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Islamic World News ( 1 Nov 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Professor Elected as Prime Minister of Libya

Pak supports extension for Sharma as Secretary General of the Commonwealth: Gilani

Lal Masjid cleric acquitted in four cases

Islamabad: Lok Virsa holds festivity to promote Pakhtun culture

‘Target killer’ among eight arrested in Karachi

Three killed in separate incidents of violence in metropolis, Karachi

Attack near UN office kills 4 in Afghanistan

Suicide bombers hit US, UN offices in Kandahar

Blasts destroy 3 Yemeni fighter jets

Four civilians, army deserter killed in Syria violence

Seven asylum-seekers dead in Indonesian boat capsize

UN investigators find new signs of Syria-Pak nuke tie

Gaddafi’s chemical weapons found in Libya: Libya’s interim Prime Minister

Gaddafi wanted Libya death, not ICC trial: ex-aide

Afghanistan, Pakistan presidents meet in Turkey

Afghans, Pakistan may use talks to ease tensions: Turks

Pakistani militiaman who shot US soldier acted alone: Pentagon

Regional countries to play supportive role in Afghanistan: FMA

Forces blow up Taliban houses in Bara

Haqqani network may be linked to Kabul attack

Arab League: Syria told to withdraw tanks

New signs of Syria-Pakistan nuke tie: AP

China spacecraft launches on key mission

Palestine becomes member of UNESCO, US threatens to halt fund

Pakistan, Turkey agree to swap currency

BHC orders to bring back Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz in Bugti murder case

US wants Pakistani intelligence help in Afghan talks: NYT

India: PC backs Omar on AFSPA exit in some pockets

Commission on Abbottabad interviews foreign secy

LHC seeks list of foreign prisoners who have served term

‘Political confrontation will damage country’s democratic system’: PML-N

Butt and Asif convicted in spot fixing trial

Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/professor-elected-prime-minister-libya/d/5804

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Professor Elected as Prime Minister of Libya

October 31, 2011

Libya’s interim leadership on Monday elected an electrical engineering professor who has taught in the United States as the country’s new prime minister.

Abdurrahim el-Keib, a member of the revolutionary Tripoli Council, received 26 out of a total 51 votes from the provisional National Transitional Council. He beat out four other candidates and is expected to appoint a Cabinet within days.

Mr. el-Keib replaces U.S.-educated Mahmoud Jibril, who stepped down from the post in the face of growing criticism from his revolutionary colleagues. Neither Mr. Jibril nor NTC Chairman Mustapha Abdel-Jalil ran for election.

Mr. el-Keib said in a news conference in Tripoli that his priority will be to build a nation that “respects human rights.”

In a recent phone interview with The Washington Times, Mr. el-Keib said Libya’s new leadership will face a number of challenges as it begins to run the country ruled for four decades by Moammar Gadhafi.

“One of the challenges is to rebuild the country that has been under the oppression of the tyrant for 42 years,” he said.

Mr. el-Keib’s government faces the challenge of ensuring security in Libya by uniting various rebel and pro-Gadhafi factions and taking control of weapons that have flooded the country over the course of the eight-month revolution. The government also will oversee the drafting of a new constitution.

Mr. el-Keib was optimistic about the abilities of the revolutionaries to do the job.

“The good news is that we have the will and the financial resources to take care of the challenges,” he told The Times.

Mr. el-Keib taught at the University of Alabama, North Carolina State University, the University of Tripoli, American University of Sharjah and more recently at the Petroleum Institute in the United Arab Emirates.

He spent most of his life outside Libya because of his opposition to the Gadhafi regime.

According to Libyan revolutionary plans, a transitional government must be in place within four weeks after the declaration that the country has been liberated.

Elections to the national assembly must be held within eight months of this declaration. The council is not an elected body.

The council declared Libya liberated on Oct. 23, three days after Gadhafi died in the custody of revolutionaries in his birthplace, Sirte.

The council has said it will investigate the circumstances of the death of the dictator, who was seen in cellphone videos alive in the custody of the revolutionaries and later dead from gunshot wounds.

Mustafa Abushagur, who has known Mr. el-Keib for almost 40 years and taught with him at the University of Alabama, described the new prime minister as “a first-rate educator and natural leader.”

“He is a natural team player. He is very passionate about serving his country,” Mr. Abushagur said.

Meanwhile, NATO officially concluded its mission in Libya on Monday.

