Pakistan: 4 Female Polio Workers killed: Taliban call them US Spies, oppose polio vaccination
New Age Islam News Bureau
18 Dec 2012
Pakistan
• Pakistan: 4 Female Polio Workers killed: Taliban call them US Spies, oppose polio vaccination
• Pakistan may disintegrate again, warns AQ Khan
• Gunmen kill three in Quetta
• 26/11 trial: Pak okays Indian team’s visit
• Bilawal Bhutto wants 'stringent action' against rapists of Hindu girl
• Imran Khan retracts his 'anti-women' comments
• After Malik's remarks, Pak says yet to take position on Kalia
• Proud of Kashmiris’ ‘indigenous struggle’, Pak Premier tells Hurriyat delegation
• Grenade attack at Pakistan army facility wounds 10
• Killing of students, seminary teacher condemned
• Pakistan, Afghanistan reach deal on Mullah Baradar’s release
• Death toll rises to 21 after Pak attack: officials
• PRC calls for repatriation of stranded Pakistanis
• Shia Ulema Council ends 40-hour sit-in
• Malik’s account on Hafiz Saeed puts Pak-India cricket series in jeopardy
• War on terror: Army rues ‘absence of political ownership’
• Civilian court: Eight men convicted by military court to face fresh trial
• Tattoos form of identification: Iftikhar
Arab World
• More than 3,000 Saudis support women driving
• Syrian Rebels Fight Palestinian Pro-Assad Group
• Syria says opposition rebels could use chemical weapons
• Libya: Thirty-eight year old dies as a result of torture
• Two Libyan soldiers killed
• Man charged with luring woman over web
• Keeping the Arabic language alive
• Egyptian media allegations unfounded: Abdullah
• Kingdom calls for high safety standards at nuclear facilities
• Syria Warns Refugees Not to Aid Rebels
• Egypt: Chief Public Prosecutor Quits After One Month
• Egyptian King Ramesses III's throat was slit, analysis reveals
• Jordanian Nezar Hindawi loses parole bid
• Syria's PM sneaks into war-torn Aleppo
• Assad deputy at odds with president over Syria war
• Dispute over Egyptian referendum triggers protest
Africa
• Four right-wing extremists terrorists held in South Africa
• Somalia militants break ties with US jihadist
• Angry Tunisians throw stones at president, speaker
• Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni: Don't kill gay people
• Ethiopian Muslim activists deny terror charges
South Asia
• Strike called in Bangladesh to ban Islamic parties
• Bangladesh factory fire tagged ‘act of sabotage’
• Afghans turn to AK-47, fearing Taliban return or civil war
• American company targeted in renewed Kabul violence
• A Pristine Afghan Prison Faces a Murky Future
• Afghan Basti school: imparting education and dignity
• Nato pullout could hit Afghan development: World Bank
Europe
• UN makes it easier for blacklisted Taliban to travel for peace talks
• David Cameron: Syria empowering new al-Qaeda generation
• France: Multinational Military Force Expected for Mali
• Fuel shortage blocks aid support in Syria, UN warns
• 100 Wounded Admitted to Damascus Hospital Daily: WHO
• Official: 2 Russians, 1 Italian Seized in Syria
• Heretics liable to be slain, says note found on militant’s body
North America
• In Sign of Normalization, Pentagon to Reimburse Pakistan $688 Million
• US lawmakers want Obama admin to stop racial profiling of Sikhs, Muslims
• US places ex-Lebanese information minister Michel Samaha on global terror list
• Hillary Clinton gets accountability report on Benghazi attacks
• Child survivor of US massacre recounts moments of terror
Mideast Asia
• Turkey university entrance exams to test religion
• Pope meets Abbas, calls for courage to reconcile
• Israelis fear economic collapse more than Iran: study
• Israel Sees New U.S. Poise, Including Military, to Curb Iran
• Israeli Embassy Deletes ‘Christmas Thought’ Attacking Palestinians From Facebook
• West Bank Land, Empty but Full of Meaning
• Israel approves East Jerusalem settlement plans
• Iran deports 80 Pakistanis
• Gaza fisherman shot, army arrests West Bankers
India
• Centre rejects SP’s demand for Muslim reservation in jobs
• Babri masjid demolition case: Court issues warrant against SP MP, former Shiv Sena legislator
• 78,000 sq km of Indian territory under Pak occupation: Govt
• Indian prisoners in Maldives lose hope as India sits on procedures
• 'Rly authorities playing into hands of cement importers'
• 12-day NIA custody for alleged Samjhauta bomber
• Shinde nails Pak lie on Hafiz Saeed's arrest in 26/11 case
• Militant killed in encounter in north Kashmir
• How a budding wrestler became Hindu terrorist
• MEA pulls out Dhaka driver after maid’s mystery death
• Hurriyat team asks India, Pak to fully open LoC
Southeast Asia
• Religious intolerance is alive and kicking
• Indonesia blames pilot error for deadly Sukhoi crash
• Yudhoyono Slams Habibie Remarks as 'Unethical'
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: The new exam questions however are controversial in a country which has non-Sunni Muslims, Christians and Jews, although 99 percent of the population is said to be Muslim
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pakistan-4-female-polio-workers/d/9727
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Pakistan
Pakistan: 4 Female Polio Workers killed: Taliban call them US Spies, oppose polio vaccination
December 18, 2012
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A senior health official says gunmen have killed four women working on a government polio vaccination campaign in the Pakistan's largest city, Karachi.
Sagher Ahmed, health minister for surrounding Sindh province, says the gunmen on Tuesday also wounded two men who were with the women.
The Taliban have spoken out against polio vaccination in recent months, claiming the health workers are acting as spies for the U.S. and the vaccine itself causes harm.
Ahmed says the shootings took place in a Karachi area populated by ethnic Pashtuns. The Taliban are a Pashtun movement, and many militants are reported to be hiding in these communities in Karachi.
On Monday, police said a gunman killed a volunteer for the World Health Organization's anti-polio campaign in Karachi.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/12/18/world/asia/ap-as-pakistan.html?ref=asia&gwh=F6DB6BF2518A2B5489CE19AFC659198D
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Pakistan may disintegrate again, warns AQ Khan
Dec 17, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is at present in a worse situation than it was in 1971, said disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, warning that "the day will not be far off when we disintegrate again" if social evils are not rectified soon.
