Taliban Kill 17 Afghan Soldiers in Once-Quiet Region
New Age Islam News Bureau
6 March 2013
South Asia
• Taliban Kill 17 Afghan Soldiers in Once-Quiet Region
• 56 illegal Afghans arrested in Quetta
• Former Maldivian president Nasheed walks out of Maldivian court as 'free man'
• Hindu temple torched in Bangladesh
• Human chain at Dhaka University protesting attacks on Hindus
• 30 hurt as BNP, Jamaat men clash with cops
• Karzai calls on Afghan troops to clean up own act
India
• Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind sets two-month deadline for Muslim quota
• Dilsukhnagar bomb blast toll rises to 17
• Maulana Kalb-e-Jawwad’s passport seized
• No officials talks likely during Pak PM's Ajmer visit: Khurshid
• Rebuff to India as Maldives arrests ex-Prez Nasheed
• Mobile internet services in Kashmir snapped
• Ahead of polls, Dhaka hopes for Teesta pact
• Statement calls for protection of rights of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh
• India proposes hydrocarbon pipeline from Kazakhstan
• 48 ISI spies busted in past three years: Govt
Mideast Asia
• Clashes in Jerusalem after Israelis enter Al-Aqusa Mosque
• Yemen unyielding on child executions
• Israel mistreats Palestinian children in custody: UNICEF
• Turkey Renews Focus on Ending Its Long Conflict with Kurds
• Nitaqat rules for Palestinians and Turkistanis eased
• Hadi rejects efforts to broker Al-Qaeda truce
• Arson bid as Israel starts separate buses for Palestinians
• Hamas as ‘terrorist’ organization hampers peace process: James Baker
Pakistan
• Opponents of girls’ right to education violate Islam, Pak UN Ambassador
• Riyadh governor promises to resolve Pak workers’ issue
• PM for calling minorities as non-Muslim citizens
• International meddling led to terrorism in Afghanistan, says Foreign Secretary
• Living with violence: Abbas Town children too familiar with bomb blasts
• Pakistan Rejects U.S. Disavowal of Drone Strikes
• Musharraf attack: Pakistani court cancels death penalty
• FBI arrests Pak-origin man for 2009 suicide bombing at ISI headquarters
• Ex-Army general is Pak’s new envoy in Lanka
Australia
• Australian: Sharia Law Out, One Law for All
Arab World
• New forensic report shows activist Mohamed El-Gendy died from torture
• Syria’s Education System Is ‘Reeling,’ UNICEF Says
• Assad’s recent lie: ‘I am secularism’s last fortresses
• Egyptian steel tycoon jailed for profiteering
• Lebanon calls for Syrian reinstatement at Arab League
• Egypt court orders cancellation of elections decree
Europe
• UNICEF Urges Israel to Reform Detention Policies
• Does it matter if the West gives military aid to Uzbekistan?
• Soviet soldier, missing for 33 years, found in Afghanistan
• Number of Syrian Refugees Hits 1 Million, U.N. Says
Africa
• Tuareg rebels ask ICC to probe Mali army 'crimes'
• Tunisian Army Must Focus on Militant Threat: outgoing defence minister
• Christians Living in Terror in Nigerian Village amid Islamic Extremist Attacks
North America
• Iran using India for clandestine activities: US
• Kerry says ‘a lot of countries’ training Syria rebels
• Report Details Mistakes Made by U.S. in Improvement Projects for Iraq
• School Tours Promote Islam in Canada
• 13,600 troops should remain in Afghanistan after 2014: US general
• Gulf arms to Syria rebels reaching ‘right people’: Kerry
• Biden Beats Drums of War against Iran at AIPAC Conference
Southeast Asia
• Malaysians Kill 13 Filipino Fighters Amid Fears of Wider Conflict
• Marriage Registration Fee to Be Scrapped in Indonesia
• Indonesia's Counterterrorism Unit Hit by Torture Claims
• Muslim Rebels Involved in Malaysia: MNLF
• Armed Filipinos elusive after Malaysian assault
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Clashes in Jerusalem after Israelis enter Al-Aqsa Mosque
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South Asia
Taliban Kill 17 Afghan Soldiers in Once-Quiet Region
By ROD NORDLAND
March 6, 2013
KABUL, Afghanistan – Taliban insurgents killed 17 Afghan National Army soldiers in a single incident in northern Badakshan Province, an area far from insurgent strongholds and one that had been generally quiet until recent months, Afghan officials announced Wednesday.
The incident began when a supply convoy of Afghan soldiers was ambushed by the insurgents on Monday, with one soldier killed and 23 others captured in the rugged Warduj District, according to Abdul Marouf Rasikh, spokesman for the provincial governor in Badakhshan.