Senior council officials, including Mr. Abdel-Jalil, the chairman, had sought an extension of the NATO mission saying pro-Gadhafi fighters still pose a threat to Libya’s internal security.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/31/professor-elected-as-prime-minister-of-libya/?page=2

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Pak supports extension for Sharma as Secretary General of the Commonwealth: Gilani

Nov 1, 2011,

Islamabad : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today supported India's proposal for an extension in the term of Kamlesh Sharma as Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

In a message from Perth where he is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Gilani backed India's move for Sharma to be given another four-year term.

Gilani said that "Pakistan fully supports the extension in the term of Mr Sharma", an official statement said.

Veteran Indian diplomat Sharma was today re-appointed Secretary General of the 54-nation grouping for a term beginning April 2012.

India proposed 70-year-old Sharma's name for a second term at the concluding session of the CHOGM and Pakistan seconded it.

The move follows India's backing of Pakistan in recent elections for a non-permanent slot in the UN Security Council.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/867801/

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Lal Masjid cleric acquitted in four cases

By Obaid Abbasi

Nov 1, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

District courts acquitted the chief cleric of Lal Masjid in four of the 12 cases registered against him for crimes including challenging government writ by keeping illegal arms.

Judicial Magistrate Kashif Qayyum Sheikh acquitted Abdul Aziz in four cases which were registered against him at the Aabpara police station. The cases included delivering provocative speeches against former president Pervez Musharraf’s government, participation in the issuance of ‘fatwas’ against the military operation in the tribal areas, keeping illegal arms and kidnapping policemen.

Aziz’s counsel Wajeehullah Khan contended that his client was not guilty and that Musharraf implicated him in false cases where the prosecution presented only nine witnesses during proceedings.

He argued that the prosecution had failed to submit enough witnesses and evidence against his client, saying that recordings of Aziz’s speeches were also not presented before the court by the prosecution.

In a case registered against Aziz in 2005, he was accused of delivering provocative speeches against the government during the now defunct Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal protest led by former MNA Mian Muhammad Aslam, thus inciting protestors to injure policemen and damage police motorcycles.

Two cases were filed against the cleric in 2004 and 2005 when the Aabpara police conducted raids on Lal Masjid to arrest Aziz and his brother Abdul Rashid Ghazi, the brothers fled from the scene and the police recovered arms and ammunition from their drawing room. One case alleged that the accused had resisted arrest when the Aabpara police raided the mosque.

In another case registered in 2007, he was accused of threatening the government with a backlash of suicide attacks if the government tried to tear down Lal Masjid or Jamia Hafsa, the women’s faculty. At least 10 soldiers and a Rangers official were killed, along with 91 suspected militants.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/285881/lal-masjid-cleric-acquitted-in-four-cases/

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Islamabad: Lok Virsa holds festivity to promote Pakhtun culture

Nov 1, 2011,

ISLAMABAD: A cultural event to focus on Pakhtun indigenous folk culture was held here at Shakarparian under the aegis of Lok Virsa and Pakhtun community. Musharraf Bangash, Waheed Achakzai, Rashid Khan, Shahab Khiski, Islam Zarin Khattak, Raj Wali Marwat, Amina Khan and Sidra Khan performed on the occasion. Rahim Achakzai hosted the event. Shakir Zeeshan Khattak coordinated the event on behalf of the Pakhtun community. Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Labour Sher Azam Wazir was the chief guest on the occasion. A large number of people from different walks of life appreciated the efforts of Lok Virsa in promoting the regional culture. Lok Virsa Executive Director (ED) Khalid Javaid said “This is a way of proclaiming Lok Virsa’s commitment to the high stature that folk artists and musicians have in cultural mainstream of the nation.” ED also informed that Lok Virsa was regularly holding various activities to promote Pakistan’s traditional cultural. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\01\story_1-11-2011_pg11_10

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‘Target killer’ among eight arrested in Karachi

Nov 1, 2011,

During a raid in the city’s Surjani Town area, the police took a suspected target killer, Raheel alias Bhoora, into custody and recovered a Kalashnikov and a pistol from his possession, sources said.

Police claimed that the suspect had admitted to committing over a dozen murders.

Moreover, police claimed arresting three suspects, named Kashif, Ashfaq and Sarwar, after a ‘shootout’ in the area of Gulberg and seized three TT pistols and 15 mobile phones from their possession. Kashif was said to be a police official.

The police also apprehended four suspects from the city’s Awami Colony and Bahadurabad areas and recovered weapons from their possession.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/01/%E2%80%98target-killer%E2%80%99-among-eight-arrested-in-karachi.html

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Three killed in separate incidents of violence in metropolis, Karachi

Nov 1, 2011,

KARACHI: Three people were killed in separate incidents of violence in the metropolis on Saturday.

