Talibani Diktat to Kolkata Madrasa Teacher; Prohibited From Teaching until Dons Skull Cap and Beard
New Age Islam News Bureau
14 Jun 2015
Kazi Masum Akhtar, the headmaster of the Talpukur Ara High Madrasa in Metiabruz area of south west Kolkata, has been prohibited from carrying on his duties at the madrasa unless he sports Islamic attire and grows a beard, according to his wife Refika Akhtar. (Representative Image)
India
• Talibani Diktat to Kolkata Madrasa Teacher; Prohibited From Teaching until Dons Skull Cap and Beard
• Kerala: Bishop Accuses Hindu Outfit of Love Jihad by Abducting Catholic Girls
• India Grants Citizenship to 4,300 Refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan
• Bangladesh looks to resolve Teesta with India after LBA deal
Southeast Asia
• Panellists Lamented the Dearth of Ijtihad, At a Roundtable Discussion in Malaysia
• Jokowi Touts Tolerance as Ahmadis Come under Threat
• Sharia finance has role in RI development: President Jokowi
Arab World
• 40 ISIL Terrorists Dead Near Kirkuk
• 29 Takfiri Militants Dead in Internecine Clashes in Syria
• Thousands flee as Syria Kurds advance on IS-held town
• Ancient Syrian Christian Town Dedicates New Virgin Mary Statue
• S. Arabia to Declare Non-Military Zone in Yemen
• ISIL Starts Mass Killing of Captured Iraqi Soldiers in Mosul
South Asia
• Eight Soldiers Martyred, 41 Militants Killed In Military Operations In Afghanistan
• Taliban Shadow Governor for Kunar among 15 Killed In Airstrike
• Anti-migrant protests in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine
• Afghanistan uses transport planes to target Taliban insurgents
• War crimes: Forkan verdict any day
• ISIS video purportedly shows beheading of Afghan Taliban member
North America
• New York Police Department Aims To Ramp up Recruitment Of Muslims
• US Invites Ansarullah to Geneva Talks on Yemen, Downplays S. Arabia's Political Role
• Hollywood actor Michael Enright tells Al Arabiya why he fights ISIS
Pakistan
• Pakistan Vows to either Arrest or Eliminate TTP Leadership As Military Operation Is About To End in North Waziristan
• Two Militant Leaders, 47 Aides Lay Down Arms
• Pakistan imposes moratorium on executions during Ramadan
• Interior Ministry suspends order to close 'Save the Children'
• Millions allocated for renovation of Pak Sectt mosque
• Nearly 350 military men killed in Zarb-e-Azb: ISPR
• Balochistan govt to make refusal against polio vaccine 'a crime'
Africa
• International Court Calls For S. Africa to Arrest Sudan President
• Islamic militants raid army base and village in Kenya
• Rival Libya militants capture ISIS commander
• Suicide bomber kills 3 in Libya’s Derna
• U.N.: 14,000 S. Sudanese flee to Sudan in two weeks
Mideast
• Houthi Forces in Yemen Seize Provincial Capital near Saudi Border: Residents
• Israeli Probe Defends Gaza War Actions as ‘Legitimate’ and ‘Lawful’
• Israel army kills West Bank Palestinian: Palestinian security
• Spying fear prompts ban on smart phones for Iran officials
• After losing majority, Erdogan wants to form Turkish coalition government
• Nuclear talks face many differences: says Rouhani
Europe
• Britain: Schools Watchdog with Links to Extremists Shut Down
• French app hopes to link Muslim faithful with prayer
• U.N. confirms Yemen talks to convene in Geneva
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/talibani-diktat-kolkata-madrasa-teacher;/d/103485
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India
Talibani Diktat to Kolkata Madrasa Teacher; Prohibited From Teaching until Dons Skull Cap and Beard
14 June, 2015
KOLKATA: The head of a West Bengal government-aided madrasa has been allegedly facing "attacks" from "local fundamentalists" for his advocacy of "progressive" educational reforms, family sources claimed on Saturday.
Kazi Masum Akhtar, the headmaster of the Talpukur Ara High Madrasa in Metiabruz area of south west Kolkata, has been prohibited from carrying on his duties at the madrasa unless he sports Islamic attire and grows a beard, according to his wife Refika Akhtar.
However, managing committee secretary of the madarsa Sirajul Islam Mondal while rubbishing the accusations said Kazi Masum's presence in the area would lead to "problems" which "will not be good for him (Kazi Masum)".
Refika alleged Kazi Masum has been prohibited from carrying out his duties at the madrasa unless he sports Islamic attire and grows a beard.
"He was attacked on March 26 by local fundamentalists for allegedly hurting religious sentiments; they thought his approach was non-conformist and far too progressive. Members of the madrasa's management committee informed us that he would be permitted to join the school only after he started wearing skull caps and Islamic attire and grew a beard," Refika said.
"He was trying to introduce the Indian national anthem in the daily prayer service and was vocal against early marriage of girls. He was trying to promote scientific temper and rational thinking. He had initiated cultural activities for all-round development," a family member said.
As an ad hoc measure to help Kazi Masum retain his job, the education department of the state government has asked him to register attendance at the office of the district inspector of schools.
"However, the state government has failed to ensure security. We live under the shadow of terror," Refika said.
