Security Forces Kill 33 Militants in Khyber, Orakzai Agencies
New Age Islam News Bureau
30 Jan 2013
Pakistan
• Security forces kill 33 militants in Khyber, Orakzai agencies
• Army Jets blitz suspected militant hideouts in Khyber, Orakzai; seven killed
• PM says govt to crush designs of anti-democratic forces
• Formation of caretaker govt: Balochistan may face serious crisis, SC told
• Pakistan accuses India of 12 Kashmir beheadings since 1998: report
• No room for retired generals, judges in interim govt: PPP
• With the PPP government gone, will Hazara killings stop?
• US-Pak relations moving towards stability: Sherry Rehman
• Pakistan boycotts Oscar-nominated film on Osama hunt and US dramas
• MPs demand explanation of Malik’s claims on Karachi
• Petition against Sindh local govt act: SC resumes hearing
India
• Muslim group protests against the Film posters having verses from Quran
• Proud Indian Shah Rukh Khan Muzzles Tricky Pak
• MP Mohammed Azharuddin seek implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations
• India to train Afghanistan MPs in electoral democracy
• No anti-Muslim content, Kamal attacked for absurd reasons
• UK activists moves UN on Indian prisoner's death in Pak jail
• J&K cops quiz Pakistan 'spy'
• India, Pak vie for custody of Shakeel aide
• Salman Rushdie, Deepa Mehta's visit to Kolkata cancelled
• Rehman Malik slammed for SRK comment by Indians
Southeast Asia
• Malaysia to deter Muslims from celebrating Valentine’s Day
• Indonesian President Might Discuss Human Rights Court for Past Abuses
• Parents given five-year sentence for child abuse
• Malaysian PM: Constitutional monarchy fosters stability, prosperity
• Indonesian president coming for Jeddah visit
Mideast Asia
• Kurdish militants set to halt Turkey hostilities in Feb
• 18 reportedly killed as Yemen military attacks kidnappers
• Second set of NATO Patriot missiles in Turkey go active
• Israel to Transfer Tax Funds to Palestinians
Arab World
• Cairo court awards death for 7 Copts over anti-Islam film
• Syria Blames Nusra Front for Aleppo Killings
• Saudi Arabia beheads drug trafficker, its nationals
• Persecuted Citizens of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Tunisia
• Hard-line Islamist call for sterner measures against Egyptian 'rioters'
• Mursi Heads to Germany on Trip Cut Back by Egypt Crisis
• All Sides Must Meet to End Egypt Violence: ElBaradei
• Egyptian blogger accused of 'insulting judiciary'
• Egypt prosecutor-general orders arrest of 'Black Bloc' members
• Saudi Arabia: Those envious of Kingdom won’t succeed
• Saudi Chambers of Commerce to conduct study on investments in inventions
• Second Gulf Economic Media Forum to exchange ideas on key issues
• UAE offers $300m aid for displaced Syrians
Africa
• Bulk of Timbuktu Manuscripts Safe, Unharmed: Experts
• French Forces Pressing Mali Campaign Seize Rebel Stronghold
• Nigeria lead poisoning: Activists welcome delayed funds
• Nigeria: Boko Haram Commander Offers Truce
• Treat Greed in Africa as a War Crime
• Five dead as South Sudan army, rebels clash
• Donor pledges provide respite for Mali
Europe
• 200,000 armed Libyan fighters still at large: U.N envoy
• EU Takes on Task of Rebuilding Mali Army
• David Cameron to visit Algeria for talks
• Brahimi says ‘I am no quitter,’ dubs Geneva Declaration on Syria as ‘ambiguous’
South Asia
• Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami calls countrywide Hartal for Thursday
• The then president held meeting with jail killing accused in '75
• Maldivian and Indian officials deny reported agreement to address “consular issues”
North America
• $7.3 million camp for Afghan police found empty: US inspectors
• Obama giving $155 million in humanitarian aid to Syrians
• Hillary defends decision to not extradite Headley
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: 18 reportedly killed as Yemen military attacks kidnappers
URL:
-----------
Pakistan
Security forces kill 33 militants in Khyber, Orakzai agencies
30 Jan 2013
PESHAWAR: Pakistani security forces on Tuesday claimed that they have killed 33 militants affiliated to the outlawed Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as fighter jets struck their hideouts in remote Tirah valley of Khyber agency and Mamozai area of Orakzai agency.
The TTP spokesman however has claimed that only two of their fighters have died in the air strikes while rest of those killed were civilians.
The claims however could not be verified from any independent sources, as the area is totally inaccessible to the media.
Security sources told Dawn.Com that the jet fighters have also destroyed ammunition and ration depots of the militants groups in Dawatoi, Bara Gat, Wocha Wona, and Nakai areas of the Khyber Agency during the last 24 hours operation.
They said that at least 23 militants have been killed while scores of others have been injured in the strikes.
In a separate strike in adjoining Mamozai area of Orakzai agency, the jet fighters have also destroyed four militants’ hideouts.
Assistant Political Agent Upper Tehsil Muhammad Rafiq says they have reports that at least ten militants have died in the strikes while their four secret hideouts have also been destroyed.
TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Eshan, reacting to the incidents said that they had lost only two fighters in the strikes and most of the people killed by the Pakistani fighter jets are innocent civilians.
“I can confirm that jets have targeted civilians’ houses on the border of Orakzai Agency, in Kokikhels area and there is confirmation of civilian deaths, including women and children,” he said, adding, “our bases are safe enough to escape the bombing and we know how to remain safe in the area.”
About the ongoing clashes with Ansarul Islam (AI) in Tirah Valley, Ehsan said, “We have lost only 7 fighters while 15 others have been injured in the war with the AI, but I don’t have any confirmation of deaths on the other side.”
To a query about capturing the AI headquarters in Bagh-Maidan, the TTP spokesman said, “I can’t say as we are in the middle of the war, but the TTP’s fight will continue until the elimination of government-backed fighters of Ansarul Islam.”
“Despite a peace agreement with the TTP they have killed more than 29 of our Mujahideen and have also stopped and blocked the supply routes to the tribesmen who are opposed to the AI ideology,” he added.
About the dissociation of Tariq Afridi group from the TTP as claimed by their spokesman Muhammad in media reports, Ehsan said, “I am not in knowledge of any spokesman by the name of Muhammad, who had claimed this.”
“But I must say… all us TTP fighters are unanimous in defeating Ansarul Islam, who are supported by the Pakistani government,” he added.
About Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) backing the TTP in the fight against the Ansarul Islam, he said, “TTP is on its own, but any support from the LI will be welcomed.”
http://dawn.com/2013/01/30/security-forces-kill-33-militants-in-khyber-orakzai-agencies/
-----------
Army Jets blitz suspected militant hideouts in Khyber, Orakzai; seven killed
30 Jan 2013
PESHAWAR: At least seven suspected militants were killed early on Wednesday when army jets pounded militant hideouts in the north-western tribal regions of Orakzai and Khyber.
Upper Orakzai’s assistant political agent Muhammad Rafique told Dawn.com that three militant hideouts were destroyed in the bombardment, adding that seven militants had reportedly been killed in the strikes.
The jets struck suspected militant hideouts in the Ublan area of Orakzai tribal region and near the Khyber tribal region’s border with Orakzai.
Earlier on Tuesday, security agencies had claimed to have killed 33 militants affiliated to the outlawed Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in multiple jet strikes conducted in the remote Tirah valley of Khyber and in the Mamozai area of Orakzai.
Khyber and Orakzai are among Pakistan’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border which are rife with homegrown insurgents and are alleged to be strongholds of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives.
http://dawn.com/2013/01/30/jets-blitz-suspected-militant-hideouts-in-khyber-and-orakazai-tribal-region/
-----------
PM says govt to crush designs of anti-democratic forces
30 Jan 2013
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Wednesday said anti-democratic forces should know that “we have given sacrifices for democracy in the past and were ready to do so again”, DawnNews reported.
Speaking during a meeting of the federal cabinet in Islamabad, the prime minister said the demand to dissolve the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was unconstitutional, adding that neither the chief election commissioner, nor any member of the ECP could be removed in an unconstitutional manner.
Prime Minister Ashraf said no one would be allowed to derail the country’s democratic set-up, adding that Pakistan was going to have elections in a few weeks’ time.
He said the government was fully aware of its political and constitutional obligations and claimed that it would crush the designs of anti-democratic forces that have been trying to destabilise the country.
The premier said the government believed in strong national institutions, adding that the collective wisdom of the coalition parties was strengthening democracy in the country.
He said the government had resolved to hold free and fair elections in accordance with the Constitution.
The prime minister said the government would hold consultations on a caretaker setup with all stakeholders.
Moreover, today’s meeting was expected to give a go-ahead on the country’s new trade policy for the next three years.
http://dawn.com/2013/01/30/pm-says-govt-to-crush-designs-of-anti-democratic-forces/
-----------
Formation of caretaker govt: Balochistan may face serious crisis, SC told
30 Jan 2013
ISLAMABAD: A counsel representing Balochistan indicated before the Supreme Court on Tuesday that a crisis was bound to hit the province at the time of installing a caretaker government.
Balochistan is currently under governor’s rule after President Asif Ali Zardari had on Jan 14 suspended the provincial government for two months by invoking Article 234 of the Constitution.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/30/formation-of-caretaker-govt-balochistan-may-face-serious-crisis-sc-told/
-----------
Pakistan accuses India of 12 Kashmir beheadings since 1998: report
30 Jan 2013
NEW DELHI: Pakistan has accused India of decapitating 12 soldiers in cross-border attacks since 1998 and registered a protest with a UN watchdog, a newspaper reported Wednesday, after deadly army clashes earlier this month.
The accusations are contained in a series of classified documents presented to the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) which monitors the disputed Kashmir border, according to The Hindu newspaper.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/30/pakistan-accuses-india-of-12-kashmir-beheadings-report/
-----------
No room for retired generals, judges in interim govt: PPP
30 Jan 2013
ISLAMABAD: As part of its broad election strategy, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party has decided in principle to have non-political personalities inducted as caretaker prime minister and provincial chief ministers, to dissolve all assemblies by mid-February and hold elections for national and provincial assemblies on the same date in the middle of May.
