Wave Of Car Bombings Target Iraqi Shiites, Killing 55
New Age Islam News Bureau
29 Jul 2013
Iraqis remove the stones of a wall that was destroyed in a car bombing outside Ahl al-Bayya' mosque on July 29, 2013 in south eastern Baghdad. AFP PHOTO ALI AL-SAADI
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Arab World
• Wave of car bombings target Iraqi Shiites, killing 55
• Egypt: Brotherhood says 200 of Islamist group killed in police firing
• Iraq suicide bomber kills eight police in Tuz Khurmatu
• Al-Azhar Sunni authority condemns Egypt deaths, urges probe
• Egypt's secularists alarmed over likely comeback of the old guard
• Syrian army retrieves key Homs area from rebels
• True understanding of Islam leads to harmonious society: Oman Grand Mufti
• Attack by Morsi supporters on churches repelled by residents
• Blame and condemnation after Rabaa violence
• Mohamed Morsi supporters defiant in face of Egypt government threat
Pakistan
• Taliban Gain Foothold In A Pakistani City, Peshawar
• Seven killed in US drone strike in northwest Pakistan
• Extortion demands in Karachi ‘rise’ during holy month
• Pakistan for deep political, economic ties with US
• Presidential election results to be announced on same day: ECP
• KP wants federal govt to take custody of Dr Afridi
• Pakistan restates demand to end US drone strikes
Africa
• Attacked by civilian force, Islamists kill 20 in Nigeria
• Email links Lockerbie bomber's prison transfer to £400m Libyan arms deal
• Clashes erupt in Libya's Benghazi after blasts, protests
• Libya shuts Egyptian border in the wake of prison break
• Malians go to polls in watershed election; ex-PM Keita has edge
Europe
• BBC film reporter investigates rising power of Salafism in Tunisia
• France praises Mali's election as Keita leads
• Egypt crisis deepens, EU's Ashton visits Cairo
• UK troops briefly return to Afghan district
• Baku wins the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games hosting bid
India
• Don't keep non-Kashmiri labourers on rent: Hard-line Hurriyat leader Geelani
• Srinagar: infiltration bid foiled, 1 militant killed
• Recovery notice adds to encroachment on Gujarat Waqf property
• Muslim women send Rakhi to Narendra Modi and pray for his well-being
North America
• Muslim group pushing for Lynx bus ads to combat Islamophobia
• CAIR: Obama Must Condemn 'Massacre' of Pro-Democracy Protesters in Egypt
Mideast
• Israel govt adopts bill on peace referendum
• Mideast peace talks resume after three years
• Majority of imprisoned LGBTs kept in ‘solitary confinement’
• Homophobic prejudices broken by Gezi incidents in Turkey
• ME peace talks to be based on ’67 borders
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia’s Largest Muslim Organization Criticizes Hard-Liners
• Muslims banned from beauty pageants despite no bikini rule, says Jamil Khir
• Shia: A fine effort to split PAS
South Asia
• Taliban bomb kills nine in Afghanistan: officials
• Afghan eyes Iran deal to boost trade to Europe, India
• Iran port agreement will help boost exports: Afghanistan
• Bangladeshi boy is the most beautiful Quran reciter
• Jumhoree Party backtracks on challenging Nasheed’s candidacy in Supreme Court
• President Waheed forms Small and Medium Enterprises Council
• Inclusive elections could restore democracy in the Maldives: IDSA
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Arab World
Wave of car bombings target Iraqi Shiites, killing 55
Reuters | Jul 29, 2013
BAGHDAD: Seventeen car bombs exploded in Iraq on Monday, killing at least 55 people in predominantly Shiite areas in some of the deadliest violence since Sunni insurgents including al-Qaida stepped-up attacks this year.
Police and medical sources said the attacks, which appeared to be coordinated, were concentrated on towns and cities in Iraq's predominantly Shiite south, and districts of the capital where Shiites reside.
The car bomb attacks in busy streets and crowded markets underscore deteriorating security in Iraq, where nearly 4,000 people have been killed since the start of the year, according to violence monitoring group, Iraq Body Count.
The violence has raised fears of a return to full-blown conflict in a country where Kurds, majority Shiite, and minority Sunni Muslims have yet to find a stable way of sharing power.
At least 10 people were killed when two car bombs blew up near a bus station in the city of Kut, 150km (95 miles) southeast of the capital, police said.
Four more were killed in a blast in the town of Mahmoudiya, about 30km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, and two bombs in Samawa, further south, killed two.
The rest of the bombings took place in regions of Baghdad, in Sadr city, Habibiya, Hurriya, Bayaa, Ur, Shurta, Kadhimiya, Risala, Tobchi and Abu Dsheer neighbourhoods.
In July, more than 810 people were killed in militant attacks. Iraqi forces patrolling alone since US-led troops left in 2011 are struggling to contain a resurgent al-Qaida, which has been regrouping and striking with a ferocity not seen in years.
Sectarian tensions across the region have been inflamed by the civil war in neighbouring Syria, which has drawn Shiites and Sunnis from Iraq and beyond into battle on opposite sides.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Wave-of-car-bombings-target-Iraqi-Shiites-killing-55/articleshow/21452728.cms
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Egypt: Brotherhood says 200 of Islamist group killed in police firing
July 29, 2013
Defying threats to evict them, thousands of supporters of deposed Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi on Sunday staged a sit-in at a mosque here; a day after bloodiest violence that Muslim Brotherhood claimed killed nearly 200 members of their Islamist group.