Negotiations using tribal elders as intermediaries were carried out and six of the soldiers were released alive, but another 16 were executed, Mr. Rasikh said. Their bodies were turned over to the authorities by the same elders, he said.
It was one of the single deadliest attacks on government soldiers by the insurgents in recent memory.
Relief workers in the remote area have been warned since late last year to avoid travel on the main highway linking Warduj District to the provincial capital, Fayzabad, about 40 miles away. Until the latest upsurge in violence, as few as one insurgent incident every three months had been recorded in Badakhshan Province, making it one of the safest places in Afghanistan.
The district lies along the highway leading into the Wakhan Corridor, an area of very high mountains bordered by China and Pakistan, and one that is popular with foreign climbers and trekkers.
Sharifullah Sahak contributed reporting.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/world/asia/taliban-kill-17-afghan-soldiers.html?ref=world&gwh=8587028BE738832C7F6C27155AFEE527
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56 illegal Afghans arrested in Quetta
March 6, 2013
QUETTA: Security forces on Tuesday arrested 56 Afghan nationals for residing illegally in the province. The security forces arrested Afghan nationals while they were travelling from Quetta to Karachi without legal documents. The arrested people have been shifted to the Khuzdar police station. online
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\03\06\story_6-3-2013_pg7_11
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Former Maldivian president Nasheed walks out of Maldivian court as 'free man'
TNN | Mar 6, 2013
NEW DELHI: Former Maldivian president Mohammed Nasheed on Wednesday walked out of a Maldivian court as a "free man" after the hearing has ended. Earier, he was produced in a court in a power abuse case in Male.
On Tuesday, police in Maldives detained opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed, defying pressure from regional power India which had called for him to be free to campaign for elections.
Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader, is to be taken before a magistrate later in the day on charges of abusing his authority and ordering the arrest of a judge when he was in power between 2008 and 2012.
The 45-year-old, a former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, says the charges are politically motivated and designed to disqualify him from contesting the September 7 presidential election.
Amnesty said the arrest of Nasheed was an example of selective justice from the Maldivian authorities and highlighted their failure to investigate other serious rights abuses in a country better known for its upmarket tourism.
"Of course political leaders, including Nasheed, should be held to account -- but the targeting of Nasheed is an example of selective justice," said Abbas Faiz, the group's Maldives researcher.
India, which moved to end a political standoff in the Maldives last month after Nasheed sought refuge at the Indian embassy in Male to avoid arrest, said it was monitoring developments closely.
"We would urge all concerned to exercise caution and restraint and not to resort to any violence or extra-constitutional means and steps which would weaken the democratic system," said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin.
The US embassy in neighbouring Sri Lanka said it was "increasingly concerned" about developments in the Sunni Muslim nation, which straddles strategic shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean.
Male has been racked by violence and political infighting since February 2012 when Nasheed was ousted following a mutiny by security forces and protests.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Former-Maldivian-president-Nasheed-walks-out-of-Maldivian-court-as-free-man/articleshow/18832765.cms
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Hindu temple torched in Bangladesh
March 06 2013
Miscreants vandalised and torched a Hindu temple in Daudkandi Upazila of Comilla early Wednesday as attack on minority communities continues.
Unknown criminals vandalised the temple and set fire to it at Battala Kalibari in Chapatali village of Mohammadpur East Union in the dead of night, said Abul Faysal, officer-in-charge of Daudkandi Police Station.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/temple-torched-in-comilla/
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Human chain at DU protesting attacks on Hindus
March 06 2013
Dhaka University students, teachers and other employees on Wednesday formed a human chain to protest the attacks on the minority communities by the activists of Jamaat-e-Islmai and Islmai Chhatra Shibir across the country.
The one-hour human chain began at 11:15am in front of the Aparajeyo Bangla also for realising their four-point demand.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/human-chain-at-du-protesting-attacks-on-hindus/
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30 hurt as BNP, Jamaat men clash with cops
March 06 2013
Leaders and activists of main opposition BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami clashed with police during a demonstration at Nayapaltan in the city.
Police fired rubber bullets and teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators who first hurled bombs at the law enforcers and hurled brick chips.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/bnp-men-clash-with-cops-at-nayapaltan/
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Karzai calls on Afghan troops to clean up own act
The Associated Press, Kabul, Afghanistan
March 06 2013
The Afghan president on Wednesday called on his security forces to end incidents of torture and abuse of the Afghan people, a shift from past speeches that have solely blamed NATO troops for the violations in the country.