Kazi Masum was in charge of the madrasa since 2012 and was successful in upgrading the quality of education there, said a family member.
In fact, the madrasa's managing committee had recommended his name for the state government's Shiksha Ratna award (best teacher in the state).
"A local club had felicitated him for his contribution. But some of his columns in leading Bengali dailies angered the fundamentalists," she said.
Family members claimed the commissioner of Kolkata Police has written in a report filed before the Minorities' Commission that Kazi Masum could come under attack even if the police escorted him to and from the madrasa.
But Mondal termed "as baseless" the allegations that Kazi Masum was not being allowed to attend school for not growing a beard or wearing un-Islamic attire.
"This is baseless. The actual problem is he has no Islamic knowledge, which is necessary to continue in the post".
"Some of his writings have also created issues as they are not based on any knowledge of Islamic way of life or studies. He randomly takes information from the internet and writes.
"If he comes to our locality there will be problems. It will not be good for him also," Mondal told IANS.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Talibani-diktat-to-Madarsa-teacher-prohibited-from-teaching-until-dons-skull-cap-and-beard/articleshow/47658066.cms
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Kerala: Bishop Accuses Hindu Outfit of Love Jihad by Abducting Catholic Girls
14 June, 2015
A Catholic bishop in Kerala on Saturday said Christian girls were being “abducted by love jihad” which, he claimed, was being carried out by Hindu outfit Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam. Addressing a meeting of a diocese organisation, Idukki Bishop Mathew Anikuzhikkattil said, “Inter-caste marriages would destroy Christian essence and style. Our girls are being abducted by love jihad… secret aims of the SNDP Yogam. We should be vigilant against this.”
He claimed that incidents of Christian girls falling into the “trap” of inter-caste love and subsequently abandoning their families were on the rise. “When a girl who lived with her parents till the age of 18, who studied at Sunday school about Christian faith till 12th class, who had grown up in our faith and tradition, walks away with a Muslim or an auto driver or an SNDP man, that shows the deficiency in our faith and teachings,” said the Bishop, who is the chairman of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council for Family Commission. He said the girls who go for inter-caste marriages were abandoning the Christian faith. He added that though the government was in favour of inter-caste marriage, those who are faithful to Christianity should oppose it. Last week, the Catholic Church in Kerala had launched a matrimonial website in a bid to prevent inter-caste marriages. While launching the website, http://www.syromalabarmatrimony.org, Bishop Jose Porunnedam, who is in-charge of the internet mission, said the trend of Catholic men and women finding life partners from other communities is on the rise. The website is meant to curb the practice.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india-others/kerala-bishop-accuses-hindu-outfit-of-love-jihad-by-abducting-catholic-girls-from-christian-faith/#sthash.8JBGBv3S.dpuf
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India grants citizenship to 4,300 refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan
Jun 14 2015
At least 4,300 refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan were granted citizenship by the authorities in India during the past one year.
The citizenship to Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan and Pakistan were granted as part of a program by the National Democratic (NDA) government to grant Indian nationality to nearly 200,000 refugees from neighbouring countries.
The refugees were granted citizenship at the initiative of Home Minister Rajnath Singh following BJP’s declared policy that India is a “natural home for persecuted Hindus” who will be welcome to seek refuge.
This comes as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, during the Lok Sabha election campaign, said that Pakistani and Bangladeshi Hindu refugees will be treated like any other Indian citizen.
According to the local newspaper – Times of India, there are around two lakh Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan currently living in India.
At least 19,000 refugees were also given long-term visas since the Modi government assumed charge in May 2014.
Citing official sources, the newspaper repored around 11,000 long-term visas were given in Rajasthan and 4,000 long-term visas were given in Gujarat.
India’s home ministry also olled out an online system for submission of Long Term Visa application and for its processing by various agencies in the month of April.
The decision by the government of India to grant citizenship to refugees from neighboring countries, was taken with an aim to address the difficulty being faced by Hindu and Sikh minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who come to India with the intention to settle permanently.
http://www.khaama.com/india-grants-citizenship-to-4300-refugees-from-afghanistan-and-pakistan-9486
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Bangladesh looks to resolve Teesta with India after LBA deal
PTI | Jun 14, 2015,
DHAKA: Buoyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit during which "history" was made by inking the long-pending land boundary agreement, Bangladesh now looks forward to resolving the crucial Teesta water-sharing issue soon.
"History was made here," Bangladesh foreign minister AH Mahmud Ali told PTI, referring to ratification of the land boundary agreement under which 111 border enclaves will be transferred to Bangladesh in exchange for 51 that will become part of India.
"We are very happy and delighted," Ali said about the outcome of Modi's visit as he credited the Prime Minister for bringing a new momentum to the bilateral ties and said Dhaka always wanted to have a deeper relationship with India.
Calling ratification of the LBA between the two countries a major milestone in taking forward the engagement in many more areas, Ali said the common man too could feel the renewed vigour in bilateral ties.
Noting that Modi's June 6-7 visit laid the foundation for a much "stronger and closer" relationship, the foreign minister exuded confidence of resolving the Teesta water sharing issue soon.
"We are hopeful (of finalizing it). We have to work through. We have to build upon the goodwill and the camaraderie that has been generated during Modi's visit. We have to work continuously," he said.
During the visit here, Modi had also expressed confidence of finding a "fair solution" to the long-pending Teesta and Feni river water sharing issue.
