pak proposals to spotlight Rohingya Muslim's persecution
Pakistan
• Pakistan’s Struggle to Rein in Rogue Seminaries
• School Curriculum in Pakistan Distorts Views on Terrorism, Claims Report
• India dare not treat Pakistan like Myanmar: Musharraf
• ‘Pakistan not to tolerate intimidation by India’: Pak Defence Minister
• After militancy, Tirah faces threat of deforestation
• Terror trials: Army ordinance extended for four months
• Karachi law and order: Paramilitary force’s utility questioned
• Nine prisoners hanged, Three execution postponed in Punjab
South Asia
• Taliban Warn ISIS Leader Not To Interfere In Afghanistan
• Over 200 Militants Killed, Wounded In Security Forces Operations in Afghanistan
• China Pushes Uyghurs to Give Up Fasting In Ramazan
• Bangladesh Rejects Top Islamist Leader Mojaheed's Appeal of Death Sentence
• Afghan government, Taliban negotiators attend forum in Norway
India
• Modi Plays Host to Envoys from Muslim Nations, Praises Islam
• Ram Temple, Article 370 on BJP Agenda, But Focus Is Development: Law Minister
• VHP Begins ‘Love Jihad’ Stir After Alleged Abduction of Girl by Bootlegger in Gujarat
• India, Pakistan expanding nuclear arsenal despite global trend in disarmament: Report
Europe
• Geneva Peace Talks: S. Arabia, UN Urge Yemen's Ansarullah to Surrender
• French PM: Hate, Extremism ‘Not Islam’
• EU envoy: Europe still not stopping flow of jihadi recruits to Islamic militant groups
• British Muslims are being groomed by 'charismatic recruiters'
• Georgian police arrest imam suspected of recruiting people to join the Islamic State group
• Sexual frustration pushing young Muslims in UK to join ISIS, new film suggests
• Islamophobia in UK: Muslim Leaders Allege Government Contributes To Anti-Muslim Sentiment
• Repentant ‘godfather of British jihad’ recalls extremism's lure
Africa
• Islamic State Suffering Setbacks in Libya
• 11 Killed In Nigeria Suicide Bombings
• Kenyan leader sues for women’s empowerment at AU summit
• Nigerian President Vows to Take Lead against Boko Haram
• Islamic State’s Gains Bolster Chad’s Security Role in Africa
• IS jihadists claim deadly attack on Tunisia police
• Libya jihadist group denies death of Qaeda-linked Belmokhtar
Mideast
• Turkey Warns US and Coalition against Demographic Change In Syria
• Yemeni Rockets Rain Down on Saudi Military Base
• Saudi Airstrikes Kill 5 in Yemen's Ta'izz
• Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen ‘killed’ in drone attack
• Inside Iran: The Industry Of Child Trafficking
• Turkish soldiers detain ISIL men at border crossing
North America
• CIA Reorganizes to Target Islamic State
• Terrorist hideouts in NWA ‘absolutely eliminated’: US
• Hearing for man accused of killing three U.S. Muslims cancelled
• Washington 'disappointed' no action taken against Bashir
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia Accepts Islamic Megabank Challenge Shelved by Malaysia
• After furore over Muslim gymnast’s attire, minister says ‘serious’ attention to dress
• New all-Muslim pact possible with Pakatan gone, says PAS leader
• Philippine Muslim rebels hand over weapons in push for peace
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Arab World
Over 270 Al-Nusra Front Terrorists Killed in Syrian Army Operations in Sweida Province
Jun 16, 2015
The Syrian military operations have left tens of Takfiri militants dead and dozens more injured in the Al-Thala airbase region in Southern Syria in the past 24 hours, sources said.
Over 275 Al-Nusra Front terrorists were killed near Al-Thala airbase in Sweida province on Monday, sources on both sides declared.
"The army units with the help of popular defence forces repelled the attempts by the Al-Nusra terrorists to retake the strategic airbase in Sweida province," a Syrian army source told FNA.
He said in the first phase of the army operation in Al-Thala airbase region over 100 terrorists were killed, and added, "And in the second phase, the army killed 25 terrorists who were trying to penetrate into Um Walad town."
The army artillery units pounded the Al-Nusra Front positions in Western Sweida province, killing another 150 terrorists.
On Friday, informed military sources in the Southern battlefields confirmed that the Syrian army successfully defended al-Thala airbase against an al-Nusra attack.
The sources said that the Syrian soldiers and the country's popular forces, in heavy clashes, forced the Nusra fighters to retreat from some areas of al-Thala Airbase that is now under full control of the government forces.
In the meantime, Head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdulrahman underlined that the Syrian air force's massive attacks on the militants' positions near the airbase alongside Sweida's good military supply for the Syrian army men ended in the victory of the government forces and failure of the Nusra fighters.
Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fuelled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 210,000 people, according to reports. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940326000472
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Iraqi Airstrikes Kill 30 ISIL Suicide Bombers near Baghdad
Jun 16, 2015
At least 30 suicide bombers were killed after Iraqi warplanes targeted an ISIL gathering near the capital city of Baghdad, a military source said.
Iraq's Ministry of Defense issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the county's fighter jets managed to hit a gathering of the ISIL suicide bombers in the city of Fallujah after a complex reconnaissance operation, killing more than 30 militants.
The Interior Ministry Spokesman Major Genenarl Saad Moen, said, "A force belonging to the Iraqi Army Aviation managed to kill 30 suicide elements from ISIL during an aerial bombing, which targeted their sites, in the city of Fallujah, located 60 km West of Ramadi."
The source added that the suicide bombers were planning to carry out several terror attacks in the capital.
The ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently control shrinking swathes of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.
Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.
The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940326000247
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Loudspeaker Ban for Taraweeh Prayers in Makkah
16 June 2015
MAKKAH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Makkah has ordered mosques in Makkah not to use outside loudspeakers during Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan.
Mosques would only be allowed to use outside speakers if they do not disturb worshippers at other mosques in the city. There are about 45 mosques that would have Taraweeh prayers in the holy city, said Talal Al-Aqail, spokesman of the ministry.
In a statement issued recently, Al-Aqail said that imams should not accept any donations for Iftar meals unless they are approved by the ministry, bought at reputable and licensed eateries, and overseen by them and other mosque officials.
Al-Aqail said the ministry has also drawn up a plan to ensure it has daily reports on the performance of officials at mosques. This information would also be used to monitor maintenance of the places of worship.
Imams have been told not to leave their posts during Ramadan unless necessary. If they are forced to do so, they must appoint someone to take over their responsibilities, Al-Aqail said.
