Turkey Pushes for More than 'Dropping Tons of Bombs' On Islamic State
The NIA said Pakistan’s ISI Closely Connected with IM
Operatives in its supplementary charge
sheet filed against 20 suspected IM operatives
Mideast
Turkey
Pushes for More than 'Dropping Tons of Bombs' On IS
Israel
Main Base of Terrorists in Middle-East
Palestinians
risking U.S. aid over U.N. bid: Abbas
Turkey
ponders new powers to fight IS militants
Turkish
police detain ‘ISIS sympathizers’ after student protest
Defiant
Jerusalem Jews hold ritual chicken slaughter
Turkey’s
bar associations file complaint for annulment of headscarf in schools
South Asia
Taliban
Chief Mullah Omar Claims Victory through His Eid Message
IS
Un-Islamic and Anti-Islamic, Tells Dr Waheed at UN General Assembly
19
militants killed, 25 others injured in Afghan army operations
Taliban
bomber in Afghan capital targets army bus kills three
Police
arrest Imam of unauthorised independent prayer congregation in Maldives
Bangladesh
Minister faces expulsion over comments on Haj
Arab World
IS
Clashes in Iraq Leave 40 Jihadists, 17 Security Forces Dead
Syria
Blasts at School Kill 32, Including 10 Kids
ISIS
Takes Control of Western Iraqi Town of Hit
Egypt
militant group threatens deadly attacks during Eid holiday
IS at
gates of Syria border town as Turkey mulls action
Iraq PM
says ISIS a threat to Arabs, Iran and the West
ISIS
advances further toward Syria’s Ain al-Arab
Jihadists
holed up in clinic in Iraq-Syria border town
Over 150
Terrorists Surrender to Iraqi Forces
Haj
Pilgrims’ March to Mina as Journey of Faith Begins
Iraqi
Kurds fight ISIS with aged weapons
Jailed
Kurdish leader warns ISIS victory would end Turkey peace process
Pakistan
TV Show
Host, Four Others Booked On Blasphemy Charge
Nation
Decided To Make ‘Naya Pakistan’: Imran
Qadri
announces 'revolution' rallies in Faisalabad, Lahore
Seven
killed in Peshawar blast
Four
militants killed, four arrested from Bannu
Four
killed in Quetta grenade attacks
Three
suspected terrorists killed during clash with security forces
PML-N
again offers ‘peace talks’ to Imran and Qadri
Constitution
Avenue clashes still a whodunit for Islamabad police
'US
terror sanctions list not binding on Pakistan'
Europe
Austrians
from Different Faith Condemn Rising Attacks on Muslims
Anti-Muslim
Hate Crime Soars In London, According To New Police Figures
France
to boost military presence in fight against ISIS
Islamic
State committing "staggering" crimes in Iraq -UN report
Britain
doesn't need hateful laws to defeat hate preachers
UK
leader lauds Pakistanis’ contribution
French
Muslims head to hajj despite government’s travel warning
North America
U.S.
plans Patriot missile sale to Saudi Arabia
U.S.
warns Israel possibly hindering ‘close ties’
India
Militants
Say Won’t Strike In Kashmir till Relief, Rehab Reach Victims
Pakistan’s
ISI Closely Connected with IM Operatives: NIA
Pak
violates ceasefire in Poonch, 6 injured
Africa
More
than 100 ex-rebels, family members die in Congo camp - HRW
Bombs,
clashes kill seven Libya soldiers in Benghazi
Boko
Haram leader rejects claims of his death in new video
Kenya
sentences two Iranians for using fake Israeli passports
Southeast Asia
When
Allah CDs become a casualty in Umno’s politics
Banning
Azmi shows UKM’s small mind, says anti-Sedition Act group
Umno
Youth’s call to spit in face ‘criminal intimidation’, says PKR MP
Democratic
Party Coalition with PDI-P Still Possible: Edhie
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
------------
Mideast
Turkey
Pushes for More than 'Dropping Tons of Bombs' On IS
Oct 2,
2014
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pressed the West to find a long-term solution to
crises in Syria and Iraq, saying dropping "tons of bombs" on Islamic
State militants would only provide temporary respite.
Erdogan
has pushed for the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad throughout the Syria
crisis to settle the conflict and said that international action had to go well
beyond air strikes.
"Dropping
tons of bombs from the air is only a temporary solution and only delays the
threats and the danger," Erdogan told parliament in a keynote address on
the opening day of its new session.
"The
world should know that Turkey is not a country that will allow itself to be
used in the search for a palliative solution," he added.
Erdogan's
comments came a day ahead of a debate in parliament when the government will
seek authorisation for military action by Turkish armed forces in the Syria and
Iraq crises.
After
months of reticence in the fight against IS that exasperated the West, Turkey
has now shifted its policy and indicated it is willing to join the
international coalition.
Ankara
has not yet indicated what form its assistance could take although Erdogan has
repeatedly called for a buffer zone on the Turkish border inside Syria --
backed by a no-fly zone -- to ensure security.
"Turkey
has no intention of intervening in any country's internal affairs or grabbing
any other country's land," Erdogan told parliament.
"But
peace and stability in the region means peace and stability in Turkey," he
added.
The
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has a strong majority in parliament
but Erdogan called on the opposition to also vote for the mandate.
"Parties
in parliament should take this into consideration when voting for the
mandate," Erdogan said.
"Remaining
silent means betraying our history."
Turkey
has been accused of playing a role in the growth of IS with its past support of
Islamist Syrian groups in the hope they would aid the ousting of Assad.
But
Erdogan angrily lashed out at suggestions of collusion between Turkey and IS.
"It is out of the question to tolerate or to have the slightest sympathy
on our territory, region or planet for such a terrorist group," he said.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/112171/World/Region/Turkey-pushes-for-more-than-dropping-tons-of-bombs.aspx
------------
Israel
Main Base of Terrorists in Middle-East
Oct 2,
2014
Secretary
of Iran' Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani blasted the
sponsors and supporters of terrorist groups in the region, and said Israel is
the main base of terrorism in the Middle-East.
"Fighting
terrorism is not a difficult job and the base of terrorists in this region is
Israel," Shamkhani said in a press conference at the venue of Iran's
embassy in Damascus on Tuesday.
"We
should ask ourselves which countries are supporting the terrorists through
financial and arms supports," he added.
Shamkhani
stressed that the so-called anti-ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant) coalition has been formed to further increase the terrorists' power in the
region, and said, "The fate of the region should be decided by the
regional nations and not by the foreign powers."
He
further cautioned that the seditious plot against Syria has now entered a
second stage, and added, "The Iranian, Syrian and Iraqi nations have
fought against terrorism and this is while the West started its moves (against
the ISIL) only after the decapitation of western journalists."
In
relevant remarks in September, Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) force
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi lashed out at the US and Israel for
sponsoring the ISIL.
"The
criminal US created, equipped and armed the ISIL terrorist group with the help
of the wicked Britain and the child-killing Zionist regime as well the
petrodollars of oil-rich countries and they ordered it (ISIL) to carry out
crimes and large-scale massacre of Shiites and Sunnis and disrupt their
tranquillity on the pretext of a sectarian Sunni war on Shiites," General
Naqdi said, addressing a gathering of thousands of Basijis in Lorestan
province.
He noted
that the western countries wanted to introduce a tainted image of Islam to the
world by displaying horrible crimes and savage wickedness against children,
women and innocent people with extreme brutality and savagery in a bid to harness
the huge waves of Islamism and tendency for Islam in the world, specially the
western countries.
