The Burning of a Holy Quran: Up to 20 UN staff killed in north Afghan city
Failed suicide attack kills child, wounds five in Pakistan
800 killed in Ivory Coast town
Israel kills three Palestinian in Gaza strike
US to pull out warplanes, missiles from Libya mission
Pak, India should overcome ‘war phobia’:Pak PM
Turkey kills 7 Kurd fighters crossing from Syria
Bomber kills 3 outside Iraqi mosque
26/11 team to Pakistan will be legally empowered: Minister
Target killings continue to haunt Karachi
Israeli air strike kills three militants in Gaza
Libya air raid 'killed civilians'
Three guards beheaded at NATO terminal in northwest Pakistan
Domestic minefield for Pakistan’s PM on peace with India
Save the Revolution' day begins in Tahrir, Egypt
Gaddafi forces storm Misrata
US repeats Gaddafi must go amid ceasefire talk
Britain gives ‘strong message’ to Gaddafi envoy
Zardari signs reference to SC on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case
10 policemen among 20 hurt in Chittagong clash
Thousands call for freedom in Syria
Govt ready to give in-camera briefing on terrorism
NGOs slam desecration of holy Quran
Strike in Quetta to flay attack on Maulana Fazlur Rahman
Saudi Arabia condemns Iranian statement
Crowd demands Mubarak's trial
Islamists poised to fill Egypt vacuum
Libya on verge of grave humanitarian crisis
Ceasefire possible if Gaddafi pulls out military, say rebels
Massive demonstrations rock Yemen
Qadhafi aide in U.K. to explore “exit strategy"
Koran-burning pastor says not responsible for UN deaths
Pakistan to hand suspected militant to Indonesia
Obama disagrees with withdrawal strategy
Seized Turkish manuscript runaway hit on web
British envoy denies helping Gaddafi son
Tatarstan to become Russia's test case for Islamic finance
Defections in Gaddafi's inner circle spreading'
Saleh supporters, opponents flex muscles
Israel detains East Jerusalem political activist again
Bullet-riddled body found in Quetta
Qaddafi aide seeks talks with West to halt airstrikes
Obama condemns killing of UN workers in Afghanistan
ISI chief gets another extension for one year
Russian Foreign Ministry lifts travel ban to Egypt
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/the-burning-holy-quran-up/d/4385
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The Burning of a Holy Quran: Up to 20 UN staff killed in north Afghan city
APR 02 2011
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan - Afghan protesters angered by the burning of a holy Quran by an obscure US pastor killed up to 20 UN staff, beheading two foreigners, when they over-ran a compound in a normally peaceful northern city on Friday in the worst ever attack on the UN in Afghanistan.
At least eight foreigners were among the dead after attackers took out security guards, burned parts of the compound and climbed up blast walls to topple a guard tower, said Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai, a police spokesman for the northern region.
Five protesters were also killed and around 20 wounded.
The governor of Balkh province said insurgents had used the march as cover to attack the compound, in a battle that raged for several hours and raises serious questions about plans to make the city a pilot for security transfer to national forces.
“The insurgents have taken advantage of the situation to attack the UN compound,” said Governor Ata Mohammad Noor.
He told a news conference that many in the crowd of protesters had been carrying guns. Some 27 people have already been detained over the attack, he added.
Afghan police and army, who the United Nations rely on for their first line of defence, were apparently unable to control the crowd. German troops are also stationed in Balkh, and the NATO-led coalition said they had received a request for help.
“Eight foreigners were killed, and two were beheaded,” said Ahmadzai.
A United Nations spokesman confirmed employees had been killed but declined to comment on numbers of dead or their nationalities. He said the attack would not push the United Nations out of Afghanistan.
“We need to secure our colleagues in Mazar-i-Sharif. It’s not a question of us pulling out. The UN is here to stay,” said spokesman Kieran Dwyer.
Staffan De Mistura, the top UN diplomat in Afghanistan, has flown to Mazar-i-Sharif to handle the situation personally.
The Russian chief of the mission in the city, Pavel Yershov, was injured in the attack but is now in hospital, Russian state television said, quoting an embassy spokesman.
Russia called on the Afghan government and international forces to “take all necessary measures” to protect UN workers in a statement issued by the foreign ministry after the attack.
Romania’s foreign ministry said preliminary information suggested a Romanian citizen was among the dead, and condemned the attack. US. President Barack Obama and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also condemned the attack.
Deadliest attack?
If the death toll is correct, it would make it the deadliest attack on the United Nations in Afghanistan, and one of the worst on the organisation for years.
The worst previous attack was an insurgent assault on a guesthouse where UN staff were staying in October 2009. Five employees were killed and nine others wounded.