"The country is at present in a worse situation than it was in 1971. It is plagued with all kinds of social evils. If we don't rectify this soon, the day will not be far off when we disintegrate again. In order to rectify the situation, the first and foremost necessity is to disengage ourselves from the foreign war and put our own house in order," Khan wrote in an article "Events of 1971" in the opinion section of a newspaper.
Khan was referring to the war of the India-Pakistan war of 1971, which led to the birth of Bangladesh.
He observed that all nations go through ups and downs - they have glorious periods and tragic ones. People usually ignore and forget the tragic ones while celebrating the good events with great pomp.
"It is most unfortunate that we in Pakistan have also not learnt any lessons from our past tragic mistakes. The breaking up of Pakistan on December 16, 1971, was one such recent event.
"Millions of Pakistanis are fully aware of the reasons behind that tragedy, but it seems that our rulers and the establishment are oblivious to these, despite the fact that it was such a traumatic experience," he wrote.
Khan was put under house arrest in 2004 after confessing to have sent nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea and sought the nation's forgiveness. He later retracted his remarks and alleged that he had been forced by former president Gen (retd.) Pervez Musharraf to make the statement.
His opinion piece said that the country was broken up, "hundreds of thousands of people were killed, women were raped and almost 92,000 army and other personnel were taken prisoner".
"...As is usual here, nobody was held responsible for such a big and tragic disaster."
Recalling the events, Khan wrote: "We know that in March 1971 Gen Yahya Khan sent Gen Tikka Khan to East Pakistan to crush `insurgents'. We saw our own army killing our own people. It is a well-known fact that, when given absolute power, people become cruel."
"Extremely horrible scenes were shown on TV abroad (I was in Belgium at the time) and I was ashamed to see that such cruel acts could be perpetrated by Muslims against Muslims - Pakistanis against fellow-Pakistanis. Everybody is aware of the fact that West Pakistani baboos considered East Pakistan a colony and treated its citizens in the same way as the British used to treat us."
He went on to say that the present situation in the country is not very different from that of 1971.
"Then, as now, the rulers and the establishment were under the illusion that they could and would crush their opponents...We are behaving no better than mercenaries - killing our own people for a few bucks. We have forgotten how to protect our own borders and sovereignty," he added.
Khan went on to say that it is unfortunate that both our political and military leaders are under the illusion that they can crush their opponents.
"They could not manage to do that to a very docile nation in 1971, how then can they contemplate crushing a martial race? They will be fighting for a thousand years and bleed the country to destruction and disintegration," he warned.
"The rulers and the establishment are using our poor, brave soldiers as cannon fodder for the sake of a paltry sum in dollars. This money does not contribute to our economy or strength..."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-may-disintegrate-again-warns-AQ-Khan/articleshow/17647829.cms
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Gunmen kill three in Quetta
December 18, 2012
QUETTA: Gunmen riding a motorbike shot dead a government official and two police officers in the city on Monday, police said.
“The assailants shot dead Khadim Hussain Noori, director of the public relations department of Balochistan provincial government,” city police chief Wali Khan Nasir told AFP. Noori had been parking his car when he was shot, he added. The 56-year-old civil servant was a member of the Shia community. “It appears to be a sectarian attack, the target was Noori,” Nasir said. The two gunmen then killed two police officials who pursued them after the attack on Noori, and managed to escape, he added. Funeral prayer of the two policemen was offered at the police lines on Monday. Home Secretary Mohammad Akbar Durani, Inspector General of Police Tariq Umer Khitab, CCPO Mir Zubair Mehmood and other police officials attended the funeral prayer. Rights activists have raised concerns about an increasing number of attacks on Shias in Balochistan. This month Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said he was determined to pursue the government over killings and disappearances in Balochistan. The chief justice said no one had been arrested over the killings of hundreds of Shias and reprimanded security forces for failing to take action. Baloch rebels have also been fighting since 2004 for political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region’s oil, mineral and gas resources. agencies
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\18\story_18-12-2012_pg7_3
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26/11 trial: Pak okays Indian team’s visit
Dec 18 2012
Islamabad : The Pakistan government on Monday gave its consent for a team of Indian legal experts to visit Islamabad this week to finalise the terms of reference for a Pakistani judicial commission that will go to Mumbai to gather evidence on the 2008 terror attacks on the financial hub.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/2611-trial-pak-okays-indian-team-s-visit/1046880/
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Bilawal Bhutto wants 'stringent action' against rapists of Hindu girl
Dec 17 2012
Islamabad : Pakistan's ruling PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari today directed the government of Sindh province to take "stringent action" against those responsible for the rape of a six-year-old Hindu girl.
Bilawal, who has begun assuming a larger role in the affairs of the Pakistan People's Party ahead of the formal launch of the party's campaign for next year's general election, instructed the Sindh government to "take stringent action against the real culprits so that they can be brought to book and punished for this inhuman crime".
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bilawal-bhutto-wants-stringent-action-against-rapists-of-hindu-gir.../1046594/
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Imran Khan retracts his 'anti-women' comments
Dec 18 2012
Lahore : Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan who is opposed to reserved seats for women in parliament, today retracted his critical remarks after facing the ire of women's organisations and lawmakers.
"Women should not be elected on reserved seats, rather they should be part of parliament after getting elected through (a direct) vote," the cricketer-turned-politician said, while addressing his party's women's wing over the weekend.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/imran-khan-retracts-his-antiwomen-comments/1047062/
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After Malik's remarks, Pak says yet to take position on Kalia
December 17, 2012
Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik was "a bit surprised" when the issue of torture of Kargil hero Capt Saurabh Kalia was raised by India, Pakistan high commissioner Salman Bashir said on Monday, insisting that Islamabad is yet to take a position on the matter.
