Seven Pakistani-Origin Men Convicted Of Sex Crimes in UK
New Age Islam News Bureau
15 May 2013
Photo: Oxford sex gang. Left to right, top: Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar, Kamar Jamil, Assad Hussain. Bottom: Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar and Zeeshan Ahmed Photo: PA
Pakistan
• PTI, London Launches Signature Campaign against MQM Chief on Anti Pak Speech
• Pakistan polls may have been ‘fairest ever’ despite fixing claims
• No religious party, except JUI-F, JI, makes way to parliament
• The Change has come: A new breed of activists fight for Karachi
• Operation against militants in Pakistan Tribal Area Displace Thousands
• Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif sends mixed message to U.S.
• Musharraf cannot be tried under anti-terror law for judges' detention: Probe panel
• Australia congratulates Pakistan on successful election
• Canada congratulates Pakistanis over commitment to democracy
• Nawaz Sharif Offers Truce and Flowers to Imran
• I & B Ministry Concern over expulsion of newsman
• Balochistan parties reject results: Protests against ‘rigging’ continue
• JUI-F rejects PTI’s mandate as rigged
• PML-N chief wants NA tenure start from May 28
• Benazir murder case: Court extends Musharraf’s remand until 28th
Arab world
• Gunmen kill 12 at Baghdad alcohol shops
• LE20,000 bail set for Coptic school teacher accused of 'insulting' Islam
• Two million Egyptians sign petition to oust Mursi
• Syria projectiles ‘hit’ Israel-occupied Mount Hermon
• Arab League: Syria seat not yet given to coalition
• Arabs, Turkey see no role for Assad in future Syria
• Syria rebels vow to punish atrocities amid video outrage
• U.N. promises to keep peacekeepers in Lebanon
• Syrian Rebels Launch Assault on Aleppo Prison
• Bahrain court jails 6 tweeters for a year
• Internet, telecoms cut across Syria: SANA
Africa
• Nigeria declares emergency in areas hit by Boko Haram
• Confrontation Looms as Tunisia Moves on Salafis
• Nigeria's Benue state conflict last week 'kills 53'
• Man Killed in Attack on Police Station in Libya's Benghazi
Mideast
• Iranian President Ahmadinejad could face 74 lashes over election ‘violation’
• Israeli police attack Egyptian Orthodox bishop in Jerusalem
• Fatah, Hamas agree to form Palestinian unity government
• Turkish government proposes alcohol restriction measures
• ICC prosecutor opens initial probe into Gaza flotilla
• Four Turkish hostages freed in Afghanistan
• Palestinians Mark Their 1948 Displacement
• Iranian Azim Aghajani convicted over Nigeria arms
• Turkey's Erdogan to push Obama on Syria after bombings
Europe
• Seven Pakistani-origin men convicted of sex crimes in UK
• EU to pledge 520m euros for Mali reconstruction
• British forces to remain in Afghanistan till 2015
• U.N. to vote on Syria resolution to back political transition
• UN General Assembly to vote on Syria resolution; Russia opposed
• Britain, France counter Syria call for UN to sanction militants
South Asia
• Four US soldiers killed in Afghanistan
• Twin bombs kill policeman, wound nine at Afghan checkpoint
• Video suggests higher Bangladesh protest toll
• Six Jamaat men arrested on different charges
• Ban Hefazat, Jamaat or face Dhaka siege
• Afghan Commandos Step Up Their Combat Role
North America
• Obama wishes early meeting with Nawaz Sharif
• Four jailed in Minnesota over al-Shabab recruitment
• Field of Muslim-Western relations as crucial today as ever
• Afghan scrap yards eye unwanted U.S. gear worth millions
• 'US agent' in Russia sought Boston intelligence: Report
Southeast Asia
• US State Department Points to Human Rights Problems in Indonesia
• Malaysian cop nabbed with drugs; Indian drugs shipment seized
India
• Energy, Nitaqat law, counter-terror on Khurshid's agenda in Saudi Arabia
• Home Minister asks states to expedite terror cases involving Muslim youth
• Assam expresses grief at the demise of scholar-activist Engineer
• Modi government does U-turn on death penalty for Kodnani, Bajrangi
• NIA opposes terror suspect Liyaqat Shah's bail plea in Delhi court
• Hyderabad Intel IG charge sheeted in Sohrab case
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Seven Pakistani-Origin Men Convicted Of Sex Crimes in UK
PTI | May 15, 2013
LONDON: Seven Pakistani-origin men have been found guilty of sex crimes against girls, some as young as 11, in Britain.
A London court heard six girls were drugged and suffered sadistic abuse while aged between 11 and 15.
"You have been convicted of the most serious offences and long custodial sentences are inevitable," the judge at the Old Bailey said in his ruling on Tuesday.
All seven, facing charges of running a sex grooming ring near Oxford, will be sentenced on June 26.
The court heard victims were plied with alcohol and drugs before being forced to perform sex acts. Some had also been beaten, burned and threatened.
The abuse began in Oxford but some of the victims would be later taken around the country to be offered to other men who were in contact with the gang.
Kamar Jamil, Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar, Assad Hussain, Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar, Zeeshan Ahmed and Mohammed Hussain - all in their mid-20s and early 30s - were found guilty of either rape or conspiracy to rape.
The jury was told that key members of the group used and abused the six victims in a systematic and organised sex trafficking ring over eight years until their arrest in 2012.
The court heard how the men identified vulnerable girls for abuse then groomed each one of them until they were under the control of the gang.
Acts of physical and sexual violence escalated into using objects to cause pain and humiliation.
The court heard that girls were tied up, burnt, suffocated, bitten, scratched and urinated upon.
The victims would return to Oxford bleeding, injured and carrying sexually-transmitted diseases.
One of the victims described being plied with hard drugs and forced to have sex with strangers while being filmed at the age of 13.
The men had denied charges including rape, arranging child prostitution and trafficking between 2004 to 2012.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Seven-Pakistani-origin-men-convicted-of-sex-crimes-in-UK/articleshow/20055821.cms
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Pakistan
PTI, London Launches Signature Campaign against MQM Chief on Anti Pak Speech
05/14/13
LONDON: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf London has started a “100,000 signatures” campaign that will be presented to the House of Parliament, London, against MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s recent anti-Pakistan speech, said PTI London Information Secretary Atif Shah.
Talking to Online, Shah said PTI members had submitted 12,000 complaints to the Metropolitan Police against the MQM chief for his anti-Pakistan speech that has instigated bloodshed in Pakistan and threats to people’s lives.
“In due course, PTI members have started 100,000 persons’ signature campaign that will be presented to the parliament for immediate action against the MQM chief, who in the capacity of a British citizen has instigated violence and threats to the people of Pakistan.”
Shah also said that a demonstration would be staged in front of the MQM chief’s house in London on Sunday.
He said that all the Pakistanis in Britain were united against the anti-Pakistan speech of the MQM chief.
He said that the Pakistani society at the London School of Economics, Oxford and Cambridge universities, has participated in the protest demonstrated in front of the Pakistani High Commission in Knightsbridge the other day.
“First time in the history of Pakistan, through election, the clouds of fear and terror in Karachi were supposed to end. However, the MQM did organised rigging that is evident in reports of independent observers. The 200 percent voter turnover is itself a big question mark,” he added.
