Syrian Rebels Kill 28 Soldiers in North
New Age Islam News Bureau
1 Nov 2012
Arab World
• Syrian Rebels Kill 28 Soldiers in North
• Taj Arabia (Taj Mahal's Replica) In Dubai to Be Four Times the Size Taj Mahal
• Syria Turmoil Stirs Iraqi Tribal Sympathies, Hopes
• Two new converts narrate their experience as Muslims
• 22 killed, over 100 injured in Riyadh fuel truck explosion
• US-Egypt relations strong but "no friendship without bumps"
• Sinai Becomes Prison for African Migrants
• Market Rises, Perfume and All, as Refugees Face a Long Syria War
• Revolution Brings Hard Times for Egypt's Treasures
• State Security interrogates members of Nasr City's alleged 'terrorist cell'
India
• Festival of Indian culture in Riyadh starting Saturday
• Doctor detained for terror links in Saudi Arabia freed
• CISF probes 'Dupatta bearing the words 'Ram Ram'' episode at Taj Mahal
• "Faizabad violence was well-planned and targets had been selected"
• Tour by Pak cricket team a matter of national shame: Thackeray
• Govt blocks 240 we blinks related to provocative film
• Darsgah-e-Jihad-o-Shahadat activists released on bail
Pakistan
• Blasphemy: Angry Protesters Set Girls' School on Fire in Lahore
• Decision to rename Lahore landmark after Bhagat Singh on hold
• Liberalized visa accord with India approved by Pakistan
• New anti-terrorism law must not violate privacy: Rabbani
• Nowshera shrine blast: Of maimed victims who live to tell the tale
• Balochistan at tail-end of judicial reform
• Pakistan's anti-graft body summons three former generals
No semblance of law and order in Karachi: Justice Gulzar
• Pak I&B Minister Lashes out at ISI (Retd) Gen, asks ISI to take notice of his activities
• Umrani accuses CM of role in Balochistan doctors’ kidnappings
• Pakistan would do well to begin conversation on health
• Imran Khan is 'welcome' in the US: State Department
North America
• Hafiz Saeed’s aid offer: US says thanks, but no thanks
• Sudan rebels recruit children from S. Sudan refugee camp: US
• Somali pirates have expanded their ops till west coast of India: US
• Clinton warns Syria rebels to resist extremism
South Asia
• Burma considers citizenship for Rohingya Muslims
• Myanmar for ‘win-win’ solution in Rakhine: Minister
• Civilians in Western Myanmar Told to Turn in Arms
• Capital Market Authority and Islamic Ministry unite to promote Islamic finance
• MDP gathering calls for judicial reform ahead of Nasheed trial
• China Proposes New Initiatives for Syria Ceasefire
Europe
• Myanmar must protect Muslims and halt discrimination: UN
• UK unable to force return of Pakistani held in US custody: UK SC
• Russia seeks return of Syria cargo from Turkey
• Hollande warns Iran after meeting Israeli PM
• Rights Activist Arrested for Unfurling Morning Star Flag near Indonesian President Jakarta
Africa
• Nigeria army 'abuses' in Boko Haram crackdown - Amnesty
• Tunisia extends state of emergency through Jan 2013
• Libyan parliament approves new Cabinet
• Nigerians' fear of northern atrocities
Mideast Asia
• Israel admits 1988 murder of PLO number-two Abu Jihad
• Turkey Given Reassurance by Germany on Talks
• Iranian warships leave Sudan port
Southeast Asia
• New terrorist group may have links to the ‘usual suspects’: Indonesia’s BNPT
• Battle against militants heats up in Poso
• Two Malaysians Charged for Hiding Graft Suspect Neneng
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Taj Arabia (Taj Mahal's Replica) In Dubai to Be Four Times the Size Taj Mahal
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/syrian-rebels-kill-28-soldiers/d/9166
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Arab World
Syrian Rebels Kill 28 Soldiers in North
1 Nov 2012
BEIRUT (AP) — Activists say rebels in Syria have killed 28 soldiers in attacks on military checkpoints in northern Idlib province.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the rebels attacked three military checkpoints near the town of Saraqeb on Thursday.
The Observatory, which relies on reports from activists on the ground, says 28 soldiers and five rebels died in gun battles following the attacks.
There was no official confirmation of the deaths from the authorities. The relentless fighting in Syria has killed more than 36,000 people since March 2011 when the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began.
The rebels fighting to topple Assad often complain they are outgunned by the military, which in recent days intensified airstrikes on opposition strongholds.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/11/01/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria.html?ref=middleeast
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Taj Arabia (Taj Mahal's Replica) In Dubai to Be Four Times the Size Taj Mahal
Nov 1, 2012
DUBAI: The USD 1 billion replica of the Taj Mahal that the developers are planning to build in Dubai will be four times bigger than the original monument.
The replica -- Taj Arabia -- will include one million sq ft of retail space besides a 300-room hotel.
According to Link Global, the company behind the project, there are plans to build a replica of the Taj Mahal in Dubai's USD 36.5 billion Falcon City of Wonders -- a multi-purpose project being developed in Dubai. When complete, Taj Arabia will be four times the size of India's architectural marvel in Agra, according to reports.
Link Global is also in talks with international hotel operators to manage the 300-room hotel.
"We are already negotiating with three or four (hotel) operators; we want to bring the best in. They are all international... one of them is not yet here (in the UAE) but is quite big," the company's Director Arun Mehra told Arabian Business.
The Dubai-based firm said it has been inundated with requests from jewellers and retailers wanting to rent retail space in the development.