Teesta water is crucial for Bangladesh, especially in the leanest period from December to March when the water flow often temporarily comes down to less than 1,000 cusecs from 5,000 cusecs.
Talking about Modi's reference to India's support to Bangladesh Liberation War, Ali said both the countries must "restore the sense of togetherness, sense of partnership" which was evident during the country's "freedom struggle".
"He said that he thought we are reliving 1971. That's the spirit. We are absolutely with him. This is the way to go forward," Ali said, adding the relationship between the two countries will grow leaps and bounds in days to come.
Praising Modi, Ali said it was because of his "dynamic" leadership that bipartisan support was possible in Indian Parliament to the Constitution amendment bill providing for settling of the 41-year-old land boundary dispute.
"He has also brought together all the parties in Parliament. That was a tremendous achievement," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Bangladesh-looks-to-resolve-Teesta-with-India-after-LBA-deal/articleshow/47665326.cms
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Southeast Asia
Panellists Lamented the Dearth of Ijtihad, At a Roundtable Discussion in Malaysia
When Did Muslims Close The Door To Reasoning? Scholars Ask
14 June, 2015
Panellists at a roundtable discussion on Islam and human rights today lamented the dearth of Ijtihad, or independent reasoning, among modern Muslims which has led to the religion being uniquely hostile towards diverse views and interpretations.
According to the panellists, the Muslim world had flourished with scholars and ground-breaking scientists when the Mutazilites from a school that espouses reason and rational thought were influential, but has now resorted to suppressing dissent instead.
“In Islamic societies, compared to other societies, especially in the Western worlds, the variety, diversity of views is absolutely suppressed,” said Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, an emeritus professor of law at Universiti Teknologi Mara.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/when-did-muslims-close-the-door-to-reasoning-scholars-ask#sthash.NkeOZv1i.dpuf
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Jokowi Touts Tolerance as Ahmadis Come Under Threat
14 June, 2015
Jakarta. President Joko Widodo has echoed Vice President Jusuf Kalla’s claim that Indonesia’s brand of Islam is a peaceful one, on the same weekend that hard-liners in Jakarta threatened to drive out a community of beleaguered Ahmadiyah Muslims.
Joko, speaking at Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta on Sunday before an estimated 40,000 members of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country’s biggest Islamic organization, said Indonesian values had given the country’s brand of Islam a tolerant character.
“Ours is an Islam that is polite, full of courtesy and tolerance,” he said.
He added that Indonesia’s should be grateful for what he called “Islam Nusantara,” or “Archipelagic Islam,” noting that many other countries with Muslim-majority populations tended to be riven by conflict. He cited Yemen, Syria and Iran as examples.
Full report at:
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jakarta/jokowi-touts-tolerance-ahmadis-come-threat/
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Sharia finance has role in RI development: President Jokowi
14 June, 2015
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has asserted that Indonesia’s Islamic, or Sharia, finance sector has a role in the country’s development, such as boosting economic activities, so it must be continuously developed.
"The opportunity to expand Indonesia’s Sharia finance market share is still open quite wide because based on 2014 World Bank data, only 36.1 percent of adult people in Indonesia have accounts in formal financial institutions," he said as quoted by Antara.
The President was speaking during the launch of the I Love Sharia Finance program initiated by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Sunday.
Jokowi said currently, the number of Indonesia’s sharia finance customers reached more than 18 million.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/14/syariah-finance-has-role-ri-development-president.html#sthash.3JQCc2C1.dpuf
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Arab World
40 ISIL Terrorists Dead Near Kirkuk
14 June, 2015
At least 40 terrorists were killed after Iraqi warplanes targeted convoys belonging to the ISIL Takfiri group near the Northern city of Kirkuk.
According to Iraqi media reports, the Iraqi fighter jets pounded 8 convoys of the ISIL in Zab area near Kirkuk, killing more than 40 terrorists.
The reports added that the convoys were destroyed after four missiles were launched against them by the Iraqi jets.
The ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently control shrinking swathes of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.
Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.
The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940324000532
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29 Takfiri Militants Dead in Internecine Clashes in Syria
14 June, 2015
More than 29 Takfiri terrorists were killed after infighting erupted between ISIL and Al-Nusra Front in the Northwestern Syrian province of Aleppo.
According to Arab media reports, the ISIL terrorists and the Al-Nusra militants exchanged heavy gunfire over the control of al-Bal village in Aleppo early on Saturday.
At least 29 Takfiri terrorists were killed on both sides in the clashes, the reports added.
The reports also said that the al-Nusra Front gained the upper hand over the ISIL during the skirmishes and executed several members of the terrorist group after seizing a tank and huge amount of their ammunition.
The clashes between Al-Nusra Front and the ISIL have prompted 60,000 people to flee towns in some districts in Syria.
Reports suggest that hundreds of militants on both sides have so far been killed in the internecine clashes.
The ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently control shrinking swathes of Syria and Iraq. They have threatened all communities, including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians, Ezadi Kurds and others, as they continue their atrocities in Iraq.
Senior Iraqi officials have blamed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Persian Gulf Arab states for the growing terrorism in their country.
