We're Responsible for Holocaust: Germany to Netanyahu

New Age Islam News Bureau

22 Oct 2015

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

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Europe

•  We're Responsible for Holocaust: Germany to Netanyahu

•  UK Refuses to Share ISIL Information with Moscow

•  Four arrested in 'Syria-related' UK anti-terror raids

•  Germany's Anti-Islam Group Holds Biggest Rally in Months

•  Germany increases arms sales to Israel, UK

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North America

•  Canadian Muslim MPs Make History

•  Texas Teen to Study in Qatar: Muslims in US Feel ‘Under Siege’

•  US approves $11.25 bn military sale to Saudi Arabia

•  US slams Assad's 'red-carpet' welcome in Moscow

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Arab World

•  More Saudi Forces Killed in Clashes with Yemeni Troops in Asir

•  Syrian Troops Strike Heavy Blows at Takfiris in Daraa

•  13 Dead As Russia Strike Hits Syria Field Hospital

•  Syrian Army Takes Back Al-Safeira in Aleppo Countryside from Militants

•  Syrian Air Force Targets Terrorists Centres in Damascus, Homs Provinces

•  Iraq's Hezbollah Battalions Planning to Expel US from Anbar Province

•  Russian Air Force Destroys Al-Qaeda Offshoot Depot in Syria

•  Syrian Warplanes Bomb Militants' Hideouts in Idlib

•  Hundreds of Militants Fleeing Aleppo after Syria Army-Hezbollah-Russian Jets Joint Raid

•  Russian Fighter Jets Pound Militant Centres in Syria's Aleppo

•  Syrian Bombers Hit Terrorists' Command Posts Heavily near Aleppo

•  Iraqi Parliament to Vote on Request for Russian Airstrikes

•  Qatar says it could intervene militarily in Syria

•  Syrian Kurds declare new province

•  Terrorists fail to create sectarian divide in EP

•  Daesh's acts of terror on the rise over past months: Study

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South Asia

•  Taliban Possibly Active Close to Kabul City

•  Taliban Suicide Bombers Attack Border Police Compound in Kandahar

•  Afghan Forces Battle to Push Back Taliban from Helmand Capital

•  District Governor killed in Taliban ambush in Ghazni

•  NDS rounds up seven Taliban in Kandahar

•  Afghan commandos seize a lorry full of explosives in Nangarhar

•  Taliban shadow Deputy Governor for Faryab killed in air strike

•  Don’t blame BNP for foreigner killings: Fakhrul

•  35 detained Bangladeshis in Texas end hunger strike

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Africa

•  Boko Haram Takfiri Militants Kill 20 in Nigeria

•  Niger says two soldiers killed in suspected Boko Haram attack

•  Hamas chief seeks support in S. Africa

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Mideast

•  Netanyahu Stirs Up Trouble with Muslim Holocaust Comments

•  UNESCO Approves Arab Resolution Criticising Israel

•  UN chief 'pessimistic' about Israel-Palestinian peace

•  Military Expert Terms Iranian Army Drills Message to Terrorists in Syria

•  Two alleged attackers shot in Jerusalem after trying to board Israeli bus

•  Ex-Israeli PM sued over deadly raid on Gaza flotilla

•  U.S., allies demand U.N. action after Iran missile test

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Pakistan

•  WMDs’ Destruction Necessary to Contain Nuclear Proliferation, UN Committee Told

•  Police Eliminated 167 Al Qaeda, TTP ‘Ringleaders’ In Sindh: Report

•  Kukikhels Asked To Resist Re-Entry of Terrorists in Their Area

•  Power grid upgrade: K-Electric, US OPIC commit to 10-year $250m project

•  Nawaz apprises Kerry on India's destabilising role in Pakistan

•  ‘Opposition parties’ conference’ on 27th: PTI

•  PM pitches for more US investment in Pakistan

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India

•  Muslim Body Alerts MP Cops on Bid to Spread Hatred by Pasting Fake “Join ISIS” Pamphlets

•  Pak Tells US about ‘India’s Subversive Role’, Won’t Limit Tactical Nukes

•  Perennial delay for Muslim reservations

•  Ganga-Jamuna 'Tehzeeb' Still Alive In UP, As Muslim Cleric Recite Hindu 'Shlokas' During Moharram

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Southeast Asia

•  Symposium on Islamic Moderation to Be Held In Maldives

•  Minister: Too many non-Muslims listed as Muslims in Malaysia

•  PAS plans to field non-Muslims in DAP-held seats

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/new-age-islam-news-bureau/we-re-responsible-for-holocaust--germany-to-netanyahu/d/105013

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Europe

 

We're responsible for Holocaust: Germany to Netanyahu

21 October 2015

Germany on Wednesday said that responsibility for the Holocaust lay with the Germans, after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked controversy before a visit to Berlin by saying a Muslim cleric had convinced Adolf Hitler to exterminate Jews.

"All Germans know the history of the murderous race mania of the Nazis that led to the break with civilization that was the Holocaust," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said when asked about Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks.

"This is taught in German schools for good reason, it must never be forgotten. And I see no reason to change our view of history in any way. We know that responsibility for this crime against humanity is German and very much our own."

Hours before heading to Berlin, Netanyahu claimed on Wednesday that Adolf Hitler had no intention of killing the Jews, but only wished to expel them. According to Netanyahu, the idea for mass extermination came from the then-Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/165519/germany-increases-arms-sales-to-israel-uk

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UK refuses to share ISIL information with Moscow

22 October 2015

The UK has refused to assist Russia with data on ISIL targets in Syria, Russia’s ambassador to Britain has said. London follows Washington in its decision not to share intelligence data with Russia, despite the US’s signing of an agreement on airstrikes according to a report in RT.

 Britain has declined to cooperate with Russia’s military campaign against ISIL and has insisted on keeping its intelligence data regarding terrorist installations there as classified information.

Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko told Rossija 24 TV channel in an interview on Wednesday that "We are conducting active work with the British on the Syrian issue. My contacts in the Foreign Office prove that so far this work isn’t very successful,” he said.

In a recent meeting with Yakovenko, the British Foreign Office head also refused to share British military information or contact details for the Syrian Free Army with Russia, claiming that the deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov already had the necessary data and was acquainted with representatives of the moderate opposition, the ambassador said.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/165540/uk-refuses-to-share-isil-information-with-moscow

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Four arrested in 'Syria-related' UK anti-terror raids

21 October 2015

Four people have been arrested across northern England in “Syria-related” counter-terrorism raids, police said.

Arrests were carried out in Sheffield and Batley, less than 270 kilometers (167 miles) north of London, and police said five properties in the region were being searched.

Two men aged 40 and 36 were arrested in Sheffield and are being held under an anti-terror law that covers preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

A 55-year-old woman and a man, 44, were arrested in Batley on suspicion of raising funds for terrorism.

In a statement, Clive Wain, head of the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “We understand that people may be concerned following today's arrests however we would like to reassure communities that today's activity is as a result of an ongoing investigation which is intelligence led."

“There is no evidence to suggest that communities are at risk.”

In a separate operation, a 23-year-old man was arrested in east London by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of carrying out, preparing or instigating terrorism. Two addresses are being searched as part of the investigation, police said.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/165510/four-arrested-in-syria-related-uk-anti-terror-raids

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Germany's Anti-Islam Group Holds Biggest Rally In Months

10/20/2015

By Michelle Martin

DRESDEN, Germany (Reuters) - The German anti-Islam movement PEGIDA staged its biggest rally in months on Monday, sparked into fresh life on its first anniversary by anger at the government's decision to take in hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East.

PEGIDA, or Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West, almost fizzled out earlier this year when its leader resigned after a photo was published of him posing as Hitler.

But it has swelled again as Germany implements Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to accept a tide of refugees that could exceed a million this year, as she argues that Germany can not only cope but, with its aging population, will benefit in the long term.

Police declined to estimate the number of protesters but media put it at 15-20,000, somewhat below a peak of around 25,000 in January. Around 14,000 counter-demonstrators urged people to welcome refugees rather than whip up opposition.

PEGIDA supporters waved the national flag and carried posters bearing slogans such as "Hell comes with fake refugees" and "Every people should have its country, not every people a piece of Germany".

Gathering outside Dresden's historic opera house, the Semperoper, PEGIDA supporters chanted "Deport! Deport!" and "Merkel must go!".

"We're just normal people who are scared of what's coming," said 37-year-old Patrick, a car mechanic. "As a German citizen who pays taxes, you feel like you're being taken for a ride."

Lutz Bachmann, the leader who resigned, told the rally: "Politicians attack and defame us and the lowest tricks are used to keep our mouths shut. We are threatened with death, there are attacks on our vehicles and houses and we are dragged through the mud, but we are still here ... And we will triumph!"

The counter-demonstrators marched through the town chanting: "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here!"

As many German municipalities struggle to house and support the wave of migrants, criticism of Merkel's policy has grown, her ratings have slipped, and there have been arson attacks on refugee centers.

Simone Peter, leader of the Greens party and one of the counter-demonstrators, told Reuters: "We're for diversity and an open, colorful society, not hatred and violence ... the people who incite with right-wing slogans add fuel to the fire of the arsonists."

PEGIDA has more than 172,000 'Likes' on its Facebook page and wants Germany to stop taking asylum seekers immediately.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Sunday that PEGIDA's organizers were "hard right-wing extremists" and everyone who attended their demonstrations "should know that they are running after rat catchers".

Thomas Jaeger, political scientist at Cologne University, said PEGIDA and the right-wing Alternative for Germany party were being allowed by the government to define how the refugee crisis was perceived by many people.