Vowing to stand their ground despite violent crackdown on their supporters by armed forces, Brotherhood leaders addressed protesters overnight, saying they would not back down from their demands including reinstatement of Morsi.
Sixty-one-year-old Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president was toppled by the military on July 3. Morsi, who is facing criminal charges in many cases, was last seen in public on June 26 and has been detained along with senior aides of his Muslim Brotherhood party. Meanwhile, the Brotherhood’s official website said at least 200 people had been killed and some 5,000 wounded, Ahram Online reported. However, a health ministry official, Khaled El-Khatib, put the death toll from Friday and Saturday’s clashes to 80.
Seventy-two of the casualties fell during violence between police and pro-Morsi supporters on the fringes of a month-long sit-in held by the president’s loyalists in northern Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawia mosque, Ahram Online said.
Eight people were killed in Egypt’s Mediterranean city of Alexandria during deadly clashes between pro and anti- Morsi supporters. The official put the tally of injured at 792 nationwide, including 411 in clashes near the pro-Morsi sit-in in Cairo’s Nasr City neighborhood.
Meanwhile, a spokesman from Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood said more than 4,000 were wounded by tear gas and bullet or birdshot wounds in one of the bloddiest days in the nation.
On Saturday’s killings followed a day of rival rallies. The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar mosque - the highest Sunni Muslim authority in Egypt - has called for an investigation, while the vice-president of the interim government, Mohamed ElBaradei, has condemned the excessive use of force.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/africa/Egypt-Brotherhood-says-200-killed-in-police-firing/Article1-1099963.aspx
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Iraq suicide bomber kills eight police in Tuz Khurmatu
Jul 29 2013
A suicide bomber has killed eight Kurdish police in northern Iraq after targeting a convoy, officials say.
The attack took place in the town of Tuz Khurmatu, about 70km (45 miles) south of Kirkuk, and also wounded nine officers, district official Shahal Abdul told news agency AFP.
The town is in an area that is a source of dispute between the Iraqi government and the Kurdish minority.
This year has been one of the deadliest across Iraq, with thousands killed.
Although violence has decreased across the country since the peak of the insurgency in 2006 and 2007, bombings are still common.
More than 700 people have been killed in July alone.
Disputed region
The suicide bomber blew up his car in Tuz Khurmatu close to a three-vehicle police convoy, officials said.
Tuz Khurmatu is part of an area disputed between the government in Baghdad and ethnic Kurds, who inhabit a semi-autonomous region in the north and claim territory in four other nearby regions.
In January a suicide bomber killed at least 23 people in the town.
Last month, at least 10 people were killed after two suicide bombers targeted a protest camp near the town.
The protesters were ethnic Turkmen demanding better security for the area.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23481088
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Al-Azhar Sunni authority condemns Egypt deaths, urges probe
Jul 29, 2013
The sheikh of Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's top authority, condemned July 27 the deaths of dozens of supporters of Egypt's ousted President Mohamed Morsi and called for an inquiry.
"The sheikh of Al-Azhar deplores and condemns the deaths of a number of martyrs who were victims of today's events," Ahmed al-Tayyeb, who heads the Cairo-based Al-Azhar, said in a statement.
The grand imam called for an "urgent judicial investigation" and punishment of those responsible "regardless of their affiliation." The statement came after dozens of Morsi supporters were killed in the early hours of Saturday at a long-running protest calling for the reinstatement of Morsi, who was ousted in a military-led coup on July 3.
Witnesses accused security forces of using live fire, but the interior ministry said only tear gas was fired at demonstrators.
Morsi's camp said more than 100 people were killed. An AFP correspondent counted 37 bodies in an Islamist-run field hospital at Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, and the emergency services said other hospitals received 29 corpses.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/al-azhar-sunni-authority-condemns-egypt-deaths-urges-probe.aspx?pageID=238&nID=51531&NewsCatID=352
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Egypt's secularists alarmed over likely comeback of the old guard
ATUL ANEJA
Jul 29, 2013
The mind-numbing killings in the early hours on Saturday of supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsy by the state security forces, notorious for using excessive force during the Mubarak-era, has alarmed the country’s secularist youth, who fear the heavy-handed return of the old guard.
The secularist Tamarod movement-the core supporters of the military coup that removed Mr. Morsy from power on July 3-have sounded the alarm, apprehending the return of personnel and the discredited policing culture that was prevalent during the bygone years of the presidency of Hosni Mubarak.
For several hours till the break of dawn on Saturday, the police and armed men in plainclothes unleashed heavy violence, including teargas, birdshot and live rounds to disperse pro-Morsy crowds that were apparently trying to block the Sixth of October bridge, Cairo’s lifeline. By morning 72 people were dead, according to the health ministry’s body count. The Muslim Brotherhood—Mr. Morsy’s parent organisation -- however, said the story of the overnight carnage was even grimmer, claiming that the bloodbath near the bridge, not far from the pro-Morsy sit in Nasr city had taken 120 lives.
