Punishment
for apostasy is not always death: Zakir Naik
Thousands protest flotilla deaths, clashes in
Athens
Panchayat directs Muslim woman to return to first
husband
Mayor Bloomberg Submits, Sanctions 911 Mega
Mosque
Iran seizes on Gaza ship raid for new Israel
tirade
We are now surrounded by Israeli warships’
Muslims livid at Israeli bellicosity
Flotilla protests around the world
Israel storms Gaza aid ships, India deplores loss of
lives
UN members, officials condemn Israeli raid on Gaza aid
flotilla
Gunmen attack hospital in Lahore, kill 12
18 militants killed, 20 injured in Orakzai
Agency
Iran wants Netanyahu, Obama to face trial for Gaza
raid
Yazid: Qaeda moneyman who opposed 9/11
J&K: Two Jaish militants killed in Sopore
encounter
New boats headed to Gaza to challenge Israeli
blockade
Princess Diana 'was killed over plan to expose Britain's arms
dealers'
Army will continue to ensure security along LoC: Lt Gen
Roy
26/11: 4-member Indian team in US to quiz
Headley
Al-Qaida announces death of top leader Yazid
Akshardham attack: Gujarat HC upholds death sentence to
3
Naval 'spy' sent to 14 days judicial custody by
court
LeT man sneaked in as driver during Patil visit to
AP
Times Square plot: Pakistan frees retired army
major
Terror fear: US wants Pak to give more info on
flyers
Author Salman Rushdie says fatwa only a minor issue
now
Is SIMI an unlawful body?
‘Talks, rights violations
cannot go together’
Qaeda chief behind Iraq embassy attacks held’
Pakistan searching for citizens
Taliban number two in Kandahar dead: NATO
US believes it killed al-Qaeda No 3
Al-Qaeda No.3 Yazid who warned India killed in missile
strike
Militant threatens to kill lashkar head
Iraq arrests two over Baghdad hotel bombs
Raisani urges youths to join armed forces
Imam among two shot dead in Quetta
Six Turkish troops killed in Kurd attack
US wants more air travelers data from
Pakistan
Indian Army Major involved in Machil fake
encounter
Pakistan plays long game in Afghan peace
drive
Diplomatic efforts for recovery of Pakistanis
launched
AUGUST 17 SERIES BOMB CASE Court awards to 7 years RI for seven JMB
men
Shafique pledges no mercy to war criminals
Compiled by Asit Kumar
Photo: Taslima Nasreen
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Taslima in Delhi, wants extension of her Indian
visa
Jun 1, 2010
NEW DELHI: Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen is now in
the Capital to get her Indian visa extended since the validity of the travel
document expires in August.
Taslima, who has been in and out of the country after she was
dramatically bundled out of West Bengal in November 2007 in the wake of protests
by radical Muslim groups, came from London in the wee hours of Sunday and was
immediately whisked away to a safe location.
The 47-year-old doctor-turned writer is also trying for a permanent
residency in the country. Her visa is valid till August 16.
The future plans of the writer who shot to fame with her
controversial book 'Lajja' were not immediately known.
The government has already made it clear that Taslima's visa cannot
be extended beyond August 16 prompting her to take the help of some of the
country's prominent writers.
At the time when her visa was extended before, Taslima was told this
would be the last extension under the category (miscellaneous) she had applied
the visa, official sources said on Tuesday.
Taslima, a Swedish passport-holder, had sought visa under the
miscellaneous category in 2005 and it has since been extended initially for a
year and later for six months. The visa under this category cannot be extended
beyond five years.
The writer has been told that she could stay in some other country
for a few days and later apply afresh for the visa under the same category,
pending her request for a permanent residency in the country, the sources said.
The writer had earlier expressed her desire to visit Kolkata but it
has been turned down on the ground that radical elements may try and harm her,
the sources said.
Taslima had earlier left India on March 18, 2008, for Sweden after
she was kept at an undisclosed house here for more than four months. She had not
been allowed to see any visitor during the period and described her confinement
as "a chamber of death".
Recipient of various awards, she was shifted from her Kolkata
residence after violent protests in the eastern metropolis over her
controversial book "Dwikhondito" (divided into two).
Certain references in the book had stirred a storm with some Muslim
organisations demanding that she be asked to leave the Left-ruled state.
She was bundled out of West Bengal in November 2007 in the wake of
violent protests by radical Muslim groups there against her.
Taslima has lived in exile in many countries including France,
Sweden, the US and India since leaving her home in Dhaka in a cloak of secrecy
in 1994. During her stay in India in the last five years, she has periodically
travelled abroad with the last trip being in August 2009.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Taslima-in-Delhi-wants-extension-of-her-Indian-visa/articleshow/5998691.cms
---------
Punishment for apostasy is not always death: Zakir
Naik
By JJ Robinson
Jun 1, 2010
The Islamic Foundation has called for self-declared apostate Mohamed
Nazim to be stripped of his citizenship and sentenced to death if he does not
repent and return to Islam.
Nazim claimed he was “Maldivian and not a Muslim” during a public
question-and-answer session with Islamic speaker Dr Zakir Naik, the first time a
Maldivian has publicly announced he is not a Muslim.
According to the Maldivian constitution all citizens are required to
be Muslim, and the country is always described as a “100 percent” Muslim
country.
The 37 year-old angered many in the approximately 11,000-strong crowd
with his statement during Dr Naik’s ‘Misconceptions about Islam’ lecture on
Friday.
Dr Naik responded that Nazim had read the wrong books and “deviated
from Islam”, and requested him “to read correct books on Islam, and Inshallah,
you’ll come back to Islam.”
However Nazim did not relinquish the microphone and pressed Naik to
clarify the penalty for apostasy.
