Saudi Arabia's Generosity Vital In Saving Millions of Lives, UN Official
New Age Islam News Bureau
14
Dec 2012
Europe
• Saudi Arabia's Generosity Vital In Saving Millions of Lives, UN Official
• Spain seizes 28 million Euros in Hosni Mubarak-linked assets
• Over five million Iraqi children deprived of basic services and rights – UNICEF
• Hizb ut-Tahrir Takes Advantage of Ethnic Fault Lines in Tatarstan, Kyrgyzstan
• UN envoy signs agreements on conflict-related sexual violence
• Assad losing, must go as quickly as possible: France
• European court condemns CIA in landmark ruling
• UK to pay Libyan over $ 3 m to settle rendition case
• Russia's stance on Syria 'will not change'
Arab World
• Clashes outside Mosque after Imam Urges 'Yes' Vote In Egyptian Referendum
• Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta Releases Fatwa Forbidding Buying Votes
• Anti-Drug Campaign in Saudi Arabia Targets 5 Million Students
• Jihadist group claims Syria interior ministry attack
• Egyptian factions stage final rallies before referendum
• Egypt to start vote on divisive new constitution
• Egypt reinstates judge probing violence
• Founder of Morocco Islamist party, Abdessalam Yassine, dies
• In Cairo Crisis, the Poor Find Dashed Hopes
• Syrian Rebel Seeks Prisoner Exchange to Free Hostages
Southeast Asia
• Fake Islamic Prophet Arrested in East Kalimantan
• Indonesian Terrorists Prefer Attacking Police Instead of Churches
Mideast Asia
• Jews warned not to wear religious symbols in Copenhagen
• Yemeni soldiers swap guns for brooms in a bid to clean the streets
• Return of single state option for Israel, Palestine
• Palestinian Teen Shot as Thousands Mourn another Boy's Death
• UN nuclear team to resume talks with Iran on January 16
• Hamas stages first West Bank march since 2007
• Israeli foreign minister charged with breach of trust
• Israeli soldiers go on rampage, assault two cameramen
Pakistan
• 'Militants' threaten Pakistan church school for Malala support
• Balochistan violence: Three killed in sectarian attacks
• Imran Khan to send his delegation to study developments in Bihar, India
• Pakistan lawless tribal areas 'fuelling rights crisis'
• India-Pak journey to peace on track: Malik
• Pakistani Christian begs Spain to give wife asylum
• No requests from Quassab's family to bring his body back: Pak
• Panel to probe reports of Hindu girl's rape: Pak parliament
• Blast in Quetta injures six
• Pak sends second letter to Interpol for Musharraf's arrest
• Share info on Parliament attack case: Pak to India
• Supreme Court issues contempt notice to MQM chief
• Found guilty: Prison guard sacked over Dr Afridi’s Fox News interview
• ‘Islamic Orientation Programme organised by Dawah Academy for Teachers’ concludes
South Asia
• Pakistan-Aided Peace Bid Offers Taliban Afghan Government Role
• Afghan suicide attack kills three after Panetta visit
• Fearing the worst post-2014, Afghan brain drain quickens
• Karzai says he’ll meet with Obama in Washington
• Khaleda will not succeed in saving war criminals: Ashraf
• Rohingya ship turned away by Singapore
• Khaleda pays tribute to martyred intellectuals
India
• Hard-Line Separatists Must Change Outlook: Moderate Hurriyat Conference
• Hizb ul, LeT continue to be dominant in J&K: Home Minister
• 80% of Hindus and Muslims have fallen prey to communalism: Justice Katju
• India and Iran to expand trade engagements despite western sanctions
• India sees ‘a little movement’ in Pak’s 26/11 case
• Godhra, an 'underdeveloped' constituency in 'prosperous' state, braces for poll
• We share your anguish, Supreme Court tells Kargil martyr's family
• Afzal Guru casts shadow over Parliament attack commemoration
• Three militants killed in two J&K encounters
• 29 Indian fishermen still languish in Iran prison
• Kashmir doctor suspended for killing newborns out of wedlock
• When Hafiz Ali Khan's 'Raag Darbari' flummoxed President!
Africa
• Nigerian Cleric: Islam Respects Women's Rights
• Education is vital for Ugandan Muslims
• Tanzania: Women's Empowerment to Help Fight Gender-Based Violence
• Suicide Car Bomb Attack in Somalia Kills Only the Bomber
North America
• Obama’s ‘red line’ may be giving Assad an opening
• Muslim rights group warns against anti-Sharia bill
• Leon Panetta 'signs order to send Patriot missiles to Turkey'
• ‘Al-Qaeda still the biggest threat to US’
• Ted Cruz Jumps On the Sharia Conspiracy Bandwagon
• Assad will not be a part of Syrian future: White House
• Jimmy Carter's centre says it won't monitor Egypt's vote
• US slaps more sanctions on Iranian nuclear experts
• US presses Pakistan on bomb fertiliser
• Pakistan must do more to stop flow of IEDs: US Department of Defence’s Director
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Clashes outside Mosque after Imam Urges 'Yes' Vote In Egyptian Referendum
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/saudi-arabia-generosity-vital-saving/d/9682
----------
Europe
Saudi Arabia's Generosity Vital In Saving Millions of Lives, UN Official
14 December 2012
13 December 2012 – The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today paid tribute to the generosity of Saudi Arabia in helping the agency fight hunger and meet the food needs of millions of people.
“Our partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has helped save millions of lives worldwide across decades of collaboration,” said WFP's Executive Director, Ertharin Cousin, as she wrapped up a two-day visit to the Kingdom.
She noted that Saudi Arabia has been extremely generous to WFP with a historic pledge of $500 million to feed the millions of people affected by the food crisis that hit the world in 2008, the agency said in a news release.
During the visit, her first to the Gulf region since she assumed her position in April, Ms. Cousin met with the Crown Prince, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.
She expressed her gratitude and appreciation for King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and for the generosity and the long-standing partnership between the country and WFP in fighting hunger around the world.
WFP honoured King Abdullah in 2009 for his generous support of the agency's work with its highest award by naming him 'Champion in the Battle Against Hunger.'