The two largest attacks on UN compounds in other countries are a 2007 bomb in Algiers that killed 17 UN staff, and a 2003 attack on the Baghdad hotel that was the UN headquarters there, which killed at least 22 people.
Mazar-i-Sharif has remained relatively peaceful as the insurgency gathers force in other parts of the north, and was recently chosen as one of the first areas for a transition of security from NATO troops to Afghan forces.
Long-standing anger over civilian casualties has been heightened by the holy Quran burning and the recent publication of gruesome photographs of the body of an unarmed Afghan teenager killed by US soldiers.
The Christian preacher Terry Jones, who after international condemnation last year cancelled a plan to burn copies of the holy Quran, supervised the burning of the book in front of a crowd of about 50 people at an obscure church in Florida on Sunday, according to his website.
The holy Quran burning was denounced by Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
Thousands of demonstrators marched through western Herat city and around 200 in Kabul to protest against the same incident, but there was no violence at either demonstration.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/April/international_April71.xml§ion=international&col=
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Failed suicide attack kills child, wounds five in Pakistan
APR 02 2011
A suicide bomber killed a child and wounded five other people after he was identified and shot at in a northwestern Pakistan market on Friday, officials said. A would-be suicide bomber was identified as he tried to enter the crowded market in Darra Adam Khel, a tribal town near Peshawar, they said.<
Tribesmen tried to seize him but he blew himself up when he was shot at, killing a 12-year-old boy and wounding five people, a senior administrative official said.
"It was a failed suicide attack. One child was killed and five people were injured when he blew himself up," Masood Khan Afridi, a senior police officer told AFP.
Shahid Ullah Khan, a senior administrative official, told AFP that the bomber was on foot and was trying to enter the market.
"The local tribesmen fired on him after identification but he blew himself up," he added.
On Thursday, a suicide bomber targeting an an Islamic party chief killed 13 people in the northwestern town of Charsadda.
A similar attack on Wednesday killed 10 people in the town of Swabi, also in the northwest.
More than 4,000 people have died in suicide and bomb attacks throughout Pakistan since government forces launched an offensive against militants in a mosque in Islamabad in 2007.
Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants launch almost daily attacks across northwest Pakistan and the tribal belt that Washington has branded the most dangerous place on Earth.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan/Failed-suicide-attack-kills-child-wounds-five-in-Pakistan/Article1-680102.aspx
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800 killed in Ivory Coast town
APR 02 2011
The International Committee of the Red Cross says that more than 800 people were killed in intercommunal violence in a town in western Ivory Coast.
The town was the first of many in Ivory Coast to fall earlier this week to an armed group vying to install the country's democratically elected leader, Alassane Ouattara.
Red Cross spokeswoman Dorothea Krimitsas said by telephone on Saturday that the violence likely erupted Tuesday, the day after the town was taken by the fighters. It is not clear what prompted the killings and whether the armed group was involved.
Krimitsas said Red Cross teams were there Friday and saw a "huge number of bodies."
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=29167
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Israel kills three Palestinian in Gaza strike
APR 02 2011
GAZA CITY: Three Palestinians were killed early Saturday in an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip, medical staff and witnesses said.
They said the target was a car in the area of Khan Younes town, in the south of the strip. The identities of the dead were not immediately known.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment. (AFP)
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=13502
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US to pull out warplanes, missiles from Libya mission
APR 02 2011
WASHINGTON: The US military is poised to withdraw its combat jets and Tomahawk missiles from the air campaign against Libya's regime, as NATO allies take the lead in bombing Moamer Kadhafi's forces.
With NATO taking charge of the coalition effort on Thursday, US officials confirmed Friday that American fighters, ground-attack aircraft and cruise missiles would be pulled out of the operation starting this weekend.
The move follows pledges by President Barack Obama to quickly shift the lead to allies in the NATO-led coalition, with the US military playing a supporting role -- providing planes for mid-air refueling, jamming and surveillance.
"As we transition to a support role, our focus will be on providing enabling capabilities and not on strike capabilities," a US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=13506
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Pak, India should overcome ‘war phobia’:Pak PM
APR 02 2011
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani on Friday said that Pakistan and India should overcome “war phobia’’ to focus their attention on poor people and should address their outstanding issues as a “third power’’ cannot come and do it for them.
“We need to give attention to the poor people of the two countries and that can happen when the war phobia ends,” Gillani said while responding to a call attention notice on the floor of upper house of parliament on his meeting with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the margins of the cricket World Cup semi-final at Mohali on Wednesday.
Addressing critics who have claimed that the premier did not raise the Kashmir issue with Singh, Gillani said: “The outstanding and the core issue is Kashmir. So what other issue can you talk about? We discussed all issues and we agreed that we have to take ownership (of our problems). If we do not resolve our issues by ourselves, then a third power cannot come and do it.”