"What seems to be worrying a lot of people now is that people from different cultures are coming here, and they don't know how they will integrate, and that's quite a diffuse fear, and that's now being exploited by some political forces."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/germanys-anti-islam-group-holds-biggest-rally-in-months_5626973ee4b0bce34702951a?section=india&adsSiteOverride=in

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Germany increases arms sales to Israel, UK

22 October 2015

Germany’s arms exports have significantly increased in the first half of 2015 and reached €3.5 billion, the German government said in a report released Wednesday.

The U.K., Israel, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, India and Kuwait have become top importers of German arms, according to the government’s semi-annual arms sales report.

Despite a promise by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition partner Social Democrats for a more restrictive arms exports policy, the German government approved € 3.5 billion worth of arms exports between January and June this year, an increase of 59 percent compared with the same period last year.

The share of EU countries in Germany’s military sales has been €1.5 billion; to NATO countries it has been €269 million. Military exports to other countries reached a volume  of €1.67 billion in the first half of 2015.

German government announced Wednesday that the significant increase in numbers was the result of a number of mega deals, and do not represent a shift from the policy of the coalition government.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/165529/germany-increases-arms-sales-to-israel-uk

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North America

 

Canadian Muslim MPs Make History

21 October 2015

TORONTO – In an unprecedented victory for the Canadian Muslim community, many Muslims emerged victorious in the latest country’s 2015 general elections, defying prejudice and stereotype faced by the religious minority in Canada.

At least 10 Muslim candidates, including four women, won this week's election that is expected to spell a sea-change in Canadian politics, following the sweeping victory of Liberals, according to Muslim Link.

The Liberals were elected in 185 districts, with Justin Trudeau winning his Montreal district. The party needed 170 to gain a majority.

The Conservatives were next with 97, followed by the New Democrats at 28 and Bloc Quebecois with nine.

Maryam Monsef

Monsef, an Afghani Canadian, became the first female MP in the history of Peterborough, after defeating Conservative candidate Michael Skinner and NDP candidate Dave Nickle.

The 30-year-old MP co-founded the Red Pashmina Campaign that raised over $150,000 for women and girls in Afghanistan. She is also the co-recipient of the Peterborough YMCA's Peace Medallion.

"Today isn't the end, it's actually the beginning. The beginning of a lot of hard work to meet the commitments I made," she said in her victory speech to constituents at Showplace Peterborough, PTBO Canada reported.

The Trent University graduate became the youngest-ever MP.

Ahmed Hussein

The National President of the Canadian Somali Congress was elected for the Liberals in York South-Weston, becoming the first Somali Canadian MP.

Hussein, who earned his B.A (History) from York University and his Law Degree from the University of Ottawa, was recognized in 2014 by Toronto Star as one of ten individuals who have made substantial contributions to the community.

The Somali-born lawyer and activist also emerged as a powerful community leader after co-founding the Regent Park Community Council in 2002, as well as sourcing $500 million revitalization project of Regent Park.

Omar Alghabra

The mechanical engineer MBA graduate was elected for the Liberals in Mississauga Centre.

Serving as the Member of Parliament for Mississaug-Erindale from 2006 to 2008, Alghabra offered his constituents a strong voice on both local and national issues like the Liberal Critic for Natural Resources, as well as Citizenship and Immigration.

Currently, the Muslim MP is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science at Ryerson University.

Iqra Khalid

The Liberal MP won a hard-fought battle to unseat Conservative incumbent Bob Dechert in Mississauga-Erin-Mills riding, considered a stronghold for the Conservatives.

Khalid, a young Pakistani-Canadian woman, graduated from York University in 2007, with a double major in Criminology and Professional Writing.

The legal professional with the City of Mississauga has held numerous volunteer positions including President of the Pakistani Student Association, Media Relations Ambassador for the York University Student Alumni, Communication Coordinator for the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals, and a Director on the Board for Breaking Free Foundation.

Full Report at:

http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/495335-canadian-muslim-mps-make-history.html

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Texas teen to study in Qatar: Muslims in US feel ‘under siege’

Oct 22, 2015

The decision by the family of a Texas teenager to move to Qatar is not surprising in light of lingering anti-Muslim sentiment that makes many US followers of Islam feel as if they are “under siege”, spokesperson of a national Muslim-American group said on Wednesday.

The teen, Ahmed Mohamed, shot to national prominence last month after he was arrested for bringing a home-made digital clock to school that a teacher mistook for a possible bomb.

On Tuesday, the family announced that they would soon leave their modest home in the Dallas suburb of Irving and move to Qatar, a wealthy oil nation on the Persian Gulf. There, a foundation has offered to pay for Ahmed’s high school and college education in Doha.

Yaser Birjas, imam of the Valley Ranch Islamic Centre in Irving, said he wishes the 14-year-old well but worries about the stress that can come with celebrity.

“I hope that he does not get overwhelmed and consumed with that because now the expectation of him is so high,” Birjas said. “And he’s just a kid.”

Birjas cautioned that people who move from America to Muslim countries are often disappointed when they discover restrictions they never experienced in the US.

“Here in America, you have much more freedom practicing the faith,” he said.

For others, the family move to the middle east sends an unfortunate message.

Yousuf Fahimuddin, a Muslim journalist in the San Francisco Bay area, believes the family’s departure will only perpetuate the idea that Muslims are not loyal to the US.

“I don’t think moving to Qatar, a country with its own share of problems, constructively helps fight prejudice,” Fahimuddin said in an email.

Instead, he said, “Muslims should try to share their common humanity with others to demonstrate that they are regular people.”

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the US has seen a significant rise in the level of anti-Muslim sentiment -- feelings he said were reflected by the political attacks of Republican presidential candidates such as Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

“The Muslim-American community feels under siege by all this,” Hooper said.

Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, told The Dallas Morning News that the family was moving “to a place where my kids can study and learn and all of them being accepted by that country”.

Full Report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world/texas-teen-to-study-in-qatar-muslims-in-us-feel-under-siege/story-T2mFqY7FtekvXKpjwlcGkP.html

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US approves $11.25 bn military sale to Saudi Arabia

22 October 2015

Despite calls by international human rights groups on the U.S. to stop providing Saudi Arabia with weapons being used in the onslaught in Yemen, Washington has approved for a US$11.25-billion sale to the Saudi military of up to four Lockheed Martin Corp multi-mission warships, plus associated equipment, training and logistics.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/america-canada/165538/us-approves-1125-bn-military-sale-to-saudi-arabia

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US slams Assad's 'red-carpet' welcome in Moscow

22 October 2015

The White House issued a scathing attack on Russia's "red carpet" welcome for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, accusing Moscow of impeding progress towards a political transition by propping up the strongman.

Assad met Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday and thanked his Russian counterpart for launching airstrikes against his opponents in Syria, with both leaders also agreeing during talks that political steps must follow military operations.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz told journalists the United States viewed "the red carpet welcome for Assad, who has used chemical weapons against his own people, as at odds with the stated goal by the Russians for a political transition in Syria."

Moscow's actions in the war-torn Middle-Eastern state were "counterproductive", he added.

Putin had emphasised during Assad's visit that Syrians should decide their country's fate, a thinly veiled jab at the U.S. and other opposition backers who insist Assad must go in any peaceful settlement.

"Based on positive results in military operations at the end of the day a long-term settlement can be achieved on the basis of a political process with the participation of all political forces, ethnic and religious groups," the Russian president said.

Russia later announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would meet Friday with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and their Turkish and Saudi counterparts to discuss Syria.

Assad, who last visited Russia in 2008, had told Putin that the three-week-old Russian air war -- which has prompted an outcry in the West -- had helped to stop the spread of "terrorism" in his country.

The strikes are reported to have killed 370 people so far, a third of them civilians.

Russia says the campaign targets the extremist ISIL group and others it describes as "terrorists".

But rebels and the West accuse Moscow of seeking to keep Assad in power and of striking moderate opposition forces rather than just ISIL.

- Kremlin invite -

Putin said Russia was ready to do all it could to help secure peace in Syria, which has been ravaged by the conflict that began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

"We are ready to make our contribution not only during armed hostilities in the fight against terrorism but also during a political process," Putin said.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Assad's "working visit" was at the invitation of the Kremlin. The Syrian presidency said Wednesday that Assad had returned to Damascus.

Putin discussed his talks with Assad in a string of phone conversations with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi King Salman, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah.

More than 250,000 people have been killed and millions forced from their homes in the four-year Syrian war, sparking a mass migration of around four million refugees.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday at least 12 people including medical staff were killed when Russian warplanes struck a field hospital in the northwestern province of Idlib.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/america-canada/165537/us-slams-assads-red-carpet-welcome-in-moscow

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Arab World

 

More Saudi Forces Killed in Clashes with Yemeni Troops in Asir

Oct 21, 2015

Yemeni army’s snipers killed five Saudi forces in al-Rebou’a area in Asir, informed sources said.

Earlier reports said Yemen's army and popular forces took control of several villages in Saudi Arabia's Southwestern border region of Jizan as they continue their retaliatory attacks against the Persian Gulf kingdom.

The Yemeni forces pressed ahead with their ground offensive in the al-Khubah district in Jizan on Tuesday evening, and captured several villages.

Meanwhile, Yemeni soldiers fired a number of mortar shells at a military camp in the al-Rahwa Village in the Saudi region of Asir. No reports on possible casualties and the extent of damage were immediately available.

On Monday, Yemen's army and popular forces conducted retaliatory attacks against the Saudi troops in Jizan region, killing at least 13 of them.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729001208

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Syrian Troops Strike Heavy Blows at Takfiris in Daraa

Oct 21, 2015

The army destroyed terrorists' positions to the East of the bridge of al-Ghariyeh al-Gharbiyeh village in the Northeastern countryside of Daraa.

The army also targeted positions of al-Nusra Front terrorists near Atman town in the Northern countryside of Daraa.