A cattle trader was shot dead at the Super Highway cattle market within the precincts of Sacchal police station. The incident took place in the early hours of Monday. Unidentified armed men barged into the stall and shot 40-year-old Abdul Ghani, son of Allah Ditta, killing him on the spot. Body was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medico-legal formalities.

SHO Azhar Ali Iqbal said victim hailed from Bolan, Balochistan and came to Karachi to sell his cattle stock. Officer said armed men escaped after the murder without taking any valuables from the camp. Police term personal enmity to be the motive behind murder. They said that victim had seven animals left in his stock and at the time of incident he was sleeping. After shooting him dead, the culprits mixed into the crowd.

The Super Highway market is the biggest cattle market of the metropolis and their disappearance has raised a serious question mark over the security measures taken by the authorities. Case could not be registered till filing of this report.

For Full Report:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\01\story_1-11-2011_pg12_11

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Attack near UN office kills 4 in Afghanistan

Nov 1, 2011,

Kabul : A suicide vehicle bomb struck a checkpoint in a neighborhood housing United Nations and international aid groups' offices in the southern city of Kandahar early Monday, killing four people and severely damaging a UN agency's building, Afghan officials said.

Gunmen then rushed into the neighborhood and seized control of at least one building, sparking a battle with Afghan and NATO forces, Kandahar police chief Gen. Abdul Razzaq said. The firefight lasted more than two hours before the two insurgents were shot dead, according to a statement from the provincial governor's office.

The combined bombing and assault was the second major attack in three days targeting foreigners or NATO troops in the country, and spotlighted the insurgents' ability to continue to carry out major attacks despite a 10-year NATO campaign against them. The US-led coalition is gradually handing over security responsibilities to its Afghan counterparts and plans to withdrawing its combat forces by the end of 2014.

Immediately after the 6:15 a.m. bomb attack, two insurgents rushed into the area and seized control of an animal clinic near the office of the International Relief and Development organization, said provincial police spokesman Ghorzang, who like many Afghans goes by one name.

For Full Report:

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/868087/

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Suicide bombers hit US, UN offices in Kandahar

Nov 1, 2011,

Suicide attackers on Monday blew up a truck bomb and raided UN and US charity offices in Kandahar city, killing five Afghans in the latest major attack on American interests in Afghanistan.

The bombers struck outside a compound housing offices of the UN and US-based International Relief and Development in Kandahar, as Turkey gears up to host a major conference designed to quicken efforts to end the 10-year war.

The bombing came two days after 17 people died in the deadliest attack yet in Kabul against the US-led NATO mission, including 10 Americans, and three days after a US-run base in Kandahar was targeted.

One attacker detonated the vehicle outside the buildings, killing one unarmed watchman, before three others entered the joint compound, shooting dead three other guards, said provincial police chief Abdul Raziq.

He said the attackers holed themselves up in a veterinary clinic and fired on security forces, also killing a local district police chief before they were themselves shot dead after more than six hours.

For Full Report:

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/38789.html

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Blasts destroy 3 Yemeni fighter jets

Nov 1, 2011,

Three Yemeni fighter jets were destroyed and several others damaged in overnight explosions that rocked an air base, apparently caused by explosives planted in the planes, officials said on Monday.

‘Unknown assailants appear to have planted explosive devices in the fighter jets which were loaded with ammunition in preparation for a combat mission planned for Monday morning,’ a military official said.

‘Three fighter jets went up in flames and several others were damaged by the explosions,’ said an aviation official from Sanaa’s International Airport just adjacent to the targeted military base.

The military official said that the planes had been due to undertake a combat mission over the Arhab region, the northern gateway to the capital Sanaa, just 40 kilometres south.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, in which apparently no one was hurt.

For Full Report:

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/38788.html

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Four civilians, army deserter killed in Syria violence

Nov 1, 2011,

NICOSIA: Security forces shot dead four civilians and an army deserter in separate incidents in central Syria on Monday, a rights group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two people, including a 29-year-old man, were killed by snipers in the city of Homs, a flashpoint in anti-regime protests, which have swept the country since mid-March.

In Hama province, Syrian security forces and soldiers in pursuit killed a civilian and a deserter, said the Britain-based group in a statement received in Nicosia.

