Saudi Arabia Could End Beheadings 'Due To Shortage of Swordsmen'
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 March 2013
Arab World
• Saudi Arabia Could End Beheadings 'Due To Shortage of Swordsmen'
• Iraq suicide bomber kills seven, wounds 165
• Al-Qaida claims killing of 48 Syrian soldiers in Iraq
• Saudi activist speaks up for domestic helpers
• Al-Shahhal Denies Calls for Jihad, Says Salafists Pose No Threat
• Dar al-Ifta denies prohibiting prayers in drama
• Saudi spy agency funds al-Nusra terrorists in Syria: Report
• Syrian rebels treated UN hostages like 'guests', peacekeeping official says
• 20 bodies turn up in Syria river
• Bahrain court acquits Shia rights activist: lawyer
• In Syria, deadly diseases add to people’s miseries
• Over 550,000 to hone skills at Makkah forum
Southeast Asia
• Shariah Police in Aceh Arrest Dozens in Weekend Raids
• 'Sulu Sultan' declares jihad against Malaysia
• President appoints new Maldives high commissioner to India
• Brutality claims just ‘wild allegations’, says Zahid Hamidi
Pakistan
• Fear us, don’t mock us: TTP warns of backlash over ‘provocations’
• Pak Army captain, two soldiers killed in IED blast in Orakzai region
• Grenade blast in Karachi’s Landhi area kills two
• Attack against Christians: 35 remanded to custody in Pak
• Zardari vows equal rights to minorities
• Defying US, Pakistan-Iran gas link kicks off today
• Christians attack cops over mob fury in Pakistan
• Pak SC asks Husain Haqqani to appear before it within 3 weeks
• Badami Bagh “the worst example of barbarism”: CM Shahbaz
• Pakistani Christians close schools to protest over riot
• Terrorists in Afghanistan affecting Pakistan's security situation: Malik
• Punjab govt’s extremist links ‘threaten minorities’
• Migration dream over for young Pakistani
India
• Ajmer shrine Diwan should get Bharat Ratna: Shiv Sena president
• Shashi Tharoor to lead Congress 'fight back' on social media with Shah Rukh Khan
• Nearly 4,000 ultras still living across border: J&K govt
• Kashmir: Separatists issue weekly protest calendar
• Khurshid to brief BJP leaders on border deal with Bangladesh
• Maldives crisis: Indian warships closed in
• Yasin Bhatkal: The ghost who bombs
• Indian govt urged to adopt interest-free banking system
• PDP walks out of J&K assembly over 'pepper gas'
• Rape accused escapes in VVIP chopper in J-K
Europe
• Terror charges U K boy aged 16 pleads guilty
• Militant Islam aligns with Russia abroad, devours its ‘soft underbelly’ at home
• French Cooperation with Tuareg Rebels Risks Arab Rising In Northern Mali
• Britain’s ‘Atheist Church’ Set to Go Global
• Britain, Italy, Greece say hostages killed in Nigeria
North America
• White House Explores How to Make 'War on Terror' Policies 'Permanent'
• US denies Karzai’s 'America, Taliban working together' claim
• Despite CAIR Push-Back, Controversial Anti-Jihad Ads Launch In Dc Metro Stations
• Ex-envoy Haqqani refuses to return to Pak over govt's inability to provide security
Mideast Asia
• Israel army prevents symbolic marriage near wall
• Will Netanyahu Redefine Status Quo With Ultra-Orthodox?
• Egyptian ambassador to Palestine inspects Al-Aqusa Mosque
• Netanyahu hints Israeli coalition to be presented in days
• All eyes on Yemeni National dialog
• Israel: Re-thinking Syria's Opposition
• TV channel for dogs launched in Israel
South Asia
• Bangladesh Govt to track persons making ill comments about Prophet
• Sri Lankan Muslim group to give up Halal certification
• Afghan actor killed in NATO air strike
• Insider attack kills two US troops, three Afghans
• President appoints new Maldives high commissioner to India
• Chinese tourism boycott of Maldives over allegations of ‘cup noodle’ discrimination
• Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech Bangladesh’s inspiration to rise: PM
• Shops of Hindus set on fire, theft at temple
• Hamid Karzai alleges US, Taliban are colluding
• US defence secretary meets Karzai amidst political friction
• Maldives Past and current presidents call for national rethink on gender rights
• Japan provides $2.62m to protect Pakistani children against polio
Africa
• Disgruntled Malian soldiers desert posts demanding bonus
• Nigeria: Video appears to show dead hostages
• Sudanese Refugees Face Harassment, Deportation in Israel
• Libyan congress temporarily suspends sessions over security
• Malawi police arrest four ex-ministers for coup plot
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Iraq suicide bomber kills seven, wounds 165
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia Could End Beheadings 'Due To Shortage of Swordsmen'
Mar 11 2013
Washington: Saudi Arabian authorities have planning to drop public beheadings as a method of execution, a report has said.
Saudi newspaper Al-Watan reported in its Sunday edition that the ministerial committee is considering fatal shootings as an alternative.
The move to end beheadings may be coming due to a shortage of swordsmen, reports Ahram online.
There have been calls in the kingdom for replacing public beheadings with lethal injections carried out in prisons, CBS News reports.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where a death sentence results in beheading in a public square.
The kingdom executes anyone convicted of murder, armed robbery, rape and trafficking in drugs, the report said.
It has executed 15 people so far this year, 76 last year and 79 in 2011, it added.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/saudi-arabia-could-end-beheadings-due-to-shortage-of-swordsmen/1086312/
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Iraq suicide bomber kills seven, wounds 165
AFP | Mar 11, 2013
KIRKUK: A suicide bomber killed three people and wounded 165 in northern Iraq on Monday, while four people were killed in shootings elsewhere in the country, security and medical officials said.
The bomber struck at a police station in the town of Dibis, northwest of the ethnically mixed oil city of Kirkuk, district official Abdullah al-Salehi told AFP.
