Russia Police 'Force Three Muslim Men to Trim Their Beards at Gunpoint'
New Age Islam News Bureau
15 March 2013
Europe
• Russia police 'force three Muslim men to trim their beards at gunpoint'
• Men in Britain approached to fight for jihad in Mali
• 53% of Britons think Iraq invasion was wrong, poll shows
• UCL bans Islamic group from campus in row over segregated seating
• Prince Charles taking private lessons in Arabic
• At least 50 French citizens ‘waging jihad in Syria’
• Violence in Kashmir not an answer and killings must stop: UN
• Three men plead guilty to terror charges in UK
• EU to seek 'common position' on Syria arms embargo next week
Pakistan
• Assembly of village elders sentences Man to be put to death and fed to dogs
• 11 youngsters arrested for working for United Baloch Army
• Drone strikes in Pakistan a human rights issue: LHC CJ
• Seminar emphasises on ‘gender equality’ in Pakistan
• Pak parliament creates history by completing full term
• Bomb outside cable TV office kills 3 in Karachi
• Pakistan court orders reinstatement of 'CIA' medics
• Seats reserved for women, non-Muslims in National and Provincial Assemblies
• World Bank approves $400 million for supporting education in Sindh
India
• Two day seminar on Sufism at Jamia Millia Islamia in collaboration with New Age Islam Foundation
• Khar stresses need for uninterrupted dialogue between India and Pakistan
• It’s JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed Again
• Bansal for rail-based trade between India, Pak
• Cops arrest Pak militant believed to be part of Fidayeen group
• Pak parliament passes resolution condemning Guru's hanging, India says keep off
• Ishrat Jahan case: Gujarat High Court satisfied with CBI probe
• Poor and terrorised, but Pakistani Hindus will not get refugee status in India
• Army Chief accuses Pak of 'bleeding' India, trashes talk of CBMs
• Double trouble brewing at India’s border with Bangladesh
• Lashkar revives itself, Valley fears more attacks
• Man killed by CRPF in wake of Srinagar attack was a poor father of 3 young girls
• Mumbai train blasts: SC says accused can’t examine officers
• Several questioned for terror links in Bihar
• APJ Abdul Kalam gives pass marks to six-decade old Indian democracy
• BJP demands scaling down of diplomatic relations with Pakistan
Mideast Asia
• Iran and Hezbollah 'have built 50,000-strong force to help Syrian regime'
• Palestinians want peace talks, Abbas tells Putin
• Only 50+ Palestinians to enter Al-Aqusa for Friday prayers
• Iran test-fires short-range missiles
• Iran cleric says Ahmadinejad Chavez remarks 'heresy'
South Asia
• Jamaat leader held for inciting anti-Hindus attacks in Bangladesh
• Huge truck bomb plot foiled in Kabul: spy agency
• Bangladesh 146th among 187 countries in HDI
Arab World
• Muslim Brotherhood’s Statement on Women Stirs Liberals’ Fears
• Gunmen kill four Iraqi anti-Qaeda militiamen
• Iraq war killed 120,000, cost $800 bln
• Egyptian police 'killed almost 900 protesters in 2011 in Cairo'
• Syria’s historic treasure trove in ‘unpublicized’ danger
• More killed on Saudi roads than in Iraqi violence in 2011
• Irish group seeks to train Saudis with special needs
• Saddam Nostalgia Lives On in Iraq
• Muslim Brotherhood hopes new pope will be more tolerant
• Cost of Syria war reaches epic proportions
• Saudi swordsman unconcerned about country's transition away from beheadings
• Ex-French minister rules out conspiracy in Arab uprisings
• Dozens injured as violence flares in Bahrain
• Syrian army captures truck full of weapons: Syrian TV
North America
• My goal is to listen: Obama on his forthcoming visit to Israel and Palestinian territories
• US commander in Afghanistan puts troops on alert after Karzai's remarks
• Prisoner protest at Guantánamo Bay stains Obama's human rights record
• 'US will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons at any cost'
• 'Over year or so' for Iran to get nuclear bomb: Obama
• US imposes sanctions on covert Iran oil-shipping network
• Barack Obama fantasises about hanging out in Israel wearing fake moustache
Southeast Asia
• Three Indonesian Terror Suspects Killed, 14 Bombs Seized
• Hatta Leaves Iraq After Car Bomb Set Off Near Indonesian Embassy
• Indonesia Takes a Step Up On Human Development
• Indonesian Muslims seek better ties with new pope
Australia
• Australian soldiers in Afghanistan caught playing golf and sunbathing
Africa
• How the Harlem Shake moves to a more radical beat in Tunisia
• Thousands of Malians return to liberated city Gao, NGO says
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Men in Britain approached to fight for jihad in Mali
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Europe
Russia Police 'Force Three Muslim Men to Trim Their Beards at Gunpoint'
Officers forced into Muslim cafe in Russian city of Surgut, it is claimed
They 'threatened some visitors with automatic weapons and with a lighter'
One man said he was told 'cut it off or I will burn it off' by riot officer
Police say an internal investigation has now been launched
By AMANDA WILLIAMS
14 March 2013
Police officers in Russia forced three men in a Muslim cafe to cut their beards at gunpoint, it has been claimed.
During an inspection of a Muslim cafe in the Russian city of Surgut police officers apparently threatened some visitors with automatic weapons and with a lighter.
One of the men claims an officer held a lighter to his chin and told him 'cut it off or I will burn it off'.
The incident allegedly took place on March 3 in the cafe located near a mosque as the men were eating after evening prayers.
One of the men said he was forced to use scissors to cut off his long beard.
It is believed there were 15 officers in masks and they arrived in four cars.
According to Red Hot Russia, witnesses saw people in the uniform of riot police (OMON) burst into cafe place and force visitors onto their knees.
