Saudi Air Force Sergeant Accused of Child Rape in Las Vegas

Indo-Pak LoC tension puts Gujarat farmers in a soup

By Bharat Yagnik & Himanshu Kaushik | Jan 19, 2013

AHMEDABAD: The heat on the Indo-Pak border has squashed tomato prices in Gujarat. Farmers in Kadi, about 40 km north of here, say if trade with the neighbouring nation does not normalize, they will land up in a... what else, tomato soup!

Prices of tomatoes in the wholesale markets in Ahmedabad have plummeted from around Rs 300/20 kg on Saturday to Rs 80/20 kg on Thursday.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indo-Pak-LoC-tension-puts-Gujarat-farmers-in-a-soup/articleshow/18084237.cms

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To send message to Congress, Jats, activists, Muslims hold own shivirs

Sweta Dutta

Jan 19 2013

Jaipur: As the Congress sat through closed-door sessions brainstorming on the party’s road ahead, several communities held demonstrations and parallel chintan shivirs. Muslims, farmers, Rajputs, Jats and Rajasthan University teachers protested and drew the attention of the Congress to issues concerning them. A meeting of social activists headed by RTI activist and National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy was held in Gopalpura in Churu to discuss the status of several projects including MNREGA and cash transfers.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/to-send-message-to-congress-jats-activists-muslims-hold-own-shivirs/1061605/

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Consider convert SC candidates under BC(Muslim): HC to Tamil NaduPSC

Press Trust of India / Madurai

 January 18, 2013

The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission to consider appointments of Scheduled Caste candidates, who have converted to Islam, under Backward Class (Muslim) category in government jobs.

Justices K N Basha and K Ravichandra Babu gave the interim direction on a petition by M K Muzibur Rahman, Secretary of Umar Nagar Muslim Jamath at Kooriyur in Ramanathapuram district.

Full report at:

http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/consider-convert-sc-candidates-under-bcmuslim-hc-to-tnpsc/111551/

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Europe

German Roman Catholic Priests Carried Out Sexual Abuse for Years

By MELISSA EDDY

January 19, 2013

BERLIN — A report about child sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Germany, based on victim accounts and released by the church this week, showed that priests carefully planned their assaults and frequently abused the same children repeatedly for years.

The report, compiled from information collected from victims and other witnesses who called a hot line run by the church from 2010 until the end of last year, includes the ages of the victims, the locations of the assaults and the repercussions they have suffered since. The accounts were provided in 8,500 calls to the hot line; they are not representative of abuse cases over all and cannot be individually verified. The church said the report contained information from 1,824 people, of whom 1,165 described themselves as victims.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/world/europe/report-details-sexual-abuse-of-

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British Leader Sees Wider Threat in Algeria Attack

By JOHN F. BURNS

January 19, 2013

LONDON — With more than 60 hostages still missing and many feared dead, Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament on Friday that the Qaeda-linked attack on a remote Algerian gas installation demonstrated the need for Britain and its Western allies, including the United States, to direct more of their diplomatic, military and intelligence resources to the intensifying threat emanating from “the ungoverned space” of the North African desert, treating it with as much concern as the terrorist challenge in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/world/europe/british-leader-david-cameron-sees-

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Abduction bears the signature of Jihadi Prince Belmokhtar of Algeria

Jan 19 2013

Paris: His entourage calls him “the Prince”; others call him “Laaouar”, or the One-Eyed, after he lost an eye to shrapnel. Some call him “Mr Marlboro” for the cigarette-smuggling monopoly he created across the Sahel region to finance his jihad, and French intelligence officials called him “The Uncatchable” because he escaped after apparently being involved in a series of kidnappings in 2003 that captured 32 European tourists, an undertaking which is thought to have earned him millions of dollars in ransoms.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/abduction-bears-the-signature-of-jihadi-prince-belmokhtar/1061645/

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Five Security Council members support Syria referral to ICC

January 19, 2013

UN Security Council members France, Britain, Australia, Luxembourg and South Korea voiced support Friday for an International Criminal Court investigation of human rights crimes in the Syria civil war.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/five-security-council-members-support-syria-referral-to-icc/article4320654.ece

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Stakes for France Are High as Hollande Continues an Intervention in Mali

By STEVEN ERLANGER

January 19, 2013

PARIS — This was not the war President François Hollande wanted.

In just two hours last Thursday, after a plea for help from Mali’s interim president, Dioncounda Traoré, Mr. Hollande decided to send in French warplanes and ground troops.

It was supposed to be a quick and dramatic blow that would send the Islamists scurrying back to their hide-outs in northern Mali, buying time for the deployment of an African force to stabilize the situation. Instead it is turning into what looks like a complex and drawn-out military and diplomatic operation that Mr. Hollande’s critics are already calling a desert version of a quagmire, like Vietnam or Afghanistan.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/world/europe/hollandes-intervention-in-mali-raises-

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UNSC slams ‘heinous’ Algeria attacks

January 19, 2013

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Friday strongly condemned the “heinous” attack and hostage-taking at an Algerian gas complex by Al Qaeda linked militants.

