Shiite Cleric Encourages Christian Women and Girls to Be Kidnapped or Raped
New Age Islam News Bureau
24
Dec 2012
India
• Russia’s Only Hindu Temple Faces Threat of Demolition
• Soon, quota net for 98% Muslims in West Bengal
• India works to protect interests not inflame Pakistan: Afghan report
• Jundal's voice samples match with ones on terror tape: Police
• Manmohan appeals for calm, assures safety of women
• India-Pakistan renew cricket rivalry after Mumbai attack
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Pakistan
• Tahir ul Qadri’s address self-contradictory: PPP C E C Member
• Islamic institutions endorse oral polio vaccine
• Pakistan Army makes Afghan peace ‘top priority’
• Pakistan not driven by strategic over-reach to Afghanistan
• PM favours interfaith dialogue to promote peace, harmony
• Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran wants electoral reforms, interim govt in three weeks
• Pak mourns anti- Taliban leader killed by bomber
• Collective efforts needed to win war on terrorism: Minister
• Karachi violence leaves 10 people dead
• Five people killed in Balochistan violence
• Will new governor of Punjab give PPP a boost?
• Grenade attack on police headquarters, Karachi, leaves nine wounded
• PTI chief Imran Khan gears up youth for ‘naya’ Pakistan
• Balochistan Assembly: Plot against speaker won’t succeed, says Rind
• MQM for joint strategy to eliminate terrorism
• CM Shahbaz Sharif for dialogue to resolve Kashmir
• All set to celebrate annual urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai from 28th
• Qissa Khwani: from a bazaar of storytellers to site of bomb blasts
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Arab World
• Shiite Cleric Encourages Christian Woman and Girls to Be Kidnapped or Raped
• More than 60 dead in air strike on Syria bakery
• Kuwait liberal’s blast calls to ban Christmas celebration
• Egypt ‘Yes’ to Islamist Constitution
• Saudi Shura to debate new private sector benefits
• Bombs kill four in Iraq in three separate incidnets
• Airstrike kills Syrians queuing to buy bread
• Iraqis protest against 'sectarian policies'
• Egypt Presidency 'lies' on the constitution, says No to Military Trials Campaign
• Anti-smoking motivational workshop ends in Abu Dhabi
• Ruler of Dubai honours Al Ahmadiya students and teachers
• Oman takes strict approach in Islamic banking rules
• Indian consular team’s visit Tabuk to provide consular services
• Saudi Arab Civil Defence head says he welcomes media criticism
• Black Christmas for Syria's Christians
• UAE urges citizens not to travel to Lebanon
• Iraqi protesters block highway to Jordan, Syria
• Egypt: building on sand
• Al-Rabeeah to train team of surgeons in twin separation
• OIC slams Syria rebel threats against Christians
• Egyptian opposition pledges unity after defeat
• Egyptian 'Khoroug Lel Nahar' wins at Algerian film festival
• Egyptian TV host Bassem Youssef accused of insulting Morsi
• Abou-Treika, Egypt's Islamist-leaning footballer, to 'abandon politics'
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Mideast Asia
• Israel says Syria chemical weapons are secure for now
• Bethlehem Christians feel the squeeze of colonies
• Iran fighting 'smart economic war'
• Yemeni general may head ‘new unit’
• Truck fire closes Jubail-Dhahran highway
• Iran claims it has circumvented sanctions
• Yemen says search on for abducted Finns, Austrian
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Africa
• Mali Islamists renew destruction of Timbuktu mausoleums
• Suicide bombers attack Airtel office in Nigeria
• 20 years on, families want truth of ‘Libyan Lockerbie’
• Kenya police arrest 61 suspects over tribal attack
• Somali troops 'free' pirate-held hostages
• Nigeria: Islamist group Ansaru 'kidnapped' French man
• Ban for roadmap to Mali polls
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South Asia
• Prince Harry kills Taliban commander
• Taliban not demanding Afghan power monopoly
• Former BNP lawmaker, wife express no-trust in judge
• Afghan Taliban seek charter reform in Paris meeting
• Afghan police officer kills American contractor
• Bangladesh War crimes accused Jamaat leaders too seek retrial
• Expelled Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami member trial at final stage
• Afghan govt open to peace talks with Haqqani network: Afghan official
• Bangladesh Journos go on hunger strike for arrest of killers
• Afghan students leave home to find a safe place to go to school
• Two Hizb-ut Tawhid men held
• Bogra Jamaat leader jailed
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Southeast Asia
• Terrorists Find New Targets, New Funds in areas like Jakarta, Solo and Bali
• Jakarta not ready for worst scenario: Agency
• Jakarta Governor, Psy win Internet fame: Google
• Jakarta braces for more flooding
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North America
• Alabama terror case could hinge on relationships
• SEAL commander’s death an apparent suicide: report
• UN, US pledge to stand by Pakistan in anti-terror war
• UN envoy Brahimi arrives in Damascus
• U.N. Says South Sudan Threatens Its Peacekeeping Mission
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Europe
• The British government must come clean over torture in Iraq
• Russian military presence in Syria poses challenge to US-led intervention
• We won’t host Assad, another nation can take him: Russia
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Free Syrian Army fighters and residents carry the bodies of people killed by what activists said were missiles fired by a Syrian Air Force fighter jet from forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at a bakery in Halfaya, near Hama.
URL:
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India
Russia’s Only Hindu Temple Faces Threat of Demolition
Dec 24, 2012,
NEW DELHI: A year after Russia sought to ban the Bhagavad Gita, the Iskcon Krishna temple in Moscow is facing closure by the Russian government. By January 15, 2013, Iskcon monks said their Moscow temple, the only Hindu temple in Russia, would be demolished by the city authorities.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives on Monday for a day of talks with the Indian government, the temple issue is likely to figure in the discussions, not least because the issue has been pursued by the foreign ministry.
Indian ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra has asked the Moscow authorities to give an extension to a temporary temple which is set to expire on December 31, 2012, until they complete the construction of a Vedic cultural centre. Asked about the proposed demolition, Russian ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin dismissed fears of demolition.
However, Iskcon monk Madanmohan Das said the demolition order has not been revoked, so the temple is due to come down in January, because the authorities said it "violates the urban building code" and has no legal grounds for existence.
In a statement, the temple officials said they feared that even the permanent temple would face the axe. "A source in the Moscow mayor's office said on condition of anonymity that Mayor Sergey Sobyanin also ordered to axe the permanent temple project, which Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and previous Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov had included in a joint declaration in 2006 as a symbol of cultural cooperation between the cities. Following the declaration, Indian ambassador Ajai Malhotra laid the cornerstone for the new project earlier this year," the statement said.