Takfiri Militants’ positions in Daraa al-Balad neighborhood in the city of Daraa were also targeted in Syrian military operations.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729000803

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13 dead as Russia strike hits Syria field hospital

21 October 2015

At least 13 people including medical staff were killed when Russian warplanes struck a field hospital in northwestern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday.

“Thirteen people were killed in Russian air strikes on Tuesday on a field clinic in the town of Sarmin, including a physiotherapist, a guard, and civil defence member,” the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Sarmin lies in the northwestern province of Idlib, which has been regularly targeted by Russia’s military since the beginning of its air war in Syria on September 30.

The clinic was run by the Syrian-American Medical Society, whose staff confirmed that strikes had “severely damaged” the facility.

“Yesterday at around 1:00 pm (1000 GMT) a SAMS facility near Sarmin, Idlib was hit,” a SAMS staff member told AFP.

“Our initial reports from the ground show that we have lost two hospital staff, a physiotherapist and a nurse,” the staffer said in an emailed statement.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, she did not specify whether the strikes were conducted by Russian warplanes.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that its armed forces had targeted Sarmin, but did not mention the hospital.

Russia has conducted more than 500 strikes against what it says are Islamic State group fighters.

Full Report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/21/13-dead-as-Russia-strike-hits-Syria-field-hospital.html

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Syrian Army Takes Back Al-Safeira in Aleppo Countryside from Militants

Oct 21, 2015

The army said that the militants retreated from al-Safeira and the area is now under full control of the country's soldiers.

The army further added that the militant groups suffered heavy death toll in al-Safeira.

On Monday, a commander of Syria's National Defense Forces elaborated on the objectives of the large-scale army operations in Aleppo, and explained the latest gains made by pro-government forces in the strategically important province, including the latest conditions of the besieged Kuweires military airbase.

The Syrian army backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance and Iraq's resistance forces launched massive military operations in Aleppo province, specially in its Southwest, concurrent with the army's new operations in Hama and Lattakia provinces.

"The goal of these operations is to purge these regions of terrorists and continue advances towards the Lattakia province; if these operations succeed, the route connecting the terrorist groups in Aleppo to Lattakia and Idlib provinces will be cut off and supply of aids to them through the Turkish border will grow fully impossible," the Syrian field commander, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, told FNA.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729000315

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Syrian Air Force Targets Terrorists Centers in Damascus, Homs Provinces

Oct 21, 2015

Militants' gathering centers in the nearby areas of al-Qalamoun in Damascus province were bombed by the Syrian warplanes, which left scores of militants killed or wounded.

In the meantime, the Syrian bombers attacked the Takfiri terrorists' hideouts in the Central Homs province, which ended in the destruction of the site and killing of several militants.  

On Monday, the Syrian fighter jets' continued attacks on the terrorist positions across the Homs province resulted in the destruction of the militants' infrastructure and large casualties.

The army said that the country's air force targeted the ISIL militants' gathering centers in al-Bilaas area and al-Tafha village in the Eastern territories of Homs province, and killed a large number of militants, destroying their military equipment.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729001019

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Iraq's Hezbollah Battalions Planning to Expel US from Anbar Province

Oct 21, 2015

"Our forces have two operations underway; first seizing Ramadi from ISIL and second keeping away the American forces from Anbar province," al-Hosseini told FNA on Wednesday.

He underlined that preventing the US forces from getting close to Anbar province will expedite operations for winning back the province, specially after the military operations in Salahuddin province that led to the liberation of the city of Beiji.

The Ramadi city is now the scene of massive military operations of Iraq's joint forces against the ISIL militants.

Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, was attacked by the jihadists in 2014 before being captured in February, 2015. Government forces succeeded in liberating the city in March, but withdrew two months later.

Iraq's Western provinces have become a battlefield between Iraqi government forces and the ISIL fighters.

The Iraqi troops captured the refinery city of Beiji in the Western Salahuddin province on the second day of a fresh massive operation on Monday. Iraq's Armed Forces Command Center made an official announcement on the groundbreaking victory on Tuesday.

In July, Iraqi armed forces launched a large-scale operation to roll back ISIL insurgency in Anbar province, however, its capital is still controlled by the Takfiris.

The messages sent by the US and Russia to Iraq indicate that the Baghdad government is under pressure resulting from the rivalries between the US and Russia over increasing their regional presence.

Such pressures will continue until Baghdad takes a final and resolute stance on US or Russian support in fighting the ISIL in the Arab country.

Meantime, the present information indicates that the Iraqi government is more inclined to take up a bigger role in the quadrilateral coalition with Russia, Iran and Syria.

Washington has not replied to Baghdad's call for serious fight against the ISIL in action, while Moscow, Tehran and Damascus are still the most important supporters of Iraq in the fight against the ISIL; unlike Washington that is trying to weaken the Iraqi volunteer forces in their fight against the ISIL, the Russia, Iran and Syria reiterate strengthening the volunteer forces.

The US government in a message to Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi voiced Obama's dissatisfaction with Baghdad's inclination towards Tehran, Moscow and Damascus.

In the meantime, the Iraqi groups, specially the volunteer forces, believe he quadrilateral coalition has provided actual aid and backup to Iraq, while the US coalition did not, and this has resulted in Iraq's inclination towards Iran, Russia and Syria.

Iraq's Former National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie underlined the necessity for replacing Washington with Moscow for joint war on terrorist groups.

"The parliament fractions are calling on the Iraqi government to request Russian airstrikes and use it to attack the ISIL military bases and oil centers," Rubaie, who is now a senior legislator at the Iraqi parliament, told FNA on Tuesday.

"The US air force doesn’t cooperate with Iraq's federal government and security and armed forces and refrains from providing any intelligence on ISIL's concentration and field camps," he added.

Rubaie complained that in every 10 flight missions conducted by the US-led coalition planes, ISIL positions come under attack in only two missions, while nothing special happens in the remaining 8 missions.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729001369

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Russian Air Force Destroys Al-Qaeda Offshoot Depot in Syria

Oct 21, 2015

The airstrikes hit targets of ISIL and Al-Nusra Front in the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Deir Ezzur, Hama, Idlib and Lattakia.

"An airstrike by a Sukhoi Su-25SM ground-support fighter jet group eliminated a large compound of Al-Nusra Front [Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria] near the city of Khan-Shaykhun, together with all infrastructure, arms depots and vehicles,” the MoD’s spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said in a briefing on Wednesday.

The spokesman said that another Al-Nusra Front installation, a workshop producing radio-controlled improvised explosive devices and explosives storage site, was destroyed near the city of Aleppo.

“Following a precision airstrike conducted with guided bombs, the explosives stored in the installation detonated, eliminating the installation along with two trucks loaded with tens of tons of explosive materials,” Konashenkov added.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729001113

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Syrian Warplanes Bomb Militants' Hideouts in Idlib

Oct 21, 2015

The Syrian fighter jets targeted terrorists’ hideouts in Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib countryside, a military source said.

On Tuesday, heavy fighting erupted between rival Takfiri terrorist groups in the Syrian Province of Idlib.

Terrorists of Jund Al-Aqsa have engaged in fierce clashes with Ahrar al-Sham terrorist group in al-Tamanna, informed sources said.

On Monday, clashes also erupted between the terrorists organizations due to the increased withdrawals of some of the Takfiri groups from al-Ghab plain in Hama countryside, leaving at least 7 militants dead.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729001091

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Hundreds of Militants Fleeing Aleppo after Syria Army-Hezbollah-Russian Jets Joint Raid

Oct 21, 2015

The sources said that the militant groups, whose hideouts and supplying lines have come under massive attacks of the Syrian army troops, Hezbollah and the Russian fighter jets, are leaving the Aleppo province to find safer location inside or outside of the country.

On Monday, a commander of Syria's National Defense Forces elaborated on the objectives of the large-scale army operations in Aleppo, and explained the latest gains made by pro-government forces in the strategically important province, including the latest conditions of the besieged Kuweires military airbase.

The Syrian army backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance and Iraq's resistance forces launched massive military operations in Aleppo province, specially in its Southwest, concurrent with the army's new operations in Hama and Lattakia provinces.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729001244

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Russian Fighter Jets Pound Militant Centers in Syria's Aleppo

Oct 21, 2015

The sources said that the militant positions' infrastructures in al-Layramoun came under attack of the Russian bombers, and sustained heavy losses.

The Russian Aerospace Force has conducted 55 sorties over the past 24 hours, hitting 60 ISIL and Nusra Front targets in Syria's provinces of Hama, Lattakia, Damascus, Idlib, Aleppo and Deir ex-Zor, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729000455

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Syrian Bombers Hit Terrorists' Command Posts Heavily near Aleppo

Oct 21, 2015

The Takfiri militants suffered significant losses and casualties in the Syrian fighter jets' attacks on their gathering centers in Manbij, the sources said.

On Monday, a commander of Syria's National Defense Forces elaborated on the objectives of the large-scale army operations in Aleppo, and explained the latest gains made by pro-government forces in the strategically important province, including the latest conditions of the besieged Kuweires military airbase.

The Syrian army backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance and Iraq's resistance forces launched massive military operations in Aleppo province, specially in its Southwest, concurrent with the army's new operations in Hama and Lattakia provinces.

"The goal of these operations is to purge these regions of terrorists and continue advances towards the Lattakia province; if these operations succeed, the route connecting the terrorist groups in Aleppo to Lattakia and Idlib provinces will be cut off and supply of aids to them through the Turkish border will grow fully impossible," the Syrian field commander, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, told FNA.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729001089

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Iraqi Parliament to Vote on Request for Russian Airstrikes

Oct 21, 2015

Iraq's parliament is planning to vote to request support from Russia in fighting the ISIL by the end of the month, a member of the State of Law Coalition told Sputnik on Wednesday.