General
Naqdi reiterated that the arrogant powers have created the ISIL and every now
and then they attack the terrorists to portray that they are fighting terrorism
while the American, British and Israeli military advisors are supporting them
in the battlefield.
"The
outcome of the actions of this terrorist current in Syria was unprecedented as
it caused people's high turnout in that country's presidential election, which
set as yet another example of the inefficiency of weapons and the victory of
the resistance movement against the global arrogance," he added.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930709000770
------------
Palestinians
risking U.S. aid over U.N. bid: Abbas
2 October 2014
The
Palestinians are under heavy pressure to drop plans to seek a UN Security
Council resolution to end Israel's occupation, risking $700 million a year in
US aid, president Mahmud Abbas has said.
But
Abbas vowed in remarks late Tuesday to press ahead with the move, warning that
if it were shot down by a US veto, he would seek to join the International
Criminal Court.
The
Palestinians, who won the upgraded rank of UN observer state in 2012, have long
threatened to petition the ICC over alleged Israeli war crimes, but have so far
held back due to US and European pressure.
“The
Palestinian leadership is coming under heavy pressure not to go to the Security
Council or join international organisations, and the main pressure relates to
aid,” he said, indicating that the $700 million (555 million euros) in US aid
was at stake.
“Relations
with the US administration are strained... and it is not in our interest to
worsen it. But at the same time, we cannot go back on our decision.”
In a
defiant speech to the UN General Assembly Friday, Abbas ruled out any return to
the failed format of peace talks, demanding an end to the occupation and
accusing Israel of waging a “war of genocide” in Gaza.
The
State Department described his remarks as “offensive” and “deeply
disappointing.”
Abbas
said talks were being held with Arab and other countries ahead of a vote within
three weeks on a draft resolution spelling out an Israeli withdrawal from lands
seized in 1967 and the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in
east Jerusalem.
Palestinian
foreign minister Riyad al-Malki told a press conference Wednesday that all the
Arab countries at the UN had already “adopted the resolution... with very minor
alterations” and that Jordan, which represents the Arab group in the Security
Council, would present it within three weeks for a vote.
In the
meantime, the Palestinians would continue to lobby “Europeans, Africans, Latin
America and the non-aligned countries” he said.
But
Abbas said he had no guarantee of obtaining the necessary nine votes from the
15-member Security Council, and that there was a “strong possibility” it would
be torpedoed by a US veto.
In such
a case, the Palestinians would immediately ratify the Rome Statute, the
founding treaty of the ICC, which has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals
on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“It is
important to establish an end-date for the occupation, whether that's one year,
two years or three,” he said, pledging that after setting a date he would
“immediately resume negotiations” with Israel.
“We will
not engage in any negotiations which do not set down a timetable for realising
our objectives.”
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/02/Palestinians-risking-us-aid-over-UN-bid-Abbas-.html
------------
Turkey
ponders new powers to fight IS militants
Oct 2,
2014
ANKARA
(Turkey): Turkey's parliament was debating a motion on Thursday to give the
government new powers to launch military incursions into Syria and Iraq and to
allow foreign forces to use its territory for possible operations against the
Islamic State group.
As
lawmakers debate in Ankara, the militants pressed their offensive against a
beleaguered Kurdish town along the Syria-Turkey border. The assault, which has
forced about 160,000 people to flee across the frontier in recent days, left
Kurdish militiamen scrambling Thursday to repel Islamic State extremists
pushing into the outskirts of Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab.
Turkey,
a NATO member with a large and modern military, has yet to define what role it
intends to play in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group. The
motion before lawmakers sets the legal groundwork for any Turkish military
involvement or the use of Turkish bases by foreign troops.
Parliament
had previously approved operations into Iraq and Syria to attack Kurdish
separatists or to thwart threats from the Syrian regime. Thursday's motion
would expand those powers to address threats from the Islamic State militants
who control a large cross-border swath of Iraq and Syria, in some parts right
up to the Turkish border.
Asked
what measures Turkey would take after the motion is approved, defense minister
Ismet Yilmaz said: "don't expect any immediate steps."
"The
motion prepares the legal ground for possible interventions, but it is too
early to say what those interventions will be," said Dogu Ergil, a
professor of political science and columnist for Today's Zaman newspaper.
Ergil
said the motion could allow Iraqi Kurdish fighters, for example to use Turkey's
territory to safely cross into Syria, to help Syrian Kurdish forces there, or
the deployment of coalition forces' drones.
The
government enjoys a majority in parliament and the bill was expected to pass
despite opposition from two parties.
The
motion comes as the Islamic State group moved closer into the northern Syrian
town of Kobani, right across the border from Turkey, despite renewed US-led
airstrikes in the area overnight, according to senior fighter and activist. The
United States has been bombing the Islamic State group across Syria since last
week and in neighboring Iraq since early August.
Ismet
Sheikh Hasan, a senior fighter, said the Kurdish forces were preparing for
urban clashes in Kobani in a desperate attempt to repel the militants.
The
fight for Kobani has raged since mid-September, sending over 160,000 Syrian
Kurds streaming across the Turkish border in one of the worst refugee crisis
since the war began over three and a half years ago.
"We
are preparing outsides for street battles," Hasan said. "They still
haven't entered Kobani, but we are preparing ourselves."
Britain-based
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group tracking the Syrian
conflict, reported that the Islamic State group fighters were, in some cases,
just "hundreds of meters (yards)" from Kobani on its eastern and
southeast side. The militants were about a mile away on the southern side of
town.
In a
statement, the Observatory said it had "real fears" that the
militants would storm Kobani and "butcher civilians remaining in the
city."
Last
week, a US-led coalition seeking to destroy the extremist Islamic State group
began bombing the militants' locations around Kobani, also known as Ayn Arab in
Arabic. But the airstrikes haven't halted the militants' advance, said Hasan.
That
included explosions heard overnight around the Kobani area, believed to be
caused by US strikes, said Hasan. There was no immediate confirmation from
Washington on the latest airstrikes. The strikes were also reported the
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group tracking
the Syrian conflict.
Turkey
had been reluctant to join its NATO allies in a coalition against the Islamic
State militants, citing worries about the safety of Turkish hostages held by
the group. It reversed its decision after the hostages' release earlier this
month.
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the creation of a buffer zone inside Syria
as well as a no-fly zone to secure Turkey's borders and stem the flow of
refugees. He has also called for military training and equipment for the Syrian
opposition fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"In
the struggle against terrorism, we are open and ready for every kind of
cooperation. However, Turkey is not a country that will allow itself to be used
for temporary solutions," Erdogan said Wednesday.
"An
effective struggle against ISIL or other terror organizations will be our
priority," Erdogan said. "The immediate removal of the administration
in Damascus, Syria's territorial unity and the installation of an
administration which embraces all will continue to be our priority."
The
motion cites also cites a potential threat to a revered mausoleum inside Syria
that is considered Turkish territory. The tiny plot of land that is a memorial
to Suleyman Shah, grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, is guarded
by Turkish troops.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Turkey-ponders-new-powers-to-fight-IS-militants/articleshow/44117097.cms
------------
Turkish
police detain ‘ISIS sympathizers’ after student protest
Oct 2,
2014
Turkish
police on Wednesday detained three students at Istanbul University suspected of
being sympathizers of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group
following clashes at an anti-jihadist campus protest, reports said.
Police
stormed the university’s faculty of humanities and science in Istanbul’s
Beyazit district after Islamist students armed with sticks and stones attacked
another group protesting against ISIS.
Three
students were detained after being identified by police as ISIS supporters
because they were wearing black masks and hats during the fight earlier
Wednesday, Hurriyet newspaper reported on its website.