Full report at:
http://www.statesman.com.pk/topnews/topnews133.htm
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Turkey kills 7 Kurd fighters crossing from Syria
APR 02 2011
ISTANBUL: Turkish security forces killed seven Kurdish militants early on Friday after a large group of PKK fighters crossed over the border from Syria, Turkish military officials said.
It was the largest number killed in a firefight with the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers Party, since last summer.
The PKK called off a six-month long cease-fire in February raising fears that violence would pick up before a national election in Turkey on June 12.
Military operations were continuing in the area near the site of the clash by the town of Hassa in Hatay province, said the military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Syria and Turkey went to the brink of war in 1998 over Syrian support for the PKK, but political and economic ties between Ankara and Damascus have flourished since then. Last year, Syrian security forces rounded up 400 suspected PKK.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article339480.ece
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Bomber kills 3 outside Iraqi mosque
APR 02 2011
BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber disguised as a street cleaner walked up to soldiers outside a mosque and blew himself up Friday, killing two of the troops and a worshipper in a western Iraqi city that was once an Al-Qaeda hotbed.
The blast wounded six other people, including four soldiers who were stationed outside the Fallujah mosque to protect worshippers, according to a senior city police official.
The unit’s commander, an army colonel, was among the dead, the official said.
A local health official confirmed the casualties. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
The mosque is near a government compound that houses offices for Fallujah’s mayor, city council, police and courts.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article339459.ece
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26/11 team to Pakistan will be legally empowered: Minister
APR 02 2011
NEW DELHI - The Indian team visiting Pakistan for the 2008 Mumbai attack investigations will have enough legal jurisdiction and the modalities would be worked out keeping in view existing laws, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said on Friday.
“Modalities and procedures would have to be worked out (for the probe team). And when we work out the modalities and procedures, please be rest assured that I will be mindful of the legal provisions,” Chidambaram told reporters here, presenting the monthly report card of his ministry.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/April/international_April61.xml§ion=international&col=
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Target killings continue to haunt Karachi
APR 02 2011
KARACHI: Target killings that made news for most of March rocked Karachi on the first day of April as well, claiming five lives, including that of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activist, in separate parts of the provincial capital.
An activist of MQM was gunned down near his house in Usmanabad in the limits of Garden police station.
Shahjahan, 27, the victim, was the resident of Dhobi Ghath Usmanabad in Garden area. He was standing near his home when two armed men arrived at the spot and opened fire at him.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\04\02\story_2-4-2011_pg7_1
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Israeli air strike kills three militants in Gaza
APR 02 2011
GAZA: Israeli aircraft killed three Palestinian gunmen in the southern Gaza Strip early on Saturday, medical officials and the Israeli army said.
Residents said the planes fired on a car in which the three men were travelling in the town of Khan Younis.
An Israeli military spokesman said the air strike was aimed at "a terrorist squad planning to kidnap Israelis over the upcoming Jewish holiday of Passover".
Hamas, Gaza's Islamist rulers, said the three men killed were members of its group, but officials declined comment on the allegations made against them by the Israeli military.
An Israeli air strike in the same area of Gaza on Wednesday killed a Palestinian gunman on a motorcycle.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israeli-air-strike-kills-three-militants-in-Gaza/articleshow/7848584.cms
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Libya air raid 'killed civilians'
APR 02 2011
Seven civilians died and 25 were hurt in a coalition air strike on a pro-Gaddafi convoy in eastern Libya, a doctor there has told the BBC.
Dr Suleiman Refardi said Wednesday's raid happened in the village of Zawia el Argobe, 15km (9 miles) from Brega.
The strike hit a truck carrying ammunition, and the resulting explosion destroyed two nearby homes.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=180134
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Three guards beheaded at NATO terminal in northwest Pakistan
APR 02 2011
PESHAWAR: Militants early on Friday beheaded three security guards at a NATO truck terminal and damaged 10 oil tankers in a restive Pakistani tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said.
The murders took place at the NATO supply vehicle hub in Landi Kotal, a town in the restive Khyber tribal district where the bulk of supplies destined for foreign troops in Afghanistan pass through.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Three-guards-beheaded-at-NATO-terminal-in-northwest-Pakistan/articleshow/7842650.cms
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Domestic minefield for Pakistan’s PM on peace with India
APR 02 2011
ISLAMABAD, April 1 : Despite a successful home secretaries’ meeting and a feel-good cricket match in India, Pakistan is still a long way from delivering on a lasting peace due to entrenched challenges facing the civilian government.
The road to peace between India and Pakistan is littered with failed attempts, and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani continues to face opposition from elements within the security establishment, as well as political circles.
“It’s going to be an uphill task,” said one senior intelligence official. “If he pulls it off, it will be a big coup for him.”