The short stretch of Nasr Street famous for the spot where former President Anwar Sadat was slain during a military parade more than three decades ago, between the bridge and the pro-Morsy encampment had become a virtual killing field on Saturday morning.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch is reporting, based on field visits by researchers and analysis of video footage, that the protesters were shot and killed over a period of at least six hours, during clashes with the security forces on a major Cairo road. It quoted doctors and medical staff present at field hospitals where the wounded and the dead were being brought that the “majority of the bullet injuries were to the head, neck, and chest,” suggesting targeted shootings. “They had orders to shoot to kill,” said Gehad El-Haddad, a Brotherhood spokesman.
Stunned by the casualties and the excessive use of force, Tamarod spokesman Mahmoud Badr warned in a statement that the movement does not support adoption of “extraordinary measures, or the contradiction of freedoms and human rights". The group has been dismayed by Saturday’s assertion during a presser by the interior minister, Mohamed Ibrahim that departments of state security, used for combating extremism and monitoring political and religious activity, which had been disbanded after Mr. Mubarak’s exit had now been reinstated. Mr. Ibrahim added that a reshuffle of police officers would be announced on Monday, and would include personnel that had been excluded before.
Rejecting the minister’s stance, Mr. Badr stressed that such comments "are unacceptable" as they violate the principles of the January 25 Revolution, which had brought down Mr. Mubarak. "We will never accept the return of Mubarak's state security [apparatus] or the chasing of political activists under any name," added Mr. Badr.
Equally incensed by Saturday’s bloodbath, the April 6 Youth Movement, another secular organisation that pioneered the anti-Mubarak revolt on 2011, called for the interior minister’s resignation.
Simultaneously, it also demanded the arrest and trial of Muslim Brotherhood leaders "who incite violence". The perceptions of the two youth organisations that were at the heart of the anti-Morsy demonstrations that culminated in the coup were echoed by interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei. He acknowledged that the security forces had used disproportionate force in dealing with Mr. Morsy’s supporters.
Despite the interior minster’s dire warnings at the press conference of a fast approaching crackdown, the pro-Morsy crowds in Nasr city were digging their heels. "For us, if we die, we meet our creator and we did so for a just cause... Either we die or we succeed," AFP quoted Mr. Haddad, the Brotherhood’s spokesman as saying. The Brotherhood has so far been steadfast in its demand for Mr. Morsy’s reinstatement to the presidency.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/egypts-secularists-alarmed-over-likely-comeback-of-the-old-guard/article4963534.ece
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Syrian army retrieves key Homs area from rebels
Jul 29, 2013
Syrian forces seized full control of a key rebel-held area in the central province of Homs on Monday following two months of fierce fighting, State media reported.
The military had “completely restored security and stability to Khalidiyeh neighbourhood,” the State-run news agency SANA reported.
It said the fall of Khalidiyeh “is a prelude” for taking back Homs province after it fell in the hands of “foreign militants.” However, Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the pro-Opposition watchdog Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said fighting continued in the southern parts of the area.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/syrian-army-retrieves-key-homs-area-from-rebels/article4966485.ece
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True understanding of Islam leads to harmonious society: Oman Grand Mufti
Jul 29, 2013
By His Eminence Shaikh Ahmed al Khalili, Grand Mufti of the Sultanate — Adherence to good moral values and spreading them among people entails a sound relationship with Allah the Almighty which in turn depends on good insight and awareness about religious matters. However, being insightful about Islam requires — contrary to the common thinking — something above the superficial knowledge about the provisions of Islamic Sharia (law). Fiqh (understanding of the Islamic religion) doesn’t mean the rigid, surface understanding of the rules of Islam; rather it is the wide insight of the essential matters of Islam and of the wisdom behind the rules and provisions of Islam. It is the knowledge of the connection between what Allah the Almighty prohibited and what He ordered the Muslims to do for their own interest. It is only when people perform the religious duties as worship rather than inherited stereotyped habits that Muslims develop the true spirit of piety and they become mindful of Allah the Almighty and the Day of Judgment. At this point Muslims become brothers in God; their feeling towards one another becomes stronger and their bond tighter as Allah the Exalted said in the Holy Quran: “The believers are but brothers”. Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, said: “The Believer to the Believer is like a solid building, one part supporting the other”.
http://www.omanet.om/english/0news/viewdetails.asp?id=26550
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Attack by Morsi supporters on churches repelled by residents
By Kanzy Mahmoud
Jul 29, 2013
Muslim youth and security forces protected Al-Azraa and Anba Ebram churches from attacks by alleged Morsi supporters in Minya on Saturday, spokesperson of the archbishop of Mawas monastery Amgad Ezzat has told state-owned MENA agency.
“They threw molotov cocktails at Al-Azraa and Anba Ebram churches but were not able to break in as nearby Muslims and Christians were securing the churches,” said Ishak Ibrahim, researcher at Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). He added that the protesters tried to storm in El-Eslah church but were prevented. “However, both El-Eslah church and an annex of the Catholic church were raided before, on 3 July,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/07/28/attack-on-minya-churches-repelled-by-residents-security-forces/
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Blame and condemnation after Rabaa violence
Hend Kortam / July 28, 2013
Condemnation, blame, and calls for independent investigation have followed the Rabaa Al-Adaweya clashes which left dozens dead and more injured early Saturday morning.
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb decried the high number of deaths and called on the interim government to conduct an urgent investigation, AFP reported. Al-Tayeb also called for the immediate punishment of those responsible, in his Saturday statement.