The ISIL has links with Saudi intelligence and is believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940324000311
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Thousands flee as Syria Kurds advance on IS-held town
14 June, 2015
Kurdish forces pressed their advance on a strategic jihadist-held town in northern Syria on Sunday as terrified residents fled in droves and were pushed back from the Turkish border.
Backed by Arab Syrian rebel factions and air strikes by the US-led coalition, Kurdish militia were closing in on Tal Abyad, a town used by the Islamic State group as a gateway from Turkey into its bastion province of Raqa.
Kurdish sources say the goal is to cut off a crucial supply line for the jihadists, who have been accused of bringing in foreign fighters and supplies across the Turkish border.
Many from the area's mixed population of Arabs and Kurds were fleeing in anticipation of a major battle, and thousands were gathered behind barbed wire fences around the Turkish border crossing of Akcakale, an AFP photographer reported.
As they had on Saturday, Turkish troops were preventing anyone from crossing, sporadically firing water cannons to ensure the Syrians stayed back from the fence.
The Syrians -- who had spent the night at the fence sleeping in the open -- could be heard asking in Arabic for help. Many held up empty bottles, pleading for water in scorching early summer temperatures.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/14/thousands-flee-syria-kurds-advance-is-held-border-town.html#sthash.p2mhPXcR.dpuf
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Ancient Syrian Christian town dedicates new Virgin Mary statue
14 June 2015
The historic Christian Syrian town of Maalula celebrated Saturday as a new statue of the Virgin Mary was erected in its center, replacing the figure destroyed in rebel attacks in 2013.
Dozens of families gathered alongside government officials and religious dignitaries in the main square, which was adorned with government flags and a giant portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/06/14/Ancient-Syrian-Christian-town-dedicates-new-Virgin-Mary-statue.html
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S. Arabia to Declare Non-Military Zone in Yemen
14 June, 2015
The Saudi-led coalition plans to create a non-military zone inside Yemen's bordering areas to prevent deployment of the Yemeni army and Ansarullah forces and their weapons.
Al-Arabiya quoted Saudi military sources as saying that some entanglement will be created in Yemen's territories through air and ground operations in cooperation with the Saudi-led coalition to prevent the Yemenis' attacks which have killed a large number of Saudi officers, including Lieutenant General Muhammad bin Ahmed al-Shaalan, the commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940324000466
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ISIL Starts Mass Killing of Captured Iraqi Soldiers in Mosul
14 June, 2015
The ISIL terrorist group has conducted a mass execution of former Iraqi soldiers captured in Mosul, unnamed military sources revealed.
According to the officials, the corpses of 27 former Iraqi soldiers were sent to a morgue in the city of Mosul, Rudaw reported.
“The ISIL had asked the soldiers to join the group and fight alongside the terrorists,” the sources said, claiming they were killed for their refusal to join the group.
A similar story run by Mosul Eye on Wednesday made a bigger claim that the bodies of 134 slain police and security officers were delivered to Aljamhouri Hospital.
Mosul Eye, the nom de guerre of an “independent historian” reporting anonymously from inside Mosul, said the ISIL killed the officials because it suspected they were aiding anti-ISIL forces.
The ISIL captured Mosul in June 2014, many of the city's defense forces fled and left their weapons and uniforms behind.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940324000567
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South Asia
Eight soldiers martyred, 41 militants killed in newest military operations
Jun 14 2015
Eight soldiers have embraced martyrdom and 41 insurgents killed in newest military operations across the country, Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday.
General Zahir Azimi, the ministry’s spokesman says that the eight soldiers embraced martyrdom in landmine explosion and militant fire in past 24 hours. However, he has not mentioned the exact locations of the incidents in his tweet posted on his twitter account this morning.
General Azimi has also said that 41 militants were killed and 37 others wounded during military operations in 11 provinces.
He says nine suspects were also detained during these operations.
Security forces have also seized weapons and ammunition and defused Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) but the tweet does not contain a specific number of them.
http://www.khaama.com/eight-soldiers-martyred-41-militants-killed-in-newest-military-operations-3489
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Taliban shadow governor for Kunar among 15 killed in airstrike
Jun 14 2015
Taliban so-called governor for eastern Kunar province has been killed along with 14 other militants in an airstrike, NDS said on Sunday.
According to a statement released by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) – Afghanistan’s intelligence agency – the airstrike was carried out in Dangam District of Kunar province.
Omar Zadran is identified as the The Taliban shadow governor who was killed along with two other senior Taliban commanders and 12 fighters in the attack.
The other two commanders are identified as Mawlawi Asghar who had led a terrorist attack on Dangam District a few months before and Mawlawi Shahabuddin another prominent Taliban commander.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/breaking-news-taliban-shadow-governor-for-kunar-among-15-killed-in-airstrike-3494
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Anti-migrant protests in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine
14 June, 2015
Buddhist hardliners backed by monks protested in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state Sunday against help being offered to desperate migrants found adrift on boats in the Bay of Bengal.
Rakhine, one of Myanmar's poorest states, is a tinderbox of tension between its Buddhist majority and a persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority, many of whom live in displacement camps after deadly unrest erupted there in 2012.
Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled Rakhine in recent years, joined increasingly by economic migrants from neighboring Bangladesh, mainly headed for Malaysia and Indonesia.
The exodus was largely ignored until a crackdown on the people-smuggling trade in Thailand last month caused chaos as gangmasters abandoned their human cargos on land and sea.