Many of the wounded were pupils at an adjacent Kurdish girls' secondary school, Salehi added.
Sadiq Omar Rasul, the head of the Kirkuk health department, said the bombing killed three people and wounded 165.
Dibis is part of a swathe of territory that the Kurds want to join to their autonomous region in northern Iraq, over the objections of the federal government in Baghdad.
Diplomats say the dispute poses the biggest threat to Iraq's long-term stability.
Elsewhere, gunmen killed one person in the Al-Amil district of Baghdad and another north of the capital, security and medical officials said.
Gunmen also killed a blacksmith near Baquba, north of Baghdad, and a soldier in the main northern city of Mosul.
The violence came a day after attacks killed 11 people, including an anti-government protest organiser and a city council member.
No group has claimed responsibility for the violence. Militants in Iraq carry out attacks against both security forces and civilians in a bid to erode confidence in the government.
Violence has decreased from its peak in 2006 and 2007 when sectarian bloodshed raged between Sunni and Shiite Arabs.
But 10 years after the US-led invasion, attacks remain common, killing 220 people last month, according to an AFP tally based on security and medical sources.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iraq-suicide-bomber-kills-seven-wounds-165/articleshow/18910025.cms
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Al-Qaida claims killing of 48 Syrian soldiers in Iraq
AFP | Mar 11, 2013
BAGHDAD: Al-Qaida's Iraqi front group claimed an attack on a convoy in west Iraq that killed 48 Syrian soldiers and nine Iraqi guards, in a statement posted on jihadist forums on Monday.
The soldiers had entered Iraq for medical treatment and were being transported through the western province of Anbar on their way back to Syria when the attack took place on March 4, according to the Iraqi defence ministry.
Islamic State of Iraq fighters were able to destroy a column of "the Safavid army with its associated vehicles" carrying "members of the Nusairi army and Syrian regime 'shabiha'," the statement said.
Safavid is a word implying Shiites are under Iranian control, while Nusairi is a derogatory term for Alawites, the sect to which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad belongs, and shabiha is a name used for pro-regime militia forces.
Baghdad has consistently avoided joining calls for the departure of Assad, whom rebels are battling to overthrow, instead saying it opposes arming either side and urging an end to the violence that has ravaged Syria for the past two years, leaving at least 70,000 people dead.
But the deadly ambush in its territory threatens to entangle Iraq in the conflict.
Baghdad is caught between conflicting pressures over Syria -- its powerful eastern neighbour, Shiite Iran, backs Assad, while the United States and many Arab states want Assad to bow to opposition demands and step down.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Al-Qaida-claims-killing-of-48-Syrian-soldiers-in-Iraq/articleshow/18905349.cms
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Saudi activist speaks up for domestic helpers
By Habib Toumi
March 11, 2013
Manama: A Saudi human rights activist has called upon the Labour Ministry to consider as traffickers those transferring domestic helpers to new sponsors, often without the knowledge or express consent of the person who is traded to a new employer.
“We see classifieds in the print and social media in which people advertise that they have domestic helpers to transfer,” Khalid Al Fakhri, a legal consultant with the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), said. “These are traffickers and should be held legally accountable. Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-activist-speaks-up-for-domestic-helpers-1.1156617
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Al-Shahhal Denies Calls for Jihad, Says Salafists Pose No Threat
March 11, 2013
Salafist cleric Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal denied on Friday that he threatened to issue a fatwa that calls for Jihad, stressing that the Salafists are not a source of concern.
“I didn't use the expression, I only said (I will issue) a fatwa, in my attempt to criticize those who are targeting us and the Sunni sect. I didn't specify the nature of the fatwa,” al-Shahhal said in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper.
Full report at:
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/74768-al-shahhal-denies-calls-for-jihad-says-salafists-pose-no-threat
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Dar Al-Ifta Denies Prohibiting Prayers In Drama
10/03/2013
Dar al-Ifta denied a story published on some websites that said it issued a fatwa saying actors who pretend to perform prayers in drama are sinful, state-run newspaper Al-Akhbar reported.
Ibrahim Negm, adviser to the grand mufti, stressed that it did not issue such a religious ruling, either during the time of former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa or newly appointed Grand Mufti Shawky Allam.
Full report at:
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/dar-al-ifta-denies-prohibiting-prayers-drama
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Saudi spy agency funds al-Nusra terrorists in Syria: Report
March 11, 2013
The Saudi intelligence agency has provided financial support for the terrorist al-Qaeda-linked group of al-Nusra Front in Syria, a report says.
Citing foreign intelligence sources, the Intelligence Online Newsletter said Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Presidency (GIP), which is led by Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, took advantage of its communications with terrorists in Iraq to help establish al-Nusra Front.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/10/292820/saudi-spy-agency-funds-syria-terrorists/
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Syrian rebels treated UN hostages like 'guests', peacekeeping official says
AP | Mar 10, 2013
MANILA: Rebels who held 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers in Syria put blankets on their hostages to help them sleep through the cold nights and a rebel commander became visibly emotional when his group released the men, a UN peacekeeping official said on Sunday.
Despite the good treatment they got from the insurgents fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, the peacekeepers were relieved to have survived the four-day ordeal unscathed and were thankful for UN and Philippine government efforts that set them free, said Philippine army Col Cirilito Sobejano, who is the chief of staff of the UN's monitoring mission in the Golan Heights.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Syrian-rebels-treated-UN-hostages-like-guests-peacekeeping-official-says/articleshow/18894345.cms
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20 bodies turn up in Syria river
REUTERS, AMMAN
March 11, 2013
Syrian opposition campaigners said at least 20 bodies of young men shot by security forces were found on Sunday in a small waterway running through the contested city of Aleppo.