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Tawadros II lamented the violence on Twitter. “The life of every Egyptian is precious; bloodshed by their own unacceptable,” he said in a tweet. Full report at:
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/07/28/blame-and-condemnation-after-rabaa-violence/
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Mohamed Morsi supporters defiant in face of Egypt government threat
Jul 29 2013
Cairo : Escalating the confrontation after clashes that left 83 supporters of Egypt's ousted Islamist president dead, the interim government moved Sunday towards dismantling two pro-Mohamed Morsi sit-in camps, accusing protesters of “terrorism” and vowing to deal with them decisively.
Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood denounced Saturday's bloodshed as evidence of the brutality of the military-backed regime. But many accused the group's leaders of trying to capitalize on the loss of life to win sympathy after millions took to the streets in a show of support for the military chief who ousted Morsi in a coup.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mohamed-morsi-supporters-defiant-in-face-of-egypt-government-threat/1148134/
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Pakistan
Taliban Gain Foothold In A Pakistani City, Peshawar
By Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud, Ismail Khan and Declan Walsh
July 28, 2013
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Groups of Taliban fighters are spilling out of the tribal belt in northwestern Pakistan into the region's largest city, Peshawar, where they are increasingly showing their presence through a campaign of intimidation and violence, according to residents, the police and city officials.
While Taliban violence has declined across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province this year, officials say, rates have increased in Peshawar, where militants have stepped up attacks aimed at the police, extortion demands, sectarian killings and kidnappings.
For all that, the militants do not pose an immediate threat to the overall control of the city, and the police say they have foiled many potential attacks. But the increased Taliban presence does signal a further advance for the militants, who have also become a more muscular presence this year in Karachi, the country’s most populous city.
Their strength has also bolstered a broader wave of sectarian violence in the northwest. On Saturday, the toll from a double bomb attack conducted on Friday against minority Shiites in Parachinar, a tribal town west of Peshawar, climbed to 57 dead and at least 167 wounded, the authorities said. There was no claim of responsibility, but Taliban-affiliated groups have been responsible for previous sectarian atrocities in the same area.
Full report at: New York Times
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Seven killed in US drone strike in northwest Pakistan
PTI | Jul 29, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Seven suspected militants were killed and three others wounded when a US drone fired two missiles at a compound in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region, triggering strong condemnation from Islamabad.
The attack took place just before sunset yesterday in a village in Shawal area, some 50 kilometres west of Miranshah, the main town of restive North Waziristan, a stronghold of Taliban militants along the Afghan border.
Seven people were killed in the drone strike, officials said.
Pakistan today strongly condemned the attack, describing it as violation of its "sovereignty".
"These unilateral strikes are a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pakistan has repeatedly emphasized the importance of bringing an immediate end to drone strikes," foreign office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said in a statement.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Seven-killed-in-US-drone-strike-in-northwest-Pakistan/articleshow/21452253.cms
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Extortion demands in Karachi ‘rise’ during holy month
By Saud Khan
Jul 29, 2013
KARACHI: Extortion, one of the most lucrative ways of getting 'easy money' continues to rise in the city, particularly during Ramazan. Scores of gangs operating are making millions as the targeted operation against the extortion mafia has miserably failed.
Extortion incidents have seen a 'boost' particularly in the month of Ramazan. The business community of the city believes that extortionists have given a strong signal to everyone; especially the law enforcement agencies that they are prepared to continue their criminal activities, 'without any fear of apprehension'.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\29\story_29-7-2013_pg7_9
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Pakistan for deep political, economic ties with US
ANWAR IQBAL
Jul 29, 2013
WASHINGTON: Pakistan is seeking deepened economic, trade and political ties with the United States despite differences over how to conduct joint anti-terror efforts, says Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.
In an interview to the Voice of America radio, the minister also said that close cooperation between the US and Pakistan was vital for a smooth security transition and stability in Afghanistan after 2014 when most American troops would leave that country.
The interview precedes an expected visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry to Islamabad for talks on bilateral relations and Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032657/pakistan-for-deep-political-economic-ties-with-us
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Presidential election results to be announced on same day: ECP
July 29, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Results for the presidential elections will be announced on the same day, according to a statement by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Express News reported.
ECP has sent a letter to the Registrar of the High Court of the four provinces, asking them to fax them the results as soon as they were filed, Express News correspondent Muhammad Bilal reported.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/583469/presidential-election-results-to-be-announced-on-same-day-ecp/
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KP wants federal govt to take custody of Dr Afridi
Jul 29, 2013
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has sent a formal request to the federal government asking it to take over the custody of Dr Shakil Afridi, who is currently being held at Peshawar Central Jail and faces threats from militants.
Provincial Minister for Prisons Malik Qasim told the media on Sunday that the KP government expects a positive response from the Centre.
He also made it clear that there are no restrictions on Dr Shakil meeting with his family members.
The KP government is understood to be stressing to the federal government that Dr Shakil Afridi faces an imminent threat from the Taliban who are enraged with him for his role in helping locate Osama bin Laden.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\29\story_29-7-2013_pg7_18
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Pakistan restates demand to end US drone strikes
Jul 29, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Foreign Office on Monday issued a statement condemning the US drone strike conducted in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region a day earlier.
The statement issued by the Pakistani government condemned the US drone strike that took place in Shawal area in North Waziristan on the night of 28 July 2013, killing at least seven persons.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032722/pakistan-restates-demand-to-end-us-drone-strikes
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Africa
Attacked by civilian force, Islamists kill 20 in Nigeria
July 29, 2013
Suspected members of Nigeria’s Islamist group Boko Haram shot dead more than 20 civilians when a vigilante group attacked them in the northern Borno state, a military spokesman said Sunday.