A senior PPP leader who attended the meeting of the PPP core committee on Monday told Dawn that the party would not approve of any retired military officer or retired judge for the slots of interim prime minister or chief ministers. He spoke at length about the key decisions taken by the PPP for elections, but declined to talk on record.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/30/ppp-thrashes-out-proposals-no-room-for-retired-generals-judges-in-interim-govt/
-----------
With the PPP government gone, will Hazara killings stop?
30 Jan 2013
Pakistan People Party’s Nawab Aslam Raisani came to power at such a time when all the major nationalist political parties had boycotted the elections and the province was struck by separatist insurgencies which had gained new momentum after Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti’s assassination in 2006.
This was coupled by the military establishment’s change in its operational strategies towards Balochistan — from overt operations to more covert ones. As more and more Baloch nationalist activists began to disappear, more and more religious seminaries surfaced across Balochistan, aimed at converting the otherwise secular Baloch society into a religiously extremist one.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/30/with-the-raisani-government-gone-will-hazara-killings-stop/
-----------
US-Pak relations moving towards stability: Sherry Rehman
Jan 30, 2013
WASHINGTON: Pakistan's ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman has said the relations between the two countries have taken an important turn to move towards a more stable trajectory.
Congratulating John Kerry after the Senate's confirmation to his appointment as the new US secretary of state, Rehman expressed hope the two countries will work to add more positive dimensions to their ties.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-Pak-relations-moving-towards-stability-Sherry-Rehman/articleshow/18250691.cms
------------
Pakistan boycotts Oscar-nominated film on Osama hunt and US dramas
Jan 30 2013
Karachi: Pakistani movie distributors and TV stations are boycotting an Oscar-nominated film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden and popular US dramas to avoid offending sensibilities or sparking a violent backlash.
Pakistan may have a starring role in Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty", which dramatises the 10-year CIA hunt for the 9/11 mastermind, but local cinemas are steering clear of a film they say could make people feel humiliated.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistan-boycotts-oscarnominated-film-on-osama-hunt-us-dramas/1066741/
------------
MPs demand explanation of Malik’s claims on Karachi
January 30, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in the lower house demanded on Tuesday an explanation from the government over Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s claims about the looming danger Karachi faced in the coming month.
Malik had warned of serious terrorist attacks in Karachi in February, saying if the port city was “detached from the country,” the government and the intelligence agencies would be responsible. He hinted that some ‘foreign elements’ were behind the conspiracy but denied commenting further.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/500493/mps-demand-explanation-of-maliks-claims-on-karachi/
-----------
Petition against Sindh local govt act: SC resumes hearing
30 Jan 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday resumed the hearing of a petition challenging the controversial Sindh Local Government Act (SLGA) adopted by the Sindh Assembly, DawnNews reported.
A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was hearing the petition.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/01/30/petition-against-sindh-local-govt-act-sc-resumes-hearing/
-------
India
Muslim group protests against the Film posters having verses from Quran
TJan 30, 2013
NEW DELHI: Muslim groups on Tuesday protested against posters of just-released film Race 2 which, they claimed, featured verses from the Quran. Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, the largest of Sunni clerics in India, urged PM Manmohan Singh to stop their publication and display.
In a letter to PM, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind general secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani said the posters have angered Muslims who protested in several places in Kolkata.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Race-2-Muslim-group-protests-against-the-posters/articleshow/18247323.cms
--------------
Proud Indian Shah Rukh Khan Muzzles Tricky Pak
By Vinayak Chakravorty & Abhishek Bhalla in New Delhi
Jan 30, 2013
Pak fishes in troubled waters over King Khan’s safety & gets stinging response from him
“ I AM proud to be an Indian,” declared Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan while speaking at a function in Mumbai on Tuesday and in the wake of the controversy generated over a signed article he had written for a magazine on his identity as a Muslim in India.
With Pakistan fishing in troubled waters as always, that country’s interior minister Rehman Malik demanded India should be more concerned about the actor’s security, in the context of SRK’s article that had the actor writing about how at times he would “become the inadvertent object of political leaders who choose to make me a symbol of all that they think is wrong and unpatriotic about Muslims in India”. There were occasions, SRK further wrote, when he had been accused of “bearing allegiance to our neighbouring nation rather than my own country — even though I am an Indian whose father fought for India’s freedom”.
Full report at: Mail Today
--------------
MP Mohammed Azharuddin seek implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations
By Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui
Jan 30, 2013
LUCKNOW: Congress MP Mohammed Azharuddin has underlined the "urgent need" for his party to win back the Muslim trust, while seeking immediate implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations to improve the community's condition.
The former Indian cricket captain made these comments in an interview to Saudi Gazette in Jeddah, where he is performing Umrah, on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Azhar-asks-Congress-to-win-back-Muslim-trust/articleshow/18247275.cms
--------------
India to train Afghanistan MPs in electoral democracy
Jayanth Jacob, Hindustan Times
January 30, 2013
India is playing its democracy card to the hilt in Afghanistan as the country braces for the withdrawal of western forces in the midst of a complex political reconciliation process.