It was the largest number of bodies lifted in a single day from what became known as “the river of martyrs”, after 65 bodies turned up in late January. An average of several bodies a day has been appearing in the river since, several activists in the northern city, which is near Turkey, told Reuters.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/20-bodies-turn-up-in-syria-river/
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Bahrain court acquits Shia rights activist: lawyer
March 11, 2013
DUBAI: A Bahrain court on Monday acquitted leading Shia rights activist Yousif al-Muhafda who was on trial for spreading false news, his lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi wrote on his Twitter account.
Muhafda, who is the acting deputy head of the local non-governmental organisation, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, was last month released on bail of 100 dinars ($265/198 euros).
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/11/bahrain-court-acquits-shia-rights-activist-lawyer/
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In Syria, deadly diseases add to people’s miseries
March 11, 2013
ALEPPO, Syria: Like sardines packed into a can, men, women and children share space in a tiny emergency ward. Some cry, and a few others bear the pain quietly, but their facial expressions say it all.
In this Aleppo field hospital, two middle-aged persons clad in white overalls separate the ill and injured patients after a hurried, basic check-up.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/11/in-syria-deadly-diseases-add-to-peoples-miseries/
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Over 550,000 to hone skills at Makkah forum
11 March 2013
More than 550,000 young Saudi men and women are expected to participate in the third edition of Makkah Youth Forum 2013, which was launched here yesterday by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.
“Youths are makers of the future and it is our duty to prepare them to carry out this mission properly,” the governor said while highlighting the annual forum’s importance.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/over-550000-hone-skills-makkah-forum
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Southeast Asia
Shariah Police in Aceh Arrest Dozens in Weekend Raids
Nurdin Hasan | March 11, 2013
Banda Aceh. Authorities in Banda Aceh rounded up dozens of people over the weekend, mostly women, for allegedly violating the province’s ultraconservative Islamic bylaws on indecent conduct.
The series of raids was carried out late Saturday night and early Sunday by the Wilayatul Hisbah, the so-called Shariah police, with help from regular police and soldiers.
Effendi, a WH official, said two couples were arrested at a hotel in Banda Aceh during one of the raids, and had been taken into custody for violating a bylaw prohibiting khalwat , the practice of unmarried couples being alone together in private.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/shariah-police-in-aceh-arrest-dozens-in-weekend-raids/579006
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'Sulu Sultan' declares jihad against Malaysia
By Rio Rose Ribaya
Mar 9, 2013
'Sulu Sultan' Jamalul Kiram III yesterday declared that his fight against Malaysia is a jihad.
But instead of meeting with his generals for attacks or reinforcements, Kiram meets with legal volunteers that could help him press proprietary rights over Sabah in his Taguig home.
“(The end to this conflict) depends (but) we always submit ourselves to the almighty Allah. So meaning, it’s some sort of jihad,” Kiram told Yahoo! Southeast Asia.
Full report at:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/kiram-declares-jihad-against-malaysia-085414183.html
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Brutality claims just ‘wild allegations’, says Zahid Hamidi
March 11, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 — Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has described a Philippine news portal report that Malaysian security forces acted ruthlessly against people of the republic while carrying out their operation against a militant intrusion into east Sabah as wild allegations.
Ahmad Zahid said the portal should not try to ruin the diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Philippines.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/brutality-claims-just-wild-allegations-says-zahid-hamidi/
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Pakistan
Fear us, don’t mock us: TTP warns of backlash over ‘provocations’
By Tahir Khan
March 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Tekreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Sunday warned the government of a severe backlash against its wrongful and exaggerated claim of having broken the back of the militia.
The warning comes a day after Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the government had TTP in a corner through effective use of its anti-terrorism strategy.
Malik also reportedly said in Sialkot on Saturday that Pakistan is now moving towards the goal of ‘durable peace’, political and economic stability, urging the nation to unite for the sake of uprooting terrorism and militancy from the country.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/518958/fear-us-dont-mock-us-ttp-warns-of-backlash-over-provocations/
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Pak Army captain, two soldiers killed in IED blast in Orakzai region
March 11, 2013
ORKAZAI REGION: A Pakistan Army captain and two soldiers were killed whereas two others were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Upper Orakzai tribal region, officials confirmed.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/11/pak-army-captain-two-soldiers-killed-in-ied-blast-in-orakzai-region/
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Grenade blast in Karachi’s Landhi area kills two
March 11, 2013
KARACHI: A blast near a madressa (seminary) in Landhi’s Khuramabad area in Karachi on Monday killed two people and injured seven others according to hospital sources, DawnNews reported.
Hospital sources said that at least two people had died whereas seven others were injured in the incident.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/11/blast-in-karachis-landhi-area-injures-three-police/
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Attack against Christians: 35 remanded to custody in Pak
March 11, 2013
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Monday remanded 35 persons to custody for their alleged role in the attack on a Christian neighbourhood in this eastern city even as missionary organisations closed their schools to protest the incident.
Police presented 35 suspects arrested in connection with Saturday’s attack on Joseph Colony in the anti-terrorism court this afternoon.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/attack-against-christians-35-remanded-to-custody-in-pak/article4497480.ece
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Zardari vows equal rights to minorities
March 11, 2013
KARACHI: President Asfi Ali Zardari said on Sunday that no effort should be spared in safeguarding the rights of non-Muslim communities as equal citizens of the state.
Zardari issued the direction in a meeting with Punjab Governor Makhdum Syed Ahmed Mahmud who called on him at the Bilawal House here and briefed him in detail about the incident in Badami Bagh, Lahore. Spokesperson to the President, Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the Punjab governor was especially called by the president to inquire about the unfortunate incident in which a mob vandalised the houses of Christian community in Lahore on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\03\11\story_11-3-2013_pg1_2
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Defying US, Pakistan-Iran gas link kicks off today
AP | Mar 11, 2013
CHAHBAHAR, IRAN: Pakistan's president is traveling to Iran on Monday for a ceremony to mark the start of construction of a controversial pipeline to bring natural gas from Iran despite American opposition to the project.
The Iran-Pakistan pipeline is intended to help Pakistan overcome its mushrooming energy needs at a time when the country is facing increased blackouts and energy shortages.