“In Islam, there are many cases, it doesn’t mean death penalty,” Dr
Naik explained. “But if the person who reverts who was a Muslim then converts to
and becomes a non-Muslim and propagates his faith and speaks against Islam, and
if it’s Islamic rule, then the person should be put to death. But just because a
person who is a Muslim becomes a non-Muslim, death penalty is not the
ruling.”
Nazim was escorted from the venue by police for his own protection,
after members of the audience attempted to attack him.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said two men who tried to attack
Nazim were arrested after they attacked the police officers protecting him.
Nazim himself “was not injured because police protected him,” Shiyam
said.
He was taken to a police building where a crowd of protesters had
gathered, calling for him to be punished. Shiyam confirmed that Nazim is now
being held in an undisclosed location for five days while police investigate “in
consultation with the Islamic Ministry and the Prosecutor General’s
office.”
Today the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives issued a press statement
calling on judges to give Nazim the opportunity to repent “and if he does not,
then sentence him to death as Islamic law and Maldivian law
agree.”
“The Islamic Foundation believes that the person who announces
apostasy should be punished according to Islamic laws,” the NGO said, warning
that Nazim represented “a disturbance to the religious views and the religious
bonds that exist with Maldivians.”
“Hereby if this man does not do his penance and come back to the
Islamic religion, the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives calls to take the
citizenship away from this man as mentioned in the Maldivian
constitution.”
If case crossed into areas not covered by the laws of the country,
“then the judges should rely on Islamic law,” the NGO stated, as per article 142
of constitution which says judiciary shall look into Islamic shar’ia on matters
not covered in law, and sentence accordingly.
“So it is requested that the commissioner of police run the legal
research on this man and take this to the Prosecutor General’s office. We also
request the Prosecutor General to go through this matter and to take this man to
the criminal court for trial,” the Islamic Foundation
said.
A government official involved in the legal process, who requested
that his name and department be kept anonymous, said he was “really worried” and
described the case as “a very sensitive subject”.
“Police are investigating the case,” he said. “My understanding is
that the court authorities will give [Nazim] opportunities to change his mind. I
think he will be given every opportunity to think about his
decision.”
Minister for Islamic Affairs Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari told Minivan
News that Ministry officials had acted quickly to remove Nazim from the venue
“for his own protection”, and had now handed the matter over to the legal
system.
“I don’t know if there is a penalty for apostasy according to
Maldivian law,” he said.
The Adhaalath Party issued a press statement claiming that the act
violated the constitution of the Maldives and called on the government “to
strengthen Islam and protect the constitution.”
Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf declined to comment on the matter
during a press conference held today on another matter, however NGO Jamiyyathul
Musliheen expressed “concern and regret” over the
incident.
”Not a few number of Maldivian youths are moving further from the
religion, and many of them are going renegade,” the NGO said in a press
statement, adding that “it is a responsibility of the government to strengthen
Islam in the country.”
President of the Human Rights Commission to the Maldives (HRCM),
Ahmed Saleem, said “what happened was really unfortunate.”
“I think the best thing will be to talk to him and to make him
understand the situation and the repercussions, talks which HRCM will welcome,”
Saleem said.
He said he was unsure how the Maldivian government would handle the
incident.
“I’m afraid of the reaction from the international community should
we resort to harsh action,” he said. “I don’t think it would be in our interest
– we have just been given a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. This is
something we need to think seriously about before we start using harsh
language.”
Minivan News contacted several local human rights NGOs however they
had not responded at time of press.
A senior government source, who requested anonymity, said he felt the
case “will be a real test of how the government will abide by its international
commitments.”
Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair was on medical leave
and unable to comment.
Minivan News was unable to reach Nazim himself for comment, however a
person close to the matter described him as “a very sensible guy who will think
of the people around him. But he will not give up on calling for people to be
more honest about themselves. I think he will become a genuine refugee if he
refuses to take back his words,” she said.
http://minivannews.com/politics/islamic-foundation-calls-for-death-sentence-if-apostate-fails-to-repent-7606
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Thousands protest flotilla deaths, clashes in
Athens
Jun 1, 2010
ATHENS: Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Europe and
the Middle East on Monday, clashing with police as they protested against the
Israeli storming of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla during which 10 activists were
killed.
In Athens, some 3,500 protesters rallied outside the Israeli embassy,
chanting "Hands off Gaza" and "Free Palestine". Several hundreds clashed with
police, throwing chunks of marble, stones and bottles. Police fired teargas to
disperse them.
"Demonstrators set barricades on fire, police chased them, there were
a lot of stones and teargas and a few people had blood on their heads," a
Reuters witness said, adding he saw four people injured. Police said they
detained five protesters.
The Israeli marines' action in the eastern Mediterranean sparked
street protests and government ire in Turkey, long Israel's lone Muslim ally in
the region, and thousands of followers of an anti-U.S. cleric took to the
streets in Baghdad.
Across Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a
peace treaty with Israel, up to 8,000 Egyptians protested, demanding the
expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Cairo and called on the government to
open its Rafah borders with Gaza.
The protests were organised by the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's
biggest opposition group which is affiliated to Hamas, the Islamist group that
took control of the Gaza strip in 2007.
Two Brotherhood parliamentarians were on board the convoy ships.
"Hamas you are the cannon and the Brotherhood is your voice," chanted thousands
of Egyptians protesting in Cairo. The Brotherhood routinely organises protests
demanding the lifting of the Israeli blockade on Gaza.
Police used teargas in Paris when about 2,000 people demonstrated
near the Israeli embassy, hurling stones, waving Palestinian and Turkish flags
and brandishing banners saying "Long live free Palestine" and "Criminal Israel."