Another high-profile assassination by Islamic extremists, terrorist attack in India or early elections could easily derail his attempts to make peace with New Delhi.
Further complicating Gilani’s efforts, analysts say, is his government’s weak domestic political position. The Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition (PPP) is vulnerable to opposition charges of incompetence and corruption.
India and Pakistan have been in conflict since their bloody twin births in 1947. Since then, the two nuclear-armed foes have fought three wars and countless skirmishes.
Attacks in Mumbai in 2008, which killed 166 people, heightened distrust between the two countries, which have fought over disputed Kashmir and other issues for decades. India broke off peace talks after the attack, which it blamed on Pakistan’s spy agency.
The senior intelligence officer agreed that there was a need to normalize relations between the two countries.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article338830.ece
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Save the Revolution' day begins in Tahrir, Egypt
APR 02 2011
Thousands are already gathered in Tahrir Square to answer the call sent out to re-take the streets and “save the revolution”.
Many more are expected to join after Friday prayers, when thousands should be heading to the square from mosques and churches across Cairo. Egypt’s January 25 revolution put forward several demands in addition to the ending of Mubarak’s rule but many have not yet been met, activists say.
The call to restart demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square was put forth by several political groups, including the Revolution Youth Coalition which has been criticised for its absence from the political scene.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/9046/Egypt/Politics-/Save-the-Revolution-day-begins-in-Tahrir,-Egypt.aspx
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Gaddafi forces storm Misrata
APR 02 2011
RABAT - Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi mounted an intense artillery bombardment of rebel-held Misrata on Friday and pro-Gaddafi troops attacked shops and homes in the city centre, residents said.
Misrata is the last big rebel stronghold in western Libya but after weeks of shelling and encirclement, government forces appear to be gradually loosening the rebels’ hold on the city, despite Western air strikes on pro-Gaddafi targets there.
One resident said an attempt by government forces to take control of the centre had been fought off by rebels but that afterwards pro-Gaddafi forces started indiscriminate shelling of Misrata’s port and the city centre.
“They used tanks, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds and other projectiles to hit the city today. It was a random and very intense bombardment,” a rebel spokesman called Sami said by telephone. “We no longer recognise the place. The destruction cannot be described.”
“The pro-Gaddafi soldiers who made it inside the city through Tripoli Street are pillaging the place, the shops, even homes, and destroying everything in the process.
“They are targeting everyone, including civilians’ homes. I don’t know what to say, may Allah help us,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/April/international_April79.xml§ion=international
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US repeats Gaddafi must go amid ceasefire talk
APR 02 2011
WASHINGTON — The White House Friday stressed that President Barack Obama wanted Muammar Gaddafi out, after Libyan rebels mooted a ceasefire in exchange for an end to loyalist attacks on their territory.
Asked about the rebel ceasefire offer, White House spokesman Jay Carney appeared to indicate that the Obama administration did not want the conflict in Libya to end with Gaddafi still in power.
“The president’s position is that Moamer Gaddafi is no longer fit to lead, he has lost legitimacy in the eyes of his people and the world,” said Carney.
“It is not his position that Gaddafi should stay in power.”
“We believe that the Libyan people no longer want Gaddafi to remain in power as the leader of Libya.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/April/international_April73.xml§ion=international
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Britain gives ‘strong message’ to Gaddafi envoy
APR 02 2011
LONDON — British officials met a top Libyan regime aide in London and gave him a “strong message” that leader Muammar Gaddafi had to step down, a government source said Friday.
Mohammed Ismail, a key confidant of Gaddafi’s powerful son Saif al-Islam, had been visiting family in the British capital in recent days when the British government took the opportunity to make contact, they said.
Reports of the meeting came came shortly after Gaddafi’s foreign minister Mussa Kussa unexpectedly flew into Britain on Wednesday night and announced he was quitting his post.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/April/international_April43.xml§ion=international
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Zardari signs reference to SC on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case
APR 02 2011
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari signed on Friday the reference under Article 186 of the Constitution asking the Supreme Court to revisit the case of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and give its opinion on the death sentence awarded to Bhutto.
The sentence was given by the Lahore High Court and the verdict was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court in March, 1979 in a split verdict.
The president signed the reference in the presence of Law Minister Babar Awan and Sindh Home Minister Zulfikar Mirza.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article339560.ece
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10 policemen among 20 hurt in Chittagong clash
APR 02 2011
Islamic party activists hold rallies against women development policy
At least 20 people, including 10 policemen, were injured in a clash between the law enforcers and the activists of Hefajat-e-Islam at Andarkilla area in the port city on Friday.
Police sources said the Hefajat men had brought out a procession from the Andarkilla Mosque after the Juma prayer in support of Sunday’s hartal called by Islami Andolon to protest national women development policy.