But there are serious doubts about how Pakistan could finance the $1.5 billion needed to construct the pipeline and whether it could go through with the project without facing US sanctions, which Washington has put in place to pressure Iran over its nuclear program.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Defying-US-Pakistan-Iran-gas-link-kicks-off-today/articleshow/18907631.cms
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Christians attack cops over mob fury in Pakistan
AP | Mar 11, 2013
LAHORE: Hundreds of Christians protesting the burning of their homes by a Muslim mob over alleged blasphemous remarks made against the Islam's Prophet Muhammad clashed with police on Sunday in eastern and southern Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Christians-attack-cops-over-mob-fury-in-Pakistan/articleshow/18900437.cms
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Pak SC asks Husain Haqqani to appear before it within 3 weeks
Mar 11 2013
Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court today warned that it would ask authorities to cancel the passport of former Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani if he did not appear in court within three weeks in connection with a probe into a mysterious memo that allegedly sought American help to stave off a military coup.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-sc-asks-husain-haqqani-to-appear-before-it-within-3-weeks/1086328/
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Badami Bagh “the worst example of barbarism”: CM Shahbaz
March 11, 2013
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif declared the Badami Bagh incident as “the worst example of barbarism” and that those involved in the incident shall not be forgiven, DawnNews reported.
A meeting headed by CM Sharif was held at the Chief Minister House during which the situation in Lahore after the incident was discussed and the restoration works were reviewed.
The chief minister said that the burning of houses of the Christian community was not a service to Pakistan or Islam.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/11/badami-bagh-the-worst-example-of-barbarism-cm-shahbaz/
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Pakistani Christians close schools to protest over riot
March 11, 2013
LAHORE: Pakistani Christians closed missionary schools on Monday in protest after a mob torched more than 100 Christian homes following allegations of blasphemy.
The schools are considered among the best in Pakistan and are extremely popular with wealthy Muslim families, with pupils taught in English in a disciplined and effective learning environment.
More than 3,000 Muslims rampaged through Joseph Colony, a Christian area of the eastern city of Lahore, on Saturday after allegations that a Christian had made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) three days earlier.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/11/pakistani-christians-close-schools-to-protest-over-riot/
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Terrorists in Afghanistan affecting Pakistan's security situation: Malik
March 11, 2013
DIAMER: Terrorists from Afghanistan are affecting the law and order situation in Pakistan, said Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Monday.
According to a Radio Pakistan report, Malik was speaking during an inaugural ceremony of passport office in Diamir, Gilgit-Baltistan.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/519087/terrorists-in-afghanistan-affecting-pakistans-security-situation-malik/
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Punjab govt’s extremist links ‘threaten minorities’
By Peer Muhammad
March 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Punjab government’s linkages with ‘extremist elements’ abetted periodic attacks on minorities, said rights activists in Parliament.
In this connection, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights summoned Inspector General Punjab on March 14 for accountability over the Badami Bagh incident.
The incident of setting fire to 150 houses belonging to Christians in Badami Bagh could have been averted if the police, who was present on the occasion, had stopped the 3,000 strong mob of extremist rioters from wreaking havoc, said human rights groups. Furthermore, not punishing culprits of the anti-Christian Gojra riots of 2009 was understood as another catalyst for the March 9 incident.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/518980/rights-groups-claims-punjab-govts-extremist-links-threaten-minorities/
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Migration dream over for young Pakistani
March 11, 2013
LALA MUSA: Ahmed Sohail is bewildered and angry. After eight years studying at the French government’s expense, he was deported to Pakistan, one of tens of thousands of Pakistanis ordered to leave the EU last year.
Now the 23-year-old spends his days killing time among the dusty concrete streets of Lala Musa.
In all, more than 32,000 Pakistanis were ordered to leave the European Union in 2011, 1,545 from France and 6,430 from Britain.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/518957/thwarted-ambitions-migration-dream-over-for-young-pakistani/
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India
Ajmer shrine Diwan should get Bharat Ratna: Shiv Sena president
IANS | Mar 11, 2013
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray lauded Diwan Zainul Abedin Ali Khan of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Dargah in Ajmer for showing courage in opposing the visit by Pakistan Prime Minister Pervez Ashraf to the shrine on Saturday.
"With his patriotic fervour and love of the country, the Diwan has shown that he is a real "jewel" of the country and should be conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour," Thackeray said in an editorial in party newspaper Saamna here on Monday.
Hailing Diwan Khan for his "bold, noble and humane" step, Thackeray said that he (the Diwan) must have rightly felt that conducting religious ceremonies for the Pakistani leader would be tantamount to insulting the memory of the Indian soldiers who were brutalised by Pakistani army recently.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ajmer-shrine-diwan-should-get-Bharat-Ratna-Uddhav-Thackeray/articleshow/18905143.cms
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Shashi Tharoor to lead Congress 'fight back' on social media with Shah Rukh Khan
D K Singh
Mar 11 2013
New Delhi: Even as the Congress plans to set up a 35-member team to counter the so-called propaganda against it in the social media, the party leadership is said to be preparing to rope in twitterati like Shashi Tharoor, eminent personalities like Shah Rukh Khan and Shabana Azmi, other techno savvy leaders, and eminent personalities to spread its message.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is learnt to be ready with its twitter handle, which would be used not only to counter negative posts against the party and its leaders but also to disseminate information about its achievements and views on burning issues of the day. To this end, sources said, efforts would be made to use party leaders like Tharoor, who have lakhs of followers on Twitter, to retweet what is posted by the AICC. The Union minister was once at the receiving end of snide remarks and angry reactions from senior party colleagues for his controversial tweets like his “cattle class” comment.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/shashi-tharoor-to-lead-congress-fightba.../1086087/
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Nearly 4,000 ultras still living across border: J&K govt
PTI | Mar 11, 2013
JAMMU: Nearly 4,000 Kashmiri militants are still living across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
"Reportedly around 3,974 ultras are still living in PoK and Pakistan (across the border)", chief minister Omar Abdullah said in a written reply to the question of member Chaman Lal Gupta in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nearly-4000-ultras-still-living-across-border-JK-govt/articleshow/18907074.cms
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Kashmir: Separatists issue weekly protest calendar
Mar 10 2013
Srinagar : The Majlis Mashawarat, an amalgamation of several separatist groups, today issued the weekly protest calendar in support of their demand for handing over mortal remains of Mohammad Afzal Guru and Mohammad Maqbool Bhat to their families.