"I am not in a position to add or subtract any thing at this point... but I can say that this point was mentioned, the day before yesterday in the meeting taking place between the two ministers," Bashir said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/After-Malik-s-remarks-Pak-says-yet-to-take-position-on-Kalia/Article1-974025.aspx
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Proud of Kashmiris’ ‘indigenous struggle’, Pak Premier tells Hurriyat delegation
ANITA JOSHUA
Dec 18 2012
Reiterating Pakistan’s support to the Kashmir cause, Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf on Monday told the visiting delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) that the Pakistani nation took “pride in the indigenous struggle waged by the people of Kashmir for their right of self-determination”.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/proud-of-kashmiris-indigenous-struggle-pak-premier-tells-hurriyat-delegation/article4210471.ece
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Grenade attack at Pakistan army facility wounds 10
Dec 18, 2012
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistani Police say two men on a motorcycle threw hand grenades at the main gate of an army recruiting center in the country's northwest, wounding 10 people.
Senior police official Ghulam Mohammed says Tuesday's attack took place in the garrison town of Risalpur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He says the injured included civilians and security personnel. The attackers fled the scene.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Grenade-attack-at-Pakistan-army-facility-wounds-10/articleshow/17662893.cms
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Killing of students, seminary teacher condemned
Dec 18 2012
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain has said that religious seminaries, mosques, and ulema were country assets, and it was our duty to protect them and. He said this while talking to Administrator of Jamia Ahsan-ul-Uloom Maulana Zarwali on Monday. He condemned killings of the students and a teacher of the madrasa some days ago and extended his sympathies to the teachers and students. He demanded of the government to bring the killers to justice. Talking to Maulana Zarwali Hussain said that students of madrasas were like his own children, and he has full sympathies with them.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\18\story_18-12-2012_pg12_5
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Pakistan, Afghanistan reach deal on Mullah Baradar’s release
By Imdad Hussain
December 18, 2012
ISLAMABAD: In a bid to show full support to the reconciliation process, Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached a deal for the release of senior Taliban leaders, including their former deputy chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Afghan official sources said on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C12%5C18%5Cstory_18-12-2012_pg1_5
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Death toll rises to 21 after Pak attack: officials
December 18, 2012
The death toll from a car bomb attack on a marketplace in northwestern Pakistan has risen to 21, officials said on Tuesday.
The bomb exploded on Monday in Jamrud, part of the tribal district of Khyber, close to where passengers were waiting to catch buses across the country.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/Death-toll-rises-to-21-after-Pak-attack-officials/Article1-974351.aspx
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PRC calls for repatriation of stranded Pakistanis
18 December 2012
The Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) held a symposium “Repatriation of stranded Pakistanis our national obligation” to commemorate the fall of Dhaka on Dec. 16, 1971. Pakistan lost its eastern wing in a war with India in 1971 resulting in the creation of Bangladesh.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/prc-calls-repatriation-stranded-pakistanis
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Shia Ulema Council ends 40-hour sit-in
Fasahat Mohiuddin
December 17, 2012
The Shia Ulema Council (SUC) has announced ending their 40-hour sit-in at Purani Numaish Chowrangi against sectarian killings after successful talks with the Sindh governor early Sunday morning.
A spokesperson for the Shia community, Ali Ahmer, said Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan had asked to talk to a Shia delegation at around 5am.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-148715-Shia-Ulema-Council-ends-40-hour-sit-in
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Malik’s account on Hafiz Saeed puts Pak-India cricket series in jeopardy
December 18, 2012
KARACHI: Citing Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s account on Hafiz Saeed’ arrest, Indian opposition on Monday demanded to call off the upcoming cricket series between the two countries, BBC Urdu Service reported.
Leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) have said that India should refrain itself from having dialogues with Pakistan. Former chief of the party Venkaiah Naidu said terrorism and cricket can not go along. “On one hand they (Pakistan) support terrorism and on the other a cricket series is being host for them…this can’t go side by side,” he said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/18/maliks-account-on-hafiz-saeed-puts-pak-india-cricket-series-in-jeopardy/
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War on terror: Army rues ‘absence of political ownership’
By Kamran Yousaf
December 18, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The recent brazen terrorist attack on the Peshawar airport appears to have exposed differences between the civilian government and the country’s powerful security establishment on how to fight, what many believe to be, the battle for survival.
With the country still reeling from the latest attack, the Pakistan Army has voiced concerns over what it says is the ‘absence of political ownership’ of the ongoing battle against militancy, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/481071/war-on-terror-army-rues-absence-of-political-ownership/
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Civilian court: Eight men convicted by military court to face fresh trial
By Mudassir Raja
December 18, 2012
RAWALPINDI:
Eight former army and air force officers, earlier convicted by a military court over their involvement in the 2003 suicide attack on former president Pervez Musharraf, are likely to face a fresh trial in a civilian court.
The Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi has been awaiting a response from the Punjab home department to initiate the trial in this regard.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/481068/civilian-court-eight-men-convicted-by-military-court-to-face-fresh-trial/
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Tattoos form of identification: Iftikhar
December 17, 2012
PESHAWAR: Provincial Information Minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mian Iftikhar said the terrorists were aiming to take over the Air Base and then the surrounding area, Geo News reported.
Speaking to the media he further added, that tattoos are a form of identification amongst terrorist organizations. He was referring to the Skull and Horn tattoo on the back of one of the terrorists killed during the attack.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-80051-Tattoos-form-of-identification:-Iftikhar
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Arab World
More than 3,000 Saudis support women driving
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
2012/12/18/
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A Saudi online newspaper says more than 3,000 nationals of the kingdom, including prominent writers and academics, have endorsed a study that recommends lifting a ban on women driving.
Sabaq quoted on Tuesday Abdullah al-Alami, a researcher who contributed to the study, as saying it was sent to King Abdullah’s main advisory body, the Shura Council, asking them to set a date to discuss it.
Full report at:
http://www.salon.com/2012/12/18/more_than_3000_saudis_support_women_driving/
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Syrian Rebels Fight Palestinian Pro-Assad Group
December 18, 2012
BEIRUT (AP) — Clashes between Syrian rebels and an armed Palestinian group loyal to President Bashar Assad raged inside a Damascus refugee camp Tuesday as opposition fighters pushed deeper into the capital, activists said.