Some 4,500 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants have since washed ashore in the region while the UN estimates around 2,000 others are still trapped at sea.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/14/anti-migrant-protests-myanmars-troubled-rakhine.html#sthash.47kzn7tH.dpuf
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Afghanistan uses transport planes to target Taliban insurgents
Jun 14 2015
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) officials have said transport planes are used to carry out airstrikes against the Taliban insurgents due to the lack of fighter planes to provide close air support.
Gen. Afzal Aman, Chief of Operations for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said the transport planes have been armed with weapons and are deployed to provide air support for the ground force.
He said the Afghan Air Force needs training which could not be achieved with short term courses and insisted that it would be difficult to have a proper air force within a short span of time.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-uses-transport-planes-to-target-taliban-insurgents-9487
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War crimes: Forkan verdict any day
Ashif Islam Shaon
14 June, 2015
The verdict in the war crimes case against Forkan Mallik will be delivered any day.
The International Crimes Tribunal 2 kept the case waiting for verdict on Sunday afternoon.
orkan is facing five charges of crimes against humanity he had committed during the war in Mirzaganj in Pirojpur.
Abdul Hamid of Shoulabunia of Mirzaganj upazila of Patuakhali lodged a case against Forkan with Mirzaganj police station on July 21, 2009.
After investigating the case primarily, police sent it to Patuakhali district and session judge’s court. After accepting the case, the court issued an arrest warrant against Forkan in 2013.
Police arrested him from Rupatali bus stand area of Barisal on June 25, 2014.
Tribunal 2 ordered the inspector general of prisons (IG Prisons) on July 3 to produce the war crime accused before it.
On October 27, the investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal finalised two reports against Forkan Mollik, a razakar commander from Mirzaganj of Patuakhali.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/jun/14/war-crimes-forkan-verdict-any-day#sthash.e7tuuSfY.dpuf
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ISIS video purportedly shows beheading of Afghan Taliban member
14 June, 2015
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group has released a video which purportedly shows the beheading of a Taliban member in Afghanistan.
The video which was reportedly released by Wilayat Khorasan, a new province was announced in Afghanistan-Pakistan by the terror group earlier this year.
Snapshots of the video circulated online purportedly shows the execution of the victim who has been identified as Saad Imarati, who reportedly swtiched allegiances from ISIS back to the Taliban group in Afghanistan.
Full report at:
https://www.khaama.com/isis-video-purportedly-shows-beheading-of-afghan-taliban-member-1200
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North America
New York Police Department Aims To Ramp Up Recruitment Of Muslims
14 June, 2015
NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Police Department is working to recruit more Muslims, and is asking for help within the community to better refine outreach aimed at stifling the lure of overseas terror groups, officials said Monday.
Right now, there are about 800 Muslim uniformed police officers out of about 35,000, according to the NYPD Muslim Officers Society. Of those, only about 20 are higher ranked officials. Lt. Adeel Rana, commanding officer of the community affairs immigration outreach unit, said there has been a slow increase over the past decade, but it has been rapidly changing in the past year and a half.
"It's changing every day; we are getting more and more recruits," he said. "And as they see people of their own religion in uniform, their eyes brighten."
There has been an effort to increase openness and communication with the community since the new administration took over, stinging from a public outcry over the contentious stop , question and frisk policy and the surveillance of Muslims. A unit that investigated Muslims under the previous police commissioner was disbanded, and Commissioner William Bratton said Monday officials had worked hard to regain trust.
Full report at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/08/new-york-police-department-muslims_n_7539538.html?ir=India&adsSiteOverride=in
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US Invites Ansarullah to Geneva Talks on Yemen, Downplays S. Arabia's Political Role
14 June, 2015
The US has asked Ansarullah to participate in the Geneva talks on Sunday, downplaying Saudi Arabia's political role, a senior leader of the Yemeni movement said.
Abdoljalil Adnan al-Shalal revealed to FNA on Sunday that a delegation of Ansarullah headed to Geneva today to participate in the UN-sponsored negotiations on Yemen.
"Hamza Ali al-Houthi and Mahdi al-Mashat represent Ansarullah in the Geneva talks and they are expected to be joined by other Ansarullah leaders who are now in Oman," he said.
Noting that Saudi Arabia attempts to rock the boat and trouble the Geneva talks, Shalal said, "Through Masqat, the US demanded Ansarullah and other Yemeni sides to go to Geneva and participate in the negotiations."
"The US explicitly said in the Masqat meeting that Saudi Arabia plays no political role in the Yemen crisis and it should stop its aggression against Yemen after arriving at the needed agreements in Geneva," he added.
In relevant remarks earlier this month, Ansarullah Spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam welcomed the United Nations' invitation to Yemen's political groups to take part in the upcoming Geneva peace talks.
Full report at:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940324000952
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Hollywood actor Michael Enright tells Al Arabiya why he fights ISIS
14 June 2015
British actor Michael Enright, who is fighting against ISIS in Syria alongside Kurdish forces, has said it was the execution of American journalist James Foley in 2014 that pushed him to fight the militants.
In an exclusive six-minute interview with Al Arabiya News Channel this week in the Syrian battlefield, Enright said it was painful for him to watch Foley’s execution.