In a statement here, the Majlis (Consultative Committee) said there will be no strike tomorrow, but called for protests after evening prayers and asked people to raise slogans demanding the handing over of the mortal remains of both Guru and Bhat.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kashmir-separatists-issue-weekly-protest-calendar/1085964/
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Khurshid to brief BJP leaders on border deal with Bangladesh
ByIndrani Bagchi, TNN | Mar 11, 2013
NEW DELHI: As the UPA government prepares to introduce a constitutional amendment in Parliament on the India-Bangladesh land boundary agreement, the approval of the BJP is crucial. Foreign minister Salman Khurshid is expected to brief the BJP leadership once again on the merits of the deal on Monday after BJP president Rajnath Singh indicated the government could not bank on their support.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Khurshid-to-brief-BJP-leaders-on-border-deal-with-Bangladesh/articleshow/18899630.cms
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Maldives crisis: Indian warships closed in
Shishir Gupta, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, March 11, 2013
India backed its diplomacy with naval muscle to resolve the crisis that broke out last month when Maldivian opposition leader Mohammed Nasheed sought refuge in the Indian high commission.
While New Delhi was negotiating an understanding with Male that would allow the former president to leave the high commission, seven Indian Navy guided missile destroyers and frigates were exercising just outside Maldivian waters.
Days earlier, an Indian Navy fast-attack craft had entered the territorial waters, apparently to conduct joint exercises with the coast guard there.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Maldives-crisis-Indian-warships-closed-in/Article1-1024301.aspx
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Yasin Bhatkal: The ghost who bombs
Presley Thomas, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, March 11, 2013
He limits his mobile phone usage to a few seconds at a time and does not use email to communicate. He prefers to move addresses every few weeks, usually from one dark dingy room to another, away from urban areas likely to be under surveillance. He talks to only a chosen few. He is not known to take time off from his preferred pursuits: looking for new recruits to his terror network or finalising its next target.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/mumbai/Yasin-Bhatkal-The-ghost-who-bombs/Article1-1024332.aspx
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Indian govt urged to adopt interest-free banking system
11 March 2013
The Keralite community of Jeddah celebrated the release of “Islamic Banking,” a book written by KTM Kutty, at the Red Sea Palace Hotel recently. The book is the first of its kind to be released in the Malayalam language.
Prof. Muhammad Azmi Omar, director general of the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) at the Islamic Development Bank, released the book by handing it to Alungal Muhammed, CMD of Al-Abeer Medical Group.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/indian-govt-urged-adopt-interest-free-banking-system
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PDP walks out of J&K assembly over 'pepper gas'
March 11, 2013
Opposition PDP criticised the Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday for the alleged use of pepper gas by the police against protestors in the Valley and staged a walkout demanding a ban on the practice.
As the assembly started proceedings this morning, PDP leaders Basharat Bukhari, Mansoor Hussain and Javed Mustafa Mir stood up from their benches and raised the demand.
They claimed that pepper gas was causing severe ailments like asthma due to its large scale use against protestors, citing the case of one Hajira Begum, an asthma patient, who allegedly died after inhaling the gas in Srinagar recently.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/IndiaSectionPage/jammusec/PDP-walks-out-of-J-amp-K-assembly-over-pepper-gas/Article1-1024517.aspx
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Rape accused escapes in VVIP chopper in J-K
March 11, 2013
A man accused of raping a girl in Jammu and Kashmir has managed to give the police a flip and escaped in a helicopter used for VVIPs. According to television reports, the accused also happened to be in a hospital where survivors of a bus accident were being treated. He chanced upon the situation to pose as one of the victims, collect the Rs. 5,000 compensation and be flown out via the helicopter used to transport the injured.
The man had allegedly raped a girl in Manja Kote in Rajouri district in Jummu and Kashmir.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/jandk/Rape-accused-escapes--in-VVIP-chopper-in-J-K/Article1-1024581.aspx
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Europe
Terror charges U K boy aged 16 pleads guilty
11 Mar 2013
A 16-year-old boy has admitted possessing explosive chemicals and bomb-making books and diagrams.
The teenager pleaded guilty to two terror charges and another offence at a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.
The boy was arrested at his home in Northamptonshire, in February 2012.
He admitted possessing sulphur powder and potassium nitrate, between 1 January and 26 February 2012, and a book on Semtex.
He also admitted possession of a quantity of prohibited images of children.
Mark Topping, prosecuting, said since his arrest the boy had been detained under the Mental Health Act in secure accommodation in the West Midlands area.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-21743481
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Militant Islam aligns with Russia abroad, devours its ‘soft underbelly’ at home
By Alexander Maistrovoy
March 11, 2013
Following the prayer in the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, during his visit in February 2010, Hamas leader Khaled Masha’al admitted that in the Council of Muftis of Russia it felt like home.
While the statement probably pleased the Russian leaders, in reality these words should have alerted them. Whether it was Mashaal’s intention or not, this acknowledgment could be perceived as a prophecy: the dawn of Islamic fundamentalism which illuminates the future of the northern superpower.