The State of Law Coalition is Iraq's largest political party, led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and is part of the ruling coalition. The legislator also told Sputnik that the vote is expected to pass with majority support. The US has been increasingly concerned about Russian influence in Iraq, and has sent envoys to the country to dissuade further cooperation.

Legislator Mowaffak Rubaie said the bill will definitely receive a positive vote as the parliament's ruling majority already supports its approval.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729000902

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Qatar says it could intervene militarily in Syria

21 October 2015

Qatar, a major supporter of rebels in Syria’s civil war, suggested it could intervene militarily following Russia’s intervention in support of President Bashar al-Assad but said it still preferred a political solution to the crisis.

The comments by Qatar’s foreign minister, made in a CNN interview on Wednesday, drew a swift reply from Assad’s government with a senior official warning that Damascus would respond harshly to such “direct aggression”.

Gulf Arab backers of Syrian rebels such as Qatar have been unsettled by Russia’s three-week-old air strike campaign that has allowed Assad’s forces to wrest back some territory to help secure his strongholds in western Syria.

Qatar has been a leading supporter of anti-Assad rebel groups, providing arms and financial and political backing.

Asked by CNN if Qatar supported the Saudi position that does not rule out a military option in Syria as a result of Russia’s intervention, Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah said: “Anything that protects the Syrian people and Syria from partition, we will not spare any effort to carry it out with our Saudi and Turkish brothers, no matter what this is.

“If a military intervention will protect the Syrian people from the brutality of the regime, we will do it,” he added, according to a text in Arabic carried by Qatar’s state news agency QNA.

His comments were also carried on CNN’s Arabic website.

In response, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad was quoted by Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen television as saying: “If Qatar carries out its threat to militarily intervene in Syria, then we will consider this a direct aggression ... Our response will be very harsh.”

Attiyah also said Qatar preferred to solve regional crises through direct political dialogue.

“We do not fear any confrontation, and thus we will call for dialogue from a position of strength because we believe in peace and the shortest path to peace is through direct dialogue.”

Full Report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/21/Qatar-says-could-intervene-militarily-in-Syria-but-prefers-political-solution.html

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Syrian Kurds declare new province

21 October 2015

Syria’s Kurds have incorporated a mixed town they captured from ISIS group into territory they claim in the country’s north, a leading party said Wednesday.

The move to bring the border town of Tal Abyad into the autonomous administration led by Kurdish forces in the country’s north and northeast comes as the Kurds work increasingly closely with Arab forces against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

According to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), Tal Abyad’s local council agreed Wednesday their town would be ruled by “autonomous administration, formally part of the autonomous administration in the Kobane canton.”

In June, Kurdish forces and their Arab rebel allies expelled ISIS from Tal Abyad, in Syria’s northern Raqa province, after fierce clashes.

A local council of Kurds and Arabs has since overseen the town's affairs.

Quoted in the PYD’s statement, local official Ferhad Derek said Tal Abyad would become “a model of peaceful coexistence for all the Syrian people.”

Full Report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/21/Syrian-Kurdish-administration-declares-new-province-.html

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Terrorists fail to create sectarian divide in EP

Oct 22, 2015

DAMMAM — The five victims of Sihat terrorist attack were buried Tuesday at the Sihat cemetery and at Al-Mubarraz cemetery in Al-Ahsa.

Hundreds of people irrespective of sectarian affiliations joined the funeral procession in Sihat to pay last homage to the dead. Sheikh Syed Ali Nasser led the funeral prayer at Sihat.

The two buried at Sihat were 18-year-old medical student Buthaina Al-Abbad who was hit by a bullet in her back, and 17-year-old student Ayman Al-Ajmi.

After the funeral prayer, Sheikh Syed Ali Nasser appealed to the people to maintain calm and peace in this hour of crisis. He said the terrorist group Daesh has miserably failed to create a sectarian divide in the country.

“We are one people, one nation and follow one religion. Nothing can ever divide us,” he said.

Five people were killed when a terrorist identified as Shuja Al-Dosarry of Riyadh and belonging to Daesh’s Bahraini cell opened fire in front of a Husainiyah congregation hall in Al-Kawther area in Sihat in which nine others were injured.

According to hospital sources, all those injured are in stable condition.  Eastern Province Emir Prince Saud Bin Naif, who earlier visited the injured, has instructed hospital administration to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.

The other three victims of the firing Abdul Sattar Abu Saleh, Ali Salem and Abdullah Al-Jassem were buried at Al-Mubarraz cemetery in Al-Ahsa.

A group of citizens had set up a committee in coordination with the security forces for the safe and smooth movement of funeral procession at both the locations.

Meanwhile, residents in the Eastern Province deplored the terrorist attack on innocent people first in Qatif, then in Al-Anoud Mosque and now at Al-Kawther Husainiya.  Tareq Al-Dosarry, a resident of Al-Khobar, said such an inhuman act was absolutely unIslamic. These terrorists fail to realize that we stand united, and no such act will ever cause rift among us.

“These attacks are exposing the nefarious designs of Daesh or other terrorist groups. They want to create sectarian divide, but we the people have defeated their design. We showed patience, tolerance and love for our country,” said Basheer Al-Tarouty of Tarout, near Qateef.

Full Report at:

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/terrorists-fail-to-create-sectarian-divide-in-ep/

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Daesh's acts of terror on the rise over past months: Study

Oct 22, 2015

A new study shows a huge surge in terrorist acts carried out by Takfiri Daesh extremists, with over 1,000 attacks and nearly 3,000 deaths worldwide in the past three months.

The study, which was conducted by the London-based analysis firm, IHS Jane's, and released on Thursday, found that 2,978 people lost their lives in 1,086 raids staged by the terrorists from July to September, a dramatic 65-percent rise in the average daily killings and a 42-percent jump in daily attacks by the group, compared to the previous three months.

IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center, which uses open sources to collect data, said the terror group probably conducted far more attacks that could not be registered.

The study also suggested that airstrikes by the US-led coalition purportedly targeting Daesh positions in Iraq and Syria for over a year now, have only had a limited impact on the militants.

Daesh “is seemingly still some way from being sufficiently weakened (by the coalition’s air raids) to allow the recapture of territory, let alone be defeated," Matthew Henman, the head of the Terrorism and Insurgency Center, told AFP.

The US and some of its allies have been conducting airstrikes against alleged Daesh extremists inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate since September last year. The airstrikes in Syria are an extension of the US-led aerial campaign against purported Daesh positions in Iraq, which started in August 2014. Many have criticized the ineffectiveness of the coalition raids.

Full Report at:

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/22/434475/Daesh-Iraq-Syria-terrorists-US

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South Asia

 

Taliban Possibly Active Close to Kabul City

By KHAAMA PRESS - Thu Oct 22 2015

Taliban militants are possibly active close to Kabul city, a report published on Wednesday states.

Reuters news agency reports that in Khawaja Ghar, a village in Deh Sabz district on the dusty outskirts of Kabul, there is little noticeable government presence, and Afghan soldiers and police are a rare sight.

Residents of the area have told the news agency that in fact, you are almost as likely to come across a Taliban fighter.

“The Taliban are from this place, and they have support among people here,” Mohammad Rasoul, 40, a local resident is quoted by the news agency as saying.

“They come and knock on our door and introduce themselves as the Taliban and ask for food and water; we give it to them,” added the farmer. “They haven’t harassed anyone and we have no problem with them.”

However, the report has been rejected by officials.

“The Taliban do not physically exist in Deh Sabz, but sometimes bring rockets from other areas and use the district as a launch pad,” Reuters quotes the district chief Mohammad Gul Sharafat as saying. “Their activities do not threaten the district or Kabul city.”

Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior has said that intelligence reports indicated there were no Taliban in the district. .

“The Interior Ministry strongly denies the existence of Taliban in Deh Sabz district. We have plenty of security measures for Kabul, and the establishment of a garrison force was one of the steps we took to ensure the safety of the city.” Sediqqi is quoted in the report.

The news agency quotes a senior Afghan security official as saying that there had been indications the Taliban were considering an operation against Kabul using Deh Sabz and other nearby areas.

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/taliban-possibly-operating-close-to-kabul-city-4029

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Taliban suicide bombers attack border police compound in Kandahar

Oct 21 2015

A group of Taliban militants launched coordinated attack on a military compound belonging to the Afghan Border Police (ABP) forces in southern Kandahar province.

The attack was launched around 7:00 pm local time in Spin Boldak district, involving at least three heavily armed suicide bombers.

According to the local government officials, heavy gun battle was triggered after the suicide bombers managed to enter the compound which continued until late on Wednesday night.

Kandahar police spokesman Zia Durani said the attack was initially launched with a suicide attack in front of the compound gate with the remaining suicide bombers starting gun battle with the security forces which lasted for at least two hours.

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/taliban-suicide-bombers-attack-border-police-compound-in-kandahar-1648

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Afghan forces battle to push back Taliban from Helmand capital

October 22, 2015

LASHKAR GAH - Afghan government forces, bolstered by hundreds of fresh troops and elite commandos, battled on Wednesday to push the Taliban back from around the capital of the southern province of Helmand after fierce fighting a day before.

The fighting near the provincial centre of Lashkar Gah, part of a widening insurgency across the country, comes three weeks after the Taliban briefly captured the northern city of Kunduz in their biggest military success of the 14-year conflict.

Shah Mahmoud, a senior police official in Helmand, said troops backed by air support had pushed fighters from the hardline Taliban movement back by some 8 km (5 miles) from Lashkar Gah and regained a district which had been overrun.

“The operation is ongoing in the areas of Baba Ji, Nad Ali and Gereshk as of now, backed by air strikes,” Mahmoud said, referring to three areas north of the city where the fighting has been most intense.

The Taliban said it had seized two districts near Baba Ji and captured a large amount of equipment and ammunition.