All 102 members of the Afghanistan senate will undergo a short-term training session in parliamentary procedures and practices in the first week of February. This comes immediately after India hosted a parliamentary delegation from Afghanistan this month.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/India-to-train-Afghanistan-MPs-in-electoral-democracy/Article1-1003650.aspx
--------------
No anti-Muslim content, Kamal attacked for absurd reasons
30 January 2013 11:43
Coming out of Deepa Talkies at Viyyur near Thrissur in Kerala after watching Kamal Haasan’s big-budget film, Vishwaroopam, rice wholesaler Sunny Thomas asked: “Is this the film against which Islamist organisations are protesting? I think we Indians have lost all our senses in our craze for staging protests!”
Thomas cannot be blamed for being cynical about the protests that have been launched against Vishwaroopam, by the Popular Front of India (PFI), its political wing SDPI and other Islamist outfits. If at all there is anything to protest about, it is against the clumsiness of the movie itself.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/home/online-channel/360-todays-newspaper/124863-no-anti-muslim-content-kamal-attacked-for-absurd-reasons.html
--------
UK activists moves UN on Indian prisoner's death in Pak jail
Jan 30, 2013
AMRITSAR: A UK-based rights activist has moved United Nations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International seeking investigation into the murder of Indian prisoner Chamel Singh in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail.
Jes Uppal, the activist, said, "I have sought to investigate the circumstances of the unlawful death in custody and to ensure justice by making those responsible to be tried in the court of law." She said that despite repeated requests Pakistan authorities have failed to provide information as to why Chamel Singh was in prison and what was his jail term.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UK-activists-moves-UN-on-Indian-prisoners-death-in-Pak-jail/articleshow/18249976.cms
--------------
J&K cops quiz Pakistan 'spy'
Jan 30, 2013
MUMBAI: A team of Jammu and Kashmir police, which arrived in the city on Tuesday, interrogated the alleged Pakistani spy, Farooq Naikoo, who was arrested with his aide with counterfeit notes. If sources are to be believed, an Intelligence Bureau (IB) team too interrogated Naikoo on Monday regarding his Pakistan links.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JK-cops-quiz-Pakistan-spy/articleshow/18248487.cms
--------------
India, Pak vie for custody of Shakeel aide
Jan 30, 2013
MUMBAI: India's chances of getting gangster Chhota Shakeel aide Mudassar alias Munna Jhingada extradited have dimmed. Pakistani officials, who are also vying for his custody, have reportedly submitting more documents to authorities in Thailand.
India and Pakistan are caught in a tiff over deportation of gangster Jhingada from Thailand since last one and half year.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-Pak-vie-for-custody-of-Shakeel-aide/articleshow/18248369.cms
--------------
Salman Rushdie, Deepa Mehta's visit to Kolkata cancelled
Janaki Fernandes
January 30, 2013
Kolkata: Award-winning author Salman Rushdie has cancelled his visit to Kolkata today because his hosts, PVR Cinema, which is distributing Midnight's Children, based on his book, could not organise the venue for a press conference for him to promote the film.
Deepa Mehta, who has directed the movie, and other members of the crew who were supposed to participate at the Kolkata Literary Meet (which is a part of the Kolkata Book Fair) have also cancelled their visit
Full report at:
http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/writer-salman-rushdie-s-visit-to-kolkata-cancelled-324025
------------
Rehman Malik slammed for SRK comment by Indians
Jan 30, 2013
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The government and the political class as a whole on Tuesday slammed Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik for his statement asking India to provide security to Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. "We are quite capable of taking care of the security of our citizens," said home secretary RK Singh in Delhi, adding, "Pakistan need not worry about it."
Information & broadcasting minister Manish Tewari rebuffed Malik by saying that all citizens of India were treated equally and asked him to redirect his worries to the condition of minorities in Pakistan. The political class in India, cutting across party lines, reacted sharply to Malik's "meddling in India's internal affairs".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rehman-Malik-slammed-for-SRK-comment/articleshow/18248103.cms
-----------
Southeast Asia
Malaysia to deter Muslims from celebrating Valentine’s Day
30 Jan 2013
PUTRAJAYA, Jan 29 – The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) with about 250 volunteers from various non-governmental associations (NGO) will kick-off its ‘Mind the Valentine’s Day Trap’ campaign around Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
Its director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha said the programme would be conducted around Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), Bukit Bintang and Masjid India and was aimed at exposing the volunteers to be people-oriented in combating social ills.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/jakim-to-launch-campaign-to-deter-muslims-from-celebrating-valentines-day/
-----------
Indonesian President Might Discuss Human Rights Court for Past Abuses
Markus Junianto Sihaloho | January 30, 2013
Legislators’ recommendation for an ad hoc human rights court to be set up to probe past rights violations will likely be discussed in an upcoming meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and leaders of state institutions.
Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said he had gone over the issues that would be discussed in the meeting with the House of Representatives leaders on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/sby-might-discuss-human-rights-court-for-past-abuses-but-no-guarantees/568457
-----------
Parents given five-year sentence for child abuse
30 Jan 2013
PETALING JAYA, Jan 30 — The Magistrate’s Court here today sentenced a couple to five years’ jail for abusing their two-year-old child three months ago.