The rebels fighting to topple Assad's regime have made significant tactical advances in the past weeks, capturing air bases and military installations in and around Damascus.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/12/18/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria-.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=311186B0A4CCEE4EE68C74019E263D5B
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Syria says opposition rebels could use chemical weapons
Dec 17, 2012
UNITED NATIONS: Syria's UN ambassador is warning that extremist groups could use chemical weapons against the Syrian people and blame the government.
Bashar Ja'afari reiterated in letters to the UN Security Council and secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, circulated Monday, that "Syria will not under any circumstances use any chemical weapons that it may have."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syria-says-opposition-rebels-could-use-chemical-weapons/articleshow/17655811.cms
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Libya: Thirty-eight year old dies as a result of torture
28 November 2012
In the night of 27 April 2012, Ahmed Abdallah Al Khamsa, aged 38, was arrested on his way home from presenting his condolences for the death of Mr Lotfi Ben Qaïd, an acquaintance. The arresting forces had initially gone to Mr Al Khamsa's home at 11.30 pm, but had not found him there. One of the agents present told the brother of the victim, who was at the family home, that Mr Al Khamsa had been summoned by the Prosecutor of Al Suwani for a routine interrogation about the death of Mr Ben Qaïd, but he did not show an arrest warrant for Mr Al Khamsa's arrest.
Full report at:
http://en.alkarama.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1023:libya-thirty-eight-year-old-dies-as-a-result-of-torture&catid=27:communiqu&Itemid=137
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Two Libyan soldiers killed
December 17, 2012
TRIPOLI: Gunmen killed two army officers on Sunday in a Libyan town that was one of the last strongholds of Moamer Qadhafi’s regime before his overthrow and killing last year, the military said.
Captains Mohamed al-Zarruk and Ahmed al-Haj Mohamed were killed when reinforcements were called in to the oasis town of Bani Walid, 170-km southeast of Tripoli, after interior ministry forces were trapped by gunmen, the army said.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-1-148827-Two-Libyan-soldiers-killed
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Man charged with luring woman over web
Marie Nammour / 18 December 2012
An Emirati national is facing charges of kidnap, rape and assault after allegedly preying a 24-year-old Iranian woman through a social networking site.
Youssef Foulaz, Chief Prosecutor of Deira, said the public prosecution referred the case to the Court of First Instance after it concluded that the accused kidnapped the victim after luring her to a parking lot of a shopping mall. The investigation was run by prosecutor Ali ohammed Al Suwaidi.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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Keeping the Arabic language alive
18 December 2012
Marking Unesco’s World Arabic Language Day, Dubai Culture is all set to unveil ‘Holal’, which will showcase the essence of the Arabic language, promoting its rich heritage in a contemporary fashion.
Slated today and in line with the Arabic Language Charter announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to establish Dubai as the centre of excellence for the Arabic language, the multi-faceted initiative will highlight the importance of keeping this treasured language alive, in young and old alike.
Full report at:
news@khaleejtimes.com
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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Egyptian media allegations unfounded: Abdullah
(Wam, AFP) / 18 December 2012
Allegations in the Egyptian media that the UAE is engaged in plots against the Egyptian leadership are completely without foundation and in fact are intended to damage the interests of the two countries and their historic and special relationship, UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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Kingdom calls for high safety standards at nuclear facilities
18 December 2012
Saudi Arabia has called on the international community to adopt practical measures in the realization of higher safety standards at nuclear facilities.
Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani, president of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), addressed the Fukushima ministerial conference on nuclear safety in Japan on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/kingdom-calls-high-safety-standards-nuclear-facilities
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Syria Warns Refugees Not to Aid Rebels
By HANIA MOURTADA and RICK GLADSTONE
December 18, 2012
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syria warned its Palestinian refugee population on Monday not to aid the insurgency that is fighting President Bashar al-Assad, as hundreds of Palestinians fled the Yarmouk neighborhood of Damascus. Many headed for relative safety in Lebanon, a day after Syrian forces attacked that neighborhood with airstrikes for the first time in the civil war.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/world/middleeast/syria-warns-palestinians-not-to-aid-
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Egypt: Chief Public Prosecutor Quits After One Month
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
December 18, 2012
The chief public prosecutor appointed last month by President Mohamed Morsi stepped down Monday after a demonstration by district prosecutors accusing him of political bias. The district prosecutors accused the new chief, Talaat Ibrahim Abdullah, of pressing one of their peers to file charges against a group of opposition protesters accused of receiving money to use violence. Mr. Morsi had said that appointing Mr. Abdullah as chief prosecutor was one of the main goals of the Nov. 22 presidential decree granting himself temporary power above the courts, which set off weeks of protests here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/world/africa/chief-public-prosecutor-in-egypt-quits-after-one-month.html?ref=world&gwh=C0722B9B521F59EFBC7871618CEC471B
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Egyptian King Ramesses III's throat was slit, analysis reveals
By Michelle Roberts
December 18, 2012
Conspirators murdered Egyptian King Ramesses III by slitting his throat, experts now believe, based on a new forensic analysis.
The first CT scans to examine the king's mummy reveal a cut to the neck deep enough to be fatal.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20755264
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Jordanian Nezar Hindawi loses parole bid
December 18, 2012
A man jailed for 45 years for plotting to blow up an Israeli airliner has lost a High Court battle for parole.
Lawyers for Jordanian Nezar Hindawi, 57, said he no longer posed a threat and it was safe to release him on licence.
But Mr Justice Blake said a Parole Board decision to reject his bid had been "rational and lawful".
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20757462
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Syria's PM sneaks into war-torn Aleppo
December 18, 2012
Syria's prime minister has made a dangerous visit to the war-damaged city Aleppo in an attempt to shore up support for president Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Wael al-Halki is considered a top target by Syrian rebels who control many districts of Aleppo, Syria's largest city.
Full report at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-18/syrias-prime-minister-sneaks-into-war-torn-aleppo/4434016
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Assad deputy at odds with president over Syria war
December 18, 2012
DAMASCUS - President Bashar al-Assad's deputy said a clear winner is unlikely to emerge from Syria's 21-month war, in remarks published on Monday, as UN chief Ban Ki-moon voiced alarm at escalating bloodshed.