He said that the PTI would keep on protesting until the re-election was initiated in Karachi.
When Online contacted the MQM Secretariat in London, it was told that the person concern was not available to record the version of the party. online
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\05\15\story_15-5-2013_pg4_9
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Pakistan polls may have been ‘fairest ever’ despite fixing claims
15 May 2013
Despite some Pakistani voters and politicians claiming last Saturday’s elections were rigged, technology may have helped in making the polls the fairest ever.
Pakistan's database authority oversaw an increase in the registration of women from 50 percent during the last polls to 86 percent by adding all adults with an ID card to the voter roll.
The agency culled the dead from the electoral roll, and clamped down on ID card fraud that resulted in some people voting dozens of times in the last election.
It put in place measures that allowed polling stations to access would-be voters' photographs and even check thumb impressions against the national database in cases of suspected fraud.
The agency also allowed voters to SMS their ID card number to instantly find which polling station they should use -- a serviced accessed 55 million times.
"Technology has strengthened democracy in Pakistan, enhanced turnout, eroded corruption and enhanced transparency," Tariq Malik, chairman of the National Database Registration Authority, told AFP news agency.
But Malik warned that technology can only do so much and poll officials remained susceptible to corruption.
On Sunday, voters reeling from the outcome revealed they were told to keep there “mouth shut” when they alleged vote rigging.
On Saturday night, the official results carried Pakistan Muslim League’s Nawaz Sharif to power, building up enough momentum to avoid having to form a coalition with his main rivals, former cricketer Imran Khan's Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
Rida Naqvi, a polling agent in Lahore on Saturday who was responsible for keeping tabs on voters and the ballot box, was angered by “extreme disorder,” she witnessed while at work.
“I saw votes being put into the ballot boxes without having signatures on them,” she told Al Arabiya on Sunday.
“When I went to complain, I was told to keep my mouth shut [by security officers] because this was my first time doing this duty and they had been here for years.
“I wanted to tell them ‘no doubt you have been here for years, which is exactly why we never had fair elections!’”
Naqvi said she has since attempted to complain to the media, European observers monitoring the polls and presiding Pakistani officers.
“But they all just nodded and kept quiet,” she said.
Murmurings on Saturday cast early doubts on the validity of the vote when the leader of the governing Pakistan People's Party, Taj Haider, alleged rigging in some constituencies, among them in Sindh province and its capital, Karachi.
Meanwhile, leaders of one of Pakistan's largest and most liberal parties, the Sindh-based Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), told reporters that they would boycott the elections over allegations of rigging, according to CNN.
The Sunni Ittehad Council and Jamaat e Islami parties also announced a boycott, Pakistan’s Geo TV reported on Election Day.
At one point during the voting, Pakistan's election commission ordered a re-vote in more than 30 polling stations in a Karachi constituency over allegations of ballot stuffing, a spokesman said.
It was a Karachi constituency controlled by MQM, the group which later announced its boycott. Imran Khan, meanwhile, also accused the MQM of ballot stuffing in Karachi, according to AFP. But the movement was quick to deny the accusations.
In reference to allegations of vote-rigging made by the members of his party, Khan said in televised remarks on Sunday: "God willing, we will issue a white paper."
One Karachi voter pointed out that city quickly became the focus for allegations of fraud.
“The elections held in Pakistan were total scam; rigging was the usual way of work for the polling stations in the whole of Sindh and Punjab, especially Karachi,” Shujaat Haider told Al Arabiya.
“Polling stations were hijacked by ‘unidentified’ men and where they weren't, the presiding officers did their part,” Haider added, in reference to poll officials taking part in the alleged corruption.
The Karachi resident said that in one of the city’s polling station, NA 250, a presiding officer did not turn up. The officer was supposed to preside over two stations.
“When we [Haider and other residents] asked why there was no officer, we were told he had gotten ‘upset’ over something and will not be coming and to stop asking questions. So they sent 1400 registered voters home.”
After complaints that polling stations opened late, or hadn’t been operating at all, voting was extended by three hours in seven Karachi constituencies
Haider said he was angered by the disorder and rigging attempts, but the large voter turnout still allowed him and other Pakistanis to feel the change.
“Even though I did not support the party that has won the elections, we must acknowledge the fact that the change has come."
“Scores of people lined up for hours and hours to practice their democratic right and play their part in making change happen,” Haider added.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/asia/2013/05/15/Pakistan-polls-may-have-been-fairest-ever-despite-fixing-claims.html
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No religious party, except JUI-F, JI, makes way to parliament
May 15, 2013
Javaid-ur-Rahman
islamabad: The May 13 election results were equally surprising and interesting with different aspects, as the religio-political parties of the country except its two major factions Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islami (JUI-F), might not able to even mark it presence neither in National Assembly (NA) nor in provincial assembles from their platforms.
The religious group in the shape of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) was the third largest group in 2002 but due to certain reasons their split could not prove fruitful, as the polls results showed decline of around 70 per cent in a decade.
This divide in the shape of a split of the right wing vote bank considerably provide a blow to the religio-political parties including Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam(JUI-F) as it could secure around 13 seats in Centre.
According to the May 13 elections results, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) JUI-F bagged 16 seats and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) managed seven seats in the area. It was only JUI-F which also secured seats in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and centre as other erstwhile partner failed to get seat in any area.
It would not be out of place to mention here that Punjab province remained unfavourable for religio-political parties on elections day (May 11). Both JUI-F and JI despite their all-out efforts could not agree to seat adjustment arrangement with Pakistan Muslim League (N), which was being considered as big push for them. Political analysts believed that emergence of PTI with a leaning towards right-wing vote bank, also provided blow to them, as already one of the major religious parties JI had already boycotted two major cities of Sindh.
Once the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal(MMA), comprising of JUI-F ,Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), JUI-S, Tehrik-i-Islami, Jamaat Ahl-e-Hadith, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-Noorani had around 58 seats in general elections in 2002 as their opinion in any of legislation matters a lot because of strength. But the romance of the this group could not be witnessed again as in 2008 Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) boycotted general elections and taking advantage of the situation JUI-F in KPK and Balochistan using the name of MMA contested but faced big defeat.
According to the previous results in 2008, JUI-F secured only seven seats in the national assembly and remained on third position in KPK and Balochistan. The figure shows that MMA had 48 seats in KP and three in Balochistan provincial assemblies in 2002, while it had only 10 in KP and seven in Balochistan in 2008.
In these general elections 2013, the religio-political parties due to certain reason could not gather under the umbrella of MMA as earlier Jamaat-e-Islami(JI) was reportedly considered responsible for the split and later Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam(JUI-F) was held responsible of not shaking hands with their former partners before elections.
It would not be out of place to mention here this former group also failed to make alliance or seat adjustment with Pakistan Muslim League(N) or Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI).
The situation of other Muttahida Deeni Mahaaz (MDM) including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Samiul Haq), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Noorani (JUI-N), Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party, Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadees, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, formerly known as Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan are other parties so far could not able to bag seat from their religious parties platform (according to the results).
It is relevant to mention here other religious organisations due to certain reasons fielded their candidates independently. The JUI-F among other religious parties secured maximum number of seats and JI remained on second position.