Magistrate K B Elena Hong Tze Lan sentenced Mohd Nasir Abd Majid, 37, a lorry driver, and his wife Zarinah Ab Hadhy, 31, a housewife, after both admitted to committing the offence at an apartment in Damansara Damai, between October 14 and October 27, 2012.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/parents-sentenced-to-five-years-jail-for-child-abuse/
-----------
Malaysian PM: Constitutional monarchy fosters stability, prosperity
30 Jan 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 ― The constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy system practised in Malaysia has been proven effective in creating stability and prosperity in the country, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said.
The prime minister said the institution of monarchy was the basic thrust for the system ever since Malaysia gained Independence more than 50 years ago.
“The roles played by Malay Rulers, who are above politics, have contributed comprehensively to the integration process of the people towards building a successful nation-state.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-constitutional-monarchy-fosters-stability-prosperity/
-----------
Indonesian president coming for Jeddah visit
30 January 2013
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will arrive in Jeddah on Sunday in a renewed move to boost relations between the two countries. A special plane carrying the Indonesian president and his 100-member strong entourage, including several ministers, high-ranking officials and media men, is scheduled to land in Jeddah on Feb. 3 and stay for two days before heading for Cairo on Feb 5.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/indonesian-president-coming-jeddah-visit
-------
Mideast Asia
Kurdish militants set to halt Turkey hostilities in Feb: Hurriyet daily
100 PKK fighters set to disarm, withdraw from Turkish soil as initial step towards ending 28 year long Turkish-Kurdish hostilities
29 Jan 2013
Kurdish militants will announce a halt to hostilities with the Turkish state in February according to the timetable of a fledgling peace process aimed at ending a 28-year-old insurgency, said the Hurriyet daily on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/63567/World/Region/Kurdish-militants-set-to-halt-Turkey-hostilities-i.aspx
-----------
18 reportedly killed as Yemen military attacks kidnappers
Jan 30, 2013
SANAA: Two soldiers and 16 al-Qaida militants were killed in a Yemeni military offensive against the jihadists who are suspected of holding Western hostages, sources said.
"Sixteen al-Qaida fighters were killed in four raids when the Yemeni aviation targeted positions near Manaseh," a stronghold of the terror network in the province of Bayda, a tribal source said on condition of anonymity on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/18-reportedly-killed-as-Yemen-military-attacks-kidnappers/articleshow/18250138.cms
-----------
Second set of NATO Patriot missiles in Turkey go active
NATO sends a second pair of Patriot missile batteries to defend Turkey against possible attack from Syria are now operational
29 Jan 2013
A second pair of Patriot missile batteries being sent by NATO countries to defend Turkey against possible attack from Syria are now operational, a German security official said on Tuesday.
The United States, Germany and the Netherlands each committed to sending two batteries and up to 400 soldiers to operate them after Ankara asked for help to bolster its air defences against possible missile attack from Syria.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/63597/World/Region/Second-set-of-NATO-Patriot-missiles-in-Turkey-go-a.aspx
-----------
Israel to Transfer Tax Funds to Palestinians
By ISABEL KERSHNER
30 Jan 2013
JERUSALEM — Israel has decided to transfer tax and customs revenues collected last month on behalf of the Palestinian Authority to help ease the economic crisis there, a senior Israeli government official said on Wednesday.
This reverses an earlier decision to use the revenues to offset at least part of the Palestinian debts to Israeli utility companies as a punitive measure following the Palestinians’ successful bid to upgrade their status at the United Nations to that of a nonmember observer state in late November.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/world/middleeast/israel-to-transfer-tax-funds-to-
----------
Arab World
Cairo court awards death for 7 Copts over anti-Islam film
2013-01-30
CAIRO: A Cairo tribunal yesterday upheld death sentences passed on seven Egyptian Coptic Christians in absentia for their involvement in a blasphemous movie, a judicial source said.
The accused, including the director of the movie that triggered outrage across the Muslim world when it surfaced last September, are currently living in the United States.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/cairo-court-affirms-death-7-copts-over-anti-islam-film
---------
Syria Blames Nusra Front for Aleppo Killings
30 Jan 2013
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian state media blamed the Islamist rebel Nusra Front for the killing of dozens of people in the northern city of Aleppo, contradicting activist accounts which blamed President Bashar al-Assad's forces for the bloodshed.
The victims' families "have identified a number of the killed, stressing that the Nusra Front abducted them because of their refusal to cooperate with this terrorist group," state news agency SANA said.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/30/world/middleeast/30reuters-syria-crisis-
-----------
Saudi Arabia beheads drug trafficker, its nationals
Execution brings to seven the number of people beheaded in Saudi Arabia so far this year
January 29, 2013
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia beheaded one of its nationals on Tuesday after he was convicted of drug trafficking, the Interior Ministry announced in a statement.