Faruq al-Sharaa, a Sunni Muslim, also told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar he preferred a negotiated solution to the conflict, a position at odds with Assad, who is from the Alawite offshoot of Shiite Islam.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/18-Dec-2012/assad-deputy-at-odds-with-president-over-syria-war
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Dispute over Egyptian referendum triggers protest
December 18, 2012
CAIRO - Egypt’s opposition is calling for mass protests on Tuesday after Islamists backing President Mohamed Mursi claimed victory in the first round of a referendum it alleges was riddled with polling violations.
The opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, urged Egyptians to “take to the streets on Tuesday to defend their freedoms, prevent fraud and reject the draft constitution” ahead of the next round of voting on Saturday. It claimed “irregularities and violations” marred the initial stage of the referendum last weekend across half of Egypt that Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood said resulted in a 57 percent “yes” vote, according to its unofficial tally.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/18-Dec-2012/dispute-over-egyptian-referendum-triggers-protest
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Africa
Four right-wing extremists terrorists held in South Africa
18 December 2012
BLOEMFONTEIN/JOHANNESBURG: South African police have arrested four right-wing extremists, suspected of having weapons and planning attacks on undisclosed targets, a spokesman said yesterday.
After a nearly two-year investigation, police arrested four men, "believed to be right-wing extremists, suspected of acts of terrorism," according to police spokesman Brig. Billy Jones.
During a raid, police said they uncovered evidence supporting the investigation on their premises.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/four-right-wing-terrorists-held-south-africa
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Somalia militants break ties with US jihadist
17 December 2012
NAIROBI, Kenya: Somalia’s Al-Qaeda linked Shabab militants said Monday they had broken ties with a US extremist who rose to fame for his rap videos urging fellow Americans to join him to fight.
Omar Hamami — better known as Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki (the American) — was once viewed as a key foreign leader within the Shabab, and was placed last month on the FBI’s list of most wanted terrorists.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/somalia-militants-break-ties-us-jihadist
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Angry Tunisians throw stones at president, speaker
18 December 2012
Protesters yesterday hurled rocks at Tunisia’s President Moncef Marzouki and Parliamentary Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar in Sidi Bouzid, cradle of the revolution that erupted exactly two years ago.
The incident began after a speech by Marzouki and as Ben Jaafar was about to address the crowd in the poor Tunisian town, where muted celebrations are taking place to mark the anniversary of the uprising.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/angry-tunisians-throw-stones-president-speaker
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Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni: Don't kill gay people
December 18, 2012
Uganda's president has said gay people should not be killed or persecuted, as MPs continue to consider a controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
In his first public comments on the bill for some time, President Yoweri Museveni also said that homosexuality should not be promoted.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20754891
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Ethiopian Muslim activists deny terror charges
18 December 2012
ADDIS ABABA: A group of more than two dozen Ethiopian Muslims has pleaded not guilty to charges of terrorism.
Federal prosecutors are accusing the group, which includes prominent clerics and journalists, with terrorism and attempts to create an Islamic state that would undermine the country's secular constitution. Among the 28 pleading not guilty yesterday is the wife of a former senior Cabinet minister who was fired last month after publicly defending her. One defendant did not plead and instead said he was mentally unfit to stand trial.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/ethiopian-muslim-activists-deny-terror-charges-0
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South Asia
Strike called in Bangladesh to ban Islamic parties
Dec 18, 2012
DHAKA, Bangladesh: A general strike to demand that Muslim-majority Bangladesh ban Islamic political parties has shut down schools and stores and disrupted traffic in Dhaka, the capital.
A coalition of five leftist parties was enforcing Tuesday's dawn-to-dusk nationwide strike, a common tactic in Bangladesh to highlight demands.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Strike-called-in-Bangladesh-to-ban-Islamic-parties/articleshow/17660972.cms
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Bangladesh factory fire tagged ‘act of sabotage’
17 December 2012
DHAKA: A fire that killed 111 workers at a Bangladesh garment factory last month was an act of sabotage and managers at the plant prevented victims from escaping, the head of an official inquiry said Monday.
Speaking to AFP after submitting his report on the tragedy to the government, Main Uddin Khandaker also said his team had recommended the owner should face murder charges over the deadliest fire ever at a Bangladeshi garment factory.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/bangladesh-factory-fire-tagged-%E2%80%98act-sabotage%E2%80%99
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Afghans turn to AK-47, fearing Taliban return or civil war
Dec 18 2012
Kabul : Afghan father-of-four Mohammad Nasir has a secret he's been keeping from his family.
The aid worker pulls a television bench out from the living-room wall of his Kabul home. Behind it is a carved out shelf, hiding what he hopes will keep loved ones safe when Western troops withdraw by the end of 2014 -- an AK-47 assault rifle.
Arms purchases are soaring in Afghanistan, along with the price of weapons, a sign that many Afghans fear a return of the Taliban, civil war or rising lawlessness.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/afghans-turn-to-ak47-fearing-taliban-return-or-civil-war/1046997/
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American company targeted in renewed Kabul violence
18 December 2012
KABUL: A Taleban car bomb targeted a US company in Kabul yesterday, killing two person and wounding at least 30 shortly after a landmine killed 10 young girls in eastern Afghanistan, officials said.
It was the most brazen assault targeting Westerners in the fortified Afghan capital since a suicide car bomber killed 12 people, including eight South Africans, on Sept. 18.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/american-company-targeted-renewed-kabul-violence
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A Pristine Afghan Prison Faces a Murky Future
By ALISSA J. RUBIN
December 18, 2012
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan — The first thing one notices about the new prison here is the smell, or rather the absence of it. Helmand Central Prison does not reek of sewage or sweat or old clothes or rancid cooking oil, the typical odors of an Afghan lockup. The air smells, dare one say, fresh.