The JUI-F ostensibly having fear of sitting on opposition benches is making efforts to form government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) where Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) bagged maximum seats. It was learnt that in this situation when JUI-F wishes to join hands with JI considering them as former partner faced dissatisfactory response, which reflects disarray of some religio-political parties.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/islamabad/15-May-2013/no-religious-party-except-jui-f-ji-makes-way-to-parliament
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The Change has come: A new breed of activists fight for Karachi
By Photo: Athar Khan
May 15, 2013
KARACHI: “Karachi kis ka hissa hai? Ye Pakistan ka hissa hai! [Karachi is a part of Pakistan]” Flags of Pakistan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and charged up chants of slogans greet the people arriving to join the dharnas which are being held daily.
Section 144 banning rallies and protests could not dissuade the citizens of Karachi who are making sure their voice is being heard across the country.
The first dharna at Teen Talwar saw a multitude of people, with a majority of what rival party leaders sarcastically called “Burgers” – a name often used to describe the residents of upscale areas. Yet, a closer look showed people representing less affluent areas, such as Hazara colony and inner areas of Gizri.
Day one of the dharna, held the very next day of the elections on May 12, was not only PTI’s, supporters of other political parties and an independent candidate Jibran Nasir also raised their voice against rigging. Supporters of Imran Khan’s party, who were still reeling with disbelief that the tsunami only reached Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, started by chanting slogans of Naya Pakistan.
By late hours and after Altaf Hussain’s speech, however, the dynamics began changing. The protest slogans became more streamlined, talking specifically about rigging. People kept pouring in till almost midnight – even families – despite the threats that came in the form of aerial firing.
The spirits soar higher
The second dharna saw more flags of Pakistan than the day before and the slogans were no longer only of PTI. In a festive environment, the crowd was defiant.
Interestingly, at Shahrae-e-Faisal, apart from the representatives of NA-250, many people from other parts of the city were also seen, including Urdu-speaking residents who are typically assumed to be supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. “My name is Hina Ansar.
Please give my real name in your story. I really don’t care,” said a lady at the dharna, who kept calling her sister in Gulshan to tell her where to reach. “Our entire family voted for PTI.
I was not allowed to vote initially because they knew who I was voting for. Why should I keep quiet? Where is my vote?”
A few yards away, Dr Arif Alvi and other PTI representatives sat in the middle of the road that is Karachi’s spine.
More than a constituency
While the infamous and problematic constituency of NA-250 brought people out of their homes, this wave of activism has spread across the city, fuelled by news of similar activism in Lahore -only section 144 hasn’t been imposed in Lahore as yet and over there it is primarily an anti-rigging agenda. In comparision, the dharnas in Karachi seem a catharsis of sorts – against what citizens believe is a violation of their mandate.
Altaf Hussain’s words brought out a sense of ownership among the usually complacent and almost desensitised Karachiites. A large numbers of women, children and youth have been seen at these protests signal of a change in this perilous city.
“There is no doubt that MQM has built the flyovers in the city and carried out development projects – I have been an MQM supporter for years,” said Zaheer Zaidi, a protester. “But we have not forgotten the incidences of shutter-down strikes, unrest and killings. I am here because I am afraid no more.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2013.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/549352/tabdeeli-aa-gayee-hai-a-new-breed-of-activists-fight-for-karachi/
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Operation against militants in Pakistan Tribal Area Displace Thousands
2013/05/15
PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani official says thousands of people have been displaced over the past week after the military launched an operation against militants in a tribal area in the country's northwest.
Mujahid Hussain, chief of disaster management efforts in the Kurram tribal area, said on Wednesday that the families left their villages because of the fighting. He says he estimates that between 35,000 and 49,000 people have been displaced.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/05/15/world/asia/ap-as-pakistan.html?ref=asia
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Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif sends mixed message to U.S.
May 14, 2013
RAIWIND, Pakistan — Pakistan’s presumptive prime minister said Monday that he wants good relations with the United States but criticized American drone strikes on militants as a violation of the country’s sovereignty — perhaps hinting the government’s grudging compliance may change.
Full report at:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/20096263-418/pakistans-nawaz-sharif-sends-mixed-message-to-us.html
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Musharraf cannot be tried under anti-terror law for judges' detention: Probe panel
May 15, 2013
ISLAMABAD: A team formed to investigate former military ruler PervezMusharraf over the sacking and detention of judges during the 2007 emergency had said in a preliminary report that he cannot be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act, according to a media report on Wednesday.
The Islamabad high court had recently directed that Musharraf should be booked under the anti-terror law for detaining dozens of judges, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. The police subsequently arrested him and charged him under the law.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Musharraf-cannot-be-tried-under-anti-terror-law-for-judges-detention-Probe-panel/articleshow/20062526.cms
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Australia congratulates Pakistan on successful election
05/14/13
ISLAMABAD: The Australian government has congratulated Pakistan on the successful completion of elections that will see first transfer of power from one democratically elected civilian government to another in country’s 66 year history. In a statement, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Bob Carr said the Australian government was encouraged by the high voter turnout, especially among women, despite threats of violence from some terrorist groups during the election campaign. Since 2011, Australia has committed a total of $7 million towards the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) efforts to build the capacity of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The Australian government also provided a further $200,000 to support the Commonwealth’s election observation mission. Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\05\15\story_15-5-2013_pg7_12
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Canada congratulates Pakistanis over commitment to democracy
05/14/13
ISLAMABAD: Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, John Baird has said that Canada congratulates the people of Pakistan for demonstrating their commitment to democracy by voting in the millions in this historic election. “The violence aimed at suppressing the voters should be unequivocally condemned. We send our sincere sympathies to those who lost loved ones. We encourage Pakistan’s authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said in a statement issued here to the Canadian High Commission. Baird said “it is our hope that those elected to office will work to promote freedom and prosperity for the Pakistani people”. He vowed that Canada would continue to work with the Pakistani people to promote freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human rights, including religious freedom. Canada committed six of its nationals to participate in the European Union Election Observation Mission.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\05\15\story_15-5-2013_pg7_13
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Nawaz Sharif Offers Truce and Flowers to Imran
By SALMAN MASOOD
2013/05/15
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s former and future Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, visited his main political rival, Imran Khan, at a Lahore hospital on Tuesday, and Mr. Sharif later said both leaders had vowed to work together without acrimony.
Mr. Khan, who made Mr. Sharif the main target of his dynamic and invective-filled anticorruption campaign, fell off a speaking platform and fractured his back on May 7. Just four days later, his party took a similar tumble on election day, not only failing to cut deeply into Mr. Sharif’s expected lead, but now possibly not even taking second place in Parliament.
Still, regardless of the final tally, expected later this week, Mr. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party will become a significant player on the political scene, controlling the regional government of a major province. Considering the challenges ahead, Mr. Sharif buried the hatchet and brought flowers.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/world/asia/pakistans-nawaz-sharif-offers-truce-and-flowers-to-rival.html?ref=world
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I & B Ministry Concern over expulsion of newsman
2013-05-15
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) has expressed concerns over the failure of the interior ministry to seek its endorsement while issuing visas to foreign journalists, granting extensions to them and cancelling them.
The MoIB has taken up the issue with the interior ministry in the wake of expulsion of Declan Walsh, the bureau chief of New York Times, from the country.
In a letter sent to the interior ministry on Tuesday, the MoIB observed that the former had bypassed the Rules of Business 1973 under which visa-related matters of foreign journalists were to be routed through the external publicity wing of the information ministry.