He said mosques have been furnished with carpets and Qur’an copies. The ministry has also assigned people who have memorized the Qur’an to lead the night prayers, he said.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/762736
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Egypt court sentences Mursi to life in prison
16 June 2015
An Egyptian court sentenced former Islamist President Mohammad Mursi to 25 years in prison on
Tuesday in a case related to conspiring with foreign groups.
The general guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie and Islamist leaders Mohammad al-Katatny and Essam al-Erian were also sentenced to 25 years in jail in the same case. In total, 17 were given life sentences.
The court also sentenced Brotherhood leaders Khairat el-Shater, Mohammad el-Beltagy and Mohammad Abd el-Aaty to death in the same case.
Death sentences were also handed to 13 other defendants in absentia.
These were the final verdicts in two trials of Egypt's ousted president who has already been handed the death penalty for a prison escape and attacks in 2011 as well as spying.
On May 16 Mursi and more than 100 others were sentenced to death after being convicted of plotting jailbreaks and attacks on police during the uprising more than four years ago that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak.
The death sentence was referred to the mufti, the government's interpreter of Islamic law who plays an advisory role, and a final ruling had been scheduled.
Mursi, elected president in 2012 as the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood's compromise candidate after its key leader Khairat al-Shater was disqualified, ruled for just a year before mass protests spurred the military to overthrow him in July 2013.
He was among dozens of Islamist leaders detained amid a crackdown in which hundreds of Mursi supporters were killed.
Mursi, 64, was in prison when the anti-Mubarak uprising erupted on January 25, 2011, having been rounded up with other Brotherhood leaders a few days previously.
On January 28 that year, protesters fuelled by police abuses torched police stations across Egypt, allowing thousands of prisoners to escape when the force all but collapsed.
Mursi and 34 others were also tried in a separate case of espionage.
Sixteen have already been sentenced to death for colluding with foreign powers, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Iran to destabilize Egypt.
The court has yet to pronounce verdicts on Mursi and another 18 in this case.
Since Mursi's overthrow, the police have largely been rehabilitated in the eyes of the public, with officials and loyal media blaming the Brotherhood and foreigners for the violence of the anti-Mubarak uprising.
The army chief who overthrew Mursi, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, was himself elected president last year.
He has pledged to eradicate the Brotherhood, once Egypt's largest political movement.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/16/Egypt-court-issues-final-Mursi-death-verdict-.html
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Dozens of ISIL Terrorists Killed in Iraqi Airstrikes, Mortar Shelling in Anbar, Salahuddin
Jun 16, 2015
Iraqi air attacks and mortar shelling on the strongholds of the ISIL terrorist group in Anbar and Salahuddin provinces left several fighters killed or wounded, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.
“The Iraqi army mortar attacks targeted several ISIL arsenals in the town of Husseiba, East of Ramadi, in Anbar, and left seven militants killed,” Spokesperson for the Iraqi Interior Ministry Saad Maan said.
Maan added that Iraqi fighter jets targeted a number of the ISIL convoys in the Haqol Ajul area in Salahuddin province, destroying five of the group’s convoys and killing all the militants inside the vehicles.
The ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently control shrinking swathes of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.
Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.
The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940326000354
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Iraq's Sadr: Saudis, US Stoking Sectarian Tension
Jun 16, 2015
Influential Iraqi Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, has called on Saudi Arabia to end its military intervention in Yemen, accusing both Riyadh and the US of worsening sectarian tensions, a report said.
"The Saudi intervention in Yemen is accentuating the conflict between communities," Sadr said in an interview with France 24.
"If Saudi Arabia stopped its offensive against Yemen, it would be easier to achieve peace and stability in the region and ease tensions between Sunnis and Shiites," he added.
Sadr also lashed out against Washington for "sowing divisions" in the Middle East.
"America is heightening sectarianism and ethnic tensions," he said.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940326001111
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Kurds in ‘full control’ of ISIS-held town
15 June 2015
Syrian Kurdish-led forces said they had captured a town at the Turkish border from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Monday, driving it away from the frontier in an advance backed by U.S.-led air strikes that has thrust deep into the jihadists' Syria stronghold.
The capture of Tel Abyad by the Kurdish YPG and smaller Syrian rebel groups means the Syrian Kurds effectively control some 400 km of the Syrian-Turkish border that has been a conduit for foreign fighters joining ISIS.
A monitoring group confirmed the Kurds were in “full control.”
"Since dawn this morning, not a single bullet has been fired in Tal Abyad," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.
"The Kurdish fighters now have full control of Tal Abyad," which was used by IS as a gateway from Turkey to its de facto capital Raqa to the south, he said.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/15/Syria-Kurds-cut-key-supply-road-to-ISIS-held-Raqqa-commander-.html
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20 dead, 100 wounded in rebel fire on Aleppo: Syria TV
Jun 16, 2015
At least 20 people were killed and 100 wounded on Monday in Syrian rebel rocket fire on government-held parts of the city of Aleppo, Syrian state media said.
"The number of martyrs in the massacre carried out by terrorists in Aleppo has risen to 20 dead and more than 100 hurt," state television said in a breaking news alert.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the rocket fire, putting the toll at 13, including two children, and adding that it was expected to rise.
The group also said around 100 people were wounded, among them 20 children.
The Britain-based monitor said rebels had fired some 250 rockets at several districts in western Aleppo city in just four hours, causing massive damage including the collapse of an entire building.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/132859/World/Region/-dead,--wounded-in-rebel-fire-on-Aleppo-Syria-TV.aspx
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40 foreign suicide bombers a month enter Iraq: PM
Jun 16, 2015
Around 40 foreign suicide bombers enter Iraq each month, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Monday, calling for countries in the region to curb the flow of foreign fighters.
Suicide bombers are one of the deadliest weapons of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, which deploys them in explosives-packed vehicles to breach Iraqi defences or cause mass civilian casualties in crowded areas.
"An average of 40 suicide (bombers) enter Iraq per month," Abadi said in televised remarks.
"The number of foreign fighters in Iraq now exceeds the number of Iraqis" in IS, Abadi said, and there are suicide bombers "from every country" in the region.
"There is a problem to be addressed by these countries," Abadi said.
"It is up to others... to stop these terrorists from coming to our country, and to stop this machine of killing and destruction and terrorism."
IS launched a brutally effective offensive last June that overran a third of Iraq, including swathes of its border with Syria where the group also holds significant territory, making it easy for fighters to enter the country.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/132840/World/Region/-foreign-suicide-bombers-a-month-enter-Iraq-PM.aspx
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OIC adopts Pak proposals to spotlight Rohingya Muslim's persecution
Jun 16, 2015
NEW YORK – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has unanimously approved a Pakistani proposal to bring into greater focus the plight of Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar.
