Kyrgyzstan
asks Russia for military help: Interim leader
Prince Charles touts Islam as spiritual 'green'
guide
Pak Rangers to protect 300 Indian Sikhs
In Modi government ad, Azamgarh girls become Gujarat’s new Muslim
face
‘Jihadi lobby’ influencing judiciary: Fauzia
Wahab
‘Bhutto’ released across the
country
Al-Qaida cleric targets Britain, MI5 warns
Pakistan can’t fight terror alone: President
Khalifa, Cameron discuss Mideast peace process
PMs J&K visit meant to keep rights issues in focus
Pakistan High Commissioner meets Sushma, stresses on fresh
dialogue
Lashkar front plots hijack to free Qasab from
prison
26/11 case: Pak court adjourns trial for two
weeks
Pak wants India, US to share details of Headley's
probe
Tihar gallows wood in demand as lucky charm
ICC seeks UN help for arrest of Darfur war crime
indictees
4 dead in terrorist attack in Algeria
Death is beautiful
Obama's Afghanistan Strategy: The News is Bad
Tension in J&K over youth's death
Facebook gives Dawood away
Mecca Masjid Case Reopened, Hindu Outfit Role
Suspected
Pak SC presses govt to reopen Zardari cases
Iran protest movement in disarray
Dissident Islamic guards
Kashmir biggest hurdle in relations between India, Pak:
Mirwaiz
Moscow gets tough with Tehran
Abdullah, Sultan condole with Oman over cyclone
deaths
Taif woman seeks NSHR help to reunite with
children
Israel must act if it wants forgiveness —
Turkey
In tweet, Turkey's president condemns YouTube
ban
Russia’s unique present to Islamic world
Yemeni boy leaves juvenile home thanks to Arab News
report
Killers of US diplomat escape from Sudanese
prison
Police arrests Taliban planning Karachi attacks
Govt not abusing Punjab in the name of Taliban:
Kaira
Two Taliban held in Karachi
3 women kidnapped, girl killed
Obama criticised, Israel is doomed, says Ahmadinejad
The one word which makes all the difference
‘Iran arrests Nobel winner Ebadi’s aide’
15 die in US drone attack in Pak
ANC advocates inclusion of Kashmiris in Indo-Pak
dialogue
Fighter jets kill 10 militants in Orakzai
Compiled by Asit kumar
Photo: Uzbekistan soldiers help ethnic Uzbeks fleeing southern
Kyrgyzstan to cross the border after attacks by Kyrgyz rioters in Osh.
Photograph: D Dalton Bennett/AP
--------
Ethnic clashes rage in southern Kyrgyzstan, 49 dead
Jun 12, 2010
OSH(Kyrgyzstan): Police and soldiers are battling to stop ethnic
clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan where mobs of armed men have torched Uzbek
neighborhoods in the Central Asian country.
The Health Ministry says the death toll has climbed to at least 49,
with more than 650 people wounded. The rioting in Osh, the country's
second-largest city, is the worst violence since the former president was
toppled in a bloody uprising in April.
Fire from heavy machine guns and automatic weapons is heard as troops
try to gain control of the roads. Police and local residents say groups of young
Kyrgyz men are arriving in Osh from other parts of the country. They are armed
with metal bars and some have automatic weapons.
Houses in Uzbek neighborhoods continue to burn.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest-of-World/Ethnic-clashes-rage-in-southern-Kyrgyzstan-49-dead/articleshow/6040346.cms
---------
Kyrgyzstan asks Russia for military help: Interim
leader
Jun 12, 2010
BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan's interim leader Roza Otunbayeva on Saturday
appealed to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to send military forces to help
quell ethnic violence roiling the south of the country.
She said the violence in southern Kyrgyzstan had spiralled "out of
control" after over 50 people have been killed in the ongoing clashes.
"I have signed a letter asking Dmitry Medvedev for third-party forces
to be sent to the Kyrgyz Republic," Otunbayeva said in a nationally televised
address.
"Since yesterday the situation has gotten out of control. We need
outside military forces to halt the situation. For this reason we have appealed
to Russia for help," she said.
At least fifty-one people have died and more than 600 have been
wounded during clashes between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in the south of the
strategically-vital Central Asian state.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Kyrgyzstan-asks-Russia-for-military-help-Interim-leader/articleshow/6040997.cms
---------
Prince Charles touts Islam as spiritual 'green'
guide
BY JEFF ZALESIN
June 12th 2010
Prince Charles drew ridicule from some British pundits this week when
he said that environmentalists should "follow the Islamic way to save the
world."