Small, peaceful anti-Israel demonstrations were held in Rome and
other Italian cities. "The Italian government needs to immediately call back its
ambassador from Israel as other countries in Europe have done," said Paolo
Cento, a leftwing politician among the demonstrators.
"This is extremely serious and has no precedent whatsoever in the
history of international diplomacy."
Swedish police said more than 5,000 protesters marched from a central
Stockholm square towards the Israeli embassy, carrying banners and shouting
slogans.
Chanting "Boycott Israel", they held banners saying "Free Gaza", "Put
Israel on Trial, "Israel to The Hague" and "Gaza Bleeds."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Thousands-protest-flotilla-deaths-clashes-in-Athens/articleshow/5996674.cms
---------
Panchayat directs Muslim woman to return to first
husband
Jun 1, 2010
MUZAFFARNAGAR: In a throw back to the Gudiya case, a community
panchayat has asked a Muslim woman, who had remarried, to go back to her first
husband, who returned after remaining missing for five years.
Roshan got married with Irshad eleven years ago and had two children.
Irshad then went missing for five years. In the meantime, Roshan got married to
another man Gaffar.
However, the community panchayat of Miranpur town yesterday
pronounced her second marriage as "illegal" and directed Roshan to return to her
first husband.
The case is similar to that of 26-year-old Gudiya of Mundali village
near Meerut, who had remarried after her husband Arif went missing in Kargil
war. Gudiya married Taufiq thereafter.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Panchayat-directs-Muslim-woman-to-return-to-first-husband/articleshow/5998195.cms
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Mayor Bloomberg Submits, Sanctions 911 Mega
Mosque
By Pamela Geller
Jun 1, 2010
The Mayor of New York backs the fifteen-story mega-mosque that is
slated to be built near Ground Zero. He said Friday: “I think it’s fair to say
if somebody was going to try, on that piece of property, to build a church or a
synagogue, nobody would be yelling and screaming. And the fact of the matter is
that Muslims have a right to do it, too.” The Mayor is wrong. This mosque is not
about freedom of religion. It’s about Islamic supremacism.
This why the Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) June 6th rally
against the proposed mega-mosque is so important. The Islamic supremacists must
be shamed into withdrawing and not doing a victory dance on the hallowed burial
ground of Ground Zero.
Bloomberg also said: “What is great about America and particularly
New York is we welcome everybody, and if we are so afraid of something like
this, what does that say about us?…If you are religious, you do not want the
government picking religions, because what do you do the day they don’t pick
yours?”
Full report at:
http://biggovernment.com/pgeller/2010/05/30/mayor-bloomberg-submits-sanctions-911-mega-mosque/
---------
Iran seizes on Gaza ship raid for new Israel
tirade
By Farhad Pouladi
Jun 1, 2010
TEHRAN — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said a deadly Israeli
raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship on Monday was an "inhuman" act that brought
Tehran's archfoe "closer than ever to its end."
The Iranian foreign ministry called on Arab and Muslim nations to
stand united in protesting against the raid.
"The inhuman action of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian
people and preventing the humanitarian aid from reaching Gazans does not show
this regime's strength, but is a sign of its weakness, and all this brings this
sinister and fake regime closer than ever to its end," the official IRNA news
agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
The hardliner, who has previously sparked anger around the world for
saying that Israel was "doomed to be wiped off the map," said Monday's attack
was an "insult to human dignity."
Full report at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jukHP9n1qcu7sKizs3_DmNLkNcfw
---------
We are now surrounded by Israeli warships’
June 01, 2010
KARACHI: “We are now surrounded by Israeli warships” These words
capture the drama and perhaps the fear felt by a young British-Pakistani woman
aid worker travelling with the flotilla of ships that was attacked by the
Israelis on the high seas as they sailed towards Gaza. Little did she know as
she was updating her Facebook page that within minutes perhaps a large number of
those she was travelling with would be dead or dying and many wounded, gunned
down by commandos who dropped from helicopters on to the
ship.
Paveen Yaqub is a trustee in the UK of the Abaseen Foundation, a
British-Pakistani NGO that works with the Pakistan government in
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa delivering health and education services.
Full report at:
http://thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=29208
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Muslims livid at Israeli bellicosity
Jun 1, 2010
JEDDAH: The killing of pro-Palestinian activists by Israeli commandos
on a flotilla of ships carrying aid and hundreds of civilians, many of them
Turkish, to the Gaza Strip has been described as a very sad day, not only for
Turkey, but for the international community by Turkey’s ambassador to Saudi
Arabia, Ahmet Muhtar Gun.
Gun also expressed his sadness and concern at the killings, which
have provoked international outrage. The brutal Israeli attack on civilians on
the Freedom Boat, said Gun, is a disproportionate aggressive action against all
international laws and human values.
“We protest strongly against the use of force against civilians who
were just offering humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people under
siege," said Gun, adding that the Israeli deputy foreign minister is lying when
he spoke on the news that there were weapons, explosives and arms on the
boat.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article59782.ece
---------
Flotilla protests around the world
June 01, 2010
NEW YORK: From Islamabad to Istanbul to Washington, DC, demonstrators
took to the streets on Monday to denounce Israel's attack on the "Freedom
Flotilla" carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Palestinians in the occupied territories and inside Israel also
demonstrated, clashing with Israeli police and soldiers. Jews and Palestinians
protested the raid together in Tel Aviv. Thousands rallied in Paris and other
European cities.
The largest crowds reportedly appeared in Istanbul, where some 10,000
people marched against the killing of their fellow Turks on board the Mavi
Marmara.