"Around the Taj, we have wedding and romance as a theme ... The gold and jewellery business in Dubai is multiplying every year so it will be jewellery retailers. We've had a huge response from the big players in jewellery wanting the prime spots," he said.
The project is slated for completion in 2014. The infrastructure work for the project is almost complete with construction work on ground expected to begin in the first quarter of 2014.
Mehra said the project is unlikely to affect livelihoods of those living in Agra.
"The criticism is coming from a very small population around the Taj. It's not going to affect their livelihoods with people coming to see the Dubai one instead of the original," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Taj-Mahals-replica-in-Dubai-to-be-four-times-its-size/articleshow/17046148.cms
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Syria Turmoil Stirs Iraqi Tribal Sympathies, Hopes
Patrick Markey and Suadad al-Salhy | November 01, 2012
Ramadi, Iraq. In guesthouses and mosques across Iraq’s Anbar province, the talk at Sunni tribal gatherings has turned from the usual debate over local politics to a matter even more pressing — the war next door.
Many people in Iraq’s Sunni heartland, once Al Qaeda’s stronghold in the country, are most concerned with helping their kin. Tribal ties span the border, and Sunni chieftains and community leaders say Iraqi tribes regularly send Syrian relatives food and supplies.
Some openly support Free Syrian Army rebels with arms when border controls allowed.
But many also are anticipating the day when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is overthrown and replaced by a Sunni regime that will give them a counterweight to Shiite power that has grown steadily in Baghdad since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
“Baghdad is helping Assad for sectarian reasons,” Sheikh Abdul Rahman Ali, chief of the tribal council in Falluja. “But when Assad goes, we will have a brother regime at our back.”
For Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other Shiite leaders, the prospect of a possibly radical Sunni leader next door is a nightmare scenario. They fear it will embolden the country’s own Sunni leaders and could tempt insurgents in Syria to turn their sights on Iraq.
Maliki has tried to walk a delicate line on Syria. He must avoid alienating both his non-Arab ally Shiite Iran, who supports Assad, long Tehran’s closest supporter in the region, and the United States, as well as Iraq’s Sunni Gulf Arab neighbors and Turkey, who support the mostly Sunni rebels.
With Anbar province awash in weapons and the fighting close across a porous border, security concerns are building.
Iraq says Sunni Islamists are crossing into Syria and security experts believe al Qaeda’s affiliate in Iraq has been reinvigorated by money and arms from Syria’s turmoil.
In a sign Syria’s crisis is dragging its neighbors into a proxy war, Iraqi Shiite militants are also fighting there, often alongside Assad’s troops, claiming fidelity to Iran’s supreme religious leader. Iraqi officials and arms dealers acknowledge the intensifying conflict has already spurred demand in weapons markets in Iraq.
Fearing insurgents slipping back across the border, Maliki earlier this year ordered the al Qaim border crossing in Anbar closed, only recently allowing women and children refugees to cross. Army divisions from outside Anbar have reinforced the frontier, where troops occasionally exchange fire with Syrian rebels and smugglers.
His actions have served to stir up resentments in the vast, sparsely populated desert province that makes up a large portion of the 600-kilometer (375-mile) Syrian-Iraqi frontier.
Since the 2003 invasion and rise of the Shiite majority through the ballot box, many minority Iraqi Sunnis say they feel sidelined in a power-sharing agreement among the Shiite, Sunni and Kurds blocks. They believe Maliki is consolidating his own authority at their expense.
Syria’s crisis is worsening those political tensions. At one meeting this month in a Ramadi tribal guesthouse, leaders sat among its red-marble pillars organizing committees to collect money, food and supplies to help Syrian refugees. Tribal meetings now regularly turn to talk about Syria.
“We have asked our tribal sons to support the Syrian people... they choose the way they find suitable,” Sheikh Ali Hatem Sulaiman, the head of the powerful Dulaimi tribe, told Reuters in his Baghdad home.
“Why can Iran and Maliki support a criminal regime, while it is taboo for us to support the Syrian people?”
Some Caution Too
Anbar’s relationship with Baghdad is complex. After initially joining the insurgency against U.S. forces, Sunni tribal leaders turned against Al Qaeda and helped form the “Awakening” movement, a loose coalition of fighters who helped turn the tide of the war in 2007.
Tribal leaders say Maliki has failed to keep a promise to incorporate Awakening fighters into the national security forces.
Still, some Anbar leaders believe they must work with Maliki’s government or risk losing political influence, and are more cautious about how much to help the Syrian rebels.
“Historically no one has been able to control our borders with Syria,” said Anbar governor Qassim Mohammed, who says his frequent disagreements with Maliki over development projects for the province do not stop him working with Baghdad.
“But on the ground, there is no serious military aid going to Syria, there is some humanitarian aid, like medicine and food.”
Other tribal leaders reject calls for the province to send arms to their Syrian brethren, remembering the darker days of Iraq’s conflict when insurgents used Syria as a base to send suicide bombers into Iraq.
“We just have to watch out for the what kind of evil comes back across,” said Sheikh Hameed Turki al-Shook, who heads a tribal council in the provincial capital Ramadi.
Porous Border, Gun Smuggling
Arms dealers and Iraqi security officials say prices for Kalashnikovs, sniper rifles and pistols in Iraq have multiplied as much as four times with the growing demand from Syria.
Anbar borders not only Syria but also Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and its remote hillsides, hidden caves and tracks have made the province a haven for smugglers for generations. Contraband even makes its way on barges along the Euphrates river flowing between Iraq and Syria.
“It is not a secret. Demand for weapons started since the Syrian uprising began, and weapons were sent to Anbar and Mosul on their way to Syria,” said Qassim, an arms dealer, told Reuters in Baghdad, puffing on a cigarette.