Musaed Al Ruweili was arrested as he tried to smuggle “a large number of narcotic pills into the kingdom,” said the statement, cited by the official SPA news agency.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-beheads-drug-trafficker-1.1139361
-----------
Persecuted Citizens of Saudi Arabia, Iran And Tunisia
By Countercurrents.org
28 January 2013
Countercurrents.org
Persecution of advocates and activists for human rights and poor are regular incidents in several countries. The three incidents, cited below, related to Saudi Arabian, Iranian and Tunisian citizens show a part of the existing reality.
Saudi diplomat
Mishal bin Zaar Hamad al-Mutiry, a former Saudi Arabian diplomat who was due to be deported from Qatar to his native country was able to travel to Morocco after receiving support from Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee, said Amnesty International [1].
Mishal, 50, and his family are now in Morocco after leaving the Gulf country on January 18, 2013.
Full report at:
http://www.countercurrents.org/cc280113.htm
--------------
Hard-line Islamist call for sterner measures against Egyptian 'rioters'
Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya's Building and Development Party calls for tougher measures against 'rioters', supports prosecutor-general's decision to order arrest of Black Bloc members
29 Jan 2013
The Building and Development Party, the political wing of Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya, has called on President Mohamed Morsi to take harsher measures against "rioters."
Violence has been ongoing across the country since the second anniversary of Egypt's revolution on Friday and the death sentence imposed on 21 people on Saturday for their role in the Port Said Stadium disaster. Over 50 people have died so far.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/63589/Egypt/Politics-/Hardline-Islamist-party-calls-for-sterner-measures.aspx
-----------
Mursi Heads to Germany on Trip Cut Back by Egypt Crisis
30 Jan 2013
CAIRO/BERLIN (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi flew to Germany on Wednesday to convince Europe of his democratic credentials, leaving behind a country in crisis after a wave of violence that has killed more than 50 people.
The Egyptian army chief warned on Tuesday that the state was on the brink of collapse if Mursi's opponents and supporters did not end the street battles that have marked the two year anniversary of the revolt that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/30/world/europe/30reuters-egypt-
-----------
All Sides Must Meet to End Egypt Violence: ElBaradei
30 Jan 2013
CAIRO (Reuters) - Opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei said Egypt needed an urgent meeting between the president, other ruling officials, Islamist groups and the opposition to agree steps to end a wave of violence that has killed more than 50 people.
"We need an immediate meeting between the president, defense and interior ministers, the ruling party, the Salafis and the National Salvation Front to take urgent steps to halt the violence and start serious dialogue," ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account.
(Reporting by Tom Perry and Omar Fahmy; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/world/middleeast/30reuters-egypt-protests-
-----------
Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah accused of 'insulting judiciary'
Political activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah is the first in a list of figures to be questioned in relation to accusations of insulting the judiciary
Zeinab El Gundy
29 Jan 2013
Political activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah was summoned on Tuesday for questioning, facing accusations of insulting the judiciary.
Abdel Fattah attended the interrogation along with a number of lawyers, including his father Ahmed Seif, a renowned human rights lawyer.
After the interrogation Abdel Fattah wrote about the case using his official Twitter account (@alaa):
"I am facing charges of insulting the judiciary. I refused to cooperate in the interrogation because of the judiciary's unbalanced priorities. They ignore reports of torture and instead focus on what is published online."
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/63608/Egypt/Politics-/Egyptian-blogger-Alaa-Abdel-Fattah-accused-of-insu.aspx
-----------
Egypt prosecutor-general orders arrest of 'Black Bloc' members
Prosecutor-general orders immediate arrest of all members of Egypt's newest 'revolutionary' faction; Lawyer charges opposition leader Sabbahi - among others - with involvement in masked group's establishment
29 Jan 2013
Egyptian Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdallah on Tuesday ordered the arrest of all members of the anti-state 'Black Bloc' group, which has made its appearance in recent anti-government demonstrations and disrupted traffic and Cairo's Metro line.
Abdallah directed police and Egypt's armed forces to arrest anyone suspected of being affiliated with the group. He also urged citizens to provide any information they have about the group or its members and assist in their arrest by authorities.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/63579/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-prosecutorgeneral-orders-arrest-of-Black-Blo.aspx
-----------
Saudi Arabia: Those envious of Kingdom won’t succeed
30 January 2013
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is facing those who are envious of the country, said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday. He added that the Almighty would protect the Kingdom and those who believe in the oneness of God.
The king said this while addressing a number of princes, senior officials and Islamic scholars who came to greet him at his palace yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/king-those-envious-kingdom-won%E2%80%99t-succeed
-----------
Saudi Chambers of Commerce to conduct study on investments in inventions
30 January 2013
Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defence, has instructed the formation of a committee to study the volume of the private sector in the Kingdom and its ability to support Saudi inventions and innovations. The committee was proposed earlier by Minister of Education Prince Faisal bin Abdullah.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/body-conduct-study-investments-inventions
-----------
Second Gulf Economic Media Forum to exchange ideas on key issues
30 January 2013
Economic analysis and building professional report workshops will be held on the eve of the Second Gulf Economic Media Forum (GEMF-2013) organized by the Eastern Province.
The event will take place on Feb. 13 in the Eastern Province in partnership with the Dar Alyaum Publishing House (DAPH) and the Federation of GCC Chambers.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/economic-media-forum-exchange-ideas-key-issues
-----------
UAE offers $300m aid for displaced Syrians
30 January 2013
UAE has announced $300 million as financial aid to support the humanitarian situation in Syria.