The sources also said the demonstrators started pelting brickbats at a police team at about 2:00pm when the team was following them, triggering clashes.
Jedan Al Musa, assistant commissioner at the Kotwali zone of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, said they were just following the procession and had no intention to interrupt them. But they were forced to charge batons to disperse rowdy demonstrators.
He also said at least 20 people, including 10 policemen, were injured in the clashes and at least 10 vehicles were vandalized by rowdy picketers.
Police said they had picked up six people
from the spot during the clash.
Full report at:
http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/frontpage/13870.html
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Thousands call for freedom in Syria
APR 02 2011
Syrian forces killed at least three protesters in a Damascus, as thousands turned out in pro-democracy marches despite a reform gesture by President Bashar Al Assad.
Activists said Syrians took to the streets after Friday prayers in the capital Damascus, Homs to the north of the capital, Banias on the coast, Latakia port and the southern city of Deraa, where the unprecedented protests challenging Assad’s 11 years in power began in March.
Witnesses in the Damascus suburb of Douma said the three killed were among at least 2,000 people who chanted “Freedom. Freedom. One, one, one. The Syrian people are one,” when police opened fire to disperse them from Municipality Square.
An official source said via state news agency SANA “armed groups” had positioned themselves on rooftops and opened fire on citizens and security forces gathered in Douma, killing and wounding dozens.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2011/April/middleeast_April23.xml§ion=middleeast
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Govt ready to give in-camera briefing on terrorism
APR 02 2011
ISLAMABAD: The government is ready to give an in-camera briefing to the members of parliament on the ongoing wave of terrorism in the country, Leader of the House, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari, informed Senate on Friday.
Responding to the viewpoints of members of the House on the second terror attack on JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman, he condemned the incident and said that adequate security was provided to Rehman that was evident by the fact that security officials were also killed in the incident.
He assured the members that the government was willing to conduct a joint investigation into both the bids to assassinate Rehman.
Senate chairman, in his ruling, asked Bukhari to conduct a thorough probe into the incident and submit the report to the House within a week. The House passed a unanimous resolution condemning the attack on the JUI-chief and demanded the government to set up a high-level commission to investigate the incident.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidari, who moved the resolution, said that attack on Fazal was on the same pattern as the one which was carried out against Benazir Bhutto (BB) at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. “Firing preceded the blast akin to the attack that targeted BB in 2007,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\04\02\story_2-4-2011_pg7_17
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NGOs slam desecration of holy Quran
APR 02 2011
KARACHI: An alliance of Non Government Organisations (NGOs) condemned the discretion of holy Quran and demanded the government to play its due role in bringing to justice pastor Terry Jones.
The protest outside Karachi Press Club was organised by Working Women Welfare Trust (WWFT) in collaboration with Young Women Christian Association, Women Peace Foundation, Pakistan Disable Foundation, Society for Educational Welfare, Poverty Alleviation Programme, Village Embroidery Project and Women Aid Trust.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\04\02\story_2-4-2011_pg7_16
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Strike in Quetta to flay attack on Maulana Fazlur Rehman
APR 02 2011
QUETTA: A complete shutter-down strike was observed in Quetta, while demonstrations were held in different parts of the province to condemn the suicide attacks on the convoy of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on Friday.
The strike call was given by the JUI-F Balochistan and backed by the Anjuman Tajeran Balochistan, traders’ community and different religious party to protest against the assassination attempts on Fazl. Almost all of the shopping and trading centres in the city, including ones on the Abdul Sattar Road, Liaquat Bazaar, Shahra-e-Iqbal, Prince Road, Mezan Chowk, Jinnah Road and adjoining areas remained closed for the day.
Stringent security measures were adopted during the strike to maintain law and order. Policemen and paramilitary troops were deployed in sensitive areas to avoid any untoward incidents.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\04\02\story_2-4-2011_pg7_15
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Saudi Arabia condemns Iranian statement
APR 02 2011
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned a statement issued by Iranian authorities that demanded Saudi Arabia to pull its forces out of Bahrain and describing the Saudi policy in the Gulf as playing with fire.
An official source of the Saudi government said, "It condemned in strong terms the irresponsible statement issued in the name of the Committee for National Security and Foreign Policy of the Council of Iranian Islamic Shoura which described the Saudi policy in the Gulf region as playing with fire and demanded the Kingdom to withdraw its forces from Bahrain," the Saudi Press agency reported on Friday.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article339622.ece
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Crowd demands Mubarak's trial
APR 02 2011
CAIRO: Thousands of Egyptians rallied in Cairo and Alexandria on Friday demanding that ousted President Hosni Mubarak and other former officials be put on trial.
