Pak Stops NATO Supplies After Raid kills ‘up to 28’ Troops
Maldives: Jamiyyathul Salaf asks PIC to take action against police for protecting ‘idols’
Bring 26/11 perpetrators to speedy justice: demands Indian FM on third anniversary of Mumbai attacks
Yemen warplanes kill 80 anti-govt tribesmen
Islamabad: Religious scholars urged to fight extremism
Moderate Islamists claim Moroccan election win
28 Pakistani troops killed in NATO attack, outrage in Islamabad
Honour killings in Pakistan alarmingly high: HRW
Complete strike in Balochistan over murder of Baloch activists
41 terrorists killed in Kurram, Orakzai agencies
Right-wing parties want to derail democracy: Sindh Information Minister
Bombs kill 15 in and around Baghdad
13 Taliban insurgents killed in Afghanistan
Contestants from 53 countries to participate in Qur’an contest
President hails JK people for ‘resilience’
Pope: Sex abuse ‘scourge’ for all society
Libya’s ex-oil minister criticizes new leaders
Libya displays seized Roman-era artefacts
Infiltration bid foiled in Poonch: Army
‘Last chance’ rally rocks Egypt
Serial rapist to be prosecuted
Saudi executed for killing security official
Mali kidnapping: One dead and three seized in Timbuktu
Bahrain unrest continues after king's reform promises
Egypt extends anti-army protest, sees brief clashes
Syria yet to agree to Arab deal, asks questions
Yemen opposition to nominate ex-minister to form government
Arab League prepares for Syria sanctions
Iraq says sanctions on Syria ‘not possible’
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pak-stops-nato-supplies-after/d/6005
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Pak Stops NATO Supplies After Raid Kill ‘up to 28’ Troops
Reuters , Nov 26, 2011
Nato helicopters attacked a military checkpoint in northwest Pakistan today, killing up to 25 troops and prompting Pakistan to shut the vital supply route for Nato troops fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistani officials said.
The attack comes as relations between the United States and Pakistan, its ally in the war on terror, are already badly strained following the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in a secret raid on the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad in May.
Pakistan called that raid a flagrant violation of its sovereignty. A Pakistani military spokesman confirmed Saturday’s pre-dawn cross-border attack in the tribal region of Mohmand and said casualties had been reported, but gave no details.
“Nato helicopters carried out an unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on a Pakistani checkpost in Mohmand agency, casualties have been reported and details are awaited," the spokesman told Reuters.
Two military officials said that up to 25 Pakistani troops had been killed and 14 wounded in the attack on the Salala checkpost, about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the Afghan border.
“We have heard about heavy casualties but can't provide you with the exact number of casualties of our troops as the post is far away, located in the mountains and is difficult to reach at the moment," a military spokesman in Peshawar said.
The attack took place around 2 am (2100 GMT) in the Baizai area of Mohmand, where Pakistani troops are fighting Taliban militants. Another senior Pakistani military officer said efforts were under way to bring the bodies of the slain soldiers to Ghalanai, the headquarters of Mohmand tribal region.
Full Report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/pak-stops-nato-supplies-after-raid-kills-25-troops-553
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Maldives: Jamiyyathul Salaf asks PIC to take action against police for protecting ‘idols’
By Ahmed Nazeer
November 24th, 2011
Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf has sent a letter to the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) demanding it investigate and take action against police for protecting the ‘idolatrous’ SAARC monuments in Addu.
In its letter, Jamiyyathul Salaf noted that Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari had declared that the SAARC monuments kept in Addu were un-Islamic and unconstitutional.
Salaf said that after the Islamic Minister publicly revealed his stand on the issue, police had worked to protect the monuments and said that it showed that police “have no respect for the laws.”
Salaf claimed that some police officers had refused to go out and protect the monuments, and that those police officers were threatened and forced to protect the monuments.
In the letter Salaf also said that the police were aware that the idolatrous monuments were banned in the Maldives by more than one article of the law.
A police spokesperson today told Minivan News that police were not protecting any “idols” but was active in some parts of Addu to control possible unrest.
‘’Those were properties of other nations and police are legally obliged to protect people’s property,’’ he said.
When the SAARC Summit was held in Addu, each member state left a symbol of their nation in Addu City. Some of the monuments were determined by religious groups and the Islamic Minister as un-Islamic.
The monument from Pakistan representing the Indus Valley Civilization and Sri Lankan monument representing its nation’s lion were attacked. Some parts of the Pakistan monument were stolen and later replaced.
Opposition Adhaalath Party and Progressive Party of the Maldives [PPM] heavily criticized the government for keeping the monuments in Addu and claimed that the monuments cannot be kept in the Maldives according to the laws.
PPM Council members recently reported the Maldives Customs Department to police for allowing the monuments to be imported to the country.