“The suspected sect members came armed and fired sporadic shots that killed over 20 innocent civilians,” Haruna Mohammed Sani, spokesman for the Multinational Joint Task Force said. The violence took place on Saturday in Dawashe village, the army lieutenant said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/africa/Attacked-by-civilian-force-Islamists-kill-20-in-Nigeria/Article1-1099966.aspx
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Email links Lockerbie bomber's prison transfer to £400m Libyan arms deal
28 July 2013
An email has emerged suggesting a connection between the prisoner transfer deal negotiated between Libya and the last Labour government, which ultimately paved the way for the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, and a £400m arms deal.
The document, which shows that Sir Vincent Fean, the then British ambassador to Libya, wrote to Tony Blair in June 2008 saying that the prisoner transfer agreement was "ready for signature in London" as soon as Libya went ahead with the purchase of an air defence system, was obtained by the Sunday Telegraph.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk-news/2013/jul/28/lockerbie-bomber-libyan-arms-deal
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Clashes erupt in Libya's Benghazi after blasts, protests
Jul 29, 2013
TRIPOLI - At least one soldier was killed in overnight fighting in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi, a security official said on Monday, in violence that has surged since last week's killing of an anti-Islamist political activist.
The clashes erupted in the western Gwesha district between an armed group and military special forces, hours after explosions that targeted buildings used by the judiciary.
"Clashes broke out between special forces and an unknown armed group," Mohammed al-Hijazy, a spokesman for Benghazi security operations, said by telephone. "At least one soldier was killed. The special forces have now retaken control."
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130729175256
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Libya shuts Egyptian border in the wake of prison break
By Mostafa Salem
Jul 29, 2013
Libya’s border with Egypt is to be closed following the assassination of an activist and a prison break in Benghazi, Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan announced Saturday.
The murdered activist, Mohamed Abed El-Salam Al-Mosmary, was a prominent anti-Muslim Brotherhood figure and lawyer. He was killed in Benghazi by unidentified individuals near his house on Friday.
The prime minister suspected the assailants may have fled to Egypt and informed the Egyptian authorities of “a number of names of suspected individuals, so that they could be detained as soon as they arrive in Egypt.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/07/28/libya-shuts-egyptian-border-in-the-wake-of-prison-break/
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Malians go to polls in watershed election; ex-PM Keita has edge
AFP | Jul 29, 2013
BAMAKO: Mali voted on Sunday for a president expected to usher in a new dawn of peace and stability in the first election since a military coup upended one of the region's most solid democracies.
Voters chose from 27 candidates to lead the nation from the crisis ignited by last year's mutiny, which allowed Islamists to seize the vast desert north before a French-led military intervention dislodged them earlier this year.
Preliminary results collated by journalists in polling stations after end of voting suggested that former premier Ibrahim Boubacar Keita had taken a clear early lead.
The unofficial projection, based on the accounts of reporters watching counts across the country, indicate that Keita, 69, could even cause an upset and win the first round outright.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Malians-go-to-polls-in-watershed-election-ex-PM-Keita-has-edge/articleshow/21444285.cms
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Europe
BBC film reporter investigates rising power of Salafism in Tunisia
Jul 29, 2013
LONDON - BBC Arabic documentary, The Battle for Bizerte, tells the inside story of a group of extremist Islamists known as Salafists in Bizerte, a Tunisian town on the Mediterranean sea, 60 kilometres from Tunis. Through extraordinary and unique access to the group, it reveals how their influence is growing, and why they are perceived as a threat by their opponents and the authorities.
The ousted President Ben Ali’s repressive regime did not tolerate any form of dissent. Thousands of Islamists were locked up for their beliefs. Among them were Salafists. They were released shortly after the Revolution by Tunisia’s new democratic government, ruled by a coalition of parties dominated by the Ennahda Party.
Now the Salafists are a rising force in Bizerte and throughout the Arab World. Free at last to express themselves and to be politically active post-revolution, they are open about their fervent belief in a literal interpretation of the Koran and Sharia Law. They want to establish what they see as God’s Law as laid out in the Koran and Hadith, the Prophet’s Sayings. And they want it to rule in Tunisia and beyond. Their opponents, including the police and the authorities, see them as a threat to democracy and freedom in Tunisia and beyond.
Full report at:
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=60403
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France praises Mali's election as Keita leads
Jul 29 2013
France has hailed Mali's presidential election, the first since a coup and an Islamist-led insurgency which it helped repel, a "great success".
Ex-Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubakar Keita's supporters celebrated in the capital, Bamako, as they predicted an outright win for him in Sunday's vote.
The state broadcaster said Mr Keita was in the lead, as votes are counted.
He had pledged to restore Mali's honour after it was forced to rely on France to fight the Islamists.
France sent more than 4,000 troops in January to regain control of northern towns and cities from al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23487208
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Egypt crisis deepens, EU's Ashton visits Cairo
Jul 29, 2013
CAIRO: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton flew into Egypt for talks Monday as international pressure increased on the new regime over the weekend's violence, which claimed more than 80 lives.
But the country's new rulers warned they would take “decisive and firm”action against protesters if they went beyond their right to peaceful demonstration.