Among the thousands of demonstrators were hundreds of Twitter users
armed with camera phones. Palestine Note collected some of the most striking
images from a day of international outrage. Sincere thanks to all of the
photographers whose work appears below.
http://thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=105858
---------
Israel storms Gaza aid ships, India deplores loss of
lives
Jun 01 2010
Jerusalem: Israeli naval commandos rappelled down from military
helicopters to carry out a deadly raid on a flotilla of civilian aid ships bound
for the blockaded Gaza Strip before dawn Monday, killing at least nine people in
international waters on the Mediterranean Sea.
The action triggered furious waves of condemnation in Europe and the
Islamic world and sharply raised tensions in West Asia, setting off a crisis
that had Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelling a scheduled meeting with
President Barack Obama and heading back home from Canada where he was
touring.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Israel-storms-Gaza-aid-ships--India-deplores-loss-of-lives/627676
---------
UN members, officials condemn Israeli raid on Gaza aid
flotilla
Jun 1, 2010
UNITED NATIONS: UN members and officials came out in strong
condemnation of Israel's attack on a humanitarian flotilla headed to the Gaza
strip, with its chief Ban-Ki-moon seeking a "full explanation" from the country.
The Security Council also convened an emergency meeting on Sunday to
discuss a draft resolution, to call for an international inquiry into the
incident and compensation for those who had been killed.
"I condemn this violence," said Secretary-General Ban. "It is vital
that there is a full investigation to determine exactly how this bloodshed took
place. I believe Israel must urgently provide a full explanation," he said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5997217.cms?prtpage=1
---------
Gunmen attack hospital in Lahore, kill 12
Jun 1, 2010
LAHORE: At least 12 people were killed and several others injured
when a group of militants stormed a hospital in this eastern Pakistani city in
an apparent bid to free a terrorist who was captured in an injured condition
during an attack last week.
Four to six militants entered the emergency ward of the Jinnah
Hospital shortly before midnight and fired indiscriminately, officials said.
Javed Akram, chief executive of the hospital, said a dozen people were killed
and several others injured in the attack.
"There was indiscriminate firing by the terrorists. They were trying
to free the injured terrorist who was captured last week and was being treated
in the hospital," Akram told the media on phone from inside the hospital.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Gunmen-attack-hospital-in-Lahore-kill-12/articleshow/5996394.cms
---------
18 militants killed, 20 injured in Orakzai
Agency
Jun 1, 2010
HANGU: Eighteen Militants were killed and over twenty others were
injured as jet planes pounded the hideouts of the militants in several areas of
Upper Orakzai Agency on Tuesday.
According to details, jet planes of the security forces bombarded at
six hideouts of the militants in different areas of Tehsil Ismail Zai of the
Upper Orakzai Agency including Ghilji, Ghauzgarh and Tali Rabi in which eighteen
militants were killed and over twenty others were injured.
The security sources further informed that the advancement of the
security forces is being continued against the militants in the areas of Upper
Orakzai Agency. Sources further added that the security forces have demolished
all the hideouts of the militants in Tehsil Ismail Zai of Orakzai
Agency.
http://regionaltimes.com/31may2010/backpagenews/18.htm
---------
Iran wants Netanyahu, Obama to face trial for Gaza
raid
Jun 1, 2010
TEHRAN: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday
called for Israel's prime minister and defence minister to face trial for the
deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla in the eastern Mediterranean.
The United States, Britain and France must also be held accountable
for Monday's Israeli raid on the flotilla loaded with international aid, said
Khamenei, who is all-powerful in the Islamic republic.
"The Arab League and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference must
not be satisfied with anything less than a full lifting of the Gaza blockade,"
he said in a statement.
Khamenei also called for "an end to the grabbing of Palestinian land
in the West Bank and a trial of criminals such as (Prime Minister Benjamin)
Netanyahu and (Defence Minister Ehud) Barack."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Iran-wants-Netanyahu-Obama-to-face-trial-for-Gaza-raid/articleshow/5998905.cms
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Yazid: Qaeda moneyman who opposed 9/11
01 Jun, 2010
KABUL: Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, the one-time Al-Qaeda banker and number
three leader whose death was announced Tuesday, helped finance the September 11
hijackers but was reportedly opposed to the attacks.
Yazid, Al-Qaeda's leader in Afghanistan for the past three years, was
a founder member of the terror network back in the late 1980s and a close
confidante of Osama bin Laden.
“Al-Masri was the group's chief operating officer, with a hand in
everything from finances to operational planning,” a US official
said.
“He was also the organisation's prime conduit to bin Laden and
(Al-Qaeda number two Ayman) Zawahiri,” he said. “He was key to Al-Qaeda's
command and control.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/04-qaeda-yazid-profile-qs-10
---------
J&K: Two Jaish militants killed in Sopore
encounter
Jun 1, 2010
SRINAGAR: Two Jaish-e-Mohammad militants were killed and an Army
jawan injured in an overnight encounter with security forces in Sopore, police
said on Tuesday.
The gunbattle broke out at Lalid-Sopore during search operation, 60
km from Srinagar, on Monday evening. An Army jawan was also injured in the
gunbattle that was continuing when last reports came in, they said.
Security forces had on Monday killed four militants, believed to be
foreigners, in the dense Hamam-Nardagan forests in Rafiabad, 65 km from
Srinagar. An Army jawan was injured in the gunbattle.
Identity of the slain militants and their group affiliation was being
ascertained. Four AK 47 rifles, a UBGL (under barrel grenade launcher) and other
arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JK-Two-Jaish-militants-killed-in-Sopore-encounter/articleshow/5997353.cms
---------
New boats headed to Gaza to challenge Israeli
blockade
Jun 1, 2010
JERUSALEM: Organizers of the Gaza aid flotilla that was the target of
a deadly Israeli naval raid say they're sending two more ships to the area
within the next few days.
Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza Movement says a cargo boat is already
on the way to challenge Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. She says a second
boat carrying about three dozen passengers is expected to join it.