It said a fourth civilian was shot dead in Harasta, a town near Damascus, as security forces carried out raids and made at least 13 arrests. The Arab League on Monday revealed that its proposed roadmap to end violence in Syria includes the withdrawal of tanks from Syrian streets as well as talks in Cairo between the regime and its opponents.

Arab foreign ministers put the proposals to a Syrian delegation led by Foreign Minister Walid Muallem during talks in Doha on Sunday and were now waiting for a response, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said in the Qatari capital.

For Full Report:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\01\story_1-11-2011_pg7_27

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Seven asylum-seekers dead in Indonesian boat capsize

Nov 1, 2011

At least seven asylum seekers drowned and scores more were missing when a wooden boat sunk off Indonesia's West Java province.

JAKARTA: At least seven asylum seekers drowned and scores more were missing when a wooden boat sunk off Indonesia’s West Java province on Tuesday, an official said.

The boat, carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, capsized on the way to Kupang in eastern Indonesia, a key transit point for refugees trying to reach Australia, local navy official Dayat Sudrajat told AFP.

“Forty people were rescued but seven people, four adults and three children, drowned. We are still searching for those missing,” he said, adding the toll was likely to rise as people were trapped in the boat.

“I believe they were headed for Australia.”

The dead and 15 injured have been taken to hospital, according to Samsudin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, from the local Pangandaran police, while police were questioning some others.

For Full Report:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/286005/seven-asylum-seekers-dead-in-indonesian-boat-capsize/

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UN investigators find new signs of Syria-Pak nuke tie

Nov 01 2011,

Washington : UN investigators have identified a previously unknown complex in Syria that bolsters suspicions that the Syrian government worked with A Q Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, to acquire technology that could be used to make nuclear arms.

The buildings in northwest Syria closely match the design of a uranium enrichment plant provided to Libya when Muammar Gaddafi was trying to build nuclear weapons under Khan's guidance, officials told The Associated Press.

The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency also has obtained correspondence between Khan and a Syrian government official, Muhidin Issa, who proposed scientific cooperation and a visit to Khan's laboratories following Pakistan's

successful nuclear test in 1998.

The complex, in the city of Al-Hasakah, now appears to be a cotton-spinning plant, and investigators have found no sign that it was ever used for nuclear production. But given that Israeli warplanes destroyed a suspected plutonium production reactor in Syria in 2007, the unlikely coincidence in design suggests that Syria may have been pursuing two routes to an atomic bomb: uranium as well as plutonium.

For Full Report:

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/868976/

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Gaddafi’s chemical weapons found in Libya: Libya’s interim Prime Minister

Nov 1, 2011,

Libya’s interim Prime Minister has confirmed the presence of chemical weapons in Libya. He further said that the foreign inspectors would arrive later this week to deal with the issue, even as NATO’s top official arrived in Tripoli for talks with Libyan officials on the final day of the alliance’s seven-month bombing campaign that helped rebels overthrow Gaddafi’s regime.

NATO operations will end on Monday, just days after the UN Security Council — which authorised the mission in March — ordered an end to all military action.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will hold talks with Libya’s interim Government, the National Transitional Council. This is Rasmussen’s first visit to Libya since the anti-Gaddafi rebellion started in February.

For Full Report:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/world/16933-gaddafis-chemical-weapons-found-in-libya.html

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Gaddafi wanted Libya death, not ICC trial: ex-aide

Nov 1, 2011,

Depressed and worried, Muammar Gaddafi wanted to die in Libya than face trial at the International Criminal Court, one of his henchmen said of the Libyan leader’s last days.

In June, ICC judges issued arrest warrants against Gaddafi, who was killed on October 20, his son Seif al-Islam and former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, for ‘crimes against humanity.’

For Mansur Daou, former head of internal security services, currently in a Misrata prison, the ICC measure strengthened Gaddafi’s resolve to avoid at any cost facing an international tribunal.

‘Gaddafi and his son decided to stay in Libya after the arrest warrants. Gaddafi said ‘I would rather die in Libya than face trial and be judged by (ICC prosecutor Luis) Moreno-Ocampo,’ Daou told AFP in an interview.

‘Seif al-Islam and his brother Mutassim wanted Gaddafi to stay in Libya, particularly Seif,’ who was considered as heir apparent, said Daou.

‘But Senussi was pressing Gaddafi to leave the country,’ he added.

on August 19, National Transitional Council fighters reached the outskirts of Tripoli, forcing Gaddafi to flee to his hometown Sirte, where he enjoyed support. Libya’s capital fell two days later.