“We know it is going to Syria, we were trying to help them. Our theory is, we should support our Muslim brothers with money and weapons.”
National police intelligence reports that indicate Sunni provinces in Iraq are stockpiling weapons for a flare-up in sectarian violence recently prompted four leading Shiite religious leaders to issue an edict forbidding arms shipments out of Shiite areas.
One senior Iraqi police official said authorities believe young Syrians who took refuge with relatives in Iraq at the beginning of the uprising are being organized and trained inside Iraq to prepare them for the post-Assad era.
That is a change that cannot come soon enough for many in Anbar.
“We will be stronger. Stronger to face to the east, to face the government in Baghdad,” said Sheikh Adnan Khames, a Sunni chieftain in Ramadi. “For years they have given us little of what we are entitled to.”
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/syria-turmoil-stirs-iraqi-tribal-sympathies-hopes/553640
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Two new converts narrate their experience as Muslims
31 October 2012
In Tent No. 27 in north-eastern Mina, a Swedish woman was teaching the basics of reciting the Holy Qur’an to a number of European women, seated in a semicircle around her.
While teaching, the 48-year-old Katya also encourages her students to reflect about the wonderful verses in the holy book.
“I belonged to a devout Catholic family that regularly attended Church, and were very particular about religion,” said Katya, who performed Haj with the Muslim World League for newcomers to Islam, reported Asharq Al-Awsat.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/two-new-converts-narrate-their-experience-muslims
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22 killed, over 100 injured in Riyadh fuel truck explosion
1 November 2012
JEDDAH: At least 22 people were killed and 111 injured after a fuel truck crashed into a concrete flyover and exploded in Riyadh early Thursday, officials said.
Lt. Gen. Saad Abdullah Al-Twaijri, director general of civil defense, said the number of casualties could increase as rescuers were still searching the rubble of a building demolished by the explosion.
The accident happened along Quraish road, one of the city's main arteries on the eastern part of the capital city.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/22-killed-over-100-injured-riyadh-fuel-truck-explosion
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US-Egypt relations strong but "no friendship without bumps": Patterson
Ongoing trial of American NGO workers was a 'shock' to Washington but US-Egypt relationship 'will continue to flourish', US ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson says Thurday
1 Nov 2012
The US ambassador to Egypt Anne Paterson affirmed that the relationship between Egypt and America remains strong but that "no friendship persists without bumps along the road," in an interview with pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat, Thursday.
Patterson commented that the ongoing NGO trial, in which a number of American civil society workers have been accused, came as a "shock" to Washington.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/56911/Egypt/Politics-/USEgypt-relations-strong-but-no-friendship-without.aspx
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Sinai Becomes Prison for African Migrants
By SARAH LYNCH
1 Nov 2012
AL-MEHDIA, EGYPT — Frisgy Gamienbay, a 21-year-old Eritrean, was emaciated when Egyptian Bedouins discovered him late one September evening in the Sinai Desert near the Egyptian-Israeli border. A few weeks later, he died in an Egyptian hospital near the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.
When he was found he had not eaten for three weeks and had been tortured, said a man named Abou Hamad, who cared for Mr. Gamienbay at his house in the area in the days before he died.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/world/middleeast/01iht-m01-sinai-migrants.html?ref=world
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Market Rises, Perfume and All, as Refugees Face a Long Syria War
By JODI RUDOREN
1 Nov 2012
ZAATARI, Jordan — Maintaining a glimmer of hope and humor amid grim surroundings, Noor Ibrahim calls his wares “Eau de Liberty.” He stands ready to mix scents like “Red Angel” or “Night of Love” into spray bottles arrayed on a tray set atop an overturned garbage can between the endless rows of dusty tents here. He said he was making $8 to $14 a day.
Selling perfume? In a refugee camp full of Syrians who had fled their country’s civil war?
“People like to have a good scent in front of people in any culture,” said Mr. Ibrahim, 30. “There is no real hygiene here. Everybody smells. Sometimes, they spray their tent.”
The little perfumeria is part of a makeshift marketplace that has sprung up here in recent days as the thousands who have fled here, mostly from Dara’a, the city where the uprising began, are beginning to come to terms with their new reality: that the war at home is not about to end anytime soon, and that they will probably live in this camp for months, not days or weeks.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/world/middleeast/market-rises-at-zaatari-camp-for-syrian-refugees.html?ref=world
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Revolution Brings Hard Times for Egypt's Treasures
By FARAH HALIME
1 Nov 2012
CAIRO — Cairo’s salmon-colored Egyptian museum is a conspicuous landmark on Tahrir Square, where it stands in almost perfect condition despite the intense protests that took place on its doorstep almost two years ago.
At the height of the revolution last year, a human chain formed to protect the priceless artifacts within the museum. A few yards away, the burnt out husk of former President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party headquarters is a reminder of a different possible fate.
But the revolutionary, carnival enthusiasm of the square has since given way to neglect and disrepair and the difficult job of retrieving stolen antiquities is proving to be an uphill struggle.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/world/middleeast/revolution-brings-hard-times-for-egypts-treasures.html?ref=world
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State Security interrogates members of Nasr City's alleged 'terrorist cell'
Eight members of alleged terror cell are accused of possessing weapons, planning assassinations and seeking to topple Egypt's government, say State Security investigators
31 Oct 2012
Egypt's State Security apparatus on Wednesday began questioning suspects accused of planning terrorist attacks in Egypt.
Adel Shahtu, a leading member of the Al-Gamaa Al-Jihadiyah group, has been charged by authorities with founding a 'terrorist cell' in Cairo's Nasr City district.