Full report at:
http://beta.dawn.com/news/1011406/concern-over-expulsion-of-newsman
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Balochistan parties reject results: Protests against ‘rigging’ continue
SALEEM SHAHID
2013-05-15
SLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has issued an official press release which indicates that it wants to appease PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif who will soon become prime minister for the third time.
“NAB is determined to follow the new government’s declared intent of zero tolerance for corruption and full promotion of meritocracy for good governance,” the press release issued on Tuesday said.
Full report at:
http://beta.dawn.com/news/1011405/balochistan-parties-reject-results-protests-against-rigging-continue
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JUI-F rejects PTI’s mandate as rigged
May 15, 2013
Said Alam Khan
Peshawar - Rejecting the mandate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday alleged that elections in Mardan, Peshawar and Kohat division were rigged.
“We will not accept PTI’s mandate in KPK, where election results have been rigged in favour of a party,” he said while talking to the media at the residence of former KPK chief minister Akram Khan Durrani in Hayatabad.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/15-May-2013/jui-f-rejects-pti-s-mandate-as-rigged
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PML-N chief wants NA tenure start from May 28
May 15, 2013
Islamabad - An interesting situation has arisen as the caretaker government is eager to transfer power as soon as possible but PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif desires either to see the oath-taking of newly elected parliamentarians on May 28 or to himself take oath as prime minister on that date.
Sources in the caretaker government informed that the caretaker Law Minister had proposed the summoning of maiden session of the National Assembly between May 18 and May 24 and subsequent transfer of power within this period but interestingly the would-be Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who would assume the office for third term, showed the desire to see the new National Assembly take oath on May 28 or he himself would take oath as prime minister on that date in case the session is to be called earlier.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/15-May-2013/pml-n-chief-wants-na-tenure-start-from-may-28
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Benazir murder case : Court extends Musharraf’s remand until 28th
05/14/13
RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday extended former military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s house arrest over the murder of Benazir Bhutto until May 28, a prosecutor said.
The court also put off hearing a bail application by Musharraf until May 20, Chaudhry Azhar told AFP.
He said, “The court extended Musharraf’s judicial remand until May 28 when it hears the case again,” adding that the adjournment came after Musharraf’s lawyer Salman Safdar could not attend the hearing.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\05\15\story_15-5-2013_pg7_4
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Arab world
Gunmen kill 12 at Baghdad alcohol shops
May 15, 2013
BAGHDAD: Gunmen armed with silenced weapons shot dead 12 people at alcohol shops in the Iraqi capital on Tuesday, security and medical officials said.
The gunmen, who were travelling in four vehicles, restrained federal policemen at a checkpoint in the Zayouna area of west Baghdad, an interior ministry official said.
They then shot dead 12 people in multiple adjoining alcohol shops nearby, the ministry official said. A medical official confirmed the toll.
With alcohol forbidden by Islam, Baghdad liquor stores are an attractive target for fundamentalist groups, made more so because they are often staffed by religious minorities.
Violence in Iraq has fallen from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common, killing more than 200 people in each of the first four months of this year.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/15-May-2013/gunmen-kill-12-at-baghdad-alcohol-shops
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LE20,000 bail set for Coptic school teacher accused of 'insulting' Islam
Prosecutor-general sets bail for Coptic Christian primary schoolteacher in Luxor charged with insulting Islam; accused says 'extremist' parents incited against her
14 May 2013
Egypt's Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah sets bail for Coptic Christian primary school teacher Demiana Emad, accused of insulting Islam, at LE20,000 ($2,870).
The 23-year-old social studies teacher was arrested on 9 May after the head of the parents association of Sheikh Sultan Primary School in Luxor filed a complaint in April.
Emad, who denied the allegations against her, said several Islamic "extremists" had incited schoolchildren to testify against her.
The prosecutor-general also questioned Emad over allegations of proselytising to students, according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website.
Similar accusations were made against another Coptic teacher in July of last year after he posted pictures on Facebook deemed insulting to Islam and the Prophet Mohamed.
That teacher was sentenced to six years in prison.
Egypt's Coptic Christian minority – thought to account for roughly 10 percent of Egypt's population of almost 90 million – have been targets of sectarian attacks by anti-Coptic elements in recent years.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/71428/Egypt/Politics-/LE,-bail-set-for-Coptic-school-teacher-accused-of-.aspx
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Two million Egyptians sign petition to oust Mursi
May 15, 2013
CAIRO: A campaign calling for the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi and for early presidential elections has gathered over two million signatures, organisers told AFP.
The "Tamarod" (Rebellion in Arabic) campaign seeks to withdraw confidence from the Islamist leader because he has failed the revolution that brought him to power, they said. Since its launch nearly two weeks ago in Cairo's Tahrir Square, Tamarod's petition has garnered over two million signatures.
"Because security has not returned, because the poor have no place, because I have no dignity in my own country... we don't want you anymore," the text reads. "The campaign was launched because the president is no longer able to manage the country," Tamarod spokesman Mahmud Badr told AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/15-May-2013/two-million-egyptians-sign-petition-to-oust-mursi
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Syria projectiles ‘hit’ Israel-occupied Mount Hermon
15 May 2013
Two projectiles fired from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Mount Hermon on Wednesday morning but did not cause damage or injuries, an Israeli army spokeswoman told AFP.
“There were two explosions on the Israeli side of the Hermon, we are examining the incident,” she said. “We believe this was a result of the domestic situation in Syria.”
The spokeswoman said the popular site, which is in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, was closed for visitors, and that Israel had notified the United Nations force in the region about the incident.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/05/15/Syria-projectiles-hit-Israel-occupied-Mount-Hermon.html
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Arab League: Syria seat not yet given to coalition
15 May 2013
DUBAI: The vacant Syrian seat at the Arab League has not been given to the opposition, even though its leader addressed the bloc’s last summit, the League’s secretary general said yesterday.
“The opinion was that if they (opposition) form a government, which they have not done yet, then they can become a representative,” Nabil Elaraby told reporters in Dubai.
He said the opposition chief had been invited to address the March summit in Doha by the meeting’s Qatari host, not by the bloc.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/451612
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Arabs, Turkey see no role for Assad in future Syria
14 May 2013
Five Arab countries and Turkey have reiterated that President Bashar al-Assad should have no role in the future of Syria, as Russia and the United States proposed a peace conference.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as that of Turkey -- all supporters of the Syrian opposition -- expressed their stand at a meeting late Monday in Abu Dhabi, WAM Emirati news agency said.
The ministers backed a June 2012 Geneva plan for a transitional government in Syria as long as "it takes in consideration that president Assad and his aides with blood-stained hands would have no place in Syria's future," WAM said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/71418/World/Region/Arabs,-Turkey-see-no-role-for-Assad-in-future-Syri.aspx
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Syria rebels vow to punish atrocities amid video outrage
May 15, 2013
DAMASCUS: The Free Syrian Army pledged Wednesday to punish atrocities amid outrage over a video showing the mutilation of a corpse, as the regime ruled out discussing President Bashar al-Assad's departure in negotiations.
The mainstream rebel group made the statement after a gruesome video of an alleged rebel fighter cutting out and apparently eating the organs of a regime soldier emerged online.