Saudi Arabia contributes over 4,000 metric tons of dates to WFP annually, in addition to responding to emergency funding appeals in troubled spots around the world. The agency has received over $1 billion from the Kingdom to fight hunger since the early 1960s.
Ms. Cousin also met with the Minister of Agriculture, Fahd Bin Abdulrahman Bin Sulaiman Balghunaim, and discussed with him shared interests in WFP's response to emergencies in the region, and especially Yemen, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia values the partnership that we have with WFP and we will continue to work together collaboratively so no child goes hungry across the globe,” said the Minister.
In addition, Ms. Cousin briefed several senior government officials on the food security situation in the region and WFP operations worldwide.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=43762&Cr=saudi+arabia&Cr1=#.UMrcLuRthm4
----------
Spain seizes 28 million euros in Hosni Mubarak-linked assets
Dec 14, 2012
MADRID: Spain announced on Thursday it had seized 28 million euros ($37 million) in financial products, luxury cars and buildings linked to ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt requested Spain's help under UN anti-corruption conventions to find and block assets owned by Mubarak, his family, top aides and their related companies, a national police statement said.
Police blocked 18.4 million euros in financial products held in three Spanish banks; two buildings in Madrid's wealthy Moraleja district worth a combined seven million euros; and seven properties in the holiday resort of Malaga worth more than three million euros.
They also seized seven luxury cars.
"The assets could be the proceeds of crimes such as the embezzlement of public funds, corruption, or the illegal enrichment committed during his mandate," police said.
The Egyptian request targeted some 130 people, they said.
Mubarak was ousted on February 11 last year after nearly three weeks of mass protests that left 846 people dead and more than 6,000 injured.
Both the interim military government that took over after his overthrow and the administration of elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi have repeatedly promised to bring to justice all those responsible for the deaths.
Mubarak and his interior minister Habib al-Adly were both jailed for life for their role in ordering the killings.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Spain-seizes-28-million-euros-in-Hosni-Mubarak-linked-assets/articleshow/17605531.cms
----------
Over five million Iraqi children deprived of basic services and rights – UNICEF
14 December 2012
The most comprehensive survey on the situation of women and children in Iraq shows that 32 per cent of children under the age of 18 are deprived of many basic services, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today.
The survey, launched today by the Government of Iraq and UNICEF, states that “major” disparities exist in terms of access to health care and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, protection, shelter, and information services, according to a UNICEF news release.
According to the survey, 10 per cent of Iraq’s children – 1.7 million – were found to have access to all basic services and rights, while 32 per cent – 5.3 million – were found to be deprived of several at the same time.
It also found that 99 per cent of children are currently registered at birth; the mortality rate of children dying in the first year of life is 32 deaths for every 1,000 live births, which translates into around 35,000 infant deaths every year; and one in four children have stunted physical and intellectual development due to under-nutrition.
Also, while about 9 out of 10 children enrol in and attend primary school, only four complete primary school on time; and 1 in 3 children – 3.3 million – are subjected to severe violent discipline methods.
“With this clear evidence on where progress for Iraqi children can be made, UNICEF looks forward to supporting the Government to develop national social policies, plans and interventions that concretely meet the needs of all of Iraq’s children, especially the 5.3 million most deprived and marginalized,” said UNICEF’s Representative to Iraq, Marzio Babille.
“In line with international commitments and accountabilities, our ambitious goal going forward is for an Iraq that is fit for all children,” the UN official added.
According to UNICEF, Iraq’s Minister of Planning, Ali Yousif Al-Shukri, noted that the survey provides extensive data on the situation of women and children in Iraq.
“With these findings,” he said, “we clearly see where we need to focus our investment in the new development plan to further improve the well-being of Iraqi children, who, representing half of Iraq’s population today, represent Iraq’s future tomorrow.”
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=43749&Cr=iraq&Cr1=#.UMreQuRthm4
------
Hizb ut-Tahrir Takes Advantage of Ethnic Fault Lines in Tatarstan, Kyrgyzstan
November 29, 2012
By: Jacob Zenn
On November 16, Russian prosecutors charged nine citizens of Tajikistan and Russia with membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir and possession of grenades, rifles, TNT, millions of dollars’ worth of counterfeit money, and written materials promoting extremism (Interfax [Moscow], November 16). In the months prior, there were also several incidents in which Hizb ut-Tahrir members and other religious extremists were arrested in the Ural region oblast of Chelyabisnk. Chelyabinsk borders Kazakhstan as well as the Republic of Bashkortostan whose population is more than half composed of Muslim Tatars and Bashkirs.
Full report at:
http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=40174&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=13&cHash=82a9e3b304410374c0a232af09b07dda
----------
UN envoy signs agreements on conflict-related sexual violence
12 December 2012
A senior United Nations official today concluded a visit to the Central African Republic (CAR) – her first mission abroad since her appointment – with the announcement of two agreements on conflict-related sexual violence with stakeholders in the country’s peace process.
“I have made the Central African Republic my first visit, because I want to draw attention to the situation and make sure that the world and the international community does not forget about CAR,” said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura.
Full report at:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=43759&Cr=central+african+republic&Cr1=#.UMres-Rthm4
----------
Assad losing, must go as quickly as possible: France
Dec 14, 2012
BRUSSELS: Syrian leader President Bashar al-Assad is losing the fight against rebel forces and must be made to leave as quickly as possible, French President Francois Hollande said on Friday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Assad-losing-must-go-as-quickly-as-possible-France/articleshow/17611780.cms
----------
European court condemns CIA in landmark ruling
14 December 2012
A European court issued a landmark ruling on Thursday that condemned the CIA’s “extraordinary renditions” programmes and bolstered those who say they were illegally kidnapped and tortured as part of an overzealous war on terrorism.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that a German car salesman was an innocent victim of torture and abuse, in a long-awaited victory for a man who had failed for years to get courts in the U.S. and Europe to acknowledge what happened to him.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/european-court-condemns-cia-in-landmark-ruling/article4199091.ece
----------
UK to pay Libyan over $ 3 m to settle rendition case
14 December 2012
LONDON: Britain has agreed to pay £ 2.2 million ($ 3.5 million) to a Libyan dissident who said British secret services played a role in his illegal rendition, his lawyers said yesterday.