A statement agreed by the 15-member council stressed the need to bring the Al Qaeda linked attackers and their backers to justice.

At least 12 hostages and 18 kidnappers were killed in an assault by Algerian security forces on the Sahara desert complex. Between seven and 10 hostages were still being held.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/01/19/unsc-slams-heinous-algeria-attacks/

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U.K. man jailed for posting beheading videos online

January 19, 2013     

LONDON: A British court has sentenced a man to five years in prison for posting gruesome beheading videos on Facebook.

The 42-year-old Craig Slee also put online links to a communique by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, that encouraged terrorism.

Full report at:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Technology/International/2013/Jan-19/202946-uk-man-jailed-for-posting-beheading-videos-online.ashx#ixzz2IQEFKcIf

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Nearly a million Pakistani children failed to receive measles vaccine: WHO

 January 18, 2013

GENEVA: Nearly a million Pakistani children failed to receive a first dose of the measles vaccine in 2011, according to a statement by the World Health Organisation (WHO). They were struck by a deadly outbreak of the virus that engulfed five countries.

The WHO estimates that 20 million children failed to receive first dose of the vaccine the world over in 2011.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/495612/nearly-a-million-pakistani-children-failed-to-receive-measles-vaccine-who/

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Mali fighting: Refugee count could rise to 700,000

Jan 19, 2013

GENEVA: Predicting a worsening of West Africa's refugee situation, a UN agency says up to 700,000 people are expected to be uprooted by the ongoing turmoil in Mali.

"We believe there could be in the near future an additional 300,000 displaced inside Mali and up to 400,000 additional displaced (refugees) in neighbouring countries," United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Melissa Fleming told reporters here.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Mali-fighting-Refugee-count-could-rise-to-700000/articleshow/18087609.cms

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Toulouse Islamist victim Imad Ibn Ziaten 'refused to lie down'

January 19, 2013

The first victim of Toulouse Islamist Mohamed Merah refused to follow his demands to lie down on the ground and was shot at point-blank range.

Merah murdered seven people last March and filmed each killing. Now a transcript has emerged of the moments before he shot dead Imad Ibn Ziaten.

Before he was shot, the soldier told Merah to put his gun away, reports say.

Merah went on to murder two other soldiers and then an adult and three children at a Jewish school.

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21088665

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North America

Canada asks Maulana Tahir-ul-Qadri: Why asylum oath violated?

Jan 19, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Firebrand cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who led a massive protest against the government here, has been summoned by Canadian authorities to explain a violation of the oath he had taken while seeking asylum there, under which he had stated that he was not allowed to enter Pakistan.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Canada-asks-Qadri-Why-asylum-oath-violated/articleshow/18082951.cms

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US to pursue case against 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused

 Jan 18 2013

Chicago : US today said it would continue its hunt for dreaded terrorist Illyas Kashmiri, LeT handler Sajid Mir and four others involved in the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

The six are named in the indictment in the case in a Chicago court which is hearing charges against Tahawwur Rana and David Headley. Rana was yesterday sentenced to 14 years in jail for providing material support to Pakistan-based LeT and for backing a "dastardly" plot to attack a Danish newspaper.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-to-pursue-case-against-2611-mumbai-attacks-accused/1061294/

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US won't drop conspiracy charge against 9/11 plot suspects

 Jan 19, 2013

MIAMI: The Pentagon appointee overseeing the Guantanamo war crimes court refused on Friday to drop conspiracy charges against five accused plotters of the Sept. 11 attacks despite the chief prosecutor's concerns that the charge might not withstand appeals.

The decision announced by the Pentagon means the alleged mastermind of the hijacked plane attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four other captives could be tried on a charge that the prosecutor acknowledged might not have been recognized as a war crime when the attacks occurred in 2001.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-wont-drop-conspiracy-charge-against-9/11-plot-suspects/articleshow/18082354.cms

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US only support democratic government in Pakistan: US Ambassador

 January 18, 2013

ISLAMABAD: The US supports democratic government in Pakistan rather than any particular individual, US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson said on Friday.

According to Radio Pakistan, Olson said the US did not support any specific political party or person‚ including Tahirul Qadri.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/495774/us-only-supports-democratic-government-in-pakistan-olson/

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Don't shrink Afghan forces, two key Senate Democrats warn Obama

Jan 19, 2013

WASHINGTON: Two Senate Democrats urged the White House on Friday to reconsider plans to shrink Afghan national security forces by a third after 2015, saying a robust Afghan fighting force will be needed to fight al-Qaida and its allies.