Full report at:
http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/03/06/militant-islam-aligns-with-russia-abroad-devours-its-soft-underbelly-at-home/
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French Cooperation with Tuareg Rebels Risks Arab Rising In Northern Mali
Andrew McGregor
March 11, 2013
The military situation in the Kidal region of northern Mali is growing more complex by the day. France is conducting counterterrorist operations in the region with its Chadian and Nigérien allies while soldiers of the Malian Army remain excluded from the zone at the request of two Tuareg rebel groups Bamako would like to eliminate – the separatist Mouvement National de Libération de l'Azawad (MNLA) and the Islamist Mouvement Islamique de l'Azawad (MIA), recently formed by defectors from Iyad ag Ghali’s Ansar al-Din. It is France’s military cooperation with the MNLA (and to a lesser extent with the MIA) in securing Kidal that is now threatening to ignite a tribal war in northern Mali.
Full report at:
http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40560&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=7&cHash=6aac94ef3d40783d3793365adcae73c8
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Britain’s ‘Atheist Church’ Set to Go Global
March 11, 2013
Echoing with joyful song and with a congregation bent on leading better lives, this London church is like any other — except there’s no mention of God.
Britain’s atheist church is barely three months old but it already has more “worshippers” than can fit into its services, while more than 200 non-believers worldwide have contacted organizers to ask how they can set up their own branch.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/britains-atheist-church-set-to-go-global/579091
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Britain, Italy, Greece say hostages killed in Nigeria
March 11, 2013
LONDON: Britain, Italy and Greece on Sunday admitted that a claim by a Nigerian militant group it had killed seven foreign hostages appeared to be true and condemned the act as barbaric and cold-blooded.
The Ansaru group on Saturday announced the deaths of all the expatriates abducted from a construction site of Lebanese company Setraco on February 16 in Bauchi state in Nigeria’s restive north.
Ansaru, considered an offshoot of the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, backed up its claim with “screen captures of a forthcoming video showing the dead hostages,” SITE Intelligence Group said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/10/britain-italy-greece-say-hostages-killed-in-nigeria/
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North America
White House Explores How to Make 'War on Terror' Policies 'Permanent'
Jon Queally
March 11, 2013
Though the Authorization for Use of Military Force—a joint resolution passed in the days following the 9/11 attacks—has been repeatedly reauthorized by Congress, officials inside the White House reveal that the Obama administration is having specific conversations about how to both expand the law's authority and make certain aspects of the US "global war on terror" permanent.
Known as the AUMF and considered the piece of legislation most responsible for the ongoing and seemingly endless use of military force abroad, new reporting by the Washington Post examines how even government insiders supportive of the ongoing military operations say the law is being "stretched to its legal limits."
Full report at:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/03/07-8
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US denies Karzai’s 'America, Taliban working together' claim
Mar 11 2013
Washington: America has denied Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai’s claims that the US and the Taliban are working together to spread fear among Afghans.
Karzai said in a television speech that the two suicide bombings that killed 19 people on Saturday were proof the US and the Taliban are ‘trying to frighten Afghans into thinking that if the foreigners are not in Afghanistan, we would be facing these sorts of incidents.’
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-denies-karzais-america-taliban-working-together-claim/1086305/
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Despite Cair Push-Back, Controversial Anti-Jihad Ads Launch In Dc Metro Stations
Mar. 8, 2013
Tiffany Gabbay
In October 2012, Pamela Geller — a blogger and the executive director of the American Freedom Defense Initiative — told TheBlaze in an exclusive interview about plans to expand her controversial DC-based ad campaign that features an image of Osama bin Laden. The ad is meant to shed light on the fact that jihad is a tenet of Islam, but some critics argue that the ad marginalizes all Muslims. Geller and others who support the ad campaign, meanwhile, maintain it is directed at fighting jihad and radical Islamism.
Full report at:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/08/despite-cair-push-back-controversial-anti-jihad-ads-launch-in-dc-metro-stations/
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Ex-envoy Haqqani refuses to return to Pak over govt's inability to provide security
11 Mar 2013
Islamabad, Mar. 11 (ANI): Pakistan's former envoy to the US, Hussain Haqqani, implicated in the memogate scandal, has refused to return to Pakistan, saying that the government is incapable of providing him security.
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was hearing Haqqani's case.
Haqqani's counsel, Asma Jahangir, informed the court that her client was unwilling to return to Pakistan as did not trust the security assurances given by the government, reports The Dawn.
Full report at:
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/03/11/227-Ex-envoy-Haqqani-refuses-to-return-to-Pak-over-govt-s-inability-to-provide-security.html
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Mideast Asia
Israel army prevents symbolic marriage near wall
March 10, 2013
Ramallah: The Israeli army prevented a symbolic wedding from being held on Saturday near the West Bank Wall aimed at denouncing obstacles to unions between Palestinians and Palestinians in 1948 areas, an AFP correspondent said.
The “marriage” was to have been held at an army roadblock between occupied Jerusalem and Ramallah in the West Bank, with a Palestinian in 1948 areas bride coming from Nazareth in northern Israel.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/israel-army-prevents-symbolic-marriage-near-wall-1.1156362
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Will Netanyahu Redefine Status Quo With Ultra-Orthodox?
By: Nadav Perry
March 11, 2013
Take as an example Ariel Atias, one of the leaders of the Shas party. He has been in politics for seven years, all of them as a government minister. At the age of 36, he was appointed minister of communications in [former Prime Minister] Ehud Olmert’s government, and three years later was upgraded to the position of minister of housing and construction in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Atias’ friend in the Shas leadership, [former Minister of Interior] Eli Yishai, was elected to the Knesset 17 years ago, 14 of which he spent serving as a minister in three different government ministries. That’s the way it is in Shas: No matter who is in power — Likud, Labor or Kadima — they are always there, loyal partners in every government. In the 29 years since the founding of Shas, Israel has had ten governments; Shas was a partner in nine. This introduction is required in order to understand the earth-shaking significance of the fact that in the coming days an Israeli government is about to be established without the presence of ultra-Orthodox politicians.
Full report at:
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/03/can-netanyahu-redefine-the-status-quo-with-the-ultra-orthodo.html#ixzz2NDryqoAE
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Egyptian ambassador to Palestine inspects Al-Aqsa Mosque
10/03/2013
The Egyptian ambassador to Palestine, Yasser Othman, inspected Al-Aqsa Mosque after what he called Israeli excesses against the Islamic and Christian sanctities of Jerusalem, particularly the attack on the Holy Quran and the excavations below the mosque.