Even after the deaths of 72 people at a pro-Morsi demonstration in Cairo Saturday, supporters of the ousted president remained defiant, saying they were determined to maintain what they insisted were peaceful protests.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032718/egypt-crisis-deepens-eus-ashton-visits-cairo
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UK troops briefly return to Afghan district
Jul 29, 2013
LONDON: Britain has sent its troops back to a bloody district of Helmand Province to assist Afghan forces, raising further questions about Afghan readiness to maintain security after Nato forces withdraw.
The Ministry of Defense confirmed Sunday that 80 British military advisers traveled back to Sangin district this month to assist 2,000 Afghan soldiers with an eight-day operation to clear insurgents.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032531/uk-troops-briefly-return-to-afghan-district
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Baku wins the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games hosting bid
Jul 29, 2013
Azerbaijan’s capital city, Baku, won the right to host the fourth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games (ISG) in 2017.
Baku won the hosting rights after the eighth General Assembly of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF) was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 21-25.
During the session Azerbaijan’s representatives presented their “Baku 2017” candidature file to the members of the ISSF. The ISSF unanimously awarded Baku the right to host the multi-sport event in 2017.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/baku-wins-the-2017-islamic-solidarity-games-hosting-bid.aspx?pageID=238&nID=51561&NewsCatID=371
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India
Don't keep non-Kashmiri labourers on rent: Hard-line Hurriyat leader Geelani
July 28, 2013
Hard-line Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Sunday called upon the people "not to rent houses to non-Kashmiri labourers" after he managed to organise a conference at a mosque by breaking a police cordon.
"It is highly shameful for us to send our girls in the army-organised tours and functions ... Don't rent your homes to non-state labourers," Geelani told the gathering.
Reiterating his stand on elections, the separatist leader, 83, said: "Casting votes is against our freedom struggle. We should desist from it."
He alleged New Delhi was hatching "conspiracies" to divide Jammu and Ladakh from the Kashmir valley.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/srinagar/Don-t-keep-non-Kashmiri-labourers-on-rent-Geelani/Article1-1099843.aspx
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Srinagar: infiltration bid foiled, 1 militant killed
July 29, 2013
Army on Monday foiled an infiltration bid in Keran sector along the Line of Control, killing a militant in the operation.
On noticing some suspicious movement in the sector, troops opened fired at the ultras, an Army official said.
The guns fell silent after a brief gunfight.
During search operation, police recovered the body of the militant and an AK rifle.
Further details are awaited.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/srinagar/Srinagar-infiltration-bid-foiled-1-militant-killed/Article1-1100010.aspx
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Recovery notice adds to encroachment on Gujarat waqf property
DARSHAN DESAI
Jul 29 2013
Amid massive encroachments on waqf properties, especially in posh Hindu-dominated areas, the Gujarat State Waqf Board (GSWB) is slapping recovery notices on as many as 287 Muslim bodies that control 5,000-odd properties for not having made their mandatory contributions for the last several years.
Sources among the Muslim organisations told The Hindu that hundreds of these properties — worth hundreds of crores — were encroached upon thanks to a nexus among politicians, builders and anti-social elements.
For instance, the Board controlled large tracts of land in Ahmedabad’s BJP-dominated areas such as Shivranjani and Law Garden, and in Sarkhej and Lal Darwaja with a sizable Muslim population. Not so any longer.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/recovery-notice-adds-to-encroachment-on-gujarat-waqf-property/article4964021.ece
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Muslim women send Rakhi to Narendra Modi and pray for his well-being
Binay Singh, TNN | Jul 29, 2013
VARANASI: Gujarat chief minister NarendraModi will soon get a Rakhi sent by Muslim sisters from Varanasi. They themselves prepared the big-sized Rakhi for their Gujarati brother wishing him to lead the nation.
Marking the holy month of Ramzan, a group of local Muslim women prayed for the well-being of Modi at a brief programme held in Lallapura locality on Sunday afternoon. The burqa-clad women associated with Muslim Mahila Foundation (MMF) hailed Modi, describing him as a charismatic leader.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Muslim-women-send-Rakhi-to-Narendra-Modi-and-pray-for-his-well-being/articleshow/21456881.cms
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North America
Muslim group pushing for Lynx bus ads to combat Islamophobia
Jul 29, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla. — Lynx buses in Orlando could soon carry what some think are controversial advertisements.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations wants to launch the MyJihad campaign in Orlando.
A representative of CAIR spoke before the Lynx board Thursday.
The request for the ads was denied because they were considered controversial, but CAIR said it would use the ads to help educate the public on the true meaning of jihad.
"By allowing these ads to run, we will be combating Islamophobia and the deep root of mistrust in the community," said the representative.
The campaign has already been deployed in cities like Chicago and San Francisco.
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/muslim-group-pushing-lynx-bus-ads-combat-islamopho/nY4Xt/
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CAIR: Obama Must Condemn 'Massacre' of Pro-Democracy Protesters in Egypt
Jul 29, 2013
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/27/13) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, today called on the Obama administration to forcefully condemn the killing of dozens of pro-democracy demonstrators by Egyptian security forces.
CAIR also urged the president use the leverage of taxpayer funds being sent to that nation's military to push for a return to democracy.
In a statement following the mass killing of protesters, CAIR said:
"We urge an end to the silence over the ongoing massacres of peaceful pro-democracy activists in Egypt by forces that receive billions of American taxpayer dollars.