“The reason I came out here is because originally I saw James Foley, an American citizen, journalist and innocent man, getting his head cut off. I had never seen anything like that and I felt a bunch of raw emotions. [It was] very painful for me.
“What made it worse for me was that not only was [James Foley] an innocent made, the coward that did it was an Englishman,” Enright said in reference to British ISIS executioner Mohammed Emwazi, known for months as “Jihadi John” before he was identified by British intelligence.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/06/14/Hollywood-actor-Michael-Enright-tells-Al-Arabiya-why-he-s-fighting-ISIS.html
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Pakistan
Pakistan vows to either arrest or eliminate TTP leadership as military operation is about to end in North Waziristan
Jun 14 2015
Pakistan has vowed to either arrest or eliminate the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leaders as the military operation Zarb-i-Azab is about to end in North Waziristan.
Major General Asim Bajwa from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistani military’s media wing, says that only few of the militant hideouts along the border with Afghanistan are remaining which will be destroyed in these last steps of the operation.
“The operation has moved to last few pockets close to Pakistan, Afghanistan border and so far 2,763 terrorists have been killed,” Major General Bajwa said.
Talking to Pakistan’s ARY News, Major General Bajwa said that the leadership of TTP is hiding inside Afghanistan, noting that it would be either be arrested or eliminated.
“It’s now no more easy for militants to carry out foul plays,” he said.
Pakistan began an large-scale military operation after peace talks with TTP failed about a year ago in North Waziristan.
Full report at:
http://www.khaama.com/pakistan-vows-to-either-arrest-or-kill-ttp-leaders-as-military-operation-is-about-to-end-in-north-waziristan-3493
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Two militant leaders, 47 aides lay down arms
14 June, 2015
QUETTA: Two leaders of the banned militant groups surrendered along with their 47 companions here on Saturday.
Shikari Marri and Madina Marri laid down their weapons and announced at a press conference that they had abandoned their anti-state activities and would serve the people as citizens of Pakistan.
They said they belonged to the banned United Baloch Army (UBA) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Speaking on the occasion, Balochistan Irrigation Minister Nawab Jangayz Marri, who is also chief of his tribe, Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti and Frontier Corps Deputy Inspector General Brig Tahir Mehmood said the youths working for militant groups should join the mainstream because peace was needed for progress and prosperity of the province.
The home minister said the nationalist leaders living abroad should avoid patronising militancy in Balochistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1188066/two-militant-leaders-47-aides-lay-down-arms
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Pakistan imposes moratorium on executions during Ramadan
14 June 2015
Pakistan has imposed a one month moratorium on executions during Ramadan, officials said Sunday, providing temporary reprieve for a death row prisoner whose lawyers claim he was a juvenile at the time of the crime.
On Wednesday, Pakistan hanged one man allegedly tortured into confessing to murder as a minor -- despite international condemnation -- and rejected an appeal from another, Shafqat Hussain, sentenced to hang for killing a seven-year-old boy in 2004.
"It is a tradition that nobody is executed in the fasting month of Ramadan and the authorities have ordered that this tradition continues this year too," said Nusrat Mangan, Inspector General of prisons in southern Sindh province, where Hussain has been held.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/asia/2015/06/14/Pakistan-imposes-moratorium-on-executions-during-Ramadan-.html
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Interior Ministry suspends order to close 'Save the Children'
14 June, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior has suspended its own orders to shut down international aid organisation Save the Children's operations in Pakistan.
A confidential memo dated June 12 says, "The competent authority has desired that action on above letter [to seal the charity] may be held in abeyance till further orders."
Authorities on June 11 ordered the international non-government organisation (INGO) Save the Children to leave the country saying the charity was “working against the country”, police and government officials said.
Government administration officials accompanied by police arrived at the charity's office in the heart of Islamabad after working hours and placed a lock on the door and a notice saying the building had been sealed.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1188154/interior-ministry-suspends-order-to-close-save-the-children
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Millions allocated for renovation of Pak Sectt mosque
14 June, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Out of seven key development projects to be overseen by the Cabinet Division this year, the renovation of a mosque at Pak-Secretariat at the cost of Rs212 million is a top priority for the government.
Possibly, in the hopes of leaving their mark on the capital, the PML-N government envisioned this project in May 2014. However, in the fiscal 2014-15 it remained buried under the files with the government remaining occupied for many months with the political sit-ins in the capital.
This year Rs100 million has been allocated in the current fiscal year 2015-16 for the CDA to complete the renovation project within one year.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1188132/millions-allocated-for-renovation-of-pak-sectt-mosque?preview
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Nearly 350 military men killed in Zarb-e-Azb: ISPR
14 June, 2015
RAWALPINDI: In a series of tweets, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa on Saturday marked a year since the launch of Operation Zarb-i-Azb with an overview of significant achievements.
While the information shared by the military's public relations wing cannot be independently verified, the short statement today said that so far 2,763 suspected terrorists have been killed in the North Waziristan operation. It added that 837 hideouts have been destroyed and 253 tons of explosives have been recovered.
He said that militant strongholds, communications infra structure and sanctuaries were cleared on a large scale in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), including North Waziristan and Khyber agencies.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1187994/nearly-350-military-men-killed-in-zarb-e-azb-ispr
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Balochistan govt to make refusal against polio vaccine 'a crime'
14 June, 2015
QUETTA: The Balochistan government has decided to table a vaccination bill in the provincial assembly to make it compulsory for parents to get their children, below the age five, vaccinated for polio — refusal to which would lead to punishment and arrest by authorities.