The approval was given at a meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York. The ambassadorial-level meeting discussed the situation of the beleaguered Rohingya community at the request of Pakistan's Ambassador to UN Maleeha Lodhi, who opened the discussion by underscoring the urgency of the issue and the need to evolve a collective response to this great tragedy.
Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour A Al-Otaibi, the current chairman OIC Group at the UN, presided. The OIC delegates welcomed Ambassador Lodhi's proposal that, as a first step, a delegation of the OIC group at the UN meet Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and apprise him of their serious concern over the oppression of Rohingyas who have been forced into risking their lives by crossing the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea to seek refuge in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/16-Jun-2015/oic-adopts-pak-proposals-to-spotlight-rohingya-muslim-s-persecution
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Pakistan
Pakistan’s Struggle to Rein in Rogue Seminaries
16 June 2015
Islamabad: Pakistan pledged to crack down on religious seminaries suspected of fostering extremism following a Taliban school massacre in December that left more than 130 children dead, but the move faces stiff resistance from conservatives.
Amid a wave of outrage after the attack at the school in the north-western city of Peshawar, the government announced a "National Action Plan" to fight back against the militants.
A six-year moratorium on the death penalty was lifted and the constitution was amended to allow military courts to try those accused of carrying out attacks "in the name of religion or a sect".
The plan also included proposals to keep a closer watch on the country`s 13,000 Islamic seminaries, or madrasas, 97 percent of which are privately run.
With little oversight of what was being taught to the 1.8 children enrolled in them, fears grew after Peshawar that some were breeding grounds for intolerance -- or even extremism.Every evening the leafy streets of one of Islamabad`s most exclusive quarters throng with young men in white Shalwar Qameez and prayer caps.
Full report at:
http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/pakistans-struggle-to-rein-in-rogue-seminaries_1614200.html
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School Curriculum in Pakistan Distorts Views on Terrorism, Claims Report
Jun 16, 2015
Textbooks used in government schools in Pakistan distort students’ perceptions, limit their critical thinking skills and obscure the real causes of violence and terrorism in the country claims a report commissioned by the US Institute of Peace.
The author of the report, “Education and Attitudes in Pakistan; Understanding Perceptions of Terrorism,” Madiha Afzal says that “Pakistan’s current educational system does not equip students to counter the prevailing problematic narrative in society and the media.”
Instead, she claims, the system creates and propagates narratives of its own.
Afzal, who is an assistant professor at the Maryland’s School of Public Policy, in her report claims that despite the large scale attacks carried out by the Taliban and other extremist elements in the country, textbooks have so far failed to provide a clear cause of violence incidents, even for attacks such as those on the Army Public School in December last where over 140 pupils were killed. She claimed that this had resulted in a “Confused narrative.”
However, the study shows that overwhelming majority of school students in Pakistan showed no support for the Taliban.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/904251/school-curriculum-in-pakistan-distorts-views-on-terrorism-claims-report/
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India dare not treat Pakistan like Myanmar: Musharraf
Jun 16, 2015
KARACHI – Former president Pervez Musharraf has once again warned India against attempting a military operation inside Pakistan, saying India "dare not" treat Pakistan like Myanmar.
Musharraf, who ruled from 1999 to 2008, hit out at the Indian leadership over its stand on army operation in Myanmar, saying, “Pakistan is not Myanmar, and India dare not treat Pakistan as Myanmar.” The former president cautioned India against what he called "similar adventurism".
Indian State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had said in the wake of India's military action in Myanmar that it was a message to other countries which was interpreted as a warning to Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/16-Jun-2015/india-dare-not-treat-pakistan-like-myanmar-musharraf
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‘Pakistan not to tolerate intimidation by India’ : Pak Defence Minister
Jun 16, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that Pakistan became part of a battle that was not its own and that mess created in the past is being cleared through military operation Zarb-e-Azb. In a statement, he said that India wished to suppress Pakistan to a certain level. “We want cordial relations with New Delhi, but would not tolerate its intimidating tone,” he stressed. The defence minister said that Pakistan wanted friendly ties with India, but threats would not be tolerated. He added, “We have always been keen to promote better ties with India.” A few days back, Khawaja Asif came down hard on India, saying its intelligence agency RAW was created to destroy Pakistan and it could not be taken as a light issue. Earlier he told a private TV channel that the interests of the Taliban and RAW are the same. Asif further said that were India actually sympathetic towards Pakistan with regards to the war on terror, it would have refrained from creating tension on the border. Referring to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) he said this project would benefit the whole region.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/16-Jun-2015/pakistan-not-to-tolerate-intimidation-by-india
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After militancy, Tirah faces threat of deforestation
Jun 16, 2015
LANDI KOTAL: With the rehabilitation activity gaining momentum in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency, the forests in the picturesque area face serious threat owing to cutting of trees by local residents both for reconstruction of their damaged houses and smuggling the precious timber to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.
A survey conducted by Fata Disaster Management Authority with the assistance of some donor agencies last year said that around 14,000 (80 per cent) houses in Bagh-Maidan and surrounding localities of the valley were in urgent need of reconstruction as most of those were without roofs.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1188534/after-militancy-tirah-faces-threat-of-deforestation
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Terror trials: Army ordinance extended for four months
Jun 16, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly passed a resolution seeking extension in the Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 for 120 days in a session marred by sloganeering and a walkout by lawmakers from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). The move also triggered a verbal duel between a senior federal minister and MQM lawmakers.
According to the Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Ordinance, which was promulgated in the last week of February this year, judges of the military courts will have the discretion to decide whether the proceedings will be open or in-camera. Similarly, judges, lawyers and witnesses will be given security and protection.
The MQM MPs started protesting when Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stood up to table the resolution. Angered by the protest, Asif said it was a politically motivated outcry as the MQM lawmakers fear “they can be tried under the law for their wrongdoings”. The ordinance is a part of the National Action Plan against terrorism which all political parties had already acquiesced to support.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/904322/terror-trials-army-ordinance-extended-for-four-months/
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Karachi law and order: Paramilitary force’s utility questioned
Jun 16, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Deliberating over the Rangers Sindh chief’s recent statement on Karachi law and order, Senator Farhatullah Babar of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has questioned the paramilitary force’s utility in the country’s financial hub.
During the Sindh Apex Committee’s meeting on Thursday, Rangers DG Maj-Gen Bilal Akbar had pointed out that a nexus of political leaders, civil servants and gang lords was involved in fostering and harbouring organised crime and terrorism in the metropolitan city.