Mubarak was removed from power on Feb. 11, but the reformers who drove the protests that brought him down are now concerned about what they see as the lingering influence of some elements of his administration.
The reformers want tougher steps to recover assets they say Mubarak and others took from the state and seek deeper change in Egypt which is now ruled by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, led by the defense minister who served under Mubarak.
"I came because the military has been very slow in putting the people in the old regime on trial. Mubarak has not been charged with murder for the people who were killed," said Alaa Hashim, 28, an engineer, among protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the uprising.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article339546.ece
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Islamists poised to fill Egypt vacuum
APR 02 2011
Islamists’ reactions to the overwhelming approval by voters last month of changes to the Egyptian constitution have triggered a tidal wave of concern that religious movements are growing stronger amid the current power vacuum.
One video, made by a Salafi Muslim after the referendum results were announced, caused a particular stir when it was broadcast on YouTube and circulated among Facebook users in Egypt.
“I first heard good news that it [the referendum result] was ‘yes’; God is the greatest. This was the battle of ballot boxes that said ‘yes.’ Isn’t this the democracy that they want?” the maker of the video said. “It said ‘yes’ for Islam and those who think they can’t live in such a country can leave and go to any other place; U.S. and Canadian visas are available.”
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=islamists8217-show-up-triggers-concern-in-egypt-2011-04-01-
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Libya on verge of grave humanitarian crisis
APR 02 2011
Libya might be on the verge of witnessing a grave humanitarian crisis as western nations have stepped up their military operations ostensibly to wipe out Colonel Gaddafi’s forces at a time when several global humanitarian organisations are unable to sustain their operations because of lack of funds from rich countries.
The Libyan crisis appears to be a repeat of what happened in Iraq, when the coalition forces made swift military advances while humanitarian relief operations lagged far behind resulting in endless chaos and insecurity, analysts said.
The United Nations Humanitarian Agency on Friday issued a flash appeal for the $160 million while International Migration Organisation made a separate appeal for almost the same amount to evacuate and address the humanitarian needs of people fleeing Libya because of the fighting.
“IOM is issuing this third appeal for $160 million on Friday to provide critical humanitarian and evacuation assistance,” said Jemini Pandya, IOM’s spokesperson, maintaining that it is not able to deliver adequate assistance due to severe shortage of funds.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/328549/Libya-on-verge-of-grave-humanitarian-crisis.html
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Ceasefire possible if Gaddafi pulls out military, say rebels
APR 02 2011
bya's rebels will agree to a ceasefire if Muammar Gaddafi pulls his military forces out of cities and allows peaceful protests against his regime, an Opposition leader said Friday.
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the Opposition’s interim governing council based in Benghazi, spoke during a joint press conference with UN envoy Abdelilah Al-Khatib. Al-Khatib is visiting the rebels’ de-facto stronghold of Benghazi in hopes of reaching a political solution to the crisis embroiling the North African nation.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ceasefire-possible-if-gaddafi-pulls-out-military-say-rebels/770552/
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Massive demonstrations rock Yemen
APR 02 2011
A massive security operation kept huge rival protests apart and split the Yemeni capital on another Friday political showdown on the streets between the president's backers and his foes.
"I pledge... to sacrifice myself for the people, with my blood and with everything I hold dear," President Ali Abdullah Saleh said, thanking his supporters in the face of two months of escalating demands for his ouster.
Despite fears of an outbreak of violence, a crush of pro-regime supporters waving flags and banners packed squares around Sanaa, streaming through checkpoints manned by security forces armed with guns and batons.
Tanks and armoured cars were stationed at the city's entry points.
Convoys of vehicles flying the Yemeni flag earlier poured into the capital from the surrounding countryside for the pro-Saleh rally. "The people want Ali Abdullah Saleh," they chanted.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=180075
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Qadhafi aide in U.K. to explore “exit strategy”
Hasan Suroor
APR 02 2011
LONDON: A close aide of Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi's son, Saif al-Islam, was reportedly in London to explore a possible exit strategy for the Qadhafi regime but no details were available and the British government insisted the bottom line was that he “has to go”.
Reports that Mohammed Ismail, believed to be a member of Mr. Qadhafi's inner circle, met British officials came a day after the dramatic defection of Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa sparking speculation of more desertions.
The Independent newspaper claimed the British government was in “urgent talks” with up to 10 senior figures in the Qadhafi regime.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2011/04/02/stories/2011040267062000.htm
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Koran-burning pastor says not responsible for UN deaths
APR 02 2011
GAINESVILLE (US): An evangelical pastor whose church burned a Koran last month said he was "devastated" but did not feel responsible for the killings of seven UN workers in a violent protest in Afghanistan.
"We are devastated by that information, that news," Terry Jones, the head of the Dove World Outreach Centre in Gainesville, told AFP. "We don't feel responsible for that."
