Pak police arrest woman for 'killing, cooking husband' in Karachi
French journalist sexually assaulted in Egyptian capital
Two women to guide destinies of India, Pak in US
Malaysia scraps emergency law
Christian-Muslim clashes in Nigeria kill at least 12
Is guardianship going from men to Saudi women?
150,000 jobs await Saudi women in sales outlets
Two shot dead in renewed Shiite protests in Saudi
Security forces kill 41 militants in Kurram, Orakzai
Triple bombings in Iraq kill 19, injure 64
Saleh loyalists kill 5 in Yemen
Violence kills 33 in Syria
Health ministry says 41 killed in Egypt clashes
Ten Afghans killed in Taliban ambush on NATO convoy
7,000 held in Libyan militia prisons, says UN report
ICC nods to Libya trial for Saif
Libyan tankers sailing again after war, sanctions
Kamal Ganzouri appointed Egypt's new PM
Syria dissidents meet as crackdown claims more lives
Arabs give Syria a day to accept monitors
Palestinian factions open a ‘new page’ in relations
Bahrain used 'excessive force' in crackdown: inquiry
Syria unrest: Arab League observer ultimatum passes
Pak Court providing legal cover to abductions and torture by government agencies
80 Afghans held for illegally entering Pakistan
Zardari orders early completion of Sindh projects
Pak-China joint military exercise ‘Friendship-IV’ concludes
UK doesn’t want Pakistan to attack Haqqanis
Pakistan will not take dictation on gas import
Egypt protesters plan massive Friday rally against army rule
Afghan war success may not be known until 2020: UK
Afghans turn to people smugglers as NATO leave
Zardari better than prior civilian govts: think-tank
Pakistanis protest against improving trade with India
Benazir Bhutto was never interested in NRO: CJP
Mumbai Attacks: Pakistan needs 'credible evidence', says Rehman Malik
Rabbani murder: Afghan probe team shares evidence with Islamabad
Memogate: No threat to my government, says Gilani
US also responsible for unhealthy civil-military ties in Pak: ex-CIA analyst
Deal fails to satisfy Yemeni protesters
Syria faces new Arab sanctions deadline
J&K: A Ranbir ‘pill’ for AFSPA headache
Truce brings uneasy calm in Egypt
Russia, China, urge Syria talks, stress UN role
Morocco votes in first election since reforms
White House asks for speedy transfer of power in Egypt
Foreign hand seen in Qatif unrest
Hindus upset over Ganesha T-shirt designs in Chicago
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pak-police-arrest-woman-killing,/d/5990
--------
Pak police arrest woman for 'killing, cooking husband' in Karachi
Nov 25 2011,
Police say they have arrested a woman in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi suspected of murdering her husband, then chopping his body into pieces and boiling them to try to get rid of the evidence.
Police officer Khalid Nadeem Baig said Friday that 42-year-old Zainab Bibi told authorities she killed her husband because he tried to sexually assault her 17-year-old daughter from another marriage.
Baig said Bibi sedated her husband by mixing sleeping pills in his tea and strangled him with rope. She and her nephew allegedly cut up her husband and boiled the flesh.
Police say they discovered her plot after neighbors complained about a bad smell coming from her home. They also arrested the nephew.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-police-arrest-woman-for-killing-cooking-husband-in-karachi/880467/
--------
French journalist sexually assaulted in Egyptian capital
Nov 25 2011,
Caroline Sinz, a journalist for French TV channel France 3, was sexually assaulted on Thursday in central Cairo’s Tahrir Square, Egyptian media reported.
The journalist and her cameraman, Salah Agrabi, were filming in Mohammed Mahmud street when teenagers and adults attacked them.
Sinz and Agrabi were dragged toward Tahrir, where they got separated.
"We were then assaulted by a crowd of men. I was beaten by a group of youngsters and adults who tore my clothes," she told AFP, adding that she was then molested in a way that "would be considered rape."
The humiliation lasted for 45 minutes, after which a group of Egyptians rescued her.
The cameraman was also beaten.
Earlier on Thursday, Egyptian-American journalist Mona Eltahawy said she was sexually assaulted by police in Cairo.
Reporters Without Borders on Thursday condemned working conditions for journalists covering the new unrest and Egypt’s upcoming elections.
“Journalists are now the unwanted witnesses of the army’s desperate attempts to hold on to power and Reporters Without Borders fears that the abuses against media personnel could worsen,” the organization said in a statement on its website.
The attacks on journalists were reported as demonstrators in central Cairo were still calling for an end to military rule. Nearly 40 people have been killed and more than 3,000 injured since the start of the clashes on November 19.
http://en.ria.ru/world/20111125/169017346.html
--------
Two women to guide destinies of India, Pak in US
24 NOVEMBER 2011
S RAJAGOPALAN
For the first time, India and Pakistan will simultaneously be represented in Washington by female envoys — one a consummate diplomat having risen to be the country’s foreign secretary and the other a firebrand political activist and liberal lawmaker.
Nirupama Rao took over as Indian Ambassador here in September, succeeding her IFS batchmate Meera Shankar, while Sherry Rehman is now set to take over as Pakistani Ambassador following the sudden and dramatic exit of Husain Haqqani in the wake of the “memogate” controversy. Pakistan has also had a woman ambassador earlier on in the person of Maleeha Lodhi. Like Rahman — and Haqqani for that matter — Lodhi was also a journalist-turned-diplomat.
The US officialdom, which has had a good equation with Haqqani, despite the frequent bumps in ties with Pakistan, has cautiously reacted to the change of guard.
“We very much valued our relationship with Ambassador Haqqani and look forward to working with Sherry Rehman,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, noting: “We certainly look forward to working together with her as we continue to build a strong, cooperative relationship between our two countries.”
“We also have a strong relationship with Ms Rehman, so we expect it (the transition) to be seamless,” Toner said, while at the same time entering the caveat that a formal notification about her appointment was still to be received from the Government of Pakistan. A day earlier, after news of Haqqani’s resignation, Deputy National Security Adviser had described Haqqani as “a very close partner”. In reply to a question during a briefing at the Foreign Press Center, Rhodes had said: “He (Haqqani) has been a very close partner, of course, with the United States and we’ve appreciated the work we’ve done with him. But at the same time we are certain that we will be able to work with whoever the next Pakistani ambassador is.”