“We are
Muslim students. Long live Muslim students. We Muslims are one body,” they
reportedly chanted during the protest.
Dozens
of riot police officers as well as armored vehicles and water cannon trucks
were deployed around the university after the early morning raid.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/01/Turkish-police-detain-ISIS-sympathizers-after-student-protest.html
------------
Defiant
Jerusalem Jews hold ritual chicken slaughter
2 October 2014
Hundreds
of ultra-Orthodox Jews took to the streets of Jerusalem on Thursday for a
religious ritual involving the slaughter of chickens defying a government ban
on practicing it in public.
Men
swung chickens above the heads of other religious Jews while reciting verses of
the Torah, before cutting the animals' throats.
Some
Jews believe the Kaparot ritual absolves them of their sins, transferring them
to the chicken, in a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages.
The
practice takes place before the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur -- the Day of
Atonement -- which this year falls on Friday.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2014/10/02/Defiant-Jerusalem-Jews-hold-ritual-chicken-slaughter.html
------------
Turkey’s
bar associations file complaint for annulment of headscarf in schools
Oct 2,
2014
The
Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) filed a criminal complaint to the
Council of State to annul the government’s decision to allow girls attending
fifth-grade and upper school classes to wear headscarves.
A
government decree changing the regulation on the dress code in public schools
was published Sept. 27 in the Official Gazette, allowing girls as young as 10
to attend classes wearing headscarves.
In its
complaint, the TBB argued that the right to education could conflict with the
principle of secularism, and called for the annulment of the amendment in the
regulation. It stressed that the recent regulation contradicts with Turkey’s
civil code, recalling that its age of adulthood is set at 18.
Full report
at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-bar-associations-file-complaint-for-annulment-of-headscarf-in-schools.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72453&NewsCatID=338
------------
South Asia
Taliban
chief Mullah Omar claims victory through his Eid message
Oct 02 2014
The
Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has claimed victory in Afghan war
through his message issued on the occasion of Eid.
“Your
Jihad and ungrudging sacrifices against the occupation have defeated the
Americans, their Western allies and domestic supporters altogether with the
Help of Allah (May Glory be upon Him),” Mullah Omar said.
He also
added, “All their strategies have proved to be ineffective, with their
diplomatic efforts facing fiasco, besides disgrace and ignominy. The NATO
Summit in Wales under the leadership of America, the recent slandering in
Afghanistan under the name of elections and the continuous advancements of the
Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are proofs, speaking well for themselves.”
Full
report at:
http://www.khaama.com/taliban-chief-mullah-omar-claims-victory-through-his-eid-message-8761
------------
IS
un-Islamic and anti-Islamic, tells Dr Waheed at UN General Assembly
Oct 2,
2014
The
militant organisation Islamic State (IS) is not only un-Islamic but
anti-Islamic, former President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik said yesterday
(September 30) at the UN General Assembly in New York.
“These
are terrorist groups, not religious groups. Islam, our great religion of peace,
compassion and tolerance, is being hijacked by radical and extremist elements
to perpetuate hatred and violence,” Dr Waheed said in his speech as President
Abdulla Yameen’s special envoy to the 69th session.
“We, the
government and people of Maldives, condemn in the strongest terms, these
groups, their ideologies, and their activities. We join our fellow Muslims
around the world in saying ‘not in my name’.”
Full
report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/is-un-islamic-and-anti-islamic-tells-dr-waheed-at-un-general-assembly-90346
--------
19
militants killed, 25 others injured in Afghan army operations
Oct 02
2014,
At least
19 Taliban militants were killed following military operations by Afghan
national army soldiers, defence officials said Thursday.
Gen.
Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the ministry of defence said the operations were
conducted in various provinces of the country during the past 24 hours.
Azimi
further added that various types of weapons, ammunition and explosives
including 36 rounds of improvised explosive device (IED) were also seized
during the operations.
He said
two Afghan national army soldiers were also martyred following improvised
explosive device (IED) explosion.
No
further details were given regarding the exact location where the Afghan army
soldiers were martyred, but Gen. Azimi said the soldiers were martyred in the
past 24 hours.
Taliban
militants group has not commented regarding the report so far.
http://www.khaama.com/19-militants-killed-25-others-injured-in-afghan-army-operations-8759
------------
Taliban
bomber in Afghan capital targets army bus kills three
2
October 2014
A
Taliban suicide bomber targeted an Afghan army bus in Kabul on Thursday,
killing three people and wounding 10, the interior ministry said, the fourth
high-profile attack in the capital since Monday when the new president was
sworn in.
The
militant Islamist group claimed responsibility and its reclusive leader, Mullah
Mohammad Omar, urged Afghans to wage jihad to establish a Islamic rule in
Afghanistan, calling the election a "publicity stunt."
"You
would have, by now, come around to know what sort of unqualified figures, being
loyal to foreigners' interests, have been imposed on you by the
Americans," the Taliban's one-eyed leader said in his yearly Eid Al-Adha
message.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/asia/2014/10/02/Taliban-bomber-in-Afghan-capital-targets-army-bus-kills-three.html
------------
Police
arrest Imam of unauthorised independent prayer congregation in Maldives
By
Minivan News | October 2nd, 2014
Police
have arrested a 34-year-old man for leading an unauthorised independent prayer
congregation and delivering Friday prayer sermons at the Dharumavantha mosque
in Malé.
The
suspect was taken into custody on Tuesday night (September 30) on charges of
“attempting to incite religious strife and discord,” said police, and leading
prayers without authorisation from the Islamic ministry in violation of the
Protection of Religious Unity Act of 1994 and regulations under the law.
“Despite
being summoned to the police headquarters and being repeatedly advised and told
to cease [leading the independent congregation], he gave religious sermons
without permission at the Dharumavantha mosque and attempted to create
religious divisions in the country,” police said in a statement yesterday.
Full report
at:
http://minivannews.com/society/police-arrest-imam-of-unauthorised-independent-prayer-congregation-90348
------------
Bangladesh
Minister faces expulsion over comments on Haj
HAROON
HABIB
Oct 2,
2014
A senior
Bangladesh Minister is almost set to lose his job for his explosive comments on
Haj, Prophet Muhammad and Tablighi Jamaat.
Following
Telecommunications Minister Abdul Latif Siddique’s comments in New York on
Sunday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the decision to drop him from the
Cabinet, top party sources confirmed.
The
sacking will take place when Ms. Hasina returns home on Friday after attending
the 69th U.N. General Assembly, sources said. The Minister accompanied the
Premier.
Meanwhile
a Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered the Minister to appear before it on October
28, hours after a case was filed against him for hurting Muslims’ religious
sentiments.
Six
separate cases were filed against Mr. Siddique for his comments on Haj, Prophet
Muhammad, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and Tablighi
Jamaat in New York that sparked protests at home and abroad.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/bangladesh-minister-faces-expulsion-over-comments/article6466611.ece
------------
Arab World
IS
clashes in Iraq leave 40 jihadists, 17 security forces dead
OCTOBER
2, 2014
RAMADI,
Oct 2 — The Islamic State group launched attacks on Iraqi bases in two western
towns that left at least 17 members of the security forces and 40 jihadists
dead, security and medical sources said today.
Seven
policemen and four soldiers were killed when IS fighters attacked the police
headquarters in the town of Heet, while at least six members of federal forces
were killed in an assault on a major army base in Ramadi.
In Heet,
a town on the Euphrates about 150 kilometres (95 miles) west of Baghdad, 25
gunmen attacked the police headquarters shortly after midnight.