"We are preparing a draft for the provincial government to bring Polio Vaccination Act in the Assembly," Balochistan Health Secretary Noor-ul-Haq Baloch told Dawn.com.
Balochistan Health Department has already declared 45 union councils as high risk areas. Meanwhile, presence of polio virus has already been confirmed in environmental samples collected from Quetta and Killa Abdullah districts.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1188006/balochistan-govt-to-make-refusal-against-polio-vaccine-a-crime
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Africa
International court calls for S. Africa to arrest Sudan president
14 June, 2015
The International Criminal Court has called for South Africa to arrest Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is reported to have arrived in Johannesburg for a summit of the African Union that starts today.
Bashir is wanted by the ICC, of which South Africa is a signatory, over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Darfur conflict dating back to 2003.
The court's president Sidiki Kaba said in a statement that he "calls on South Africa, which has always contributed to the strengthening of the Court, to spare no effort in ensuring the execution of the arrest warrants."
He was deeply concerned "about the negative consequences for the Court in case of non-execution of the warrants," the statement added.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/international-court-calls-for-s.-africa-to-arrest-sudan-president#sthash.K3iTdUQp.dpuf
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Islamic militants raid army base and village in Kenya
14 June, 2015
Suspected Shabab gunmen raided a Kenyan military base and briefly took over a village Sunday in the latest attacks highlighting the insecurity that plagues parts of the country.
Both attacks in Lamu county on Kenya's coast close to the border with Somalia, were blamed on the Somali-led Al-Qaeda affiliate that has in recent months focused more attention on Kenya.
A spokesman for the Kenya Defence Forces claimed that 11 Shabab militants were killed, including "two fighters of Caucasian origin".
Two Kenyan soldiers were also killed in the pre-dawn assault on a military camp in Baure, said Colonel David Obonyo.
Obonyo said weapons including 13 AK-47 assault rifles, five rocket-propelled grenades and eight hand grenades were recovered.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/132752/World/International/Islamic-militants-raid-army-base-and-village-in-Ke.aspx
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Rival Libya militants capture ISIS commander
14 June 2015
A Libyan Islamist militant alliance joined forces with local people in Derna to drive back ISIS fighters, capturing the group's Yemeni commander and retaking a city courthouse, local residents said on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Derna, killing at least three people and wounding five more as rival militants fought on the streets. A second bomber also detonated his explosives later but there were no casualties other than the bomber, who died.
ISIS loyalists, who have been expanding their foothold in the North African country, have been engaged in fierce fighting for control of Derna for a week with local Islamist umbrella group Majlis Mujahideen.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/14/Rival-Libya-militants-capture-ISIS-commander.html
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Suicide bomber kills 3 in Libya’s Derna
13 June 2015
A suicide bomber blew himself up in the Libyan city of Derna on Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding five more as rival militants fought on the streets, local residents said.
Officials could not confirm the blast in Derna, which is at the center of internecine fighting between Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants and a rival brigade of Islamist groups battling for control of the city.
Residents said ISIS loyalists and Islamist umbrella group Majlis al-Shura had been fighting since last week.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2015/06/14/Suicide-bomber-kills-3-in-Libya-s-Derna-.html
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U.N.: 14,000 S.Sudanese flee to Sudan in two weeks
14 June, 2015
Some 14,000 South Sudanese, mostly women and children, have fled their country's civil war to Sudan in the past fortnight, creating an "emergency within an emergency," the UN refugee agency warned Saturday.
South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his ex-deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup, splitting the country along tribal and ethnic lines.
More than 157,000 South Sudanese have fled to Sudan since the war started.
"In the last week we have an influx of about 7,000, and in the last two weeks about 14,000 arriving and that's considered an emergency within an emergency," said Ann Encontre, the UNHCR's regional refugee coordinator for South Sudan.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2015/06/13/U-N-14-000-S-Sudanese-flee-to-Sudan-in-two-weeks.html
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Mideast
Houthi forces in Yemen seize provincial capital near Saudi border: Residents
14 June, 2015
SANAA: Houthi forces and their army allies in Yemen seized the capital of a large desert province on the border with Saudi Arabia on Sunday, residents said, an important victory for the group ahead of peace talks in Geneva on Monday.
The Houthis, the dominant faction in Yemen's civil war, took control of al-Hazm, capital of the province of al-Jawf, amid Saudi-led coalition air strikes on Houthi positions and heavy fighting with armed tribesmen.
“The Houthi forces and those loyal to the former president spread out in the city and around government buildings,” a tribal source in al-Hazm told Reuters by phone.
A Saudi-led military alliance has been carrying out air raids in Yemen for almost three months to try to restore exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and repel the Houthis, whom they regard as proxies for their regional archrival Iran.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1188158/houthi-forces-in-yemen-seize-provincial-capital-near-saudi-border-residents
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Israeli probe defends Gaza war actions as ‘legitimate’ and ‘lawful’
14 June, 2015
Israel today defended its conduct in the 2014 Gaza war as both "lawful" and "legitimate" in an inter-ministerial report into the deadly 50-day conflict.