Sami Al-Saadi, a leading opponent of Muammar Qaddafi, said he was forcibly transferred to Libya from Hong Kong along with his wife and four children in 2004 in a joint British-US-Libyan operation.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/uk-pay-libyan-over-3-m-settle-rendition-case
----------
Russia's stance on Syria 'will not change'
Dec 14 2012
Russia's foreign ministry has insisted that the country has not changed its position on Syria and "never will".
It came a day after Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Syria's government was "progressively losing control" and that "the victory of the Syrian opposition cannot be excluded".
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20724959
-------------
Arab World
Clashes outside Mosque after Imam Urges 'Yes' Vote In Egyptian Referendum
Cars smashed and people injured as thousands of pro- and anti-constitution protesters clash in Alexandria
14 Dec 2012
Clashes have erupted in Alexandria in front of the Qaed Ibrahim mosque and along the nearby corniche between several thousand opponents and supporters of the draft constitution.
The fight extended to the surrounding Azareeta neighbourhood with anti and pro constitution groups exchange slogans and rock throwing.
Stones are being exchanged between the two groups and cars parked on the corniche have been torched. Central Security Forces (CSF) are attempting to end the fighting.
A member of the CSF told Ahram Online that four bearded men had been arrested carrying knives.
Ahram Online's Randa Ali says she saw security forces confiscating knives from a bearded man with an injured head before arresting him.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/60480/Egypt/Politics-/Clashes-outside-Alexandria-mosque-after-imam-urges.aspx
-----------
Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta Releases Fatwa Forbidding Buying Votes
Aswat Masriya | 13 December 2012
CAIRO: Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta released a fatwa on Thursday prohibiting buying votes in elections and referendums.
The prestigious Islamic institute said on Thursday, “buying votes in referendums and elections is forbidden and those involved in the act are sinners – as it falls under bribery which is forbidden.”
Dar al-Ifta added that those who distribute the bribes are sinners for their complicity in the manipulation, especially when Islam orders honesty, free will and prohibits corruption, deception, bribery and unethical practices.
A referendum on a draft constitution written by an Islamist-dominated assembly will take place on Saturday, December 15.
http://www.bikyamasr.com/83591/egypts-dar-al-iftaa-releases-fatwa-forbidding-buying-votes/
----------
Anti-Drug Campaign in Saudi Arabia Targets 5 Million Students
14 December 2012
Saudi Arabia has launched a major anti-drug awareness campaign, targeting all groups of society, specifically 5 million students.
Interior Minister Prince Muhammad bin Naif has approved the national strategic plan to combat drugs, which will be carried out in cooperation with 25 government and private agencies.
Abdul Elah bin Muhammad Al-Sharief, assistant director-general of the department for combating drugs, said the plan targets 5 million school and university students.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/government%E2%80%99s-anti-drug-campaign-targets-5-million-students
----------
Jihadist group claims Syria interior ministry attack
13 December 2012
Al-Nusra Front, the Syrian jihadist opposition group, took responsibility for a bombing attack on Syrian Ministry of Interior the day before, via its official Twitter account.
“Thank God, we targeted the interior ministry building in Kfar Sousa district in Damascus at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 12,” the extremist group Tweeted, adding that fighting had erupted inside the ministry, according to AFP news agency.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/13/254962.html
----------
Egyptian factions stage final rallies before referendum
By Giles Elgood
2012/12/15
CAIRO (Reuters) - Supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi stage final rallies on Friday before a divisive referendum on a new constitution championed by the Islamist leader as a way out of the worst crisis since the fall of Hosni Mubarak.
Cairo and other cities have seen a series of often violent demonstrations over the past three weeks since Mursi assumed sweeping new powers to push through the constitution, which he sees as a vital element of Egypt's transition to democracy.
Full report at:
http://news.yahoo.com/egyptian-opposition-warns-referendum-violence-131159722.html
----------
Egypt to start vote on divisive new constitution
Dec 14, 2012
CAIRO: Egyptians are to start deciding Saturday whether to adopt a new constitution backed by Islamists including President Mohamed Morsi, or reject it as urged by the opposition which fears it will usher in sharia-style laws.
Weeks of protests and violent clashes between rival camps that left eight people dead last week have failed to dissuade Morsi from holding the referendum, which will be staggered over a week.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-to-start-vote-on-divisive-new-constitution/articleshow/17608279.cms
----------
Egypt reinstates judge probing violence
Dec 13, 2012
CAIRO: Egypt's official news agency says the nation's top prosecutor has reinstated the judge investigating last week's deadly violence between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Egypt-reinstates-judge-probing-violence/articleshow/17601201.cms
----------
Founder of Morocco Islamist party, Abdessalam Yassine, dies
13 December 2012
RABAT: Abdessalam Yassine, leader of Morocco's Justice and Charity Islamist movement, died on Thursday aged 84, the banned but tolerated group's spokesman told AFP.
The founder of the movement, known as Adl wal Ihsan in Arabic, died at around 0730 GMT, Fathallah Arsalane said.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/founder-morocco-islamist-party-dies
---------
In Cairo Crisis, the Poor Find Dashed Hopes
By KAREEM FAHIM
December 14, 2012
CAIRO — A faded poster of Hosni Mubarak hangs on a wall in a crumbling neighborhood here, reminding residents of an empty pledge to find jobs for young people. Down the street, a campaign banner for his successor, Mohamed Morsi, hangs across the road, a reminder of more recent promises unkept.
In the neighborhood, called Boulaq, so long neglected that houses regularly collapse, there was little expectation that Mr. Mubarak would provide. But Mr. Morsi’s disregard has been much harder to take.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/world/middleeast/in-cairo-crisis-unheard-voice-from-
----------
Syrian Rebel Seeks Prisoner Exchange to Free Hostages
By C.J. CHIVERS
December 14, 2012
BAB AL-SALAM, Syria — The rebel commander holding a group of Lebanese hostages in Syria’s northern countryside for almost seven months has offered to release the men in a prisoner exchange.