For Full Report:

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/38787.html

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Afghanistan, Pakistan presidents meet in Turkey

Nov 1, 2011,

1 November 2011 ANKARA — Turkey hosts the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan Tuesday for a trilateral summit designed to reduce tensions and promote cooperation between the two neighbours amid stepped-up Taleban attacks.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul will hold seperate talks with Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Asif Zardari of Pakistan before the three-way talks later Tuesday, said a Turkish diplomatic source.

The meeting ahead of an international conference on Afghanistan on Wednesday in Turkey is the first between the two neighbours since the assasination of the former Afghan leader Burhanuddin Rabbani on September 20.

Kabul has accused Islamabad of refusing to cooperate in the investigation of the murder, which according to Afghan authorities, was planned in Pakistan and committed by a Pakistani suicide bomber.

‘We will try to resolve their differences,’ said a Turkish diplomatic source speaking on condition of anonymity, adding that all countries in the region have a duty to work for peace in Afghanistan.

For Full Report:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/November/international_November24.xml&section=international&col=

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Afghans, Pakistan may use talks to ease tensions: Turks

Nov 1, 2011,

ISTANBUL: Pakistan and Afghanistan have a chance at talks in Istanbul to end a blame game over a series of militant attacks that have deepened their mutual mistrust, officials from the Turkish host government said on Monday.

Presidents of the three countries meet on Tuesday as Afghanistan enters a critical phase in its transition, with the United States planning to pull its combat troops out by the end of 2014, and some Western countries already withdrawing theirs.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been plagued by regular bouts of recriminations during the decade-old Taliban insurgency, with Afghan officials publicly airing suspicions that Pakistani intelligence is supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network, an insurgent group allied to the Taliban.

Noting a deteriorating regional environment, a Turkish official said: “Now is perhaps the time to try to reverse the course.”

“We sense that they have a genuine wish to talk to each other because they realise this trend is not helping either of them,” the official said before the summit of the three presidents, Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai, Pakistan’s Asif Zardari and their Turkish host Abdullah Gul.

For Full Report:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\01\story_1-11-2011_pg7_6

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Pakistani militiaman who shot US soldier acted alone: Pentagon

Nov 1, 2011,

In reporting Bauguess’ death on May 15, 2007, one day after the incident, the US military said he died of wounds sustained from ”enemy small arms fire,” without mentioning that the gunman was Pakistani.

Pakistan is a US counterterrorism ally and receives billions of dollars in aid from Washington, but relations are badly strained.

Pakistan has resisted strong US pressure to expand its military counterterrorism operations to include areas and militants that pose direct threats to US soldiers in Afghanistan.

The Army investigation conducted in the days following the attack was withheld from public release until Monday, when declassified excerpts from an executive summary were released.

The probe said none of the other Americans with Bauguess at the time could have done anything to prevent the killing. No follow-up US investigation was done, according to the US Central Command.

For Full Report:

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/01/pakistani-militiaman-who-shot-us-soldier-acted-alone-pentagon.html

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Regional countries to play supportive role in Afghanistan: FMA

Nov 1, 2011,

Talking to APP in Istanbul where she would represent the country at the Istanbul Regional Conference on Wednesday, Khar said the meeting was being attended by immediate and extended neighbours of Afghanistan and important countries of the world with stakes in that country.

The foreign minister said the conference would lead up to different peace processes, including the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan next month and the Chicago conference.

She expressed hope that the conference would give confidence to Afghanistan that all important players were supporting its initiatives for peace and stability.

She said Pakistan would support all initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

Commenting on proposals being floated by some countries aimed at creating a new security structure in the region vis-à-vis Afghanistan, Khar pointed out that there was no dearth of mechanisms in the region.

“We have so many mechanisms including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in which Pakistan has an observer’s status, the Saarc and the ECO,” she added.

The minister said that instead of proposing new mechanisms, efforts should be made towards the implementation of existing mechanisms for peace, security and development in the region.

For Full Report:

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/01/regional-countries-to-play-supportive-role-in-afghanistan-fm-khar.html

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Forces blow up Taliban houses in Bara

By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi

Nov 1, 2011,

LANDIKOTAL: Security forces have reportedly blown up about four houses of alleged terrorists at Nala and Mandi Kas areas of Bara sub-division of the Khyber Agency on Monday.

The security forces reportedly imposed curfew for an indefinite period at Malik Deen Khel, Sepah and Shaloober tribes’ areas before taking action against the alleged terrorists affiliated to Tehreek-e-Taliban and Lashkar-e-Islam.