"They
smashed the gates open with suicide car bombs, the 25 men tried to break into
the HQ, sparking heavy clashes," police colonel Jabbar al-Nimrawi told
AFP.
"The
police killed 20 of them and the remaining five withdrew to the electricity
building. They are still under siege, they have sniper rifles," he said.
Nimrawi
said the building was now surrounded by police, army, counter-terrorism elite
troops and anti-jihadist Sunni tribal forces.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/world/article/iraq-is-clashes-leave-40-jihadists-17-security-forces-dead#sthash.Zpbb1tde.dpuf
------------
Syria
blasts at school kill 32, including 10 kids
2 October 2014
Twin
bombings near an elementary school in Syria killed at least 32 people,
including at least 10 children, with the second blast going off as screaming
parents frantically searched for their sons and daughters in a street littered
with school bags and body parts.
Syrian
children are frequently among the victims of attacks in the country's civil
war, but on Wednesday they appear to have been the target. The first vehicle
exploded as children were leaving school, and the second struck as adults
carried away bodies, sending a new wave of panic through the crowd.
The
attack occurred outside the Ekremah al-Makhzoumi elementary school in a
government-controlled area of the central city of Homs dominated by minority
Alawites, the Shiite offshoot sect to which President Bashar Assad's family
belongs. It was one of the deadliest incidents in the area in months.
The SANA
state news agency said at least 32 people were killed and 115 wounded in the
attacks. A local official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was
not authorized to brief the media, said immediately after the bombings that at
least 10 of the dead were children.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/02/Syria-blasts-at-school-kill-32-including-10-kids.html
------------
ISIS
takes control of western Iraqi town of Hit
2
October 2014
Militants
took control of most of the western Iraqi town of Hit in Anbar province early
on Thursday, Reuters reported security sources and local officials as saying.
“Ninety
percent of the town of Hit has been overrun by militants,” said Adnan
al-Fahdawi, a provincial council member.
Meanwhile,
ISIS launched attacks on Iraqi bases in two western towns that left at least 17
members of the security forces and 40 jihadists dead, Agence France-Presse
reported security and medical sources as saying on Thursday.
Seven
policemen and four soldiers were killed when ISIS fighters attacked the police
headquarters in Hit, while at least six federal forces were killed in an
assault on a major army base in Ramadi.
Twenty
ISIS attackers were killed in each attack, senior officers said, adding that
five jihadists were still holed up in a building in Hit while the Ramadi attack
had been successfully repulsed.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/02/ISIS-takes-control-of-western-Iraqi-town-of-Hit-.html
------------
Egypt
militant group threatens deadly attacks during Eid holiday
Oct 2,
2014
Egypt's
deadliest militant group has vowed fresh deadly attacks against security forces
next week during the country's major Muslim feast.
In a
video released online, Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, threatened killings against the
police would take place Saturday, the first day of the Eid Al-Adha feast,
saying it "will be a black day on the infidel interior minister and his
associates."
The
video showed a map of Egypt with graphic bombs exploding, along with the
group's black flag logo.
Ansar
Beit Al-Maqdis (Supporters of Jerusalem) has orchestrated some of the worst
militant attacks against police and army forces since the army-backed ouster of
Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, including a failed assassination
attempt on Egypt's interior minister in Cairo last year.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/112186/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-militant-group-threatens-deadly-attacks-duri.aspx
------------
IS at
gates of Syria border town as Turkey mulls action
Oct 2,
2014
Islamic
State fighters were at the gates of a key Kurdish town on the Syrian border
with Turkey on Thursday as its parliament prepared to vote on authorising
military intervention against the jihadists.
Kurdish
militiamen backed by US-led air strikes were locked in fierce fighting to
prevent the besieged border town of Kobane from falling to IS group fighters.
"There
are real fears that the IS may be able to advance into the town of Kobane
itself very soon," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warned.
The
Britain-based watchdog reported fresh US-led air strikes on the advancing
jihadists overnight after the heavily outgunned Kurdish fighters were forced to
fall back west and southeast of the town, also known as Ain al-Arab.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/112214/World/Region/IS-at-gates-of-Syria-border-town-as-Turkey-mulls-a.aspx
------------
Iraq PM
says ISIS a threat to Arabs, Iran and the West
2
October 2014
Iraqi
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi described the threat emanating from the Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria militant group as one that affected the international
community, including regional countries such as Iran, in an interview with BBC
on Wednesday.
“I am
asking for all international efforts,” Abadi told the BBC, adding “I want an
international umbrella, I don’t know what is going to happen in the future.”
“My
message to the international coalition, that the threat is a threat to Iraq and
the international coalition and Iran. So let’s us work together in Iraq to
eliminate this threat.”
He also
highlighted that eradicating ISIS is a “common interest” to both Iran and the
Gulf states. “The threat is against us all,” he emphasized.
The
U.S., UK and France have so far hit ISIS targets in Iraq and also in
neighboring Syria. Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan have
joined the U.S.-led coalition against the militants.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/02/Iraq-considering-Australian-airstrike-request.html
------------
ISIS
advances further toward Syria’s Ain al-Arab
2
October 2014
Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria group fighters have advanced further towards the Syrian
Kurdish town of Ain al-Arab, a monitoring group warned early Thursday, as local
fighters retreated from one of the area’s fronts.
“The
ISIS have advanced southeast of Kobane and on the western front, from which the
Kurdish Popular Defense Committees (YPG) have now retreated,” said Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman, using the Kurdish name
Kobane to refer to the town.
“There
are real fears that the ISIS may be able to advance into the town of Kobane
itself very soon,” Abdel Rahman warned.
The
advances came hours after U.S.-led forces carried out at least five strikes
against ISIS positions south and southeast of the town, which the jihadists
have been battling to take for more than two weeks, the Observatory said.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/02/ISIS-advances-further-toward-Syrian-Kurdish-town-.html
------------
Jihadists
holed up in clinic in Iraq-Syria border town
Oct 2,
2014
Kurdish
peshmerga forces on Wednesday were surrounding a clinic in Rabia where several
Islamic State jihadists had holed up after their group lost control of the
town, officials said.
The
peshmerga launched a major military push Tuesday on Rabia, which lies on the
border between Iraq and Syria, and quickly controlled most of it.
But a
small group of IS fighters took refuge in the town's clinic, leading to a
standoff with the peshmerga who fear the building has been booby-trapped.
"There
are 10-12 IS members inside the hospital. We don't want to attack because it
might be booby-trapped," said a senior officer, adding that the peshmerga
fully controlled the rest of Rabia.
Full
report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/112178/World/Region/Jihadists-holed-up-in-clinic-in-IraqSyria-border-t.aspx
------------
Over 150
Terrorists Surrender to Iraqi Forces
Oct 2,
2014
Over 150
ISIL terrorists surrendered to the Iraqi security forces as the troops advanced
against them and liberated all the areas adjacent to Tuz Khormato district in
Salahuddin province.
The
terrorists turned themselves in to the security forces after the troops killed
dozens of the terrorist leaders of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL) group and purged Tuz Khormato and the areas around the district of the
terrorists, a security source said Wednesday.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930710000514
------------
Haj
pilgrims march to Mina as journey of faith begins
Oct 2,
2014
Clad in
white seamless cloth, about 1.50 lakh Indians along with tens of thousands of
Muslims from across the world on Thursday moved from the holy city of Mecca to
nearby Mina marking the beginning of the annual Haj
pilgrimage.