“Billions of rupees collected from extortion, land grabbing, targeted killings and rackets are flowing into the coffers of some top personalities of Sindh,” the Rangers DG had said.
In Monday’s Senate session, Babar moved an adjournment motion regarding the Rangers chief’s statement.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/904229/karachi-law-and-order-paramilitary-forces-utility-questioned/
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Nine prisoners hanged, Three execution postponed in Punjab
Jun 16, 2015
LAHORE – Nine prisoners were hanged in different jails of Punjab on Tuesday morning while three executions were postponed after compromise between parties and provision of pardon in Faisalabad, Lahore and Gujranwala jails.
Taking the executions toll to 163 since the APS massacre forced government to implement the death sentence. Prisoner Mukhtar was executed in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. Mukhtar had killed a man at Lyton Road in 2004 while execution of Khizar Hayat was postponed due to stay order of the court. Younus and Allah Ditta were executed in Faisalabad central jail.
Younus was executed for killing of three people in 2000 while death row convict Allah Ditta had killed a woman in 1999 while execution of Zulfiqar was postponed in the jail. Muhammad Asghar and Ghulam Rasool were executed in Bahawalpur central jail who belonged to Bahawalnagar. Rana Abdur Rauf was executed in Jhelum central jail. Abdur Rauf had killed Muhammad Ilyas in 1996 over an old enmity.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/16-Jun-2015/nine-prisoners-hanged-three-execution-postponed-in-punjab
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South Asia
Taliban warn ISIS leader not to interfere in Afghanistan
16 June 2015
The Taliban Tuesday warned the leader of the Islamic State group against waging a parallel insurgency in Afghanistan, after a string of defections and reported clashes with militants loyal to ISIS.
The Middle Eastern group, also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh, has never formally acknowledged having a presence in Afghanistan but fears are growing that the group is making inroads in the country.
In a letter addressed to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Taliban insisted that "jihad (holy war) against the Americans and their allies must be conducted under one flag and one leadership".
"The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) does not consider the multiplicity of jihadi ranks beneficial either for jihad or for Muslims," said the letter signed by the Taliban deputy leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/16/Taliban-warn-ISIS-leader-not-to-interfere-in-Afghanistan-.html
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Over 200 militants killed, wounded in security forces operations across the country
Jun 16 2015
Over 200 militants killed and wounded during the newest military operations across the country, Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday.
A statement issued by General Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense states that 109 militants were killed and 96 others wounded during military operations in 12 provinces in past 24 hours.
The statement issued on his twitter account states that security forces also seized weapons and ammunition but it does not specify the number.
General Azimi adds that a soldier of Afghan National Army embraced martyrdom during these operations.
Afghan National Security Forces began large-scale operations against militants after taking full responsibility of security from NATO forces at the beginning of this year.
http://www.khaama.com/over-200-militants-killed-wounded-in-security-forces-operations-across-the-country-3497
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China pushes Uighurs to give up fasting in Ramazan
Jun 16, 2015
BEIJING: Some local governments in China's unruly far western region of Xinjiang are stepping up controls on the Islamic faith followed by the Uighur people ahead of Ramazan, including making officials swear they will not fast.
The holy month, which begins this week, is a sensitive time in Xinjiang following an uptick in deadly attacks blamed by Beijing on Islamist militants over the past three years in which hundreds have died.
In recent days, state media and government websites in Xinjiang have published stories and official notices demanding that party members, civil servants, students and teachers in particular do not observe Ramazan, something that happened last year too.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1188557/china-pushes-uighurs-to-give-up-fasting-in-ramazan
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Afghan air force kill 14 insurgents including Taliban shadow governor for Badakhshan
Jun 16 2015
Afghan air force in a newest strike have killed 14 militants including foreigners in northeastern part of the country.
Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai, spokesman for the police headquarters of Badakhshan province says that the airstrike was carried out in Khol Dara-i-Khastak village of Juram District yesterday afternoon.
He said that Mullah Amanuddin the so-called Taliban governor for Badakhshan province and eight foreign insurgents are among the ones killed in the attack.
Mullah Amanuddin is the third shadow governor Taliban group lost in five days.
Omar Zadran, Taliban shadow governor for eastern Kunar province, was killed in a NDS-coordinated airstrike along with 14 of his men in Dangam District of the same eastern province, NDS reported on Sunday.
Also, Mawlwi Mir Ahmad Gul the shadow governor of Taliban for eastern Nangarhar province was gunned down by unidentified gunmen in Peshawar city of Pakistan.
http://www.khaama.com/afghan-air-force-kill-14-insurgents-including-taliban-shadow-governor-for-badakhshan-3499
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Afghan government, Taliban negotiators attend forum in Norway
Jun 16, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban have sent their top negotiator, Syed Tayyeb Agha, to a conference in Norway, beginning today (Tuesday), which will also be attended by senior officials from the Afghan government, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said.
Mujahid confirmed that the head of the Taliban political office in Qatar, Syed Tayyeb Agha, will lead a three-member Taliban delegation at the Oslo Forum, adding that the Taliban leaders will not hold any talks with the Afghan delegation.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/904520/afghan-government-taliban-negotiators-attend-forum-in-norway/
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Bangladesh Rejects Top Islamist Leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed's Appeal Of Death Sentence
16 June 2015
Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Tuesday “dismissed” top Islamist leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed’s appeal against his death sentence for crimes committed during the country's 1971 war of independence, according to reports. The decision was taken by a four-member panel headed by the country's chief justice.
Mojaheed, general secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islami party and the country's second highest-ranked Islamist leader, was reportedly convicted in 2013 of five charges including murder, abduction and torture. The ruling triggered nationwide protests by his supporters.
"The death penalty handed down to him has been upheld," prosecutor Soumya Reza told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Full report at:
http://www.ibtimes.com/bangladesh-rejects-top-islamist-leader-ali-ahsan-mohammad-mojaheeds-appeal-death-1968492
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India
Modi plays host to envoys from Muslim nations, praises Islam
Amin Ali,TNN | Jun 16, 2015
NEW DELHI: In a significant outreach to the Muslim world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Islam for emphasizing the importance of education.
"The Quran mentions the word 'ilm' 800 times. It is among the most repeated words after Allah. This is the importance of knowledge in the religion," Modi told an audience comprising the high commissioners of Saarc countries and envoys of Muslim nations such as Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt and Indonesia at his residence during the launch of the book "Education of Muslims" by historian JS Rajput and India Islamic Culture Centre president Sirajuddin Qureshi.