"Any act contrary to the values that the Syrian people have paid their blood and lost their homes (for) will not be tolerated, the abuser will be punished severely even if they are associated with the Free Syrian Army," the main rebel group said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/May-15/217157-syria-rebels-vow-to-punish-those-committing-atrocities.ashx#axzz2T7v41XzC
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U.N. promises to keep peacekeepers in Lebanon
May 15, 2013
BEIRUT: The U.N. undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations reassured Lebanese officials that peacekeepers would stay in Lebanon, contrary to reports indicating otherwise.
During meetings with officials in Beirut, Herve Ladsous added it was imperative for the international community to help the Lebanese Army successfully implement its task under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
Following talks with President Michel Sleiman at Baabda Palace, Ladsous said the U.N. placed utmost importance on security and stability in Lebanon, particularly “at this critical juncture.”
He said he told Sleiman that during his tour over the weekend of the Blue Line he “witnessed first-hand the excellent work” the Army was doing on the ground in collaboration with UNIFIL.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2013/May-15/217132-un-promises-to-keep-peacekeepers-in-lebanon.ashx#axzz2T7v41XzC
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Syrian Rebels Launch Assault on Aleppo Prison
2013/05/15
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels launched a coordinated assault on the main prison in the northern city of Aleppo Wednesday in an attempt to free hundreds of regime opponents believed to be held in the facility, activists said, while an Internet blackout engulfed the country for the second time in two weeks.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels detonated two car bombs simultaneously outside the walls of the central prison Wednesday morning before trying to storm the facility. Fierce clashes are taking place between President Bashar Assad's troops and opposition fighters around the detention center, according to Observatory director Rami Abdul-Rahman.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/05/15/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria-.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=5C84699E4B3514744A7E8F3FEDB9F861&_r=0
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Bahrain court jails 6 tweeters for a year
Bahrain's office of public prosecutor announces a one-year imprisonment sentence against six anti-regime tweeters
15 May 2013
A Bahraini court on Wednesday sentenced six tweeters charged with insulting King Hamad to one year in prison, the public prosecutor's office announced.
The six were charged by the lower criminal court with "misusing the right of free expression," it said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/71524/World/Region/Bahrain-court-jails--tweeters-for-a-year.aspx
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Internet, telecoms cut across Syria: SANA
State news agency says internet and telecommunication are down in Syria
15 May 2013
Internet and telecommunications in Syria were down across the country, the state news agency SANA reported on Wednesday, saying a fault with a fibre-optic cable was to blame.
"Maintenance and repair work is underway to reestablish the Internet and telecommunications across Syria as soon as possible," Bakr Bakr, the director-general of Syria's telecoms firm told SANA.
The outage was also reported by Google, which showed a drop-off in Internet service that started on Wednesday morning, and by Internet tracking firm Renesys.
Internet in Syria has regularly been cut, most recently on May 7, with it being restored some 24 hours later.
At the time, SANA also blamed the outage on technical problems, though activists said the government was to blame for the cut.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/71527/World/Region/Internet,-telecoms-cut-across-Syria-SANA.aspx
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Africa
Nigeria declares emergency in areas hit by Boko Haram
2013-05-15
ABUJA: Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three northeastern states on Tuesday, ordering in more troops to try to stem an increasingly violent Boko Haram-led insurgency.
Boko Haram has intensified its attacks on security forces and government targets in its northeast stronghold this month, prompting Jonathan to declare an emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
“We are facing ... a rebellion and insurgency by terrorist groups which pose a very serious threat to our national unity,” Jonathan said in a televised address. “They have attacked government buildings and facilities. They have murdered innocent citizens and state officials. They have set houses ablaze, and taken women and children as hostages. These actions amount to a declaration of war.”
His orders followed growing evidence that Boko Haram now control parts of the northeastern territory around Lake Chad, where local government officials have fled.
Security officials say they control at least 10 local government areas of northeastern Borno state, the epicentre of the insurgency.
Full report at:
http://www.beta.dawn.com/news/1011546/nigeria-declares-emergency-in-areas-hit-by-boko-haram
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Confrontation Looms as Tunisia Moves on Salafis
2013/05/15
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia is taking a harder line on preaching by ultraconservative Muslim groups, a crackdown that has sparked demonstrations by rock-throwing protesters and ominous warnings of terrorist attacks to come.
As it struggles to hunt down al-Qaida linked terrorists in its frontiers, the government has also been trying to rein in salafis emboldened by the fall of the country's repressive dictatorship two years ago. The interior minister said last week that gatherings will require permission, a measure rarely enforced in the past that is an attempt to stop tent meetings springing up around the country to build support for the groups.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/05/15/world/middleeast/ap-ml-tunisia-salafi-crackdown.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=D12CD3EC82797F2C6A267994882DE986
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Nigeria's Benue state conflict 'kills 53'
2013/05/14
Fifty-three people have been killed and 13 villages burnt in central Nigeria's Benue state, local MP Sule Audu has told the BBC.
The conflict, which started last week, is said to have been caused by a long-running dispute over land ownership between cattle herders and farmers.
Forty people were killed on Sunday, in the worst attack carried out by Fulani herdsmen since last week, Mr Audu said.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22528257
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Man Killed in Attack on Police Station in Libya's Benghazi
By REUTERS
2013/05/15
BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - A man was killed in an overnight attack on police in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi and their station was later set on fire in a possible act of revenge for the killing, police sources said on Wednesday.
The army deployed additional forces to Benghazi after a car loaded with explosives blew up near a hospital on Monday, killing three people.
Police sources said the man lived in the neighborhood and was involved in the assault, but local residents said he was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/05/15/world/africa/15reuters-libya-unrest.html?ref=world&gwh=443B91B7B315F1630BCA8857B60D62AA
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Mideast
Iranian President Ahmadinejad could face 74 lashes over election ‘violation’
13 May 2013
After accompanying his former chief of staff to register for June’s presidential vote, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may face punishment if charged with breaking electoral rules.
On Sunday, the country’s electoral watchdog attracted worldwide media attention after pointing out Ahmadinejad may face a punishment of “74 lashes” for accompanying and appearing to endorse election entrant Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie.
Iranian electoral law bans individuals from supporting candidates in an official capacity, while the use of state resources on behalf of or against any candidate is also banned.
A conviction could bring a maximum punishment of six months in jail or 74 lashes, according to Iranian press reports.
But analysts have brushed off “hyped” claims that Ahmadinejad would be penalized, and even if he were to be lashed or imprisoned, it may not be anytime soon.
“There will be no lashing; the news is hyped and ridiculous,” Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh, the director of the Centre for Arab & Iranian Studies in London, told Al Arabiya English on Monday.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2013/05/13/Iran-s-Ahmadinejad-could-face-74-lashes-over-election-violation-.html
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Israeli police attack Egyptian Orthodox bishop in Jerusalem
Israeli policemen attack 84-year-old Egyptian Orthodox bishop during last week's Easter celebrations in Jerusalem's Old City
14 May 2013
Israeli newspaper Maariv published a video clip on Monday showing an attack by Israeli police on Bishop Anthasius of Ramallah's Egyptian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem during Easter celebrations last week.
In an interview with the newspaper, Anthasius said that Israeli police had attacked him in the street after he had tried to pass through an Israeli military checkpoint.