The Obama administration has steered clear of any pointed comments on “Memogate”, save for a spokesman confirming on behalf of former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen that he had indeed received a secret memo, but “did not find it at all credible and took no note of it then or later”.
The appointment of Rehman came as a surprise to Pakistan watchers here. Reports from Islamabad had indicated the possibility of Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and Pakistani envoy to European Union Jalil Abbas Jilani among the probable names for the sensitive assignment.
It remains to be seen what sort of equation, if any, that Rao and Rehman will be able to establish. Earlier this month, Rao had taken the initiative to invite Haqqani and other South Asian envoys to a Diwali get-together at her official residence. Haqqani accepted the invitation, spending a good two hours in what was perhaps the first time in many years that a Pakistani envoy had been spotted in a celebration in an official India setting here in Washington. This development was seen against the backdrop of the surprise that External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had sprung in New York in September, when he turned up at a reception hosted by his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/world/22881-two-women-to-guide-destinies-of-india-pak-in-us.html
--------
Malaysia scraps emergency law
November 25, 2011
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak repealed another security law yesterday, setting the stage for hundreds detained without trial to be freed or face criminal charges.
He also pledged to lift a student politics ban in line with promises to expand civil liberties ahead of polls widely expected to be called within months.
He said students above the age of 21 would be allowed to join political parties "to respect the rights of undergraduates".
Najib has been scrapping or amending a range of decades-old laws criticised as oppressive and outdated in an attempt to win back voters, who dealt the government its worst election results ever three years ago.
Najib said the government was withdrawing three emergency declarations, which allow for detention without trial and date back to racial riots in 1969, saying they were no longer relevant.
A government spokesman said a total of 1,481 detainees were currently being held under the Emergency Ordinance.
However, opposition leaders and activists claim the reform pledges are election ploys.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=211599
--------
Christian-Muslim clashes in Nigeria kill at least 12
24 November 2011
OS, Nigeria — Clashes between Muslim and Christian ethnic groups in central Nigeria have killed at least 12 people and left “enormous” destruction, including houses burned, officials said on Thursday.
Captain Charles Ekeocha said the army had imposed a 24-hour curfew on the Barkin Ladi area of Plateau state after the clashes, the latest in a series of violent incidents between the two communities.
“Lives have been lost, houses have been burned,” said Ekeocha, spokesman for a military task force assigned to the area, adding that “the loss is enormous.”
A spokesman for Platea state governor Jonah Jang later put the death toll at 12 from the clashes that began on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday.
“You can say 12 people were killed,” Ayuba Pam told reporters.
The clashes were believed to have subsided at around 1:00 am, but youths in the area later came out to block roads, raising fresh tensions. Security officers were deployed to the area.
A resident who did not want to be named said churches and an Islamic school were also burned.
For Full Report :
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/November/international_November953.xml§ion=international&col=
--------
Is guardianship going from men to Saudi women?
By JOUD AL-AMRI
Nov 25, 2011
These women show some masculine features in this respect. They are resolute, resourceful and even magnanimous enough in shouldering such tasks. There are cases of families where women become breadwinners despite the presence of male members who sit idle without performing their responsibilities.
The tradition and customs in our society warrant the presence of a man for any activity of a woman in public life. A male legal guardian, for instance, must accompany her when she sets out for a trip or goes to meet any requirements at most government offices. She is not in the position to lease a house or get ownership of a property without the presence of a male guardian. In a nutshell, a Saudi woman’s life is tied up with a man as if she could not lead a life without a male blood relative or husband. However, the current situation in practical life, where the concept of legal guardianship has undergone substantial changes, has led to a serious question that must be answered. Is the presence of a male legal guardian inevitable for women?
Arab News cites examples of several Saudi women who play the role of guardian in their households, which is comprised of healthy and young male members.
For Full Report :
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article538219.ece
--------
150,000 jobs await Saudi women in sales outlets
Nov 25, 2011
When the new legislation to replace foreigners with Saudi women at lingerie and women-only shops comes into effect on Jan. 4 (Safar 10), it is expected create about 150,000 job opportunities for jobless Saudi women, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported on Thursday.
A large number of young Saudi women are qualified to take up challenging careers at these shops, thanks to the online campaign and initiatives launched by some Saudi women.
The campaign titled “Enough With Embarrassment” launched by Fatima Qaroub in 2005 is the most prominent among them. A large number of lingerie shops have agreed to the demands of the campaigners to employ female staff.
The campaigners have also formed an alliance with international companies to provide training to aspiring young women.
For Full Report :
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article538263.ece
--------
Two shot dead in renewed Shiite protests in Saudi
24/11/2011
RIYADH — Two men were shot dead as protests erupted among the Shiite minority in Saudi Arabia's oil-rich east, the government said on Thursday, in clashes that prompted leaders from both sides to call for calm.
The deaths bring the toll since Sunday to four, with at least nine other people wounded, including two policemen and one woman, said the interior ministry.
Sunday's deaths triggered clashes the following day, when demonstrators took to the streets in the mostly Shiite Qatif region of Eastern Province to protest the suspicious death of 19-year-old Nasser al-Mheishi, whose wounded body had been found near a police checkpoint in the town of Shweika.
On Thursday, the government and Shiite leaders warned against the escalating tensions.
In a statement carried by SPA state news agency, the Saudi interior ministry called on leaders in Qatif to control "those who are misled to avoid innocent casualties."
In response, Shiite clerics and activists warned against the dangers of a "deteriorating situation.
For Full Report :
http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/24/two-shot-dead-in-renewed-shia-protests-in-saudi.html
--------
Security forces kill 41 militants in Kurram, Orakzai
By Iftikhar Firdous / Reuters
November 25, 2011
PESHAWAR: Security forces assaulted militant strongholds in Kurram Agency on Friday around midnight, killing 35 militants and wounding 10 more, security officials said.