"We join with those in Egypt and in the international community who are condemning the violence, including Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayyeb, who said he 'deplores and condemns the deaths of a number of martyrs who were victims of today's events.'
Full report at:
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Mideast
Israel govt adopts bill on peace referendum
Jul 29, 2013
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM – The Israeli government approved a bill on Sunday to submit any peace treaty with the Palestinians to a referendum, a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
“Any agreement which may be reached in negotiations will be put to a referendum,” it quoted him as saying. “It is important that on such historic decisions every citizen should vote directly on an issue deciding the country’s future.” A Palestinian official said on Saturday that a US-brokered renewal of peace talks, stalled since September 2010, would open in Washington on Tuesday. There has so far been no official confirmation.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130729175191
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Mideast peace talks resume after three years
Jul 29, 2013
WASHINGTON: Israeli and Palestinian officials resume direct peace talks Monday after a three-year hiatus, amid hopes US Secretary of State John Kerry's quiet diplomacy may this time carry some chance of success.
In a landmark agreement, the chief negotiators from both sides will meet face-to-face to draw up a plan for how the talks will precede, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
The dream of a Middle East peace deal has for decades been a chimera chased by US presidents but has stalled since September 2010, shot down by deep divisions and distrust between the two sides.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/news/1032725/mideast-peace-talks-resume-after-three-years
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Majority of imprisoned LGBTs kept in ‘solitary confinement’
Jul 29, 2013
A majority of imprisoned lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals are effectively being held in solitary confinement, and are not allowed to join activities with other prisoners, the Justice Ministry has revealed. The ministry issued a statement on the status of imprisoned LGBT people in response to questions posed by Zafer Kiraç, the chair of the Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CISST).
The ministry’s answers, provided within the framework of the “right to information,” further indicated that providing a "health report" to prove sexual orientation was a precondition, in language that has caused fury among LGBT associations. The ministry’s plan to build a separate facility for LGBT individuals has also rung alarm bells.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/majority-of-imprisoned-lgbts-kept-in-solitary-confinement.aspx?pageID=238&nID=51500&NewsCatID=339
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Homophobic prejudices broken by Gezi incidents in Turkey
Jul 29, 2013
Turkey’s momentous Gezi protests have broken homophobic taboos in Turkey, according to an activist from the community.
“We gained more self-confidence after the Gezi protests,” said Sedef Çakmak, chairperson of Social Policies, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD), noting that LGBT members were at the forefront of the proests.
When did Turkey started to get familiar with the LGBT community?
The turning point is the 1990s. In the first half of the 1990s, LGBT initiatives started. Then they started to become associations. The 1990s were the period when the struggle became more organized instead of being individual.
Full report at:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/homophobic-prejudices-broken-by-gezi-incidents-in-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=51567&NewsCatID=339
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ME peace talks to be based on ’67 borders
Jul 29, 2013
RAMALLAH — The renewed peace talks between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel would be based on the 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, a report said on Sunday.
The Palestinian official daily Al-Ayyam quoted a senior Palestinian official as saying that the US has promised the Palestinians that Israel would not carry out any “provocative” actions regarding settlements during the peace talks which are expected to resume in Washington this week.
According to the report, the Palestinian negotiating team would be headed by chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, Palestinian negotiator and member of President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement, Mohammed Ishtayeh, the former Palestinian minister and expert in negotiations affairs, Samih Al-Abed.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130729175193
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Southeast Asia
Indonesia’s Largest Muslim Organization Criticizes Hard-Liners
By I Made Sentana and Joko Hariyanto
Jul 29, 2013
JAKARTA, Indonesia—Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization is adding its voice to criticism against a hard-line Muslim group notorious for vigilantism in the world’s most Muslim-populous nation.
Said Aqil Siradj, chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, said on Monday the government should penalize the Islam Defender’s Front, or FPI, for conducting “sweeps,” or raids on various venues it considers immoral during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
One recent raid ended in tragedy in a town in Central Java, when a pregnant woman was killed in a vehicle accident after members of the FPI tried to shut down what they called a brothel in the area, clashing with residents. Days later, FPI members in Makassar trashed a store that served alcohol in Makassar, on the island of Sulawesi.
Full report at:
http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2013/07/29/indonesias-largest-muslim-organization-criticizes-hard-liners/
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Muslims banned from beauty pageants despite no bikini rule, says Jamil Khir
BY DIYANA IBRAHIM
JULY 29, 2013
Malaysia will still ban Muslim women from competing in beauty pageants despite a change in the format of the Miss Malaysia World 2013 pageant, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said today.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department who is in charge of religious affairs said the Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department (Jawi) had already clarified the Muslim edict (fatwa) was not about the dress code for participants.
"This is not about the rule of no bikinis. The fatwa clearly states that Muslim women cannot join beauty pageants,” Jamil Khir told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.
Four Muslim women who had made it to the final round of the Miss Malaysia World 2013 were dropped by the organiser following an outcry from Muslim groups.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/muslims-banned-from-beauty-pageants-despite-no-bikini-rule-says-jamil-khir
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Shia: A fine effort to split PAS
NEWS ANALYSIS BY ZULKIFLI SULONG, FEATURES AND ANALYSIS EDITOR
JULY 29, 2013
In early 2012, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang Hadi toured several countries in the Middle East while taking part in an international conference on Islam.