The appeal comes as President Barack Obama weighs how large of an American force to leave behind in Afghanistan after Nato declares the costly, unpopular war over at the end of 2014 and most foreign forces return home.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Dont-shrink-Afghan-forces-two-key-Senate-Democrats-warn-Obama/articleshow/18083329.cms

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One American dead in Algerian standoff: Sources

Jan 19, 2013

WASHINGTON: US officials say one American has died in the hostage standoff at an Algerian gas complex.

The officials say the deceased American is a Texas resident, Frederick Buttaccio. It is unclear how he died.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/One-American-dead-in-Algerian-standoff-Sources/articleshow/18082375.cms

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American jihadi faces Somali death threat

January 18, 2013

JOHANNESBURG: An Alabama native who moved to Somalia to wage jihad alongside al-Shabab militants faces a Saturday deadline to surrender to the insurgents or be killed, according to his Internet posting.

Omar Hammami - whom the FBI named as one of its most-wanted terrorists in November - has engaged in a public fight with al-Shabab over the last year, and a Twitter account that terrorism analysts believe is run by Hammami or his associates announced Jan. 4 that al-Shabab fighters had given him 15 days to surrender, or else.

Full report at:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2013/Jan-18/202833-american-jihadi-faces-somali-death-threat.ashx#ixzz2IQE74Ixp

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Pakistan

Maulana Tahir ul Quadri’s Conspiracy to derail democracy failed miserably: Pak Punjab CM

January 19, 2013

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday said change could not come through sitting in a container but through the power of votes, adding that the “pretend-march” of Tahirul Qadri, chief of the Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran, had derailed after striking a deal on Islamabad’s D Chowk, DawnNews reported.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/01/19/conspiracy-to-derail-democracy-failed-miserably-cm-shahbaz/

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Tahirul Qadri to challenge his summoning by a Canadian court over violating asylum oath

January 19, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Tehrik-i-Minhaj ul Quran (TMQ), Dr Tahirul Qadri, has decided to challenge in a Canadian court his summoning to that country on Feb 5 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to explain as to why he had violated the oath he took when seeking asylum there, DawnNews reported.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/01/19/qadri-to-challenge-his-summoning-over-violating-asylum-oath/

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Legal battle over blocked access to century-old Hindu temple in Karachi

 January 19, 2013

KARACHI: When Swami Teenu Ram Maharaj laid down the foundation of ashrams – Hindu spiritual centres – his objective was not only to teach religion but humanity as well.

About a century later, teachers of a ‘modern’ school established on the premises of the Maharaj’s final resting place in Tando Adam have been accused of doing the opposite.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/495973/denying-freedom-legal-battle-over-blocked-access-to-century-old-hindu-temple-in-tando-adam/

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Family told to leave village for disagreeing with panchayat for settlement marriage

 January 19, 2013

HAFIZABAD: A family was allegedly told to leave the village on Friday after they refused to accept a panchayat decision to marry their daughters into the complainants’ family to settle an elopement charge, police said.

Vanike Tarar police said that Imran, a resident of Rahgo Syedan and father of five, married his cousin Rizwana on January 6. On January 14, they said, Rizwana’s father Ata Muhammad, her brother Mohsin Raza and Ahsan Raza, and her uncle Nadir allegedly attacked their house. Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/495839/resisting-wani-family-told-to-leave-village-for-disagreeing-with-panchayat/

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Karachi shuts down after MQM politician Taliban claimed to have killed

January 18, 2013

KARACHI: Shops, businesses and schools shut across Karachi on Friday, as the city braced for further unrest following the funeral of a politician the Taliban claimed to have killed.

Manzar Imam, 42, a lawmaker from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a coalition partner in the federal government and the dominant political party in Karachi, was shot with three of his guards in a drive-by shooting on Thursday.

Full report at:

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/pakistan/karachi-shuts-down-after-politician-killing-1.1134180

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Two brothers among eight shot dead in Karachi

January 19, 2013

KARACHI: Eight persons, including two brothers said to be sympathisers of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, were shot dead in different parts of the city in a matter of an hour on Friday evening, police said.

They said that assailants riding a motorcycle intercepted the two brothers — Mohammad Akhlaq, 30, and Mohammad Irshad, 35 — who were also on a motorbike, near Lasbela bridge in the Gulbahar area, fired at them and rode away.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/01/19/two-brothers-among-eight-shot-dead-in-karachi/

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Dead Pakistani officer wanted to be excused in PM graft case

 Jan 19, 2013

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani investigation officer who was found hanging from a ceiling fan had requested the chief of the anti-corruption agency to put him off the power plants case involving Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.