The alleged Nasr City cell stands accused of planning terrorist attacks in areas throughout the country.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/56865/Egypt/Politics-/State-Security-interrogates-members-of-Nasr-Citys-.aspx
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India
Festival of Indian culture in Riyadh starting Saturday
1 November 2012
The Saudi capital will be filled with the sights, sounds and smells of India for the next week, as it plays host to the first and biggest Indian culture festival called “The Indian Cultural Week.” Indian dance, music, poetry and cuisine will all be showcased at King Fahd Cultural Center and Crown Plaza Hotel in Riyadh from Nov. 3 to Nov. 7, giving Saudis and residents a chance to experience the Indian culture, heritage and delicacies.
“A 60-member troupe will be flown to Riyadh from various parts of India to participate and perform in this five-day cultural fiesta, which will be jointly inaugurated by Minister of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Khoja and Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao at King Fahad Cultural Center on Saturday,” said Awanish Tiwari, second secretary at the Indian Embassy. Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/festival-indian-culture-riyadh-starting-saturday
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Doctor detained for terror links in Saudi Arabia freed
Johnson T A
Nov 01 2012
Bangalore: The mother of a doctor, who is based in Saudi Arabia and is wanted by the Bangalore police in a terrorism case, has said that Saudi authorities who detained her son on October 8 on India’s request freed him on October 28.
Dr Usman Ghani Khan, 32, is wanted in a probe relating to recruitment of 18 youth for alleged terrorist activities.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/doctor-detained-for-terror-links-in-saudi-arabia-freed-says-mother/1024872/
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CISF probes 'Dupatta bearing the words 'Ram Ram'' episode at Taj Mahal
October 31, 2012
The CISF is investigating complaints that its men forced some women entering the Taj Mahal to take off their stoles bearing the words 'Ram Ram'. Commandant AP Singh of the Central Industrial Security Force said an inquiry was on and the guards posted at the Taj that day would be punished if found guilty.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/UttarPradesh/CISF-probes-dupatta-episode-at-Taj-Mahal/Article1-952800.aspx
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"Faizabad violence was well-planned and targets had been selected"
OMAR RASHID
1 Nov 2012
The fact-finding team said the sequence of attacks on "well-known business units in Faizabad city" suggested that the violence was not a spontaneous reaction but a well-organised act.
Last week’s violence in Faizabad district during the Durga Puja procession which left two persons dead, several injured and dozens of shops razed, was executed in a planned manner and the targets had been selected, according to a fact-finding team and accounts by victims and eyewitnesses.
The fact-finding team of human rights organisation Rihai Manch said the sequence of attacks on “well-known business units in Faizabad city” suggested that the violence was not a spontaneous reaction but a well-organised act. According to them, the mob was organised into smaller pockets with dedicated leaders. Seven such persons accused of leading the mob have been arrested so far, a police officer said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/faizabad-violence-was-wellplanned-and-targets-had-been-selected/article4053796.ece
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Tour by Pak cricket team a matter of national shame: Thackeray
November 01, 2012
Maintaining his strong opposition to the tour by the Pakistani cricket team to India, Shiv Sena on Thursday said it was a matter of "national shame".
"The Pakistan team will be playing matches at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru. At one point or the other, Pak terrorists have attacked these cities," Thackeray said.
The feet of Pakistani players wont be touching Maharashtra but their tour of these cities is a matter of national shame, he said, in an editorial in party mouthpiece "Saamana" in Mumbai.
Thackeray also flayed BCCI, saying "it was betraying the country for sake of money" and our cricketers were part of the betrayal.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Tour-by-Pak-cricket-team-a-matter-of-national-shame-Thackeray/Article1-953262.aspx
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Govt blocks 240 weblinks related to provocative film
Oct 31 2012
New Delhi : The government has blocked 240 web links related to a recent film that hurts sentiments of the Muslim community, to ensure that public order is not disturbed and integrity of the nation is maintained.
In a letter to former MP Mahmood A Madani, Telecom and IT Minister Kapil Sibal said that the "government will do everything possible to prevent and put an end to actions that might potentially disturb public order, tranquillity and integrity of the nation".
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/govt-blocks-240-weblinks-related-to-provocative-film/1024718/
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Darsgah-e-Jihad-o-Shahadat activists released on bail
Oct 31, 2012
HYDERABAD: The Eighth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Tuesday granted bail to 13 activists of Darsgah-e-Jihad-o-Shahadat (DJS) who were arrested on October 19 for staging a protest against an assistant commissioner of police.
The court ordered their release after furnishing two sureties of Rs 5000 each. The same court had earlier rejected the bail petition following opposition from public prosecutor on grounds that their release would lead to disturbances in the city. The defence counsel contended that the Mirchowk police have arrested the DJS activists on stringent IPC sections though the protest was peaceful.
Full report at:
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-31/hyderabad/34836415_1_djs-
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Pakistan
Blasphemy: Angry Protesters Set Girls' School on Fire in Lahore
Nov 01 2012
Lahore: A large number of people, including activists of religious parties, ransacked and set on fire a girls' school in Lahore and clashed with police following reports that a question paper for a test had contained blasphemous references to the Prophet, police said today.
Activists of groups like the Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Islami Jamiat Talba, the students' wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, and parents of some students were among those who yesterday vandalised three buildings of the Farooqi Girls High School, located near the historic Data Darbar shrine.