Afterwards it claims several people were taken to the police station, where the law enforcement officers checked their documents.
It is believed there has been an internal investigation launched by the Russian police.
Russian news agencies have said the officers were implementing the rules of 'Peter the Great' who ruled the Tsardom of Russia in the late 1600s.
He commanded all of his courtiers and officials to cut off their long beards and imposed an annual beard tax on those who refused.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2293411/Russia-police-force-Muslim-men-trim-beards-gunpoint.html#ixzz2NbX8YEC5
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Men in Britain approached to fight for jihad in Mali
By Paul Grant
15 March 2013
Attempts are being made to recruit young North African men in Britain to fight with Islamist militants in Mali - where French troops have been deployed to try to prevent the country from falling into the hands of extremists.
One man has told the BBC he was promised money if he went to train in the Sahara desert and kidnapped Western tourists.
And an advice service helping people of Arabic origin in London says several of its clients have also been approached.
The Metropolitan Police said it would seek to prosecute anyone who travels overseas to support terrorist activity.
Islamist rebels took control of northern Mali a year ago after a military coup in the capital, Bamako, in the south.
France intervened militarily in January amid fears the rebels were preparing to advance on Bamako.
The man who told the BBC he had been promised money is an Algerian in his 20s, who has been living in Britain since 2007.
'Share of the ransom'
He does not want to be identified but said he and a friend had met an Egyptian who had tried to recruit them last year.
The Egyptian was someone his friend knew because they had previously served time in prison together, he said.
After the initial approach, a meeting had been arranged at Victoria station in London where the three of them had discussed the plan, he told the BBC.
"The man said we have to go for jihad in Mali because there are so many disbelievers and foreigners there using our resources," the Algerian said speaking via a translator.
"He said we would be trained and we would get a share of the ransom when we captured Western tourists."
He added the Egyptian had also mentioned the possibility of bombing operations in Europe.
"He said we could make operations in Europe, maybe bombs. This is part of the jihad he said. Making bombs and blowing up trains," he said.
After the meeting, the Algerian said, he had rejected the plan and immediately reported what had happened to the police.
However, he has since lost contact with his friend who he suspects may have gone to North Africa.
'Lured with money'
Although the story is difficult to verify, other people say similar attempts at recruitment are being made.
Mohamed Nacer, who runs charity and translation service the Arab Advice Bureau at Finsbury Park in London, said several of his clients had been approached and he believed Algerians living illegally in Britain were being targeted to fight in Afghanistan, Syria or Mali.
He said the recruiters often came from abroad for several weeks at a time and made themselves known in the community.
"They know exactly where the vulnerable people are," he said.
He told the BBC they looked for people sleeping rough or hanging about in cafes and then tried to lure them with money.
"That's the only way to attract them - they say that they will pay for their travel fares and they will give them money to send to their family," he said.
Mali instability
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said it recognised the risk that violent extremism poses for vulnerable people in the UK and it was actively engaging with communities to tackle the issue.
Ever since French troops went into Mali, militant Islamist groups in North Africa have threatened attacks against France and its allies, including Britain.
The French authorities have stepped up surveillance and so far arrested 15 people they say were attempting to go to Mali.
In a speech last autumn, the Security Minister, James Brokenshire, predicted instability in Mali would increase the threat of terrorism in the UK.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21754405
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53% of Britons think Iraq invasion was wrong, poll shows
More than half of Britons believe Tony Blair was wrong to invade Iraq, while 22% tell YouGov he should be tried as a war criminal
Richard Norton-Taylor
14 March 2013
More than half the British public believe the decision to invade Iraq was wrong and more than a fifth believe Tony Blair should be tried as a war criminal, according to a poll conducted to mark the 10th anniversary of the conflict.
A majority (56%) of the public believe the war has increased the risk of a terrorist attack on Britain. More than half, (53%), of those questioned think the invasion was wrong, while just over a quarter (27%) think it was right, according to the YouGov survey.
The poll registered a marked gender differences, with almost a third (32%) of men approving the invasion compared with less than a quarter (23%) of women.
Half of those questioned said they believed Blair deliberately set out to mislead the British public about the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Less than a third (31%) say he genuinely believed Saddam Hussein possessed a stockpile of WMD.
More than a fifth (22%) believe Blair knowingly misled parliament and the public and should be tried as a war criminal over the conflict, according to the poll. The figure compares with almost three in 10 (29%) who say he was right to warn of dangers of the Hussein regime, 18% who think he misled people but we should move on and 15% who believe he did not intend to give false information about the threat.
The poll records that a decade after the invasion 41% think Iraqis are better off than they would have been under Hussein, and just over a fifth (21%) believe the Iraqis would have been better off under the dictator. However, more than seven in 10n (71%) say Iraq is likely to be a permanently unstable country over the next few years.
In 2010, as the Chilcot inquiry was under way, hearing highly critical evidence about how Britain went to war, 37% thought Blair should be tried for war crimes, according to a ComRes poll at the time.
At the time of the invasion, 53% of those polled said they believed military action against Iraq was right.
YouGov questioned 1,684 British adults for its poll. Fieldwork was undertaken from 10–11 March. The survey was carried out online. YouGov has published online all 10 years of its research about the conflict
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/14/britons-iraq-invasion-wrong-poll
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UCL bans Islamic group from campus in row over segregated seating
University takes action after male and female audience members at 'Islam or atheism' debate were segregated by gender
David Batty
15 March 2013
A London university has banned an Islamic organisation from taking part in events on its campus after the group hosted a debate with seating segregated by gender.