The PM, who broke with the capital's tradition and did not host Iftar parties, also used the occasion to express his good wishes to the guests for the month of Ramzan starting in a few days.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Modi-plays-host-to-envoys-from-Muslim-nations-praises-Islam/articleshow/47683680.cms
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Ram temple, Article 370 on BJP agenda, but focus is development: Law Minister
Jun 16, 2015
Ram temple in Ayodhya and abrogation of Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, continue to be on BJP’s agenda but any decision on them can be taken only after wide consultations, Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has said. He also said the present focus of the Narendra Modi government is on good governance and development, which were ignored in the past 10 years by the previous UPA government.
“Already I have made a statement on the floor of the House in Rajya Sabha. So, it is there on the agenda of the BJP because in the manifesto we said that Article 370 needs to be amended. “We have gone one step ahead. Again, I am telling the same word, that this matter should be discussed with various political parties and even certain areas where it has been benefited, they should also should be taken care of,” Gowda said. He said there are “so many” stakeholders who should be consulted. “Then only we can go ahead. We can’t take a nasty decision or a hasty decision without coming to a closer consensus between all the political parties. So, slow and steady we should go ahead. So, that means we have not left it out,” he said. The minister said now the primary aim of the government is good governance and development. “These are the very important issues. Since last 10 years, there was no governance at all and development has been simply thrown to the sea. Now, we are working on good governance and development. “Along with that, other issues — it may be Sri Ram temple, Article 370. So, we have not left it out. Slowly, we have to convince and we have to wait for some more time. It is on our agenda,” he asserted.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/ram-temple-article-370-on-bjp-agenda-but-focus-is-development-law-minister-sadananda-gowda/#sthash.lRGgVr7u.dpuf
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VHP begins ‘love jihad’ stir after alleged abduction of girl by bootlegger in Gujarat
16 June 2015
The alleged abduction of a 21-year-old girl by a 42-year-old bootlegger in Nadiad town of Kheda district took a communal turn on Monday after right-wing organization Vishwa Hindu Parishad called for a bandh, submitting a memorandum to the District Superintendent of Police and Collector, seeking action against “love jihad”. The Kheda police, which is investigating the complaint of abduction lodged by the girl’s parents denied the possibility of “love jihad” in the matter.
Although Tuesday morning began amid much normalcy for the business town of Nadiad, the VHP has warned the district administration of another stir on Wednesday if the accused bootlegger, Masum Mahida is not arrested. On Monday, the VHP successfully enforced a bandh in the town, holding a protest march against the administration for “failing to control” the bootlegger.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat/vhp-begins-love-jihad-stir-after-alleged-abduction-of-girl-by-bootlegger-in-gujarat/#sthash.iY827yZ0.dpuf
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India, Pakistan expanding nuclear arsenal despite global trend in disarmament: Report
Jun 16, 2015
India and Pakistan are reportedly expanding their nuclear arsenal, despite a global trend towards disarmament, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has said.
The SIPRI on Monday published the findings in its ‘Yearbook 2015’, which assesses the current state of armaments, disarmament and international security in the world.
The disarmament report prepared by the Swedish institute said that though the number of warheads fell from 22,600 to 15,850 between 2010 and 2015, India (90 to 100 warheads) and Pakistan (100 to 120 warheads) undertook “extensive and expensive long-term modernisation programmes”.
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/sipri-report-2015-india-pakistan-upgrading-nukes-despite-disarmament/#sthash.LHdDEzEC.dpuf
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Europe
Geneva Peace Talks: S. Arabia, UN Urge Yemen's Ansarullah to Surrender
Jun 16, 2015
Yemeni sources close to the UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva revealed that the meeting is about to fail even before it starts as the world body and Saudi Arabia have asked Ansarullah to surrender to all their conditions.
"The UN has called on Yemen's revolutionary committees to withdraw from the country's cities, surrender their weapons and don’t respond to the Saudi attacks," an Ansarullah leader accompanying the movement's delegation in the Geneva talks told FNA on Tuesday.
"The UN says that the best way to fight the al-Qaeda in Yemen is cooperation with Saudi Arabia and preventing (what they called as) Iran's interference," the Ansarullah leader who called for anonymity said.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940326000945
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French PM: Hate, extremism ‘not Islam’
16 June 2015
PARIS: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls stressed on Monday there was no link between extremism and Islam, as he opened a conference aimed at improving ties with France’s large Muslim community.
“We must say all of this is not Islam,” said Valls. “The hate speech ... the self-proclaimed imams in our neighborhoods and our prisons who are promoting violence and terrorism.”
The first forum — to be attended by 120 to 150 Muslim leaders as well as top government officials and ministers — will debate security at religious sites, the image of Islam in the media and the building of new mosques.
There are some 2,500 mosques in France, with another 300 projects under way, but creating new Muslim places of worship has sometimes prompted fierce opposition from local residents.
In one case, the mayor of the Parisian suburb Mantes-la-Ville, who belongs to France’s far-right National Front party, has repeatedly tried to halt a project to turn a city-owned site into a mosque.
“Today the situation calls for renewed attention from public powers. This forum is an opportunity for us to express our discomfort with being lumped together” with extremists, said Dalil Boubakeur, president of the French Muslim Council (CFCM).
http://www.arabnews.com/news/762781
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EU envoy: Europe still not stopping flow of jihadi recruits to Islamic militant groups
16 June 2015
BRUSSELS – The European Union's counterterrorism chief says the 28-nation bloc has been unable to stem the outflow of European recruits to radical Islamic groups in Syria and Iraq.
Gilles de Kerchove told a European Parliament committee on Monday the number of Europeans joining the Islamic State group and similar extremist organizations has "stabilized" in some EU countries, like Belgium and Britain.
But he said jihadi departures continue unabated from other EU member states, including France and Germany.
More than 4,000 Western Europeans have already gone to fight in the Middle East.
In February, the EU heads of state and government made shutting off the flow of additional jihadi recruits from Europe a priority. Asked to assess progress, De Kerchove said "we have not been able to stem the flow yet."
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/06/15/eu-envoy-europe-still-not-stopping-flow-jihadi-recruits-to-islamic-militant/
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British Muslims are being groomed by 'charismatic recruiters'
16 June 2015
Young British Muslims are being groomed by "charismatic recruiters" who offer them easy solutions to their grievances, a counter-extremism expert has warned.
The typical age range for Britons joining jihad has fallen from around 25 to 35 during the Afghanistan War to 14 to 26 now.
And, for the first time, significant numbers of Muslim women and young girls in the West are joining the conflict too.