Residents of Karim Park near Data Darbar began gathering outside the school yesterday morning following reports that its owner, Asim Farooqi, and teacher Arifa had committed blasphemy.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/blasphemy-angry-protesters-set-girls-school-on-fire-in-lahore/1025135/
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Decision to rename Lahore landmark after Bhagat Singh on hold
ANITA JOSHUA
1 Nov 2012
The decision to rename Lahore’s Shadman Chowk after revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh has been delayed amid protests from some right-wing organisations, including the Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD).
The matter has been referred to a committee set up to look into all proposals to rename different roads of the city, and a decision is expected in the near future as the Punjab government is keen on seeing this through before the elections due next year.
Salima Hashmi, a member of the committee, was optimistic of the proposal being cleared as chairman Ijaz Anwar had been assertive in countering a bid to give Mall Road and Davis Road Islamic names. “He stressed the need to incorporate history in the project to revitalise Lahore,” she said. And, Bhagat Singh is part of Lahore’s history.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/decision-to-rename-lahore-landmark-after-bhagat-singh-on-hold/article4051818.ece
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Liberalized visa accord with India approved by Pakistan
Nov 1, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has approved a liberalized visa agreement with India that will relax curbs on issuing travel documents to traders, elderly people, tourists, pilgrims, members of the civil society and children, Xinhua reported.
The two countries had signed the agreement in September during the then foreign minister S M Krishna's visit to Islamabad.
Pakistan information minister Qamar uz Zaman Kaira told a news conference on Wednesday that at a cabinet meeting presided by Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, the members unanimously accorded approval to the relaxed visa agreement with India which he hoped will promote people-to-people contacts.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Liberalized-visa-accord-with-India-approved-by-Pakistan/articleshow/17044547.cms
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New anti-terrorism law must not violate privacy: Rabbani
November 1, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The proposed anti-terrorism law must not be allowed to undermine people’s privacy, urged the head of a bi-partisan parliamentary panel on national security on Wednesday.
Senator Raza Rabbani, who chaired a meeting of the parliamentary committee, told reporters that while the country needed new legislation to counter terrorism, it must not be used to put the fundamental rights of people at stake.
His remarks came in response to criticism over the new law, which some fear may allow the country’s security agencies to operate with impunity .
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/459067/new-anti-terrorism-law-must-not-violate-privacy-rabbani/
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Nowshera shrine blast: Of maimed victims who live to tell the tale
By Asad Zia
November 1, 2012
PESHAWAR: Aside from the grief that haunts the families and friends of those killed in terrorist attacks, a harrowing life awaits those who live to tell the tale.
When Fazal Nabi, a victim of the recent blast at Kaka Sahib Shrine in Nowshera, regained consciousness at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) on Wednesday, he found he had lost one of his hands and hearing in one of his ears.
The 24-year-old, who worked at a bakery with this brother and has a two-year-old son, said it will be difficult for him now to make ends meet.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/458875/nowshera-shrine-blast-of-maimed-victims-who-live-to-tell-the-tale/
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Balochistan at tail-end of judicial reform
November 1, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Balochistan was given the smallest budget under the Access to Justice Programme, initiated by government in 2002 to reform the judicial system.
An amount of Rs6.52 billion has been spent under the programme so far. New courtrooms, housing for lawyers, judicial complexes, public amenities, police stations, jails and barracks in existing jails have been constructed under the programme.
New electronic equipment has been provided to various judicial institutes. Furthermore, a total of 6681 law books were provided to libraries of bar associations and high courts across the country.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/459061/measure-for-measure-balochistan-at-tail-end-of-judicial-reform/
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Pakistan's anti-graft body summons three former generals
Nov 1, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top anti-corruption agency has summoned three retired generals, who were allegedly involved in the lease of railway land to a golf club at a throwaway price resulting in the loss of over Rs 16 billion.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned former Lieutenant Generals Javed Ashraf Qazi and Saeeduz Zafar and former Maj Gen Hamid Hassan Butt in connection with the lease of land to the Royal Palm Golf Club in Lahore, a media report said today.
The retired army officers have been asked to appear before an investigation team at the NAB headquarters in Islamabad, The News quoted its sources as saying.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistans-anti-graft-body-summons-three-former-generals/articleshow/17048355.cms
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No semblance of law and order in Karachi: Justice Gulzar
1 Nov 2012
KARACHI: During Thursday’s hearing of the Karachi law and order case, Justice Gulzar Ahmed remarked that there was not a semblance of law and order in the city, DawnNews reported.
A five-member larger bench of the apex court comprising Justices Jamali, Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Khilji Arif Hussain, Gulzar Ahmed and Amir Hani Muslim was seized with the proceedings for the implementation of the apex court’s earlier order in a Karachi killings suo motu case.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/01/karachi-law-and-order-case-sc-resumes-hearing-3/
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Pak I&B Minister Lashes out at ISI (Retd) Gen, asks ISI to take notice of his activities
1 Nov 2012
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday lashed out at former chief of the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) Gen (Retd) Hamid Gul, asking his ‘institution’ to take notice of his activities during his time as a serving general.
“If his office, his home, and his institution were used in the formation of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), then he is answerable to the nation,” said the minister.
“No one has the right to become the security adviser of the nation himself; this is the job of the state.”
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/01/kaira-lashes-out-at-hamid-gul-asks-isi-to-take-notice/
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Umrani accuses CM of role in Balochistan doctors’ kidnappings
1 Nov 2012
QUETTA: Sadiq Umrani on Thursday accused Chief Minister Balochistan Aslam Raisani of involvement in the kidnappings of doctors across the province, DawnNews reported.
Speaking to media representatives in Quetta, Umrani said that the provincial government had failed in establishing law and order in Balochistan.