Four soldiers were also killed in the firefight, which lasted several hours. Militant sources confirmed the clashes and casualties but disputed the government’s death toll.
There was no independent confirmation of the battle.
In a separate incident, security forces killed six militants and destroyed two hideouts in Orakzai Agency.
A search operation was also carried out in the village of Paskalay where 15 suspected militants were arrested.
Security forces claim to have killed over 120 militants and injuring 40 in Orakzai Agency during the past one week. They also claim to have regained control of Akhund Kot, Chapar and Dapar Killay areas.
An operation was launched in Orakzai Agency in March last year, while the Kurram operation was launched this summer. However, this past week, security forces have increased their advance in both agencies.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/297469/6-militants-killed-in-orakzai-agency/?print=true
--------
Triple bombings in Iraq kill 19, injure 64
November 25, 2011
A string of bombings in a southern oil city killed 19 people on Thursday evening and injured dozens more, a grim sign of the security challenges Iraq will face after American troops go home.
The U.S. military is drawing down its troops ahead of an end-of-December deadline to have all American forces out of the country. Incidents like Thursday’s triple bombing in a city seen as key to Iraq’s economic development show the dangerous prospects awaiting Iraqis next year.
Three bombs went off in a popular open-air market in Basra, police and health officials said.
The third bomb exploded a few minutes after Iraqi army and police forces arrived on the scene in response to the earlier blasts, officials said. The third blast caused all the fatalities and almost all of the injuries, the officials said.
Among the dead and wounded were many policemen and Iraqi army soldiers.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/article2659287.ece
--------
Saleh loyalists kill 5 in Yemen
November 25, 2011
Loyalists of President Ali Abdullah Saleh shot dead at least five people in the Yemeni capital yesterday casting a pall over a hard-won deal for his departure after 33 years in power.
The shooting by gunmen in plainclothes came as tens of thousands gathered for a mass protest against promises of immunity from prosecution for Saleh and his family under the UN-backed accord signed with the parliamentary opposition.
The five were all gunned down by live rounds, said medics at a field hospital set up by protesters in Sanaa's Change Square, where they have been camped out since February.
Thirty-four other people were wounded, the medics said.--------
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=211591\
--------
Violence kills 33 in Syria
November 25, 2011
Eighteen members of Syria's security forces and two deserters were killed in clashes yesterday, mainly in the flashpoint province of Homs, where at least 13 civilians also died, activists said.Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo have given Syria until Fri
day to agree to let observers into the country or face sanctions, adding they would call on UN support to resolve the crisis.
"Eleven soldiers and members of the security forces were killed in skirmishes" with deserters in the town of Huleh, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The rights group said security forces killed at least 12 civilians around the province in central Syria, including three in the Bayyada area of the city of Homs.
In another attack, seven military pilots were killed when gunmen ambushed their bus in the centre of the country.
For Full Report :
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=211632
--------
Health ministry says 41 killed in Egypt clashes
25 November 2011,
CAIRO — The death toll from the latest wave of violence in Egypt between protestors and security forces has reached 41, the health ministry said on Thursday.
Clashes have raged since Saturday between police and protesters demanding that the ruling military cede power to a civilian authority.
Much of the violence has been centered around Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February.
The health ministry said 36 people have been killed in the capital, according to the official MENA news agency.
Another four people died in Ismailiya and in Alexandria, Egypt’s second city, where fresh clashes broke out on Thursday between security forces and protestors, who threw rocks and chanted slogans denouncing police brutality.
One demonstrator was shot dead in the northwestern city of Mersa Matruh on Wednesday when security forces clashed with demonstrators trying to storm a police station.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/November/middleeast_November649.xml§ion=middleeast
--------
Ten Afghans killed in Taliban ambush on NATO convoy
November 25, 2011
HERAT: At least 10 Afghan security guards were killed on Thursday when the Taliban militants ambushed a logistics convoy destined for US-led NATO forces in western Afghanistan, a local official said.
The guards were securing the convoy when they came under attack in Bakwa district of Farah province, on the main highway connecting the west to the volatile south, said Naqibullah Farahi, a spokesman for the provincial governor. “Ten security guards have been killed and seven others injured in the Taliban ambush,’ Farahi said, adding that the militants also torched nine trucks carrying the supplies for foreign troops. A spokesman for Afghan police in the west of the country, Abdul Rauf Ahmadi, said police were immediately deployed to the area to hunt down the attackers.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\25\story_25-11-2011_pg7_25
--------
7,000 held in Libyan militia prisons, says UN report
24/11/2011
Agence France-Presse . United Nations
Some 7,000 people, many of them foreigners, are being held in Libyan detention centres controlled by ‘revolutionary brigade’ militias, according to a new UN report.
Women and children are among detainees and some have allegedly been tortured, said the report by UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon ahead of a Security Council meeting Monday on Libya since the death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Political prisoners from the Gaddafi regime have been freed, but the estimated 7,000 new detainees have no access to courts ‘in the absence of a functioning police and judiciary,’ said the report.
The UN said sub-Saharan Africans accused of being Gaddafi mercenaries make many of those held.
‘Some detainees have reportedly been subjected to torture or ill treatment. Cases have been reported of individuals being targeted because of the colour of their skin,’ said Ban’s report.
For Full Report :
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/41202.html
--------
ICC nods to Libya trial for Saif
November 25, 2011
Libya could try Saif al-Islam Gaddafi itself rather than handing him over to International Criminal Court if Libya can prove it has a functioning justice system, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Wednesday.
The statement in Tripoli marks a reversal for the International Criminal Court, which initially said Moammar Gadhafi's son should be tried in The Hague.
But Moreno-Ocampo said Wednesday that Libya had the "right" to try him if it could do so.
"They are proud, they say to me that for them it's a matter of national pride to show that Libyans can do the case," he told CNN in an interview later Wednesday. "They will show they are able to prosecute Saif (al-Islam Gaddafi), who they believe is today the face of the old regime."
The most important thing was that Gaddafi not be "shielded from justice," he said.
"The rebellion in Libya started as a fight for justice, so they want to show they can do justice in the Saif case," the ICC prosecutor said.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, once thought to be his father's heir apparent, was captured by Libya's new authorities over the weekend.