The Islamic Minister recently asked the President’s Office and other institutions to remove the monuments.
http://minivannews.com/politics/salaf-asks-pic-to-take-action-against-police-for-protecting-%E2%80%98idols%E2%80%99-2862
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Bring 26/11 perpetrators to speedy justice: S.M. Krishna
ANS,
New DelhiNov 26, 2011,
External affairs minister S.M. Krishna on Saturday called upon Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack to 'speedy' justice.
"I once again call upon Pakistan to bring perpetrators and conspirators of this crime to speedy justice," Krishna said on the third anniversary of the audacious attacks by Pakistani terrorists in 2008 in which 166 people were killed.
India is still waiting for Pakistan to 'act decisively', he added.
"Issues have to be resolved through a peaceful dialogue," Krishna said.
Ajmal Amir Kasab was the only one of the 10 Pakistani terrorists who attacked Mumbai Nov 26, 2008 to be caught alive. They attacked at prominent locations in the city.
Kasab has been found guilty of killing at least 59 people in the carnage. He has been charged with murder and waging war against the Indian state amongst other crimes.
He was sentenced to death May 6, 2010 by special judge M.L. Tahaliyani. He then appealed to the Bombay High Court, which Feb 21, 2011 upheld the death penalty following which he appealed in the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court Oct 10 this year stayed the execution of the death sentence. It directed completion of pleading by Nov 30 and that the appeal be listed for final hearing Jan 31, 2012.
http://www.asianage.com/india/bring-2611-perpetrators-speedy-justice-sm-krishna-501
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Yemen warplanes kill 80 anti-govt tribesmen
(AP)
26 November 2011
A security official says Yemeni warplanes have killed 80 anti-government tribesmen who overran part of a military camp in the Arhab region north of the capital Sanaa.
The official said Saturday that warplanes and artillery had pounded the armed tribesmen for the past 48 hours. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
There was no independent confirmation of the number of deaths. But a soldier from Yemen’s 63rd Brigade who fled the camp says tribesmen had overrun it several days ago.
He spoke by telephone from Arhab, asking not to be identified for fear of government reprisal.
The soldier says about 20 soldiers were killed by the tribesmen.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle11.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/November/middleeast_November692.xml§ion=middleeast
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Islamabad: Religious scholars urged to fight extremism
ISLAMABAD, November, 26, 2011: Speakers at a press conference on Friday stressed for the unity among all schools of thought to fight scourge of terrorism and sectarianism. Markazi Imam-e-Hussain Council, in connection 34th International Hussainia Conference organized the conference.
Dr Ghazanfar Mehdi Chairman Markazi Imam Hussain Council said all religious scholars should play their role to make Pakistan a peaceful and vibrant state.
He said, "We have to fight against the scourge of terrorism and sectarianism and we should work in unity and strengthen government's hands in tackling these sensitive issues."
He said that Hussainiyat is an ideology, a character and a philosophy, which no Yazid has ever been able to obliterate for it deeply, entrenched on the minds and souls of the Muslims across sectarian divide.
He stressed for the need to revive the character and conduct espoused by Imam-e-Hussain (AS) to fight off evil forces.
Addressing the conference, Chairman Amnesty International Malik Amjad Hussain Alvi stressed the need to conduct more conferences like International Hussainia Conference to share their thoughts.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Syed Ghulam Raza Naqvi, Muhammad Hussain Tori and Ziledar Syed Ahsan Shah Chairman Ittehad Bain ul Muslaimeen committee. app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\26\story_26-11-2011_pg11_2
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Moderate Islamists claim Moroccan election win
(Reuters)
RABAT, 26 November 2011- Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD) claimed victory on Saturday in a parliamentary election that should produce a stronger government after King Mohammed ceded some powers to prevent any spillover from Arab Spring uprisings.
The PJD, supported largely by Morocco’s poor, would be the second moderate Islamist party to lead a North African government since the start of the region’s Arab Spring uprisings, following Tunisia.
But the party, which hopes to push Islamic finance but vows to steer clear of imposing a strict moral code on society, will have to join forces with others to form a government.
“Based on the information that we have received so far, we are set to exceed our expectations. I think we are on course to obtain between 90 and 100 seats,” said Abdelilah Benkirane, leader of the PJD, referring to the 395-seat chamber.
Government officials could not immediately confirm the party’s assertion, which would be make the PJD one of Morocco’s most successful political parties in recent history.
The king revived a reform process this year hoping to sap the momentum out of a protest movement and avoid the violence-ridden revolts in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Syria.
He has handed over more powers to the government, although he retains the final say on the economy, security and religion.
Full Report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/November/middleeast_November685.xml§ion=middleeast
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28 Pakistani troops killed in NATO attack, outrage in Islamabad
Reuters | Nov 26, 2011,
ISLAMABAD: NATO helicopters and fighter jets attacked two military outposts in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, killing as many as 28 troops and plunging US-Pakistan relations, already deeply frayed, further into crisis.