Amar al-Dadikhi, commander of the North Storm brigade, one of many fighting groups seeking the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, said in interviews that he would free the nine remaining hostages if the Syrian government released two prominent opposition figures and if Lebanon freed all Syrian activists in government custody.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/world/middleeast/syrian-rebel-seeks-prisoner-
---------------
Southeast Asia
Fake Islamic Prophet Arrested in East Kalimantan
Tunggadewa Mattangkilang | December 13, 2012
Kutai Timur, East Kalimantan. Police here have arrested a man who declared himself a prophet of Islam and deceived his followers into giving him money and allowing him to sleep with their wives.
The 48-year-old man, a religious teacher named Bantil, had about 50 followers who lived in their own hamlet, APT Pranoto, in East Kalimantan's Kutai Timur district. His followers called him Syech Muhammad and he claimed to be a prophet, despite the fact that his teachings deviated from Islamic values.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lawandorder/fake-islamic-prophet-arrested-in-east-kalimantan/561465
----------
Indonesian Terrorists Prefer Attacking Police Instead of Churches
Bayu Marhaenjati | December 13, 2012
Indonesian terrorists have shifted their targets to attack police stations over churches, an analyst says.
Terrorism expert Al Chaidar said the focus had changed because terrorist groups considered police as the main enemy.
“At the present, attacks on Christmas have been decreasing,” terrorism expert Al Chaidar told Beritasatu.com. “There’s a possibility that it won’t happen again because they are now targeting police or police stations.”
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/terrorists-prefer-attacking-police-instead-of-churches-analyst/561445
----------
Mideast Asia
Jews warned not to wear religious symbols in Copenhagen
December 12, 2012
COPENHAGEN: Israeli and Jewish officials in Denmark on Wednesday warned Jews to avoid openly wearing religious symbols and dress when moving about Copenhagen amid rising anti-Israeli sentiment.
“We advise Israelis who come to Denmark and want to go to the synagogue to wait to don their skull caps until they enter the building and not to wear them in the street, irrespective of whether the areas they are visiting are seen as being safe,” Israel’s ambassador to Denmark, Arthur Avnon, told AFP.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/478882/jews-warned-not-to-wear-religious-symbols-in-copenhagen/
----------
Yemeni soldiers swap guns for brooms in a bid to clean the streets
14 December 2012
Soldiers swapped their guns for brooms and students replaced the classroom for the Sanaa streets as they joined workers to clean the roads of the Yemeni capital.
Armed with brooms they swept pavements and roads, as traffic passed them by.
Their work is all part of a campaign to boost living conditions in the impoverished Arab country.
Full report at:
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/14/254988.html
----------
Return of single state option for Israel, Palestine
14 December 2012
There are those who would argue that the two-state solution was dead long before the recent announcement of new settlements in the E1 area of East Jerusalem last month. But — should it go ahead — Tel Aviv’s controversial plans will be seen as a final nail in the coffin for a long-flawed and ever-distant prospect of a division of Israel and Palestine.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/return-single-state-option-israel-palestine
---------
Palestinian Teen Shot as Thousands Mourn Another Boy's Death
December 14, 2012
Hebron. Israeli forces shot and seriously wounded a 16-year-old Palestinian on Thursday in Hebron, medics said, as thousands mourned the death of another teenager killed by Israeli forces.
Medical officials told AFP that Nasser Sharabani was undergoing surgery in a Hebron hospital after being hit in the chest by gunfire.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/palestinian-teen-shot-as-thousands-mourn-another-boys-death/561651
----------
UN nuclear team to resume talks with Iran on January 16
Dec 14, 2012
TEHRAN: Iran and the UN atomic watchdog agreed on Thursday to resume negotiations on the Islamic republic's controversial nuclear programme in Tehran on January 16, a senior Iranian official said.
"We agreed to have the next round of talks on January 16 in Tehran," said Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency was quoted by media as saying.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/UN-nuclear-team-to-resume-talks-with-Iran-on-January-16/articleshow/17606759.cms
----------
Hamas stages first West Bank march since 2007
Dec 14, 2012
NABLUS, WEST BANK: The Islamic militant group Hamas staged on Thursday its first public demonstration in the West Bank since 2007, illustrating its improving ties with the rival Fatah movement after a five-year rift.
The show of force by Hamas reflected the group's popularity in Palestinian society following an eight-day battle against Israel last month and its rising influence as Islamists rise to power across the region.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Hamas-stages-first-West-Bank-march-since-2007/articleshow/17606133.cms
----------
Israeli foreign minister charged with breach of trust
Dec 13, 2012
JERUSALEM: Israel's attorney general has indicted the country's powerful foreign minister for alleged breach of trust, but decided not to file a number of more serious charges in a fraud and money-laundering case.
While Avigdor Lieberman escaped the most serious accusations against him, Thursday's decision could still jeopardize his political career and throw the Israeli political system into upheaval on the eve of elections.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Israeli-foreign-minister-Avigdor-Lieberman-charged-with-breach-of-trust/articleshow/17602028.cms
----------
Israeli soldiers go on rampage, assault two cameramen
Dec 14 2012
Hebron : Israeli soldiers punched two Reuters cameramen and forced them to strip in the street, before letting off a tear gas canister in front of them, leaving one of them needing hospital treatment. Israel's military said on Thursday it took the allegations seriously, but offered no explanation for the assault that occurred on Wednesday evening in the heart of Hebron.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/israeli-soldiers-go-on-rampage-assault-two-cameramen/1045255/
----------
Pakistan
'Militants' threaten Pakistan church school for Malala support
14 December 2012
Authorities in Pakistan have held three people over a threat to bomb a church school in Islamabad unless it paid them $51,000 (£38,000), officials say.
A letter sent to the school, apparently by a little-known militant group, demanded cash for not bombing it.
It accused the church school of offering prayers for Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was injured by Taliban gunmen in October.
Correspondents say this is being taken seriously by Pakistani intelligence.