The International Criminal Court indicted him and his father on charges of crimes against humanity earlier this year.
For Full Report :
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=211596
--------
Libyan tankers sailing again after war, sanctions
Nov 25, 2011
The General National Maritime Transport Company (GNMTC) was on US sanctions lists during the Libyan conflict, but has since been removed.
Captain Tarek Youssef Said, a committee member for acquisitions on the company’s management board, said GNMTC was in the process of resuming operations and shedding its former associations with the Qaddafi family.
“The OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) decision has helped us get back to business after an eight-month stoppage. It’s about 50/50 (tankers) that are in action and we hope to have the rest in the next few weeks,” he said this week, wearing a tricolor symbol of the new Libyan flag pinned to his breast.
Said added the company was now dealing with the necessary paperwork to get the remainder of the fleet back up and running after some tankers managed by an international company were laid up off Malta and Singapore.
Lost business due to sanctions and high costs associated with servicing vessels stranded for most of the Libyan conflict will take a toll on this year’s profits, he said.
“We will suffer heavy losses in 2011 because of the costs of managing all the oil vessels over the past eight months,” Said said, but added there were no incidents of tankers being detained this year.
For Full Report :
http://arabnews.com/economy/article538247.ece
--------
Kamal Ganzouri appointed Egypt's new PM
November 25, 2011
Former premier Kamal Ganzouri has been appointed Egypt's new Prime Minister but protesters vowed to step up pressure on the country's military rulers and called for renewed agitation to demand the army quit power.
Ganzouri, an economist who served as Egyptian premier under ousted president Hosni Mubarak between 1996 and 1999, agreed in principle to lead a national salvation government after meeting Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the ruling military council, state media reported.
Ganzouri, who has distanced himself from Mubarak's regime, has also been suggested as a possible presidential candidate.
Born in 1933, Ganzuri served as minister of planning and international cooperation before his first tenure as Egyptian premier.
This development comes before Monday's parliamentary elections, the country's first since Mubarak's ouster.
The previous military-appointed civilian cabinet resigned earlier this week in the wake of violent protests across Egypt calling for an immediate transfer of power to a civilian government.
For Full Report :
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/773752.aspx
--------
Syria dissidents meet as crackdown claims more lives
24/11/2011
Representatives of Syria’s six-month-old protest movement joined opposition parties in Turkey on Saturday to forge a united front against Bashar al-Assad’s regime after violence claimed at least 21 more lives.
Clashes between security forces and deserters killed 11 people in a village in Hama province on Friday, while another eight died during a crackdown on protests in flashpoint Homs, human rights activists said.
Two men died on Saturday from their wounds after being shot by security forces at Harasta and Qudsaya near Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
It also said the body of a third man arrested on Friday at Talbisseh in Homs province was returned to his parents.
The Local Coordination Committees group put Friday’s death toll at 23.
Thousands of protesters had taken to the streets on the Muslim weekly day of prayer, a lightning rod in the protests against president Assad in which the United Nations says 2,700 people have been killed.
For Full Report :
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/41195.html
--------
Arabs give Syria a day to accept monitors
Nov 25, 2011
The sanctions could include a suspension of commercial flights to Syria and a halt to dealings with its central bank, the envoy, Afifi Abdel Wahab, told reporters in Cairo.
"Tomorrow is the deadline for Syria to sign. If they don't sign, the economic and social council (of ministers) will meet on Saturday to discuss economic sanctions," he said.
Iraq's foreign minister said Damascus had accepted the Arab League plan to send monitors to Syria. But there was no immediate confirmation from Syria.
France said Thursday it will seek Arab support for a humanitarian corridor in Syria, the first time a major power pushed for international intervention in the eight-month uprising against President Bashar Assad.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, who first floated the proposal for humanitarian intervention on Wednesday, gave more details of the plan and said he would propose it to the meeting of Arab League foreign ministers.
For Full Report :
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article538231.ece
--------
Palestinian factions open a ‘new page’ in relations
By KARIN LAUB
Nov 25, 2011
Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal talked for two hours in Cairo but did not reach agreement on touchy matters like the composition of an interim unity government and a date for elections.
The meeting raised new questions about whether the rivals are serious about sharing power, or just going through the motions.
The split, leaving competing governments in the West Bank and Gaza, has complicated peace efforts with Israel. The rift is unpopular among Palestinians, but the political camps have also benefited from the status quo and would have to give up positions of power for reconciliation.
Both leaders described the atmosphere in Thursday’s meeting as positive, suggesting they are ready to embark on a partnership despite the bitter animosity of the past.
“What is important to us is that we deal with each other as partners and shoulder the same responsibility toward our people and our cause,” said Abbas. Mashaal said that he and his former rival “opened a new page” in relations.
In Israel, government spokesman Mark Regev warned that “the closer Abu Mazen (Abbas) gets to Hamas, the further he moves away from peace.” Abbas favors negotiations with Israel as the path toward Palestinian statehood, but his negotiations with Israel’s current government never got off the ground. Hamas opposes peace talks and refuses to recognize the Jewish state.
For Full Report :
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article538232.ece
--------
Bahrain used 'excessive force' in crackdown: inquiry
November 24, 2011
MANAMA, BAHRAIN: Bahrain’s security forces used excessive force to suppress pro-democracy protests earlier this year, torturing detainees to get confessions, an inquiry panel charged with investigating abuses said on Wednesday.
The government commissioned report, designed to help heal sectarian divisions between the island kingdom’s Sunni rulers and majority Shi’ites, acknowledged five people had been tortured to death but said abuses were isolated incidents.
However the inquiry panel, led by Egyptian-American international law expert Cherif Bassiouni, dismissed Bahrain’s allegation of Iranian interference in fomenting unrest, saying that was not supported by any evidence.
“In many cases security agencies in the government of Bahrain resorted to excessive and unnecessary force,” Bassiouni said at the king’s palace, adding that some detainees suffered electric shocks, and beatings with rubber hoses and wires.