The fighting near Gereshk, which sits astride Highway One, the main route linking the southern city of Kandahar with the western city of Herat, underlined the threat to Afghanistan’s major transport arteries from the insurgency.

With fighting flaring up in areas as widely separated as Kunduz in the north, Faryab on the border with Turkmenistan, Ghazni southwest of Kabul and Herat in the west of the country, Afghan forces have been increasingly stretched in recent weeks. The Kabul government and international forces have struggled to exert central government control over Helmand province, one of the world’s biggest centres of opium cultivation and a longstanding centre of Taliban support.

However Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said reinforcements had arrived and there was no danger that Lashkar Gah would fall.

“We have sufficient forces here and Lashkar Gah will never fall to the Taliban,” he said, adding that 66 Afghan insurgents and foreign militants had been killed overnight in the air strikes.

Meanwhile, the Republican leader of the US Senate has backed President Barack Obama’s plans to slow the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, but said he favored keeping 10,000 there rather than reducing the force by half under a plan announced last week.

“The bare minimum number is ... closer to 10,000, that’s what you really need,” Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, told reporters. “To continue to flirt with the idea that it’s not going to continue only encourages the other side and emboldens the other side.”

McConnell and four other Republican members of the Senate and the House of Representatives met with a small group of reporters to discuss their recent overseas trip that included stops in Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Every place we visited, American prestige is certainly at a low ebb, and there’s a great deal of concern about the Russians raising their profile,” said McConnell, a frequent critic of the policies of Obama, a Democrat.

Full Report at:

http://nation.com.pk/international/22-Oct-2015/afghan-forces-battle-to-push-back-taliban-from-helmand-capital

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District Governor killed in Taliban ambush in Ghazni

Oct 22 2015

Taliban militants have killed a District Governor in their ambush in Ghazni province, officials said on Thursday.

Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the Deputy Governor of Ghazni province said that the governor of Jaghato District was travelling in his private vehicle when Taliban ambushed him in Se Qala area between the provincial capital and Jaghato District this morning.

He said Mohammad Dawoud Gulistani and another man who was travelling with him died on the spot.

Meanwhile, information released by the police HQ of Ghazni province states that Gulistani had not given an advance notice to the security organs about his travel.

A member of Ghazni’s provincial council said that the dead body of the governor is still with Taliban. He said that efforts have been made to convince Taliban to return the body to his family.

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/district-governor-killed-in-taliban-ambush-in-ghazni-4027

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Afghan commandos seize a lorry full of explosives in Nangarhar

Oct 22 2015

Afghan National Army commandos have seized a lorry full of explosive materials close to Jalalabad city, the provincial capital of eastern Nangarhar province.

A spokesman for the 201st Army Corps said that the lorry was on its way to Jalalabad when commandos stopped it in Samarkhil area of Bahesood District on Tuesday evening.

Haround Yousufi said that two persons including the driver of the lorry were arrested and further investigation is ongoing from them.

By seizing the explosives laden lorry, commandos prevented several tragedies in Nangarhar and elsewhere in the country, He said.

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/afghan-commandos-seize-a-lorry-full-of-explosives-in-nangarhar-4017

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Taliban shadow Deputy Governor for Faryab killed in air strike

Oct 22 2015

Security forces have killed the Taliban designated Deputy Governor for northern Faryab province.

A spokesman for 209th Army Corps said that the key Taliban leader was killed in an airstrike in Qaisar District.

He said that the dead body of the Taliban leader was moved to the Civil Hospital in Qaisar.

26 Taliban militants were killed in clashes with security forces elsewhere in Qaisar District, Raza Razayee said.

Full Report at:

http://www.khaama.com/taliban-shadow-deputy-governor-for-faryab-killed-in-air-strike-4026

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Don’t blame BNP for foreigner killings: Fakhrul

October 22, 2015

BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has urged the government not to put the blame for the murders of two foreigners in Bangladesh on BNP.

“It is very convenient for the government to blame the opposition for any kind of subversive activities like the murders,” Fakhrul told reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after returning from Singapore last night.

“Though unfortunate, that is the culture of our country now,” he said.

He came up with the comments days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government blamed BNP for the killings saying that the party are involved in the murder of Italian Cesare Tavella and Japanese Kunio Hoshi.

Full Report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/politics/don%E2%80%99t-put-foreigner-killings%E2%80%99-blame-bnp-fakhrul-161041

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35 detained Bangladeshis in Texas end hunger strike

October 22, 2015

Bangladeshi asylum seekers have ended a near week-long hunger strike at the El Paso detention centre in Texas protesting their potential deportation.

They began to eat from Tuesday following negotiation between local Bangladesh mission and US’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Md Shamsul Alam Chowdhury, minister (consular) of the mission, led the negotiation that took place on Monday and Tuesday, a press release from Bangladesh embassy in Washington said.

A total of 35 Bangladeshis were among the 41 South Asian nationals detained in the El Paso centre. They were on hunger strike for six days.

Release of all the detainees being held at the detention centre will be released by November 15 upon fulfillment of some legal procedures, the press release said.

Full Report at:

http://www.thedailystar.net/country/detained-bangladeshis-texas-end-hunger-strike-160987

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Africa

 

Boko Haram Takfiri militants kill 20 in Nigeria

Oct 22, 2015

Boko Haram Takfiri militants have reportedly killed at least 20 people outside a village in northeast Nigeria.

On Wednesday, a large group of Boko Haram terrorists fleeing a military offensive on their camp in Nganzai district opened fire on four cars just outside Jingalta village, 70 kilometres (45 miles) north of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, killing all 20 passengers inside, stated by local sources.

"We received information of an attack by Boko Haram militants on four cars near Jingalta village where they shot dead all the occupants of the vehicles before setting the cars ablaze," stated Babakura Kolo, a member of an area vigilante staff aiding the army in preventing the Takfiri group in Maiduguri.

"The Takfiri militants were fleeing a military operation against one of their enclaves in the area around 9:30 am (0830GMT) when they came across the vehicles on the highway and opened fire on them," Kolo said.

The militants, driving pick-up trucks and motorcycles, then looted and burnt the entire village whose residents had already fled following the attack, he added.

The death toll was approved by Jibir Hassan, a commercial bus driver who arrived at the scene after the militants had escaped and said, "When we arrived at Jingalta village, we found it smoldering, with everything completely burnt and just outside the village we saw bodies sprawled by the roadside, 20 of them in all and near the bodies were charred remains of four cars, still smoldering,”

Full Report at:

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/22/434464/Boko-Haram-Nigeria-Muhammadu-Buhari-Jibir-Hassan-Jingalta

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Niger says two soldiers killed in suspected Boko Haram attack

Oct 21, 2015

A thwarted attack by suspected Boko Haram Takfiri militants has claimed the lives of two Nigerien soldiers and left several others wounded, Niger’s defense minister says.

Karidjo Mahamadou said that the casualties came in Niger’s southeast on Wednesday after Nigerien troops attacked the would-be bombers, triggering their explosive devices.

The bombers failed to “hit their targets and they were all killed. It was when their bombs went off that some of our soldiers were hit,” said Niger’s defense chief.

Meanwhile, Anfani, Niger’s private radio station, reported that the Wednesday raid took place in the country’s southeastern city of Diffa, located on the border with Nigeria.

Diffa has witnessed several attacks since February, including one in June in which 38 people lost their lives.

The Nigerien defense minister said such assaults are aimed at “killing as many people as possible.”

Full Report at:

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/21/434399/Niger-Boko-Haram-Diffa-Karidjo-Mahamadou-

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Hamas chief seeks support in S. Africa

21 October 2015

Chief of the Hamas political bureau Khaled Mashal was greeted in South Africa's Cape Town Wednesday by scores of local Muslims expressing their support.

Invited by the country's ruling African National Congress, Mashal has met with the party's youth branch and a huge number of representatives of various NGOs.

Full Report at:

http://www.worldbulletin.net/africa/165524/hamas-chief-seeks-support-in-safrica

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Mideast

 

Netanyahu stirs up trouble with Muslim Holocaust comments

Oct 21, 2015

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu provoked controversy on Wednesday, hours before a visit to Germany, by saying the former Muslim elder in Jerusalem convinced Adolf Hitler to exterminate the Jews.

In a speech to the Zionist Congress late on Tuesday, Netanyahu referred to a series of attacks by Muslims against Jews in Palestine during the 1920s that he said were instigated by the then Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini.

Husseini famously flew to visit Hitler in Berlin in 1941, and Netanyahu said that meeting was instrumental in the Nazi leader’s decision to launch a campaign to annihilate the Jews.

“Hitler didn’t want to exterminate the Jews at the time, he wanted to expel the Jews,” Netanyahu said in the speech. “And Haj Amin al-Husseini went to Hitler and said, ‘If you expel them, they’ll all come here.’

“’So what should I do with them?’” Netanyahu said Hitler asked the mufti, who responded: “Burn them.”

Netanyahu, whose father was an eminent historian, was quickly harangued by opposition politicians and experts on the Holocaust who said he was distorting the historical record.

Palestinian officials said Netanyahu appeared to be absolving Hitler of the murder of six million Jews in order to lay the blame on Muslims. Twitter was awash with criticism.

“It is a sad day in history when the leader of the Israeli government hates his neighbour so much that he is willing to absolve the most notorious war criminal in history, Adolf Hitler, of the murder of six million Jews,” Saeb Erekat, the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s secretary general, said.

“Mr Netanyahu should stop using this human tragedy to score points for his political end,” said Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator with the Israelis.

Even Netanyahu’s defence minister, close ally Moshe Yaalon, said the prime minister had got it wrong.

“It certainly wasn’t (Husseini) who invented the Final Solution,” Yaalon told Israel’s Army Radio. “That was the evil brainchild of Hitler himself.”