The letter was received by the school in November and intelligence officials are still investigating.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20726022
--------
Balochistan violence: Three killed in sectarian attacks
December 14, 2012
QUETTA: At least three people were killed in sectarian attacks in different neighbourhoods of Quetta on Thursday. Two more persons were killed in violence elsewhere in Balochistan.
Gunmen opened fire at a tailor’s shop in Sirki Kala area, killing Shabbir Ahmed, a Shia community member and hailing from Punjab, according to local police.
Separately, gunmen targeted government servant Gul Shirin on Jinnah Road. In a third incident, armed men shot and injured two members of the Hazara community – Taj Muhammad and Khan Ali – on Shahrah-e-Iqbal Road. Khan Ali expired while being driven to a hospital.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/479633/balochistan-violence-three-killed-in-sectarian-attacks/
----------
Imran Khan to send his party’s delegation to study developments in Bihar
Dec 13, 2012
PATNA: Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and legendary cricketer Imran Khan is planning to send a delegation of his party leaders to Bihar to deeply study the governance and the way state achieved a turnaround. This was disclosed by chief minister Nitish Kumar who met Khan last month at his residence in Islamabad.
Nitish said Khan is highly impressed with the developments in Bihar, its growth rate, anti-graft measures, and confiscation of the properties made with corrupt practices besides improvement in health care, education and immunization.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Imran-Khan-to-send-his-partys-delegation-to-study-developments-in-Bihar/articleshow/17601612.cms
----------
Pakistan lawless tribal areas 'fuelling rights crisis'
December 14, 2012
Pakistan is failing to address thousands of human rights abuses taking place in its tribal areas in the north-west, Amnesty International has said.
In a new report, the campaigning rights group says people are being terrorised by both the Taliban and the military.
It claims that abuses are allowed to take place with impunity as constitutional safeguards do not apply.
Full report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20706955
--------------
India-Pak journey to peace on track: Malik
December 14, 2012
Notwithstanding pressure from India, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday gave no indication of action being taken against 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, saying there was no credible evidence to arrest him.
“We have no love lost for Hafiz Saeed. If I got the information today before I leave from here, I will order his arrest,” Mr. Malik told reporters on his arrival in New Delhi on a three-day visit during which the visa agreement signed by the two countries in September will be operationalised.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indiapak-journey-to-peace-on-track-malik/article4200166.ece?homepage=true
-------------
Pakistani Christian begs Spain to give wife asylum
14 December 2012
MADRID: The husband of a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death for allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) appealed to Spain on Thursday to help free her and grant her asylum.
Ashiq Masih met with Spain’s junior foreign minister Gonzalo de Benito in Madrid and spoke to journalists afterwards alongside Masih’s daughter Sidra, 19, one of his and Asia Bibi’s five children.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/13/pakistani-christian-begs-spain-to-give-wife-asylum/
----------
No requests from Quassab's family to bring his body back: Pak
December 14, 2012
The Pakistan government has not received any request from the family of the Mumbai attacks terrorist Ajmal Quassab to bring back his body following his execution in India last month, a senior official said on Friday.
Parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs Palwasha Khan told the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament this afternoon that the government has not received any application from Quassab's family to bring back the body.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/No-requests-from-Quassab-s-family-to-bring-his-body-back-Pak/Article1-972707.aspx
----------
Panel to probe reports of Hindu girl's rape: Pak parliament
Dec 14 2012
Islamabad : Pakistan's parliament today asked its Standing Committee on Human Rights to probe reports of the alleged rape of a six-year-old girl from the minority Hindu community.
The National Assembly or lower house of parliament referred the matter to the panel after it was raised by ruling Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Nawab Yousuf Talpur.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/panel-to-probe-reports-of-hindu-girls-rape-pak-parliament/1044951/
----------
Blast in Quetta injures six
14 December 2012
QUETTA: A bomb exploded on Quetta’s Sariab road injuring six persons and damaged several vehicles on Friday, DawnNews reported.
The bomb was planted on a motor cycle and destroyed two rickshaws as a result of the explosion.
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital where the condition of two wounded was reported as critical.
Security forces cordoned off the area as investigations into the incident went underway.
http://dawn.com/2012/12/14/blast-in-quetta-injures-six/
----------
Pak sends second letter to Interpol for Musharraf's arrest
Dec 14, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sent a second letter to Interpol asking it to arrest former President Pervez Musharraf, who had been declared a fugitive by an anti- terrorism court for failing to cooperate with investigators probing the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
The Federal Investigation Agency, which is probing the assassination, attached arrest warrants for Musharraf and some pieces of evidence to the letter, which was sent to Interpol on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-sends-second-letter-to-Interpol-for-Musharrafs-arrest/articleshow/17612060.cms
----------
Share info on Parliament attack case: Pak to India
December 13, 2012
Pakistan on Thursday asked India to share any information it has on the 2001 attack on the Parliament and the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group so that Pakistani courts can examine the material and take action. "We have been saying this repeatedly that whether it was Ajmal Quassab, or the attack
on Parliament, or the role of Lashkar-e-Taiba, if they (India) have any credible information, they should share it with us so that it could be presented to the court, and let the court decide about these cases," Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/Share-info-on-Parliament-attack-case-Pak-to-India/Article1-972419.aspx
----------
Supreme Court issues contempt notice to MQM chief
14 December 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a contempt of court notice to Altaf Hussain, chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), DawnNews reported.
Hussain and the deputy convener of the party’s Rabita Committee Dr Farooq Sattar, who is also a Member of National Assembly (MNA), have been summoned by the court on Jan 7.
The bench also directed the foreign ministry to ensure that the notice was implemented upon.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/14/court-issues-contempt-notice-against-mqm-chief/
----------
Found guilty: Prison guard sacked over Dr Afridi’s Fox News interview
December 14, 2012
PESHAWAR: A prison guard has been sacked for facilitating a telephone interview of jailed Pakistani doctor Shakeel Afridi, who had conducted a phony vaccination drive to help the CIA track down al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad mansion.