Pakistan retaliated by shutting down vital NATO supply routes into Afghanistan, used for sending in almost half of the alliance's non-lethal materiel.
The attack is the worst single incident of its kind since Pakistan uneasily allied itself with Washington in the days immediately following the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on US targets.
Relations between the United States and Pakistan, its ally in the war on militancy, have been strained following the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in a raid on the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad in May, which Pakistan called a flagrant violation of sovereignty.
The Pakistani government and military brimmed with fury.
"This is an attack on Pakistan's sovereignty," said Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani. "We will not let any harm come to Pakistan's sovereignty and solidarity."
The Foreign Office said it would take up the matter "in the strongest terms" with NATO and the United States.
Full Report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/28-Pakistani-troops-killed-in-NATO-attack-outrage-in-Islamabad/articleshow/10882877.cms
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Honour killings in Pakistan alarmingly high: HRW
LAHORE, November 26, 201: According to the Human Rights Watch, honour killings are defined as “acts of vengeance, usually death, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonour upon the family. A woman can be targeted by (individuals within) her family for a variety of reasons, including: refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce - even from an abusive husband - or (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a way that ‘dishonours’ her family is sufficient to trigger an attack on her life.”
The tradition of honour killing is locally known as karo-kari. A Pakistani family living in Belgium is standing on trial for killing one of their female family members. Refusing to accept an arranged marriage and living with a Belgian, Sadia Sheikh was shot dead with three bullets allegedly fired by her brother, Mudusar Sheikh. Being a professor of women’s issues in Pakistan, Tahira Shaid Khan noted that there is nothing whatsoever that supports the tradition of honour killings. She says the first and most basic right that every Muslim is supposed to follow is the right to life:
“That if anyone slays a human being - unless it be (in punishment) for murder or for spreading corruption on earth - it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind” holy Quran (5:32).
On a global scale, 5,000 women lost their lives as victims of honour killings although the real statistics are probably higher. Although there are no official countrywide statistics for Pakistan’s honour killings, it is estimated that the country has lost 1,000 women, or perhaps more, to honour killings. This is because many law offenders think they can get away with it, which is highly likely. Are Knudsen, from the Chr Michelsen Institute in Norway, says the female chastity represents the family’s ‘symbolic capital’ in honour-bound societies. “To protect it,” he added, “the offending woman must be killed rather than divorced or excommunicated, an act which in itself is considered shameful. Killing her removes the offensive act, redeems family honour and resurrects its prestige.”
Since there are no official statistics available, the non-governmental Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) collects information on honour killings in two of Pakistan’s four provinces. Their research is based on surveys, revolving around cases reported by the media or registered with the police. Because some cases are not registered with the police (due to bribing whilst filing an FIR report) and some go unnoticed by the press, the real figures of honour killings can be much higher than the current rate.
Also, there are plenty of ‘fake honour killings’ in order to cover up other crimes (including homicide) which distort the real number of honour killings happening each year.
Fadia Faqir, in Interfamily Femicide in Defence of Honour: The Case of Jordon, says, “The use of violence to maintain privilege is not a neoteric phenomenon, rather it is historically entrenched, and has turned gradually into ‘the systemic and global destruction of women, with the institutionalisation of patriarchy over the countries.” Despite the 2005 legislation, honour killings are still on the rise in Pakistan and male members continue to get away with the murders of their female family members. Although NGOs, human rights groups and women activists have called for the government to come up with solutions to this issue, the authorities have turned a blind eye. pr
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\26\story_26-11-2011_pg7_15
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Complete strike in Balochistan over murder of Baloch activists
QUETTA November 26, 201: A complete shutter-down strike was observed in many areas of Balochistan on Friday in protest against the killing of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) Central Information Secretary Jalel Reki and Baloch National Movement (BNM) activist Muhammad Yunus. Their bodies were found in Aap Sar area of Turbat on Tuesday.
The strike call was given by BRP and was supported by BNM and various other student organisations. All shops, markets, commercial establishments, banks, pharmacies and restaurants remained closed for the day. Traffic was thin on the roads as people preferred to stay within their houses in support of the strike call. Routine life in major parts of Balochistan remained paralysed on Saturday. Strikes were also observed in Panjgur, Gwadar, Turbat, Pasni Jiwani, Ormara, Mastung, Mongechar, Awaran, Tump, Hoshap, Mand, Buleida, Khuzdar, Surab, Kalat amd Dera Allah Yar.