Haras Rafiq, managing director of the Quilliam Foundation counter-extremism think-tank, said the changes were mainly being driven by Islamic State's use of propaganda and technology.
Mr Rafiq said: "Youngsters are looking for solutions to problems and grievances they may have.
"These grievances may be either real and genuine, perceived or partial.
"It could be anything - that they are bored, that they are looking for adventure or suffering from racism.
Full report at:
http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/13332965.British_Muslims_are_being_groomed_by__charismatic_recruiters_/
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Georgian police arrest imam suspected of recruiting people to join the Islamic State group
16 June 2015
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgian police have detained a man suspected of recruiting people into the Islamic State group.
The Interior Ministry said the suspect, Ayup Borchashvili, a local imam in the village of Dzhokolo, was arrested during Sunday's sweep in the Pankisi Gorge, the mountainous region of northeastern Georgia. The man was accused of encouraging two teenagers aged 16 and 18 to go to Syria to join the IS group earlier this year.
The ministry said as part of its security operation, two men heading to Syria were detained Monday at Tbilisi airport.
The Pankisi Gorge is home to ethnic Chechens who settled here in the 19th century. One of the area's residents, Tarkhan Batirashvili, became one of the top commanders of Islamic State under the name of Omar al Shishani.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/06/15/georgian-police-arrest-suspected-recruiter-for-islamic-state
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Sexual frustration pushing young Muslims in UK to join ISIS, new film suggests
16 June 2015
The sexual frustration of young Muslims living in the West is one of the factors driving them to join Islamic State on a mission of jihad in the Middle East, according to a documentary film investigating the roots of Islamic extremism in the UK which is set to be aired on Britain's ITV on Monday.
Director Deeyah Khan's film, Exposure: Jihad, features interviews with young Muslims who have been drawn in by jihadi groups such as ISIS, and explores the appeal of extremism to youth in the UK and Europe.
In discussing the many interviews that she had carried out for the film, Khan told the Daily Beast that immigrant Muslim fathers from South Asia were often uncomfortable with the more open sexuality of the West and this in turn affected their relationships with their children. This frustration led them in some cases to abuse their children or repress their sexual urges, according to Khan.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Sexual-frustration-pushing-young-Muslims-in-UK-to-join-ISIS-new-documentary-posits-406094
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Islamophobia In UK: Muslim Leaders Allege Government Contributes To Anti-Muslim Sentiment
16 June 2015
Muslim organizations claimed that programs by the British government have contributed to Islamophobia in the U.K. at a conference by the Islamic Human Rights Commission in London on Saturday. Criticizing surveillance initiatives in the U.K., including "Prevent Violent Extremism," often shortened to Prevent, Muslim leaders suggested that authorities have increased discrimination in the country.
In particular, leaders alleged that the government's promotion of "British values" serves as a coded attack on Muslim communities, depicting Islam as diametrically opposed to the spirit of the nation. The conference comes as anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.K. is on the rise, with the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes having rapidly increased over the past three years.
Retired police office Leroy Logan, who spoke at the conference, criticized the government's exaltation of "British values," which "do not have a determined definition that would differentiate them from [far-right] extremism," reported TeleSur.
Full report at:
http://www.ibtimes.com/islamophobia-uk-muslim-leaders-allege-government-contributes-anti-muslim-sentiment-1966862
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Repentant ‘godfather of British jihad’ recalls extremism's lure
16 June 2015
Abu Muntasir, a former radical Islamic preacher who once enjoyed a large following in Britain, sobs uncontrollably as he recalls the moment he decided to turn his back on extremism.
While waging jihad in the jungles of Myanmar, Abu Muntasir came across two fighters - teenage brothers - who begged to be taken home with him, saying they only wanted to go to school. He imagined his son and daughter in their place.
It was only then that the man described as the "godfather of jihad" in Britain - who confesses to recruiting, training and raising funds for jihadists - realised the futility of fighting "for a false ideal and an unwinnable war".
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/06/16/Repentant-godfather-of-British-jihad-recalls-extremism-s-lure.html
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Africa
Islamic State Suffering Setbacks in Libya
16 June 2015
A few days ago fighters with Islamic State’s affiliate in Libya were gloating about recent battlefield successes and appeared poised to launch an offensive on oil fields near Sirte, the coastal city they overran last month. But in recent days they suffered two serious reversals.
A US airstrike mounted in the early hours of Sunday morning seems likely to have taken out a significant jihadi ally - veteran jihadist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the instigator of the deadly storming of a natural gas plant in Algeria in 2013 that left 39 hostages dead.
And in Derna, which Islamists and jihadists have been battling for control of for weeks, local reports - which are difficult to verify - point to Islamic State being pushed out of most of the city, although locals contacted by phone say there is still fighting in the center.
An Egyptian IS commander is reported to have been killed in Derna. The jihadists, according to Mohamed Eljarh, an analyst for the Rafik Hariri Center of the Atlantic Council “have lost control of most of their sites within the city of Derna.”
Full report at:
http://www.voanews.com/content/islamic-state-suffering-setbacks-in-libya/2822656.html
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11 killed in Nigeria suicide bombings
Jun 16, 2015
At least 11 people were killed on Monday in a twin suicide bombing in Nigeria’s city of Potiskum, hospital sources said. The attacks are suspected to be carried out by two Boko Haram suicide bombers, with one on the office of a civilian security group set up to defend local people against such attacks and another on a pub, said a senior medical staff who preferred to be anonymous, Xinhua reported.
At least eight others were injured and are receiving treatment, the doctor added.
The first blast happened after the suicide bomber ran into the building where the civilian security group is located, and the explosive devices were wired round his body, witness Abubakar Salisu said.
One of the security group’s commanders identified as Alhaji Ado was among the dead, Mr. Salisu added.
Few minutes later after the first blast, another suicide bomber hit a pub in Daurawa area of the city, killing mostly patrons of the bar, another source said. Potiskum, the largest commercial town in Yobe state, has recorded several deadly attacks in the past.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/nigeria-suicide-bombings-death-toll/article7320978.ece
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Nigerian President Vows to Take Lead Against Boko Haram
16 June 2015
ABUJA, NIGERIA— Nigerian security forces must take the lead in battling the Boko Haram insurgency, President Muhammadu Buhari told VOA in an exclusive interview, as he appeared to push back against pressure from neighboring Chad and Niger for more autonomy in fighting the militants within Nigeria.
Buhari’s comments, made Friday, came as Boko Haram has intensified its attacks in the weeks since the March 31 presidential election. The unabated violence has undermined claims by Nigeria’s military that the tide has turned against the group.