It is not clear what sources Netanyahu was relying on for his comments. A 1947 book “The Mufti of Jerusalem” and a newspaper report at the time said a former Hitler deputy had testified at the Nuremberg war crimes trials that Husseini had plotted with the Nazi leader to rid Europe of its Jews.

Husseini was sought for war crimes but never appeared at the Nuremberg proceedings and later died in Cairo.

HISTORICAL RECORD

But the point several historians made was that Netanyahu was distorting timelines and drawing false conclusions.

Full Report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world/netanyahu-stirs-up-trouble-with-muslim-holocaust-comments/story-Q73OC28JFx1SKXWAJAcUdO.html

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UNESCO approves Arab resolution criticising Israel

Oct 22, 2015

The UN's cultural body approved a resolution from a group of Arab states on Wednesday criticising Israel for failing to protect heritage sites and rebuild regions destroyed by war.

The final version of the draft resolution was changed at the last minute to remove a controversial clause saying the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the holiest site at which Jews can pray, is an "integral part" of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

Israel had denounced the clause as "a clear endeavour to distort history" and on Wednesday criticised the new resolution.

The flashpoint compound, which is considered sacred to both Islam and Judaism, is located in the southeastern corner of the Old City in Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem.

Muslims call it Al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) while Jews rever it as the Temple Mount which housed the First and Second Temples.

Clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters at the compound in September are widely thought to have led to the current wave of deadly violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The resolution approved on Wednesday — which was drafted by Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates — condemns Israeli actions at the compound, including restricting access to Muslim worshippers during Eid celebrations last month on security grounds.

It was supported by 26 of the 58 member countries on Unesco's executive board, while 25 members abstained.

It was opposed by six countries: the United States, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Estonia, and one member was absent.

The resolution "deeply deplores the recent repression in East Jerusalem, and the failure of Israel, the Occupying Power, to cease the persistent excavations and works in East Jerusalem particularly in and around the Old City."

It also calls for the "prompt reconstruction of schools, universities, cultural heritage sites, cultural institutions, media centres and places of worship that have been destroyed or damaged by the consecutive Israeli wars on Gaza."

The new resolution was criticised by Israeli Interior Minister Silvan Shalom, who was on a visit to Paris at the time.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1214825/unesco-approves-arab-resolution-criticising-israel

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UN chief 'pessimistic' about Israel-Palestinian peace

Oct 22, 2015

UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offered the Security Council a grim assessment Wednesday of prospects for defusing the latest wave of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, a British diplomat said.

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said council members were "struck by the pessimistic tone" Ban took during the closed video briefing.

Ban spoke to council members after meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders during a surprise trip to the Middle East.

Rycroft said Ban "thought there was a very wide gap" between the two sides "both on the short term, on how to deescalate, and on the longer term to go back to a genuine political process leading to a two-state solution."

Rycroft said the UN chief told the council that "all of those with influence need to use it to De-escalate the situation." The unrest began last month after clashes erupted at Jerusalem's holiest site, a hilltop Old City compound revered by Jews and Muslims.

Also read: UN chief criticised for omitting Israel from ‘list of shame’

Rycroft said it was "very important that the whole international community including the Security Council use whatever is in our power to halt the escalation of violence." But he expected no concrete action to emerge from a Security Council ministerial meeting on the Middle East planned for Thursday, though he added "we continue to live and hope."

Ban's briefing coincided with his decision to send the council a 42-page document on UN historical precedents for "the protection" of people.

It was prepared by the UN Secretariat in response to a letter on July 21, 2014 from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas requesting that "the territory of the state of Palestine be placed under an international protection system by the United Nations," with the central aim of “ensuring the protection of the Palestinian people."

The Palestinians have been pressing for the report to be sent to the Security Council. In a letter Wednesday, the secretary-general said he decided to share the report with the council in response to inquiries and "the interest that has been generated."

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1214829/un-chief-pessimistic-about-israel-palestinian-peace

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Military Expert Terms Iranian Army Drills Message to Terrorists in Syria

Oct 21, 2015

"The wargames in Northwestern Iran were aimed at strengthening the plan presented by Iran (on Syria), reinvigorate the Syrian army advances and its operations and announce preparedness to confront any threat to the successes and achievements in Syria," Retired Lebanese Army General and Military Expert Ali Maqsoud told FNA on Wednesday.

"Actually Iran's drills convey big messages saying that the quadrilateral (Iran, Syria, Russia and Iraq) anti-terrorism coalition is ready to fight against any challenge and any country which helps the terrorist groups in Syria and Iran will confront the supporters of terrorism in Syria," he added.

The two-day massive military exercises ended in Tehran on Tuesday.

Different units of Ground Force, Air Force and Air Defense participated in the massive wargames.

The drills which were staged in the Western and Northwestern provinces of Iran were aimed at enhancing the country's defensive power, practicing modern trainings and assessing the forces' swift reaction and use of state-of-the-art equipment.

In the last day of the drills, an F4 fighter jet tracked a drone of hypothetical enemy and destroyed it with a high-precision air-to-air missile.

Also the Iranian Air Force's fighter jets exercised aerial refueling for their long-range missions and attacked the specified targets in the drills zone.

Tracing the fighter jets of the hypothetical enemy by the Air Defense Base's home-made advanced radar systems under the supervision of an integrated radar network was another part of the second day of the drills.

Also the Air Force's ultra-light planes and drones were extensively used in the second phase of the wargames to track and destroy the simulated targets.

The Iranian Army also successfully fired Shalamcheh ground-to-air missiles from Mersad missile defense system during the drills and destroyed the targets. Mersad systems then exercised rapid relocation after firing the missiles.

During the first day of exercises on Monday, the Iranian army forces for the first time tested the home-made command-and-control system, 'Fakour' (Thoughtful).

The tactical command-and-control system can collect information from all databases and information gathering centers linked to the air defense system, passive and active radars, missile systems and other close command-and-control centers to provide an integrated image and map of the region to command and control all land-based and air-based defense systems fully independently.

The system which was unveiled in May is mobile and can be deployed in any region and under harsh geographical conditions and has a wide range of applications in electronic warfare. Utilizing an exclusive microwave network and the national fiber-optic and wired and wireless communication network as well as real-time assurance of target interception and destruction are among other capabilities of the smart system.

Also on the first day of exercises, an optic artillery system named 'Safat' shot down a drone with a low radar cross section flying over Khondab nuclear site.

In the main phase of Muharram exercises, the quick reaction forces of the army carried out operations using snipers and different equipment, including RPG 29.

They also destroyed simulated enemy armored vehicles using home-made anti-armor high-precision Dehlaviyeh missile systems.

Iran's Army and IRGC hold regular wargames to practice combat tactics and also test new home-made military tools, equipment and weapons in action.

Full Report at:

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940729000305

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Two alleged attackers shot in Jerusalem after trying to board Israeli bus

22 October 2015

Two alleged Palestinian attackers were shot west of occupied Jerusalem on Thursday after attempting to board a bus carrying children then allegedly stabbing an Israeli, police said.

One of the alleged attackers was killed, while the second was in critical condition.

The two men were blocked from entering the bus in Beit Shemesh by the driver and others. They then stabbed and moderately wounded a 25-year-old Israeli man near the bus station, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Police did not provide further details on the bus, including whether it was a school bus or not.

Beit Shemesh, about 30km west of occupied Jerusalem, is a predominantly Orthodox Jewish city.

Full Report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/22/Two-alleged-attacks-shot-in-Jerusalem-after-trying-to-board-Israeli-bus.html

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Ex-Israeli PM sued over deadly raid on Gaza flotilla

22 October 2015

The family of a U.S. citizen who was killed during a raid by Israeli troops in 2010 on a Gaza-bound flotilla are suing former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, claiming unlawful death and torture.

Attorneys representing the Turkish family of Furkan Dogan told AFP that Barak was served papers in the civil case late Tuesday after giving a speech at an event near Los Angeles.

Dogan, a U.S. citizen born in New York, was among nine people killed in the raid on six Turkish boats that had been attempting to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.

Israel at the time said that it had sent repeated warnings to the flotilla before launching the raid.

The incident soured once-close relations between Israel and Turkey.

“On board the Mavi Marmara, Israeli forces extinguished the life of a 19-year-old boy holding a video camera,” said Hakan Camuz, a representative of Dogan's family.

“He was shot five times. The last shot was to his head at point blank range. He deserves justice.”

Full Report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/22/Ex-Israeli-PM-sued-over-deadly-raid-on-Gaza-flotilla.html

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U.S., allies demand U.N. action after Iran missile test

22 October 2015

The United States, Britain, France and Germany called on Wednesday for the United Nations Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee to take action over a missile test by Tehran that they said violated a U.N. ban.

In a letter containing details on the launch, they said the ballistic missile was “inherently capable of delivering a nuclear weapon.”

The letter, seen by Reuters, was sent to the committee after the United States raised the issue in the 15-member Security Council.

“We trust that this information will assist the Committee in its responsibility to examine and take appropriate action in response to violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions,” they wrote.

Iran said earlier this month that it had tested a new precision-guided ballistic missile.

Diplomats have said it was possible for the sanctions committee to blacklist additional Iranian individuals or entities if it determined that the missile launch had breached the U.N. ban. However, they said Russia and China, which have opposed the sanctions on Iran’s missile program, might block any such moves.

“The United States will continue to press the Security Council to respond effectively to any future violations ... Full and robust enforcement of all relevant U.N. measures is and will remain critical,” U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said in a statement on Wednesday.

Iran has disputed the Western assessment that the missile was capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

“None of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s missiles has been designed for a nuclear capability,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.

Ballistic missile tests by Iran are banned under a 2010 Security Council resolution that remains valid until a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers is implemented.

Under that deal, reached on July 14, most sanctions on Iran will be lifted in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Once it takes effect, Iran will still be “called upon” to refrain from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons for up to eight years.