Geo News said Kamran Faisal, an assistant director, had requested the the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director general that being a junior officer he was not qualified enough to take up a case as big as the power projects scam.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Dead-Pakistani-officer-wanted-to-be-excused-in-PM-graft-case/articleshow/18088227.cms

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Pakistan says it will free all Afghan Taliban detainees

Jan 18, 2013

ABU DHABI: Pakistan plans to release all Afghan Taliban prisoners still in its detention, including the group's former second-in-command, an official said on Friday, in the clearest signal yet that it backs reconciliation efforts.

Regional power Pakistan is seen as critical to the success of US and Afghan efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan, a task gaining urgency as the end of the US combat mission in 2014 draws closer.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Pakistan-says-it-will-free-all-Afghan-Taliban-detainees/articleshow/18080165.cms

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Qadri may take part in Pakistan election

 19 January 2013

ISLAMABAD/ABU DHABI: A protest leader who has been pushing for electoral reforms in Pakistan will resort to street protests again if the government does not abide by an agreement that eased a political crisis, an aide said yesterday.

Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, who has a history of ties with the military, reached a deal with Pakistan’s ruling coalition on Thursday that will give his party some say over the formation of a caretaker government ahead of elections this spring. Qadri’s party may also participate in the elections.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/qadri-may-take-part-pakistan-election

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Despite similarities Tahir-ul Qadri is different from Anna Hazare

Jan 19, 2013

NEW DELHI: An elderly, messianic leader agitates against corruption and rot in governance, leads large demonstrations in the Capital, seeks solutions outside the parliamentary system and tears into the 'corrupt' elite. Public intellectuals and media are divided about the movement, and speculation is rife about its funding, backers and motivation. The movement turns into a challenge for the establishment.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Despite-similarities-Tahir-ul-Qadri-is-different-from-Anna-Hazare/articleshow/18086268.cms

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Rumours about Qadri’s return to Canada

January 19, 2013

ISLAMABAD: Whether or not Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has achieved his goals during the Islamabad sit-in, he may return to Canada later this month, according to sources.

However, TMQ officials have denied that he will return to Canada by the end of the month. According to some media reports, Dr Qadri will leave by an Emirates flight on Jan 28, a day after holding a meeting with government functionaries at the TMQ’s offices in Lahore.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/01/19/rumours-about-qadris-return-to-canada/

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Zardari says policy of conciliation vindicated

January 19, 2013

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that no-one will be allowed to derail general elections on any pretext and reiterated his resolve about holding the polls on time, without delay of even one day.

Referring to Dr Tahirul Qadri’s long march, he said the amicable resolution of the issue was a triumph of democracy and vindicated his party’s reconciliation policy.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/01/19/zardari-says-policy-of-conciliation-vindicated/

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A visit to Dr Qadri’s sit-in venue reveals a different reality

January 19, 2013

As the street cleaners descended on Jinnah Avenue to clear up the final remnants of the three-and-a-half-day ‘revolution’, another enigma remains: How does a man who has lived in Canada for seven years get thousands of Pakistanis to spend four nights on cold and wet streets?

In aerial shots of Qadri’s dharna, the protesters could come across as a grey and faceless mass, used by the Shaikh-ul-Islam to promote a dubious political agenda. But visits to the dharna site revealed a very different reality. Despite accusations that many were paid to turn up, this was no rent-a-crowd congregation.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/01/19/a-visit-to-dr-qadris-sit-in-venue-reveals-a-different-reality/

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Ceasefire violations: LoC death designed by Indian Army, says Musharraf

 January 19, 2013

Former president, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf refuted allegations that the Indian soldier was beheaded by the Pakistan Army with the help of militants, reported.

In an interview to Times Now, Musharraf defended the Pakistan Army’s stand dismissing allegations that an Indian soldier was beheaded by the army with help from militants.

A visibly aggressive Musharraf, said that there has been no effort from India to maintain civilised relations.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/496120/ceasefire-violations-loc-death-designed-by-indian-army-says-musharraf/

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Bara tragedy: FC commandant replaced ‘over tribesmen killings’

 January 19, 2013

PESHAWAR: The commanding officer of the Frontier Corps (FC) of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency has reportedly been transferred, after Bara tribesmen demanded action against security forces alleged to have killed 18 tribesmen in a midnight raid on Tuesday.

Colonel Jawad Zia’s transfer orders were said to have been issued and he has been replaced by Colonel Naeem Sarwar, apparently on the demands of the protesting tribesmen.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/496092/bara-tragedy-fc-commandant-replaced-over-tribesmen-killings/

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Delayed enforcement: Govt not in a hurry to withdraw Qadri case

 January 19, 2013

ISLAMABAD: At least one point of the five-point ‘Islamabad Long March Declaration’ signed between the government and Dr Tahirul Qadri can be swiftly implemented – the withdrawal of the case registered against Dr Qadri and his associates at Kohsar police station.