This year, Russia plans to push for land from the Indian government for a Russian orthodox church in Delhi. In 2004, Moscow's Iskcon temple was demolished and the Iskcon group was offered another plot to build a temple. Reports said the offer was withdrawn after Russian orthodox church members protested against the temple building plans.
Last year's Bhagavad Gita trial had brought Lok Sabha to its feet and in a rare move, Parliament had collectively asked Russia to prevent the ban. The latest issue of demolition promises to put another wrinkle in the bilateral relations.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Russias-only-Hindu-temple-faces-threat-of-demolition/articleshow/17736490.cms
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Soon, quota net for 98% Muslims in West Bengal
Sabyasachi Bandopdhyay
Dec 24 2012,
Kolkata: Minorities Trinamool govt to add eight more Muslim groups in the OBC list.
Within five months after the Trinamool Congress government enacted a law for 17 per cent reservation for those belonging to Other Backward Castes (OBC), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has brought the entire Muslim community into the reservation net by including almost all of them as OBC.
While 95 per cent of the two-crore Muslim population in the state has already been included in the OBC list, entitling them to reservation in jobs, the state government last month has taken into consideration eight more Muslim groups — Jalia, Gore, Hati, Bhuina, Bayen, Mufti, Hosniwala and Khalashi — for consideration for inclusion in the OBC list. With their inclusion, almost 98 per cent of the population will be included in the OBC list.
And what is more important is that most people belonging to the Muslim community, who were included in the OBC, have been earmarked for 10 per cent reservation.
The state government made two categories of OBCs on the basis of their income: Category A and Category B. While those who have been included in Category A have been earmarked for 10 per cent reservation, those in Category B have been given 7 per cent reservation. While out of the 66 communities in Category A of the OBC list enjoying 10 per cent reservation, 59 are Muslims. In Category B, out of the 178 communities 28 belong to Muslim communities.
“The Chief Minister’s dream of providing benefit of reservation for Muslims has been fulfilled. The Left Front government talked a lot but did precious little for the Muslims,’’ Giyasuddin Mollah, Minister of State for Minorities and Madrasa education told The Indian Express.
However, Muslim community leaders complain that even though the government has brought reservation for the entire community, the process of distributing OBC certificates has been very tardy.
“According to our information, only 22 per cent of Muslims have got OBC certificates. We have requested to hold certificate camps, but the government is not doing that,’’ Siddiqulah Choudhury, chairman, PDCI, told The Indian Express.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/soon-quota-net-for-98--muslims/1049466/
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India works to protect interests not inflame Pakistan: Afghan report
PTI Posted online: Mon Dec 24 2012, 14:01 hrs
Washington : India wants to deny Pakistan strategic depth in Afghanistan and ensure its interests are not attacked there but has little interest in inflaming Islamabad's sentiments by playing a large security role, a Congressional report has said, terming Kabul's handling of its two crucial neighbours a 'delicate balancing act'.
The report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), an independent research wing of the US Congress, which prepares periodic reports to help Congressmen make informed decisions, also details how India's activities in the country are "inverse" of Pakistan and how New Delhi is wary of the reconciliation efforts with the Taliban.
"The interests and activities of India in Afghanistan are the inverse of those of Pakistan: India's goals are to deny Pakistan 'strategic depth' in Afghanistan, to deny Pakistan the ability to block India from trade and other connections to Central Asia and beyond, and to prevent militants in Afghanistan from attacking Indian targets in Afghanistan," said the latest Afghan report by CRS.
Also wary of the recent reconciliation efforts with the Taliban, which will give Pakistan more influence in Afghanistan, India in the recent past has stepped up contact with Northern Alliance, which it supported in the past, says the report.
"India saw the Afghan Taliban's hosting of Al Qaeda during 1996-2001 as a major threat to India itself because of Al Qaeda's association with radical Islamic organisations in Pakistan, such as LeT....," the report said.
Afghanistan has sought close ties to India but without alarming Pakistan: a delicate balancing act backed by the United States, it said.
The report also cites how on October 5, 2011, shortly after the assassination of former President Burhanuddin Rabbani and related Afghan recriminations against Pakistan, Hamid Karzai visited Delhi to sign the "strategic partnership" pact with India.
The pact, it says, affirmed Pakistan's worst fears because it gave India, for the first time, a formal role as one of the guarantors of Afghan stability, and provided for expanded India-Afghanistan political and cultural ties.
"Indian experts noted that no Indian troops or security forces would deploy to Afghanistan as a consequence of the pact, but it did lead to a late 2011 agreement for India to train some (Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) personnel in India.
"As an outgrowth of a four-day Karzai follow-up visit to India in November 2012, India reportedly agreed to train up to 600 ANSF per year at the Indian Army's jungle warfare school," it said. Still, India reportedly does not want to be saddled with the burden of helping secure Afghanistan as US-led forces depart.
Nor does it seek to inflame Pakistan's sentiments by playing a large security role in Afghanistan, CRS said.
"India has stressed its economic aid activities there, showcased by its hosting of a June 28, 2012, meeting in Delhi to discuss investment and economic development in Afghanistan. Some believe India has been concerned that any negotiated settlement of the Afghanistan conflict will give Pakistan preponderant influence in Afghanistan," CRS said.
"India, which supported the Northern Alliance against the Taliban in the mid-1990s, has been stepping up its contacts with those factions to discuss possible contingencies in the event of an Afghan settlement deal," it said.
Many Northern Alliance figures, it pointed out, have lived in India at one time or another, although Indian diplomats also stress they have long had close connections to Afghanistan's Pashtuns.
"Still, possibly at US urging, during the May 2011 Singh visit discussed above, India publicly expressed support for the reconciliation process. In addition, Tajikistan, which also supported the mostly Tajik Northern Alliance against the Taliban when it was in power, allows India to use one of its air bases," it said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-works-to-protect-interests-not-inflame-pakistan-afghan-report/1049569/
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Jundal's voice samples match with ones on terror tape: Police
24 DECEMBER 2012
In a crucial evidence in Mumbai 26/11 terror attack case, the voice samples of arrested LeT operative Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal have matched with ones on the terror tapes intercepted during the strike.
"City's Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL), where Jundal's voice samples were sent to match, has submitted a report to
Mumbai police crime branch concluding that one of the voices in the 26/11 intercepts was his," a crime branch official told PTI today.