"Much of what may have appeared to external parties to be indiscriminate harm to civilians or purely civilian objects was in fact legitimate attacks against military targets that merely appear civilian but were actually part of the military operations of these terrorist organisations," the report said.
Civilians were also harmed as a result of "unfortunate – yet lawful – incidental effects of legitimate military action in the vicinity of civilians and their surroundings," it added.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/israeli-probe-defends-gaza-war-actions-as-legitimate-and-lawful#sthash.BgAJZzBS.dpuf
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Israel army kills West Bank Palestinian: Palestinian security
14 June, 2015
Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian man Sunday by hitting him with their jeep during clashes near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian security sources said.
Abdallah Ghanayem, 21, died after being struck by the vehicle during clashes that erupted in the village of Kfar Malik following a dawn Israeli army raid, the sources said.
An army spokesman told AFP that a Palestinian had died after he threw an incendiary device at a jeep and the vehicle overturned on him.
It was the second death of a Palestinian in clashes with Israeli forces in less than a week, after a man was shot dead during a confrontation with the Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday in a northern West Bank refugee camp.
According to the United Nations, Israeli soldiers have killed 11 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the year.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/132714/World/Region/Israel-army-kills-West-Bank-Palestinian-Palestinia.aspx
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Spying fear prompts ban on smartphones for Iran officials
14 June, 2015
Iranian officials with access to classified information will be forbidden from using smartphones in connection with their work because of fears of espionage, a security official said on Saturday.
Such phones are not secure as “data entered on to them is backed up, cannot be removed and can be accessed,” Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali told ISNA news agency, alluding to smartphone applications and manufacturers.
Jalali, head of Iran’s Civil Defence Organisation, said the new rule, which is pending final approval, would mean officials “should use other phones for work that involves sensitive information.”
Full report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/middle-east-africa/spying-fears-prompts-ban-on-smartphones-for-iran-officials/#sthash.I24a5AG2.dpuf
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After losing majority, Erdogan wants to form Turkish coalition government
14 June, 2015
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today said he would ask Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to form a coalition government, after it lost its overall majority in legislative elections.
Should the AKP fail in the talks, Erdogan said he would then ask the second-placed opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to form the government.
And only if those talks failed, Erdogan said, would he use his right within the constitution to call early elections.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/after-losing-overall-majority-erdogan-wants-to-form-turkish-coalition-gover#sthash.By3g98AI.dpuf
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Nuclear talks face many differences: says Rouhani
14 June, 2015
TEHRAN: There are still “many differences over details” of a nuclear deal Iran and world powers are trying to conclude by June 30, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday.
Iranian negotiators and those of the P5+1 group (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States) are meeting in Vienna to clinch a deal that would guarantee the strictly peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for a lifting of punishing international sanctions.
“The general framework that the Islamic Republic of Iran wants is accepted by the P5+1 group but there are still many differences in the details that must be addressed,” Rouhani told a press conference on the occasion of the second anniversary of his election.
“We are very serious in the negotiations. We do not seek to gain time, but at the same time we are not captives of time. We are not in a hurry but we try to use every opportunity to reach a good deal,” he added.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/world/news/761611
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Europe
Britain: Schools Watchdog with Links to Extremists Shut Down
14 June, 2015
A controversial body accused of whitewashing hard-line Muslim schools is to be closed down in the latest blow for Islamist extremism in Britain.
The Bridge Schools Inspectorate, which in 2008 took over responsibility from Ofsted for inspecting many private Muslim schools, will cease operations in October after coming under strong pressure from ministers and Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector of schools.
In a letter to the BSI last year, Sir Michael said it was failing to identify “warning signs of extremism and radicalisation in school settings” and accused it of taking schools’ assurances too much at face value.
The BSI is co-controlled by private Muslim schools’ own trade and promotional body, the Association of Muslim Schools (AMS). It uses AMS member head teachers to inspect each other’s schools.
Full report at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11673313/Schools-watchdog-with-links-to-extremists-shut-down.html
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French app hopes to link Muslim faithful with prayer
14 June, 2015
They simply wanted a place to pray, as required five times a day for faithful Muslims. But in France, that's not necessarily simple.
The country has relatively few Muslim prayer spaces compared with the population — one for every 1,200 by some estimates — and a group of five friends from a variety of backgrounds decided they could do something about a problem they found themselves facing every day.
They created an online community they called Salatsurfing, building an app and website to link the faithful with people willing to donate space. Salatsurfing lists about 150 spaces — homes or businesses — throughout France. About 2,500 people have joined since the geolocation service started in September.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/14/french-app-hopes-link-muslim-faithful-with-prayer-sites.html#sthash.Astran0c.dpuf
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U.N. confirms Yemen talks to convene in Geneva
14 June 2015
The United Nations on Sunday confirmed Yemen peace talks would start Monday in Geneva, despite earlier speculations.
"We expect the parties to be here for what we call Geneva Consultations tomorrow," spokesman Ahmad Fawzi told reporters on Sunday.
It had been feared the upcoming peace talks in Geneva would be postponed, a spokesman for Yemen's government in exile told Al Arabiya News Channel on Saturday.
Rajeh Badi had cast his doubts following news that a U.N. plane left Yemen’s capital city of Sanaa on Saturday without the delegates that would have represented the Houthis and deposed leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Full report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/14/Yemen-peace-talks-in-Geneva-thrown-into-doubt.html
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