Political leaders and parties issued statements to newspapers condemning the killing of missing persons while in custody. No untoward incident was reported from any part of Balochistan during the shutter down strike. staff report
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41 terrorists killed in Kurram, Orakzai agencies
November 26, 2011
KURRAM/ORAKZAI: Up to 41 terrorists were killed and 15 injured in separate operations by security forces in Kurram and Orakzai agencies on Friday. Security forces assaulted terrorist strongholds in Kurram Agency at around midnight, killing 35 and wounding 15 others, security officials said. Four soldiers were also killed in the firefight, which lasted several hours. Terrorist sources confirmed the clashes and casualties, but disputed the government’s death toll. However, there was no independent confirmation of the casualties. In a separate incident, security forces killed six insurgents and destroyed two hideouts in Orakzai Agency.A search operation was also carried out in the village of Paskalay where 15 suspected insurgents were arrested. Security forces claimed to have killed over 120 terrorists and injured 40 in Orakzai Agency during the past week. They also claimed to have regained control of Akhund Kot, Chapar and Dapar Killay. inp
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Right-wing parties want to derail democracy: Sindh Information Minister
KARACHI, November 26, 2011: Currently, there is an impression of impartial and non-political judiciary in the country, but it has become the part of right-wing parties politics, which wanted to derail democracy.
Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri expressed these views while addressing an emergency press conference at People’s Media Cell.
“The National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) provides benefits to 8,000 people but all focus is being laid on only one person,” she observed.
Marri said it was her party that gave voice to the politicians and common men. “All institutions should work within their framework, whereas the parliament should be respected. It is wrong to say that the parliament is a ‘rubber stamp’ of the government,” the minister said.
She observed that this is the era of political ideologies but it was unfortunate that a competition is going on regarding rallies and processions. “Under Article 25 all parties and people are equal under the Constitution of Pakistan,” she added.
Speaking on the occasion, General Secretary Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sindh Taj Haider said the PPP had the opportunity to make the black law of NRO an act but it did not chose to do so and thousands of party workers were facing fake and fabricated cases since long time.
In the past, courts remained under the pressure of Nawaz and Pervez Musharraf regimes and PPP workers faced the troubles during such tough times, he pointed.
Haider said it was politically and morally wrong to say that the NRO was accepted only to withdraw the corruption cases. The discussions of political leaders on NRO only took place so that the popular parties could make a comeback, he added.
“Since the creation of the country, forge cases have been made against important politicians so that the democracy become weak while ‘establishment’ gain power,” he added.
“PPP leadership had spent years in jails due to these false cases. The credit of return of Sharif brothers goes to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. Anarchy is being hatched to topple present democratic government,” he feared. staff report
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\26\story_26-11-2011_pg12_2
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Bombs kill 15 in and around Baghdad
(AP)
BAGHDAD, 26 November 2011, A series of blasts in central Iraq killed 15 people on Saturday, police officials said. Street vendors, market-goers and day laborers appear to have been the targets of the attacks.
The first two bombs exploded in the early morning where day laborers gather in the mostly Sunni village of Al Zaidan, near the town of Abu Ghraib west of Baghdad. They killed seven people and wounded 11 others, the officials said.
Hours later, three bombs exploded near the kiosks of vendors selling CDs and military uniforms in central Baghdad’s Bab Al Sharqi market district , killing eight people and wounding 19 others.
Health officials at Abu Ghraib’s general hospital and at three hospitals in Baghdad confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
‘Three bombs exploded one after the other. I saw a woman, who was serving tea to customers, lose a leg in one of the explosions,’ said a young vendor selling clothes near the site of the Bab Al Sharqi blast.
Violence has ebbed across Iraq, but deadly bombings and shootings still occur almost daily as US troops prepare to leave by the end of the year. Iraqi security officials maintain that they are fully prepared for the withdrawal.
Predominantly Shia Bab Al Sharqi had until recently been surrounded by blast walls, which were removed as a consequence of the improved security situation, said Qassim Al Moussawi, the military spokesman for Baghdad.
The bombers ‘try to prove their presence and hinder our efforts to remove all the concrete walls, but we will continue removing them and keeping control,’ he said.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/November/middleeast_November691.xml§ion=middleeast
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13 Taliban insurgents killed in Afghanistan
KABUL, IANS, Nov 26, 2011: At least 13 insurgents were killed and 17 suspects detained by Afghan police during security operations over the last 24 hours, the Afghan interior ministry said on Saturday.
Afghan officials often use the word "insurgents" referring to Taliban, Xinhua reported.
"Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan army and Coalition Forces launched five joint operations in surrounding areas of the Kabul, Helmand, Uruzgan and Herat provinces," the ministry said in a statement.
"As a result of these operations, 13 armed insurgents were killed, one wounded and 17 others were arrested by ANP," it stated.
The Taliban were yet to make comments till last reported.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/13-Taliban-insurgents-killed-in-Afghanistan/articleshow/10881555.cms
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Contestants from 53 countries to participate in Qur’an contest
By ARAB NEWS
RIYADH,Nov 26, 2011: Under the aegis of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance will organize next month the 33rd King Abdul Aziz International Contest for Memorization of the Holy Qur’an with the participation of contestants from 53 countries.