Jundal, the alleged prime conspirator of the 26/11 carnage, was arrested on July 21 this year in the case after being brought from Delhi, where he had been deported from Saudi Arabia in June.
According to police, Jundal was present in the control room in Pakistan along with five other Pakistani LeT operatives, who were dictating terms to the ten terrorists during the attacks.
Police claimed that one of the voices in the conversations intercepted by intelligence agencies during the attack was of Jundal, who was heard using Hindi words like "prashasan" (government), "udharan" (example) and "yuvak" (youth).
He was also heard telling the terrorists to hide their identity and identify themselves from the Deccan Mujahideen, hailing from Toli Chowk in Hyderabad.
Jundal had also told the Lashkar ultras attacking Nariman House to convey to the media that the strike was just a trailer - "asal film baaki hai" (the main film is yet to come), police said.
Jundal had also taught the attackers Hindi, and apprised them of the topography of targets, police said.
According to police, Jundal, a native of Beed district in Maharashtra fled India in 2006 following the Aurangabad arms bust by state ATS in May, the same year.
Jundal had been brought face to face with Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, who was caught alive during the attack, in August this year at high security Arthur Road jail. Kasab identified Jundal as one of the main conspirators of the mayhem.
http://dailypioneer.com/home/online-channel/top-story/117690-jundals-voice-samples-match-with-ones-on-terror-tape-police.html
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Manmohan appeals for calm, assures safety of women
Dec 24, 2012
NEW DELHI: Breaking his silence over the gang rape, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday appealed to protestors to maintain peace and assured that his government would make all possible efforts to ensure security and safety to all women in the country.
"We are all joined in our concern for the young woman who was the victim of a heinous crime in Delhi. There is genuine and justified anger and anguish at this ghastly incident. We are constantly monitoring her medical condition. Let us all pray for her and her loved ones during Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Manmohan-appeals-for-calm-assures-safety-of-women/articleshow/17737558.cms
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India-Pakistan renew cricket rivalry after Mumbai attack
December 24, 2012
More than four years after their bilateral cricket ties snapped due to the Mumbai terror attack, India and Pakistan are set to slug it out in what promises to be a high-voltage limited-over series starting with the first Twenty20 international in Bangalore on Tuesday.
The two-match T20 and three-match ODI series has been squeezed in between India’s ongoing full series against the England cricket team, which has taken a break to go home for Christmas and New Year holidays.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/indiapakistan-renew-cricket-rivalry-after-mumbai-attack/article4234858.ece
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Pakistan
Tahir ul Qadri’s address self-contradictory: PPP C E C Member
December 24, 2012
ISLAMABAD - Terming the address of Allama Tahir ul Qadri as self-contradictory, PPP Central Executive Committee member Qazi Sultan Mahmood said that on one hand Qadri speaks in support of democratic order while on the other hand he talks about bringing four million people to Islamabad against the incumbent democratic dispensation.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/24-Dec-2012/tahir-ul-qadri-s-address-self-contradictory-qazi-sulatan
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Islamic institutions endorse oral polio vaccine
December 24, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Various muftis and scholars at Islamic institutions across the country have endorsed the oral polio vaccine and vaccination against the virus.
According to them, oral polio vaccine is totally halal, and urged parents to get their children vaccinated in every polio immunisation drive to protect them from the crippling disease.
They said that oral polio vaccine is one of the safest vaccines ever developed, which is safe even for sick children and newborns.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\24\story_24-12-2012_pg11_4
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Pakistan Army makes Afghan peace ‘top priority’
December 24, 2012
WANA/ISLAMABAD - Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani has made reconciling warring factions in Afghanistan a top priority, military officials and Western diplomats say, the newest and clearest sign yet that Islamabad means business in promoting peace with the Taliban.
General Kayani is backing dialogue partly due to fears that the end of the US combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014 could energise a resilient insurgency straddling the shared frontier, according to commanders deployed in the region.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/24-Dec-2012/pakistan-army-makes-afghan-peace-top-priority
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Pakistan not driven by strategic over-reach to Afghanistan
24 December 2012
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s policies are not driven by any strategic over-reach to Afghanistan and this is appreciated in both the US and Afghan capitals, says Ambassador Sherry Rehman.
Ambassador Rehman, who recently completed her first year as Islamabad’s envoy in Washington, told Dawn that the United States and Pakistan had a “joint strategic motive” for stabilizing the region.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/24/pakistan-not-driven-by-strategic-over-reach-to-afghanistan/
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PM favours interfaith dialogue to promote peace, harmony
December 23, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Saturday underlined the need for interfaith dialogue to promote peace, harmony and brotherhood in society.
Addressing a function in connection with Christmas celebrations at Fatima Church, the prime minister urged the followers of all religions and faiths to stand together and promote shared values of compassion, moderation, tolerance and love.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C12%5C23%5Cstory_23-12-2012_pg7_14
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Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran wants electoral reforms, interim govt in three weeks
24 December 2012
LAHORE: Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has given Islamabad three weeks to announce an independent interim government which could hold fair and transparent elections within 90 days or more if required for the sake of meeting all mandatory constitutional conditions/obligations to have an honest, sincere and trustworthy leadership to steer the country out of crises under a real democratic system.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/24/qadri-wants-electoral-reforms-interim-govt-in-three-weeks/
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Pak mourns anti- Taliban leader killed by bomber
December 24, 2012
PROMINENT political leaders from across Pakistan on Sunday joined thousands of mourners in paying their last respects to leading anti- Taliban politician Bashir Ahmad Bilour, who was killed by a suicide bomber.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Collective efforts needed to win war on terrorism: Minister
23 December 2012
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira on Sunday stressed the need for collective efforts to win the war on terrorism.
He said it is not the responsibility of a single group, party or faction to root out terrorism."
He said that the war on terror can be win with the combined efforts of the people.
Full report at:
http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/108-pakistan-top-news/97418-collective-efforts-needed-to-win-war-on-terrorism-kaira-.html
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Karachi violence leaves 10 people dead
24 December 2012
KARACHI: At least 10 people were killed in various acts of violence in the metropolis, DawnNews reported.
Unknown gunmen shot dead one man and injured another in Nazimabad’s Gole Market. One man was killed after being fired upon in Shahrah-e-Faisal near Awami Markaz by unknown gunmen.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/24/karachi-violence-leaves-10-people-dead/
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Five people killed in Balochistan violence
24 December 2012
QUETTA: Firing incidents in the provincial capital and in Chaman has left five people dead including one police official, DawnNews reported.