Meanwhile, criticism inside Israel was spreading on Tuesday about the
botched raid, which killed at least nine activists.
Israeli officials say about 50 of the 671 activists aboard the
flotilla have been taken to Israel's international airport for deportation. They
say others have refused to identify themselves and will remain in
detention.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/New-boats-headed-to-Gaza-to-challenge-Israeli-blockade/articleshow/5997684.cms
---------
Princess Diana 'was killed over plan to expose Britain's arms
dealers'
Jun 1, 2010
LONDON: More than 12 years after she died in a car crash in Paris, a
leading defence lawyer has alleged that Princess Diana was murdered over her
plan to expose UK's arms dealers.
Queen's Counsel Michael Mansfield has claimed that the late Princess
of Wales even intended publishing an "explosive" diary to unmask those most
closely involved with British land-mine manufacturing and the country's role in
arms trade.
"Everyone remembers she raised the profile of the land mines.
Everybody is aware that the British involvement in the arms trade, particularly
land mines, is and was a huge vested interest.
"It seems to me she had planned various visits. She had already been
to Angola and she was going to Cambodia. A large number of land mines had been
manufactured by British.
"She claimed she had an explosive diary in which she was going to
expose the people most closely involved in the British arms trade," leading
British tabloid the 'Daily Express' quoted Mansfield as saying.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Princess-Diana-was-killed-over-plan-to-expose-Britains-arms-dealers/articleshow/5998216.cms
---------
Army will continue to ensure security along LoC: Lt Gen
Roy
Jun 1, 2010
JAMMU: Maintaining that militants were waiting to infiltrate into
this side of the Line of Control (LoC), a senior Army official on Tuesday said
the security forces will ensure that the situation remains under control.
"We will continue with strong resolve to ensure that the security
situation remains totally under control and people are able to carry on with
their daily routine without any fear," General Officer Commanding (GOC), 16
Corps, Lt Gen Rameshwar Roy said.
"The Army is fully prepared to tackle any situation along the LoC or
elsewhere in the state. Please be assured," he told reporters soon after the
conclusion of a function in connection with the 38th Raising Day of the White
Knight (16th) Corps here.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Army-will-continue-to-ensure-security-along-LoC-Lt-Gen-Roy/articleshow/5998089.cms
---------
26/11: 4-member Indian team in US to quiz
Headley
Jun 1, 2010
CHICAGO: A team of Indian investigators arrived in the US on Tuesday
to interrogate for the first time David Coleman Headley, accused of helping
Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists carry out the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The team comprises officers of the National Investigation Agency and
a law officer. This will be for the first time that 49-year-old
Pakistani-American Headley will be facing direct questions from Indian
investigators since his arrest in October last year.
Besides the Indian team, those expected to be present during the
questioning would be Headley's lawyer and an officer of the FBI.
The questioning of Headley, currently being held in the federal
lock-up Metropolitan Correctional Centre here, is going to revolve around the
places he had visited after the Mumbai terror attacks and the people he had
remained in touch with during his stay in India.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/26/11-4-member-Indian-team-in-US-to-quiz-Headley/articleshow/5997050.cms
---------
Al-Qaida announces death of top leader Yazid
Jun 1, 2010
KABUL: Al-Qaida has announced the death of a trusted aide to Osama
bin Laden and its top leader in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, the SITE
group which monitors Islamist websites said on Tuesday.
Yazid, an Egyptian national also known as Sheikh Said, was said to be
a founder member of al-Qaida and a former treasurer to bin Laden.
The SITE statement did not say how Yazid died, but said the message
from al-Qaida to jihadist forums said his wife, three of his daughters, his
granddaughter, and other men, women, and children, were killed.
Yazid was on the list of individuals, organizations and charities
whose assets were frozen by the US Treasury in the wake of the September 11,
2001 attacks on the US.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Al-Qaida-announces-death-of-top-leader-Yazid-SITE/articleshow/5997095.cms
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Akshardham attack: Gujarat HC upholds death sentence to
3
Jun 1, 2010
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the POTA court
verdict awarding death sentence to three convicts for the 2002 Akshardham terror
attack, which claimed 32 lives.
The division bench of Justices R M Doshit and K M Thakar, while
pronouncing the judgement, rejected the appeal of six convicts against the POTA
court verdict.
Three persons, Adam Ajmeri, Shan Miya alias Chand Khan from Bareilly
and Mufti Abdul Qyyum Mansuri were awarded death sentence by POTA court in July
2006.
The other three accused in the case were sentenced to various prison
terms. While a local youth from Dariapur in the city, Mohammed Salim Shaikh was
sentenced to life imprisonment, Abdulmiyan Qadri was given a 10-year term and
Altaf Hussain was sentenced to imprisonment for five years.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Akshardham-attack-Gujarat-HC-upholds-death-sentence-to-3/articleshow/5997674.cms
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Naval 'spy' sent to 14 days judicial custody by court
Jun 1, 2010
NEW DELHI: A Delhi Court today remanded a Navy mechanic who was
arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan to 14 days judicial custody.
Chand Kumar Prasad was produced after five-day custodial
interrogation before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja. He was sent to
judicial custody till June 13.
The accused, who was posted in the Navy's Aircraft Maintenance Unit
in Mumbai, was arrested by Delhi Police's Special Cell from New Delhi Railway
Station on May 26.
Arrested under Official Secrets Act, he was allegedly passing on
classified information and "secret and sensitive" documents like photographs of
Hindan Air Base and map of Meerut Cantonment to a Pakistan High Commission
official through another person.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Naval-spy-sent-to-14-days-judicial-custody-by-court/articleshow/5994926.cms
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LeT man sneaked in as driver during Patil visit to
AP
Ritu Sarin
Jun 1, 2010
New Delhi: In a startling disclosure, a Lashkar-e-Toiba operative
arrested from Hyderabad on May 3 has told interrogators that for four days in
December 2008 he had driven President Pratibha Patil’s son Rajendra Shekhawat
around the city as she paid a two-week official visit to Andhra
Pradesh.