Chants
of Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (O God, here I am answering your call) and Allahu
Akbar (God is Great) reverberated as the pilgrims, wearing the ihram or the
two-piece seamless white garment, began moving to the tent-city of Mina in
groups, located 5 km to the east of Mecca.
Among
the first group of pilgrims to arrive in Mina were Indians, Pakistanis and
Bangladeshis.
Most
pilgrims embarked on the journey onboard buses arranged by their respective Haj
missions and the Saudi government but some others preferred moving on foot.
“All
Indian camps in Mina have been inspected and are in order,” Indian
Consul-General B.S. Mubarak told PTI. “No major issues so far. All arrangements
are satisfactory.”
Full
report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/haj-pilgrims-march-to-mina-as-journey-of-faith-begins/article6468315.ece
---------
Iraqi
Kurds fight ISIS with aged weapons
2 October 2014
The
exhausted Kurdish fighters leaned against a pair of antiquated green cannons on
a hill overlooking this northern Iraqi village, the ground around them littered
with shrapnel from fierce battles with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
militants.
One of
them, Moustafa Saleh, tapped the cannon with his mud-caked boots.
"Russian-made," he said, with a smirk. "My grandfather used the
same one."
Iraqi
Kurdish fighters on the front lines of battle say they have yet to receive the
heavy weapons and training pledged by the United States and nearly a dozen
other countries to help them push back the Sunni militants.
U.S.-led
airstrikes have forced the militants to retreat or go into hiding in towns and
villages across northern Iraq, paving the way for ground forces to retake
territory seized by the militant group in its lightening advance since June
across western and northern Iraq.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/10/02/-Iraqi-Kurds-fight-Islamic-State-of-Iraq-and-Syria-with-aged-weapons.html
------------
Jailed
Kurdish leader warns ISIS victory would end Turkey peace process
2
October 2014
The
jailed leader of Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has
waged a 30-year insurgency for self-rule, warned on Thursday the peace process
could collapse if Islamic State militants seize a key Syrian border town.
ISIS
militants have in recent days advanced close to the Syrian Kurdish town of Ain
al-Arab, known as Kobani to the Kurds, a few kilometers south of the Turkish
border.
"The
siege of Kobani is far from being just an ordinary siege," PKK leader
Abdullah Ocalan said in a message relayed by supporters from his prison on the
island of Imrali.
"It
does not only target the democratic gains of the Kurdish people but would lead
Turkey to a new era of coups.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/02/Jailed-Kurdish-leader-warns-ISIS-victory-would-end-Turkey-peace-process.html
------------
Pakistan
TV Show
Host, Four Others Booked On Blasphemy Charge
Oct 2,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
A host of a morning show aired by a private TV channel has been booked with
four other people on charges of blasphemy.
The case
was registered at the Margalla police station on Wednesday on a complaint of
the chairman of the Namoos-i-Risalat Forum, Rao Abdul Rahim.
Mr
Rahim, a lawyer, said that in one of her programmes the host had staged fake
marriage of two men and two women and misused a song honouring the wedding of
Hazrat Ali (RA) and Bibi Fatima (RA).
He said
a complaint against the suspects was lodged with the police station in June but
they refused to register the FIR.
Later, a
petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court.
The IHC
ordered the police to register the case but they took months to do so, the
complainant said.
Police
said the case had been registered under the Pakistan Penal Code’s section 295A
(deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any
class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 295C (use of derogatory
remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet – peace be upon him) and 298A
(use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of holy personages).
http://www.dawn.com/news/1135633/tv-show-host-four-others-booked-on-blasphemy-charge
------------
Nation
decided to make ‘Naya Pakistan’: Imran
Oct 2,
2014
MIANWALI:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has reiterated that they
would not bow before any oppression, Geo News reported.
Addressing
a rally in his hometown Mianwali on Thursday, Khan said: “I will not leave
people of Mianwali alone as they elected me to the National Assembly.”
“A day
will come when people from across the country will travel to Mianwali for
education” he said and vowed to bring development in the area.
Imran
said he had never seen such a big gathering in Mianwali before this, adding
that PTI was holding this massive rally on three-day notice.
Imran
apologized people of Mianwali, saying he did not pay attention to them as he
was fighting war against oppressors. He added that PTI will introduce a system
where oppressed people get justice without any difficulty.
Khan
said the nation has decided to make ‘Naya Pakistan’ and set a side the old one
where people pay in the form of taxes and the rulers enjoy on this money.
He was
of view that resolution had arrived at the every home in the country.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-161480-Nation-decided-to-make-Naya-Pakistan:-Imran
---------
Qadri
announces 'revolution' rallies in Faisalabad, Lahore
Oct 2,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
As Pakistan Awami Tehreek's (PAT) ongoing anti-government sit-ins entered its
50th day on Thursday, the party's chief Dr Tahirul Qadri announced rallies in
Faisalabad on October 18 and in Lahore on October 19 respectively.
Addressing
participants of the sit-in, the firebrand cleric declared that the Lahore rally
would be remembered as 'historic'.
"Our
rally in Lahore will make Minar-i-Pakistan seem small in comparison,"
Qadri said.
The PAT
chief directed his party workers to start preparing for the upcoming rallies,
adding that PAT supporters will not return until the revolution comes.
Earlier,
Qadri had hinted at following the footprints of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)
chief Imran Khan.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1135771/qadri-announces-revolution-rallies-in-faisalabad-lahore
------------
Seven
killed in Peshawar blast
Oct 2,
2014
PESHAWAR:
At least seven people were killed and eleven others were injured on Thursday
due to an explosion in a passenger coach in Peshawar's Bazid Khel area on Kohat
Road.
Peshawar's
Lady Reading Hospital's (LRH) media spokesperson Jamil Shah confirmed Dawn that
seven people were killed and eleven others were injured in the explosion. Some
of the injured were said to be in critical condition.
The
casualties were immediately shifted to LRH while rescue workers and the fire
brigade staff were trying to control the fire.
The
driver of the vehicle Shahidur Rehman said that they were heading towards Upper
Kurram Agency from Peshawar and a man with an old bag was sitting at the back
seat.
"The
man got off the vehicle at Bazid Khel stop to get his relatives and as he
stepped out, the explosion occurred," he said.
Police
has also recorded Rehman's statement during investigation. Some sources said
that the incident may be a targeted attack.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1135754/seven-killed-11-injured-in-peshawar-bus-explosion
------------
Four
militants killed, four arrested from Bannu
Oct 2,
2014
BANNU:
At least four militants were killed and four others arrested in a clash with
security forces in Jani Khel area of Bannu district here on Thursday.
According
to police, the militants attacked security forces during search operation
conducted in Wali Noor area Jani Khel. The attack was effectively retaliated by
the security forces and four militants were killed while four others were
arrested.
According
to reports, a key Taliban commander was among the arrested militants. Curfew
was imposed during house to house search operation in the area.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-161461-Four-militants-killed,-four-arrested-from-Bannu
------------
Four
killed in Quetta grenade attacks
Oct 2,
2014
QUETTA:
Four people, two teenage boys among them, were killed and nine others injured
in two grenade attacks here on Wednesday.
“A
barber’s shop and a photo studio were targeted by the assailants,” police
official Imran Qureshi said.
The
United Baloch Front (UBF) claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Police
said men on a motorcycle hurled a grenade at the barber’s shop in Killi
Langovabad area on the busy Double Road.
The
device exploded outside the shop, killing one man and injuring 10.
Soon
after the blast, the area reverberated with gunshots.
Police
and FC personnel took the victims to the civil hospital.
Two of
the seriously injured who were in their teens died in hospital,” police said.