The forces have also launched a search operation to trace out extremists who are reportedly involved in terrorist attacks. The forces also sealed and blocked the ways leading to Nala, Mandi Kas, Speen Qabar and other parts of Bara, local sources informed.

The local small markets and shops have been closed due to constant curfew and search operation, which has multiplied peoples’ problems, locals complained.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\01\story_1-11-2011_pg7_4

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Haqqani network may be linked to Kabul attack

Nov 1, 2011,

KABUL: The Haqqani network, which Washington has blamed for a series of attacks in Afghanistan, may have been involved in a weekend bombing in Kabul that was the deadliest ground attack against Western troops in 10 years of war, officials said on Monday.

The suicide bombing on Saturday, which killed 13 foreigners, came just days before Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai and senior officials from its neighbours and its Western backers, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were due to meet in Istanbul to discuss regional security.

The involvement of the Haqqani group, believed by Washington to be based in the mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, would make the already tough task of bringing Afghanistan and its neighbours together even more difficult.

“We don’t have any information indicating a direct Haqqani link yet, but it’s very possible it is Haqqani-related,” a Western diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Officials said that while evidence of Haqqani involvement was by no means conclusive, the style of the attack and some of the equipment used in it raised that possibility. Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the network, recently told Reuters that it is no longer based in Pakistan and is comfortable operating in Afghanistan after battlefield gains there.

A senior police official in Kabul said the explosives used in the attack were likely to have originated in either Iran or Pakistan.

For Full Report:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\01\story_1-11-2011_pg7_3

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Arab League: Syria told to withdraw tanks

Nov 1, 2011,

Afp, Doha

The Arab League yesterday revealed that its proposed roadmap to end violence in Syria includes the withdrawal of tanks from Syrian streets as well as talks in Cairo between the regime and its opponents.

Arab foreign ministers put the proposals to a Syrian delegation led by Foreign Minister Walid Muallem during talks in Doha on Sunday and were now waiting for a response, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi told AFP in the Qatari capital.

The talks come amid growing fears among regional leaders that unchecked Syrian bloodshed could further inflame the Arab world, and as Nato categorically ruled out a Libya-style intervention in Syria.

"The Arab proposal to Syria calls for withdrawing tanks and all military vehicles to bring an immediate end to the violence and give assurances to the Syrian street," said Arabi.

The peace plan also calls for dialogue to take place in Cairo between Syrian regime officials and opposition figures, he added, before leaving Doha yesterday afternoon without indicating if a response had been received from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Meanwhile, Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who arrived in Tripoli yesterday to mark the end of the alliance's air war in Libya, ruled out the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone over Syria.

For Full Report:

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/print_news.php?nid=208766

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New signs of Syria-Pakistan nuke tie: AP

Nov 1, 2011,

The buildings in northwest Syria closely match the design of a uranium enrichment plant provided to Libya when Muammar Qadhafi was trying to build nuclear weapons under Khan’s guidance, officials told The Associated Press.

The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency also has obtained correspondence between Khan and a Syrian government official, Muhidin Issa, who proposed scientific cooperation and a visit to Khan’s laboratories following Pakistan’s successful nuclear test in 1998.

The complex, in the city of Al-Hasakah, now appears to be a cotton-spinning plant, and investigators have found no sign that it was ever used for nuclear production.

But given that Israeli warplanes destroyed a suspected plutonium production reactor in Syria in 2007, the unlikely coincidence in design suggests Syria may have been pursuing two routes to an atomic bomb: uranium as well as plutonium.

Details of the Syria-Khan connection were provided to the AP by a senior diplomat with knowledge of IAEA investigations and a former UN investigator. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The Syrian government did not respond to a request for comment. It has repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons but also has stymied an investigation into the site bombed by Israel. It has not responded to an IAEA request to visit the Al-Hasakah complex, the officials said.

For Full Report:

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/01/new-signs-of-syria-pakistan-nuke-tie.html

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China spacecraft launches on key mission

Nov 1, 2011,

BEIJING: China launched an unmanned spacecraft on Tuesday to carry out a key docking mission, taking its next step towards the goal of building its first space station by 2020.

The Shenzhou VIII blasted off from the Gobi desert in China's northwest at 5:58 am (2158 GMT) before separating from its carrier rocket about 200 kilometres (120 miles) above the Earth, the state Xinhua news agency said.

It is due to join with the Tiangong-1 or "Heavenly Palace" experimental module in two days, in what would be the country's first space docking -- a key step in China's ambitious space programme.