This was more than a year after the alleged Lashkar operative,
Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, reportedly received a consignment of a pistol and two hand
grenades concealed in a box of sweets in New Delhi.
Haq is also linked to the May 7, 2006, hand grenade blast in
Hyderabad’s Odeon Cinema.
Haq has told investigators that he “worked as a driver” for the
President’s son as the Head of State was paying a visit to
Hyderabad.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/let-man-sneaked-in-as-driver-during-patil-visit-to-ap/627287/
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Times Square plot: Pakistan frees retired army
major
Jun 1, 2010
Pakistani authorities have released a retired army major nearly two
weeks after arresting him for his purported links with Faisal Shahzad, the prime
suspect in the attempted car bombing in New York's Times Square, a media report
today said.
Adnan Ahmad, who was detained midmonth, was released after the
investigators determined that he had no links to Shahzad, a naturalised US
citizen of Pakistani origin, the Los Angeles Times reported from
Islamabad.
Pakistani law enforcement sources said investigators suspected Ahmad
because they believed he and Shahzad had exchanged cellphone calls and had met
once in Islamabad.
However, after further investigation, Ahmad was cleared of all
allegations and any links with Shahzad. He was released on Thursday. His
brother, Qamar Ahmad, a computer engineer, was also detained, but the sources
said he was expected to be released soon.
Full report
at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/world/Pak-frees-army-major-in-NYC-plot/Article1-551195.aspx
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Terror fear: US wants Pak to give more info on flyers
Eric Schmitt
Jun 1, 2010
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration is increasing pressure on
Pakistan to provide the US with much broader airline passenger information, a
crucial tool that American investigators use to track terrorist travel patterns,
but a step that Pakistan has resisted, US officials said.
Pakistan, like other countries, currently provides the names of
airline passengers traveling to the US. But the US is pressing for information
on Pakistanis who fly to other countries, to feed into databases that can detect
patterns used by terrorists, their financiers, logisticians and others who
support them, the officials said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Terror-fear-US-wants-Pak-to-give-more-info-on-flyers/articleshow/5996421.cms
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Author Salman Rushdie says fatwa only a minor issue
now
Jun 1, 2010
TORONTO: Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie says the death sentence
imposed on him by Iran's late leader no longer affects his daily life, but the
issue still hasn't gone away.
Rushdie commented on Monday on the fatwa while appearing with author
Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, for a discussion on freedom of speech
and human rights.
Rushdie was forced into hiding in England for a decade because the
Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a 1989 religious edict ordering Muslims to
kill the author, saying his book, ``The Satanic Verses,'' insulted Islam.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest-of-World/Author-Salman-Rushdie-says-fatwa-only-a-minor-issue-now/articleshow/5996974.cms
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Is SIMI an unlawful body?
Jun 1, 2010
BANGALORE: The tribunal constituted under Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, headed by a judge of Delhi high court, will inquire into
whether there is sufficient cause or not for declaring Students Islamic Movement
of India (SIMI) an unlawful association.
It will hold sittings on June 21 and 23 from 10.30 am to 4.15 pm at
court hall No. 2, Karnataka Appellate Tribunal, 2nd Phase, 2nd Floor, M S
Buildings. The tribunal has given opportunity to the public at large to
participate in the proceedings. Those interested can give evidence by filing
their affidavits before the tribunal. Such affidavits have to be filed before
commencement of tribunal sittings.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Bangalore/Is-SIMI-an-unlawful-body/articleshow/5996484.cms
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‘Talks, rights violations
cannot go together’
Jun 1, 2010
The chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq, has ruled out his faction’s entry into dialogue process in presence
of “perpetual State terrorism” in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that dialogue
process and human rights violations cannot go simultaneously.
Addressing a gathering at Nadihal village where three persons were
shot dead by Army allegedly in a fake encounter on the Line of Control on April
30, Mirwaiz said Kashmiri people’s blood has been commercialised by the
personnel and officers of police and security forces to earn ranks and
accolades.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/259485/%E2%80%98Talks-rights-violations-cannot-go-together%E2%80%99.html
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Qaeda chief behind Iraq embassy attacks held’
Jun 1, 2010
Iraqi security forces on Monday announced the arrest of Al Qaeda’s
Baghdad military chief, who stands accused of planning attacks against the
capital’s hotels and embassies that have killed dozens.
Abbas Najem Abdullah al-Jawari, who went by the alias Abu Abdullah,
was arrested on April 16, Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qassim Atta
told reporters at a news conference.
Atta added that Mohammed Nuri Matar Yassin al-Abadi, who was in
charge of Al-Qaeda’s assassination units in the capital, had also been captured.
“Iraqi security forces and intelligence cells tracking the Al-Qaeda leadership
arrested two leaders of the Islamic State of Iraq,” Atta told reporters at a
news conference, referring to the name for Al-Qaeda’s front group in
Iraq.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/259587/%E2%80%98Qaeda-chief-behind-Iraq-embassy-attacks-held%E2%80%99.html
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Pakistan searching for citizens
Anita Joshua
Jun 1, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday condemned the Israeli attack on the
flotilla of boats carrying aid to Gaza. All day the Foreign Office was busy
trying to establish the whereabouts of three Pakistanis on board the
flotilla.
Though unconfirmed reports indicated that all three Pakistanis
including prominent journalist Syed Talat Hussain were safe, there was no
official confirmation forthcoming from the government. Briefing the media in the
evening, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistani
diplomatic missions in Turkey, Jordan and Egypt had been activated to establish
the whereabouts of the three nationals.