The condition of the other injured was stable.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1135627/four-killed-in-quetta-grenade-attacks
------------
Three
suspected terrorists killed during clash with security forces
Oct 2,
2014
PESHAWAR:
Three suspected terrorists were killed and four others were arrested on
Thursday in a clash with security forces in Frontier Region Jani Khel.
Official
sources said that the clash took place in Wali Noor Jan Khel while security
personnel were carrying out the operation.
Sources
confirmed that the clash left three militants dead while four others, including
a key commander, were arrested.
A curfew
has been imposed in the area and security forces are continuing with their
operation.
A huge
quantity of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the suspected
terrorists' possession.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1135751/three-suspected-terrorists-killed-during-clash-with-security-forces-in-fr-jani-khel
------------
Constitution
Avenue clashes still a whodunnit for Islamabad police
Oct 2,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
A month after Constitution Avenue witnessed some of the worst clashes between
police and protesters that the capital has ever seen, police are no closer to
establishing who was responsible for the mayhem that led to the deaths of at
least four protesters on the night of August 30.
Police
insiders tell Dawn that officers were desperately trying to ascertain who gave
the order to use teargas and rubber bullets against advancing protesters, who
were trying to make their way to the Prime Minister’s House when the melee
began.
“There
is no trace of the authority in the records of the police and the capital
administration. No one knows who gave the order to use teargas shells and
rubber bullets against the protestors or to intercept them while they were
marching towards PM House,” officials close to the investigation said.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1135698/constitution-avenue-clashes-still-a-whodunnit-for-islamabad-police
------------
PML-N
again offers ‘peace talks’ to Imran and Qadri
Oct 2,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
The government said on Wednesday that it is ready to hold talks with leaders of
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and urged them
to let their workers celebrate Eidul Azha in their hometowns.
Addressing
a press conference, Federal Minister for Planning and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said
Imran Khan was claiming to put the country in the right direction while he
himself has failed to do the same in his party and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where it
is in power. “Do not spoil the Eid of people, particularly of the residents of
Rawalpindi and Islamabad, just for political gains,” said Ahsan, adding that
the sit-ins had affected the economy, and according to an SBP-IBA report, the
business activities have dipped since July 2013. The minister said the country
could not afford the sit-ins, which are badly affecting the economy besides
creating difficulties for the masses.
Full
report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/02-Oct-2014/pml-n-again-offers-peace-talks-to-imran-and-qadri
------------
'US
terror sanctions list not binding on Pakistan'
Oct 2,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
The Foreign Office on Thursday termed the United States' decision to designate
three Pakistan-based organisations as terror groups a 'unilateral move' that
does not apply to Pakistan.
"There
is a procedure at the United Nations to declare any person or organisation a
terrorist; however, the US' decision to declare three Pakistani-based
organisations [as terror groups] does not apply to Pakistan," Foreign
Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam told reporters at the weekly media briefing
in Islamabad.
On
Wednesday, the US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on two Pakistan-based
terrorist organisations — LeT and Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HuM) — and froze the
assets of their leaders.
The
announcement claimed that the assets were used for providing financial support
to LeT, which is accused of carrying out the Mumbai terror attacks.
The
Treasury notification described HuM as “a terrorist group that operates
throughout India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, and maintains terrorist training
camps in eastern Afghanistan.”
According
to the notification, in 2005, HuM attacks in Kashmir killed at least 15 people,
and in 2007, an unspecified number of Indian troops were also killed in a
firefight with HuM militants in the area.
Full
report at:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1135766/us-terror-sanctions-list-not-binding-on-pakistan
------------
Europe
Austrians
from Different Faith Condemn Rising Attacks on Muslims
World
Bulletin / News Desk
Oct 2,
2014
A letter
condemning attacks on Muslims in Austria signed by a thousand people from
different faiths was published on the internet on Wednesday.
Three
women who were wearing headscarves, three mosques and a religious high school
under construction were attacked in Vienna last month.
The
declaration was prepared under the leadership of Muslim feminist Dudu Kucukgol
and Peter Stoger, a professor at the University of Innsbruck entitled,
"Call for public calm" and "Open letter on the hysteria against
Muslims."
They
want to start a debate as they feel that the debate in the media and in
politics has caused the exclusion of Muslims, the declaration states.
In the
declaration, they strongly condemn attacks on Muslims and attacks by the ISIL.
"Creating
fear against a religious group harms all people. We call for calm for the peace
of all Austrian people" says the declaration.
The
declaration was signed by academics, writers, members of parliament,
journalists and members of non-governmental organizations.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/145502/austria-condemns-rising-attacks-on-muslims
------------
Anti-Muslim
Hate Crime Soars In London, According To New Police Figures
Oct 2,
2014
Muslim
hate crime in London has shot up by almost 65% in twelve months, with spikes in
violence linked not to Islamic State beheadings, but to incidents closer to
home like the Rotherham grooming scandal.
Metropolitan
Police figures show that incidents of hate crime rose from 344 to 570 in the
last year, and women are key targets because of their identifiable Islamic
dress.
Fiyaz
Mughal, director of the Islamophobia monitoring group Tell MAMA, said that he
had been expecting an increase of between 30-50%, and had not predicted such a
dramatic rise.
"It's
certainly linked to current events, but the severity of the reports we get
vary, depending on what is happening in the news," he told HuffPost UK.
"When there's an IS beheading, or there's a terror threat made against the
UK, you'll find a bombardment of online abuse and threats. And it will be a
discernible spike, increasing for a short period and then dying down."
It was
national scandals, like the grooming of young girls in Rotherham by groups of
Pakistani men, or the alleged "Trojan horse" plot by hardline Muslims
in Birmingham to "take over" some of the city's state schools, that
had the most impact on the figures, Mughal said.
Full
report at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10/01/antimuslim-hate-crime-london_n_5914700.html?utm_hp_ref=uk
------------
France
to boost military presence in fight against ISIS
Oct 2,
2014
France
said Wednesday it would beef up its military deployment in the fight against
militants belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) being waged
by a U.S.-led coalition.
"The
president has decided to reinforce the military presence engaged" in the
battle, said a statement from the presidency, without specifying what this
would amount to.
A source
in the defense ministry said the planned measures could see more troops sent to
France's military base in the Gulf and support increased to ground forces such
as the Kurdish peshmerga.
Paris
has already delivered arms to the peshmerga forces.
A source
close to the presidency said the reinforcement would take place "through
all means and in all domains in order to be effective and reach the set
objectives."
France
has six Rafale fighter jets and just under 1,000 soldiers based in the Gulf.
It has
carried out two rounds of air strikes in Iraq against the extremist group which
has seized vast swaths of land across Iraq and Syria in recent months.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/01/France-to-boost-military-presence-in-fight-against-ISIS.html
------------
Islamic
State committing "staggering" crimes in Iraq -UN report
Oct 2,
2014
GENEVA,
Oct 2 (Reuters) - Islamic State insurgents in Iraq have carried out mass
executions, abducted women and girls as sex slaves, and used child soldiers in
what may amount to systematic war crimes that demand prosecution, the United
Nations said on Thursday.
In a
report based on 500 interviews with witnesses, also said Iraqi government air
strikes on the Sunni Muslim militants had caused "significant civilian
deaths" by hitting villages, a school and hospitals in violation of
international law.
At least
9,347 civilians had been killed and 17,386 wounded so far through September,
well over half of them since the Islamist insurgents also known as ISIL and
ISIS began seizing large parts of northern Iraq in early June, the report said.