The Prince of Wales, who is next in line to be the English monarch
and head and the Church of England, said Wednesday in a speech at the Oxford
Centre for World Studies that people needed an ecological mindset based on
"sacred traditions," especially those from the Koran.
Charles, for whom religion and the environment are favorite topics,
is a patron of the academic group.
In Islam, the prince told his audience, there is "no separation
between man and nature." People who care
about the environment -- Christians and other non-Muslims included -- need to
adopt this point of view, he argued.
A lack of belief in the soul is to blame for the world's
environmental problems, he said.
The prince also called for measures to slow global population growth,
which he said was unsustainable.
Oliver Kamm of the London Times called Charles's remarks "pure
mumbo-jumbo."
"The Prince's invocation of 'sacred traditions' is utterly opposed to
scientific inquiry -- for if truth is already known through revelation and
sacred texts, why bother with fallible human reason and inquiry?" Kamm
wrote.
On a London Daily Mail blog post under the headline "Taliban
environmentalist," Don Surber asked, "Is Prince Charles as stupid as he
sounds?"
He added, "God save the Queen."
http://www.islamicity.com/m/news_frame.asp?Frame=1&referenceID=51358
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In Modi government ad, Azamgarh girls become Gujarat’s new Muslim
face
Jun 12 2010
A day after it published full page advertisements in Patna newspapers
hailing Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the emancipator of Gujarat’s Muslims
before he arrives there for the national BJP meet, the Gujarat government could
be heading for some serious embarrassment.
The advertisements showcased a photograph of Muslim girls in burqas
working on computers, to buttress the point that Gujarat Muslims are faring much
better than those elsewhere. But in reality, the girls belonged to a college in
Azamgarh in UP; they had nothing to do with Gujarat.
The photograph was apparently taken from a US-based news portal run
by Indian Muslims. The portal, www.twocircles.com, informed The Indian Express
on Friday that it is now considering pressing charges of copyright violation
against the Gujarat government. In addition, the Shibli College in Azamgarh, has
also lambasted the Gujarat government for misusing a photograph of its
students.
US-based Kashif ul Huda, Executive Editor of the portal said, “There
are two issues here, one of fooling the people by using a picture taken outside
Gujarat, and secondly, of copyright violation. It is ironical that they could
not get even the required photo from Gujarat for the
advertisement.”
He added that the photograph was used earlier by the University of
Cambridge for its course material with due permission.
Kashif affirmed that the photograph was originally shot by the
portal’s staffer in the Computer Department of Shibli National College, Azamgarh
on November 13, 2008. It was originally published on an online portal as part of
a series on Azamgarh November 24 , 2009.
Salman Sultan, Head of the college’s Computer Department confirmed to
The Indian Express that girls in the photograph were all working in his
department.
“This is a heinous act. They are rubbing salt on the humiliated and
psychologically wounded Muslim community,” he said.
While Gujarat government officials declined to be quoted on the
issue, a senior official said, “The ad may be to highlight the progress of
Gujarat Muslims, but it did not say the photograph in it was of Gujarat muslim
girls. The government had not asked its advertising agency to put that
photograph, the agency did that on its own.”
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-modi-government-ad-azamgarh-girls-become-gujarats-new-muslim-face/632927/
---------
Pak Rangers to protect 300 Indian sikhs
Jun 12 2010
Lahor : Paramilitary Pakistan Rangers have been deployed to protect
about 300 Indian Sikhs who will participate in the Jore Mela at Gurdwara Dera
Sahib in this eastern Pakistani city.
The Indian Sikhs, who arrived in Pakistan over the past few days,
have travelled to Gurdawa Punja Sahib at Hasanabdal near
Rawalpindi.
They will reach Lahore on Monday to take part in the three-day
festival.
"Keeping in view the law and order situation, we have deployed
Pakistan Rangers and police for the security of the visiting yatris," Syed Asif
Hashmi, chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board that organises such
pilgrimages, said.
After the recent attack on the minority Ahmedi community in Lahore
that left 95 people dead, the government has beefed up security at all places of
worship of minority communities.
"We have not only taken measures for the security of Sikh and Hindu
pilgrims from abroad but also enhanced security for locals," Hashmi
said.