“The contest to be organized in Makkah aims at highlighting the Kingdom’s interest in the memorization and recitation of the Holy Qur’an. The Kingdom wants to promote learning of the Holy Qur’an among the Muslim youth,” said the public relations director of the contest Salman bin Muhammad Al-Amri in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday. He said out of 161 contestants from 53 countries, 87 competitors will be sent by their governments while 66 will represent Islamic organizations.
The contest will have 10 judges. Four of them from the Kingdom. They are Ibrahim Al-Dossary, Emad Zuhair Hafiz, Saud Al-Ghonaim and Salim Al-Shenqiti, he said. The judges from outside the Kingdom include Ahmad Al-Maasarawi from Egypt, Samih Al-Asaminah from Jordan, Lamat Al-Ameen from Mauritania, Abdul Malik Lazim from Malaysia, Muhammad Hakeem from Pakistan and Sadiq Zawiyah from Nigeria.
He added that the Kingdom spends annually more than SR100 million for the contest without seeking any material motive.
The five items of contest include: Memorization of full text with correct intonated recitation, commentary and meaning of words, memorization of full text with intonated recitation, memorization of 20 continuous juz (parts) with intonated recitation, memorization of 10 continuous juz with intonated recitation and the fifth item is reserved for organizations in non-Muslim countries.
It involves memorization of five continuous juz (parts) with intonated recitation. Winner of the first prize in the first category will be given a cash award of SR100,000, the second SR90,000, the third SR80,000, the fourth SR70,000 and the fifth SR60,000.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article538667.ece
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President hails JK people for ‘resilience’
RAJEEV SHARMA
Jammu, Nov 25: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil Friday said the state and the central governments have enunciated policies and programmes to put Jammu and Kashmir on the path of development, prosperity and peace.
She also praised the people of the state for “resilience that they have demonstrated” over the years.
“I extend my warmest greetings to the people of Jammu and Kashmir who over the years have impressed all, with the resilience they have demonstrated. I am sure that Jammu and Kashmir with its resources, its potential and the willingness of its people to work hard together, will move forward on the path of development, prosperity and peace,” Patil said after presenting the “Dogra Ratan Awards” at Zorawar Singh auditorium, University of Jammu here.
The function was organised by the Dogra Ratan Award Committee and the Council for the Promotion of Dogri Language, Culture and History.
The President added; “The state and the central governments have enunciated policies and programmes towards this end. The objective is to secure a better life where each one can have the opportunity to grow”.
Patil said the state has tremendous potential in horticulture, floriculture, handicraft, tourism and Information Technology, among others. “I am sure full advantage will be taken by the people and particularly the youth in Jammu and Kashmir of these potentials. India is in the forefront as far as the ICT sector is concerned and other countries are forging ties with us in this sector,” she added.
Full Report at:
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2011/Nov/26/president-hails-jk-people-for-resilience--62.asp
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Pope: Sex abuse ‘scourge’ for all society
By Frances D'Emilio
VATICAN CITY, November 26, 2011 : (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI insisted on Saturday that all of society’s institutions and not just the Catholic church must be held to “exacting” standards in their response to sex abuse of children, and defended the church’s efforts to confront the problem.
Benedict acknowledged in remarks to visiting U.S. bishops during an audience at the Vatican that pedophilia was a “scourge” for society, and that decades of scandals over clergy abusing children had left Catholics in the United States bewildered.
“It is my hope that the Church’s conscientious efforts to confront this reality will help the broader community to recognize the causes, true extent and devastating consequences of sexual abuse, and to respond effectively to this scourge which affects every level of society,” he said.
“By the same token, just as the church is rightly held to exacting standards in this regard, all other institutions, without exception, should be held to the same standards,” the pope said.
He didn’t address accusations by many victims and their advocates that church leaders, including at the office in the Vatican that Benedict headed before becoming pontiff, systematically tried to cover up the scandals. Investigations, often by civil authorities, revealed that church hierarchy frequently transferred pedophile priests from one parish to another.
The pedophile scandal has exploded in recent decades in the United States, but similar clergy sex abuse revelations have tainted the church in many other countries, including Mexico, Ireland, and several other European nations, including Italy.
Benedict told the bishops that his papal pilgrimage to the United States in 2008 “was intended to encourage the Catholics of America in the wake of the scandal and disorientation caused by the sexual abuse crisis of recent decades.”
Echoing sentiment he has expressed in occasional meetings with victims of the abuse on trips abroad, Benedict added: “I wish to acknowledge personally the suffering inflicted on the victims and the honest efforts made to ensure both the safety of our children and to deal appropriately and transparently with allegations as they arise.”
Benedict seemed to be reflecting some churchmen’s contentions that the church has wrongly been singled out as villains for the abuse.