The police offical was killed along with three others injured, after unknown gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on them in Quetta.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/23/five-people-killed-in-balochistan-violence/
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Will new governor of Punjab give PPP a boost?
24 December 2012
ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: After handing over the party’s reins to Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo in Punjab, who joined the PPP only in May 2008 after winning a National Assembly seat in last elections as an independent candidate, President Asif Ali Zardari has brought another outsider as new governor of the province.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/24/will-new-governor-of-punjab-give-ppp-a-boost/
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Grenade attack on police headquarters, Karachi, leaves nine wounded
December 24, 2012
KARACHI - As many as nine people were wounded when a bike-borne duo lobbed a hand grenade on Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police Quarters, where a number of job seekers had lined up to submit their documents on Sunday morning.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/karachi/24-Dec-2012/grenade-attack-on-police-headquarters-leaves-nine-wounded
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PTI chief Imran Khan gears up youth for ‘naya’ Pakistan
December 23, 2012
KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s youth convention on Saturday was somewhat a reminiscent of its large-scale rally last December – Salman Ahmed made the crowd get on its feet by singing Jazba Junoon, while slogans of ‘Kaun Bachaye ga Pakistan, Imran Khan, Imran Khan’ echoed at Carlton Hotel.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/483211/pti-chief-imran-khan-gears-up-youth-for-naya-pakistan/
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Balochistan Assembly: Plot against speaker won’t succeed, says Rind
December 23, 2012
QUETTA: The opposition member in the Balochistan Assembly and chief of the Rind tribe Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind has said that the conspiracy to oust the Balochistan Assembly speaker will not succeed.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/483328/balochistan-assembly-plot-against-speaker-wont-succeed-says-rind/
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MQM for joint strategy to eliminate terrorism
December 24, 2012
Karachi: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has said that the armed forces, the government and the people need to jointly formulate effective policies on scientific basis to take concrete steps for eliminating terrorism from the country.
According to a statement issued on Sunday, he said this during his telephonic conversation with Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-150096-Altaf-for-joint-strategy-to-eliminate-terrorism
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All set to celebrate annual urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai from 28th
December 24, 2012
KARACHI: On the occasion of 269th annual urs of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, the greatest poet of Sindh, provincial culture department is organising many attractive and fascinating cultural events to pay homage to the mystic and the legendary poet.
The urs celebrations will commence on Friday, 28th December at Bhit Shah, situated 50 kilometers north of Hyderabad. The celebrations will continue for three days.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\24\story_24-12-2012_pg7_12
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Qissa Khwani: from a bazaar of storytellers to site of bomb blasts
December 24, 2012
PESHAWAR: Qissa Khwani Bazaar was widely known for its history — traders from India and Central Asia stayed at its inns and exchanged stories from their regions. And for its traditional qehwa (green tea) that people often sip, particularly after meals.
For a long time, Peshawarites took pride in what Qissa Khwani was famed for. And tourists, domestic and foreign, would consider a visit to Peshawar incomplete without seeing it.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-150183-Qissa-Khwani-from-a-bazaar-of-storytellers-to-site-of-bomb-blasts
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Arab World
Shiite Cleric Encourages Christian Woman and Girls to Be Kidnapped or Raped
24 Dec 2012
A Muslim cleric has issued a fatwa threatening Iraqi Christians unless they convert to Islam, but the country’s prime minister urged them to stay.
The details and translations emerged Saturday of a December 13 interview on Egyptian television Al Baghdadia. During the discussion the Shiite ayatollah Ahmad Al Hassani Al Baghdadi issued that against Christians in Iraq.
Full report at:
http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/muslim-cleric-encourages-christian-woman-and-girls-to-be-kidnapped-or-raped-friends-of-the-zionists-70082/
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More than 60 dead in air strike on Syria bakery
24 December 2012
BEIRUT: More than 60 civilians were killed on Sunday in a strike by Syrian regime warplanes on people queueing outside a bakery in the rebel-held town of Halfaya in the central province of Hama, a watchdog said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/23/air-strike-on-bakery-kills-dozens-in-central-syria/
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Kuwait liberal’s blast calls to ban Christmas celebration
23 Dec 2012
Several Kuwaiti liberal civil societies have condemned calls from some organisations and individuals forbidding the celebration of Christmas in the oil-rich Gulf state, a report said Sunday.
The civil societies said in a statement published by Al-Jarida newspaper that every year at this time certain groups declare celebrating Christmas and New Year as forbidden from an Islamic point of view.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/61128/World/Region/Kuwait-liberals-blast-calls-to-ban-Christmas-celeb.aspx
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Egypt ‘Yes’ to Islamist Constitution
23 DECEMBER 2012
Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood on Sunday claimed a referendum victory for a draft Constitution with an Islamist-tilt, but the largely secular Opposition cried foul over the result, terming it an attempt to “steal the people’s future” and vowing to challenge it to the last.
The second round of referendum vote appeared to have tilted the scale in favour of the Constitution drawn by an Islamist-dominated Parliament, with a preliminary tally of the vote showing 64 per cent ‘yes’ votes as against 36 per cent against it, according to the State media.
Full report at:
http://dailypioneer.com/world/117645-egypt-yes-to-islamist-constitution.html
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Saudi Shura to debate new private sector benefits
December 23, 2012
Manama: A study that recommends limiting working hours in the private sector to 40 hours a week and giving employees a two-day weekend will be reviewed by Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council.
The proposal by the Council’s administration and human resources commission said that adopting the recommendations would make the private sector more attractive to Saudis seeking jobs.
“Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-shura-to-debate-new-private-sector-benefits-1.1122535
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Bombs kill four in Iraq in three separate incidnets
23 Dec 2012
Three separate bomb attacks killed a member of the Kurdish peshmerga security forces and three construction workers in Iraq Sunday, officers and doctors said.
A bomb blast in an under-construction house in the town of Mishahada, north of Baghdad, killed the workers and wounded another, a police captain and a doctor said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/61143/World/Region/Bombs-kill-four-in-Iraq.aspx
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Airstrike kills Syrians queuing to buy bread
24 December 2012
BEIRUT: Dozens of people were killed and many more wounded in an airstrike that hit a Syrian bakery where a large crowd was queuing for bread yesterday, activists said.
If confirmed, it would be one of the deadliest air strikes of Syria’s civil war. “There is no way to really know yet how many people were killed. When I got there, I could see piles of bodies all over the ground. There were women and children,” said Samer Al-Hamawi, an activist in the town of Halfaya. “There are also dozens of wounded people.”