However, the government till Friday night showed “no interest or hurry” in contacting the court for the withdrawal of the case, said a senior police officer. “The instructions have to come from the ministry of interior which have yet not been received,” the police officer said.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/495964/delayed-enforcement-govt-not-in-a-hurry-to-withdraw-qadri-case/

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Targeted operation: Two BLA men killed in Mastung raid

 January 19, 2013

QUETTA: Two suspected members of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were killed and as many injured in a targeted operation by the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Mastung district of Balochistan.

Acting on a tip-off, paramilitary troops raided Killi Pirkani area on Friday, FC sources said, adding that suspected BLA militants holed up in the area opened fire on the troops.  In the retaliatory fire, two BLA insurgents – including their commander Rasheed Shahwani – were killed.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/496089/targeted-operation-two-bla-men-killed-in-mastung-raid/

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Africa

Hiding, Praying, Tied to Bombs: Captives Detail Algerian Ordeal

By LYDIA POLGREEN and SCOTT SAYARE

January 19, 2013

The gunmen, dressed in fatigues and wearing turbans, stormed in well before dawn aboard pickup trucks, announcing their arrival with a burst of gunfire.

Dozens of employees were eating breakfast at the time before heading off to the vast network of tubes and silos of the In Amenas gas field, where hundreds of Algerians and foreigners work to extract natural gas from the arid sands of the Sahara.

Full report at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/world/africa/scenes-of-terror-at-oil-field-hostages- -----------------

12 hostages have died in the siege: Algeria

Jan 19, 2013

PARIS: The bloody three-day hostage standoff at a natural gas plant in the Sahara took a dramatic turn Friday as Algeria's state news service reported that nearly 100 of the 132 foreign workers kidnapped by Islamic militants had been freed.

That number of hostages at the remote desert facility was significantly higher than any previous report, but it still left questions about the fate of over 30 other foreign energy workers. It wasn't clear how the government arrived at the latest tally of hostages, which was far higher than the 41 foreigners the militants had claimed previously.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/12-hostages-have-died-in-the-siege-Algeria/articleshow/18082264.cms

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Foreigners still trapped in Sahara hostage crisis

 Jan 19 2013

Algiers/In Amenas : More than 20 foreigners were captive or missing inside a desert gas plant on Saturday, nearly two days after the Algerian army launched an assault to free them that saw many hostages killed.

The stand-off between the Algerian army and al Qaeda-linked gunmen - one of the biggest international hostage crises in decades - entered its fourth day, having thrust Saharan militancy to the top of the global agenda.

Full report at:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/foreigners-still-trapped-in-sahara-hostage-crisis/1061770/

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Somalia’s President addresses thousands in US

January 19, 2013

Somalia’s President is calling on Somalis living in Minnesota to help rebuild their war-torn homeland.

A day after the U.S. recognised Somalia’s government for the first time in two decades, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud spoke to about 4,000 people on Friday night in Minneapolis.

Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the U.S.

Full report at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/somalias-president-addresses-thousands-in-us/article4322770.ece

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French hostage cowered under bed through Algeria siege

January 18, 2013

A French catering firm employee spent 40 hours cowering alone under his bed, terrified he would be killed, as Islamist militants took over the In Amenas gas facility in Algeria where he works, he said on Friday after being freed.

Still badly shaken, Alexandre Berceaux told Europe 1 radio he had survived by staying in his room away from other foreigners, hidden behind a barricade of wooden planks and having Algerian colleagues sneak him food and water.

Full report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/europe/French-hostage-cowered-under-bed-through-Algeria-siege/Article1-993106.aspx

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Algeria kidnappers still hold seven foreigners: News agency

Jan 19, 2013

NOUAKCHOTT: Islamist hostage-takers are still holding seven foreigners from the dozens they abducted at a remote gas plant in Algeria, Mauritania's ANI news agency said Friday, quoting the abductors.

Sources from the al-Qaida-linked group known as the "Signatories in Blood" told ANI "they are still holding seven foreigners in the plant, part of which they blew up in order to push back Algerian forces" who stormed the installation in a dramatic rescue operation.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Algeria-kidnappers-still-hold-seven-foreigners-News-agency/articleshow/18081361.cms

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Muslim Judicial Council Fatwa Against Minstrels Highlights Cape Town's Class Problems

BY ANNA MAJAVU

 17 JANUARY 2013

The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) fatwa against the annual New Year's festival by Cape Town's minstrels and 'Malay' choirs has thrown the city's ever present class and race problems back into the spotlight.

The fatwa prohibits Muslims from participating in the minstrel troupes, or watching the minstrels - on the grounds that "it is generally degrading and undignified for Muslims to dance around in public with painted faces and colourful clothing".

Full report at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201301180688.html?viewall=1

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15 burned bodies found at Algeria gas plant: source

January 19, 2013     

ALGIERS: Algerian special forces on Saturday found 15 burned bodies at the desert gas plant attacked by al Qaeda-linked fighters, a source familiar with the unfolding hostage crisis there said.