“The Egyptian leadership sent me to declare our rejection of the excesses on Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is at the heart of the doctrine of Muslims and that is an integral part of the holy city, which is acknowledged by the world as the capital of the state of Palestine in many [United Nations] resolutions,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/egyptian-ambassador-palestine-inspects-al-aqsa-mosque
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Netanyahu hints Israeli coalition to be presented in days
March 10, 2013
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his outgoing cabinet on Sunday for what he said was probably the last time, signalling he was close to completing the formation of a new government.
Netanyahu's deadline to present a governing coalition is on Saturday, and political commentators predicted he would announce by mid-week that he had an administration in place.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Netanyahu-hints-Israeli-coalition-to-be-presented-in-days/Article1-1024191.aspx
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All eyes on Yemeni National dialog
March 11, 2013
Members of civil society organizations and political parties organized a press conference in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa Sunday to discuss the country’s political future with special emphasis on the upcoming national dialogue.
The National dialogue will start on March 18, and is expected to incorporate all political groups in peaceful dialogue aimed at resolving the nation's crises.
Female activists say they intend to enter the upcoming national dialogue in order to play a more assertive role in shaping of the country's future and to raise public awareness on women's rights.
Full report at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/11/292980/all-eyes-on-yemeni-national-dialog/
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Israel: Re-thinking Syria's Opposition
By: Shlomi Eldar
March 11, 2013
What’s going through the heads of those Syrian rebels? They’ve earned themselves quite a bit of international empathy … until now.
No one who witnessed the massacre that [Syrian President Bashar] al-Assad and his troops launched against their own people could possibly withhold from aligning himself to the rebels' side. For the past two years, the world was shocked by photos and film clips released by the Syrian rebels, showing how tanks, aircraft, and missiles were being used against civilians. We heard the heart-rending cries of the wounded and of mourners. We saw the rebels conquer more and more territory, despite their military inferiority, as they struggled to defeat the man who had no qualms about killing 60,000 of his own people just to cling to power. This week the rebels will mark exactly two years since they launched their revolt against Assad and his regime. During that time, the whole world except for Russia, China, and Iran, supported them blindly (though most of this came in the form of moral support, not logistical support. Still, even that is important).
Full report at:
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/03/the-dark-side-of-the-syrian-rebels.html#ixzz2NDpzz15D
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TV channel for dogs launched in Israel
Mar 11 2013
Jerusalem : Israeli TV has gone to the dogs,literally!An Israeli cable TV company has set out to solve the problem of bored pooches by launching the first ever television channel in the country primarily aimed at dogs.
Initially launched in the US last year, 'Dog TV' is now available in Israel and aims to comfort canines left at home alone with a combination of soothing music and special colours which dogs can see.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/tv-channel-for-dogs-launched-in-israel/1086343/
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South Asia
Bangladesh Govt to track persons making ill comments about Prophet
March 11, 2013
The government will form a probe committee to identify persons who made derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on Facebook, blogs, internet, print and the electronic media.
Mahbubul Haque Shakil, prime minister’s special assistant (media), told The Daily Star that the decision was taken yesterday to take action against them.
Although he did not elaborate as to when the committee will be formed and who will be in it and when it will start working and few other related questions, he said the law ministry would soon notify the public about the committee.
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/govt-to-track-persons-making-ill-comments-about-prophet/
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Sri Lankan Muslim group to give up Halal certification
Mar 11 2013
Colombo : Faced with stiff opposition by hardline Buddhist majority groups, a Sri Lankan Muslim group, which has been issuing the Halal certificates to businesses, has said it would now withdraw the practise.
The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU), Sri Lanka's main body of Islamic scholars, said that Halal certification would now be limited to export products meant for Islamic nations.
"We are giving up what is very important to Muslims. We are making a sacrifice in the interest of peace and ethnic harmony," Rizwe Mufthi of the ACJU said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sri-lankan-muslim-group-to-give-up-halal-certification/1086366/
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Afghan actor killed in Nato air strike
IANS | Mar 11, 2013
MOSCOW: Prominent Afghan actor Nazar Mohammad Majnonyar Helmandi who starred in over a dozen films highlighting the struggle against drug trafficking and terrorism was killed in a Nato air strike in southern Afghanistan.
Helmandi was killed along with three militants who had seized the movie star on suspicion of spying for the government in Helmand province, his brother Dilawar said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Afghan-actor-Nazar-Mohammad-Majnonyar-Helmandi-killed-in-Nato-air-strike/articleshow/18903546.cms
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Insider attack kills two US troops, three Afghans
March 11, 2013
KABUL: An Afghan police officer opened fire inside a police station while US forces were visiting, sparking a firefight that killed two US troops and three Afghan policemen.
Monday’s incident in Wardak province appears to be the latest in a series of insider attacks against coalition and Afghan forces.
It comes a day after a deadline given by Afghans for US special forces to withdraw from the province.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/11/insider-attack-kills-two-us-troops-three-afghans/
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President appoints new Maldives high commissioner to India
By Minivan News | March 11th, 2013
Mohamed Naseer has been appointed as the High Commissioner of Maldives to India.
President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik presented a letter of appointment to Naseer on Sunday (March 10).
Speaking at the presentation, Waheed said he was confident that Naseer would protect and promote the interests of the people Maldives, and work to increase ties between Maldives and India.
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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Chinese tourism boycott of Maldives over allegations of ‘cup noodle’ discrimination
By JJ Robinson | March 10th, 2013
Calls for a tourism boycott of the Maldives have exploded across Chinese social media networks, after allegations of discrimination against guests from China at one resort became widely circulated.