The ability to dock successfully is crucial to the success of China's plans to build a space station where astronauts can live for several months, as they do on the International Space Station.

The technology is hard to master because the two vessels, placed in the same orbit and revolving around Earth at 28,000 kilometres per hour, must come together progressively to avoid destroying each other.

China sees its space programme as a symbol of its global stature, growing technical expertise, and the Communist Party's success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.

For Full Report:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-spacecraft-launches-on-key-mission/articleshow/10567132.cms?prtpage=1

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Palestine becomes member of Unesco, US threatens to halt fund

Oct.31, 2011,

PARIS: Palestine became a full member of Unesco on Monday, in a highly divisive move that could cost the agency a fifth of its budget and that the US and other opponents say could harm renewed Mideast peace efforts.

Lawmakers in the United States, which provides about 22 per cent of Unesco's funding, had threatened to halt some $80 million in annual funding if Palestinian membership was approved. It wasn't clear in the immediate aftermath of Monday's vote whether the threat would become reality.

Huge cheers went up in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization after delegates approved the membership in a vote of 107-14 with 52 abstentions. Eighty-one votes were needed for approval in a hall with 173 Unesco member delegations present.

"Long Live Palestine!" shouted one delegate, in French, at the unusually tense and dramatic meeting of Unesco's General Conference.

For Full Report:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Palestine-becomes-member-of-Unesco-US-threatens-to-halt-fund/articleshow/10557120.cms?prtpage=1

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Pakistan, Turkey agree to swap currency

Nov 1, 2011,

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul have agreed to finalise the currency swap agreement between the two countries.

The two presidents held wide-ranging bilateral talks in Istanbul on Monday, on the sidelines of the trilateral summit on Afghanistan.

The president's spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said the currency swap agreement would enable traders and businessmen of the two countries to trade in their respective currencies without drawing from their dollar based foreign exchange reserves.

This will reduce the pressure on the foreign exchange reserves and give a quantum jump to the bilateral trade between the two countries, Associated Press of Pakistan quoted him as saying.

For Full Report:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-Turkey-agree-to-swap-currency/articleshow/10565114.cms?prtpage=1

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BHC orders to bring back Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz in Bugti murder case

Nov 1, 2011,

The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Tuesday ordered that all the accused in the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case, including former President Pervez Musharraf, and ex prime minister Shaukat Aziz be brought back. The orders came during the hearing of the murder case of Nawaz Akbar Khan Bugti, a week after a local court issued arrest warrants for Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz. During the hearing BHC chief Justice Qazi Faiz Esa said all those, either civil or from military, who had information about the murder be included in the investigation.

http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Islamabad/01-Nov-2011/BHC-orders-to-bring-back-Musharraf-Shaukat-Aziz-in-Bugti-murder-case

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US wants Pakistani intelligence help in Afghan talks: NYT

Nov 1, 2011,

The United States is trying to secure the help of Pakistani intelligence service to organise reconciliation talks in Afghanistan aimed at ending the war there, The New York Times reported Monday.

The newspaper said overtures are taking place just a month after president Barack Obama’s administration accused Pakistan’s spy agency of secretly supporting the Haqqani terrorist network, which has mounted attacks on Americans.

The revamped approach, which the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, has called ‘Fight, Talk, Build,’ combines continued US air and ground strikes against the Haqqani network and the Taliban with an insistence that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency get them to the negotiating table, the report said.

Top US officials including Hillary visited Pakistan this month to press for action against Islamic extremists, particularly the Haqqani network, which is blamed for anti-US attacks in Afghanistan.

For Full Report:

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/international/38784.html

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India: PC backs Omar on AFSPA exit in some pockets

By Aman Sharma in New Delhi

Nov 1, 2011,

HOME minister P. Chidambaram has backed Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on the partial withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces ‘ Special Powers’ Act ( AFSPA) in the Valley.

Chidambaram said on Monday that the decision to review the application of the Disturbed Areas Act in J& K was approved last year by a cabinet committee on security ( CCS). It is headed by the Prime Minister and has defence minister A. K. Antony, Chidambaram, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and foreign minister S. M. Krishna as its members.

“ Since the process ( to review the notification of areas as ‘ disturbed’) was initiated by a CCS decision, it is my duty to point out that there is nothing unusual or strange about the statement of the chief minister that he would like to take a decision on it soon,” Chidambaram said.