University College London took the action against the Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA) after concluding that it had attempted to enforce segregation at the debate on 9 March.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/15/ucl-bans-islamic-group-over-segregation
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Prince Charles taking private lessons in Arabic
Mar 14 2013
London : Fascinated by the culture and art of the Middle East for long, Prince Charles is taking private tuitions to learn Arabic, according to an aide of the British Royal.
The 64-year-old Prince modestly told guests at a reception in Qatar that the language "goes in one ear and out the other", but an aide disclosed that he is so keen to learn it that he has been having private tuition for more than six months.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/prince-charles-taking-private-lessons-in-arabic/1088113/
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At least 50 French citizens ‘waging jihad in Syria’
15 March 2013
A leading French anti-terror judge has told French media he is worried about the implication of large numbers of French Muslims heading to Syria to fight a holy war against the Damascus regime.
As many as 80 French citizens are fighting with rebel groups in Syria, according to a report in French daily Le Figaro published Wednesday.
The number is far higher than the “handful” said by French Interior Minister Manuel Valls to be operating alongside Islamists in Mali, or the estimated number of Frenchmen who went to Bosnia, Iraq or Afghanistan to wage “jihad”, or Muslim holy war.
Full report at:
http://www.france24.com/en/20130313-syria-french-citizens-jihad-assad
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Violence in Kashmir not an answer and killings must stop: UN
PTI | Mar 15, 2013
United Nations: In the wake of a terror attack in Kashmir that claimed the lives of five Indian security personnel, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said violence is not the answer to any problem and the killings must stop.
"What he (Ban) has said in cases such as this; violence is not the answer, violence should come to an end and that the killings must stop," Eduardo del Buey, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, told reporters yesterday in response to a question on the current situation in Kashmir.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/us-open-2012/top-stories/Violence-in-Kashmir-not-an-answer-and-killings-must-stop-UN/articleshow/18985400.cms
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Three men plead guilty to terror charges in UK
March 15, 201
LONDON: Three British Muslims, including a convert who was featured in a documentary about radical Islam, pleaded guilty to terrorism charges in London on Friday.
Richard Dart, 29, Imran Mahmood, 21, and Jahangir Alom, 26, were arrested last July and accused of travelling to Pakistan between 2010 and 2012 with the intention of committing terrorist acts. They also were accused of advising and counselling the commission of terrorism acts by providing information about travel to Pakistan, terrorism training and operational security while there.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/15/three-men-plead-guilty-to-terror-charges-in-uk/
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EU to seek 'common position' on Syria arms embargo next week
AFP | Mar 15, 2013
BRUSSELS: The European Union said on Friday it will seek "a common position" at talks in Dublin next week on whether to lift an arms embargo to supply weapons to the Syrian opposition.
EU president Herman Van Rompuy said at the close of a summit that leaders discussed calls from Britain and France to abandon the embargo and "agreed to task our foreign ministers to assess the situation as a matter of priority" at the Dublin talks.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/EU-to-seek-common-position-on-Syria-arms-embargo-next-week/articleshow/18991333.cms
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Pakistan
Assembly of village elders sentences Man to be put to death and fed to dogs
In Pakistan, ancient and modern justice collide
15 MARCH 2013
ISLAMABAD: An assembly of village elders in Pakistan sentenced Sikander Bhutto to be put to death and fed to dogs after he said he exposed a case of a woman beaten and killed by her husband.
Then the provincial high court stepped in and ordered police protection for Bhutto, a human rights activist.
“They told me to pay Rs200, 000 to them or get ready to be killed,” Bhutto told Reuters, referring to the elders in the village of Ghotki in the southern province of Sindh.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/520679/in-pakistan-ancient-and-modern-justice-collide/
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11 youngsters arrested for working for United Baloch Army
March 15, 201
QUETTA: Hundreds of men, women and elderly people staged a strong protest demonstration on Thursday outside the Quetta Press Club against the arrest of 11 children being portrayed as paid workers of banned outfit United Baloch Army (UBA) by the law enforcement agencies.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Quetta Mir Zubair Mehmood at a press conference on Wednesday had claimed that 11 detained children had admitted their role in the bomb blasts in different parts of Quetta, while working for the little known UBA. The protesters were carrying placards inscribed with demands such as ‘we want justice’ and ‘release innocent children’. They chanted slogans against the government.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\03\15\story_15-3-2013_pg7_13
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Drone strikes in Pakistan a human rights issue: LHC CJ
March 15, 201
LAHORE: Chief Justice Lahore High Court Umar Ata Bandial deferred till April 10 further hearing of a petition moved by Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed against drone strikes in Pakistan.
During the hearing on Thursday, deputy attorney general (DAG) objected to the proceedings. He said that only parliament has the jurisdiction to take any decision in this regard and in case the parliament does not take up such matter of national interest, the Supreme Court can take up such a case. He argued that this matter is beyond the jurisdiction of High Courts.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\03\15\story_15-3-2013_pg7_11
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Seminar emphasises on ‘gender equality’ in Pakistan
March 15, 201
Islamabad: Speakers at a seminar on ‘Gender Equality’ on Thursday emphasised that collective efforts are needed for the promotion of gender equality in Pakistan. The seminar was organised by the Pattan development organisation at a local hotel and was attended by a large number of people from different walks of life.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\03\15\story_15-3-2013_pg11_2
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Pak parliament creates history by completing full term
PTI | Mar 15, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's parliament made history on Thursday by becoming the first National Assembly in the country's history to complete a full term of five years, with the conclusion of the house's 50th session, setting the stage for the holding of elections.
"The session that started on February 18, 2013 has prorogued on completion of its business," Yasmeen Rehman, a lawmaker for the ruling Pakistan People's Party, read out from a letter from President Asif Ali Zardari.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-parliament-creates-history-by-completing-full-term/articleshow/18977879.cms
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Bomb outside cable TV office kills 3 in Karachi
AP | Mar 15, 2013
KARACHI, Pakistan: Police say a bomb blast outside a cable TV office in southern Pakistan has killed three people and wounded four others.