In the video, the 84-year-old bishop can be seen being attacked by policemen. "They treated me like a dog," the bishop told the Israeli newspaper.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/71423/Egypt/Politics-/VIDEO-Israeli-police-attack-Egyptian-Orthodox-bish.aspx
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Fatah, Hamas agree to form Palestinian unity government
Officials says Fatah and Hamas finalize a timetable for the implementation of reconciliation
15 May 2013
Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have set a three-month timetable to form a unity government and organise elections, officials from both sides said on Wednesday.
The agreement came during a meeting late Tuesday between Fatah's official in charge of reconciliation affairs, Azzam al-Ahmed, and his Hamas counterpart Mussa Abu Marzuq, held at Egyptian security services headquarters in Cairo.
"We must take immediate steps to agree on the Palestinian National Council's (PLO parliament) electoral law and set a date for elections," Ahmed told the official Voice of Palestine radio.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/71528/World/Region/Fatah,-Hamas-agree-to-form-Palestinian-unity-gover.aspx
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Turkish government proposes alcohol restriction measures
Turkey's ruling Islamist AKP proposes a parliamentary bill on alcohol restriction measures
15 May 2013
A Turkish parliamentary committee is set to debate Wednesday a proposal by the Islamic-rooted government to introduce new curbs on the consumption and advertising of alcohol, a parliamentary source said.
The supporters of the measure say the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) bill seeks to protect society, particularly children, from the harmful effects of alcohol.
The text comes as part of a broad legislative package and will initially be discussed Wednesday by a committee before being voted on in the plenary, said a parliamentary source who did not want to be named.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/71512/World/Region/Turkish-government-proposes-alcohol-restriction-me.aspx
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ICC prosecutor opens initial probe into Gaza flotilla
14 May 2013
The International Criminal Court has opened a preliminary probe into Israel’s deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010, the prosecutor’s office said Tuesday.
“My office will be conducting a preliminary examination in order to establish whether the criteria for opening an investigation are met,” Fatou Bensouda said in a statement issued from the court based in The Hague.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/05/14/ICC-prosecutor-opens-initial-probe-into-Gaza-flotilla.html
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Four Turkish hostages freed in Afghanistan
May 15, 2013
Taliban insurgents on Tuesday released the final four Turkish engineers held hostage since their helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan last month. "The remaining four Turkish nationals were released today as a sign of goodwill and as an Islamic and humanitarian gesture of respect," the insurgents said in an emailed statement. Four other Turkish engineers aboard the helicopter were freed on Sunday.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/15-May-2013/four-turkish-hostages-freed-in-afghanistan
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Palestinians Mark Their 1948 Displacement
2013/05/15
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in the West Bank and Gaza on Wednesday to mark the 65th anniversary of their mass displacement during the war that followed Israel's founding in 1948.
Every May 15, Palestinians commemorate the "nakba," or "catastrophe" — the term they use to describe their displacement. Hundreds of thousands fled or were driven out during the fighting.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/05/15/world/middleeast/ap-ml-israel-palestinians.html?ref=middleeast&gwh=8CCD8BA09B5330F7793195D6BEAB0854
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Iranian Azim Aghajani convicted over Nigeria arms
2013/05/14
An Iranian man convicted of smuggling arms into Nigeria has been sentenced to five years in prison by a Lagos court.
Rockets, mortars and grenades were among the weapons seized from a ship which docked in Lagos in 2010.
Court documents said they were due for re-export to The Gambia, in defiance of a UN arms embargo on Iran.
Nigerian Usman Abbas Jega was convicted alongside Azim Aghajani, who is alleged to be a member of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and is on a UN blacklist.
'Praying continuously'
They were convicted on four of five charges relating to the shipment, reports the AFP news agency.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22515062
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Turkey's Erdogan to push Obama on Syria after bombings
Turkey's prime minister will push President Barack Obama for more assertive action on Syria during a visit to Washington this week
14 May 2013
Turkey's prime minister will push President Barack Obama for more assertive action on Syria during a visit to Washington this week, days after car bombs tore through a Turkish border town in the deadliest spillover of violence yet.
The bombings in Reyhanli, which killed 50 people on Saturday, and activists' reports of a massacre of Sunni Muslims in a Syrian coastal town have incensed Tayyip Erdogan, already critical of the slow international response to the conflict.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/71478/World/Region/Turkeys-Erdogan-to-push-Obama-on-Syria-after-bombi.aspx
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Europe
EU to pledge 520m euros for Mali reconstruction
2013/05/15
The European Union will pledge 520m euros (£442m; $673m) to help rebuild Mali, at a conference of international donors in Brussels.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the money would help the West African state become "stable, democratic and prosperous".
The conference is the first since France sent troops to oust Islamist rebels from northern Mali in January.
Mali's government has a 4.3bn-euro plan for "a total relaunch of the country".
It includes rebuilding government institutions and the military, repairing damaged infrastructure, organising presidential elections, holding dialogue with rebel groups in the north, and stimulating the economy.
'Good start'
After meeting the European Commission chief in Brussels on Tuesday, Mali's interim President Dioncounda Traore said he hoped about 2bn euros would be raised at the donors' conference.
"I think that's a good start," he told a news conference. "Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, in a week or in a month, it is clear that the international community, the European Union, will inject a lot more than that."
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22535265
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British forces to remain in Afghanistan till 2015
2013-05-15
LONDON: Some British troops will have to stay in Afghanistan till 2015 to ensure the departure of forces is properly managed, defence minister Philip Hammond said on Tuesday.
Combat operations are still due to finish by the end of 2014 but the final tours of duty will be extended to last up to a maximum of nine months for a “relatively small number” of personnel, Hammond told parliament.
British troops currently serve around six months in Afghanistan, but those deploying this October will stay for eight months.
Hammond said: “The rationale for this decision is clear and is based on advice from military commanders.” He said one reason was to “better align the final tours with key milestones in the transition process such as the Afghan presidential elections in spring 2014”.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/05/14/british-forces-to-remain-in-afghanistan-till-2015/
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U.N. to vote on Syria resolution to back political transition
15 May 2013
A draft resolution that condemns Syrian authorities and accepts the opposition Syrian National Coalition as party to a potential political transition is set to be voted on at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday.
The vote comes as Britain and France delayed a Syrian request for Islamist al-Nusra Front to be designated by the United Nations as a terrorist group.
The European countries said they want the militants to instead be listed as an alias of al-Qaeda, diplomats said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the 193 U.N. member states are set to vote on the draft resolution, which some Western diplomats said was unlikely to win as many votes as a resolution that passed last year with 133 in favor.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/05/15/U-N-to-vote-on-Syria-resolution-to-back-political-transition.html
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UN General Assembly to vote on Syria resolution; Russia opposed
The UN General Assembly to vote on a Russian-rejected draft resolution concerning the situation in Syria
15 May 2013
The UN General Assembly is set to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that condemns Syrian authorities and accepts the opposition Syrian National Coalition as party to a potential political transition.
Russia, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is opposed to the resolution, which was drafted by Qatar and other Arab nations and circulated among the 193 UN member states. Some Western diplomats said it was unlikely to win as many votes as a resolution that passed last year with 133 in favor.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/71493/World/Region/UN-General-Assembly-to-vote-on-Syria-resolution;-R.aspx
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Britain, France counter Syria call for UN to sanction militants
Reuters | May 15, 2013
UNITED NATIONS: Britain and France have delayed a Syrian request for Islamist al-Nusra Front to be designated by the United Nations as a terrorist group because they want the militants to instead be listed as an alias of al-Qaida, diplomats said on Tuesday.