In an address to parliament, Hamid Karzai said Afghan forces are also violating their own people's rights, making it harder for him to raise the issue when abuses are carried out by foreigners.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/03/06/karzai-calls-afghan-troops-clean-own-act.html
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India
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind sets two-month deadline for Muslim quota
TNN | Mar 6, 2013
NEW DELHI: Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, one of the country's leading Islamic organizations, has set a two-month deadline for the UPA government to enact a law on reservation for Muslims in government jobs in proportion to their population.
It also asked the government on Tuesday to pass the anti-communal violence law besides release of innocent Muslim youth arrested on false charges of involvement in terrorist activities. It said if its demands were not met, it would launch nationwide protests.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jamiat-sets-two-month-deadline-for-Muslim-quota/articleshow/18823171.cms
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Dilsukhnagar bomb blast toll rises to 17
Mar 06 2013
The toll in the Dilsukhnagar bomb blasts rose to 17 when an injured person Amrutha Ravi (25) died while undergoing treatment at Yashoda Hospitals on Tuesday night.
The toll in the Dilsukhnagar bomb blasts rose to 17 when an injured person Amrutha Ravi (25) died while undergoing treatment at Yashoda Hospitals on Tuesday night.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/dilsukhnagar-bomb-blast-toll-rises-to-17/article4481093.ece?homepage=true
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Maulana Kalb-e-Jawwad’s passport seized
New Age Islam News Bureau
March 6, 2013
Lucknow: All India Central Board of Uzadari has protested against the seizure of the passport of Maulana Kalb-e-Jawwad Naqvi. Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow the representatives of the Board said that Maulana Kalbe Jawwad had submitted his passport to the passport office for additional pages in his passport but his passport was seized. General Secretary of the Board, Meesam Rizvi said that during the last few years, various cases have been filed against Maulana Naqvi and even a court notice had been issued in one case which was not received by his household. According to reports, it was a non-bailable warrant. They demanded that the government should withdraw all the cases against Maulana Naqvi and warned the government of launching a movement if the demand was not met.
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No officials talks likely during Pak PM's Ajmer visit: Khurshid
Mar 06 2013
New Delhi : The government today indicated that there will be no official talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Prevez Ashraf during his upcoming visit as he will travel directly to Ajmer.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he had no knowledge of Ashraf holding talks with Indian leaders during his visit.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/no-officials-talks-likely-during-pak-pms-ajmer-visit-khurshid/1083975/
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Rebuff to India as Maldives arrests ex-prez Nasheed
TNN | Mar 6, 2013
NEW DELHI: In a snub to India, former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed was arrested in Male and taken into judicial custody less than a fortnight after he was freed on Indian intervention. He will be produced in court on Wednesday in connection with a criminal case against him.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rebuff-to-India-as-Maldives-arrests-ex-prez-Nasheed/articleshow/18823194.cms
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Mobile internet services in Kashmir snapped
March 05, 2013
Authorities today snapped mobile internet services in Kashmir Valley as a precautionary measure in the wake of protests over the death of a Kashmiri student in Hyderabad. Internet services on mobile phones and portable internet connections were snapped early this morning as authorities apprehended that the medium could be used for mobilising people, official sources said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/jandk/Mobile-internet-services-in-Kashmir-snapped/Article1-1021665.aspx
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Ahead of polls, Dhaka hopes for Teesta pact
Jayanth Jacob, Hindustan Times
Dhaka, March 05, 2013
As President Pranab Mukherjee concludes his three-day visit here on Tuesday, Dhaka is high on hope for Teesta water-sharing pact and the land boundary agreement (LBA) being sealed as it would enable PM Sheikh Hasina to visit India before Bangladesh goes to polls in year-end.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/bangladesh/Ahead-of-polls-Dhaka-hopes-for-Teesta-pact/Article1-1021753.aspx
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Statement calls for protection of rights of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh
Mar 06 2013
On board Air India One : President Pranab Mukherjee ended his maiden visit abroad to Bangladesh on Tuesday with a clear message to the political leadership in Dhaka that strongly called for protection of the rights of Hindu minorities there while hoping that their internal political differences would be resolved through the process of dialogue.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/statement-calls-for-protection-of-rights-of-hindu-minorities/1083696/
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India proposes hydrocarbon pipeline from Kazakhstan
SANDEEP DIKSHIT
Mar 06 2013
The proposed pipeline would cover about 1,500 kms (no study has yet been done), thus making it longer than the planned Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline which will serve as the role model. It will head from the former Silk Road caravanserai city of Shymkent, known today for oil refining, and enter Uzbekistan.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-proposes-hydrocarbon-pipeline-from-kazakhstan/article4479665.ece
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48 ISI spies busted in past three years: Govt
TNN | Mar 6, 2013
NEW DELHI: As many as 31 ISI-backed espionage modules were neutralized across the country between January 1, 2010, and February 27, 2013, resulting in the arrest of 48 spies, Union minister of state for home R P N Singh informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/48-ISI-spies-busted-in-past-three-years-Govt/articleshow/18822914.cms
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Mideast Asia
Clashes in Jerusalem after Israelis enter Al-Aqua Mosque
Palestinian man shot during clashes in Jerusalem after Israeli settlers enter Al-Aqsa Mosque
6 Mar 2013
Clashes erupted in Jerusalem on Wednesday after eight Jewish settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli police, Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.