Full report at:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2013/Jan-19/202945-15-unidentified-

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West African leaders to meet on Mali crisis

Jan 19, 2013

BAMAKO, MALI: West African leaders are gathering for a summit on Mali to flesh out their plans for ramping up its military role alongside the French.

The meetings taking place on Saturday in Ivory Coast come as the French-led military intervention in Mali enters its second week.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/West-African-leaders-to-meet-on-Mali-crisis/articleshow/18087976.cms

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South Asia

Police nab extortionists linked to Afghan Taliban

 January 19, 2013

KARACHI: The police department’s counter terrorism team arrested two alleged extortionists with links to the Afghan Taliban, as well as, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), after engaging in an encounter in Korangi’s Bilal Colony.

At a press conference on Friday, SSP Raja Umar Khattab, chief of the Counter Terrorism and Financial Crime Unit (CTFCU), said that the law enforcers had seized four hand grenades, four pistols and a Kalashnikov from the suspects, Naqibullah and Adnan. At least eight other suspects, Alam Afghani, Naseebullah, Younus Afghani, Ahsan Bengali, Mujahid Afghani, Zaheer Ahmed, Naik Mohammad and Rasheed alias Lahori, managed to escape during the encounter, said SSP Khattab. Cases have also been registered against Naqibullah and Adnan.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/495981/out-of-business-police-nab-extortionists-linked-to-afghan-taliban-from-korangi/

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Ahmadiyas gratitude awards to eminent citizens of Bangladesh

January 19, 2013

Ahmadiya Muslim Jama'at, Bangladesh celebrated its 100th founding anniversary yesterday by presenting “gratitude awards” to 36 eminent citizens and nine social and rights based organisations and dailies for their contributions to the country.

Lawmakers Hasanul Haque Inu and Rashed Khan Menon, Dr Kamal Hossain, Sultana Kamal, Shahriar Kabir, Sara Hossain, Khushi Kabir and Asif Nazrul, who were presented the award, addressed the programme.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=265842

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Afghans chart their own future

By Francis Matthew

 January 18, 2013

Kabul: After decades of civil war, it is surprising that normal civil society is becoming a durable part of Afghan life. As Nato forces hand back responsibility for security to the Afghan armed forces, it seems hard to believe that the previous harsh choice of either Nato or Taliban has moved on to include a much more hopeful third option, which is the Afghans themselves.

Full report at:

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/other-world/afghans-chart-their-own-future-1.1134155

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Nine Bangladeshis return from Indian jail after 8yrs

January 19, 2013

Nine Bangladeshi nationals returned home yesterday after serving eight years in an Indian jail.

Forkan, Bachchu, Anwar, Modhu, Masum, Razzak, Mozammel, Yer Ali, and Masud, were handed over to Bangladeshi immigration police by Indian BSF.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=265799

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Bangladesh Coast Guard Pushed Back 59 more Rohingyas

January 19, 2013

Bangladesh Coast Guard members pushed back 59 more Rohingyas who intruded into Bangladesh territory on Friday night.

Of them, 45 people including eight children and five female were sent back on two boats from Shahpuri Dwip while 14 others including two children and ten female pushed back on another boat from Teknaf area at around 11:00pm, reports our Chittagong correspondent quoting Lt Badruddoza, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Contingent of Bangladesh Coast Guard.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44110

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Mideast Asia

Iran Majlis speaker lauds Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad influential roles

Jan 18, 2013

Iran Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has lauded Lebanon’s Hezbollah as well as the Palestinian resistance movements of Hamas and Islamic Jihad as influential powers in the region.

Speaking at the 4th international conference of ‘Gaza, Symbol of Resistance’ in the Iranian capital on Thursday, Larijani said that Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad were among the most influential powers in the region due to their morale of resistance.

Full report at:

invasion claimed the lives of nearly 1,200 Lebanese people, most of them civilians.

http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/01/18/284194/iran-speaker-hails-resistance-movements/

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Differences remain with UN atomic watchdog, says Iran

19 January 2013

TEHRAN: Iran acknowledged yesterday that it still has differences with the UN atomic watchdog after two days of talks over its disputed nuclear activities, but also said that the negotiations are progressing.

“Some of the differences were solved but it is very complex issue... No agreement has been signed but the negotiations are progressing,” Iran’s International Atomic Energy Agency envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on television.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/differences-remain-un-atomic-watchdog-says-iran

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Apartheid state if Benjamin Netanyahu wins, Palestinians Wish

 Jan 19, 2013

RAMALLAH, West Bank: The Palestinians have long complained that Israel's right-wing government is killing peace prospects by settling the West Bank with Jews, but now there is something new. The Palestinian president is warning that Benjamin Netanyahu's expected victory in next week's election could lead to an Arab-majority country in the Holy Land that will eventually replace what is now Israel, unless he pursues a more moderate path of a two state solution to the conflict.