The guard confessed before an inquiry panel that he had allowed Dr Afridi to make calls from his cellphone, a senior official of Peshawar’s Central Prison told The Express Tribune. However, the guard said he thought Dr Afridi was making the calls to his family.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/479610/found-guilty-prison-guard-sacked-over-dr-afridis-fox-news-interview/
----------
‘Islamic Orientation Programme organised by Dawah Academy for Teachers’ concludes
14 December 2012
ISLAMABAD: The concluding ceremony of 56th ‘Islamic Orientation Programme For Teachers’ and 78th ‘Aima Khutaba Course’ was organised by Dawah Academy, International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI).
Acting IIUI President Dr Mumtaz Ahmad presided over the ceremony while renowned scholar Dr Inamur Rehman was chief guest on the occasion. Dr Imtiaz Zafar of the Dawah Academy was also present.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\14\story_14-12-2012_pg11_2
----------
South Asia
Pakistan-Aided Peace Bid Offers Taliban Afghan Government Role
December 14, 2012
Afghanistan and Pakistan are pursuing a new peace initiative that would permit members of the Taliban to be removed from the United Nations terrorist list to join negotiations and hold Afghan government posts.
The five-step blueprint, entitled “Peace Process Roadmap to 2015,” was initiated by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in coordination with Pakistan and formally presented to Pakistani officials last month by Salahuddin Rabbani, the chairman of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, Azizullah Din Mohammad, a senior council member, said in a phone interview yesterday.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/pakistan-aided-peace-bid-offers-taliban-afghan-government-role/561642
-------
Afghan suicide attack kills three after Panetta visit
14 December 2012
KANDAHAR: A suicide car bomber attacked a Nato airbase in southern Afghanistan just hours after the US Defence Secretary left Thursday, killing an American soldier and two civilians, officials said.
Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack in a text message to AFP.
The death of the American soldier and the wounding of three others in the blast was announced by Pentagon chief Leon Panetta at a press conference in Kabul later with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/13/afghan-suicide-attack-kills-three-after-panetta-visit/
----------
Fearing the worst post-2014, Afghan brain drain quickens
14 December 2012
KABUL: Mohammad comes from a good family and has a good job at a US construction company. But one by one he has watched friends and relatives leave Afghanistan – the vast majority in the last year.
One fled to Europe after witnessing a Taliban suicide attack on an upmarket lakeside hotel near Kabul in June.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/13/fearing-the-worst-after-2014-afghan-brain-drain-quickens/
----------
Karzai says he’ll meet with Obama in Washington
14 December 2012
KABUL: President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday he will meet President Barack Obama in Washington next month to discuss a postwar US role in his country, whose fragile security was highlighted hours earlier by a suicide bombing that killed one US troop and two Afghan civilians.
At a news conference with visiting Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, Karzai said he and Obama will discuss how many US troops will remain after the Western combat mission ends in December 2014.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/14/karzai-says-hell-meet-with-obama-in-washington/
----------
Khaleda will not succeed in saving war criminals: Ashraf
14 December 2012
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on Friday said Khaleda Zia would not be able to save the war criminals in spite of her best effort.
"Khaleda Zia is trying her best to stop the war crime trials. No matter how hard she tries to save war criminals, she wont be able to do so," said Syed Ashraf, also general secretary of the ruling Awami League.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=43170
----------
Rohingya ship turned away by Singapore
14 December 2012
SINGAPORE: Singapore has turned away a ship carrying 40 people rescued off Myanmar, port officials said yesterday, amid media reports the passengers could be stateless Muslim Rohingya.
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said it denied entry to the Vietnamese-registered bulk carrier Nosco Victory because of a lack of information about its passengers.
The authority said in a statement it had received a “pre-arrival notification” that a vessel which rescued 40 people from the sea off Myanmar wanted to enter Singapore.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/rohingya-ship-turned-away-singapore
----------
Khaleda pays tribute to martyred intellectuals
14 December 2012
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia paid tribute to the martyred intellectuals by placing wreath at the Martyred Intellectuals’ Memorial at Mirpur in the capital marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day on Friday.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=43172
----------
India
Hard-Line Separatists Must Change Outlook: Moderate Hurriyat Conference
Dec 14, 2012
NEW DELHI: Hard-line separatist groups should change their outlook in the efforts to find a solution to the Kashmir issue rather than professing politics of status quo which will not benefit anyone except them, moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said today.
"Well, I think they (hard-line separatists) need to change their outlook," said the Mirwaiz, who is leading a seven-member delegation of moderate Hurriyat Conference group to Pakistan tomorrow for meetings with the Pakistani leadership.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hardline-separatists-must-change-outlook-Mirwaiz/articleshow/17613233.cms
----------
Hizbul, LeT continue to be dominant in J&K: Shinde
Dec 14, 2012
NEW DELHI: Barely two days before he is scheduled to take up the counter-terrorism issues with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik, the Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Wednesday informed a Parliamentary panel that the terror outfits Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) continued to be the "dominant" militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hizbul-LeT-continue-to-be-dominant-in-JK-Shinde/articleshow/17605981.cms
----------
80% of Hindus and Muslims have fallen prey to communalism: Justice Katju
Dec 13, 2012
ALIGARH: Chairman of Press Council of India Justice Markanday Katju today alleged politicians in independent India "have played a major role in spreading deeper the poison of Hindu-Muslim divide, whose seeds were sown by the British, for serving their own vote bank politics".
Addressing a programme in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), he said Pakistan was an "artificially-created state" by British using the Hindu-Muslim divide.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/80-of-Hindus-and-Muslims-have-fallen-prey-to-communalism-Justice-Katju/articleshow/17602672.cms
----------
Indian and Iran to expand trade engagements despite western sanctions
Dec 13, 2012
NEW DELHI: India will continue its balancing act in its relations with Iran juggling US pressure on one side and New Delhi's strategic and trade interests in Tehran on the other. At a bilateral dialogue organized by Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) between representatives from India and Iran, New Delhi has reiterated its commitment to continuing trade relations, and even expanding it, with Iran given its strategic and energy needs.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-and-Iran-to-expand-trade-engagements-despite-western-sanctions/articleshow/17602901.cms
----------
India sees ‘a little movement’ in Pak’s 26/11 case
14 December 2012
India on Friday said presenting of evidence by Pakistani authorities on the Mumbai attacks to a court there was “a little movement as far as the accountability” of the 26/11 strikes was concerned, but felt it still “may not be the best time” for a Prime Ministerial visit.