Police officer Sadaqat Ali said Friday the bomb was planted in a rickshaw and went off after midnight in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Bomb-outside-cable-TV-office-kills-3-in-Karachi/articleshow/18984881.cms
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Pakistan court orders reinstatement of 'CIA' medics
March 15, 2013
A Pakistani court has ordered the authorities to reinstate the jobs of 17 health workers sacked over CIA efforts to track down Osama bin Laden, officials said on Friday.
The order was made on Thursday in the northwestern town of Abbottabad, where bin Laden was found and shot dead by US special forces in May 2011.
"We will formally reinstate them after receiving written court orders," Mohammad Qasim, an Abbottabad district health officer said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/Pakistan-court-orders-reinstatement-of-CIA-medics/Article1-1026910.aspx
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Seats reserved for women, non-Muslims in National and Provincial Assemblies
March 15, 201
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday directed political parties contesting the general elections 2013 to submit lists of nominated candidates on or before March 24 in order of priority for the seats reserved for women and non-Muslims in the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\03\15\story_15-3-2013_pg7_6
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World Bank approves $400 million for supporting education in Sindh
March 15, 201
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has approved a package of assistance worth US$400 million to support the Second Sindh Education Sector Reform Program (SERP II).
The program will support Sindh Governments efforts to increase school participation and measure student achievement by improving sector governance and accountability and strengthening administrative systems.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/15/world-bank-approves-400-million-for-supporting-education-in-sindh/
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India
Two day seminar on Sufism at Jamia Millia Islamia in collaboration with New Age Islam Foundation
New Age Islam News Bureau
March 15, 2013
A two day national seminar on Sufism titled ‘Sufism in Contemporary world: an inclusive framework was held by the K N R Centre for Dalit and Minorities Studies in collaboration with New Age Islam Foundation at Jamia Millia Islami, New Delhi on March 13 and 14.
The introductory presentation on the theme of the seminar was made by Dr Mehr Fatima Hussain, the convenor of the seminar.
Full report at:
All the speakers and the participants appreciated the effort of New Age Islam Foundation and K R N Centre for Dalit and Minorities Studies.
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Khar stresses need for uninterrupted dialogue between India and Pakistan
ANITA JOSHUA
Mar 15, 2013
Says mechanism required to insulate the relationship from domestic politics
Faced with another slew of Indian allegations against Pakistan, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday said Pakistan-India relationship required “intensive management” and a mechanism to insulate it from domestic politics.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/khar-stresses-need-for-uninterrupted-dialogue/article4509558.ece
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It’s JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed Again
Mail Today
Mar 15, 2013
JAMAAT- ud- Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, wanted in India in connection with the 26/ 11 attacks, is now controlling the activities of United Jihad Council (UJC), an umbrella outfit of terror groups active in Pakistan and Kashmir.
This has triggered speculation that the UJC, which earlier focused on Kashmir, may plan pan- Indian terror attacks.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Bansal for rail-based trade between India, Pak
TNN | Mar 15, 2013
NEW DELHI: Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Thursday said the best way forward to normalize ties between India and Pakistan would be "normalization of trade flows" between the two neighbours.
"Bilateral trade relations are now at a point where significant economic gains could serve as powerful means for conflict resolution," he said, favouring rail-based container movement between two countries to cut transaction cost and ease road traffic.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Bansal-for-rail-based-trade-between-India-Pak/articleshow/18980517.cms
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Cops arrest Pak militant believed to be part of Fidayeen group
ByM Saleem Pandit, TNN | Mar 15, 2013
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday night claimed to have arrested a Pakistani militant who could have been part of the Fidayeen group that attacked a CRPF camp in Bemina on Wednesday, killing five jawans and injuring 10 others including four civilians.
A top police source identified the arrested militant as Riyaz Ahmad alias Abu Talah, a member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, from Multan in Pakistan's Punjab province. Sources said the militant, who was nabbed from a residential complex in Chatabal here, perhaps managed to escape during the gunfight.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Cops-arrest-Pak-militant-believed-to-be-part-of-Fidayeen-group/articleshow/18981844.cms
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Pak parliament passes resolution condemning Guru's hanging, India says keep off
PTI | Mar 14, 2013
NEW DELHI: India reacted sharply to the resolution passed by Pakistan parliament on Thursday to condemn the hanging of terrorist Afzal Guru, saying it was "highly improper" with foreign affairs minister Salman Khurshid tersely asking Islamabad not to dabble in internal matters of this country.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistan-parliament-passes-resolution-
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Ishrat Jahan case: Gujarat High Court satisfied with CBI probe
Mar 15 2013
Ahmedabad : Gujarat High Court today expressed satisfaction about the progress made by CBI in the investigation of Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, and ordered it to submit the next progress report by May 9 - Ishrat and her group was accused of hatching a plot to attack Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
CBI, ordered by the HC to take over the probe in December 2011, yesterday submitted a progress report in a sealed cover.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ishrat-jahan-case-gujarat-high-court-satisfied-with-cbi-probe/1088644/
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Poor and terrorised, but Pakistani Hindus will not get refugee status in India
Mar 15 2013
New Delhi : Government today ruled out granting refugee status to Pakistani Hindu immigrants who have crossed over to India to escape persecution there.
"At the moment, we cannot grant them refugee status," Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran said replying to a discussion on a private members' resolution in the Lok Sabha.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/poor-and-terrorised-but-pakistani-hindus-will-not-get-refugee-status-in-india/1088648/
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Army Chief accuses Pak of 'bleeding' India, trashes talk of CBMs
Mar 15 2013
New Delhi : The Indian Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh today made it clear to Pakistan that it cannot keep the tap of exporting terrorism to India open and hope for confidence-building measures (CBMs) with it.