U.S. and European officials have said it is unlikely the deal will be fully implemented before next year.

Full Report at:

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/10/22/U-S-allies-demand-U-N-action-after-Iran-missile-test.html

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Pakistan

 

WMDs’ Destruction Necessary to Contain Nuclear Proliferation, UN Committee Told

MASOOD HAIDER

Oct 22, 2015

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has said that nuclear proliferation can only be contained if accompanied by parallel efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Tehmina Janjua, said at the first UN committee that full access to civilian nuclear technology was necessary to meet the country’s growing energy needs and its economic growth.

She said Pakistan was a responsible nuclear power and its nuclear policy was shaped by evolving security dynamics of South Asia.

Ms Janjua reiterated that the Conference on Disarmament (CD) should not be made hostage to one issue and “we should devote equal if not greater attention to the commencement of negotiations on other issues on the conference’s agenda, including Nuclear Disarmament and the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space.

Calling for credible disarmament steps by the nuclear-weapon states within a reasonable timeframe would “revalidate the bargain” on disarmament and non-proliferation and rest­o­re a genuine balance between them.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1214765/wmds-destruction-necessary-to-contain-nuclear-proliferation-un-committee-told

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Police Eliminated 167 Al Qaeda, TTP ‘Ringleaders’ In Sindh: Report

HASAN MANSOOR

Oct 22, 2015

KARACHI: At least 644 outlaws, including ‘167 active terrorist ringleaders of Al Qaeda and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’, were killed in police actions in the nine months of the current year, a report compiled by the Sindh police shows.

“Since January, 644 outlaws have been eliminated in police actions, including 167 active ringleaders of Al Qaeda and TTP,” said the report lately submitted to the Sindh home ministry.

It claimed that murders or targeted killings in Karachi were at ‘all-time lowest’ while kidnapping for ransom had been eliminated from Sindh.

It said: “54 criminals or dacoits involved in kidnapping for ransom have been killed this year.”

Included in the criminals killed in police actions, said the report, seven belonged to the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and 186 were affiliated with Lyari gangs.

It said 404 militants or ‘terrorists’ had been arrested this year, including 74 of the TTP, 13 of the ASWJ, 81 belonging to Lyari gangs, three to Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and 233 were affiliated with other groups.

It said 3,132 murders were reported during the same period of the last year while the figures this year were 1,709 showing a difference of 1,423.

Similarly, last year saw 13 acts of terrorism compared to this year’s five.

The report claimed kidnapping for ransom ‘is eliminated from Sindh’, yet conceded that a single incident of kidnapping for ransom against 59 of the same period had been recorded.

From Jan 1 to Sept 30, said the report, the police seized 526 kilograms of explosive material, 17 light machineguns, 10 G-3 rifles, 593 bombs or hand grenades, 756 Avon bombs or ball bombs, four IEDs, 28 suicide jackets, six MP-V, 756 hand/rifle grenades, 333 SMGs, 289 rifles, 822 shotguns or repeaters and 7,693 pistols, revolvers and mousers.

The LEAs also seized three ‘bomb factories’ during the nine months, which included two in Karachi and another in Shikarpur.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1214696/police-eliminated-167-al-qaeda-ttp-ringleaders-in-sindh-report

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Kukikhels Asked To Resist Re-Entry of Terrorists in Their Area

Oct 22, 2015

LANDI KOTAL: Khyber Agency Political Agent Shahab Ali Shah has asked the elders of Kukikhel tribe to stop suspected terrorists from re-establishing their foothold on their soil as security forces have successfully uprooted them from most parts of Khyber Agency during the recent military operations.

Addressing a Jirga at Jamrud tehsil offices, he said that most of the leaders of the banned militant groups took refuge in Afghanistan after security forces achieved successes in Tirah, Bara and Jamrud. He said that they were looking for an opportunity to return to their homeland as they were also on the run in Afghanistan.

“Relative peace has been established in Khyber Agency and terrorist activities have been controlled,” said Mr Shah. He added that it was turn of local tribal elders to take bold and courageous decisions to curb the menace of extremism in the region.

The official also asked the Kukikhel elders to refuse providing residential facility to unregistered Afghan nationals and hand over wanted suspects to the local administration before expiry of the last date for their voluntary surrender.

Official says militants want to return from Afghanistan to their homeland

Mr Shah told the jirga that in order to keep a strict vigil on the movement of Afghans entering Pakistan, a process of issuing them one-time permit was launched at Torkham border with the help of National Database and Registration Authority. He hoped that the new system would help in keeping an updated data of all Afghans, who aspired to enter Pakistan.

The official insisted that strengthening of local Sareshtha and Jirga system would enhance prospects of restoration of lasting peace and economic development in the area.

Responding to Political Agent assertions, a Kukikhel elder Malak Faizullah Jan questioned as to why the political administration was registering new Afghans when they were asked to refuse providing them shelter in Jamrud.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1214807/kukikhels-asked-to-resist-re-entry-of-terrorists-in-their-area

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Power grid upgrade: K-Electric, US OPIC commit to 10-year $250m project

IRFAN HAIDER

Oct 22, 2015

WASHINGTON: K-Electric Limited, Pakistan and United States (US) Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) on Wednesday executed a commitment letter for a $250 million 10-year financing project.

The OPIC loan ─ to be facilitated by CitiBank ─ will be used by K-Electric to undertake a comprehensive and transformative upgrade of K-Electric's power grid.

It is expected that the K-Electric grid strengthening project will significantly improve the reliability, stability and efficiency of the K-Electric power network and increase K-Electric’s transmission system capacity by 33 per cent or up to 1000MVA, thereby allowing it to deliver more electricity to customers.

The signing ceremony held at the US Chamber of Commerce, was witnessed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who is accompanying Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his four-day official visit to Washington.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1214830/power-grid-upgrade-k-electric-us-opic-commit-to-10-year-250m-project

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Nawaz apprises Kerry on India's destabilising role in Pakistan

DAWN.COM | IRFAN HAIDER

Oct 22, 2015

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday, during his visit to the United States, apprised US Secretary of State John Kerry about the destabilising role being played by Indian intelligence agencies in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Balochistan and Karachi.

Three separate dossiers containing evidence of Indian involvement in subversive activities were handed over to the US side by Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

John Kerry had called upon the premier at Blair House in Washington DC.

During the meeting, the prime minister also reiterated upon peace initiatives that he had put forth during the recent United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

Prime minister also informed Secretary Kerry on the important achievements of his government over the last two years, especially in the economic and internal security domain.

Secretary Kerry assured the premier of the continued US cooperation to further enhance economic engagement between the two countries including in meeting Pakistan's energy needs.

The leadership of the two countries also discussed the situation of peace and security in the broader region, and it was agreed that terrorism posed a common challenge to regional and global security and reaffirmed their resolve to counter this challenge. The premier also informed Kerry of operation Zarb-e-Azab and the National Action Plan (NAP).

Prime minister Nawaz Sharif apprised the US Secretary of State of the progress made in the fight against terrorism and said that desired results were being achieved.

John Kerry assured continued US cooperation and economic engagement with particular reference to energy needs of Pakistan.

He also commended the significant gains made during operation Zarb-e-Azb and appreciated the premiers commitment to promote peace and security in the region.

Adviser to the prime minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi also attended the meeting.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1214628/nawaz-apprises-kerry-on-indias-destabilising-role-in-pakistan

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‘Opposition parties conference’ on 27th: PTI

Oct 22, 2015

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Punjab Organiser Chaudhry Sarwar has urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to organise local government elections under the supervision of the army or Rangers.

He said the PML-N was conducting “fake surveys” to mislead masses and that the upcoming local government elections would serve as a referendum against the ruling party. He alleged the rulers were again planning electoral fraud.

Speaking to PTI Lahore Organiser Shafqat Mahmood, Sarwar said after the 10th of Muharram the PTI planned to hold an ‘all-opposition-parties conference’ on Oct 27.

He said the PTI never wanted to derail democracy in the country but do politics within the ambit of law and Constitution. He said the PTI would soon submit NA-122 voter list fraud proofs to the ECP. If the commission did not dispense justice, he said the PTI would be compelled to protest to get its democratic rights.

The PTI chairman’s political adviser Abdul Aleem Khan said bogus surveys and fake development projects had become the PML-N’s identity.

Full Report at:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1214745/opposition-parties-conference-on-27th-pti

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PM pitches for more US investment in Pakistan

October 22, 2015

WASHINGTON - Stating that there has been a marked improvement in Pakistan’s internal security situation, Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday called for more investment by US companies in Pakistan as well as more access to US markets.

“The United States remains one of the most important economic trading partners of Pakistan” Nawaz Sharif said in a speech during his luncheon at the US Chamber of Commerce, which was organised by the United States-Pakistan Business Council

In remarks at the event a day before a scheduled meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House, Sharif noted Pakistan’s government deficit is falling even as its middle class expands, attracting favourable new ratings from Western analysts.

Pakistan “has emerged as an attractive and thriving market,” the Prime Minister said, adding, his country will continue to support US companies investing in Pakistan businesses and asked for more access for Pakistan in US markets.

The US is the largest singe export market for Pakistan, but the US does not even rank in the top five among nations importing to the Pakistan market. There Prime Minister, therefore, invited the US investors to use diverse areas for investment in Pakistan and benefit from some of the most attractive investment regimes, offered anywhere in the world to foreign entrepreneurs.

He said current year witnessed lowest number of terrorist attacks as compared to 2007 and positive results were visible.

He said the Operation Zarb-e-Azb was a success and has broken the back of the terrorists.

He also pointed to the upgraded ratings by international Rating Agencies and said all these positive assessments have been made on the back of a market turnaround in country’s economy.