"The
array of violations and abuses perpetrated by ISIL and associated armed groups
is staggering, and many of their acts may amount to war crimes or crimes
against humanity," said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad
al Hussein.
In a
statement, he called again for the Baghdad government to join the International
Criminal Court, saying the Hague court was set up to prosecute such massive
abuses and direct targeting of civilians on the basis of their religious or
ethnic group.
Full
report at:
http://www.trust.org/item/20141002110819-knnwl
------------
Britain
doesn't need hateful laws to defeat hate preachers
Oct 2,
2014
Theresa
May's proposals go against our tradition of free speech, and set a dangerous
precedent
If the
Labour party conference in Manchester felt like a funeral, the Conservatives’
gathering in Birmingham had the air of a wedding. It had jazz bands, champagne
bars and a near-universal mood of celebration — which is odd, given that every
opinion poll and bookmaker reckons the Tories are on course to lose power next
year. Almost every speech delivered from the floor was more substantial,
forceful and credible than any delivered at the Labour party conference. And
one of the highlights was the tour de force delivered by Theresa May.
For
almost two decades the job of Home Secretary has been a political graveyard.
Theresa May has made it into a power base. Several home secretaries tried to
deport Abu Qatada; she succeeded. She is unafraid to confront the police,
berating them for stopping and searching young black men without cause. She has
championed the Modern Slavery Bill which, once passed, will give Britain the
most advanced anti-slavery legislation in the world.
Full
report at:
http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-week/leading-article/9330962/think-again-mrs-may/
------------
UK
leader lauds Pakistanis’ contribution
Oct 2,
2014
ISLAMABAD:
Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has commended the contribution made
by the Pakistani diaspora to the progress of the United Kingdom and
acknowledged that the Pakistani community had enriched the country culturally,
socially and politically.
Mr Clegg
was speaking at the second integration dinner organised by the World Congress
of Overseas Pakistanis at a London hotel on Tuesday, said a message received
here on Wednesday.
He
appreciated the Pakistani community’s ethos of hard work and their successful
integration into the British society while also retaining their identity. He
termed the UK-Pakistan relations strong and assured his government’s continued
support to Pakistan in various sectors.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1135620/uk-leader-lauds-pakistanis-contribution
------------
French
Muslims head to hajj despite government’s travel warning
2 October 2014
Thousands
of French Muslims are performing hajj this year, despite travel warnings issued
by the government against the backdrop of the fight against extremism in the
region.
Every
year some 35,000 Muslims from France make the hajj pilgrimage, according to
Reuters news agency.
This
year, an estimated three million people worldwide are expected to be making the
spiritual journey which began on Thursday.
Ahead of
the pilgrimage, some French Muslims were informed by imams on the different
aspects of hajj.
“We
prepare pilgrims both on a spiritual and psychological level,” Mustapha Dali,
rector of the Mosque of Cannes in France, told Al Arabiya News.
Dali
added that imams also offer pilgrims information about travel agencies
authorized by French and Saudi Arabian authorities to organize their trip.
Dali
said the imam of the mosque he works for is accompanying a group of French
pilgrims during their journey to ensure they have a safe and rewarding
experience.
In
France, “SOS Pilgrims,” a private organization created by the “Hajj Academy,”
offers classes to hopeful pilgrims wishing to prepare for the trip.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2014/10/02/French-Muslims-head-to-hajj-despite-government-s-travel-warning.html
---------
North America
U.S.
plans Patriot missile sale to Saudi Arabia
2
October 2014
The
United States plans to sell Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia worth
$1.75 billion and long-range artillery to the United Arab Emirates valued at
about $900 million, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
The
Defense Department informed Congress of the potential arms sales this week as
fighter jets from both of the Gulf states took part in a U.S.-led air campaign
against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group.
The
Saudi government had requested the purchase of 202 Patriot Advanced Capability
(PAC)-3 missiles -- the most sophisticated version of the Patriot anti-missile
weapons -- as well as a flight test target, telemetry kits and other related
equipment, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
"The
proposed sale will help replenish Saudi's current Patriot missiles which are
becoming obsolete and difficult to sustain due to age and the limited
availability of repair parts," the agency said.
"The
program will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the
United States by helping to improve the security of a partner which has been,
and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic
progress in the Middle East," it added.
Both
Kuwait and Qatar already have purchased the PAC-3 weapons, which are designed
to knock out incoming ballistic missiles as well as enemy aircraft and cruise
missiles using ground radar.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/02/Pentagon-U-S-plans-Patriot-missile-sale-to-Saudi-Arabia-.html
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U.S.
warns Israel possibly hindering ‘close ties’
2 October 2014
In a striking
public rebuke, the Obama administration warned Israel on Wednesday that plans
for a controversial new housing project in east Jerusalem would distance Israel
from “even its closest allies” and raise questions about its commitment to
seeking peace with Palestinians.
The
harsh criticism came just hours after President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House. Obama spokesman Josh
Earnest said the president privately raised his concerns with Netanyahu though
the two leaders made no mention of the matter in their public comments to
reporters.
“This
development will only draw condemnation from the international community,”
Earnest said. “It also would call into question Israel’s ultimate commitment to
a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.”
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/10/02/U-S-warns-Israel-possibly-hindering-close-ties-.html
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India
Militants
Say Won’t Strike In Kashmir till Relief, Rehab Reach Victims
Oct 2,
2014
United
Jihad Council (UJC) said they had unilaterally suspended its military
operations in the wake of the floods in Kashmir. According to the militant
amalgam, the suspension of operations will continue till “relief and
rehabilitation” for people reach “satisfactory levels”.
“Our
militant operations will remain suspended till relief and rehabilitation for
those affected reaches satisfactory levels,” UJC chief Syed Salah-ud-din told a
local news agency. “The rescue, relief and rehabilitation (of people) is our
first and foremost priority. All other things are secondary to us”.
The
suspension of operations by militants is indefinite. “It (relief and rehab) is
a Himalayan task for which deadlines cannot be predicted,” Salah-ud-din said.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/militants-say-wont-strike-till-relief-rehab-reach-victims/#sthash.INMie3Wu.dpuf
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Pakistan’s
ISI closely connected with IM operatives: NIA
Oct 2,
2014
Pakistan
intelligence agency ISI was “closely connected” with top operatives of banned
Indian Mujahideen (IM) and provided shelter to its members wanted in India, the
National Investigation Agency has told a special court here.
The NIA
said this in its supplementary charge sheet filed against 20 suspected IM
operatives, including its absconding co-founders Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal
Bhatkal, in connection with a case relating to larger conspiracy of the banned
group to carry out terror activities across the country.
“Investigation
has established that in pursuance of the conspiracy, accused A-10 (Riyaz
Bhatkal) has remained closely connected with the ISI of Pakistan. The ISI
organised training of IM operatives and also provided shelter to several
accused persons, including A-10, after they were wanted by Indian courts for
their involvement in terrorist activities,” the agency said.
Full
report at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/pakistans-isi-closely-connected-with-im-operatives-nia/#sthash.0ntS3Z27.dpuf
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Pak
violates ceasefire in Poonch, 6 injured
PTI |
Oct 2, 2014
JAMMU:
Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch
district of J&K injuring six civilians including two women, to which India
retaliated.
According
to an Army officer, Pakistani troops resorted to heavy firing by small arms and
automatic weapons and shelling of 81 mm mortar bombs in two forward sub-sector
of Sabjian and Mandi since 1840 hours yesterday and intermittent firing
continued till mid night, during which six civilians including two women were
injured and six houses were damaged.
"There
was no loss of life or injury to anyone among the armed forces on this side in
Pak firing," the officer said, adding, that Indian troops gave a befitting
reply to them.