He added the there had been a hike in the incidents of targeted killings and kidnapping for ransom in the province.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/01/sadiq-umrani-accuses-cm-raisani-of-role-in-balochistan-doctors-kidnappings/
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Pakistan would do well to begin conversation on health
Zofeen Ebrahim
1 Nov 2012
Quite a mouthful and quite frankly not making much sense, the term health systems research (HSR), like the Millennium Development Goals (when forced down our throats many years back) was going through an identity crises and it seemed the global health advocates just could not draw enough attention towards it to make it more appetizing or palatable.
And yet today, there is a certain groundswell for this term and is becoming the new development mantra, within the health sector, and rightfully so.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/11/01/pakistan-would-do-well-to-begin-conversation-on-health/
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Imran Khan is 'welcome' in the US: State Department
November 1, 2012
WASHINGTON: The US on Wednesday said that politician Imran Khan “is welcome” in the United States even though he was briefly held by immigration agents in Canada.
“We are aware that he was detained briefly in Toronto before boarding his flight to the United States,” acting State Department spokesperson Mark Toner told reporters when asked about Khan’s questioning last week.
But he disputed allegations that Khan was held and interrogated for hours over his stance on drone attacks and position on the Taliban as he tried to board a New York-bound plane from the Canadian city.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/459170/imran-khan-is-welcome-in-the-us-state-department/
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North America
Hafiz Saeed’s aid offer: US says thanks, but no thanks
October 31, 2012
MULTAN / ISLAMABAD: The United States Embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday declined Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed’s offer for financial and humanitarian assistance to America in wake of the destruction caused by hurricane Sandy.
In a tweet on micro-blogging website Twitter on Wednesday, the Embassy said:
“We respect the Islamic tradition of help to the needy, but we can’t take Hafiz Saeed’s offer seriously.”
Earlier in 2012, the US put up a reward of $10 million for anyone who would provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of Hafiz Saeed. A subsequent tweet read:
“Saaed is wanted for suspected involvement in the Mumbai attacks, which killed 166. JuD is a UN&US-designated terrorist org.”
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/458882/jud-aid-offer-us-says-thanks-but-no-thanks/
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Sudan rebels recruit children from S.Sudan refugee camp: US
US official claims Sudanese rebels are recruiting children from South Sudan as militants, through a camp that is originally set to function as a recuperation center for soldiers
31 Oct 2012
Sudanese rebels are using a refugee camp across the border in South Sudan as recruitment grounds for troops including child soldiers, a senior US official said Wednesday.
Anne Richard, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, said Washington had called on rebels fighting in Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile states to end militarisation of the Yida refugee camp.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/56873/World/Region/Sudan-rebels-recruit-children-from-SSudan-refugee-.aspx
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Somali pirates have expanded their ops till west coast of India: US
Nov 01 2012
Washington : Somali pirates now have expanded their operations to the West Coast of India, a senior US official has said, adding, the issue of piracy has become a regular part of America's diplomatic engagements with countries around the world.
On any given day up to 30 vessels from as many as 22 nations are engaged in counter-piracy operations in the region.
"International naval forces have thwarted pirate attacks in progress, engaged pirate skiffs, and successfully taken back hijacked ships during opposed boardings," said the Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Andrew Shapiro, in his remarks on "Turning the Tide on Somali Piracy" last week at the Atlantic Council of the United States.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/somali-pirates-have-expanded-their-ops-till-west-coast-of-india-us/1025072/
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Clinton warns Syria rebels to resist extremism
1 Nov 2012
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged Syria's opposition to resist efforts by extremist groups to "hijack the revolution".
Speaking on a trip to Croatia, she said the rebel leadership needed to be more inclusive of those fighting in Syria.
The Turkey-based Syrian National Council (SNC) has been powerless to stop the escalating violence.
Mrs Clinton also revealed the Obama administration has suggested who should feature in the rebel leadership.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20156688
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South Asia
Burma considers citizenship for Rohingya Muslims
By Dean Nelson,
01 Nov 2012
Burma has acknowledged the persecution of its stateless Rohingya Muslim minority and is considering giving citizenship to thousands of members of the group as a first step to finding a solution to the conflict with local Rakhine Buddhists.
The government's search for a 'win-win' solution to the conflict between the two groups follows a new outbreak of violence last week in which attacks by Buddhist mobs left 89 dead and forced more than 28,000 to flee their homes. An estimated 130 Rohingya refugees from the violence are missing off the coast of Bangladesh after their boat sank while heading to Malaysia. Bangladesh has refused to accept Rohingya refugees because it believes many are illegal immigrants.
Full report at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/9648329/Burma-considers-citizenship-for-Rohingya-Muslims.html
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Myanmar for ‘win-win’ solution in Rakhine: Minister
NIRUPAMA SUBRAMANIAN
1 Nov 2012
"Rakhine region had seen no violent incidents after October 26."
Myanmar is working toward finding a solution to the problems in its Rakhine region that will be “win-win situation for all stakeholders”, Minister of Information U Aung Kyi has said.
In a brief interview to The Hindu in the new capital on Wednesday, Mr. Aung Kyi said the Rakhine region had seen no violent incidents after October 26. Efforts were being made to restore peace and stability and “without outside interference”, the region would soon return to normal, he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/myanmar-for-winwin-solution-in-rakhine-minister/article4051578.ece
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Civilians in Western Myanmar Told to Turn in Arms
1 Nov 2012
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — The authorities have ordered people in strife-torn western Myanmar to surrender guns, swords and other weapons to the police within three days or face legal action.