The settlers prayed in front of the mosque before clashes broke out with Palestinian Muslims, a guard at the mosque told MENA.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/66251/World/Region/Clashes-in-Jerusalem-after-Israelis-enter-AlAqsa-M.aspx
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Yemen unyielding on child executions
Rights groups say Sanaa is putting to death juveniles, disregarding their age and violating international laws.
Rebecca Murray
04 Mar 2013
Al-Hudaydah, Yemen – Already with one of the world's highest death penalty rates, Yemen is increasingly jailing and executing people who committed crimes as children, because of a lack of birth certificates and a failing justice system, human rights campaigners say.
Mariam al-Batah, 19, is one death row inmate facing a firing squad. She cuts a vulnerable figure in al-Hudaydah's overcrowded Hodeida Central Prison, on Yemen's western coast. For three years al-Batah has called the squalid surroundings home. She was sentenced to death for murder when she was 15-years old.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/03/20133485144413946.html
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Israel mistreats Palestinian children in custody: UNICEF
6 March 2013
JERUSALEM: Palestinian children detained by the Israeli military are subject to widespread, systematic ill-treatment that violates international law, a UNICEF report said on Wednesday.
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) estimated that 700 Palestinian children aged 12-17, most of them boys, are arrested, interrogated and detained by the Israeli military, police and security agents every year in the occupied West Bank.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/israel-mistreats-palestinian-children-custody-unicef
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Turkey Renews Focus on Ending Its Long Conflict With Kurds
By TIM ARANGO
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — When three prominent Kurdish women activists were murdered in Paris in January, analysts worried that the killings would derail the fledgling peace talks, begun late last year. Just the opposite appears to have happened, as both sides have moved forward with more determination to end one of the region’s most intractable conflicts, which has claimed almost 40,000 lives over nearly three decades.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/europe/turkey-renews-focus-on-peace-with-kurds.html?ref=europe&gwh=37C2462E501E404C6D2D8F074515A79A
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Nitaqat rules for Palestinians and Turkistanis eased
6 March 2013
The Labor Ministry said yesterday it would consider employment of four Palestinians and Turkistanis equal to one foreign worker in the Nitaqat system.
“The employment of foreigners exempted from deportation will be considered 0.25 points in the Nitaqat system and this group of workers includes Palestinians and Turkistanis in addition to Burmese,” said Hattab Al-Anazi, spokesman of the ministry.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/nitaqat-rules-palestinians-and-turkistanis-eased
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Hadi rejects efforts to broker Al-Qaeda truce
6 March 2013
SANAA: Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has rejected efforts by scholars and tribal chiefs to broker a truce with Al-Qaeda, insisting that the militants must lay down their arms, an official said yesterday.
“The president wants members of Al-Qaeda to surrender their arms, announce their repentance and renounce their extremist ideas,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), considered the jihadist network’s most dangerous franchise, announced on several websites that the truce efforts had failed.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/hadi-rejects-efforts-broker-al-qaeda-truce
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Arson bid as Israel starts separate buses for Palestinians
5 March 2013
JERUSALEM: A day after Israel began running separate West Bank bus lines for Palestinian workers, vandals tried to set fire to several of the vehicles overnight, police said on Tuesday.
“Two buses were apparently set on fire but we are looking into all possibilities,” police spokeswoman Luba Samri told AFP, saying the incident took place in the Arab-Israeli town of Kfar Qassem which lies very close to the Green Line.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/arson-bid-israel-starts-separate-buses-palestinians
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Hamas as ‘terrorist’ organization hampers peace process: James Baker
05 March 2013
One solution to promote peace between Palestinians and Israelis is to have non-Hamas members from the Gaza Strip negotiating peace, a former U.S. official told Al Arabiya.
“Israel and the United States will not work with Hamas because it is seen to be a terrorist organization,” James Baker, who served as the Chief of Staff in the final year of the administration of President George H.W. Bush said.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/03/05/269788.html
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Pakistan
Opponents of girls’ right to education violate Islam, Pak UN Ambassador
March 6, 2013
UNITED NATIONS: “Those who deny women and girls their right to education violate Islam,” Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Masood Khan told an audience at the world body on Monday. He said the religion was for all men and women without discrimination.