For Full Report :
http://tribune.com.pk/story/296894/bahrain-used-excessive-force-in-crackdown-inquiry/?print=true
--------
Syria unrest: Arab League observer ultimatum passes
25 November 2011
An Arab League deadline for Syria to allow an observer mission or face sanctions has passed with Damascus making no response to the ultimatum.
The deadline was set for 11:00 GMT, and the league earlier warned it would meet on Saturday to discuss the sanctions.
The league wants 500 observers to enter Syria to monitor the situation amid continuing protests, but Damascus has reportedly agreed to let in only 40.
Meanwhile, new evidence has emerged of protests turning into armed insurgency.
The BBC's Paul Wood, who travelled without permission to Syria's flashpoint city of Homs, reports that he saw a small but steady stream of defectors from the official security forces.
In the latest violence, at least 51 people were killed across Syria on Thursday, activists said.
More than 3,500 people have died since anti-government protests began in March, the United Nations estimates.
The government of President Bashar al-Assad blames the violence on armed gangs and militants.
For Full Report :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15887364?print=true
--------
Pak Court providing legal cover to abductions and torture by government agencies
November 24, 2011
Court refused to act against government agencies on providing false affidavits and illegal abductions
Chief justice Islamabad High Court, Iqbal Hameed ur Rehman has showed his loyalty with the government agencies by disposing off the writ petition of two abducted members of Hizb ut-Tahrir without taking any legal action. A Member of Hizb registered his statement before a magistrate in which he named ISI and MI as the abductors. But instead of taking action against them Chief Justice simply disposed off the writ. Lawyer of the Hizb’s attorney reminded the court that agencies in their written affidavit denied the custody of these members, which has been proven false in the light of new evidences so a legal action must be initiated against them. But the Chief justice ignored it by simply saying that let’s put it aside because detainees have been released. This statement of the judge is not only legally shameful but it has also given an open license to the agencies to continue their criminal acts. Did the judge not remember that until today an elderly member of Hizb, Dr. Abdul Qayyum, is still being tortured in their dungeons? So how can one spare these agencies? The question is why in the world judge did not put any pressure on the agencies to immediately release Dr. Abdul Qayyum? Is this mercy on behalf of abductors to release the detainees after torturing them for three months whilst the thankful judiciary doesn’t even care to account them?! Is this the purpose of judiciary to give lengthy hearing dates in order to provide ample time for the agencies to torture Hizb members? And when evidence are presented before the court, it simply takes no action? There is no doubt about the fact that an unholy nexus of agencies, police and judiciary under the shade of imperialists and their agent rulers is a major source of persecution in Pakistan. In fact, today every institution of this kufr system is equally responsible for the implementation of kufr, resisting Islam and the persecution of Muslims. For Full Report :
http://pakistan-mediagroup.blogspot.com/2011/11/pak-media-islamabad-high-court-is.html
--------
80 Afghans held for illegally entering Pakistan
Nov 25, 2011,
ISLAMABAD: A total of 80 Afghans have been arrested for illegally entering Pakistan through a border town in southwestern Balochistan province, officials said.
The Afghans entered through Chaman town that connects with southeast Afghanistan, Xinhua reported.
The detained Afghans entered Pakistan without legal travel documents, said an official with the paramilitary Frontier Corps, which is responsible for border security.
All the detained people have been handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency for further investigation, he said.
Since the breakout of the Afghan war about a decade ago, millions of Afghan refugees have fled their homeland and turned up in Pakistan. Under a UN-sponsored repatriation programme, over five million Afghan refugees have reportedly been sent back from Pakistan. However, there are still an estimated 1.7 million Afghan refugees remaining in the country.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/80-Afghans-held-for-illegally-entering-Pakistan/articleshow/10866958.cms?prtpage=1
--------
Zardari orders early completion of Sindh projects
November 25, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Taking note of the problems faced by commuters due to damaged roads and infrastructure, President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday directed the government of Sindh and relevant authorities to expedite and complete on priority basis all reconstruction projects, especially roads and bridges swept away in floods and rain-affected areas in various parts of Sindh.
The president gave this direction when he visited various rain-affected districts of Sindh to monitor relief activities and to interact with elected representatives, relief committees and district administration officials of the affected areas through satellite video conferencing from flood control room in the Presidency.
The video conference was attended among others by Federal Minister for Water and Power Naveed Qamar, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, MNA from Sangarh Roshanuddin Junejo, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Chairman Ali Arshad Hakeem, Special Secretary Major (r) Haroon Rashid, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar and other senior officials of the relevant departments.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\25\story_25-11-2011_pg7_10
--------
Pak-China joint military exercise ‘Friendship-IV’ concludes
November 25, 2011
JHELUM: An impressive closing ceremony of two weeks long Pak-China Joint Military Exercise ‘Friendship-IV-2011’ was held on Thursday.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Staff Deputy Chief General Hou Shusen, attended the ceremony.
In a press briefing on the occasion, Gen Kayani said that Pak-China’s relations were purely strategic and these were not against any other country and these relations would help ensure regional peace and stability. He said that China’s security was dear to Pakistan and such joint exercises would further strengthen the relations between the two countries that were facing the common threat of terrorism.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\25\story_25-11-2011_pg7_11
--------
UK doesn’t want Pakistan to attack Haqqanis
By Masror Hausen
November 25, 2011
KARACHI:
Urging Pakistan to use its influence to get the Haqqani network to come to the negotiation table with Nato and enter a reconciliation process, British Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Mark Sedwill said, “We don’t want Pakistan to take military action against the Haqqani group. We understand the challenges it faces on that front, all we want from Pakistan is to do its utmost to minimise the threat.”
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has already made that offer to the Haqqani network and it is in Pakistan’s strategic interest to play its role, Sedwill said while speaking to The Express Tribune, adding that Pakistan is absolutely clear that a stable Afghanistan is in the country’s strategic interest.
Sedwill, who has held discussions on security issues with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha, said the outcome of the discussions with his Pakistani counterparts was “encouraging.