The announcement in the state-run Myanma Ahlin daily on Thursday said that some groups of people in the state of Rakhine had used swords and firearms during recent deadly confrontations between the Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/11/01/world/asia/ap-as-myanmar-violence.html?ref=asia
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Capital Market Authority and Islamic Ministry unite to promote Islamic finance
By Daniel Bosley | October 31st, 2012
The Maldives Capital Market Development Authority (CDMA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry for Islamic Affairs to further develop an Islamic capital market in the country.
Among the most prominent details of the agreement was a joint commitment to establish the ‘Maldives Centre for Islamic Capital Market and Finance’.
“This is going to help in promoting the various services available in Islamic financial services under one organisation,” read a press release from the CDMA.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/society/capital-market-authority-and-islamic-ministry-unite-to-promote-islamic-finance-46439
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MDP gathering calls for judicial reform ahead of Nasheed trial
By Mariyath Mohamed | October 31st, 2012
Maldivian Democratic Party on Tuesday night held a march around the capital island Male’ calling for judicial reform ahead of the next hearing of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s trial, scheduled for November 4.
Over 500 protesters marched around Male’ with banners and placards displaying messages on the importance of judicial independence and holding the judiciary accountable.
A number of leading MDP figures joined the march, including former Minister of Environment and Housing Mohamed Aslam, MP Ilyas Labeeb, former Ministers of Education Shifa Mohamed and Musthafa Lutfi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem and former Minister of Home Affairs Hassan Afeef.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/mdp-gathering-calls-for-judicial-reform-ahead-of-nasheed-trial-46448
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China Proposes New Initiatives for Syria Ceasefire
1 Nov 2012
BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Thursday it had proposed new initiatives to head off an escalation of violence in Syria, including a phased, region-by-region ceasefire and the establishment of a transitional governing body.
China has been strongly criticised by some in the Arab world for failing to take a stronger stance on the violence in Syria and has subsequently been keen to show it is trying to take a more proactive role in resolving the crisis.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/11/01/world/europe/01reuters-syria-crisis-china.html?ref=middleeast
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Europe
Myanmar must protect Muslims and halt discrimination: UN
October 31, 2012
UN human rights investigators called on Myanmar on Wednesday to halt deadly sectarian violence and warned it not to use the conflict as a pretext to remove Rohingya minority Muslims.
Some 89 people have been killed in clashes between Buddhist Rakhines and Muslim Rohingyas in western Myanmar in the past 10 days, according to the latest official toll.
“This situation must not become an opportunity to permanently remove an unwelcome community,” said a joint statement issued by Tomas Ojea Quintana, UN special rapporteur on Myanmar, and independent experts on minority issues and the internally displaced.
They voiced their “deep concern about the assertion of the government and others that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants and stateless persons”.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/459013/myanmar-must-protect-muslims-and-halt-discrimination-un/
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UK unable to force return of Pakistani held in US custody: UK SC
November 1, 2012
LONDON: Britain’s apex court on Wednesday rejected a legal bid by a Pakistani man in US custody in Afghanistan to force the British government to do more to seek his release.
Yunus Rahmatullah, 30, was captured in Iraq in 2004 by British forces which then handed him to US authorities. He was later transferred to Afghanistan’s Bagram jail where he has been held without charge ever since.
The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that it had dismissed appeals by Rahmatullah and by legal charity Reprieve on the grounds that the British government was unable to force his return from US custody.
It said “the response by the United States was sufficient to demonstrate that the UK could not secure his release”.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/459047/uk-unable-to-force-return-of-pakistani-in-us-custody-uk-sc/
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Russia seeks return of Syria cargo from Turkey
1 November 2012
MOSCOW: Russia is in contact with Turkey to recover a cargo confiscated by Ankara from a Moscow-Damascus passenger plane but so far no progress has been made, a senior foreign ministry official said yesterday.
Turkey scrambled fighter jets earlier this month to intercept the Syrian Air passenger jet, forcing it to land at Ankara’s Esenboga airport and seizing the cargo before the plane was allowed to continue its journey.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/russia-seeks-return-syria-cargo-turkey
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Hollande warns Iran after meeting Israeli PM
31 October 2012
PARIS: French President Francois Hollande said yesterday he wanted “concrete acts” from Iran to prove it was not pursuing nuclear arms, after his first direct meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Addressing a press conference with Netanyahu, whose aim during the two-day visit is to press for more pressure on Tehran, Hollande warned that Paris would back “other sanctions” if Tehran failed to convince on its contested nuclear program.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/hollande-warns-iran-after-meeting-israeli-pm
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Rights Activist Arrested for Unfurling Morning Star Flag near Indonesian President Jakarta Globe | November 01, 2012
Police in London detained Peter Tatchell, an Australian-born human rights activist, on Wednesday after he unfurled the West Papuan Morning Star flag as Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s limousine departed from Westminster Abbey.
“I was arrested for peaceful protest against #Indonesia crimes in #WestPapua,” he tweeted. “Only held a flag.”
The 60-year-old Tatchell said he was wrestled to the ground by Yudhoyono’s presidential security guard (Paspampres) before he was arrested by Metropolitan Police officers.
“The president stands accused of war crimes in East Timor and West Papua,” Tatchell said on his foundation’s website, petertatchellfoundation.org.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/human-rights-activist-arrested-for-unfurling-morning-star-flag-near-sby/553606
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Africa
Nigeria army 'abuses' in Boko Haram crackdown - Amnesty
1 Nov 2012
Nigerian security forces have carried out widespread abuses in their campaign against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, Amnesty International says.
The rights group says in a report that abuses include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance and torture.
A spokesman from the Nigerian army rejected the accusations, saying soldiers always operate within the law.