The United Nations said four Nepalese guards, three foreign UN workers, and several protesters were killed yesterday when a mob enraged by the Koran burning attacked the UN compound in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Koran-burning-pastor-says-not-responsible-for-UN-deaths/articleshow/7848826.cms
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Pakistan to hand suspected militant to Indonesia
APR 02 2011
ISLAMABAD - An Indonesian man held in Pakistan and suspected of being a militant involved in the 2002 bombings on Bali could be extradited to Indonesia if his identity is confirmed, Pakistani officials said on Friday.
Pakistani security forces arrested a man they believe to be Umar Patek, Indonesia’s most wanted militant, after a shootout a few weeks ago and are waiting for Indonesian officials to come and identify him.
“An Indonesian team is coming. It is expected to be here soon,” a senior intelligence official told Reuters.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/April/international_April47.xml§ion=international&col=
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Obama disagrees with withdrawal strategy
APR 02 2011
Washington (News-wire): President Bararck Obama’s civilian adviser and US military leaders are disagreeing for pullout of US troops Gen David Petraeus, the top allied commander in Afghanistan, has not presented a recommendation on the withdrawal to his superiors at the Pentagon, but some senior officers and military planning documents have described the July pullout as small to insignificant, prompting deep concern within the White House. During a meeting of his war cabinet, President Obama expressed displeasure with such characterisations of the withdrawal, according to three senior officials with direct knowledge of the session.
Full report at:
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=an&nid=757
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Seized Turkish manuscript runaway hit on web
APR 02 2011
An unpublished book that was seized by Turkish police a week ago has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, but prosecutors have said they are not currently targeting readers of the manuscript.
Arrested journalist Ahmet Şık’s book “İmamın Ordusu” (The Imam’s Army) was put online Thursday afternoon, sparking a frenzy of downloads. An investigation has been started into the person or people who made the text available, but the prosecution said, “There is no investigation at the moment regarding the people who downloaded the book.”
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkish-prosecutors-not-going-after-readers-of-8216imam8217s-army8217-2011-04-01
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British envoy denies helping Gaddafi son
APR 02 2011
Britain's ambassador to Washington denied on Saturday claims that he helped Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's son with his doctorate. The Foreign Office in London confirmed that Sir Nigel Sheinwald met Seif al-Islam during his time studying at the London School of Economics university but insisted he h
ad no part in writing his thesis.
The denial comes as the LSE investigates claims that Seif plagiarised part of the thesis.
The Daily Mail newspaper quoted a senior LSE source who claimed Sheinwald had shown a "profound interest" in Seif's studies and offered "active assistance" in his work.
The source said the alleged assistance was informal and legitimate, the tabloid reported.
"Seif was simply using his impressive contacts to make sure the work he produced was of the highest quality," the Mail quoted the source as saying.
Sheinwald was at then prime minister Tony Blair's side when he first met Gaddafi in 2004, and again in 2007.
Sheinwald has been Britain's ambassador to the United States since 2007 after being appointed by Blair.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/British-envoy-denies-helping-Gaddafi-son/H1-Article1-680391.aspx
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Tatarstan to become Russia's test case for Islamic finance
APR 02 2011
Officials meeting in the shadow of the snowy towers of Kazan's 16th century white Kremlin are in an unlikely site for hatching groundbreaking financial plans. But Kazan in Russia's Tatarstan region aims to be the first place in Russia to launch an Islamic bond, with a test case in July that will test the appetite for Islamic financial products in Russia, bne has reported.
Countries ranging from France to the United Kingdom, and Thailand to Brazil are all exploring how to use Islamic financial investment to draw gulf petrodollars into their economies. The Islamic finance industry has boomed in recent years, growing at a rate of over 14 percent per annum from around $150 billion during the 1990s to a total of $14.1 trillion in 2009, according to Jamelah Jamaluddin, chief executive officer of Kuwait Finance House in Malaysia.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=for-islamic-finance-tartarstan-to-be-russias-test-case-2011-04-01
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Defections in Gaddafi's inner circle spreading'
APR 02 2011
TRIPOLI: Another top Libyan leader, Ali Abdessalam Treki, has defected to Egypt and two desertions in as many days has spread paranoia among Muammar Gaddafi's inner circle, stirring talk that many others may be preparing to follow, triggering a crackdown to stop them.
Treki, a former foreign minister and ex-president of the UN general assembly who has worked closely with Gaddafi for decades, announced his exist on opposition websites, declaring "it's our right to live in freedom and democracy." Pan-Arab channel Al-Jazeera reported that Gaddafi's intelligence chief and the speaker of the parliament had fled to Tunisia.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Defections-in-Gaddafis-inner-circle-spreading/articleshow/7848791.cms
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Saleh supporters, opponents flex muscles
APR 02 2011
SANAA: Thousands of supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh streamed Saturday into the capital’s Sabeen Parade Zone, near his heavily fortified palace, to show their support for the beleaguered leader.