The bishops were making periodic consultations with the Vatican, scheduled for every five years.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/26/pope-sex-abuse-scourge-all-society/
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Libya’s ex-oil minister criticizes new leaders
By VANESSA GERA | AP
TRIPOLI, Nov 25, 2011: A senior official in Libya’s outgoing transitional government has sharply criticized the country’s new leadership as an unrepresentative “elite” supported by outside powers.
Former oil and finance minister Ali Tarhouni also suggested in a press conference late Thursday that at least one of those foreign powers is meddling excessively in Libya’s internal affairs — an apparent reference to Qatar.
Tarhouni, a former professor of economics and finance at the University of Washington, was one of the most visible and internationally respected faces of the Libyan revolutionary leadership that presided over the ouster of Muammar Qaddafi’s regime.
But he said he refused an offer to join Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Kib’s transitional Cabinet, because he believes that those now in power are not representative. He accused them of being “supported from the outside by money, arms and PR.”
The voices that we see now are the voices of the elite,” he said.
The US-educated Tarhouni, who managed the then-rebel government’s financial system, is one of the first senior Libyan politicians to openly question the new government’s legitimacy.
Full Report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article538664.ece
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Libya displays seized Roman-era artifacts
(AFP)
TRIPOLI, 26 November 2011: Libya displayed on Saturday a treasure trove of Roman-era artefacts which officials believe Gaddafi loyalists were planning to sell to finance attacks.
The objects were seized in August on the day Tripoli fell to former rebels who had been fighting since mid-February to end the rule of now slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi, new regime officials told a news conference.
The antiquities, including a statue of a woman and sculpted heads of men which date back to 2nd and 3rd century AD, were shown to reporters as officials detailed how the artefacts were seized.
The antiquities were found ‘during the fall of the capital,’ after intense fighting between Gaddafi loyalists and the former rebels, said Khaled Torjman, the director of Libya’s High Security Committee.
On August 23 the ex-rebels overran Gaddafi’s fortified headquarters in Tripoli after heavy fighting.
On that day, according to Torjman, a group of fighters clashed with Gaddafi loyalists who were trying to flee the capital and found the antiquities concealed in a large suitcase in the boot of their car.
Full Report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/November/international_November1019.xml§ion=international
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Infiltration bid foiled in Poonch: Army
26 Nov 2011
Jammu: Army on Saturday claimed that it foiled yet another attempt of infiltration from across the Line of Control and pushed back a group of militants in Poonch district.
“Force personnel noticed a suspicious movement last night near forward posts in Krishna Ghati Sector of Tehsil Mendhar of Poonch district,” official sources said.
They said a group of militants tried to enter into this side from Krishna Ghati Sector.
“Militants fired on our forward Ravi, Kirpan and Kranti posts which was retaliated by the soldiers,” they said.
The exchange of fire lasted for about 30 minutes and army foiled the intrusion bid.
“No casualties or loss was reported on Indian side in the firing,” they added.
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‘Last chance’ rally rocks Egypt
Reuters, Nov 26, 2011
CAIRO: Tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to military rule packed Cairo's Tahrir square on Friday in the biggest turnout of a week of protests and violence that has killed 41 people.
The military rulers named a veteran former PM to head a new civilian cabinet, but that did little to appease the demonstrators who poured scorn on a name from the past.
The US, long a bedrock supporter of Egypt's military, called on the generals to step aside "as soon as possible" and give real power to the new cabinet "immediately".
Protesters accuse the military of clinging to power since it took over when an uprising toppled president Hosni Mubarak on Feb 11. The past week of street battles between demonstrators and police have looked like a replay of February's unrest.
Kamal Ganzouri, named by the ruling army council to head a national salvation cabinet , said his powers were stronger than those given to previous PMs, but gave no details . "I have asked the Field Marshal to give me a little time so I can form a cabinet that will satisfy the people," the veteran economist said. He said the new government would not be announced before Monday, the date set for Egypt's first free parliamentary election in decades.
Ganzouri, 78, served as prime minister under Mubarak from 1996 to 1999. He was appointed after PM Essam Sharaf 's cabinet resigned this week amid the protests. Protesters responded angrily to the naming of a Mubarak-era veteran. After his appointment was confirmed, crowds in Tahrir chanted in derision: "They brought a thief and appointed another thief ", referring to Sharaf and Ganzouri. Hundreds of protesters shouted "Ganzouri, we don't want you" outside the cabinet offices in Cairo. Until a truce calmed violence on Thursday, streets around Tahrir had become battle zones with stone-throwing protesters fighting police. Protesters called for a million-man march on what they dubbed "the Friday of the last chance".
A steady stream of people surged into Tahrir before weekly Muslim prayers, often the day of the biggest demonstrations of this year's "Arab Spring" uprisings across the region.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Last-chance-rally-rocks-Egypt/articleshow/10877474.cms
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Serial rapist to be prosecuted
By MD HUMAIDAN | ARAB NEWS
JEDDAH, Nov 26, 2011: The Saudi suspect in the serial raping of minor girls in Jeddah, who was arrested in June, will shortly be put on trial.