For Full Report :
http://tribune.com.pk/story/297177/uk-doesnt-want-pakistan-to-attack-haqqanis-mark-sedwill/?print=true
--------
Pakistan will not take dictation on gas import: Firdous Ashiq
November 25, 2011
Reacting over the US Ambassador Cameron Munter’s statement on the Pak-Iran gas pipeline, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that Pakistan would not take dictation over the gas import. Talking to media on Friday, she said that any decision in this regard would be taken in the country’s interest. Replying a query, Awan said that the government would announce its future course of action on the Supreme Court verdict on federation’s NRO review petition after the meeting of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) advisery committee.
http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Islamabad/25-Nov-2011/Pakistan-will-not-take-dictation-on-gas-import-Firdous-Ashiq
--------
Egypt protesters plan massive Friday rally against army rule
Nov 25 2011,
Cairo : Activists vowed to crank up pressure on Egypt's generals on Friday with an overwhelming show of people power to cap almost a week of protests against army rule that have left 41 people dead.
State media said the army leaders picked a political veteran in his late 70s to form a national salvation government, a choice that was quickly snubbed by many of the young activists who have led the demonstrations in Tahrir Square.
Kamal Ganzouri agreed in principle to lead the new government after meeting the head of the military council, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the website of state newspaper Al Ahram reported, citing sources close to Ganzouri.
As talk of a Ganzouri appointment filtered through the crowds thronging Tahrir on Thursday night, discussion quickly focused on his age.
Ganzouri is no good for this transitional period, which needs youth leaders not grandparents, said student Maha Abdullah.
For Full Report :
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/880372/
--------
Afghan war success may not be known until 2020: UK
November 25, 2011
LONDON: Britain will eventually be proud of its role in the Afghanistan war but it could be another decade before its gains are realised, the head of Britain’s armed forces said in an interview published in Thursday’s Times. General Sir David Richards, the chief of the defence staff, admitted tactical mistakes had been made but that he had “every expectation” history would judge the war positively. “At the end of the day, we won’t know (if it has succeeded) until 2018, ‘19, ‘20,” he told the British newspaper. “I have every expectation that we will all agree in ten years’ time that this was a necessary war and we’ve come out of it with our heads held high,” he added. Richards admitted last month that public support for the Afghanistan campaign was waning and that proponents of the war were losing “the battle of perceptions” among the British public. Public enthusiasm has been sapped by a steadily rising death toll among British soldiers, reports of troop and equipment shortages and U-turns in military tactics. Richards said he was “the first to concede” that mistakes had been made but pointed out that no terrorist attack had been launched out of Afghanistan since the campaign began 10 years ago. The general conceded that policymakers and military leaders were guilty of neglecting Afghanistan during the parallel campaign launched in Iraq in 2003, but added that strategy had been correct since US President Barack Obama’s 2009 troop surge. Britain will withdraw 500 troops from Afghanistan by the end of next year, leaving 9,000 in the country. afp
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\25\story_25-11-2011_pg7_4
--------
Afghans turn to people smugglers as NATO leave
November 25, 2011
KABUL: At a bustling Kabul market, people smugglers are making a quick buck out of Afghans increasingly desperate to buy a new life in Europe before NATO combat forces leave in 2014.
Ordinary people pay up to $13,000 for the chance to embark on a long and perilous journey -hiding in truck chassis, stowing away on boats or trekking across mountains- that they hope will take them to a better life.
At Shahzada money exchange market between Kabul’s oldest mosque and its foul-smelling river, middlemen ply their trade among the din of currency exchangers shouting out their latest rates and brandishing wads of notes.
Shamim Assir, 20, a thin man with a pale face and trimmed black beard from Logar, south of Kabul, is here to chase up a Turkish visa, which he paid for three months ago but has still not materialised.
For Full Report :
http://tribune.com.pk/story/297473/afghans-turn-to-people-smugglers-as-nato-leave/?print=true
--------
Zardari better than prior civilian govts: think-tank
Nov 25 2011,
Washington : Pakistan's embattled President Asif Ali Zardari has performed better than any prior civilian government of the country and led attempts to rebuild some of the badly weakened Constitutional institution in the turbulent nation, a US expert has said.
Thought the Pakistani President is facing systematic attempts by the opposition and intelligence services to portray him corrupt, his government led by the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has performed better than expected in a country mostly been ruled by military dictators after independence.
Lacking his wife's brilliance and charisma, America's foremost expert on the subcontinent, Stephen P Cohen, Zardari is largely following late Benazir Bhutto's agenda of reform and restoration rather than transformation.
Complaints of corruption against Zardari have faded in 2011 as the problems facing Pakistan-notably terror attacks-have shifted attention to the military and its inability to control domestic violence, Cohen writes.
For Full Report :
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/880431/
--------
Pakistanis protest against improving trade with India
November 25, 2011
Pakistan’s cabinet last month said it approved a proposal giving India the status of “most favoured nation” in a move towards normalising trade relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Members of banned Islamist groups including Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, and hardline religious party Jamaat-e-Islami gathered in the main square in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Protesters shouted slogans against the Pakistani government and were joined by supporters of the main opposition party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, an AFP reporter said.
“We will never accept this decision,” Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi, local chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa told the gathering.
His organisation is blacklisted as a terror group by the United Nations and considered a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba that Washington and New Delhi blamed for the killings of 166 people on November 26, 2008 attacks in Mumbai.
Protesters later blocked the main road passing through Muzaffarabad city centre by setting tyres on fire.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/pakistanis-protest-against-improving-trade-with-india.html
--------
Benazir Bhutto was never interested in NRO: CJP
By Hasnaat Malik
November 25, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Thursday observed that Pakistan People’s Party former chairperson Benazir Bhutto had never been interested in the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), adding that if she had benefited from the NRO then why she would support the lawyers’ movement.
The chief justice told the former law minister and federation’s counsel, Babar Awan, that he should be proud of his leader, as Benazir, in her book ‘Reconciliation, Islam, Democracy and West’ stated it was Pervez Musharraf who did it.
“She always preferred Pakistan’s interest, but now the beneficiaries of the NRO wanted to defend it,” said the chief justice.