Boko Haram campaigns for an Islamic state and has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of people this year.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20163435
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Tunisia extends state of emergency through Jan 2013
Nov 1, 2012
TUNIS: Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki on Wednesday extended a state of emergency, which grants police special powers of intervention, until February 1, 2013, the official TAP news agency said.
"Marzouki decided Wednesday to extend the state of emergency by three months from November 1, 2012," TAP said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Tunisia-extends-state-of-emergency-through-Jan-2013/articleshow/17041270.cms
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Libyan parliament approves new Cabinet
Nov 1, 2012
TRIPOLI: Libya's parliament on Wednesday approved the country's new Cabinet in a vote of confidence, the parliament spokesman said, but armed protesters cut the main road leading to the parliament, vowing not to leave until members of the ousted regime of dictator Moammar Gadhafi are excluded from political life.
Omar Humidan said five of the 27 ministers would be reconsidered after concerns were raised over their ties to the deposed regime.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Libyan-parliament-approves-new-Cabinet/articleshow/17041293.cms
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Nigerians' fear of northern atrocities
By Will Ross
1 Nov 2012
Days after the latest suicide bomb attack in northern Nigeria, people at St Rita's church in Kaduna city are still shocked at what happened.
The site is attracting members of the congregation who want to revisit the scene after lucky escapes as well as curious people from surrounding neighbourhoods who come armed with mobile phone cameras.
The authorities suspect the militant Islamist sect, Boko Haram, was behind Sunday's attack.
But the bombs are not the only cause of fear in northern Nigeria. In some towns and cities the military response is also causing people to suffer.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20166065
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Mideast Asia
Israel admits 1988 murder of PLO number-two Abu Jihad
Palestinian Liberation Organisation's former second-in-command, along with three others, was murdered by Israel's Mossad spy agency in Tunis in 1988, new report states
1 Nov 2012
Israel has for the first time admitted assassinating the PLO's former number two, Abu Jihad, in a raid on the movement's Tunis headquarters in 1988, a newspaper reported on Thursday.
The report, published in Israel's top-selling Yediot Aharonot, said the operation was planned by the Mossad spy agency and carried out by the Sayeret Matkal elite commando unit.
Abu Jihad, whose real name was Khalil al-Wazir, was shot dead in the early hours of April 16, 1988 in a commando raid on the PLO headquarters by what was presumed to be Israeli agents.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/56915/World/Region/Israel-admits--murder-of-PLO-numbertwo-Abu-Jihad.aspx
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Turkey Given Reassurance by Germany on Talks
By MELISSA EDDY and CHRIS COTTRELL
1 Nov 2012
BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany met with Turkey’s prime minister here on Wednesday and pledged that the European Union would continue to pursue talks “in good faith” over Turkey’s accession to the bloc, despite disagreements that have proved challenging for both sides.
“The E.U. is an honest negotiating partner,” Ms. Merkel said. “These negotiations will continue irrespective of the questions that we have to clarify.”
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/world/europe/germany-says-europe-will-pursue-talks-on-turkey.html?ref=world
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Iranian warships leave Sudan port
1 November 2012
31 October 2012
PORT SUDAN, Sudan: Two Iranian warships left a Sudanese port yesterday, an AFP photographer said, after a visit coinciding with Khartoum’s denial that Iran is involved in making weapons in Sudan.
A Sudanese military band played as Iran’s naval supply ship Kharg pulled away from the dock in Port Sudan on the Red Sea, the photographer said.
Sudan’s links to Iran have come under scrutiny after Khartoum accused Israel of sending four radar-evading aircraft to strike the Yarmouk military factory in the heart of the capital Khartoum at midnight on October 23.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/iranian-warships-leave-sudan-port
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Southeast Asia
New terrorist group may have links to the ‘usual suspects’: Indonesia’s BNPT
Nani Afrida
November 01 2012
The recent arrest of several terrorist suspects may be associated with efforts by groups linked with top figures of the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) to diversify the scope of their attacks, according to the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT).
BNPT chairman Ansyaad Mbai said on Wednesday that the suspects were connected with each other or with the existing terrorist groups.
“They may look like they operate alone. But we know that two or three of them have connections to the usual suspects,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/01/new-terrorist-group-may-have-links-usual-suspects-bnpt.html
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Battle against militants heats up in Poso
Nani Afrida and Ruslan Sangadji
November 01 2012
The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) warned the fight against militants in the area might get uglier. This announcement came on Wednesday as the authorities shot six suspected terrorists in a raid in Poso, Central Sulawesi.
BNPT chairman Ansyaad Mbai said nearly all notorious terrorist suspects were currently gathered in Poso as the regency was the main base and training ground of terrorists suspects.
“Poso is the place where the most wanted terrorist suspects are hiding,” said Ansyaad.
“They train their followers to terrorize locals. This is why our men are now in the area to hunt them down,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/01/battle-against-militants-heats-poso.html
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Two Malaysians Charged for Hiding Graft Suspect Neneng
Rizky Amelia | November 01, 2012
Two Malaysian citizens may face 12 years in prison for hiding Indonesian graft suspect Neneng Sri Wahyuni in Malaysia.
“The defendants are being charged under Article 21 of the 1999 Law on Anti-Corruption and Article 55 of the Criminal Code,” Ahmad Burhanuddin, a prosecutor with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), said on Thursday.
Article 21 stipulates that people who purposefully hamper an investigation of a suspect or defendant can be thrown in jail for up to 12 years and must pay anywhere from Rp 150 million to Rp 600 million in fines.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/two-malaysians-charged-for-hiding-graft-suspect-neneng/553608
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/syrian-rebels-kill-28-soldiers/d/9166