Responding to questions on Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s visit to India for talks and New Delhi’s expectations from it, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said India should go with “an open mind and a reasonable determination to push things in a direction we want them to go”.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-sees-a-little-movement-in-paks-2611-case/article4199615.ece
----------
Godhra, an 'underdeveloped' constituency in 'prosperous' state, braces for poll
December 14, 2012
A decade after Godhra provided the spark that ignited almost the whole of Gujarat into a communal cauldron, this relatively underdeveloped constituency in the prosperous state remains deeply divided along religious lines.
Going to poll in the second phase on December 17, the Muslims, who have a large presence among the 2.13 lakh electorate, are still not ready to forget and forgive the 2002 communal carnage, notwithstanding chief minister Narendra Modi's much publicised "Sadbhavna Mission" and numerous other overtures to woo them.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Specials/Coverage/Gujarat-Assembly-Elections-
----------
We share your anguish, Supreme Court tells Kargil martyr's family
Dec 14, 2012
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre on a petition seeking direction to Union of India to move International Court of Justice against Pakistan for mutilation of Captain Saurav Kalia's body during Kargil war by Pakistani soldiers.
A bench headed by justice R M Lodha issued notice to the Centre and sought response within ten weeks on a petition filed by Captain Kalia's father, N K Kalia.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/We-share-your-anguish-Supreme-Court-tells-Kargil-martyrs-family/articleshow/17609826.cms
----------
Afzal Guru casts shadow over Parliament attack commemoration
Dec 14, 2012
NEW DELHI: The solemn occasion of the eleventh anniversary of the Parliament attack degenerated into chaos and bedlam in the Lok Sabha within minutes of the House assembling, reducing the sombre day into an ordinary one.
The Lok Sabha was disrupted repeatedly with BJP members demanding the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and BSP creating a ruckus on the coal block allocation scam. This was the second day this week when the House functioned sporadically.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Afzal-Guru-casts-shadow-over-Parliament-attack-commemoration/articleshow/17606038.cms
----------
Three militants killed in two J&K encounters
Dec 14 2012
Srinagar : The Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday claimed to have killed three unidentified militants in north Kashmir’s Sopore town in two separate encounters. They are now trying to ascertain whether one of them was Lashkar-e-Toiba’s top commander Fadullah.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/three-militants-killed-in-two-j-k-encounters/1044991/
--------
29 Indian fishermen still languish in Iran prison
Dec 14, 2012
MADURAI: Even as 40 fishermen released by the Sri Lankan government reached Mandapam on Thursday, the condition of 29 Indian fishermen, who were arrested by the Iranian Coastal Security two months ago for crossing the international waters of Qatar where they were working, remains gloomy. The families of the fishermen from Kanyakumari are losing hope over their release alleging that the Indian government has not taken any effort to get them released.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/29-Indian-fishermen-still-languish-in-Iran-prison/articleshow/17607885.cms
----------
Kashmir doctor suspended for killing newborns out of wedlock
December 14, 2012
Police in Kashmir are grilling a doctor along with his two co-workers for disposing off newborns born out of wedlocks in north Kashmir's Baramulla district. The government on Friday suspended the doctor after the police charged him with a murder case. Kupwara senior
superintendent of police (SSP) Irshad Ahmad said the police were investigating two cases where babies were abandoned in the month of October and November this year. Both the dead newborns were found on the banks of a stream flowing through Kupwara, 90 km north of Srinagar.
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Punjab/Chandigarh/Kashmir-doctor-suspended-for-killing-newborns-out-of-wedlock/SP-Article1-972749.aspx
----------
When Hafiz Ali Khan's 'Raag Darbari' flummoxed President!
Dec 14 2012
Mumbai : Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan said when his father Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan was honoured with the Padma Bhushan award in 1960, he had asked the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad to protect the sanctity of 'Raag Darbari'.
“The President had asked him, “Khan Saab main aap ke liya kya kar sakta hoon? (what can I do for you?).” My father didn't ask for a house or a car. He was pained over dilution of 'Raag Darbari' in some quarters and wanted the President to fix it,” Amjad Ali Khan recalled last night at the launch of his book, 'My Father, Our Fraternity -- The Story of Hafiz Ali Khan and My World'.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/when-hafiz-ali-khans-raag-darbari-flummoxed-president-/1045250/
----------
Africa
Nigeria Cleric: Islam Respects Women's Rights
BY ITODO DANIEL SULE
10 DECEMBER 2012
The Chief Missioner of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Olanrewaju Ahmad says Islam has enormous respect for women's right as they occupy significant position in the society.
He said this while delivering lecture at the launching of a magazine/e-library by the Warafanahu Sisters under the Women Advisory Council of the group in Abuja.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201212100969.html
----------
Education is vital for Ugandan Muslims
DR. AHMAD KAWESA SENGENDO
14 December 2012
Islam reached Uganda in 1844, where the first group of Muslim traders came to Uganda through the east African coast — they were mainly from Oman. Because they were traders, they did not spend a lot of time in Dawah in Uganda, but with Islam being a practical religion, these traders used to pray, and used to fast. The Africans who were helping them used to see what these Muslims were doing and would learn Islam. Eventually, Islam started spreading to other parts of the country and now the Muslim community in Uganda constitutes 30 per cent of the population—that’s about 10 million people, because the population of Uganda in about 33-34 million. So, Uganda has more Muslims than Libya, and more than many other Arab countries.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/education-vital-ugandan-muslims
----------
Tanzania: Women's Empowerment to Help Fight Gender-Based Violence
BY ISSA YUSSUF, ZANZIBAR
12 DECEMBER 2012
WITH some indications of distress in the fight against Gender Based Violence in Zanzibar, activists in the island are already having hope that the implementation of 'Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE), a new project will help combat the social problem.
It is a misery that Gender Based Violence (GBV), which includes sexual, economical, physical and psychological abuses, continues on the Muslim dominated islands of Zanzibar.