He observed that the terrorist attack on Malala Yousufzai showed that “the forces of darkness” were afraid of the education that gave courage to girls to stand up for their rights.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/06/opponents-of-girls-right-to-education-violate-islam-ambassador-tells-united-nations/
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Riyadh governor promises to resolve Pak workers’ issue
6 March 2013
Riyadh Gov. Prince Khalid bin Bandar has promised to look into the issue of nearly 700 Pakistani workers who were swindled out of their life savings when they were issued fraudulent visas.
Prince Khalid’s response came during his meeting with Pakistani Ambassador Muhammad Naeem Khan at the governor’s office in Riyadh yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/riyadh-governor-promises-resolve-pak-workers%E2%80%99-issue
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PM for calling minorities as non-Muslim citizens
March 6, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Tuesday said that Pakistan People’s Party has strived hard to eliminate the word minority from the narrative and instead addresses them as non-Muslim Pakistanis.
He was addressing a select group of students comprising children of non-Muslim Pakistanis who were awarded scholarships under a special scheme to encourage non-Muslim citizens in the country.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\03\06\story_6-3-2013_pg7_13
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International meddling led to terrorism in Afghanistan, says Foreign Secretary
March 6, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday said the role of international forces in Afghanistan had led to terrorism in the war-torn country, DawnNews reported.
Speaking at a conference on Afghanistan in Islamabad, the foreign secretary said terrorism would continue to affect the country even after the withdrawal of Nato forces.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/06/international-meddling-led-to-terrorism-in-afghanistan-says-foreign-secretary-jilani/
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Living with violence: Abbas Town children too familiar with bomb blasts
By Rabia Ali
March 6, 2013
KARACHI: The children of Abbas Town have become too familiar with the thundering sound of bomb blasts and the black smoke that envelops the area afterwards.
So when Hamza Ahmed, 14, who was watching a match between South Africa and Pakistan on Sunday evening, heard the sound of the explosion and saw the water tank falling down from his balcony, he knew what it was.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/516319/living-with-violence-abbas-town-children-too-familiar-with-bomb-blasts/
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Pakistan Rejects U.S. Disavowal of Drone Strikes
By DECLAN WALSH
March 6, 2013
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistani military on Tuesday denied suggestions by American officials quoted in an article in The New York Times that Pakistan had used the C.I.A. drone program as cover for its own military operations in the tribal belt.
The Times article, first published online on Monday, cited United States government officials who said that, contrary to media reports at the time, the C.I.A. had not carried out two reported strikes in North and South Waziristan on Feb. 6 and Feb. 8.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/asia/pakistan-rejects-us-disavowal-of-drone-strikes.html?ref=asia&gwh=974381FAA65403E4C1920DC0997ED1C8
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Musharraf attack: Pakistani court cancels death penalty
Mar 06 2013
Pakistan’s top court on Wednesday overturned an army court’s death penalty handed to two civilians for a suicide attack on the country’s former military president Pervez Musharraf, a media report said.
Mr. Musharraf had survived two assassination attempts in December 2003 in the garrison city of Rawalpindi when his motorcade came under attack. Several civilians and policemen had been killed in the attacks.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/musharraf-attack-pakistani-court-cancels-death-penalty/article4481719.ece
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FBI arrests Pak-origin man for 2009 suicide bombing at ISI headquarters
Mar 06 2013
Washington: A Pakistani-American man has been arrested by the FBI on charges of providing material support to terrorists involved in the 2009 suicide attack at the ISI headquarters in Lahore that killed 30 people and wounded more than 300 others.
Reaz Qadir Khan, 48, was arrested by the FBI at his residence in Portland, Oregon. He made initial appearance today before Magistrate Paul Papak in federal court in Portland. His detention hearing is scheduled for tomorrow.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fbi-arrests-pakorigin-man-for-2009-suicide-bombing-at-isi-headquarter.../1083904/
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Ex-Army general is Pak’s new envoy in Lanka
Mar 06 2013
Qasim Qureshi, a retired Pakistani Major General, who has served in PoK, arrived in Colombo on Wednesday to take charge as Islamabad’s new High Commissioner in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Qureshi had joined Pakistan Army in 1972, and had retired from active service in October 2009.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/exarmy-general-is-paks-new-envoy-in-lanka/article4481880.ece
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Australia
Australian: Sharia Law Out, One Law for All
March 03, 2013
Islamic law and polygamous marriages will be denounced as forever unacceptable in Australia in a bipartisan parliamentary report that will define what multiculturalism means for our nation, and state there must be only "one law for all".