Besides Mr. Hussain — executive director of the news channel Aaj
Television — and his colleague Raza Mahmood Agha, the other Pakistani on board
is Nadeem Ahmad Khan of the Islamabad-based Khubaib
Foundation.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/01/stories/2010060155681900.htm
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Taliban number two in Kandahar dead: NATO
Jun 1, 2010
Kabul, May 31 (AFP) NATO said today that the second most senior
Taliban commander in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar had been killed
in an air strike.
The man, identified as Haji Amir, was targeted in the province's
restive Panjwayi district Sunday, NATO's International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) said.
"An Afghan-international force used a precision air strike to kill
Taliban commander Haji Amir, one of the two most senior Taliban leaders in
Kandahar province," an ISAF statement said.
Several of his fighters were also killed in the raid, it said.
Kandahar province is the hub of the Taliban's insurgency, and was the informal
capital of their brutal 1996-2001 regime.
An operation against the insurgents is building, with new deployments
of US and NATO troops heading to Kandahar as Western commanders hope to
neutralise the Taliban by the end of the year.
The Indian Express
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US believes it killed al-Qaeda No 3
June 1, 2010
US intelligence agencies believe al-Qaeda's No3 leader was killed
recently in a missile strike in the tribal areas of Pakistan, officials said on
Monday.
The CIA has stepped up the pace of unmanned aerial drone attacks,
targeting not only high-level al-Qaeda and Taliban targets but largely unknown
foot soldiers as well.
A US official said Sheikh Sa'id al-Masri, also known as Mustafa Abu
al-Yazid, was widely seen as al-Qaeda's No3 figure and its main conduit to
leader Osama bin Laden.
As al-Qaeda's chief operating officer, he had a hand in everything
from finances to operational planning, the official said.
"We have strong reason to believe ... that al-Masri was killed
recently in Pakistan's tribal areas," the US official said on condition of
anonymity. "In terms of counterterrorism, this would be a big victory."
Full report at:
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_us-believes-it-killed-al-qaeda-no-3_1390448
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Al-Qaeda No.3 Yazid who warned India killed in missile
strike
Jun 1, 2010
WASHINGTON: Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, the third highest ranking al-Qaeda
commander, outfit's banker and the man who threatened India with more
Mumbai-style attacks, was killed along with his entire family in an American
missile strike in Pakistan's tribal areas in the last two weeks.
Yazid, 54, also known as Sheikh Sa'id al Masri, considered to be a
relative of Osama bin Laden, was killed along with his family in a drone attack,
US officials said.
His death was confirmed by al-Qaeda through jihadist websites. The
message from al-Qaeda to jihadist forums said his wife, three of his daughters,
his granddaughter, and other men, women, and children, were killed.
Yazid had appeared in video last year warning India of more
Mumbai-style terror attacks if it tried to attack Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Al-Qaeda-No3-Yazid-who-warned-India-killed-in-missile-strike/articleshow/5998767.cms
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Militant threatens to kill lashkar head
June 01, 2010
MINGORA: Following the killing of his militant brother, a key Taliban
commander Ibne Amin who is still at large has threatened the head of the Shor
village defence committee of revenge, sources said on
Monday.
The sources said the defence committee head in the area, Mukarram
Khan, was threatened by Ibne Amin, a top Taliban commander and an aide to
fugitive Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Swat chapter chief Maulana Fazlullah.
Ibne Amin threatened to kill the peace body head along with his whole family,
said the sources.
Efforts were made to contact Mukarram Khan to know about the nature
of the threat to him by Ibne Amin. However, he could not be contacted in the
remote Shor area beyond Matta town. Villagers in the area said some days back
the security forces killed three militants including the brother of Ibne Amin
named Idrees. Residents believed that Mukarram Khan had received threats because
of the same incident.
Full report at:
http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=242382
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Iraq arrests two over Baghdad hotel bombs
Jun 1, 2010
Iraqi security forces said on Monday they had arrested two suspected
al-Qaeda militants for the January bombing of three Baghdad hotels in which 36
people died.
A spokesperson for the Baghdad security command described the two men
-- Abbas Najim al-Jawari, 26, and Mohammed Nuri al-Abadi, 32 -- as leaders of
the Sunni al-Qaeda network.
Major-General Qassim al-Moussawi said they were accused of
"supervising" the bombing of three well-known hotels in Baghdad on Jan. 25.
Abadi is also accused of running an assassination squad targeting police
officers and government officials.
Jawari was arrested on April 16 and Abadi on May 1 as part of an
ongoing operation codenamed "Lion's Leap", he said. The operation resulted in
the killing last month of al-Qaeda's top two leaders in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri
and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.
Full report at:
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_iraq-arrests-two-over-baghdad-hotel-bombs_1390366
---------
Raisani urges youths to join armed forces
01 Jun, 2010
QUETTA, May 31: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam
Raisani has urged educated youths to join the civil and military bureaucracy to
get the right to rule they have been demanding for a long time.
Talking to newsmen at the Chief Minister House on Monday, he said
that army, navy and air force had offered thousands of jobs.
“Only air force has offered 10,000 jobs in different fields,” the
chief minister said, adding that the army and navy had also earmarked thousands
of jobs for Balochistan.
He said that unless youths of Balochistan became part of the military
and civil bureaucracy they could not achieve their right to rule the province.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/raisani-urges-youths-to-join-armed-forces-160
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Imam among two shot dead in Quetta
01 Jun, 2010
QUETTA, May 31: Two people, a prayer leader among them, were gunned
down by unidentified attackers here on Monday night, police sources
said.
Qari Abdul Mateen and his associate Hafiz Usman were passing through
the Toghi Road area when two armed men on a motorbike opened fire on them. Both
died on the spot.