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/airstrike-kills-syrians-queuing-buy-bread
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Iraqis protest against 'sectarian policies'
23 Dec 2012
Tens of thousands of people have staged protests in western Iraq, blocking a highway leading to Syria and Jordan, against what they have termed the "sectarian" policies of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
The protesters, including local officials, religious and tribal leaders, turned out on Sunday to demonstrate against the arrest of nine guards of Finance Minister Rafa al-Essawi.
Their arrest on terrorism charges has sparked a call from Essawi for Maliki to quit or be removed.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/12/20121223111030429167.html
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Egypt Presidency 'lies' on the constitution, says No to Military Trials Campaign
23 Dec 2012
The No to Military Trials Campaign accuses Egypt's presidency of "lying" regarding the status of the military trials of civilians, in response to a statement released by Egypt's presidential assistant on foreign relations, Essam Haddad.
While Haddad's statement claims that the new constitution marks Egypt's progress towards universal Human Rights standards, including prohibiting the trying of civilians in military courts, the rights campaign condemned such a statement as completely false.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/1/61141/Egypt/Presidency-lies-on-the-constitution,-says-No-to-Mi.aspx
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Anti-smoking motivational workshop ends in Abu Dhabi
By Sara Sabry
December 23, 2012
Abu Dhabi: Results of a screening programme designed for UAE nationals showed that 24 per cent of males and 1 per cent of females above the age of 18 are smoking in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The survey covered 180,000 Emiratis, the largest of its kind survey in the emirate. Experts believe that smoking among UAE citizens is still lower than international standards but there is a strong belief that addiction to smoking has been growing in recent years.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/health/anti-smoking-motivational-workshop-ends-in-abu-dhabi-1.1122781
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Ruler of Dubai honours Al Ahmadiya students and teachers
By Shafaat Shahbandari
December 23, 2012
Dubai: Revisiting the moments that shaped their careers and lives, around 130 alumni of Al Ahmadiya School came together on Sunday to celebrate 100 years of their alma mater, which was marked with a glittering ceremony at the Cultural and Scientific Association Dubai’s (CSAD) headquarters in Al Mamzar.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/mohammad-honours-al-ahmadiya-students-and-teachers-1.1122617
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Oman takes strict approach in Islamic banking rules
December 23, 2012
Dubai: Oman’s central bank took a strict approach to regulating Islamic banking in rules for the sector which it released on Wednesday, setting higher standards for the industry than many other countries.
The sultanate announced last year that it would introduce Islamic finance, becoming the last country in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to do so. Business activity is expected to start early next year.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/business/banking/oman-takes-strict-approach-in-islamic-banking-rules-1.1122542
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Indian consular team’s visit Tabuk to provide consular services
24 December 2012
A team from the Consulate General of India in Jeddah would be visiting Tabuk on Dec. 27 to provide consular services (limited to attestation and passport services not being provided by the outsourced agencies) to Indian nationals. The team will work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hotel Sehab (Phone: 04-4211534).
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/indian-consular-team%E2%80%99s-visit
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Saudi Arab Civil Defence head says he welcomes media criticism
24 December 2012
RIYADH: Lt. Gen. Saad Al-Tuwaijeri, director general of Civil Defense has said he welcomes media criticism and proposals for the better service of the people.
“Any official who cannot take criticism should quit his position,” Al-Tuwaijeri said while addressing a periodic meeting of the public relations officials and media persons in Riyadh.
Al-Tuwaijeri also expressed his desire to build a stronger partnership between Civil Defense and the media. “The media has a large role to play in spreading the culture of prevention of dangers. It is also the media that take awareness and guidance messages to the people at times of emergencies."
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/civil-defense-head-says-he-welcomes-media-criticism
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Black Christmas for Syria's Christians
23 Dec 2012
Festive spirits are a distant memory for Syria's Christian minority as it faces a second Christmas in the grip of daily violence and the spectre of rising Islamism.
"We're in no mood to celebrate Christmas this year. Everyone around is me is so sad, and the situation is terrible," said George, a 38-year-old accountant from Damascus, who, like many in Syria after 21 months of bloodshed, asked not to give his full name.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/61136/World/Region/Black-Christmas-for-Syrias-Christians.aspx
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UAE urges citizens not to travel to Lebanon
23 Dec 2012
The United Arab Emirates urged citizens not to travel to Lebanon, a popular New Year holiday destination for Gulf Arabs, after Syria's civil war fanned sectarian clashes in north Lebanon.
The Gulf Arab state issued the warning because of "difficult and sensitive political circumstances" in Lebanon, saying Emiratis should not visit unless they had to, state news agency WAM reported late on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/61149/World/Region/UAE-urges-citizens-not-to-travel-to-Lebanon.aspx
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Iraqi protesters block highway to Jordan, Syria
December 23, 2012
FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) — Thousands of protesters demonstrated Sunday in Iraq‘s western Sunni heartland following the arrest of bodyguards assigned to the finance minister, briefly blocking the main highway linking Baghdad with neighboring Jordan and Syria.
The dispute threatens to exacerbate tensions with Iraq‘s Sunnis, who accuse Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of targeting and marginalizing them. The sectarian conflicts largely have paralyzed the government and often have turned violent.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/23/iraqi-protesters-block-highway-jordan-syria/#ixzz2Fxly7mwr
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Egypt: building on sand
23 December 2012
Not all founding fathers are as fondly remembered as America's. The three men who carved up the Soviet Union in Stalin's hunting lodge in Belovezhskaya forest are not today revered as scions of a new order. Egypt's constitution, which appeared to have been passed on Sunday by 64%, has also had a turbulent birth. The result itself came from a low turnout and there were claims of election fraud. The crisis started when Egypt's Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, awarded himself the power to push through a draft that had not been agreed, prompting a stream of resignations. He said it was to stop the constitutional court from declaring the whole exercise null and void, but the judiciary revolted as a result. Clashes between rival armed groups ensued: up to 2 million Christians voted against the referendum and some leaders called for the president's removal. If this is a victory, it has been a costly one. The revolutionary unity seen fleetingly in Tahrir Square has been shattered.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/23/egypt-building-sand-morsi-editorial
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Al-Rabeeah to train team of surgeons in twin separation
24 December 2012
After successfully separating the two Saudi conjoined twins Abdullah and Salman in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, minister of health and head of the conjoined-twins’ surgery team, announced that he intends to mentor more Saudi surgeons to perform this type of operation.