“The case against the culprit has been submitted to the General Court in Jeddah,” an official source at the Prosecution and Investigation Bureau said on Friday.
The crime sheet against the 42-year-old suspect includes kidnapping, threatening victims, torturing, forcing them to drink liquor, and showing them pornographic videos besides raping and abandoning them on public roads, the source said.
The victims were aged between six and 12 years and the crimes were committed between the years of 2008 and 2011.
The evidences against him included victim’s statements, medical reports, identification by the victims and images registered by closed circuit monitoring cameras at locations from where some of the girls were kidnapped.
The DNA tests conducted with the fluids and other traces left on clothes of victims and samples taken from his house also pinned the crime on the man beyond doubt, the official said.
Full Report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article538645.ece
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Saudi executed for killing security official
By ARAB NEWS
RIYADH, Nov 26, 2011: Fahd bin Saif Al-Qahtani was executed for killing a security official in Riyadh on Friday, a statement of the Interior Ministry said.
Al-Qahtani was also charged with smuggling and trafficking in qat and banned pills and drinking liquor besides damaging a number of cars and carrying weapons.
His major crime was shooting and killing Hasan bin Salem Majurshi, a security official and injuring several other policemen and resisting security personnel when confronted by the forces while smuggling qat. He also terrorized women and children, the statement quoted by the Saudi Press Agency said.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article538681.ece
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Mali kidnapping: One dead and three seized in Timbuktu
25 November 2011
An armed gang of kidnappers has abducted three tourists and killed a fourth in the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali, security sources said.
Two of the hostages are Dutch and the third a South African who may have lived in the UK, reports say. The nationalities have not been confirmed.
The dead man, said to be German, was shot dead trying to resist the gang.
It is believed to be the first time foreigners have been abducted in Timbuktu, once popular with tourists.
However, a group linked to al-Qaeda has attacked Westerners in nearby regions.
Following several kidnappings, the UK has warned its citizens not to travel to northern Mali, including Timbuktu.
On Thursday, two French geologists were kidnapped by an armed gang in the eastern village of Hombori.
Police protection
The Timbuktu gunmen burst in as the four were dining in a restaurant on the central square of the ancient city.
They ordered the tourists there to follow them, a customer at Amanar restaurant told the Associated Press.
The owner of a hotel, where the four have previously stayed during their travel around Mali, told the BBC News website that one of them, a German, had been shot dead when he refused to get into the attackers' vehicle.
He said he had been told by colleagues in Timbuktu that all foreigners in the city had been gathered at the police headquarters and would be flown to the capital, Bamako, on Saturday.
The incidents are the latest in a series of abductions of foreigners believed to be the work of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim).
Correspondents say Aqim has bases in the northern Mali desert from which it organises raids and kidnappings, and traffics weapons and drugs.
French hostages
Full Report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15895908
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Bahrain unrest continues after king's reform promises
By Bill Law, BBC News
25 November 2011
Reports from Bahrain suggest continuing violence this week, despite a promise from King Hamad to prevent further abuses from security forces.
An activist said police had fired tear gas and rubber bullets on Thursday at a funeral for a man allegedly targeted by authorities a day earlier.
Police said the man was the victim of a road accident and that an "illegal rally" was held after his funeral.
A report has said security forces used "excessive force" earlier this year.
The independent report covered unrest in February and March, and prompted King Hamad to promise reforms to prevent future abuses by security forces.
It detailed excessive use of force and abuse of unarmed protesters. Bahrain's mainly Shia protesters have been calling for democratic reforms and more rights for the country's Shia majority in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.
Bahraini security forces, aided by the Saudi military, cracked down this year on mainly Shia demonstrators demanding a greater say in government and an end to what Shia said was systematic discrimination against them.
'Not a protest'
Full Report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15882027
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Egypt extends anti-army protest, sees brief clashes
(Reuters/Esam Al-Fetori)
By TOM PERRY | REUTERS
CAIRO, Nov 26, 2011 : Protesters demanding an end to army rule clashed with police firing tear gas near Egypt’s parliament building on Saturday in a flare-up that cast another shadow over a parliamentary election billed as the nation’s first free vote in decades.
Protesters said one man, Ahmed Sayed, 21, died after being hit by a state security vehicle. His death was the first since a truce between police and demonstrators on Thursday calmed violence that had killed 41 people in Cairo and elsewhere.
Egypt’s Interior Ministry said the vehicle had hit him by accident.
Hundreds of demonstrators camped overnight in Cairo’s Tahrir Square ahead of the election, due to start on Monday in Cairo, Alexandria and some other areas.
The clash occurred after one group marched to parliament to protest against the army’s appointment of 78-year-old Kamal Ganzouri, a premier under Hosni Mubarak, as new prime minister.