The UN Security Council's al-Qaida sanctions committee is due to discuss the counter-proposal by Britain and France for listing Nusra later this week, said council diplomats, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Britain-France-counter-Syria-call-for-UN-to-sanction-militants/articleshow/20060083.cms
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South Asia
Four US soldiers killed in Afghanistan
May 15, 2013
KANDAHAR: A roadside bomb killed four US soldiers in south Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said, the latest fatalities for the NATO-led coalition which is winding down after 12 years of fighting.
The soldiers died in the volatile province of Kandahar, where five US troops were killed by a similar improvised explosive device targeting a vehicle ten days ago.
Kandahar is a hotbed of insurgent activity, with large areas under the control of Taliban militants who were ousted from power in Kabul in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
“We can confirm that four soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan today,” a spokesman for the Nato International Security Assistance Force said, following policy by not specifying their nationality.
Javid Faisal, spokesman for the provincial government of Kandahar, told AFP that the victims were American. “At around 2:30 pm, a Nato armoured vehicle hit a roadside mine in Zhari district. We have learned that four US soldiers inside the vehicle have been killed,” he said. Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/15-May-2013/four-us-soldiers-killed-in-afghanistan
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Twin bombs kill policeman, wound nine at Afghan checkpoint
2013-05-15
KABUL: An Afghan official says two bombs have exploded at a checkpoint outside a provincial governor's compound in the country's east, killing at least one police officer.
Nine people have been wounded in the blasts.
The explosions struck early on Wednesday in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province.
The first bomb wounded a policeman.
The second was remotely detonated minutes later as police swarmed to the scene to secure it. It killed one police officer and wounded five policemen and three civilians.
The governor's spokesman, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, says authorities are investigating how insurgents were able to plant the bombs despite heavy security near the governor's compound.
Taliban militants have been ramping up attacks on government forces lately, seeking to destabilise Afghanistan as more foreign troops prepare to withdraw.
http://www.beta.dawn.com/news/1011542/twin-bombs-kill-policeman-wound-nine-at-afghan-checkpoint
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Video suggests higher Bangladesh protest toll
14 May 2013
Al Jazeera has obtained video footage suggesting that the Bangladesh government has been providing inaccurate death tolls from recent violence.
According to official figures, 11 people had died during fighting between police and protesters from Hifazat-e-Islam, an Islamic group, on May 6, a day protesters refer to as the "Siege of Dhaka".
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2013/05/2013514143842666992.html
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Six Jamaat men arrested on different charges
15 May, 2013
Police have arrested at least six Jamaat leaders and activists yesterday and the day before.
They also caught a Hefajat leader on Monday.
Police arrested a local leader of Jamaat-e-Islami from near Kuthibari in Sadar upazila of Joypurhat yesterday on charge of creating anarchy during the hartal hours, reports our Dinajpur correspondent.
The arrestee was identified as Hakikul Islam, son of Sirajul Islam in Sadar upazila and Nayeb-e-Ameer of the party of the upazila unit.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/six-jamaat-men-arrested-on-different-charges/
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Ban Hefajat, Jamaat or face Dhaka siege
Warns imam olama oikya parishad
15 May, 2013
Bangladesh Imam Olama Somonnoy Oikya Parishad yesterday threatened that they would besiege Dhaka on June 23, if the government does not ban Hefajat-e Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami by June 20.
The parishad also declared to hold a rally at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on June 22 to press home its demand.
The parishad’s Chairman Islamil Hossain said, “Hefajat-e Islam is a terrorist and militant organisation and they have no connection with Islam. In the name of Islam, Hefajat is trying to save the Jamaat.”
He was speaking at a press briefing at Jatiya Press Club in the capital.
He claimed that Hefajat-e Islam patronised terrorism and militancy using madrasas.
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/ban-hefajat-jamaat-or-face-dhaka-siege/
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Afghan Commandos Step Up Their Combat Role
By THOM SHANKER
2013/05/15
AT A CLASSIFIED COMMANDO BASE, Afghanistan — One day this month, a pair of Russian Mi-17 assault helicopters delivered two teams of Afghan commandos, their faces obscured by black masks, in a touch-and-go landing at this camp in a lush valley encircled by frosty peaks about 50 miles from Kabul.
A training squadron drawn from the most secretive counterterrorism units fielded by the United States and its NATO allies watched as the Afghan commandos stormed and cleared a three-story office building that was left conspicuously unfinished — the kind of structure favored by insurgents.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/world/asia/us-special-operations-step-up-in-afghanistan.html?ref=asia&gwh=3B88D207AE761EEB6519237D2B88684B
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North America
Obama wishes early meeting with Nawaz Sharif
May 15, 2013
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama telephoned PML-N chief and prime minister-in-waiting Nawaz Sharif and congratulated him on his party’s victory in last weekend’s historic polls, the White House said Tuesday, while pledging to continue US-Pakistan cooperative relations with the next democratic government.
“Today, the President (Obama) spoke by phone to Nawaz Sharif, President of Pakistan Muslim League (N) to congratulate him on his party’s success in the May 11 parliamentary elections,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
Carney told reporters at the daily briefing that over the weekend President Obama had also commended the people of Pakistan on the successful completion of their parliamentary elections. “The United States stands with all Pakistanis in welcoming this historic peaceful and transparent transfer of civilian power, which is a significant milestone in Pakistan’s democratic progress,” President Obama’s spokesman said.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/15-May-2013/obama-wishes-early-meeting-with-n-chief
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Four jailed in Minnesota over al-Shabab recruitment
2013/05/15
Four men have been given prison sentences in the US state of Minnesota in connection with the recruitment of fighters for a Somali militant group.
Abdifatah Isse, Salah Ahmed and Ahmed Mahamud were jailed for three years by a federal judge after pleading guilty to providing material support to al-Shabab, a designated terrorist group.
Omer Mohamed was given 12 years for conspiracy to provide material support.
Prosecutors had recommended reduced sentences because the men co-operated.
Isse and Ahmed admitted travelling to Somalia in December 2007 and attending a training camp. They left the East African state in the spring of 2008 after having second thoughts.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22535766
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Field of Muslim-Western relations as crucial today as ever
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed
14 May 2013
Washington DC – From the time Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses was published over two decades ago, when I was at Cambridge University, I have been fully involved in promoting dialogue and understanding between the West and the Muslim world.
I have met with great minds at the White House, Pentagon and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and spoken with rabbis, priests and imams, only to find that, despite countless hours spent as a goodwill ambassador among civilisations, there is a persistent, divisive misunderstanding between Muslims and the West, and it manifests in tragic displays of violence.
Full report at:
http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=32928&lan=en
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Afghan scrap yards eye unwanted U.S. gear worth millions
15 May 2013
U.S. forces in Afghanistan are hoping that a small steel industry can be born from the mammoth task of withdrawing equipment by the end of next year, jump-starting a scrap trade and injecting cash into local businesses.
It will cost the United States almost $6 billion to remove the enormous amount of materiel scattered in hundreds of bases across Afghanistan from the longest war in U.S. history.