No leniency could be afforded in this matter, he
said.
The head of the Indian delegation, Sardar Raghubir Singh, told
reporters that misunderstandings could crop up between India and Pakistan but
they could be resolved through talks.
He said both governments should take all possible steps to bring the
people of India and Pakistan closer as this is the only way to resolve
problems.
Singh appreciated the steps taken by the ETPB for the upkeep of
gurdwaras in Pakistan. He also asked it to provide land and residences at
Gurdwara Dera Sahib.
The Indian Sikhs will return home on June 17.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pak-rangers-to-protect-300-indian-sikhs/632967/
---------
‘Jihadi lobby’ influencing judiciary: Fauzia
Wahab
11 Jun, 2010
New cases opening against the PPP government because of this lobby,
said Fauzia Wahab.—File photo
KARACHI: PPP central information secretary Fauzia Wahab on Friday
said that the 'jihadi lobby' was influencing the higher judiciary in
Pakistan.
While talking to DawnNews during an interview, she said that the
'jihadi lobby' was influencing the judiciary and because of this, new cases were
opening against the PPP government.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/12-jihadi+lobby+influencing+judiciary+fauzia+wahab--bi-02
---------
‘Bhutto’ released across the country
June 12, 2010
With the true depiction of violence, controversy, and untimely death
that remained the regrettable hallmark of the Bhutto legacy, the riveting
documentary feature ‘Bhutto’ was released Friday across the country.
The premier show of the documentary would be held at the National Art
Gallery (NAG) on June 15. The show is organised by the Ministry of Culture and
expected to be attended by the notable political figures of the
country.
Benazir Bhutto remains a polarising force in the Muslim world some
two years after her death from a suicide attack on December 27, 2007. Hers was a
turbulent three-decade run through the storm of Pakistani politics during which
Bhutto enjoyed unprecedented outpourings of love and hate, triumph and tragedy,
devotion by the people of Pakistan and rejection by the forces who most feared
her.
Full report at:
http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=244485
---------
Al-Qaida cleric targets Britain, MI5 warns
June 12, 2010
Young British Muslims are being groomed to carry out terrorist
attacks in this country by a radical al-Qaida preacher based in the Middle East,
it can be disclosed.
The security services fear that a new generation of British
extremists is being radicalized by Anwar al-Awlaki, who recruited the Detroit
plane bomber. They are concerned Awlaki's followers could unleash a wave of
easily planned guerrilla-style terrorist attacks, similar to the massacre in
Mumbai.
Such small-scale attacks could be carried out cheaply by individuals
with little terrorist training and without the need for the support of a large
organization.
The British security services have become so worried about Awlaki's
rising influence that they have alerted government ministers to their
fears.
Full report at:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Qaida+cleric+targets+Britain+warns/3146682/story.html
---------
Pakistan can’t fight terror alone: President
June 12, 2010
TASHKENT—Reiterating his strong stance to fight militancy, President
Asif Ali Zardari on Friday again made it clear that Pakistan will continue to
play its role in fight against terrorism urging for greater regional cooperation
in this regard.
Addressing the 10th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
here at the Capital of Uzbekistan, President Zardari said the regional countries
must also join hands to address the root causes adding that not one single
country can counter this global manners.
He said terrorism stems from abject poverty and it was vital that
economic activity was created and employment generated so that the people on the
fringes of extremism are lured to productive tasks.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0610/12/FrontPage/FrontPage1.php
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Khalifa, Cameron discuss Mideast peace process
12 June 2010
The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met
British Prime Minister David Cameron at Al Rodah Palace here on
Friday.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President
and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was present on the
occasion.
Shaikh Khalifa welcomed the British PM and his entourage, here on a
short visit, and praised the historic relations between the UK and the UAE in
all fields.
The meeting explored ways of boosting cooperation between the two
countries in various fields. It also dwelt on the latest developments in
regional and international arenas.
The president emphasised the keenness of the UAE to support the peace
process in the Middle East in accordance with the international resolutions.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/June/theuae_June328.xml§ion=theuae
---------
PMs J&K visit meant to keep rights issues in
focus
Jun 12th, 2010
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs two-day visit to Srinagar
was intended to signal his view that human rights issues and developmental goals
must not be lost sight of and did not put much emphasis on the political process
with respect to groups like the Hurriyat.