Civilian
population living in border hamlets of Gigriyal and Uripura along LoC were
targeted during the firing, police officials said.
Full
report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-violates-ceasefire-in-Poonch-6-injured/articleshow/44095777.cms
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Africa
More
than 100 ex-rebels, family members die in Congo camp - HRW
Oct 2,
2014
(Reuters)
- More than 100 people died from starvation and disease over the last year in a
government-run camp set up to house former rebels and their families in
Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday.
The
group said the deaths were likely to discourage other insurgents still fighting
government and U.N. forces in the east from signing up to any future programmes
to persuade them to disarm and settle.
A
spokesman for Congo's government said an investigation had been launched into
the situation but health problems that people face across Congo, rather than
poor management at the camp, were most likely to be the cause of the deaths.
According
to HRW, 941 former fighters and several hundred of their family members were
sent to the Kotakoli camp, in the remote forests of northwestern Congo, in
September 2013.
Since
December, 42 ex-combatants and at least five women and 57 children living there
have died due to extreme shortages of food and medicine in the camp, HRW said.
"The
Congolese government's neglect of these former fighters and their families is
criminal," said Ida Sawyer, HRW's senior researcher in Congo.
Full
report at:
http://www.trust.org/item/20141001190453-bmwhz/?source=leadCarousel
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Bombs,
clashes kill seven Libya soldiers in Benghazi
2 October 2014
Seven
Libyan soldiers were killed and 50 wounded in a double suicide bombing and
clashes in the eastern city of Benghazi on Thursday, an army commander said.
Libya is
being racked by violence as the armed groups which helped topple Muammar
Qaddafi in 2011 turn their guns on each other in a struggle to dominate
politics and the country's vast oil resources.
In
Benghazi, special army forces allied to brigades of former general Khalifa
Haftar have been fighting Islamist brigades including Ansar al-Sharia, blamed
by Washington for an attack on the U.S. consulate in September 2012 in which
the U.S. ambassador was killed.
Two cars
loaded with explosives drove into an army checkpoint near Benghazi's civilian
and military airport, killing three soldiers, Wanis Bukhamada, commander of
army special forces in Benghazi, told Reuters.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2014/10/02/Seven-Libyan-soldiers-killed-in-Benghazi-bombs-and-clashes-army-official-says.html
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Boko
Haram leader rejects claims of his death in new video
2
October 2014
Boko
Haram leader Abubakar Shekau dismissed Nigerian military claims of his death in
a new video obtained by AFP on Thursday and said the militants had implemented
strict Islamic law in captured towns.
“Here I
am, alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath,” Shekau said in the
36-minute video, adding that his group was “running our... Islamic caliphate”
and administering sharia punishments.
Nigeria’s
military said last week that Shekau was dead and that a man who had been posing
as the group’s leader in the videos had been shot dead after fighting with
troops in the far northeast.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2014/10/02/Boko-Haram-leader-dismisses-claims-of-his-death-in-new-video-.html
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Kenya
sentences two Iranians for using fake Israeli passports
Oct 2,
2014
A Kenyan
court on Wednesday ordered two Iranians held under anti-terrorism laws to serve
two years in jail or pay a hefty fine after they pleaded guilty to using fake
Israeli passports to enter the East African country last month.
Kenyan
anti-terrorism police arrested the two on suspicion of plotting an attack in
Kenya as they prepared to board a flight at Nairobi airport on Sept. 18 bound
for Belgium.
It was
not immediately clear whether officials' concerns about a possible attack had
been put to rest. It was also not clear whether the two, a man and a woman,
would avoid jail by paying the fine of 2 million shillings ($22,422) each
instead.
Kenyan
security agencies have been on alert after several gun and grenade attacks
which followed the killing of 67 people in an attack by Islamist gunmen on
Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall in September last year.
Full
report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2014/10/01/Kenya-sentences-two-Iranians-for-using-fake-Israeli-passports.html
------------
Southeast Asia
When
Allah CDs become a casualty in Umno’s politics
Oct 2,
2014
This is
not the first time Putrajaya has asked to stay a court decision but Home
Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's move in the Jill Ireland case goes
beyond public interest.
The
refusal to hand back the Allah CDs to the Sarawakian is also the battle to be
the next Umno leader after party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
His
deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, would be nearer 70 in the next Umno elections
and is likely to step down, leaving Zahid and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
to slug it out for the party deputy presidency.
The
other Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal from Sabah is seen as a
lightweight.
With
that post also comes the job of deputy prime minister in a Barisan Nasional
(BN) government.
The
younger Hishammuddin is considered a front-runner, not the least because of his
political aristocracy – the son of former Umno president and prime minister Tun
Hussein Onn, the grandson of Umno founder Datuk Onn Jaafar, nephew to former
Umno president Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and cousin to Najib.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/when-allah-cds-become-a-casualty-in-umnos-politics#sthash.YI5TzSRm.dpuf
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Banning
Azmi shows UKM’s small mind, says anti-Sedition Act group
Oct 2,
2014
A newly
formed movement, Abolish the Sedition Act (GHAH), has hit out at Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) for its "anti-intellectual attitude" when
it chased away law lecturer Associate Professor Dr Azmi Sharom, who was at its
campus last night.
GHAH
spokesman Yap Swee Seng said that the move was not reasonable and was an
affront to academic freedom.
"They
(UKM) are anti-intellectual and anti-institution.
"If
a university can bar a law lecturer from speaking, this greatly threatens academic
freedom in the country," Yap said at a press conference today.
He added
that given UKM's attitude, it was not surprising Malaysian universities failed
to make it among the top ranking universities in the world.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/banning-azmi-shows-ukms-small-mind-says-anti-sedition-act-group#sthash.TDP6mDpT.dpuf
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Umno
Youth’s call to spit in face ‘criminal intimidation’, says PKR MP
Oct 2,
2014
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 2 — PKR’s Gooi Hsiao Leung accused Umno’s youth wing of “criminal
intimidation” after its Selangor chief called on residents in the state to spit
in the opposition lawmaker’s face.
The Alor
Setar MP said Selangor Umno Youth chief Zainuri Zainal had gone too far by
making such a threat and accused the Barisan Nasional (BN) party of twisting
his statement by wrongly claiming he wanted to reduce the Selangor Sultan’s
powers.
“This is
yet another example of Umno’s hooliganism and uncivilised behaviour,” Gooi said
in a statement after filing a police complaint today.
“Who do
they think they are? Lords and masters who own this country and can do and say
anything they like just because their party have been in power for the last 57
years?” he asked.
Full
report at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/umno-youths-call-to-spit-in-face-criminal-intimidation-says-pkr-mp#sthash.IKb0pEZk.dpuf
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Democratic
Party Coalition With PDI-P Still Possible: Edhie
Oct 02,
2014
Jakarta.
The Democratic Party has not ruled out siding with a coalition led by the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) — despite claims a 10-year feud
between between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the PDI-P chairwoman,
Megawati Sukarnoputri, had derailed negotiations.
Democratic
Party Secretary General Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono — the youngest son of the
outgoing president — was quoted as saying a meeting between the two politicians
could still take place.
“There
has been no failure. SBY and the Democratic Party are very open to anyone and
they respect everybody, including Megawati,” Edhie told Tempo.co.
The
comments follow reports from an anonymous source within the PDI-P that lobbying
between top PDI-P and Democrat officials broke down late on Tuesday because of
the sour relationship between Yudhoyono and Megawati.
Full
report at:
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/democratic-party-coalition-pdi-p-still-possible-edhie/
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