For Full Report :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\25\story_25-11-2011_pg1_5
--------
Mumbai Attacks: Pakistan needs 'credible evidence', says Rehman Malik
November 25, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has asked India to provide “credible evidence” against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks so that they do not secure release from Pakistan’s courts reported Express 24/7 on Friday.
Speaking to Express News at Police Lines Islamabad, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that Pakistan did take action against Hafiz Saeed and others based on evidence provided by India but the suspects were release because the information was “vague and insufficient”.
He added that “Pakistan is ready to take action on information provided by India, which is also compulsory in the court.”
Earlier this month Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai had refuted Rehman Malik’s claim about insufficient information, stating that evidence provided by India to Pakistan with regards to those accused in the Mumbai attacks case was sufficient.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/297498/mumbai-attacks-pakistan-needs-credible-evidence-says-rehman-malik/?print=true
--------
Rabbani murder: Afghan probe team shares evidence with Islamabad
By Kamran Yousaf
November 25, 2011
ISLAMABAD:
The visiting Afghan delegation investigating the assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani shared evidence with Pakistan on Thursday pertaining to the involvement of the Quetta Shura in the murder of the peace negotiator.
Senior Afghan intelligence officials shared evidence with their Pakistani counterparts regarding the involvement of the so-called Quetta Shura in the assassination; however, talks between the 14-member visiting delegation led by Afghan Deputy Intelligence Chief General Hassam Hassamuddin and Pakistani authorities are believed to have remained inconclusive as Islamabad has denied all charges of involvement.
The three-day visit by the delegation is being hosted by Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who held talks with the delegation. The delegation also met with senior Pakistani intelligence officials.
For Full Report :
http://tribune.com.pk/story/297239/rabbani-murder-afghan-probe-team-shares-evidence-with-islamabad/?print=true
--------
Memogate: No threat to my government, says Gilani
Nov 25 2011,
Islamabad : Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said there was no threat to his government due to the "Memogate" scandal even as he pledged that the matter would be investigated as a top priority to uncover the truth behind the secret memo sent to the US administration.
Gilani contended that Pakistan's civilian and military leadership were on the same page on all issues and gave an assurance that the matter of the memo would be investigated to the satisfaction of the country, the parliament and the opposition.
He made the remarks while responding to issues raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament this evening.
He said there was no threat to his government, which was answerable only to the people and not "anybody else".
Gilani said the issue of the memo would be investigated at a top level as he had ordered the setting up of a committee for the purpose.
Besides, he said, the opposition had taken the issue to the Supreme Court.
A transparent investigation of the issue was necessary to satisfy the nation and the opposition, he added.
Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has claimed that he drafted and delivered the memo to the US military on the instructions of Pakistan¿s former envoy to the US, Husain Haqqani.
For Full Report :
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/880384/
--------
US also responsible for unhealthy civil-military ties in Pak: ex-CIA analyst
Nov 25 2011,
Washington : The US shares part of the responsibility for Pakistan's "unhealthy" civil-military relationship by supporting the country's dictators for most of the last century, a top American expert has said.
"Despite our commitment to democracy, we have provided little backing to Pakistan's civilian leaders over the decades. The US is not wholly responsible for Pakistan's unhealthy civil-military relationship, but it is not innocent of responsibility," Bruce Riedel, a former CIA analyst, wrote in a forward to the book 'The Future of Pakistan'.
Brought out by Brookings Institute – a Washington-based think-tank, the book is a compilation of a series of articles by eminent scholars from the US, India and Pakistan, including Stephen P Cohen, C Christina Fair, Shuja Nawaj, and Kanti Bajpai.
For Full Report :
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/880385/
--------
Deal fails to satisfy Yemeni protesters
November 24, 2011
Street protests and violence continue to rock Yemen despite President Ali Abdullah Saleh committing to a deal that will end his 33-year rule.
On Thursday, it appeared that the deal — brokered by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — which obliges Mr. Saleh to step down in 30 days, was not enough to calm protesters, who have been seeking a fundamental change in their impoverished country.
In the capital, Sana'a, at least five people were killed while protesting against the immunity from prosecution for Mr. Saleh, a crucial aspect of the deal. Gunmen shooting from rooftops and passing vehicles killed and injured dissidents, said medical staff at a mosque that served as a makeshift hospital.
Under the deal signed in Riyadh, Vice-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi will head a national unity government to steer the political transition after Mr. Saleh demits office. Presidential elections are to be held within 90 days. Till then Mr. Saleh will hold the title of honorary President.
The formation of a military commission to unite Yemen's disparate armed forces is also expected.
For Full Report :
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2657021.ece
--------
Syria faces new Arab sanctions deadline
Nov 25 2011,
The Arab League served Syria notice to endorse a plan for the dispatch of observers to monitor unrest in the country or face crippling sanctions.
Activists called for a new day of anti-regime protests, urging demonstrators to flood the streets nationwide after the main weekly Muslim prayers in support of dissident army officers.
"The free army protects us," said a message on the Facebook page of the Syrian Revolution 2011, one of the key motors behind more than eights months of protests seeking to unseat the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
"The free army is the guardian of our peaceful revolution," it said, in reference to the rebel Free Syrian Army which has claimed numerous attacks on regular troops in recent weeks.
At least 51 people were killed in violence across Syria on Thursday, including 23 regular army soldiers and 15 deserters, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/syria-faces-new-arab-sanctions-deadline/880464/
--------
J&K: A Ranbir ‘pill’ for AFSPA headache
By Arjun Sharma in Jammu
Nov 25 2011,
JAMMU & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday again pushed for withdrawal of the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) by offering to amend the state’s Ranbir Penal Code to give legal protection to the army.
Trying to allay fears of the armed forces, Omar said his government was ready to amend the Ranbir Penal Code and put it on a par with the CrPC. This, he said, would provide legal protection and immunity to the armed forces during anti- terrorist operations in Jammu & Kashmir.
The state, apart from enjoying a special status under Article 370 of the Constitution, has its own penal code.
The Indian Penal Code is not applicable here.
The AFSPA was enforced in limited areas of the state in 1990 when Kashmir insurgency first reared its head, and was extended to the entire state in 2001 when the militant activities peaked.