The PMs remark at a press interaction that he was visiting a state of
India was intended to underline the normality of his being in Srinagar at a time
when several indicators pointed to an upswing in Kashmirs economy.His visit was
in the nature of political stock-taking.
The absence of any response from the Hurriyat factions was not
surprising or discouraging as it had been well understood that without a nod
from Pakistan,the separatists were not going to respond to any invitation for
dialogue.To that extent,Singh was not prepared to offer any olive branch
either.
Full report at: Times of India
---------
Pakistan High Commissioner meets Sushma, stresses on fresh
dialogue
Jun 12 2010
Ahead of the two high-profile visits of the Home Minister and the
External Affairs Minister to Islamabad, Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik
on Friday reached out to Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj,
in a bid to shore up support for dialogue between the two
countries.
It is learnt that Malik, accompanied by his deputy Riffat Masood,
discussed with Swaraj the fresh efforts from both sides to resume an expanded
political conversation after composite dialogue was stalled following the 26/11
attack.
The High Commissioner is said to have stressed on the pressing need
to improve ties between the two countries and reduce the trust deficit in a
manner that would be mutually beneficial.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pakistan-high-commissioner-meets-sushma-stresses-on-fresh-dialogue/632925/
---------
Lashkar front plots hijack to free Qasab from
prison
By Faizan Haider
Jun 12th, 2010
SECURITY agencies have zeroed in on an organisation named Islamic
Emirates of Al- Hind that could hijack a plane to secure the release of 26/ 11
accused Mohammad Ajmal Qasab. Sources said the Mumbai Police had intercepted a
specific threat on Thursday saying “ there could be a repeat of IC 814”. The
Delhi- bound IC 814 was hijacked in 1999 and taken to Kandahar to secure the
release of three terrorists, including Jaish- e- Mohammad founder Maulana Masood
Azhar.
The Mumbai Police alerted the Central Industrial Security Force (
CISF), which is responsible for the security of airports across the
country.
Full report at: Mail Today
---------
26/11 case: Pak court adjourns trial for two
weeks
Jun 12, 2010
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of
LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects linked to the Mumbai
attacks today adjourned the proceedings for two weeks after the prosecution
sought time to appoint a new prosecutor.
Special Public Prosecutor Malik Rab Nawaz Noon, who was heading the
prosecution team, recently died of a heart attack.
Public Prosecutor Zulfiqar Ahmed appeared in the anti-terrorism court
of Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan and asked for time so that the government
could appoint a replacement for Noon.
Defence lawyers Shahbaz Rajput and Khwaja Sultan told PTI that the
judge adjourned the trial of the seven suspects till June 26.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/26/11-case-Pak-court-adjourns-trial-for-two-weeks/articleshow/6040906.cms
---------
Pak wants India, US to share details of Headley's
probe
Jun 12, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan wants both India and the US to share details of
the interrogation of David Coleman Headley, the alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)
operative who is currently in America's detention, so that the 'myth'
surrounding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is unearthed.
"Although India and the US are not bound to share findings of
investigation, however, they need to share them with Pakistan in order to
unearth the myth of Mumbai attack," The Nation quoted a top Pakistani official,
as saying on conditions of anonymity.
However, there has been no official statement from Pakistan regarding
sharing of details of Headley's interrogation.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-wants-India-US-to-share-details-of-Headleys-probe/articleshow/6041028.cms
---------
Tihar gallows wood in demand as lucky charm
Megha Suri Singh
Jun 12, 2010
NEW DELHI: The gallows at the high-security Tihar Jail have been made
out of bounds for prisoners and jail staff alike. The move has nothing to do
with security concerns in the wake of increasing pressure on the government to
carry out the death sentence of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who is lodged in the jail.
It's actually to protect the gallows from people desperately seeking small
pieces of its wood.
Over the years, a belief has spread that the wood which forms the
gallows brings good luck. It supposedly assures good results for children if
kept in school books and wards off fears of all kind when kept under the pillow
while sleeping. People even try to scrape off pieces of the wood and wear it on
their arm as a tabeez for good luck.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Tihar-gallows-wood-in-demand-as-lucky-charm/articleshow/6039244.cms
---------
ICC seeks UN help for arrest of Darfur war crime
indictees
Jun 12, 2010
UNITED NATIONS: The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor
sought help from the UN Security Council Friday to secure the arrest of two
senior Sudan officials accused of Darfur war crimes, accusing Khartoum of
failing to cooperate.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo told the 15-member council that the Sudanese
government "has the primary responsibility and is fully able to implement"
warrants issued by the ICC in 2007 for the arrest of former government minister
Ahmed Haroun and militia leader Ali Kosheib.