On March 1, dismissed Chinese employees of the Beach House Iruveli resort – formerly Waldorf Astoria – posted allegations on the Chinese forum Tianya that guests from the country were receiving inferior treatment to Europeans, despite paying the same prices.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/society/calls-for-chinese-tourism-boycott-over-allegations-of-cup-noodle-discrimination-54317
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Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech Bangladesh’s inspiration to rise: PM
March 11, 2013
Enthused by Bangabandhu’s historic March 7 speech and the Liberation War’s spirit, Bangladesh will emerge as a modern, developed and secular country and stand high in the global arena, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday.
“Bangabandhu’s March 7 speech will work as the strength and encouragement of the Bangalee nation to move forward,” she told a seminar on the speech in the capital’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/bangabandhus-march-7-speech-bangladeshs-inspiration-to-rise-pm/
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Shops of Hindus set on fire, theft at temple
March 11, 2013
Unidentified criminals set three shops belonging to Hindus on fire at Bangla Bazar in Baralekha Upazila of the district on Friday night.
Two nearby temples were spared as the fire fighting units brought the blaze under control in an hour of frantic efforts.
Protesting the incident, locals put up a road barricade in the morning.
On information, local lawmaker Shahabuddin, upazila chairman and upazila nirbahi officer visited the spot.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/shops-of-hindus-set-on-fire-theft-at-temple/
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Hamid Karzai alleges US, Taliban are colluding
Associated Press
Mar 11 2013
Kabul : Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday accused the Taliban and the US of working in concert to convince Afghans that violence will worsen if most foreign troops leave — an allegation the top American commander in Afghanistan rejected as “categorically false.’’
Karzai said two suicide bombings that killed 19 people on Saturday — one outside the Afghan Defence Ministry and the other near a police checkpoint in eastern Khost province — show the insurgent group is conducting attacks to demonstrate that international forces will still be needed to keep the peace after their current combat mission ends in 2014.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hamid-karzai-alleges-us-taliban-are-colluding/1086106/
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US defence secretary meets Karzai amidst political friction
March 11, 2013
US defence secretary Chuck Hagel encountered political tension with the Afghan president and a series of security problems during his first visit to Afghanistan as Pentagon chief, but he met privately with President Hamid Karzai and says they discussed the key issues.
Hagel says he understands that Karzai faces political pressures as the war winds down.
"I think he understands where we are and where we've been, and hopefully where we're going together," Hagel told reporters, but he declined to detail their talks.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/afghanistan/Hagel-meets-Karzai-amidst-political-friction/Article1-1024532.aspx
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Maldives Past and current presidents call for national rethink on gender rights
By Neil Merrett | March 9th, 2013
Former and current presidents of the Maldives have highlighted the importance of gender equality to national development on the occasion of International World Women’s Day on March 8.
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, as well as former Presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, have all spoken during the last two days on the importance of addressing gender related issues in the Maldives in areas such as domestic abuse and education.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/past-and-current-presidents-call-for-national-rethink-on-gender-rights-54260
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Japan provides $2.62m to protect Pakistani children against polio
March 11, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Government of Japan has extended a grant of 226 million Japanese Yen (approximately US$ 2.62 million) to Pakistan through UNICEF for supporting the polio eradication programme in Pakistan.
Roughly US $2 million out of the total grant will cover the procurement of approximately 13 million doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV).
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/519106/japan-provides-2-62m-to-protect-pakistani-children-against-polio/
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Africa
Disgruntled Mali soldiers desert posts demanding bonus
10 March 2013
A group of Malian troops briefly abandoned their posts this week and fired shots in the air to demand a deployment bonus, soldiers and officials said Sunday.
‘Several dozen Malian soldiers positioned in Diabaly with the forces from Burkina Faso deserted their posts on Thursday and Friday,’ a local official told AFP.
‘They pulled back to Segou to demand their deployment bonus and fired shots in the air,’ he said on condition of anonymity.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2013/03/10/Disgruntled-Mali-soldiers-desert-posts-demanding-bonus-.html
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Nigeria: Video appears to show dead hostages
11 Mar 2013
A video posted online appears to show the bodies of some of the foreign hostages seized by a Nigerian Islamist militant group last month.
The silent video shows a gunman standing next to a pile of bodies, reports say. It also carries captions attributed to militant group Ansaru.
In an earlier online statement, Ansaru said it had killed the seven captives.
But Nigerian Interior Minister Aba Moro told BBC Hausa there was no confirmation the hostages were dead.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21741541
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Sudanese Refugees Face Harassment, Deportation in Israel
By: Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
March 11, 2013
TEL AVIV, Israel — Sitting on his bed in a cramped south Tel Aviv apartment, 28-year-old Adam Keala fishes a bright green Sudanese passport out of his backpack. Flipping to one of the pages, he points to four words: “All Countries Except Israel.”
“If anyone goes back, they will be killed or put in prison. 100%,” Keala says. “From 2011 until today, I know at least five people personally that are in prison [in Khartoum] because they had been to Israel. We cannot go back to Khartoum.”
Full report at:
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/03/sudanese-refugees-israel-harassed-deportation.html#ixzz2NDpkfPig
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Libyan congress temporarily suspends sessions over security
March 11, 2013
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's General National Congress has temporarily suspended its sessions due to security concerns after a violent protest that left its members barricaded in a meeting room for several hours and a gun attack on its leader's car.
The congress had been due to hold a session on Sunday but congress leader Mohammed Magarief said that meeting as well as Tuesday's would be canceled. He said the lack of a secure meeting hall was also one of the reasons for the suspension.
Full report at:
http://news.yahoo.com/libyan-congress-temporarily-suspends-sessions-over-security-185110354.html
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Malawi police arrest four ex-ministers for coup plot
March 11, 2013
LILONGWE: Malawian police arrested four former cabinet ministers on Monday on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government after the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika in April last year, police said.
The four, who included the late Mutharika’s younger brother, Peter, were found by an official inquiry to have tried to prevent then vice-president Joyce Banda from taking power, as stipulated in the constitution.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/11/malawi-police-arrest-four-ex-ministers-for-coup-plot/
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