General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who is leading the UAE delegation made this announcement at the International Donors Conference for Syria, which opened on Wednesday in Kuwait by His Highness Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of Kuwait, to support the humanitarian situation.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
-----------
Africa
Bulk of Timbuktu Manuscripts Safe, Unharmed: Experts
January 30, 2013
DAKAR (Reuters) - The vast majority of Timbuktu's ancient manuscripts in state and private collections appear to be unharmed after the city's 10-month occupation by Islamist rebel fighters, who did burn some of the scripts, experts said on Wednesday.
"I can say that the vast majority of the collections appear from our reports not to have been destroyed, damaged or harmed in any way," Cape Town University's Professor Shamil Jeppie, an expert on the Saharan city's manuscripts, told Reuters.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/30/world/africa/30reuters-mali-rebels-manuscripts.html?ref=europe
-----------
French Forces Pressing Mali Campaign Seize Rebel Stronghold
By PETER TINTI, RICK GLADSTONE and ALAN COWELL
30 Jan 2013
BAMAKO, Mali — French troops took control overnight of the airport at the last major northern Mali town still in rebel hands, officials said on Wednesday, after Islamist militants abandoned two other principal settlements in the vast, desert region where residents’ relief and elation has given way to some measure of reprisal and frustration.
A French military spokesman in Paris, Col. Thierry Burkhard, said French troops reached the airport at Kidal, in the remote northeast of Mali, in an ongoing operation that is ongoing.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/world/africa/mali-france-
-----------
Nigeria lead poisoning: Activists welcome delayed funds
30 Jan 2013
The release of $4m (£2.5m) promised by Nigeria's president seven months ago to clean up villages contaminated by lead has been welcomed by campaigners.
US-based Human Rights Watch said the funds would help 1,500 children in urgent need of life-saving medical treatment in northern Zamfara state.
A BBC reporter says there has been a concerted online and media campaign to get the pledged funds released.
In 2009, it became clear that hundreds of children had died of lead exposure.
They were poisoned by dust released by gold miners breaking open rocks near their homes.
Children suffer more from lead poisoning because their size makes them more vulnerable to its effects.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21246764
-----------
Nigeria: Boko Haram Commander Offers Truce
January 30, 2013
Nigerian authorities on Tuesday welcomed a cease-fire declaration by a commander of the militant Islamist sect Boko Haram, but security forces said they would not lower their guard. Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, who security officials say is a Boko Haram commander, called on sect members on Monday to halt attacks that have killed hundreds since the start of an uprising to carve out an Islamic state in Nigeria in 2009. It was not immediately clear if he was speaking on behalf of Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, or whether he represented only a faction. “It is a good step for Boko Haram to be moving in the right direction,” said the presidency spokesman, Doyin Okupe, adding that the government would discuss the move “once it has been ascertained that it is genuine, that it is sincere.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/world/africa/nigeria-sect-commander-offers-truce.html?ref=africa
-----------
Treat Greed in Africa as a War Crime
By KAMARI MAXINE CLARKE
January 30, 2013
WHEN the International Criminal Court made public an arrest warrant in November for Simone Gbagbo, a former first lady of Ivory Coast, on charges of crimes against humanity, it set two precedents. For the first time, it had indicted a woman — and someone who had held no formal public office. The previous year, Mrs. Gbagbo’s husband, Laurent, became the first former head of state to face trial before the I.C.C. He is charged with thousands of murders and “other inhuman acts” after refusing to accept defeat in a presidential election that was held in November 2010.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/opinion/treat-greed-in-africa-as-a-war-
-----------
Five dead as South Sudan army, rebels clash
Hundreds of civilians flee after clashes between government troops, rebel soldiers escalate leaving at least 5 people dead
29 Jan 2013
At least five people were killed in South Sudan's troubled Jonglei state in clashes between government troops and rebel soldiers who had come for peace talks, officials said Monday.
Hundreds of civilians fled the clashes which broke out Sunday -- during which the market in the remote town of Pibor was set on fire -- as a government delegation arrived to negotiate with the breakaway commander of a local rebel movement.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/63556/World/International/Five-dead-as-South-Sudan-army,-rebels-clash.aspx
---------
Donor pledges provide respite for Mali
AMAN SETHI
Jan 30, 2013
International donors pledged $453 million to fund military operations in Mali at a donor’s conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday. While the money should cover the estimated annual budget for the African-led Support Mission for Mali (Afisma), it falls short of the sums require to retrain Mali’s shattered army.
The African Union (A.U.) and Economic Community for West African States (Ecowas) have estimated that the African-led Support Mission for Mali (Afisma) will require an annual budget for $ 460 million, while $360 million will be necessary to retrain and equip the Malian Army.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/donor-pledges-provide-respite-for-mali/article4357957.ece
-----------
Europe
200,000 armed Libyan fighters still at large: U.N envoy
29 January 2013
By AL ARABIYA
There are still 200,000 armed fighters in "revolutionary brigades" in Libya, a top UN envoy said Tuesday, expressing fears that Mali's conflict could spill over into the country.