Also noteworthy are the bathroom floors, which are sparkling, and the outer walls, which are made of concrete, not mud, like so much of this country’s prison infrastructure.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/world/asia/a-pristine-afghan-prison-faces-a-murky-
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Afghan Basti school: imparting education and dignity
December 17, 2012
Through a dusty pathway in the middle of a crowded bazaar, past an Afghan woman clad in a fully covered burqa, and half dressed Afghan children nibbling on a piece of roti, Najeebullah, 10, walks into a door to enter a clean five-room welcoming school, much unlike its surroundings.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-148716-Afghan-Basti-school-imparting-education-and-dignity
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Nato pullout could hit Afghan development: World Bank
December 18, 2012
WASHINGTON: Afghanistan is having trouble keeping hard-earned development gains due to looming security challenges when Nato military forces withdraw in 2014, an internal World Bank audit said Monday.
The review said the Bank’s programs in the war-torn country had achieved “impressive results” in areas like public health, telecommunications and community development.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/18/nato-pullout-could-hit-afghan-development-world-bank/
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Europe
UN makes it easier for blacklisted Taliban to travel for peace talks
December 18, 2012
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council renewed its Taliban sanctions regime on Monday, but made it easier for blacklisted people to get an exemption to travel outside of Afghanistan for peace and reconciliation talks.
US-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government in late 2001 when it refused to hand over al Qaeda militants, including Osama bin Laden, after the Islamist network’s hijacked airliner attacks on the United States on Sept 11.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/18/un-makes-it-easier-for-blacklisted-taliban-to-travel-for-peace-talks/
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David Cameron: Syria empowering new al-Qaeda generation
December 18, 2012
David Cameron has warned there was a "strategic" as well as "moral imperative" to act as the death toll in Syria mounts.
The prime minister told MPs: "Syria is attracting and empowering a new cohort of al-Qaeda-linked extremists".
He also saw a growing risk of "drawing regional powers into direct conflict".
The PM said European leaders had agreed, at their recent summit, on the need to review the arms embargo to help opponents to President Bashar al-Assad.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20762098
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France: Multinational Military Force Expected for Mali
By SCOTT SAYARE
December 18, 2012
France expects that the United Nations Security Council will authorize the deployment of a multinational African military force in Mali in the coming days, but operations to regain control of the country’s north would begin no earlier than August or September, a French diplomat said Monday. Northern Mali is controlled by several violent Islamist and separatist groups, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/world/europe/multinational-military-force-expected-for-mali.html?ref=world&gwh=1ACF7C92A20910A397981F014C144726
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Fuel shortage blocks aid support in Syria, UN warns
December 18, 2012
The UN's humanitarian chief has called on Syria to urgently allow fuel imports for aid deliveries and give access to 10 more aid agencies.
Valerie Amos met government officials in the capital, Damascus, to discuss the growing humanitarian crisis.
UN workers also needed to freely move into opposition-controlled areas to step up their aid efforts, she said.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20765278
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100 Wounded Admitted to Damascus Hospital Daily: WHO
December 18, 2012
GENEVA (Reuters) - Up to 100 wounded are being admitted each day to the main Damascus hospital, where medicines and anesthetics are in short supply, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/18/world/europe/18reuters-syria-crisis-
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Official: 2 Russians, 1 Italian Seized in Syria
December 18, 2012
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's foreign ministry said Tuesday that two Russians were kidnapped alongside an Italian in Syria and that their captors have asked for a ransom for their release.
The three, who worked at a Syrian steel plant, were kidnapped late Monday on the road between Tartus, where Russia has a naval base, and Homs, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a web-posted statement.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/12/18/world/europe/ap-eu-russia-
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Heretics liable to be slain, says note found on militant’s body
December 18, 2012
Ismail Khan
PESHAWAR: “My name is Musa’b and I am from Dagestan (Russia),” so wrote one of the militants who ended up fighting, holed up inside an under-construction house, barely a kilometre away from the scene of Saturday night’s brazen attack on the Pakistan Air Force base inside the Bacha Khan International Airport.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/18/heretics-liable-to-be-slain-says-note-found-on-militants-body/
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North America
In Sign of Normalization, Pentagon to Reimburse Pakistan $688 Million
By ERIC SCHMITT and DAVID E. SANGER
December 18, 2012
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon quietly notified Congress this month that it would reimburse Pakistan nearly $700 million for the cost of stationing 140,000 troops on the border with Afghanistan, an effort to normalize support for the Pakistani military after nearly two years of crises and mutual retaliation.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/world/asia/pentagon-to-reimburse-pakistan-688-
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US lawmakers want Obama admin to stop racial profiling of Sikhs, Muslims
Dec 18 2012
Washington : Around 16 Congressmen signed off to a letter asking the Transportation Security Administration – the federal agency responsible for security of airports in the country – to stop racial profiling of people from South Asia and Middle East including Black, Sikhs and Muslims travelers.
"Despite efforts to prevent profiling by its screeners, news reports indicate that (TSA) Transportation Security Administration screeners continue to subject Sikh, South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Black travellers to profiling. In the past few months incidents have occurred at airports in Massachusetts, Hawaii and New Jersey," Congressman Judy Chu said in his dear colleague letter urging them to sign the letter addressed to the TSA Administrator, John S Pistole.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-lawmakers-want-obama-admin-to-stop-racial-profiling-of-sikhs-musli.../1046952/
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US places ex-Lebanese information minister Michel Samaha on global terror list
Dec 18, 2012
WASHINGTON: The United States has named Lebanese ex-information minister Michel Samaha to its global terror list for allegedly aiding Damascus launch assassinations in Lebanon.
Samaha, 64, was arrested in August by Lebanese authorities and accused of plotting to assassinate Lebanese leaders and of transporting explosives into Lebanon for such attacks, the US Treasury said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/US-places-ex-Lebanese-information-minister-Michel-Samaha-on-global-terror-list/articleshow/17656993.cms
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Hillary Clinton gets accountability report on Benghazi attacks
Dec 18, 2012
WASHINGTON: Secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Monday received an official review of the September attack on a US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, setting the stage for testimony on an incident that prompted a political furor and sharp questions about security at US diplomatic facilities overseas.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Hillary-Clinton-gets-accountability-report-on-Benghazi-attacks/articleshow/17657902.cms
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Child survivor of US massacre recounts moments of terror
Dec 18, 2012
NEWTOWN, Connecticut: Nine-year-old Nicholas Sabillon was remarkably composed as he recounted how the Connecticut gunman who killed his schoolmates pounded on the locked door of the room where he was hiding. He shouted "Let me in, let me in!" said Nicholas, who was interviewed with his parents Jose and Sherry.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Child-survivor-of-US-massacre-recounts-moments-of-terror/articleshow/17659970.cms
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Mideast Asia
Turkey university entrance exams to test religion
Dec 18, 2012
ANKARA: Questions about religion will be introduced in two Turkish university entrance exams next year, a first in the mainly Muslim but staunchly secular country, an official said Tuesday.