Full report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Apartheid-state-if-Benjamin-Netanyahu-wins-Palestinians-say/articleshow/18083055.cms

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Israel takes down anti-settlement camp

19 January 2013

JERUSALEM: A spokesman says Israeli police have taken down a West Bank tent camp pitched by Palestinians to protest Israeli plans to build a large Jewish settlement there.

The settlement near Jerusalem would have more than 3,400 apartments and drive a wedge between the eastern sector of the city and the West Bank, seized territories the Palestinians want for their state.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/israel-takes-down-anti-settlement-camp

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Turkey: Dozens Arrested in Police Raids

January 19, 2013

The police have arrested 85 people, including leftist lawyers, musicians and human rights activists, in raids against people suspected of having links to an outlawed militant group, Turkish news media reported Friday. A Turkish newspaper, Radikal, reported that those arrested in raids in seven cities were suspected of links to the banned Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party Front. Many of the 15 lawyers arrested work with the Progressive Lawyers’ Association, which works with victims of torture and leftist prisoners, according its Web site.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/world/europe/turkey-dozens-arrested-in-police-

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Iran won't stop uranium enrichment even 'for a moment'

 January 19, 2013

Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran –  An Iranian diplomat says Tehran will not stop uranium enrichment "for a moment," defying demands from the U.N. and world powers to halt its suspect nuclear program.

The comments by Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency, come just two days after senior IAEA investigators ended two days of intensive talks with Iranian officials on allegations the Islamic Republic may have carried out tests on triggers for atomic weapons.

Full report at:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/19/official-iran-wont-stop-uranium-enrichment-even-for-moment/#ixzz2IPfoMpSA

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Yemen gunmen blow up oil pipeline

January 19, 2013

ADEN: Gunmen in southeast Yemen have blown up an oil pipeline that transports some 8,000 barrels per day to export terminals on the Gulf of Aden, suspending operations, a local official said on Saturday.

The unidentified assailants "planted an explosive device under the pipeline" overnight in the village of Rudum in Shabwa province, some 25 kilometres (16 miles) from the Nushaymah export terminal, the official said.

Full report at:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-19/202920-yemen-gunmen-blow-up-oil-pipeline.ashx#ixzz2IPf73YAU

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US, Israeli leaders locked in tension as threats loom

January 19, 2013

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu will have to bury past hostilities if the Israeli prime minister is re-elected to jointly face looming threats such as Iran, analysts say.

The two men have never warmed to each other, and ties have remained frosty. Obama pointedly failed to make time to meet the Israeli leader on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.

Full report at:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/496186/us-israeli-leaders-locked-in-tension-as-threats-loom/

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Turkey raids target banned Marxist group DHKP-C

January 19, 2013

Dozens of people, including 15 lawyers, with suspected links to a banned Marxist group have been arrested in raids by police across Turkey.

Helicopters were used in some of the early morning raids in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and other cities.

They were targeting members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (DHKP-C), a group blamed for a number of attacks in Turkey since the 1970s.

Full report at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21080661

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Arab World

Coptic-Muslim unrest flares up again in southern Egypt town

January 19, 2013     

LUXOR, Egypt: Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Muslim protesters trying to storm a Coptic Christian church in southern Egypt Friday, after word spread that a Christian man sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl.

Witnesses in Marashda village in the province of Qena said several shops and cars owned by Coptic Christians were torched overnight after Muslim villagers accused a merchant in his sixties of molesting the young girl.

Full report at:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-19/202848-coptic-muslim-unrest-flares-up-again-in-southern-egypt-town.ashx#ixzz2IQDatOhM

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Egypt's Islamists protest French intervention in Mali

Dozens of Salafist Calling and Renaissance and Reform Movement members march to French mission in Cairo in protest of 'colonial' move by France to send troops into Mali

 18 Jan 2013

Egyptian security forces have bolstered security around the French embassy in Giza Friday, including closing surroundings streets, as dozens arrive for Islamist protest against France's recent military intervention in Mali.

The rally, which was called for by several conservative Islamist groups including prominent preaching group Salafist Calling and the Renaissance and Reform Movement, began after Friday's prayers.

Full report at:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/62757/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-Islamists-protest-French-intervention-in-Ma.aspx

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This week’s Massacre evidence seen in Syria

January 19, 2013

The BBC has found evidence to support reports from Syria of a massacre this week in which at least 100 people were killed and burned in their homes.

A team visited the village of Haswiya, on the edge of the central city of Homs, and saw charred bodies still lying inside one of the houses.

Government soldiers said all the bodies had been taken away and blamed Islamist militants fighting with the rebels.