"They are bleeding us and you want us to shake hands with you at the military level. I think that is not done. We got to be fair and there has to be level-playing field," Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh said and accused the neighbour of having "double standards" when it says that terrorists were not under its control and conceals them as non-state actors.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/1088617/
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Double trouble brewing at India’s border with Bangladesh
Ravik Bhattacharya, Hindustan Times
Kolkata, March 15, 2013
The largest land port on the India-Bangladesh border was shut down indefinitely on Thursday after Bangladeshi gangsters, taking advantage of the turmoil on their soil and the preoccupation of the police with it, launched serial attacks on truck drivers on the Indian side of the border at Petrapole.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/kolkata/Double-trouble-brewing-at-India-s-border-with-Bangladesh/Article1-1026695.aspx
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Lashkar revives itself, Valley fears more attacks
Harinder Baweja, Hindustan Times
March 15, 2013
The Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was lying dormant in J&K, is in a revival mode after the hanging of Parliament convict Afzal Guru. "There are enough signs that the Lashkar is reactivating itself in the Valley,'' a senior intelligence official told HT.
Expect more attacks, is the larger message that is emerging from the wireless chatter being monitored by intelligence agencies.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/Lashkar-revives-itself-Valley-fears-more-attacks/Article1-1026648.aspx
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Man killed by CRPF in wake of Srinagar attack was a poor father of 3 young girls
Rifat Mohidin
Mar 15 2013
Srinagar: Altaf Ahmad Wani, 37, who was shot dead by CRPF men at Saidpora in wake of Srinagar attack on Wednesday, was the sole bread earner of a family of his ailing parents, a wife and three young daughters.
“They are very poor people. Altaf was a labourer,” said his neighbour Abdul Samad. He was so poor, in fact, that Altaf couldn’t even afford to send his girls to a private school. His parents are suffering from cardiac problems. “Altaf’s death has shattered their lives,” Samad said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/man-killed-by-crpf-in-wake-of-srinagar-attack-was-a--poor-father-of-3-young-girls/1088315/
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Mumbai train blasts: SC says accused can’t examine officers
Utkarsh Anand
Mar 15 2013
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside a Bombay High Court order allowing the 13 accused in the July 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts case to examine three senior police officers and a top bureaucrat in their defence.
A Bench led by Justice P Sathasivam held that Kamal Ahmed Mohammed Vakil Ansari and other accused couldn’t be allowed to summon an additional chief secretary, home, and three DCPs in their defence, “as their evidence before the trial court would not fall within the realm of admissibility with reference to ‘facts in issue’ or ‘relevant facts’.”
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mumbai-train-blasts-sc-says-accused-cant-examine-officers/1088272/
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Several questioned for terror links in Bihar
Santosh Singh
Mar 15 2013
Patna : A TEAM of NIA officials from Delhi has questioned over half a dozen people in Munger in the past two days on suspicion of being linked to terrorists who were arrested last December from Malda and are currently lodged in Jammu prison in connection with running an international fake currency racket.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/several-questioned-for-terror-links-in-bihar/1088304/
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APJ Abdul Kalam gives pass marks to six-decade old Indian democracy
Mar 15 2013
New Delhi : Former President A P J Abdul Kalam today gave “pass marks” to the over six-decade old Indian democracy awarding it “five points on a scale of 10”, while observing that its fundamental principle to empower citizens will stay forever.
Kalam also appreciated the financial expertise of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while applauding Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his fast decision making ability.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/apj-abdul-kalam-gives-pass-marks-to-sixdecade-old-indian-democracy/1088592/
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BJP demands scaling down of diplomatic relations with Pakistan
Mar 15 2013
Jaipur: BJP today condemned Pakistan Parliament's resolution on hanging of Afzal Guru and demanded that diplomatic relations with Islamabad should be scaled down along with suspension of confidence building measures.
"Pakistan has crossed all limits by passing a resolution in its parliament on hanging of Afzal Guru. Pakistan has no right to interfere in the internal issues of India and the
Government of India should register its strong protest with Pakistan as well as in international community," BJP president Rajnath Singh said here.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bjp-demands-scaling-down-of-diplomatic-relations-with-pakistan/1088575/
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Mideast Asia
Iran and Hezbollah 'have built 50,000-strong force to help Syrian regime'
Israeli military intelligence chief says Iran hopes to prolong life of Assad regime and maintain influence after his fall
Julian Borger in Herzliya
14 March 2013
Iran and Hezbollah have built a 50,000-strong parallel force in Syria to help prolong the life of the Assad regime and to maintain their influence after his fall, Israel's military intelligence chief has claimed.
Major General Aviv Kochavi said Iran intended to double the size of this Syrian "people's army", which he claimed was being trained by Hezbollah fighters and funded by Tehran, to bolster a depleted and demoralised Syrian army.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/14/iran-hezbollah-force-syrian-regime
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Palestinians want peace talks, Abbas tells Putin
15 March 2013
MOSCOW: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Russian leader Vladimir Putin yesterday he hoped to establish peace talks with Israel later this year while admitting that the chances for progress were slim.
Abbas said during a visit to Moscow he hoped “that later this year, we will see the start of substantive negotiations with Israel.”
“Although the chances for this may not be great, we still hope to reach a political settlement on the basis of the principle of a two-state solution,” Russian news agencies quotes Abbas as saying.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/palestinians-want-peace-talks-abbas-tells-putin
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Only 50+ Palestinians to enter Al-Aqsa for Friday prayers
Israel will allow only Palestinians carrying Israeli identity cards and above 50 years old to perform the Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa mosque
15 Mar 2013
Israeli police forces announced restrictions on Muslim Palestinians who seek to enter Al-Aqsa mosque for Friday prayers, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported Friday.