De- notifying the Disturbed Areas Act from some districts of J& K would mean that AFSPA would automatically cease to apply there. The army is opposed to the withdrawal of the Act from the strife- torn state and reportedly has Antony’s backing on the issue.

But Chidambaram stressed that the CCS had approved a review of the Disturbed Areas Act in J& K last year.

For Full Report:

http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=1112011

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Commission on Abbottabad interviews foreign secy

Nov 1, 2011,

ISLAMABAD: The Inquiry Commission on Abbottabad Operation on Monday conducted a detailed interview of the foreign secretary, who presented his views on the incident. The commission met under the chairmanship of Justice (r) Javed Iqbal, who is also president of the commission. Members of the commission, including Inspector General (r) Abbas Khan, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and Lt Gen (r) Nadeem Ahmed also attended the meeting. The commission will meet again today (Tuesday). app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\01\story_1-11-2011_pg7_8\

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LHC seeks list of foreign prisoners who have served term

Nov 1, 2011,

LAHORE: Chief Justice (CJ) Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court (LHC), on Monday, directed the Punjab home secretary to submit a list of all foreigner prisoners in the jails across the province that had completed their sentence.

The CJ also directed the Foreign Affairs Ministry to appraise the court about their efforts with regards to getting the foreigners released after completion of their jail term. The CJ ordered the home secretary to submit the reply till Wednesday (tomorrow).

The petition was filed by a local lawyer seeking release of two Indian prisoners, Satinder Pal Singh and Karale Bhanudas, both of whom are confined in Central Jail Kot Lakhpat, Lahore.

The petitioner lawyer, Awais Sheikh, sought the prisoners’ release through a petition in which he submitted that the said prisoners had completed their term of imprisonment.

He stated that both the Indians were tried and sentenced for entering into Pakistan without documents, however, he added that despite completion of their sentence, they were not being released due to non-availability of proofs regarding their identification.

He said the proofs of identification had already been provided to the Foreign Office and the Indian High Commission had also confirmed it, saying that despite this, the Pakistani government had taken no action uptil now.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\01\story_1-11-2011_pg13_8

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‘Political confrontation will damage country’s democratic system’: PML-N

Nov 1, 2011,

KARACHI: The politics of confrontation will damage the ongoing democratic system in the country. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s senior vice president and former Sindh chief minister Ghous Ali Shah stated this at a press conference on Monday. PPP Sindh’s chief organiser Saleem Zia and former Sindh governor Mamnoon Hussain were also present with him. Country’s democracy was restored after the struggle of 10 years and we (PML-N) do not want to derail this system but the politics to ablaze the offices of PML-N was destroying the democratic process, Shah said. He claimed that the government had not registered any FIR of burning of PML-N offices in Nawabshah and also not allowed the party workers to stage protest in the city. Shah warned the government of holding more protest demonstrations in the province, if the administration would not arrest the culprits involved in the arson incidents of PML-N offices. He claimed that the PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif is the voice of 50 million people of Sindh and it would not allow the miscreants to burn our offices. Shah said PML-N was accused of playing the role of friendly opposition during last three years. “When we are playing the role of real opposition then we are facing violent response and torching our offices, he added. Recalling history, he said, he saw four Martial Laws in the country in which the army had been coming without any formal invitation. Fearing that the present situation will move the country towards critical situation, he added. Responding the Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Lahore public gathering, Shah said, Imran Khan gathered a considerable crowd in his programme at Minar-e-Pakistan, but it could not be considered as a public meeting. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\11\01\story_1-11-2011_pg12_2

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Butt and Asif convicted in spot fixing trial

Nov 1, 2011,

Former captain Butt and opening bowler Asif were convicted at Southwark Crown Court, Press Association reported. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON: Cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of fixing part of a test match against England last year.  

Former captain Butt and opening bowler Asif were convicted at London’s Southwark Crown Court (SCC), the Press Association reported.

Earlier, after three days of deliberations by the jurors at SCC, Judge Jeremy Cooke was informed on Monday that they could not reach a decision they all agreed upon.

He told the six men and six women to try to reach an unanimous verdict but said he would now accept a majority verdict of 10-2.

Butt and Asif were charged after allegations about their involvement in spot-fixing appeared in the now-defunct News of the World tabloid, owned by Rupert Murdoch, shortly after the Lord’s Test.

Majeed and Aamer face the same charges as Butt and Asif but are not standing trial alongside them.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/286044/butt-and-asif-convicted-in-spot-fixing-trial/

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/professor-elected-prime-minister-libya/d/5804


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