Full report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201212120977.html?viewall=1
----------
Suicide Car Bomb Attack in Somalia Kills Only the Bomber
December 14, 2012
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A Somali police official says a suicide car bomb explosion in Mogadishu killed only the bomber.
Police officer Abdullahi Barise said three bystanders were wounded when the car exploded Friday. The bomber appeared to be targeting a convoy of African Union and Somali troops.
Al-Shabab militants, who controlled Mogadishu for several years until they were pushed out in August 2011, continue to carry out insurgent-style attacks in the capital.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/12/14/world/africa/ap-af-somalia-
---------
North America
Obama’s ‘red line’ may be giving Assad an opening
14 December 2012
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama’s chemical weapons position on Syria may have given Bashar Assad an unintended opening: The embattled Syrian leader appears willing to use other deadly tactics, including Scud missiles, without fear of US retaliation.
The White House casts Assad’s escalation against rebel forces as a sign of his growing desperation as his opposition gets stronger and enjoys more international support, including from the United States. But some human rights groups and Middle East experts say Obama’s “red line” has given Assad a green light to launch attacks on his own people through other conventional means.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/obama%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98red-line%E2%80%99-may-be-giving-assad-opening
---------
Muslim rights group warns against anti-Sharia bill
December 11, 2012
A Muslim rights group has urged Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to veto legislation designed to block use of Islamic law in the state should it reach his desk.
A House bill to bar use of “foreign laws that would impair constitutional rights” was on Tuesday’s House agenda. Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, sponsored the bill, which doesn’t specifically mention the Islamic legal code called Sharia. However, the bill’s supporters have said they are concerned about the use of Sharia spreading.
Full report at:
http://www.freep.com/article/20121211/NEWS06/121211091/Sharia-law-Michigan-legislature-Gov-Rick-Snyder-Muslim-rights-group
----------
Leon Panetta 'signs order to send Patriot missiles to Turkey'
Dec 14 2012
Washington : US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has signed orders to send Patriot missiles and 400 military personnel to Turkey to defend against rocket attacks from Syria, news media reported early Friday.
A total of six Patriot missile batteries will be sent to Turkey – two from the United States, two from Germany and two from the Netherlands, the New York Times reported. All six batteries will be under NATO's command, the newspaper said, and all six are scheduled to be operational by the end of January.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/leon-panetta-signs-order-to-send-patriot-missiles-to-turkey/1045258/
----------
‘Al-Qaeda still the biggest threat to US’
14 December 2012
Washington: Al-Qaeda still represents the most important threat the United States faces across the world, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said today.
“We have significantly weakened their ability to do the kind of command and control and planning that would be necessary to conduct another 9/11 attack. At the same time, they still continue to threaten our country. And they still represent, I think, probably the most important threat we still face in the world,” he told the CNN.
Full report at:
http://www.firstpost.com/world/al-qaeda-still-the-biggest-threat-to-us-557038.html
----------
Ted Cruz Jumps On The Sharia Conspiracy Bandwagon
By Adam Peck
Jul 9, 2012
Republican candidate and tea party darling Ted Cruz made an appearance at a campaign forum last night, and took the opportunity to advance some of the far-right’s favourite baseless conspiracy theories — including a claim that American law is in danger of being replaced by Islamic law:
“In response to questions from attendees, Cruz said he hoped to see U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder impeached and opposed the law that prohibits tax-exempt churches from endorsing candidates from the pulpit.
Full report at:
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/07/09/512075/cruz-sharia-problem/?mobile=nc
----------
Assad will not be a part of Syrian future: White House
Dec 14, 2012
WASHINGTON: With the opposition coalition gradually gaining ground in Syria and now being formally recognised by the United States, the White House has said the President Bashar al-Assad must go.
"We certainly agree that Assad will not be a part of Syria's future. We have noted, as the media has, the progress that the opposition has been making. We still believe that for the sake of the Syrian people, Assad ought to leave now," the White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Assad-will-not-be-a-part-of-Syrian-future-White-House/articleshow/17607093.cms
----------
Jimmy Carter's center says it won't monitor Egypt's vote
Dec 13, 2012
CAIRO: Former US President Jimmy Carter's center said on Thursday it will not deploy monitors for Egypt's contentious constitutional referendum because of the government's late release of regulations for witnesses.
The decision reflects concerns that the rushed process leading to Saturday's vote has undermined the legitimacy of the disputed charter backed by President Mohammed Morsi and his Islamist allies.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Jimmy-Carters-center-says-it-wont-monitor-Egypts-vote/articleshow/17604005.cms
----------
US slaps more sanctions on Iranian nuclear experts
14 December 2012
WASHINGTON: On Thursday, the United States slapped added sanctions on seven Iranian companies and five nuclear experts for their work in support of Tehran’s suspect uranium enrichment program.
“These entities and individuals were designated because they provide the Iranian government goods, technology and services that increase Iran’s ability to enrich uranium and/or construct a heavy water moderated research reactor,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/14/us-slaps-more-sanctions-on-iranian-nuclear-experts/
----------
US presses Pakistan on bomb fertiliser
14 December 2012
WASHINGTON: US officials called Thursday on Pakistan to crack down on the production of a common fertiliser, saying it was used to make bombs that have claimed the bulk of troop deaths in Afghanistan.
As the long-tense US-Pakistan relationship improves slightly, US officials credited Islamabad with taking the issue more seriously but said that much more needed to be done by authorities and producers of the fertiliser.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/14/us-presses-pakistan-on-bomb-fertiliser/
----------
Pakistan must do more to stop flow of IEDs: US Department of Defence’s Director
December 14, 2012
US Department of Defence’s Director for Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) General Michael Barbero says that while he is encouraged by the positive tone and assurances of Pakistan on stopping the flow of IEDs, he believes Pakistan can and must do more.
In a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs on terrorist networks in Pakistan and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), the JIEDDO Director said that producers of calcium ammonium nitrate, an agricultural fertilizer, in Pakistan need to make more efforts and have been less than cooperative.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/479753/pakistan-must-do-more-to-stop-flow-of-ieds-barbero/
----------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/saudi-arabia-generosity-vital-saving/d/9682