The newspaper stated that intelligence information, which reveals that Palestinians might seek to commit "riot acts", came behind such decision.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/66921/World/Region/Only--Palestinians-to-enter-AlAqsa-for-Friday-pray.aspx
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Iran test-fires short-range missiles
March 15, 201
TEHRAN: Iranian media say the military has test-fired several short-range missiles, including the type Palestinian militant Hamas group used to attack Tel Aviv last November.
Thursday’s report by the semi-official Fars news agency says the missiles were tested during an army exercise in central Iran. It says the missiles fired were Nazeat-10 and Fajr-5.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/14/iran-test-fires-short-range-missiles/
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Iran cleric says Ahmadinejad Chavez remarks 'heresy'
Those comments on Chavez's return with Christ were heresy, senior Iranian cleric describes statements of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
15 Mar 2013
A senior Iranian cleric accused President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of "heresy" on Friday by saying in his tribute to late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez that he would be resurrected with Jesus Christ.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/66932/World/Region/Iran-cleric-says-Ahmadinejad-Chavez-remarks-heresy.aspx
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South Asia
Jamaat leader held for inciting anti-Hindus attacks in Bangladesh
PTI | Mar 14, 2013
DHAKA: Bangladesh police on Thursday arrested a sub-district chairman and local leader of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for inciting attacks on Hindus and temples in southeastern Chittagong as minorities appeared to be targets of past two weeks of violence over 1971 war crimes trial.
"Police and (elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion) RAB teams jointly arrested Banshkhali upazila chairman Alamgir Kabir Chowdhury on charges of inciting violence against Hindu community and attack on their temples and property," a police official in the port city of Chittagong told PTI by phone.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Jamaat-leader-held-for-inciting-anti-Hindus-attacks-in-Bangladesh/articleshow/18975225.cms
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Huge truck bomb plot foiled in Kabul: spy agency
March 15, 2013
Afghanistan's intelligence agency said on Friday that it had foiled a massive truck bomb plot in which 7,800 kilogrammes of explosives could have wiped out an area of Kabul.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the attack had been planned by the Pakistan-based Haqqani network and the Taliban leadership, though it offered no concrete evidence of the plot.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/afghanistan/Huge-truck-bomb-plot-foiled-in-Kabul-spy-agency/Article1-1026891.aspx
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Bangladesh 146th among 187 countries in HDI
March 15, 2013
Bangladesh continued to be 146th among 187 countries in the world in terms of human development, according to the annual Human Development Report of UNDP.
The report put Bangladesh at the third position from bottom among the Saarc countries.
Human Development Report 2013, released worldwide on Friday, showed Bangladesh is among the 18 countries including China, India, Malaysia and Vietnam that have been making rapid progress in human development.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/bangladesh-146th-among-187-countries-in-hdi/
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Arab World
Muslim Brotherhood’s Statement on Women Stirs Liberals’ Fears
By David D. Kirkpatrick and Mayy El-Sheikh
March 14, 2013
CAIRO — During its decades as an underground Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood has long preached that Islam required women to obey their husbands in all matters.
“A woman needs to be confined within a framework that is controlled by the man of the house,” Osama Yehia Abu Salama, a Brotherhood family expert, said of the group’s general approach, speaking in a recent seminar for women training to become marriage counselors. Even if a wife were beaten by her husband, he advised, “Show her how she had a role in what happened to her.”
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/world/middleeast/muslim-brotherhoods-words-on-women-stir-liberal-fears.html?_r=0
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Gunmen kill four Iraqi anti-Qaeda militiamen
15 March 2013
Gunmen in military uniforms attacked the house of an Iraqi anti-Qaeda militia leader north of Baghdad on Friday, killing him and three of his sons, a police officer and a doctor said.
The gunmen bound their hands and killed Khalil al-Ajili and one of his sons in the house near Baquba, a police lieutenant colonel said, adding the other two tried to escape but were killed in a nearby field.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2013/03/15/Gunmen-kill-four-Iraqi-anti-Qaeda-militiamen.html
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Iraq war killed 120,000, cost $800 bln
(AFP) / 15 March 2013
At least 116,000 Iraqi civilians and more than 4,800 coalition troops died in Iraq between the outbreak of war in 2003 and the US withdrawal in 2011, researchers estimated on Friday.
Its involvement in Iraq has so far cost the United States $810 billion (625 billion euros) and could eventually reach $3 trillion, they added.
The estimates come from two US professors of public health, reporting in the British peer-reviewed journal The Lancet.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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Egyptian police 'killed almost 900 protesters in 2011 in Cairo'
Leaked report commissioned by president is the first time Egyptian police and senior officials have admitted killings in 2011
Patrick Kingsley in Cairo and Leyla Doss
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 14 March 2013
Egyptian policemen were to blame for the deaths of more than 800 protesters during Egypt's 2011 uprising, according to a leaked report commissioned by president Mohamed Morsi.
At least 846 protesters were killed during the uprising in early 2011, but Egypt's interior ministry – which controls the police force – has repeatedly denied responsibility. Only two policemen have been jailed for their behaviour during the revolution.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/14/egypt-leaked-report-blames-police-900-deaths-2011
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Syria’s historic treasure trove in ‘unpublicized’ danger
Honey Al-Sayed
14 March 2013
March 2013 will mark the second anniversary of the Syrian uprising, which has proven to be one of the bloodiest battles of the Arab Spring. While the media rightly focuses on the country’s humanitarian crisis, it is not the only tragedy facing Syria. There is also the largely unpublicized danger facing Syria’s cultural heritage.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/2013/03/14/Syria-s-historic-treasure-trove-in-unpublicized-danger.html--
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More killed on Saudi roads than in Iraqi violence in 2011
15 March 2013
Traffic accidents in the Kingdom kill 17 people every day and injure more than 68,000 per year, said Zuhair Sharaf, director of the Madinah Traffic Department.