Full Report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article538777.ece
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Syria yet to agree to Arab deal, asks questions
By REUTERS
CAIRO, Nov 25, 2011: A deadline set by the Arab League for Syria to sign a deal allowing monitors into the country expired on Friday without Syria’s agreement, bringing the Arab body closer to imposing sanctions on Damascus over its crackdown on dissidents.
Arab foreign ministers had said in Cairo on Thursday that unless Syria agreed to let the monitors in to assess progress of an Arab League plan to end eight months of internal bloodshed, officials would consider imposing sanctions on Saturday.
The deadline expired on Friday at 1 p.m. (1100 GMT) without Syria’s signature, an Arab League official said on condition of anonymity. Another official said the League would still consider an answer from Damascus presented by the end of Friday.
“The deadline has already ended, but the Arab League leaves the door open for Syria to reply by the end of the day and if a positive Syrian response comes on Friday, then the Arab League has no objection to agreeing to it,” the official said.
Secretary General Nabil Elaraby received a letter from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem on Friday asking “a series of questions” about the agreement, the Arab League said in a statement quoted by the official Egyptian news agency MENA.
“It was expected today that the draft protocol between the General Secretariat of the Arab League and the Syrian government would be signed for the Arab League mission to start in Syria,” it said.
Arab League officials are due to convene again on Saturday to consider sanctions if Damascus does not sign the agreement.
These could include suspending flights to Syria, stopping dealings with the central bank, freezing Syrian government bank accounts and halting financial dealings, according to a statement issued at the end of Thursday’s Arab League meeting.
They could also decide to stop commercial trade with the government “with the exception of strategic commodities so as not to impact the Syrian people,” the statement said.
Under the Arab League initiative, Syria agreed to withdraw troops from urban centers, release political prisoners, start a dialogue with the opposition and allow monitors and international media into the country.
The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership two weeks ago.
Since then hundreds of people, including civilians, members of the security forces and army deserters, have been killed as the unrest, which the United Nations says has claimed at least 3,500 lives since March, continues unabated.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article538522.ece
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Yemen opposition to nominate ex-minister to form government
By REUTERS
SANAA, Nov 25, 2011: Opposition parties agreed on Friday to nominate the head of an alliance that led months of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh to form a new government, an opposition leader said.
Saleh transferred all his powers to Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after signing an agreement in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that was proposed by Gulf states to resolve the crisis resulting from months of demonstrations against Saleh’s rule.
Yahia Abu Usba, deputy head of the Yemeni Socialist Party, said that Mohammed Basindwa, a former foreign minister who now heads the opposition National Council formed after the protests broke out in February, had been nominated to be the next prime minister.
“I expect the vice president (Hadi) to issue a decision asking him (Basindwa) to form the national unity government tomorrow (Saturday),” Abu Usba told Reuters. Basindwa was foreign minister from 1993 to 1994.
The Gulf-backed accord, under which Saleh retains the title of president, provides for the formation of a new government led by the opposition to prepare for early presidential elections within 90 days.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article538611.ece
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Arab League prepares for Syria sanctions
(Reuters)
BEIRUT , 26 November 2011, - Arab officials will prepare plans for sanctions against Syria on Saturday over its failure to let Arab League monitors oversee an initiative aimed at ending a violent crackdown on protesters seeking an end to President Bashar Al Assad’s rule.
Damascus missed a Friday deadline to sign an agreement under which the Arab League planned to send observers to Syria, where the United Nations says 3,500 people have been killed since the start of the uprising in March.
Despite Syria’s pledge this month to withdraw its army from urban areas and let in the monitors, the violence has continued, prompting reprisals from the Arab League, stinging rebukes from Turkey and French proposals for humanitarian intervention.
Damascus, where the Assad family has ruled for 41 years, says regional powers helped incite the violence, which it blames on armed groups targeting civilians and its security forces.
Full Report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/November/middleeast_November693.xml§ion=middleeast
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Iraq says sanctions on Syria ‘not possible’
(AFP)
NAJAF, 26 November 2011: raqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Saturday that it was “not possible” to impose economic sanctions on Syria due to its commercial ties with Iraq and the large number of Iraqi refugees there.
“It is not possible, in the opinion of Iraq, to impose economic sanctions on Syria,” Zebari told a news conference in the Iraqi shrine city of Najaf.
“We announce our reservation on this issue,” he said, although it was not immediately clear if he meant that Iraq would refuse to enforce a proposed package of Arab sanctions, which was to be discussed by finance ministers on Saturday and foreign ministers on Sunday.
An Arab League deadline for Damascus to accept observers or face sanctions passed on Friday without a response from a defiant Syria.
With the deadline gone, Turkey said Syria’s failure to open its doors to an observer mission heightened concern that Damascus was trying to conceal a worsening humanitarian situation.
Thousands of people have been killed since March as President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has tried to suppress a popular uprising.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/November/middleeast_November690.xml§ion=middleeast
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