Full Report at:

http://nation.com.pk/national/22-Oct-2015/pm-pitches-for-more-us-investment-in-pakistan

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India

 

Muslim Body Alerts MP Cops on Bid to Spread Hatred by Pasting Fake “Join ISIS” Pamphlets

Oct 21, 2015

A Muslim organisation in Madhya Pradesh has lodged a complaint with the police alleging that some anti-social elements have pasted fake “join ISIS” pamphlets to cause tension in the area, the police said on Wednesday.

The incident was reported from Jaora municipality in Ratlam district, around 141 kilometres from Indore. The police said they were investigating the matter and would act keeping in view Dussehra and Muharram sensitivities.

The issue was brought to police notice by the Sunni Seerat Committee which is an umbrella organization of all local Muslim outfits.

Committee chairman Wilayat Mohammed Pathan alleged that some disgruntled elements had stolen disused pamphlets of the Young People Raza Committee, morphed them to insert the words “Join ISIS” and pasted them on walls.

The original pamphlets belonged to the Young People Raza Committee which got them published as an invite for a February 2, 2014 annual religious programme at Pathankholi area in Jaora, Pathan said.

Full Report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/indore/muslim-body-alerts-mp-cops-on-bid-to-spread-hatred-with-fake-isis-pamphlets/story-a4Jp6cqrLDpD7kEIs8RmpJ.html

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Pak Tells US about ‘India’s Subversive Role’, Won’t Limit Tactical Nukes

Oct 22, 2015

Pakistan said on Wednesday it had handed over to the US three dossiers that contained “evidence” about India’s alleged role in “subversive activities” in the country, nearly a month after it gave a similar document to the United Nations.

The dossiers were handed over to the US by Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz, according to a statement issued by the Pakistan government. The statement came after Secretary of State John Kerry met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Washington.

“Kerry was briefed about the destabilising role of Indian agencies in FATA, Balochistan and Karachi,” the statement said.

India has rubbished Pakistan’s allegations, maintaining it has no role in the unrest in any part of the country. Pakistan levelled the charges after bilateral ties but a fresh low in August following the cancellation of talks between the National Security Advisors.

Pakistan had earlier handed over a similar dossier to the UN. The world body paid no heed to the allegations.

The Pakistani statement said Sharif apprised Kerry of his commitment to normalising ties with India and efforts to improve relations with Afghanistan.

Sharif is set to hold talks with President Barack Obama on Thursday, when the Prime Minister will tell the US that Pakistan won’t accept limits on its tactical nuclear weapons, Pakistani officials said on Wednesday.

Read: ‘Pakistan made tactical nukes to prevent India from launching war’

Pakistan insists that the low-yield nuclear weapons would deter a sudden attack by India. But the US worries tactical weapons may further destabilise the volatile region because their smaller size makes them more tempting to use in a conventional war.

The US wants Pakistan to commit to not using tactical nuclear weapons but Islamabad wants to keep its options open as a way of deterring a potential Indian attack, said Maria Sultan, head of the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute.

Pakistan says the US is demanding unreasonable limits on its use of nuclear weapons and not offering much in return apart from a hazy promise to consider the county as a recognised recipient of nuclear technology.

“Pakistan’s nuclear programme is ... India-centric. And it exists to make war a non-option ... Tactical nuclear weapons block off this room (for war) completely,” said a security official with knowledge of Pakistan’s nuclear program. “No one can dictate what kind of weapons we will make or use.”

Full Report at:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/pak-tells-us-about-india-s-subversive-role-won-t-limit-tactical-nukes/story-2C33LpRuADENIvUw20OMTN.html

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Perennial delay for Muslim reservations

Syed Mohammed

Oct 22, 2015

There have been two developments with respect to providing the long awaited 12 percent reservations to Muslims in the recent past. In the last assembly session, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that the Assembly would pass a resolution to provide these reservations and forward it to the Centre for approval, implying that it would be included in the Ninth Schedule. The second is the extension of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), also known as the G Sudhir Commission, which was constituted to look into the socio-economic conditions of the Muslim community in the state, for another six months, till March 31 next year.

While KCR's announcement of 12 percent reservations was received by the community with optimism, the situation now appears different. There is widespread skepticism on account of delay in making these reservations a reality. The CM's decision of forwarding the resolution to the Centre too seems to have caused some unease. The reason for this is based on the grounds that it takes parliamentary procedure to include reservations, in this case reservations for Muslims, in the Ninth Schedule. The inclusion would bring about a safeguard from judicial review, meaning that they would largely be safe from being challenged in courts of law. While the move indicates some sort of seriousness on providing reservations, there is a major stumbling block as the resolution needs to be passed by a majority in the parliament. And given that the BJP and its allies are in power, it is unlikely that the reservations will see the light of day.

To illustrate the will of the BJP vis-a-vis reservations for Muslims, the fate of the Mahmood-ur-Rahman Committee report and its recommendations of providing eight percent reservations to Muslims and 33 percent within the eight for women, so as to improve their socio-economic conditions is well known. While reservations for Marathas was passed in the Maharashtra assembly, the ordinance which sought to provide five percent reservations to Muslims was allowed to lapse. The stand of the BJP with respect to reservations based on religious grounds is also known, but in the case of Maharashtra, the Mahmood-ur-Rahman Committee had made its conclusions on the basis of backwardness. It was also reported that the government in Maharashtra sought legal opinion in the case of reservations for Muslims to check whether they would stand legal scrutiny but the case was different with the Maratha reservation. While some may argue that the Centre has little to do with the state of Maharashtra given the federal structure of governance, there is a widespread opinion that the Centre would take a similar stand with respect to the 12 percent reservation resolution. In effect, it appears that the Telangana CM has passed the buck to the Centre, washing his hands off the matter.

Full Report at:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Perennial-delay-for-Muslim-reservations/articleshow/49487977.cms

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Ganga-Jamuna 'tehzeeb' still alive in UP, as Muslim cleric recite Hindu 'shlokas' during Moharram

22 October 2015

Dspite the recent events of communal disharmony in Uttar Pradesh, Hindu-Muslim harmony in UP, popularly called as 'Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb' is still continuing in the state.

In Lucknow, Muslim clerics while addressing 'Majlis' (religious congregation) recite Hindu 'shlokas' as the month of Moharram began last week.

Full Report at:

http://www.catchnews.com/lucknow-news/ganga-jamuna-tehzeeb-still-alive-in-up-as-muslim-cleric-recite-hindu-shlokas-during-moharram-1445488425.html

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Southeast Asia

 

Symposium on Islamic moderation to be held in Maldives

Ahmed Abdullah Saeed, Haveeru Online

Oct 21, 2015

The Minister of Islamic Affairs announced Wednesday they will be holding an international symposium regarding moderation in Islam in the Maldives next month, with international Islamic scholars in attendance.

According to Minister Dr Ahmed Ziyad Abdul Bagir, the symposium will be held November 2 at the Islamic Centre conference hall, where scholars will debate on 13 submitted topics. Seven of the topics are to be submitted by local Islamic scholars, while the other six will be from Saudi Arabian scholars.

The scholars from Saudi Arabia include academics from the Islamic University of Madinah (Medina).

Full Report at:

http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/63287

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Minister: Too many non-Muslims listed as Muslims in Malaysia

John Joseph

October 21, 2015

KOTA KINABALU: Melalap assemblyman and Sabah Rural Development Minister Raden Malleh has stressed that in the absence of a Sabah IC, the National Registration Department (NRD) must be honest and responsible when dealing especially with rural folks and issuing them with MyKads.

“There are many cases where non-Muslim villagers were registered as Muslims by the NRD in their MyKad,” said Raden. “Such mistakes will make it harder for the affected villagers and their families.”

“Such mistakes affect their religious and citizenship status.”

There’s a need, he continued, to protect the rights of the Orang Asal and other Sabahans in dealing with the NRD.

He expressed the hope that the Mobile Court system can help sort out the difficulties created in the process of the NRD issuing MyKads to Sabahans. “Through the Mobile Court programme, the applicants can benefit and sort out their woes with the NRD.”

He was speaking with the media on the sidelines of visiting the Mobile Court Programme in Melalap.

Raden added that there are also many cases where the children of Orang Asal were registered in their birth certificates as non-citizens.

He urged the NRD to improve on its issuance of MyKads especially on listing the religious status of applicants. “There was an instance where the mother of the children was listed as a Filipina when she’s Orang Asal,” said Raden. “This made the children unable to go to school or have the privilege of being Orang Asal and citizens.”

There appears to be growing consensus in Sabah that life would continue to be tough for the people in the state unless the Sabah IC, the state’s own version of the Malaysian MyKad, becomes a reality. “If there’s empowerment to issue the Sabah IC, the state can safeguard its citizenship rights,” said former Sabah Chief Minister Yong Teck Lee. “No one, under the Sabah IC formula, can attain citizenship status in the state illegally.”

Full Report at:

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/10/21/raden-too-many-non-muslims-listed-as-muslims/

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PAS plans to field non-Muslims in DAP-held seats

October 21, 2015

KOTA BARU: PAS is considering fielding non-Muslim candidates from its PAS Supporters Assembly in seats held by the DAP in the next general election, said party vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah.

“We are conducting a survey and gathering information on the potential constituencies. The matter has not been finalised yet,” he told reporters after attending the Silver Jubilee celebration of PAS rule in Kelantan at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium here last night.

Mohd Amar, who is also Kelantan deputy menteri besar, was asked for his comments on the formula on allocation of seats among the opposition parties proposed by the DAP.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang had proposed that PAS contest in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis while the newly-formed Parti Amanah Negara field candidates in the other states, subject to the agreement of the other opposition parties.

Full Report at:

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/10/21/pas-plans-to-field-non-muslims-in-dap-held-seats/

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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/new-age-islam-news-bureau/we-re-responsible-for-holocaust--germany-to-netanyahu/d/105013