“Financial losses resulting from accidents are estimated at more than SR 13 billion a year,” he said.
During a lecture at Madinah Islamic University as part of the 29th GCC Traffic Week events, he said Saudi Arabia tops the world in the number of traffic accidents, with more than 86,000 lives lost in the last two decades. “This exceeds the number of lives claimed by several international conflicts,” he pointed out.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/more-killed-saudi-roads-iraqi-violence-2011
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Irish group seeks to train Saudis with special needs
15 March 2013
An Irish-based non-governmental organization is holding discussions with the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) to develop services that will contribute to the training and employment of Saudi nationals with special needs.
Dr. Angela Kerins, CEO of the Rehab Group, said here yesterday that her organization is in “advanced discussions” with the HRDF.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/irish-group-seeks-train-saudis-special-needs
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Saddam Nostalgia Lives On in Iraq
March 15, 2013
Tikrit, Iraq. A decade after the US-led invasion of Iraq, years of violence and disdain for the country's current political class fuel nostalgia for Saddam Hussein — the man the foreign troops fought to oust.
Though accusations of ties to Saddam and his regime are used to tar politicians in Baghdad, residents of his hometown, Tikrit, express fondness for a man who, though responsible for ordering the deaths of countless Iraqis, is remembered for having imposed stability, which has long been missing.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/saddam-nostalgia-lives-on-in-iraq/580004
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Muslim Brotherhood hopes new pope will be more tolerant
Mar 15, 2013
Egypt's ruling Islamist group Muslim Brotherhood has said it hopes the new head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, would be a more tolerant pontiff than his predecessor Benedict XVI.
"We hope that the new pope will be more tolerant and far-seeing than the last one," said Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan.
Full report at:
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_muslim-brotherhood-hopes-new-pope-will-be-more-tolerant_1811439
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Cost of Syria war reaches epic proportions
Observers warn world will act only when they realise Syria is becoming a new Somalia
March 14, 2013
Beirut: As the Arab Spring blossomed two years ago, a heady breeze brought hopes of democracy, human rights and a better life to countries across the Middle East and North Africa, including Syria.
But while dictatorships fell in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya, President Bashar Al Assad clung to power in Damascus, unleashing a brutal crackdown on what began as a peaceful pro-reform movement.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/syria/cost-of-syria-war-reaches-epic-proportions-1.1156704
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Saudi swordsman unconcerned about country's transition away from beheadings
By J. Dana Stuster
March 14, 2013
Last week, the Saudi daily Al-Youm reported that Saudi Arabia is considering transitioning away from the state's institutionalized method of executing convicts: beheading by sword. Beheading -- the approach to carrying out death sentences in the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century -- has long been practiced in the kingdom in observance of its strict interpretation of Islamic law, which seeks to mimic practices at the time of Mohammed. But a committee of Saudi government officials recently ruled that execution by firing squad would also be permissible under the national brand of sharia.
Full report at:
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/03/14/saudi_swordsman_unconcerned_about_transition_from_beheadings
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Ex-French minister rules out conspiracy in Arab uprisings
15 March 2013
There was no foreign conspiracy behind the uprisings in the Arab world over the past few years, said former French Foreign Affairs Minister Hubert Védrine here on Monday.
Védrine said he could not see any foreign involvement in the revolts in Yemen, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria.
Védrine made the comments during his lecture entitled, “The multipolar world and its impact on Arab and Islamic countries,” held at the auditorium of the King Faisal Foundation on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/ex-french-minister-rules-out-conspiracy-arab-uprisings
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Dozens injured as violence flares in Bahrain
March 15, 2013
Dozens of people, including police officers have been injured in unrest in Bahrain, on the second anniversary of a Saudi-led intervention in the gulf island state.
The Bahraini interior ministry reported that "domestic terrorists" had blocked roads and burnt cars.
The main opposition group, al-Wefaq, said that at least 35 protesters had been hurt, three of them critically.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21790808
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Syrian army captures truck full of weapons: Syrian TV
15 March 2013
Syria’s Ikhbariyah TV on Thursday showed pictures of a truck full of weapons and reported that it was captured by the Syrian army.
The weapons included Israeli rockets and pictures were shown of weaponry, military jackets and binoculars.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2013/03/15/Syrian-army-captures-truck-full-of-weapon-Syrian-TV.html
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North America
My goal is to listen: Obama on his forthcoming visit to Israel and Palestinian territories
AFP | Mar 15, 2013
JERUSALEM: US President Barack Obama said on Thursday his forthcoming trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories was to "listen" to both sides and hear their views on how to move forward after over two years without peace talks.
His remarks came in an exclusive interview with Israel's Channel 2 television broadcast a week before the US leader starts his first visit to Jerusalem and the West Bank town of Ramallah since being elected president in 2008.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/My-goal-on-this-trip-is-to-listen-Obama-on-his-
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US commander in Afghanistan puts troops on alert after Karzai's remarks
ByAlissa J Rubin & Rod Nordland, New York Times | Mar 14, 2013
KABUL: The American commander in Afghanistan quietly told his forces to intensify security measures on Wednesday, issuing a strongly worded warning that a string of anti-American statements by President Hamid Karzai had put western troops at greater risk of attack both from rogue Afghan security forces and from militants.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/US-commander-in-Afghanistan-puts-troops-on-alert-after-Karzais-remarks/articleshow/18973832.cms
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Prisoner protest at Guantánamo Bay stains Obama's human rights record
More than half of the remaining detainees have been cleared for release. No wonder they're on hunger strike for their freedom
Amy Goodman
14 March 2013
Reports are emerging from the US military prison at Guantánamo Bay that a majority of the prisoners are on a hunger strike. Of the detainees, 166 remain locked up, although more than half have been cleared by the Obama administration for release. Yet, there they languish – in some cases, now in their second decade – in a hellish legal limbo, uncharged yet imprisoned.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/14/prisoner-protest-guantanamo-stains-obama
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'US will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons at any cost'
Mar 15 2013
Washington : The US has warned that it would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons at any cost, saying that it will look at all options, including military action.