The report -- the result of a two-year investigation into Australia's multicultural strategy -- is understood to be critical of the limited access migrants have to English language training and the lack of cultural awareness shown by employers and the federal employment recruitment agency.
Full report at:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2013/03/australian-government-sharia-law-out-one-law-for-all.html
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Arab World
New forensic report shows activist Mohamed El-Gendy died from torture
Forensic committee formed by Egyptian prosecutors shows that slain activist Mohamed El-Gendy died from torture, not from a car crash as ministry of interior claimed
6 Mar 2013
A forensic committee stated on Wednesday that the death of activist Mohamed El-Gendy resulted from torture and not from a car accident, as a previous forensic report had asserted.
El-Gendy, 28, was a member of opposition group the Egyptian Popular Current.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/66261/Egypt/Politics-/New-forensic-report-shows-ElGendy-died-from-tortur.aspx
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Syria’s Education System Is ‘Reeling,’ UNICEF Says
By HANIA MOURTADA and RICK GLADSTONE
March 6, 2013
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The United Nations depicted the collapse of Syria’s education system in a report released on Tuesday, saying that thousands of schools have been damaged or converted into shelters for civilians displaced by civil war and that many children have not attended class since the conflict began two years ago.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/middleeast/syrian-rebels-fight-to-hold-
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Assad’s recent lie: ‘I am secularism’s last fortresses
By ABDULRAHMAN AL-RASHED
05 March 2013
During his interview with the British daily the Sunday Times, embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attempted to provoke Arabs’ fears and stir their emotions. He claimed Arabs had two options, either his regime or al-Qaeda’s rule. He entreated the Western public opinion by saying: “There must be feelings of worry about the Middle East because we are the last stronghold for secularism in the region. If there are worries about the Middle East, then the entire world must be worried about its stability.” So now, he alleges his regime has become secular!
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/views/2013/03/05/269716.html
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Egyptian steel tycoon jailed for profiteering
6 March 2013
CAIRO: An Egyptian court has convicted a Hosni Mubarak-era steel tycoon of profiteering and squandering public funds, and sentenced him to 37 years in prison.
The court Wednesday found Ahmed Ezz guilty of making illicit gains of $740 million in a number of illegal business deals involving his steel firm. The court said Ezz was aided by a former industry minister, who received a one year prison term, with a stay of sentence.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/egyptian-steel-tycoon-jailed-profiteering
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Lebanon calls for Syrian reinstatement at Arab League
06 March 2013
Lebanon’s foreign minister Adnan Mansour called on Wednesday for Syria’s suspension from the Arab League to be reversed in order to help find a political solution to the country’s civil war.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/03/06/269940.html
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Egypt court orders cancellation of elections decree
Reuters | Mar 6, 2013
CAIRO: Egypt's administrative court ordered on Wednesday the cancellation of a decree issued by President Mohamed Mursi that had called parliamentary elections starting April 22, the court said in a statement.
The court said the reason behind the cancellation was that the Shura Council, Egypt's upper house of parliament, did not return the amended electoral law to the Supreme Constitutional Court for final review before passing it.
Under Mursi's decree, the lower house polls were due to be held under the amended electoral law over four stages.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-court-orders-cancellation-of-elections-decree/articleshow/18833650.cms
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Europe
UNICEF Urges Israel to Reform Detention Policies
March 6, 2013
JERUSALEM (AP) — The U.N. children's agency is urging Israel to reform its policies of military detention for Palestinian minors, saying authorities often violate their rights.
A UNICEF report Wednesday says its conclusions are based on interviews with 400 minors arrested and jailed by Israel as well as in meetings with lawyers and Israeli officials.
Abuses include arrest of minors in nighttime raids, interrogations without lawyers while some were shackled, and threats of abuse.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/03/06/world/middleeast/ap-ml-israel-
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Does it matter if the West gives military aid to Uzbekistan?
05 Mar 2013
Sarah Kendzior
On February 16, 2013, the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia, a group comprised mainly of exiles from Uzbekistan, posted a petition online to stop the sale of Western military hardware to Uzbekistan. Titled "No More Andijons" - a reference to the 2005 shooting of over 700 protesters by Uzbek state security forces in Andijon, Uzbekistan - the petition warned that Western equipment would be used for the slaughter of civilians.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/03/20133510525757583.html
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Soviet soldier, missing for 33 years, found in Afghanistan
IANS | Mar 6, 2013
MOSCOW: Sheikh Abdulla, an elderly-looking, impoverished widower working as a traditional healer in Afghanistan, has been found to be a Soviet soldier who went missing during a nine-year-long war that began when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979.
The man with a wispy beard is leading a semi-nomadic life with a local clan in Shindand district.