Al-Rabeeah said that the participation of medical students in such rare operations is a crucial step toward the preparation of a new generation of qualified surgeons specialized in this field.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/al-rabeeah-train-team-surgeons-twin-separation
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OIC slams Syria rebel threats against Christians
24 December 2012
JEDDAH: The world’s largest Muslim body on Sunday condemned threats made by rebels in Syria against two Christian towns, warning of fresh confessional strife in the war-torn country.
Such threats “are contrary to the precepts of Islam which calls for tolerance, brotherhood and peace,” said the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation based in Jeddah.
It warned against the risks of “a slide into confessional” conflict.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/oic-slams-syria-rebel-threats-against-christians
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Egyptian opposition pledges unity after defeat
December 23, 2012
Cairo: A group of Egyptian liberal and leftist political parties Sunday said they would merge into one party after a draft constitution, backed by the ruling Islamists, were passed in a disputed referendum.
The parties grouped in the main opposition bloc, the National Salvation Front, added that the new move is aimed at making them more influential ahead of a forthcoming legislative election.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/egypt/egyptian-opposition-pledges-unity-after-defeat-1.1122793
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Egyptian 'Khoroug Lel Nahar' wins at Algerian film festival
23 Dec 2012
Egyptian film ‘Khoroug Lel Nahar’ (Coming Forth By Day) by director Hala Lutfi has won the Golden Wihr for best feature film at the end of the sixth edition of the Oran Arab Film Festival in Algeria on 22 December.
Khoroug Lel Nahar is about the plight of a poor family in a working class suburb of Cairo, which includes a disabled father, a nurse, and a 30-year-old daughter who cares for her ill father. The film stars Dina Maher, Salma El-Nagar, and Ahmed Lutfi.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/5/32/61157/Arts--Culture/Film/Egyptian-Khoroug-Lel-Nahar-wins-at-Algerian-film-f.aspx
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Egyptian TV host Bassem Youssef accused of insulting Morsi
3 Dec 2012
A complaint was filed on Sunday with the prosecutor-general accusing prominent television satirist Bassem Youssef and the channel his television programme appears on, CBC, of offending President Mohamed Morsi during his weekly show Al-Bernameg (The Programme), a format which was inspired by renowned American television host John Stewart's comedic look at politics, the Daily Show.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/61169/Egypt/Politics-/Egyptian-TV-host-Bassem-Youssef-accused-of-insulti.aspx
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Abou-Treika, Egypt's Islamist-leaning footballer, to 'abandon politics'
23 Dec 2012
Ahly's classy playmaker Mohamad Abou Treika said on Sunday he would abandon politics to avoid "stirring hatred" among Egyptian people at a time of political turmoil.
A new divisive constitution was passed on Sunday after unofficial results showed that around 64% Egyptians voted in its favour in a controversial two-round referendum that was preceded by many clashes between supporters and opponents of Egypt president Mohamed Morsi.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/6/51/61179/Sports/Egyptian-Football/AbouTreika,-Egypts-Islamistleaning-footballer,-to-.aspx
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Mideast Asia
Israel says Syria chemical weapons are secure for now
23 Dec 2012
Syria's chemical weapons are still secure despite the fact that President Bashar al-Assad has lost control of parts of the country, a senior Israeli defence official said on Sunday.
Amos Gilad told Army Radio that the civil war between Assad and opposition forces fighting to topple him had become deadlocked, but that the Syrian leader showed no signs of heeding international calls to step down.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/61124/World/Region/Israel-says-Syria-chemical-weapons-are-secure-for-.aspx
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Bethlehem Christians feel the squeeze of colonies
December 23, 2012
Bethlehem: Amid plastic bags snagged on gorse bushes, rusting hulks of cars in a breakers yard and a few shabby trailers, traces of a biblical landscape are still to be found on a hillside between the ancient cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. A couple of donkeys are tethered to a gnarled olive tree; nearby, sheep and goats bleat as they huddle against the chill December air.
Full report at:
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/bethlehem-christians-feel-the-squeeze-of-colonies-1.1122549
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Iran fighting 'smart economic war'
December 24, 2012
TEHRAN - Iran is engaged in a "smart economic war" with Western powers whose sanctions against its nuclear programme are hurting some Iranians, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said late on Saturday. "Targeted sanctions, which the enemies say are supposed to be crippling, have led to a drop in our oil" sales, Ahmadinejad said in a live interview on state television, referring to an oil embargo imposed by the European Union. "They do not even let us transfer the oil money," he said. "They thought Iran's economy would break down, but it did not. Iran is engaged in a smart economic war with the enemy," he said.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/24-Dec-2012/iran-fighting-smart-economic-war
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Yemeni general may head ‘new unit’
December 24, 2012
SANAA: A powerful army general who lost a command in a military reshuffle seen as vital to stabilising Yemen may be given another senior post in the impoverished country’s armed forces, sources at the presidency said on Sunday.
Brigadier General Ahmed Saleh, whose Republican Guard was abolished in the shake-up ordered on Wednesday by his political rival, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, is expected to be named as the commander of a military region, the sources said. Hadi has vowed to unify the army, which is divided between allies and foes of Hadi’s predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose legacy still looms large in Yemen and who is General Ahmed Saleh’s father.
Hadi’s decrees, restructuring the military into four main units and disbanding the Republican Guard, are widely seen as an attempt to reduce Saleh family influence in the military.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/truck-fire-closes-jubail-dhahran-highway
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Iran claims it has circumvented sanctions
23 Dec 2012
Iran's oil minister claims his country has successfully circumvented sanctions on the sale of its oil.
State TV on Sunday broadcast comments by Rostam Ghasemi that the industry was in "bad shape" about two months ago due to the oil embargo by the West, "but we left the bottleneck behind, almost."
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/61156/World/Region/Iran-claims-it-has-circumvented-sanctions.aspx
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Yemen says search on for abducted Finns, Austrian
23 Dec 2012
Yemen said on Sunday its security forces were still searching for two Finns and an Austrian whose whereabouts remain unknown since they were kidnapped in Sanaa.
Security services are "carrying out vast search and investigation operations to locate the kidnapped" foreigners, abducted on Friday in Sanaa, official news agency Saba quoted Interior Minister Abdelqader Qahtan as saying as he received an envoy from Finland.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/61152/World/Region/Yemen-says-search-on-for-abducted-Finns,-Austrian.aspx
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Africa
Mali Islamists renew destruction of Timbuktu mausoleums
Dec 24, 2012
BAMAKO: Armed groups occupying Timbuktu in northern Mali used pickaxes on Sunday to smash up any remaining mausoleums in the ancient city, an Islamist leader said.