Earlier, the CM proposed partial withdrawal of the AFSPA from Srinagar and Budgam in Kashmir, and Jammu and Samba districts in the Jammu division. The AFSPA has been imposed in 20 of the 22 districts in the state, while Leh and Kargil districts in the Ladakh region were left out.
For Full Report :
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=25112011
--------
Truce brings uneasy calm in Egypt
November 25, 2011
Egypt's military rulers apologised yesterday for the police killings of demonstrators and vowed to maintain security at next week's elections despite mass protests and deadly street violence.
"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) presents its regrets and deep apologies for the deaths of martyrs from among Egypt's loyal sons during the recent events in Tahrir Square," it said on its Facebook page.
After a truce negotiated by Muslim clerics, an uneasy calm gripped crowds gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square, scene of days of deadly clashes between security forces and protesters demanding an immediate end of military rule.
The SCAF said stepping down would amount to a "betrayal" of the Egyptian people and insisted that parliamentary elections scheduled to start on Monday would take place on time.
"The people have entrusted us with a mission and if we abandon it now, it would be a betrayal of the people," senior SCAF member General Mukthar al-Mulla told a news conference.
For Full Report :
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=211594
--------
Russia, China, urge Syria talks, stress UN role
25 November 2011,
MOSCOW - Russia, China and their partners in the BRICS group of emerging economies urged Syria to start talks with the opposition and warned against foreign intervention without UN backing, Russia said, ahead of an Arab League deadline to Damascus on Friday.
In a carefully worded statement after consultations on Thursday in Moscow, the five nations did not mention the Arab League threat to introduce sanctions over Syria’s crackdown on protests if Damascus does not sign a deal to let monitors in.
The meeting brought together deputy foreign ministers from Russia and China, which last month vetoed a Western-drafted UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria’s government, as well as Brazil, India and South Africa, which abstained.
They “underscored that the only acceptable scenario for resolving the internal crisis in Syria is the immediate start of peaceful talks with the participation of all sides, as the Arab League initiative says”, the Foreign Ministry statement said.
For Full Report :
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle11.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/November/middleeast_November651.xml§ion=middleeast
--------
Morocco votes in first election since reforms
25 November 2011,
RABAT — Moroccans voted on Friday in the country’s first legislative election since the constitution was reformed to give parliament more power, with an Islamist party expected to post strong gains.
The election, the second in north Africa since the Arab Spring uprisings began, pits the moderately Islamist Justice and Development party against a coalition loyal to King Mohammed VI.
Opinion polls are not allowed but observers said Justice and Development could emerge as the most popular party after similar success by a moderate Islamist party in Tunisia’s first democratic election last month.
Its main rival is the Coalition for Democracy, an eight-party pro-monarchy bloc that includes two of the current five governing parties — the Popular Movement and Finance Minister Salaheddine Mezouar’s National Rally of Independents.
The election risks being marred by tradionally low turnout, however, as well as a boycott call by the pro-reform February 20 movement.
The election comes less than five months after a July referendum overwhelmingly approved a new constitution proposed by the 47-year-old king as neighbouring autocratic regimes toppled.
For Full Report :
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle11.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/November/middleeast_November652.xml§ion=middleeast
--------
White House asks for speedy transfer of power in Egypt
November 25, 2011
“Most importantly, we believe that the full transfer of power to a civilian government must take place in a just and inclusive manner that responds to the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people, as soon as possible,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.
The remarks came as a private Egyptian television channels reported that the ruling military council had tasked former Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzuri with forming a new cabinet.
Ganzuri headed the government from 1996 to 1999 under ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt’s ruling military council Tuesday accepted the resignation of caretaker premier Essam Sharaf’s cabinet, amid spiralling unrest, and invited the country’s political forces for crisis talks on the formation of a “national salvation” government.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/25/white-house-asks-for-speedy-transfer-of-power-in-egypt.html
--------
Foreign hand seen in Qatif unrest
By MD. AL-SULAMI & SULTAN AL-TAMIMI
Nov 25, 2011
“The clashes were instigated by foreign elements,” the spokesman said while addressing a press conference in Riyadh. He said special security forces have been deployed in the city to deal with the situation and maintain security.
Al-Turki, while blaming foreign influence behind deviant groups, said that these groups are continuously escalating their activities and seeking ways to break the law.
“What is important is to deal with the current reality that is preserving peace in the area and the Kingdom. We do not want to name these groups or those behind them but what is vital at this time is that these people involved in the event are brought before the court and confess to who is supporting them,” he added.
Two people died and three wounded in an exchange of gunfire in Qatif on Wednesday following a string of attacks on security checkpoints during a funeral procession.
“These casualties have occurred following the exchange of gunfire with unknown criminal elements who have infiltrated the citizens' ranks, and are firing from residential areas and narrow streets,” the ministry said in a statement late Wednesday night.
The ministry added: "The goal of those who provoke unrest is to achieve dubious aims dictated to them by their foreign masters." It said the rioters had burned tires and blocked roads.
For Full Report :
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article538253.ece
--------
Hindus upset over Ganesha T-shirt designs in Chicago
PTI | Nov 25, 2011,
CHICAGO: Hindu community in the US has asked a local online company to immediately remove Lord Ganesha T-shirt designs displayed on its website, calling them absurd.
Threadless Tess, a community-centered online apparel company of skinnyCorp, has been asked to remove four of the designs from its website.
Hindu activist Rajan Zed said, "Such absurd depiction of Lord Ganesha with no scriptural backing was hurtful to the devotees."
He said that such trivialisation of Lord Ganesha was disturbing and offensive to the one billion Hindus world over.
However, Threadless Tees denied having printed or sold the T-shirts with the offensive Lord Ganesha designs.
"The Ganesha design on our site, was submitted by an artist, but never printed or available for purchase. At this time, we have no further comments on this design," Bethany Allen, a PR spokeswoman for Threadless Tee said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Hindus-upset-over-Ganesha-T-shirt-designs/articleshow/10867348.cms?prtpage=1
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pak-police-arrest-woman-killing,/d/5990