The crowds carried banners urging Saleh not to bow to opposition demands for his resignation. Boosted by the huge crowd of supporters, Saleh responded: "I swear to you that I will sacrifice my blood and soul and everything precious for the sake of this great people."
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article339539.ece
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Israel detains East Jerusalem political activist again
APR 02 2011
Israeli police have rearrested a key Palestinian activist from a flashpoint district in east Jerusalem, in what rights groups on Friday said was part of a politically-motivated campaign.
"Jawwad Siyyam was arrested overnight following a complaint about aggression made by a Palestinian inhabitant of Silwan," Jerusalem police spokesman Shmulik Ben Ruby told AFP.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/9045/World/Region/Israel-detains-East-Jerusalem-political-activist-a.aspx
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Bullet-riddled body found in Quetta
APR 02 2011
QUETTA: A bullet-riddled body of a Baloch missing person was found in Barech town on Saryab Road in the provincial capital on Friday. According to official sources, some locals informed the police about the body, who rushed to the spot and shifted the body to Bolan Medical Complex Hospital for autopsy, where the deceased was identified as Rehmatullah Bangulzai. He had received bullets in his head and chest, which was the cause of his death, hospital sources said. Rehmatullah Bangulzai was picked up when he was coming from Mach to Quetta on a passenger van on March 12. He was an upcoming poet in Balochi and Brahvi languages and was a prominent intellectual, his neighbours told newsmen. staff report
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\04\02\story_2-4-2011_pg7_8
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Qaddafi aide seeks talks with West to halt airstrikes
APR 02 2011
BENGHAZI: A key Libyan official involved in negotiations on the future of Muammar Qaddafi’s regime said Friday that Tripoli was attempting to hold talks with the US, Britain and France to find a mutual end to the crisis.
Abdul-Ati Al-Obeidi, a former Libyan prime minister, said Qaddafi’s government was reaching out to those leading the international military campaign in an attempt to halt airstrikes against regime targets, which began March 19. The claim follows confirmation that a Libyan government aide has held talks in Britain with UK officials in recent days.
The rebels meanwhile said they would agree to a cease-fire if Qaddafi pulls his military forces out of cities and allows peaceful protests against his regime.
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the opposition's interim governing council based in Benghazi, spoke during a joint press conference with UN envoy Abdelilah Al-Khatib. After meeting government officials on Thursday, Al-Khatib was visiting the rebels' de facto stronghold of Benghazi in hopes of reaching a political solution to the crisis.
Abdul-Jalil said the rebels' condition for a cease-fire is “that the Qaddafi forces withdraw from inside and outside Libyan cities to give freedom to the Libyan people to choose and the world will see that they will choose freedom.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article339513.ece
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Obama condemns killing of UN workers in Afghanistan
APR 02 2011
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama strongly condemned the killing of eight UN employees in an attack in northern Afghanistan on Friday, offering condolences to the families and urging the parties to resolve their differences through dialogue.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan today,” Obama said in a statement. “Their work is essential to building a stronger Afghanistan for the benefit of all its citizens. We stress the importance of calm and urge all parties to reject violence.”
http://arabnews.com/world/article339311.ece
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ISI chief gets another extension for one year
APR 02 2011
Confusion surrounding the extension granted to Pakistan's ISI chief Ahmad Shuja Pasha has been cleared after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the General would remain in the post for another year.
Media reports had earlier said that the PPP-led government had given an extension to Lt Gen Pasha, a close aide of Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, after a previous one-year extension ended on March 18.
However, no official notification regarding the extension was made public and the duration of the extension was not revealed by officials.
During an appearance on "PM Online," a monthly show on state-run PTV that allows viewers to interact with the Prime Minister, Gilani said the government had decided to retain Pasha as the ISI chief for another year because of the prevailing security situation in the country.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/isi-chief-gets-another-extension-for-one-year/770692/
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Russian Foreign Ministry lifts travel ban to Egypt
APR 02 2011
Egypt’s minister of tourism has confirmed that Russia, which provides Egypt with the largest number of tourists annually, has lifted a travel ban to Egypt put in place at the outset of the revolution.
Russia’s ban was immensely significant for Egypt’s tourism industry. The number of Russian tourists visiting Egypt in 2010 alone was estimated to be 2,855,723, accounting for 25,037,045 tourist nights and making it the number one country in providing Egypt with tourists.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/9051/Egypt/Politics-/Russian-Foreign-Ministry-lifts-travel-ban-to-Egypt.aspx
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/the-burning-holy-quran-up/d/4385