Full report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44099

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Egypt drops hundreds of charges over post-Mubarak violence

January 19, 2013

CAIRO: An Egyptian court dismissed cases against 379 people accused of involvement in clashes with police during protests near the Interior Ministry in November 2011 in which 42 demonstrators were killed, the state news agency reported.

Saturday's decision was based on President Mohamed Mursi's offer of an amnesty for those facing charges related to events during and after the 2011 uprising that ended the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak, the agency reported.

Full report at:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-19/202941-egypt-drops-hundreds-of-charges-over-post-mubarak-violence.ashx#ixzz2IQDXUiAt

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Grand Mufti of Lebanon refuses to convene Higher Islamic Council

January 19, 2013              

BEIRUT: Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani sent a letter Friday to Omar Miskawi, the deputy head of the Higher Islamic Council, in which he said that he couldn’t convene the council Saturday as requested by Miskawi, arguing that the body’s term has expired.

Full report at:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2013/Jan-19/202881-qabbani-refuses-to-convene-higher-islamic-council.ashx#ixzz2IPfACNDx

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Sniper kills Jazeera reporter in Syria: TV

January 19, 2013

BEIRUT: A sniper killed an Al-Jazeera reporter in southern Syria on Friday, the pan-Arab television network said, in the second such shooting of a journalist in two days in the conflict-swept country.

The killings take the death toll of reporters who have died in Syria’s 22-month conflict to at least 20, according to a count by AFP and Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, or RSF.

Full report at:

http://dawn.com/2013/01/19/sniper-kills-jazeera-reporter-in-syria-tv/

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Islamists, opposition protest Jordan elections

January 19, 2013

AMMAN: Hundreds of Jordanian Islamists, youth activists and other opposition groups rallied Friday in Amman, calling for a boycott of next week’s parliamentary elections.

The demonstration came just five days before the vote, which will see a prime minister emerge from the winning candidates rather than by appointment by the king for the first time.

King Abdullah II has said the elections crown two years of reforms he initiated to stave off massive Arab Spring-type protests that have already toppled four long-time rulers across the region.

Full report at:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-19/202843-islamists-opposition-protest-jordan-elections.ashx#ixzz2IPfFh2ol

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Cairo court to announce Mohamed Mahmoud St trial verdict Saturday

Verdicts are to be announced in the trial of protesters accused of vandalism and illegal assembly during 2011's Mohamed Mahmoud Street clashes

19 Jan 2013

Cairo Criminal Court will announce its verdict Saturday in the trial of dozens of protesters on charges of vandalism and illegal assembly related to their involvement in the Mohamed Mahmoud Street clashes in November 2011.

Full report at:

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/62798/Egypt/Politics-/Cairo-court-to-announce-Mohamed-Mahmoud-St-trial-v.aspx

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More than 50% of Syrian refugees are children

UN appealing for $1.5 billion to fund aid assistance

January 18, 2013

New York: More than half the 642,000 refugees who have sought refuge from the Syrian conflict in neighbouring countries are children and the number of people fleeing could almost double by June, said a senior UN official on Thursday.

Panos Moumtzis, the UN Refugee Agency regional coordinator for Syrian refugees, said plans were in place to help four million people in Syria — two million who had been displaced and two million who need help in their homes — and up to 1.1 million refugees.

Full report at:

http://gulfnews.com/in-focus/syria/more-than-50-of-syrian-refugees-are-children-1.1134035

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Southeast Asia

Rights Agency Calls for Poso, Indonesia Probe

Farouk Arnaz | January 19, 2013

The new national human rights chief has vowed to work closely with police to address concerns about excessive use of force during ongoing counterterrorism raids in the Central Sulawesi district of Poso.

Otto Nur Abdullah, who was appointed chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in November, met with National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo on Friday to discuss the matter.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/rights-agency-calls-for-poso-probe/566270

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Flood death toll in Jakarta rises to 14

Associated Press

January 19 2013

The death toll from floods in Indonesia's capital has climbed to 14 after searchers pulled three more bodies from the waters.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said Saturday that the body of a 35-year-old member of the city's search and rescue team was found on the banks of an overflowing river late Friday. Another man was found dead near his flooded home in western Jakarta.

Full report at:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/19/flood-death-toll-jakarta-rises-14.html

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Philippine workers recount Algeria hostage drama

 19 January 2013

MANILA: Foreign workers abducted by Islamist militants in Algeria were garlanded with explosives and put into trucks rigged with bombs, the wife of one of the Philippine captives recounted on Saturday.

Ruben Andrada was just days into his job at a gas plant in the north African desert when he was seized by gunmen avenging what they said was Algiers’ support for French military action in neighboring Mali, his wife said.

Full report at:

http://www.arabnews.com/philippine-workers-recount-algeria-hostage-drama

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