His real name is Bakhretdin Khakimov, an ethnic Uzbek.
Khakimov was tracked down two weeks ago by a search party of the Warriors Internationalists Affairs Committee, a non-profit, Moscow-based organisation, operating under the aegis of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), whose activists spent a year following the missing soldier's decades-old trail.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Soviet-soldier-missing-for-33-years-found-in-Afghanistan/articleshow/18826808.cms?
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Number of Syrian Refugees Hits 1 Million, U.N. Says
March 6, 2013
UNITED NATIONS: The number of Syrians who have fled their war-ravaged country and are seeking assistance has now topped the one million mark, the United Nations’ refugee agency said Wednesday.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said in a statement released in Geneva that the figure is based on reports from his agency’s field offices in neighboring countries that have provided refuge for Syrians escaping the civil war.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/06/un-agency-syrian-refugee-figure-hits-1-million/
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Africa
Tuareg rebels ask ICC to probe Mali army 'crimes'
Tuareg separatists in Mali request ICC probe into 'acts of torture, summary executions and forced disappearances' by government troops
5 Mar 2013
Ethnic Tuareg separatists in Mali called on the International Criminal Court on Tuesday to launch an investigation into alleged atrocities committed by soldiers during the conflict in the west African nation.
"Soldiers have engaged in acts of torture, summary executions and forced disappearances" in several areas including Timbuktu and Gao, the Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA) said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/66189/World/International/Tuareg-rebels-ask-ICC-to-probe-Mali-army-crimes.aspx
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Tunisian Army Must Focus on Militant Threat: outgoing defence minister
March 6, 2013
Tunis (Reuters) - Tunisia's military is losing its edge after performing security duties for the past two years and should refocus on protecting national borders from Islamist militants, according to the outgoing defence minister.
"Readiness has decreased because of the lack of continuous training," Abdelkarim Zbidi told local Nesma television late on Tuesday, blaming this on the army's nationwide deployment since the fall of strongman Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/03/06/world/africa/06reuters-tunisia-
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Christians Living in Terror in Nigerian Village Amid Islamic Extremist Attacks
By Morning Star News
March 4, 2013
In Mubi in north-eastern Nigeria, Christians do not dare step out of their homes after 8 p.m., church leaders say. And many Christians are too afraid of Islamic extremist attacks to attend church services.
This month suspected members of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram killed eight members of a Church of the Brethren (Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria, or EYN) congregation outside Mubi, among others – the latest in a series of attacks in or near the town in Adamawa state bordering Cameroon.
Full report at:
http://global.christianpost.com/news/christians-living-in-terror-in-nigerian-village-amid-islamic-extremist-attacks-91158/#Sykpjbu8tQIZgZAm.99
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North America
Iran using India for clandestine activities: US
PTI | Mar 6, 2013
WASHINGTON: Describing Iran as the "most significant threat' to regional stability, a top American commander has accused Tehran of carrying out clandestine activities in more than a dozen countries including India.
An Iranian miscalculation raises the risk of sparking disastrous conflict, General James Mattis commander of the US Central Command, told members of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee during a congressional hearing.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Iran-using-India-for-clandestine-activities-US/articleshow/18826358.cms
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Kerry says ‘a lot of countries’ training Syria rebels
06 March 2013
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that “a lot of countries” are training Syrian rebels as part of stepped up efforts to topple President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“It’s one part of it. But other nations are doing other things. There are a lot of nations working at this. And so I think President Assad needs to read the tea leaves correctly,” Kerry told Fox News during a visit to Qatar.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/03/06/269950.html
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Report Details Mistakes Made by U.S. in Improvement Projects for Iraq
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
March 6, 2013
WASHINGTON — Before he left his Pentagon post, Defence Secretary Leon E. Panetta concluded that the inability of the Obama administration to complete an agreement providing for an American military presence in Iraq after 2011 had deprived the United States of important political leverage in Iraq.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/middleeast/report-details-mistakes-made-by-us-in-improvement-projects-for-iraq.html?ref=world&_r=0
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School Tours Promote Islam in Canada
05 March 2013
CAIRO – In an attempt to bridge cultural gaps and promote a better understanding about their faith, Muslim students in the Canadian city of Regina are touring public schools to talk about Islam and the Islamic culture.
"My parents are actually pretty happy about it," Muslim student Abdul Rehman told CBC News on Tuesday, March 5.
"They're really encouraging me to do it because it helps people to understand Muslim people in general."
Full report at:
http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/461648-school-tours-promote-islam-in-canada.html
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13,600 troops should remain in Afghanistan after 2014: US general
March 06, 2013
A top US general has recommended a little less than 14,000 troops be present in the war-torn Afghanistan while Afghan forces take charge of the country's security.