Students will be asked to answer five questions on religion in the Transition to Higher Education Examination (YGS) on March 24, and eight questions in the social sciences branch of the Undergraduate Placement Examination known as LYS-4 on June 15, the official told AFP.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Turkey-university-entrance-exams-to-test-religion/articleshow/17665935.cms
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Pope meets Abbas, calls for courage to reconcile
18 December 2012
VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI received Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas yesterday and called on all parties involved in the Middle East crisis to find the courage to work together for peace and reconciliation.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/pope-meets-abbas-calls-courage-reconcile
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Israelis fear economic collapse more than Iran: study
17 December 2012
JERUSALEM: Three-quarters of Israelis see social and economic collapse in the Jewish state as more of a threat than Iran’s disputed nuclear program, a charity said on Monday.
In its Alternative Poverty Report for 2012, food charity Latet — Hebrew for “to give” — said poverty and social inequality were the main concerns of most Israelis, followed by education, with national security only in third place.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/israelis-fear-economic-collapse-more-iran-study
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Israel Sees New U.S. Poise, Including Military, to Curb Iran
December 18, 2012
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S.-led efforts to curb Iran's nuclear program have resumed since President Barack Obama's re-election and include preparation for possible military action, a senior Israeli official said on Tuesday.
The remarks by Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon suggested cautious optimism at prospects for an international resolution to the decade-old standoff with Tehran, though Israel says it remains ready to attack its arch-foe alone as a last resort.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/12/18/world/middleeast/18reuters-iran-nuclear-israel.html?ref=middleeast
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Israeli Embassy Deletes ‘Christmas Thought’ Attacking Palestinians From Facebook
By ROBERT MACKEY
December 18, 2012
A "Christmas thought," suggesting that if Jesus lived in the modern world he would "probably end up being lynched in Bethlehem by hostile Palestinians," was deleted from the official Facebook page of Israel's embassy in Ireland on Monday, just a few hours after it was posted.
The Lede captured a screenshot of the update, and of a second message giving credit for the thought to a Facebook friend of the embassy, before both posts were deleted from the page and replaced with an apology "to anyone who may have been offended." Later on Monday, after reporters began scrutinizing its contents, the entire Facebook account disappeared from the social network.
Full report at:
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/israeli-embassy-deletes-christmas-thought-
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West Bank Land, Empty but Full of Meaning
By STEVEN ERLANGER
December 18, 2012
AL ZAYYEM, West Bank — They buried Rabi al-Essawy 14 months ago on land his family owns not far from this village, between East Jerusalem and the large Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim. Mr. Essawy, 65, was a member of an important clan, and thousands attended his funeral.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/world/middleeast/e1-on-west-bank-is-empty-but-full-
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Iran deports 80 Pakistanis
December 18, 2012
QUETTA: Iranian security forces handed over 80 Pakistani nationals to Pakistani officials on Taftan border.
Levies Force said on Monday that these Pakistani workers had been arrested by Iranian security forces because they were living in Iran after expiry of their visa period. Pakistani officials deployed on Taftan Zero Gate on Pak-Iran border received these deportees and later handed over them to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further interrogation. app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\18\story_18-12-2012_pg7_21
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Israel approves East Jerusalem settlement plans
December 18, 2012
The Israeli authorities have approved plans to build 1,500 more homes at a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.
An interior ministry spokesman said its district planning commission had given preliminary approval for the construction in Ramat Shlomo.
The number of homes is slightly lower than the builder had applied for.
The controversial project was revived as part of Israel's response to a UN decision to grant the Palestinians the status of non-member observer state.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20760864
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Gaza fisherman shot, army arrests West Bankers
December 18, 2012
GAZA CITY - Israeli naval forces shot and wounded a Palestinian fisherman in waters off the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, sources on both sides said.Nizar Aayesh, head of the Gaza fishermen’s union, said the man was wounded when navy gunfire hit his boat after which he was taken to hospital in the southern Israeli port city of Ashkelon.“There was shooting towards a Palestinian fishing boat in the sea off northern Gaza. One fisherman was injured and the occupation’s navy took him to Barzilai hospital,” he told AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/18-Dec-2012/gaza-fisherman-shot-army-arrests-west-bankers
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India
Centre rejects SP’s demand for Muslim reservation in jobs
Dec 18 2012
New Delhi : Soon after the Rajya Sabha passed a bill to provide quota in promotions for SC, ST public servants — a legislation pushed hard by BSP chief Mayawati — the Centre dismissed the demand of her rival, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, for similar reservation for Muslims.
The government instead favoured securing a favourable judgment from the Supreme Court to implement its decision to carve out 4.5 per cent quota for backward minorities from the 27 per cent OBC quota, Minority Affairs Minister K Rehman Khan said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/centre-rejects-sp-s-demand-for-muslim-reservation-in-jobs/1046754/
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Babri masjid demolition case: Court issues warrant against SP MP, former Shiv Sena legislator
Dec 18, 2012
FAIZABAD/LUCKNOW: The special CBI court in Lucknow on Monday issued non-bailable warrant against Samajwadi Party MP from Qaiserganj Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and former Shiv Sena MLA Pawan Pandey, accused in the Babri masjid demolition case, for not being present during the trial. Also, they weren't represented by their lawyers. Special judge Shashi Mauli Tripathi directed the CBI to ensure compliance of the order by December 22.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Babri-masjid-demolition-case-Court-issues-warrant-against-SP-MP-former-Shiv-Sena-legislator/articleshow/17659143.cms
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78,000 sq km of Indian territory under Pak occupation: Govt
Dec 18 2012
New Delhi : Pakistan has been in illegal and forcible occupation of 78,000 sq km of Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir, Lok Sabha was informed today.
Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran also said that under the 'Sino-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963', Pakistan has illegally ceded 5180 sq km of Indian territory in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to China.
The Minister said there is no encroachment by foreign countries along the Indo-Bangladesh, Indo-China, Indo-Nepal, Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Myanmar borders.
"Government remains vigilant and is firm in its resolve to take necessary steps to effectively safeguard India's security and territorial integrity," he said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/78000-sq-km-of-indian-territory-under-pak-occupation-govt/1047067/
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Indian prisoners in Maldives lose hope as India sits on procedures
R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN
Dec 18 2012
It is over a year since both sides signed an agreement to transfer convicted inmates
More than a year after India and the Maldives signed an agreement on transfer of convicted prisoners, as many as 14 Indian inmates in the archipelago are losing hope of being transferred to prisons in their country.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-prisoners-in-maldives-lose-hope-as-india-sits-on-procedures/article4206904.ece
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'Railway authorities playing into hands of cement importers'
By Yudhvir Rana
Dec 18, 2012
AMRITSAR: Indian exporters of spices, machinery and other goods to Pakistan via rail route are blaming railway authorities for playing into the hands of influential cement importers' lobby and deliberately ignoring their interests.
The waiting list for wagons have crossed 2,200 mark and to add to their woes, the diversion of export of soybean via land route has severely affected export of fresh vegetables which has resulted in waiting period of clearance of trucks loaded with perishable goods to three to five days.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rly-authorities-playing-into-hands-of-cement-importers/articleshow/17659337.cms
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12-day NIA custody for alleged Samjhauta bomber
Dec 18, 2012
PANCHKULA: The national investigation agency (NIA) special court on Monday remanded Rajender Chaudhary alias Pehalwan, a key accused in the Samjhauta Express blast, in 12-day NIA custody till December 28.
Chaudhary, who is also an accused in Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid blast case, was arrested by NIA from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday and labeled as the man who planted bombs on the train.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/12-day-NIA-custody-for-alleged-Samjhauta-bomber/articleshow/17658579.cms
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Shinde nails Pak lie on Hafiz Saeed's arrest in 26/11 case
Dec 18, 2012
NEW DELHI: Pakistan's claim that it had "arrested" 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks has turned to be incorrect as the Lashkar-e-Taiba chief was picked up for unrelated cases and Islamabad hoodwinked India by concealing these facts.
Indian officials belatedly realized that they were taken for a ride when they examined documents given to them on Saeed by the delegation led by Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik that was recently in India.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Shinde-nails-Pak-lie-on-Hafiz-Saeeds-arrest-in-26/11-case/articleshow/17657708.cms
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Militant killed in encounter in north Kashmir
December 18, 2012
A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Sopore area of Baramulla district in north Kashmir on Tuesday.
The ultra was killed in a joint operation launched by police and Army in Sadhpora village of Sopore town, 55kms from Srinagar, a police spokesman said.
He said the operation was still in progress when last reports were received.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Srinagar/Militant-killed-in-encounter-in-north-Kashmir/Article1-974303.aspx
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How a budding wrestler became Hindu terrorist
Rajesh Ahuja, Hindustan Times
December 17, 2012
Alleged Samjhauta train and Mecca Masjid bomber Rajendra Pehelwan alias Samandar first wanted to be a wrestler. That’s how Pehelwan got suffixed to his name.
The next aim was to qualify for MP civil services exams. But he ended up getting involved with the gang of right-wing extremists that carried out bomb blasts in mosques and places frequented by Muslims in retaliation to jehadi terrorism in the country.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/How-a-budding-wrestler-became-Hindu-terrorist/Article1-974187.aspx
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MEA pulls out Dhaka driver after maid’s mystery death
Dec 18 2012
New Delhi : The Ministry of External Affairs has quietly recalled an Indian driver posted at its high commission in Dhaka after his maid was found dead under mysterious circumstances .
On the face of it, this should have been treated as a regular crime case but New Delhi pulled out the driver within weeks of the incident, adding to the suspicion that there was more to it. It’s also believed the staffer may have been more closely associated with the woman.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mea-pulls-out-dhaka-driver-after-maid-s-mystery-death/1046876/
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Hurriyat team asks India, Pak to fully open LoC
Dec 17 2012
Islamabad : All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Sunday called on the leadership of India and Pakistan to fully open the Line of Control (LoC) for travel and trade to give impetus to the peace process.
The limited opening of the LoC for some trade routes and cross-border bus services was not enough, he told reporters during an interaction in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hurriyat-team-asks-india-pak-to-fully-open-loc/1046319/
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Southeast Asia
Religious intolerance is alive and kicking
December 18 2012
Observing a growing intolerance in the country, a human rights watchdog announced on Monday that it had recorded increasing hostility against religious minorities, from 299 cases last year to 371 incidents this year.
To make matters worse, the Setara Institute said those attacks against minorities had claimed 10 lives nationwide, including two Shiites in Sampang, Madura, last August, and three others in Bireuen, Aceh.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/18/religious-intolerance-alive-and-kicking.html
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Indonesia blames pilot error for deadly Sukhoi crash
Dec 18 2012
Jakarta : Indonesian investigators blamed pilot error today for the deadly May crash of a Sukhoi jet, post-Soviet Russia's first passenger plane, which descended dangerously low and slammed into a volcano.
The flight, with a veteran pilot at the controls, was planned as a 40-minute joy ride to showcase the new Russian plane to prospective buyers in Indonesia, where the aviation industry is booming.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indonesia-blames-pilot-error-for-deadly-sukhoi-crash/1047041/
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Yudhoyono Slams Habibie Remarks as 'Unethical'
Zakir Hussain
December 18, 2012
Jakarta. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has criticized former Malaysian minister and newspaperman Zainuddin Maidin for insulting Indonesia's ex-president B.J. Habibie in an article, saying the comments are unethical and overstep the boundary.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/yudhoyono-slams-habibie-remarks-as-unethical/562360
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