On Monday, suicide bombers attacked Chad’s capital, killing at least 23 people and stoking fears that Boko Haram was widening its campaign.
Full report at:
http://www.voanews.com/content/nigeria-buhari-interview/2822914.html
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Islamic State’s Gains Bolster Chad’s Security Role in Africa
16 June 2015
Islamic State’s advances in Libya and widening attacks by militant groups in West Africa have thrust Chad, one of the poorest nations in the world, into a lead role of maintaining security in the region.
Chadian President Idriss Deby’s army is fighting in Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, against Boko Haram, which has declared loyalty to Islamic State, and helped French and government soldiers battle ethnic Tuareg and Islamist militants in Mali two years ago.
Islamic State’s gains in Chad’s northern neighbor, Libya, where it has seized Muammar Qaddafi’s hometown of Sirte, is heightening concern the region’s militant movements may coalesce behind its leadership.
Full report at:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-15/islamic-state-s-gains-bolster-chad-s-security-role-in-africa
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Kenyan leader sues for women’s empowerment at AU summit
16 June 2015
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has affirmed his government’s commitment to gender quality and women’s empowerment.
In a statement issued in Nairobi on Monday quoted President Kenyatta while speaking on Sunday night during the high level panel discussion on the 25th AU Summit theme “Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063″ held in Johannesburg, South Africa, saying that the government’s affirmative agenda is premised on the genuine conviction that empowering women are key to the development of the nation.
Kenyatta added that measures have been instituted to ensure women’s equal access and full participation in power structures and decision-making.
Full report at:
http://en.starafrica.com/news/kenyan-leader-sues-for-womens-empowerment-at-au-summit.html
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IS jihadists claim deadly attack on Tunisia police
Jun 16, 2015
The jihadist Islamic State group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for an attack in central Tunisia that killed three policemen and wounded 12.
In a statement posted on Twitter, IS said the attack in the Sidi Bouzid region was carried out by "two soldiers of the caliphate who attacked two military sites with small arms."
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/132903/World/Region/IS-jihadists-claim-deadly-attack-on-Tunisia-police.aspx
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Libya jihadist group denies death of Qaeda-linked Belmokhtar
Jun 16, 2015
Libyan jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia denied on Tuesday that the Al-Qaeda-linked mastermind of a deadly 2013 siege at an Algerian gas plant had been killed in a US air strike.
The group named seven people it said were killed in the US strike in eastern Libya but Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who Washington has said was the target, was not among them.
"No other person was killed," the group said in a statement.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/132886/World/Region/Libya-jihadist-group-denies-death-of-Qaedalinked-B.aspx
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Mideast
Turkey warns US and coalition against demographic change in Syria
Jun 16, 2015
The Turkish government has voiced its unease over perceived efforts for the unification of Kurdish cantons in northern Syria, reiterating that Ankara will “not allow” the emergence of any potentially threatening entity in the war-torn country.
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said Turkey had taken measures both regionally and inside its own borders for its domestic and external security, adding that its interests sometimes differ from those of anti-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) coalition partners.
“Sometimes differences are occurring between priorities and interests of Turkey and of those powers’ and sometimes they match,” Arınç said late on June 15, after the first cabinet meeting since the June 7 general election.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-warns-us-and-coalition-against-demographic-change-in-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=84055&NewsCatID=338
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Yemeni Rockets Rain Down on Saudi Military Base
Jun 16, 2015
The Yemeni army, backed by popular committee forces, launched 40 rockets at a military base in Saudi Arabia's Dhahran Asir region on Tuesday.
According to reports, the Yemeni troops launched as many as 40 missiles and artillery shells against al-Amish military camp in Saudi Arabia's Dhahran Asir and left scores of Saudi troops dead and injured.
There has been no immediate report on the number of casualties or the extent of the damage caused in the retaliatory attack.
Yemeni tribal forces, backed by army units and Ansarullah fighters, have launched a series of new attacks on the Saudi border cities in retaliation for Saudi Arabia’s ongoing aggression against the impoverished Arab country.
Saudi Arabia has been bombing Yemen in the last 83 days to bring its ally, fugitive president Mansour Hadi, back to power.
The airstrikes have so far claimed the lives of more than 4,618 civilians, mostly women and children.
According to a recent report by Freedom House Foundation, most of the victims of the deadly Al Saud campaign are civilians, including a large number of women and children.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940326001015
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Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen ‘killed’ in drone attack
16 June 2015
Al-Qaeda in Yemen said its leader Nasser al-Wuhayshi was killed in a U.S. bombing, in a statement posted online.
"We in al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula mourn to our Muslim nation ... that Abu Baseer Nasser bin Abdul Karim al-Wuhayshi, God rest his soul, passed away in an Americanstrike which targeted him along with two of his mujahideen brothers, may God rest their souls," Khaled Batarfi, a senior member of the group, said.
The group had met and appointed its former military chief Qassim al-Raymi as his replacement, he added.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/16/Al-Qaeda-leader-in-Yemen-killed-reports-.html
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Saudi Airstrikes Kill 5 in Yemen's Ta'izz
Jun 16, 2015
At least five people were killed after Saudi warplanes targeted residential areas in the Southern city of Ta'izz on Tuesday.
According to Yemeni media reports, 4 women and one child lost their lives in the latest round of the kingdom's air raids on al-Majleiya neighborhood in Ta'izz.
Earlier in the day, the Saudi jets also carried out seven air raids on city of Sa'ada, claiming the lives of scores of people.
Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 83 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.
Despite Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.
The Monarchy's attacks have so far claimed the lives of at least 4,618 civilians, mostly women and children.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940326000471
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Inside Iran: The industry of Child trafficking
Jun 16, 2015
The challenges posed by child trafficking in Iran, and how it generates huge amounts of money in the Islamic Republic are tackled by a new report aired on Al Arabiya News Channel on Monday.
The “Inside Iran” series by Al Arabiya discusses how child trafficking is prevalent, especially in the capital Tehran.
A UNICEF study on children in Iran stated that the “trafficking and sale of persons under 18 years of age” mainly occurs to “young girls from rural areas.”
Al Arabiya’s “Inside Iran” report revealed that a child in Iran can be sold for $150, and subjected to child labor even before the age of three.
The victims of child trafficking are reportedly exploited in labor, begging, and drug and organ trafficking, the report added.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/06/15/Inside-Iran-The-industry-of-Child-trafficking.html
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Turkish soldiers detain ISIL men at border crossing
Jun 16, 2015
Turkish soldiers have detained five men from Syria, supposedly Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters, near the Akçakale crossing gate between Turkey and Syria.