Responding to a question from senator John McCain, US central command commander general James Mattis said the decision pertaining to US forces in Afghanistan post 2014 had not been finalised yet and he had recommended for 13,600 US troops to be present in the country following the pullout of troops in 2014.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/northamerica/13-600-troops-should-remain-in-Afghanistan-after-2014-US-general/Article1-1022025.aspx
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Gulf arms to Syria rebels reaching ‘right people’: Kerry
March 6, 2013
DOHA: US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed confidence on Tuesday that weapons being supplied by Gulf countries to the Syrian rebels were reaching the “right people,” as he visited key rebel ally Qatar.
“We had discussions about the type of weapons that are being transferred. We are aware of what people are doing,” Kerry told reporters in Doha at a press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2013/03/06/gulf-arms-to-syria-rebels-reaching-right-people-kerry/
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Biden Beats Drums of War Against Iran at AIPAC Conference
White House, Israel PM Netanyahu's bellicose rhetoric met with cheers
- Andrea Germanos, staff writer
March 6, 2013
The annual AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conference was the stage for U.S. and Israeli leaders to affirm their message that "all options are on the table" against Iran.
Speaking on Sunday, the first day of the three-day conference in Washington, D.C., Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned of his country's seriousness of its threat to use force against Iran:
Sanctions are unprecedented and hurting, but frankly – while exhausting all diplomatic means is understandable – I do not believe it will lead to a “moment of truth”, where the Ayatollahs will give up their nuclear aspirations. Therefore, all options must remain on the table.
Full report at:
https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/03/05-3
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Southeast Asia
Malaysians Kill 13 Filipino Fighters Amid Fears of Wider Conflict
By FLOYD WHALEY
March 6, 2013
MANILA – An air and ground assault by Malaysian forces killed at least 13 of the nearly 200 militants seeking to reclaim part of Borneo Island for a Filipino sultan, Malaysian police officials said on Wednesday afternoon.
Sporadic fighting continued on Wednesday in remote coastal areas of the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah as the police and soldiers scoured rugged territory, searching house to house to find Filipino rebels who escaped the large-scale assault on Tuesday. At least 40 people have died so far in the fighting.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/world/asia/malaysians-kill-filipino-fighters-amid-
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Marriage Registration Fee to Be Scrapped in Indonesia
Jakarta Globe | March 06, 2013
The Religious Affairs Ministry said it would stop charging a marriage registration fee to ease the burden of those who want to get married and discourage the practice of charging exorbitant "thank you" fees.
“It's final, there'll be no more fees for those who want to get married,” Ministry Inspector General M. Jasin said on Tuesday, as quoted by Antaranews.com.
Under a government regulation issued in 2004 on non-tax revenues, couples have to pay Rp 30,000 ($3) to register their marriage at the Office of Religious Affairs (KUA).
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/marriage-registration-fee-to-be-scrapped-religious-affairs-ministry/577620
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Indonesia's Counterterrorism Unit Hit by Torture Claims
Zubaidah Nazeer - Straits Times | March 06, 2013
The police say they will summon members of the elite counterterrorism squad known as Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) for questioning after a video showing suspected militants being tortured and shot was circulated over the past week, sparking outrage and calls for the unit to be disbanded.
"If the clip is proven to be an abuse of law enforcement, we will investigate to what extent violations of the suspects' human rights have occurred," said police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar.
The 14-minute video, whose origin is unknown, was shot in 2007, the police said. It spread online after being uploaded on a radical website in recent weeks.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesias-counterterrorism-unit-hit-by-torture-claims/577630
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Muslim Rebels Involved in Malaysia: MNLF
March 05, 2013
Manila. Members of a major Philippine Muslim rebel force who were meant to have disarmed in the 1990s as part of a peace pact are involved in deadly battles in Malaysia, the group’s leader said on Tuesday.
Nur Misuari, who founded the Moro National Liberation Front in the late 1960s, confirmed “freedom fighters” from his group were part of the militia sent by a self-proclaimed sultan to claim the Malaysian state of Sabah.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/muslim-rebels-involved-in-malaysia-mnlf/577086
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Armed Filipinos elusive after Malaysian assault
6 March 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysian soldiers and police are scouring rugged terrain in Borneo for armed Filipino intruders who are hiding a day after being bombarded with airstrikes and mortar fire.
The capture of nearly 200 members of a Philippine Muslim clan would ease public nervousness in Malaysia’s resource-rich eastern state of Sabah, which has been shaken in the past week by the killing of eight police officers and 19 Filipino gunmen who slipped into neighboring Malaysia.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/world/armed-filipinos-elusive-after-malaysian-assault
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