"Our red line is that we will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. The President has made clear --publicly and privately --that we reject the policy of containment, because of the consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran for Israel, for the region, for the non-proliferation regime, and for the world," Deputy National Security Adviser, Ben Rhodes told reporters yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-will-stop-iran-from-acquiring-nuclear-weapons-at-any-cost/1088533/
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'Over year or so' for Iran to get nuclear bomb: Obama
AFP | Mar 15, 2013
JERUSALEM: Iran is "over a year or so" from getting a nuclear bomb, US President Barack Obama said in an interview on Thursday a week before visiting Israel, warning that the military option remained on the table.
In an interview with Israel's Channel 2 television, Obama laid out a clear timeline for Iran to acquire a military nuclear capacity, while insisting that Washington would not wait until the last minute to take action to stop it.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Over-year-or-so-for-Iran-to-get-nuclear-bomb-Obama/articleshow/18991392.cms
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US imposes sanctions on covert Iran oil-shipping network
Mar 15 2013
Washington : The United States slapped financial sanctions on Thursday on a Greek businessman it says secretly operated a shipping network on behalf of the Iranian government to get around international sanctions on the country's sale of oil.
"Today, we are lifting the veil on an intricate Iranian scheme that was designed to evade international oil sanctions," U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-imposes-sanctions-on-covert-iran-oilshipping-network/1088509/
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Barack Obama fantasises about hanging out in Israel wearing fake moustache
Mar 15 2013
London: President Barack Obama just wants to be a regular tourist and hang out in Israel.
Bemoaning the loss of his anonymity ahead of a trip to Israel next week, Obama told Israeli Channel 2 that he often wished he could just be a regular tourist.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/barack-obama-fantasises-about-hanging-out-in-israel-wearing-fake-musta.../1088594/
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Southeast Asia
Three Indonesian Terror Suspects Killed, 14 Bombs Seized
Farouk Arnaz | March 15, 2013
Jakarta Police have shot dead three suspected militants and arrested four more after they robbed a jewelry store last weekend, officials said on Friday.
The police squad, known as Densus 88, conducted several raids in Jakarta and on its outskirts early on Friday after the suspected militants robbed a jewelry store in Tambora, West Jakarta, on Sunday, the National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said, adding that they were shot after resisting arrest.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/three-indonesian-terror-suspects-killed-14-bombs-seized/579946
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Hatta Leaves Iraq After Car Bomb Set Off Near Indonesian Embassy
Jakarta Globe | March 15, 2013
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa and Pertamina President Director Karen Agustiawan left conflict-torn Iraq on Thursday after a bomb exploded near the Indonesian embassy in Baghdad.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/hatta-leaves-iraq-after-car-bomb-set-off-near-indonesian-embassy/579917
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Indonesia Takes a Step Up On Human Development
Jakarta Globe | March 15, 2013
Indonesia’s life expectancy has climbed but education levels have fallen in the past year, in aggregate allowing the country to inch forward in the latest United Nations Human Development Index.
In 2012 edition of the annual report, launched in Mexico City on Thursday, Indonesia climbed three places to 121 out of 187 countries and territories.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesia-takes-a-step-up-on-human-development/579872
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Indonesian Muslims seek better ties with new pope
Margareth S. Aritonang and Ina Parlina
March 15 2013
Indonesia’s interfaith leaders have applauded the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the first non-European leader of the Catholic Church, saying that the Argentinian’s passion for social justice will be common ground for interfaith dialogue in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/03/15/indonesian-muslims-seek-better-ties-with-new-pope.html
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Australia
Australian soldiers in Afghanistan caught playing golf and sunbathing
March 15, 2013
Australian soldiers in Afghanistan have been caught sunbathing in tactical positions, hitting golf balls into Taliban territory and greeting helicopters "in thongs (flip-flops) and T-shirts".
A senior army commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Smith, has lashed out at the behaviour of his troops, saying they expected to be treated as "Roman gladiators" and had perceptions of war based on movies and computer games.
Full report at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/9930197/
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Africa
How the Harlem Shake moves to a more radical beat in Tunisia
The global dance craze is more than just a YouTube sensation for Tunisians using it as a form of anti-government protest
Rachel Shabi
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 14 March 2013
You can probably guess what happened when Tunisian officials tried to clamp down on something as irreverent as the Harlem Shake. When the Islamist-led government reacted badly to a local manifestation of the global dance craze, it backfired in a big way. First, students in Tunis – who had initiated the country's renditions of the YouTube dance – hacked into the education ministry's website, making it wobble in time to the Harlem tune. And then, inevitably, where there was just one Tunisian Shake, hundreds more followed.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/14/harlem-shake-moves-radical-beat-tunisia
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Thousands of Malians return to liberated city Gao, NGO says
AFP | Mar 14, 2013
GAO (MALI): Thousands of people who fled when Islamists attacked the largest city in Mali's war-torn north have returned, a survey by a local charity working to resettle refugees told AFP on Thursday.
Tassaght said a study of returning refugees and internally displaced people indicated that 5,800 residents who fled the occupation by al-Qaida-linked Islamists had come home, most after Gao was liberated in late January.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Thousands-of-Malians-return-to-liberated-city-Gao-NGO-says/articleshow/18977184.cms
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