The rebels' ruthless implementation of their version of Islamic law comes just days after the United Nations approved a military force to wrest back control of the conflict-ridden area.
"Not a single mausoleum will remain in Timbuktu, Allah doesn't like it," Ansar Dine leader Abou Dardar told AFP. "We are in the process of smashing all the hidden mausoleums in the area."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Mali-Islamists-renew-destruction-of-Timbuktu-mausoleums/articleshow/17737298.cms
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Suicide bombers attack Airtel office in Nigeria
December 23, 2012
Authorities blame a radical Islamist sect for twin suicide car bombings targeting two major mobile phone companies, an official said Saturday, blacking out a top operator’s network in most of Nigeria’s northern commercial hub.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Africa/Suicide-bombers-attack-Airtel-office-in-Nigeria/Article1-979905.aspx
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20 years on, families want truth of ‘Libyan Lockerbie’
December 24, 2012
TRIPOLI: The families of the 157 passengers and crew who died aboard a Libyan Airlines flight, which reportedly crashed with a fighter jet over Tripoli airport 20 years ago, never believed it was an accident.
"Every single one of us was convinced from the beginning that this was not an accident. If we had been under any other leader, perhaps we would have believed it," said Sharif Noha, 39, who lost his father.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\24\story_24-12-2012_pg7_19
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Kenya police arrest 61 suspects over tribal attack
23 Dec 2012
Kenyan police said Sunday they have arrested 61 suspects over a brutal attack on a remote village in the southeast involving two rival communities that left 45 people dead including women and children.
Villagers were hacked to death and their homes torched in Friday's attack on Kipao village in the Tana River delta region, an area where deadly tribal violence killed another 100 people earlier this year.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/61153/World/International/Kenya-police-arrest--suspects-over-tribal-attack.aspx
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Somali troops 'free' pirate-held hostages
23 Dec 2012
A ship and its crew of 22 sailors held by Somali pirates for almost three years have been freed after a two-week-long siege by maritime police, the government of the breakaway region of Puntland said.
"After two years and nine months in captivity, the hostages have suffered signs of physical torture and illness. The hostages are now receiving nutrition and medical care," the president's office of the northern Somali enclave said on Sunday in a statement.
The sailors aboard Panama-flagged MV Iceberg 1, from the Philippines, India, Yemen, Sudan, Ghana and Pakistan, were held for longer than any other hostages by the pirates who prey on shipping in the region.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/12/2012122317171258569.html
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Nigeria: Islamist group Ansaru 'kidnapped' French man
23 December 2012
In a statement sent to journalists, the group said it "announces to the world, especially the French government, that it was responsible for the abduction".
The engineer was named as Francis Colump, 63, of French firm Vergnet. Nigerian officials have not commented on Ansaru's claim.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20833946
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South Asia
Prince Harry kills Taliban commander
December 24, 2012
HELMAND - Britain’s Prince Harry has killed his first Taliban commander. The 28-year-old royal - who is currently serving on the frontline in Afghanistan and is nicknamed Big H by his comrades - unleashed a devastating 100lb Hellfire missile on the chief during an attack in October. One of his comrades told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: ‘’We were on patrol and the Apache helicopters were called in. We heard this posh voice come over the radio and knew it was Big H. they were tracking a Taliban leader - he was commander level. The Apache then let off some Hellfire missiles and its 30mm cannon and ‘boom’. It was Big H all the way.’’
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/24-Dec-2012/prince-harry-kills-taliban-commander
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Taliban not demanding Afghan power monopoly
24 December 2012
KABUL: Taliban representatives at a conference did not insist on total power in Afghanistan and pledged to grant rights to women that the militant group itself brutally suppressed in the past, according to a Taliban statement received Sunday.
The pledges emerged from a rare meeting last week involving Taliban and Kabul government representatives.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/24/taliban-not-demanding-afghan-power-monopoly/
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Former BNP lawmaker, wife express no-trust in judge
December 24, 2012
Former BNP lawmaker Hafiz Ibrahim and his wife Mafruza Sultana yesterday expressed no-confidence in a judge of the Special Judge Court-6 after she rejected their two adjournment petitions in a money laundering case.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=262359
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Afghan Taliban seek charter reform in Paris meeting
December 23, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban have called for a new constitution as a pre-condition for it joining the nation’s fledgling peace process, according to a declaration issued by representatives at a landmark meeting in France.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/483314/afghan-taliban-seek-charter-reform-in-paris-meeting/
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Afghan police officer kills American contractor
Masoud Popalzai
December 24, 2012
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A female Afghan police officer shot and killed an American contractor in the Kabul police headquarters early Monday, authorities said.
The shooting death comes a day after five policemen were killed by their commander in Jawzjan province, in the north.
The incidents add to the rising number of insider attacks by Afghan soldiers and police officers -- or attackers dressed like them.
Full report at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/24/world/asia/afghanistan-attack/
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Bangladesh War crimes accused Jamaat leaders too seek retrial
December 24, 2012
War crimes accused Jamaat leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami and Delawar Hossain Sayedee filed petitions with the International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday seeking retrials of their crimes against humanity cases.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=262368
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Expelled Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami member trial at final stage
December 24, 2012
Proceedings against war crimes accused and expelled Jamaat-e-Islami member Abul Kalam Azad reached the final stage as the prosecution yesterday started placing closing argument at the International Crimes Tribunal-2.
The tribunal will give its verdict after summation of argument of the prosecution and the defence, according to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=262369
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Afghan govt open to peace talks with Haqqani network: Afghan official
24 December 2012
KABUL: A senior Afghan government official has said that Kabul is open to peace talks with the Haqqani network under the right conditions, DawnNews reported on Monday.
Pakistan is genuine about backing the nascent Afghan peace process and shares the Kabul government’s goal of transforming the Taliban insurgency into a political movement, Reuters quoted the senior Afghan official as saying.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/24/afghan-govt-open-to-peace-talks-with-haqqani-network-afghan-official/
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Bangladesh Journos go on hunger strike for arrest of killers
December 24, 2012
Journalists staged a six-hour mass hunger strike in the capital yesterday to press home their demands including immediate arrest of the killers of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.