Foreign governments have raised concerns about security in Libya and with this latest comment by the UN envoy to the country Tarek Mitri there may just be reason for it.
Mitri said France's military campaign in Mali had opponents in Libya.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/29/263312.html
---------------
EU Takes on Task of Rebuilding Mali Army
January 30, 2013
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union has a vital role to play in rebuilding Malian army that is badly paid, poorly equipped and seriously weakened by a year of defeats, the commander of a new EU military training mission said on Tuesday.
French General Francois Lecointre, speaking after an initial fact-finding trip to Mali, where troops are fighting with French help to push back Islamist rebels who occupied the north of the country, said the army there was in a "very broken-down" state.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/01/30/world/europe/30reuters-mali-rebels-
-----------
David Cameron to visit Algeria for talks
30 Jan 2013
David Cameron is to visit Algeria later in the wake of the hostage crisis that left up to six Britons dead.
The UK prime minister will hold talks with his counterpart and the president.
Mr Cameron will stress the strategic importance of Algeria in what he has called "the generational struggle" against al-Qaeda in North Africa.
The UK is to send 330 military personnel to Algeria's neighbour Mali and West Africa to support French forces battling Islamist militants.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21248277
-----------
Brahimi says ‘I am no quitter,’ dubs Geneva Declaration on Syria as ‘ambiguous’
30 January 2013
By AL ARABIYA
U.N.-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, who warned the Security Council that “Syria is being destroyed bit by bit,” dubbed the Geneva Declaration as an exit strategy to save the conflict-ravaged country as “ambiguous.”
On June 30 last year, the Geneva Declaration, which was agreed by Kofi Annan when he was the U.N. mediator on Syria, called for a transitional administration but did not specify what role, if any, Russia’s ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would have.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/30/263421.html
---------------
South Asia
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami calls countrywide hartal for Thursday
30 Jan 2013
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal for Thursday demanding immediate release of opposition leaders including war crimes suspects and restoration of the caretaker government system.
Mohammad Alam, a staff of Jamaat's IT section, confirmed the party decision to The Daily Star on Wednesday quoting a press release.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44420
-----------
The then president held meeting with jail killing accused in '75
30 Jan 2013
The then president Khandokar Mostaque had led a meeting with all the accused of the jail killing case at Bangabhaban on the night of November 2, 1975 where the decision of killing the four national leaders was taken, principal state counsel for the case Anisul Huq said on Wednesday.
According to the decision, risaldar (retd) Muslemuddin, dafadar Marfat Ali Shah and dafadar Abdul Hashem Mridha went to Dhaka Central Jail to kill the leaders on the following day, Huq said.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44427
-----------
Maldivian and Indian officials deny reported agreement to address “consular issues”
By Luke Powell | January 29th, 2013
Indian and Maldivian authorities have both denied media reports that an agreement has been reached on relaxing visa restrictions for Maldivians entering India.
The Indian High Commission in the Maldives today said it has not been made aware of any new agreements with Maldives authorities over amending visa restrictions, despite discussions continuing between the two nations to address “consular concerns”.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali also stressed that he was unaware of any official agreement being made to address the concerns raised by Indian officials.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/maldivian-and-indian-officials-deny-reported-agreement-to-address-consular-issues-51981
---------
North America
$7.3 million camp for Afghan police found empty: US inspectors
Jan 30 2013
Washington : A $7.3 million base camp built to house 175 Afghan Border Police was sitting virtually empty two months after it was handed over to Afghan authorities, and some equipment like wood-burning stoves had been dismantled, US inspectors reported on Tuesday.
The facility, located in Kunduz Province, consisted of 12 buildings, including a dining hall, that were contracted by the Army Corps of Engineers and completed Sept. 3, 2012, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-7.3-million-camp-for-afghan-police-found-empty-us-inspectors/1066739/
-----------
Obama giving $155 million in humanitarian aid to Syrians
U.S. to donate a further $155 million in aid for food, medical care and clothing to help war-torn nation
29 Jan 2013
President Barack Obama on Tuesday said the United States would boost humanitarian aid to Syria and urged other nations to do more to help the United Nations, which is struggling to assist some 4 million people in the war-torn country and more than 700,000 who have fled it.
Obama said he authorized an additional $155 million in aid for food, medical care and clothing for Syrians and refugees, bringing the U.S. total to $365 million. He issued a video statement on youtube.com with Arabic subtitles speaking directly to Syrians.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/63611/World/Region/Obama-giving--million-in-humanitarian-aid-to-Syria.aspx
-----------
Hillary defends decision to not extradite Headley
January 29, 2013
Outgoing United States secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said the task of bringing the perpetrators of 26/11 to book was an “unfinished business” for her country. Clinton also defended US decision to not extradite David Coleman Headley to India, saying the
sentence was as much a punishment as recognition of his help in the investigations.
Headley was sentenced to 35 years in jail by Chicago court last week, for his involvement in the three-day 2008 Mumbai carnage that left 164 people dead.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/Hillary-defends-decision-to-not-extradite-Headley/Article1-1003541.aspx
-----------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/security-forces-kill-33-militants/d/10197