The detentions, made on June 15, took place during unrest on the Syrian side of the frontier line, where thousands of Syrians fleeing the intensifying clashes wait to enter Turkey, when the men had tried to steal onto Turkish soil.
Backed by armored vehicles, Turkish soldiers reportedly took cover on the Turkish side of the border when the ISIL militants were engaged in a hunt with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) members.
When the five suspected ISIL men crossed the barbed wire to Turkey, soldiers detained them, Radikal news portal reported.
After a body search, the five men were taken away in armored vehicles.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-soldiers-detain-isil-men-at-border-crossing.aspx?pageID=238&nID=84062&NewsCatID=509
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North America
CIA Reorganizes to Target Islamic State
16 June 2015
McLEAN, Va.—Top Central Intelligence Agency officials are pressing spies, analysts, scientists and even economists into new teams as they broaden their efforts against Islamic State militants and other global threats.
The reorganization is part of a broader effort by director John Brennan to break down CIA “stove pipes” that have been in place for decades, which some felt isolated the agency’s secretive spy network from its internal religious experts, computer hackers, linguists, and others.
Full report at:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/cia-reorganizes-to-target-islamic-state-1434326672
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Terrorist hideouts in NWA ‘absolutely eliminated’: US
Jun 16, 2015
WASHINGTON: The operation Pakistan launched against the militants in North Waziristan last year has “absolutely” eliminated extremist safe havens in Miramshah and Mirali, says a US official.
“Suicide attacks and resultant fatalities declined, with 336 killed in 25 such incidents in 2014, as against 43 suicide attacks resulting in 751 fatalities in 2013,” it observed.
But a senior US official, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Sarah Sewall, warned that military operation alone would not end terrorism.
In a statement issued by the State Department, she urged the international community also to address the “grievances and motives that propel individuals, and in some cases, communities to join or align with terrorist actors.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1188449/terrorist-hideouts-in-nwa-absolutely-eliminated-us
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Hearing for man accused of killing three U.S. Muslims canceled
Jun 16, 2015
A court hearing for the man accused of killing three Muslim students in North Carolina earlier this year has been canceled.
Durham County Superior Court dockets listed a scheduled appearance Monday for Craig Stephen Hicks, but a clerk said that hearing has been canceled. A new hearing date has not yet been set.
The 46-year-old Hicks is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the Feb. 10 killings of 23-year-old Deah Shaddy Barakat; his wife, 21-year-old Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha; and her sister, 19-year-old Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the shootings, which investigators say resulted from a long-running dispute involving parking at a condominium complex near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hicks lived in the same building as Barakat and his wife.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2015/06/15/Hearing-for-man-accused-of-killing-3-U-S-Muslims-canceled.html
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Washington 'disappointed' no action taken against Bashir
Jun 16, 2015
The US said Monday it was disappointed Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir was allowed to return home from a meeting in South Africa even though he faces an international arrest warrant.
State Department spokesman Jeffrey Rathke stopped short short of using stronger language. He did not explicitly say that the United States regretted South Africa's failure to arrest Bashir, who faces charges of crimes against humanity.
Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court in the Hague for alleged war crimes and genocide in the Darfur region, returned home Monday from an African Union summit in South Africa.
He did so even though a court there had ordered him not to leave, as it mulled whether to arrest him.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/132872/World/Region/Washington-disappointed-no-action-taken-against-Ba.aspx
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Southeast Asia
Indonesia Accepts Islamic Megabank Challenge Shelved by Malaysia
16 June 2015
Indonesia is taking on the challenge of creating an Islamic megabank that has so far proven too difficult for lenders in Malaysia and the Middle East.
The government plans to merge the Shariah-compliant units of state-owned PT Bank Mandiri, PT Bank Negara Indonesia, PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia and PT Bank Tabungan Negara with paid-up capital of more than 15 trillion rupiah ($1.1 billion) next year, Gatot Trihargo, deputy minister for government-run enterprises, said in a June 10 interview in Jakarta. Financial Services Authority Chairman Muliaman Hadad said in January that the plan may materialize this year.
Full report at:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-15/indonesia-accepts-islamic-megabank-challenge-shelved-by-malaysia
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After furore over Muslim gymnast’s attire, minister says ‘serious’ attention to dress
16 June 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — A minister today said that the federal government will carry out an in-depth study on Islamic compliance for clothing used for sports and other fields, following criticism over the outfit used by a champion gymnast at the ongoing SEA Games in Singapore.
Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, in charge of Islamic affairs, said there is no denying that it is the responsibility of Muslims regardless of gender to cover their “aurat”, which roughly translates to parts of the body that should not be publicly exposed.
“We take note of this so it becomes a guide, in whatever field including sports for us to take a more in-depth look at clothing on issues that can taint Islam, including Muslim women,” he said in response to a question when winding up points raised during the 11th Malaysia Plan debate.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/after-furore-over-muslim-gymnasts-attire-minister-says-serious-attention-to#sthash.bq4sbk8g.dpuf
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New all-Muslim pact possible with Pakatan gone, says PAS leader
16 June 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — A PAS leader today suggested a new political pact involving Malay-Muslim parties, after DAP pronounced the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) “dead” earlier today.
“It is not impossible to reuse the formula of [Tan Sri] Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who created the Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah (APU) dan Gagasan Rakyat,” PAS central working committee member Dr Zuhdi Marzuki said in a statement.
APU had been a coalition formed to contest the general elections in 1990 and 1995, consisting of Malay-Muslim parties: PAS, Umno splinter party Semangat 46, Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma), and PAS spinoffs Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) and Parti Hizbul Muslimin Malaysia (Hamim).
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/new-all-muslim-pact-possible-with-pakatan-gone-says-pas-leader#sthash.srxkUmcp.dpuf
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Philippine Muslim rebels hand over weapons in push for peace
Jun 16, 2015
SULTAN KUDARAT: The Philippines’ largest rebel group retired nearly 150 guerrillas and handed over 75 firearms for decommissioning Tuesday to encourage parliament to pass a proposed law giving minority Muslims self-rule.
President Benigno Aquino visited the headquarters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to witness the weapons handover, the first concrete action by the organisation to abandon a decades-old rebellion that has claimed more than 100,000 lives.
Aquino and senior MILF leaders both said the largely symbolic activity was intended to spur parliament to pass a delayed proposed law giving Muslims self-rule in the Catholic nation’s south under the terms of a 2014 peace treaty.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/904488/philippine-muslim-rebels-hand-over-weapons-in-push-for-peace/
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