Starting from around 10:00am, the strike was held at the Jatiya Press Club premises, jointly organised by Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists, Jatiya Press Club and Dhaka Reporters Unity.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=262351
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Afghan students leave home to find a safe place to go to school
December 24, 2012
JALALABAD, Afghanistan — The first time insurgents burned down Hazratullah’s school, he helped rebuild it with donated carpets and salvaged chalkboards. But when Taliban fighters returned with guns and gasoline, torching his makeshift seventh-grade classroom, Hazratullah decided it was time to leave.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/aghan-students-leave-home-to-find-a-safe-place-to-go-to-school/2012/12/23/fdb727f8-3327-11e2-92f0-496af208bf23_story.html
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Two Hizb-ut Tawhid men held
December 24, 2012
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) yesterday arrested two alleged members of banned militant Islamist outfit Hizb-ut Tawhid from Bakalia in Chittagong city.
They were Mojibur Rahman, 50, of Jessore, and Belal Khan, 28, of Pirojpur.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=262384
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Bogra Jamaat leader jailed
December 24, 2012
Bogra district assistant secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami was jailed yesterday for violence and arson during hartal hours.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=262331
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Southeast Asia
Terrorists Find New Targets, New Funds in areas like Jakarta, Solo and Bali
December 24, 2012
After failing to turn places like Aceh and West Nusa Tenggara into their strongholds, terrorism cells this year seem to be returning to familiar places, regaining control in former conflict zones like Ambon and Poso as well as operating in areas like Jakarta, Solo and Bali.
All of those places have been attacked by terrorists.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/terrorists-find-new-targets-new-funds/563369
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Jakarta not ready for worst scenario: Agency
December 24 2012
Flooding on the city’s main thoroughfares like Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin and Jl. Gatot Subroto over the weekend show that Jakarta will remain vulnerable to flooding for years to come, says the nation’s
disaster mitigation agency.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/24/jakarta-not-ready-worst-scenario-agency.html
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Jakarta Governor, Psy win Internet fame: Google
December 24 2012
Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, K-Pop hit “Gangnam Style” video by Psy and Apple’s iPhone 5 attained Internet glory by becoming the most searched queries of 2012 on Google and Yahoo!, illustrating the strong Indonesian palate for all things sensational and commercial.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/24/jokowi-psy-win-internet-fame-google.html
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Jakarta braces for more flooding
December 23 2012
A torrential downpour led to floods and horrendous gridlock on several of Jakarta’s major thoroughfares on Saturday, as officials warned of a chance for more flooding in coming days.
Traffic was at a near standstill on the city’s main artery, Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta, parts of which were under half a meter of water on Saturday. Only the dedicated Transjakarta busway lane and the outermost lane could be traversed.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/23/jakarta-braces-more-flooding.html
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North America
Alabama terror case could hinge on relationships
December 23, 2012
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — The terrorism case against an Alabama man accused of planning to wage
violent jihad in Africa may hinge on just how well he knew a man on the FBI’s most-wanted
terrorist list.
Federal prosecutors portrayed Randy Wilson as an Islamic radical who wanted to reunite with
Omar Hammami, an American who also grew up in Alabama but has since become one of the
most well-known jihadists in Somalia. Mr. Wilson and another American who lived in Alabama
for the last year, Mohammad Abdul Rahman Abukhdair, are accused of plotting to leave the
country to join Islamic radicals fighting in North Africa.
The two men were arrested separately about two weeks ago in Georgia. Mr. Abukhdair was
taken into custody at a bus station; Mr. Wilson was arrested as he was about to board a flight
to Morocco.
Full report at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/23/alabama-terror-case-could-hinge-
relationships/#ixzz2FxlnkB4n
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SEAL commander’s death an apparent suicide: report
24 December 2012
WASHINGTON: The US Navy is investigating the death of a top SEAL officer in Afghanistan as an apparent suicide, CNN reported Sunday.
The Pentagon said Commander Job Price, 42, did not die in combat, and that his death is under investigation.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/24/seal-commanders-death-an-apparent-suicide-report/
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UN, US pledge to stand by Pakistan in anti-terror war
December 24, 2012
UNITED NATIONS/ISLAMABAD: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US Ambassador Richard Olson have condemned the suicide bombing in Peshawar that killed Bashir Ahmad Bilour. “The secretary general reiterates the strong support of the United Nations for the efforts of the government and people of Pakistan to combat the scourge of terrorism,” said a statement issued by Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\24\story_24-12-2012_pg1_4
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UN envoy Brahimi arrives in Damascus
24 Dec 2012
International peace envoy tasked with ending Syria’s conflict has arrived in Syria and is set to meet with President Bashar al-Assad.
Lakhdar Brahimi is hoping to "achieve a breakthrough", to broker a solution that would lead to a consensus transitional government with full authority, diplomatic sources told Al Jazeera on Sunday.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/12/2012122315227897356.html
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U.N. Says South Sudan Threatens Its Peacekeeping Mission
By JOSH KRON
December 23, 2012
KAMPALA, Uganda — The United Nations said Sunday that the shooting down of one of its helicopters in South Sudan last week was just the latest in a series of attacks or threats against its peacekeeping mission by South Sudan’s military.
A spokesman for the United Nations in New York said the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan had “shared all flight information” with South Sudanese authorities on Friday before the helicopter was shot down over the region of Jonglei, where the South Sudanese military is fighting an armed rebellion. All four Russian crew members on board were killed.
Full report at:
mission.html?ref=africa&gwh=EAEFFF4C67DB112FACE00CFBE982C220&pagewanted=print&_r=0
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Europe
The British government must come clean over torture in Iraq
23 December 2012
The Ministry of Defence continues to pay the price for what the Baha Mousa inquiry termed its "corporate failure" in Iraq, having paid out £8.3m to 162 Iraqi torture victims this year alone. While the figures speak volumes, the payments remain shrouded in secrecy.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/23/british-government-come-clean-over-torture
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Russian military presence in Syria poses challenge to US-led intervention
Julian Borger
23 December 2012
Russian military advisers are manning some of Syria's more sophisticated air defences – something that would complicate any future US-led intervention, the Guardian has learned.
The advisers have been deployed with new surface-to-air systems and upgrades of old systems, which Moscow has supplied to the Assad regime since the Syrian revolution broke out 21 months ago.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/23/syria-crisis-russian-military-presence
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We won’t host Assad, another nation can take him: Russia
December 23, 2012
Russia would welcome any country’s offer of safe haven for Syrian President Bashar Assad, but has no plans to make one of its own, Moscow’s foreign minister said in the latest comments to suggest a growing distance between the two allies.
Sergey Lavrov’s remarks on Friday night
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/RestOfAsia/We-won-t-host-Assad-another-nation-can-take-him-Russia/Article1-979908.aspx
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/shiite-cleric-encourages-christian-women/d/9787