On his return, Abdul Hadi jotted down some useful points on the events in Syria, which was published in the Islamist party’s online newspaper, the Harakah Daily.
To his mind, the ongoing strife in Syria was not a conflict between two sects – the Syiah and Sunni as portrayed by some in Malaysia.
Full report at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/shia-a-fine-effort-to-split-pas
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South Asia
Taliban bomb kills nine in Afghanistan: officials
Jul 29, 2013
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A roadside bomb blamed on the Taliban tore through a police vehicle in southern Afghanistan at the weekend, killing nine people and wounding 15, officials said on Monday.
The bombing took place late Sunday in the Shahjoy district of Zabul province, on the main Kabul-Kandahar road which is a hotspot of the Taliban insurgency.
The attack killed three police including a commander and six civilians, Mohammad Jan Rasoulyar, the Zabul deputy governor, told AFP.
Fifteen other people, most of them civilian bystanders, were wounded in the attack.
Jawed Faisal, head of the Kandahar Media Office in the neighbouring province, blamed the attack on the Taliban.
Full report at:
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130729175254
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Afghan eyes Iran deal to boost trade to Europe, India
Jul 29, 2013
KABUL: Afghanistan hopes an agreement with Iran to use one of its ports will help boost exports to Europe and India and reduce its dependence on neighbouring Pakistan’s ports for trade.
Iran will allow land-locked Afghanistan to use the port to export goods like fruit and carpets to India and other countries, according to the spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Commerce and Industries.
“We want to export to central Asia and Europe, India wants to use the port to send goods to Afghanistan,” Wahidullah Ghazikhel told Reuters.
Afghanistan currently relies on the port of Karachi in Pakistan for the bulk of its sea exports.
But that leaves traders vulnerable to political disputes between the United States and Pakistan, which has closed its border with Afghanistan at least twice over recent years, cutting U.S. military supplies to Afghanistan, as well as routine trade.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\07\29\story_29-7-2013_pg14_11
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Iran port agreement will help boost exports: Afghanistan
July 28, 2013
KABUL: Afghanistan hopes an agreement with Iran to use one of its ports will help boost exports to Europe and India and reduce its dependence on neighbouring Pakistan’s ports for trade.
According to the spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Iran will allow land-locked Afghanistan to use the port to export goods like fruit and carpets to India and other countries.
“We want to export to central Asia and Europe, India wants to use the port to send goods to Afghanistan,” Wahidullah Ghazikhel said.
Afghanistan currently relies on the port of Karachi in Pakistan for the bulk of its sea exports.
But that leaves traders vulnerable to political disputes between the United States and Pakistan, which has closed its border with Afghanistan at least twice over recent years, cutting U.S. military supplies to Afghanistan, as well as routine trade.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/583058/iran-port-agreement-will-help-boost-exports-afghanistan/
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Bangladeshi boy is the most beautiful reciter
Ahmed Shaaban / 29 July 2013
Bangladeshi Quran contestant Mohammed Nazmus Sakib Rumman, topping all other 13 competitors, came first in the ‘Most Beautiful Recitation’ contest.
The competition, a branch of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, saw the participation of memorisers from Bangladesh, Cameron, UAE, Netherlands, Egypt, Uganda, Yemen, Afghanistan, Niger, Bahrain, Tajikistan, France, and Indonesia.
Ibrahim Bu Melha, Chairman of the award organising committee, and Adviser to the Ruler of Dubai for Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs, said, however, only five of these contestants won in the competition.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/ramadannews/2013/July/ramadannews_July150.xml§ion=ramadannews
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Jumhoree Party backtracks on challenging Nasheed’s candidacy in Supreme Court
By Mohamed Naahee | July 28th, 2013
Jumhoree Party (JP) Youth Wing President Moosa Anwar has backtracked on an earlier declaration that he would seek to challenge the Elections Commission’s decision to accept former President Mohamed Nasheed as a presidential candidate in the upcoming election through the Supreme Court.
Hours after making the announcement Anwar reversed his decision, stating that he had been advised to do so by Jumhoree Party officials after he was unable to convince an attorney to take the case.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/politics/jumhoree-party-to-challenge-nasheed%E2%80%99s-candidacy-in-supreme-court-61656
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President Waheed forms Small and Medium Enterprises Council
By Minivan News | July 29th, 2013
President Dr Mohamed Waheed has this week announced the establishment of a Small and Medium Enterprises Council, as well as appointing members to oversee the body’s work.
The President’s Office stated yesterday that 14 members had been appointed to the council, representing both government ministries and several industries across the country.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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Inclusive elections could restore democracy in the Maldives: IDSA
By Minivan News | July 29th, 2013
The nascent multi-party democracy in Maldives had suffered a setback on 7 February 2012 when the democratically elected president Mohamed Nasheed had to step down under tumultuous circumstances, writes Anand Kumar for India’s Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
Though he was succeeded by the then vice president Mohamed Waheed Hassan, the legitimacy of his government was questioned by many. Nasheed and his party the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had termed the change of government as a coup d’état. The continuous political turmoil in the country forced president Waheed to opt for an early election, which is scheduled for September 7. Even then it was felt that political vendetta will not allow all political players to take part in elections. However, finally, now it seems that Maldives is headed for an inclusive election that could restore democracy in the country.
Full report at:
http://minivannews.com/category/news-in-brief
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