Police took the bodies to civil hospital.
The assailants escaped after committing the
crime.
The cause of the attack could not be
ascertained.
“We are investigating the incident,” DIG (operations) Hamid Shakeel
said.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/imam-among-two-shot-dead-in-quetta-160
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Six Turkish troops killed in Kurd attack
01 Jun, 2010
ANKARA, May 31: Kurdish rebels fired rockets at a naval base on
Monday, killing six Turkish troops in the bloodiest attack in recent months,
after their jailed leader signalled an end to peace efforts, officials said.
The attack saw Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) rebels target a
military vehicle carrying troops to guard duty inside the base in the southern
city of Iskenderun, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said.
He put the death toll at seven, but later his press office revised
the number down to six, the figure given also by the military.
Seven other soldiers were wounded in the attack, Arinc said, adding
that three of them were in a critical condition in a military hospital in
Ankara.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/six-turkish-troops-killed-in-kurd-attack-160
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US wants more air travelers data from Pakistan
June 01, 2010
NEW YORK—Pakistan is resisting increasing Obama administration’s
pressure to provide the United States with much broader airline passenger
information to track terrorist travel patterns, The New York Times reported
Monday. Citing unnamed administration officials, the newspaper said in a
front-page report that Pakistan had for several years rebuffed the request but
the issue is now on a short list of sticking points between the two countries
that have intensified since the failed Times Square car bombing attempt.
“Terrorists are enemies of both Pakistan and the United States, who
need to discuss how to enhance cooperation and that is what we are doing,”
Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, said in a text
message to The Times on Sunday. Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0610/01/FrontPage/FrontPage2.php
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Indian Army Major involved in Machil fake
encounter
June 01, 2010
Srinagar—In occupied Kashmir, the police, in its preliminary report,
has identified an Indian Army Major as instrumental in the killing of three
innocent Kashmiri youth in a fake encounter in Machil area of Kupwara. The Army
had requested the police to submit the preliminary investigation report into the
killing of three youth, Muhammad Shafi Lone, Shehzad Ahmed and Riyaz Ahmed all
residents of Nadihal Rafiabad.
The police officials privy to investigation told a local daily
newspaper ‘Greater Kashmir’ that the police had submitted the report and named
the Army officer of 4 Rajput Rifles instrumental in orchestrating the fake
encounter, last month. “During investigations, name of one Major has surfaced.
Incidentally, the Major had claimed to have led the encounter on the fateful
day. His name has been withheld as it can hamper the investigations,” they said.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0610/01/FrontPage/FrontPage3.php
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Pakistan plays long game in Afghan peace drive
June 01, 2010
ISLAMABAD: An Afghan assembly touted by President Hamid Karzai as a
home-grown peace initiative is unlikely to produce a blueprint for
reconciliation because the drafters do not include the
Taliban.
Heavyweights such as the Haqqani group, are not attending the June
2-4 jirga, although Taliban sympathisers may take part. Pakistan, the regional
power, is unlikely to help broker peace as long as Jalaluddin Haqqani and his
son Sirajuddin Haqqani are excluded from the process.
Analysts say the country is playing the long game, hoping to persuade
both Karzai and the White House that peace will not be possible without the
participation of al Qaeda-backed Haqqani network, the most potent force in
Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\01\story_1-6-2010_pg7_11
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Diplomatic efforts for recovery of Pakistanis
launched
June 01, 2010
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday asked for the US government’s
immediate intervention in the matter regarding the recovery of Pakistani
nationals who were aboard Freedom Flotilla.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters that he had
telephoned US special representative Richard Holbrooke on the issue of recovery
of Talat Hussain, executive director of a private TV
channel.
“Pakistan’s ambassadors to Jordan, Oman, Lebanon and the European
Union have been asked to collect information about the whereabouts of the
missing Pakistanis,” he said.
The foreign minister said an emergency meeting of the OIC should be
called to slam the deadly Israeli raid that killed 19 pro-Palestinian peace
activists.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\01\story_1-6-2010_pg7_13
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AUGUST 17 SERIES BOMB CASE Court awards to 7 years RI for seven JMB
men
Jun 1, 2010
The Speedy Trial Tribunal in Khulna on Monday awarded seven members
of Jammat’ul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) seven years rigorous imprisonment in a
case for exploding a bomb on Khulna University campus on August 17,
2005.
Judge Md Sekendar Ali
declared the verdict which also includes a fine of Tk 10,000 for each of the
convicted persons and, in failure, to suffer six more months of RI, said sources
in the court.
The convicted persons are :
Mahabubur Rahman Liton, Md Shahidullah alias Lokman, Hafez Mahmood alias Mahamud
Hasan alias Sumon, Asadul Islam alias Asad, Md Tanvir Hossain alias Tanvir,
Ruhul Quddus and Saiful Islam.
Of the convicted persons
Hafez Mahmood and Saiful Islam are now absconding and the remaining five persons
are in jail.
Full report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jun/01/nat.html
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Shafique pledges no mercy to war criminals
Jun 1, 2010
The law minister, Shafique Ahmed, said the present government of
Bangladesh is committed to bringing an end to the culture of impunity to crimes
of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes at the national and
international levels.
‘We have initiated the trial of genocide, war crimes and crimes
against humanity committed during the 1971 liberation
war.’
‘This would bring justice to the victims, heal the wound that we are
carrying for the last 39 years, end the shameful legacy and help Bangladesh move
forward with its agenda of development,’ he said.
The law minister was addressing the Review Conference of the Rome
Statute of International Criminal Court in Kampala, Uganda on Monday, said an
official release received in Dhaka.
Full report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jun/01/nat.html
10:01 PM
Sultan Shahin
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