Most will be returned to the United States by land, air and sea routes, namely via Pakistan’s Karachi port, but some of the equipment will stay on after the Dec 31, 2014 deadline for the exit of most combat troops.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2013/05/15/Afghan-scrap-yards-eye-unwanted-U-S-gear.html
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'US agent' in Russia sought Boston intelligence: Report
AFP | May 15, 2013
MOSCOW: An alleged American CIA agent caught red-handed by Russia while wearing a blonde wig was likely interested in obtaining information about the Boston bombing suspects whose origins were in the Russian Caucasus, a report said.
The Kommersant daily said it was probable that the suspected agent Ryan Fogle was looking for information on the Tsarnaev brothers who are alleged to have carried out the marathon bombings.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-agent-in-Russia-sought-Boston-intelligence-Report/articleshow/20065702.cms
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Southeast Asia
US State Department Points to Human Rights Problems in Indonesia
May 15, 2013
Despite undergoing a dramatic democratic transformation over the last decade, a new report released on Tuesday by the United States Department of State maintains that Indonesia is still struggling with certain human rights matters.
In its 2012 Human Rights Report on Indonesia, the state department highlighted several worrying issues, including the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, abuses by security forces, people trafficking and child labor, that are still taking place in the country.
“The suppression or abridgement of the rights of religious and ethnic minorities was a problem. The government applied treason and blasphemy laws to limit freedom of expression by peaceful independence advocates in the provinces of Papua, West Papua and Maluku and by religious minority groups,” the executive resume of the report said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/us-state-department-points-to-human-rights-problems-in-indonesia/
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Malaysian cop nabbed with drugs; Indian drugs shipment seized
May 15 2013
Law enforcement officers in Medan and Surabaya intercepted two separate attempts to smuggle drugs into the country
In Medan, North Sumatra, Customs and Excise officers arrested on Monday a Royal Malaysian Police officer, Salim bin Muhammad Yusof, 49, for carrying 0.5 gram of crystal methamphetamine (locally known as shabu-shabu) upon arrival at Polonia International Airport from Kuala Lumpur.
Customs officers handed over the Malaysian lance corporal to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) in Jakarta on Tuesday, head of enforcement and investigation at the Polonia Customs Office, Ahmad Fatoni, said on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/05/15/malaysian-cop-nabbed-with-drugs-indian-drugs-shipment-seized.html
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India
Energy, Nitaqat law, counter-terror on Khurshid's agenda in Saudi Arabia
PTI New Delhi, May 14, 2013
The controversial 'Nitaqat' law relating to employment, energy security, counter-terrorism cooperation and a host of bilateral and regional issues would be discussed during external affairs minister Salman Khurshid's visit to Saudi Arabia later this month.
Khurshid's visit, from May 24-27, would be the first by an external affairs minister in the last five years. In 2008, then foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee had visited Saudi Arabia.
"There would be an entire range of issues that would be discussed," official spokesperson in the ministry of external affairs Syed Akbaruddin said in New Delhi.
Speaking about the issues that are likely to come up, Akbaruddin said that as per the latest estimates provided by Saudi Arabia, there are about 2.8 million Indian national residents there. "Their welfare, as you are aware has been a matter on which some concerns have been expressed," he said.
He recalled the recent visit of an Indian delegation led by overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi who had held a meeting with Saudi Arabian labour minister Adel Fakieh.
Minister of state for external affairs E Ahamed and advisor to Prime Minister TKA Nair were also part of the delegation.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/newdelhi/Energy-Nitaqat-law-counter-terror-on-Khurshid-s-agenda-in-Saudi-Arabia/Article1-1060067.aspx
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Home Minister asks states to expedite terror cases involving Muslim youth
May 15 2013
New Delhi: Amidst demand for expeditious trial of terror cases involving Muslim youth, the Union Home Ministry has asked all states to set up fast track courts to take up such cases for speedy disposal.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the Centre has sent an advisory to all states and is also trying to find out how many Muslim inmates (involved in terror cases) were in jail and for how many years they have been languishing in prisons.
"We are trying to find out the facts. It will take time. We have asked the states to set up fast track courts," he said at a press conference here.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/shinde-asks-states-to-expedite-terror-cases-involving-muslim-youth/1116170/
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Assam expresses grief at the demise of scholar-activist Engineer
By Abdul Gani
14 May 2013
Guwahati: Along with the entire country, Assam too has expressed its grief at the demise of renowned scholar and progressive thinker Asghar Ali Engineer on Tuesday at the age of 74 in Mumbai. The reformist leader who has visited the state number of times during the hour of crisis has left a mark among the people of the state who appreciated his way of life.
“We express deep sorrow at his demise. As one of the National advisors of the parishad, Dr. Engineer always guided us. His secular, democratic views and writings have contributed a lot to shape the ideals of our lives. We offer our sincere condolence to his family and vow that we shall take forward his ideals of secularism and democracy in the coming days,” Hafiz Ahmed, president of Char-Chapori Sahitya Parishad (CCSP), a literary body of Assam told TwoCircles.net.
Full report at:
http://twocircles.net/2013may14/assam_expresses_grief_demise_scholaractivist_engineer.html
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Modi government does U-turn on death penalty for Kodnani, Bajrangi
May 14 2013
The BJP government in Gujarat has decided to put on hold its decision to seek the death sentence for the former Gujarat Minister, Mayaben Kodnani, and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi in the Naroda-Patiya massacre case, following stiff resistance from the Sangh Parivar.
The Narendra Modi-led government has asked the special prosecutor probing the case of massacre of 91 people during the 2002 riots to put on hold its decision to press for the death sentence for Ms. Kodnani and Bajrangi. Kodnani was alleged to have played a key role in the killings, the single bloodiest episode of the three-day riots.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/modi-government-does-uturn-on-death-penalty-for-kodnani-bajrangi/article4714065.ece
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NIA opposes terror suspect Liyaqat Shah's bail plea in Delhi court
May 15 2013
New Delhi : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today opposed the bail plea of suspected Hizbul militant Liyaqat Shah, who was arrested for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror attacks in the national capital, in a Delhi court which allowed it to take his DNA samples.
NIA opposed his plea saying that he has been booked under the provisions of stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and for offences under various sections, including waging war against the country, of the IPC.
Forty five-year-old Liyaqat was arrested on March 20 while crossing the Indo-Nepal border in Gorakpur with his family. Liyaqat contended that he had come to surrender under the Jammu and Kashmir government's rehabilitation policy.
Delhi Police, which arrested him soon after he had crossed the border, said Liyaqat was involved in the conspiracy to carry out terror attacks in the capital ahead of
Holi.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nia-opposes-terror-suspect-liyaqat-shah-s-bail-plea-in-delhi-court/1116160/
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Hyderabad Intel IG charge sheeted in Sohrab case
TNN | May 15, 2013
HYDERABAD: Two Andhra Pradesh police personnel including an IPS officer were named accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. The third additional supplementary chargesheet filed by the CBI in a Mumbai court on Tuesday has named 1994 batch AP cadre IPS officer N Balasubramanyam and another state police personnel as accused. Among the others named in the supplementary chargesheet are former Rajasthan minister of state for home Gulab Chand Kataria and Vimal Patni, a Rajasthan-based marble trader. CBI's senior counsel Ejaz Khan submitted a 500-page supplementary chargesheet to the CBI judge KS Khan. The court issued summons to the four accused and asked them to be present before the court on the next hearing scheduled on June 4.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hyderabad-Intel-IG-chargesheeted-in-Sohrab-case/articleshow/20060362.cms
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