"It (Khartoum) has not done so," he said, adding that he was relaying
a request from the ICC's judges for the Security Council to act in response to
Sudan's lack of cooperation.
Moreno-Ocampo later told reporters that he was pleased with the
expressions of support by council members.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/ICC-seeks-UN-help-for-arrest-of-Darfur-war-crime-indictees/articleshow/6039691.cms
---------
4 dead in terrorist attack in Algeria
Jun 11, 2010
ALGIERS: At least four people were killed and 20 injured when a truck
carrying explosives was detonated at a police roadblock in the Algerian city of
Lakhdaria, local media reported Friday.
The victims included two police officers, a Chinese national and an
Algerian civilian, the online daily Tout sur l'Algerie reported. Ten police
officers were among those injured in the attack.
Lakhdaria is some 220 km east of the Algerian capital Algiers
Media reports said that the attack was carried out by the group
al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which is associated with the terrorist network
headed by Osama bin Laden.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Middle-East/4-dead-in-terrorist-attack-in-Algeria/articleshow/6038227.cms
---------
Death is beautiful
Mayank Austen Soofi
Jun 12, 2010
On Wednesday night this week, Delhi celebrated the death anniversary
of its sufi saint, Shah Farhad
The old woman is whirling into a blur. Qawwals are singing. It's a
joyous mood.
Tonight, the sufi shrine of Hazrat Shah Farhad in Bageecha Pirji,
near Sadar Bazaar, is lit up with lamps.
It is Shah Farhad's Urs, his 286th death anniversary. He died in 1723
AD. In Sufism, the death of a saint is celebrated as the occasion when his soul
gets united with that of his beloved, the God. Urs means `wedding' in
Arabic.
Shah Farhad was born in Delhi but grew up in Burhanpur in central
India where his father was a governor. As a child, he got attached to a mystic
who initiated him into an offshoot of the Chishti order. Shah Farhad later
settled in Delhi where he acquired a follow- ing. This evening's crowd is a
proof of his popularity. The Shah's sufis Every morning before open- ing their
stores, the traders in the neighbourhood come to the dargah to get their shop
keys blessed by Shah Farhad. Childless women come asking for
children.
Students come to get their books blessed.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
---------
Obama's Afghanistan Strategy: The News is Bad
By Jim Lobe
Jun 12, 2010
WASHINGTON - While U.S. officials insist they are making progress in
reversing the momentum built up by the Taliban insurgency over the last several
years, the latest news from Afghanistan suggests the opposite may be closer to
the truth.
People gather around the coffins of men who were killed in the
Kandahar attack. (Reuters) Even senior military officials are conceding
privately that their much-touted new counterinsurgency strategy of "clear, hold
and build" in contested areas of the Pashtun southern and eastern parts of the
country are not working out as planned despite the "surge" of some 20,000
additional U.S. troops over the past six months.
Casualties among the nearly 130,000 U.S. and other NATO troops now
deployed in Afghanistan are also mounting quickly.
Full report at:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/06/11-3
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Tension in J&K over youth's death
Jun 12, 2010
SRINAGAR: Curfew-like situation prevailed in the old city on Saturday
as authorities imposed prohibitory orders, while a spontaneous strike was
observed in the rest of the areas to protest against the death of a 17-year-old
youth during a clash between stone-pelting demonstrators and police.
Tufail, who was returning from tuition, was allegedly killed during a
clash between stone-pelting demonstrators and security personnel in Ghani
Memorial Hospital near Rajouri Kadal area.
The death sparked off massive protests in the city till late last
night resulting in injuries to 25 people, including five policemen.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tension-in-JK-over-youths-death/articleshow/6040621.cms
---------
Facebook gives Dawood away
Jun 12th, 2010
In her Facebook profile, Dawood Ibrahim's daughter has given away the
fact that India's most wanted criminal is still living in
Karachi.
Pakistan may claim it has no clue to Dawood's
whereabouts.
But a status message posted on Dawood's daughter Mahrukh's Facebook
profile on May 5, says tellingly: “Missing mom and dad and junaid and reenz and
moeen and mazia and everyone in Karachi.“
All those named are Dawood's family members. Mahrukh, who is said to
live in Lahore with Junaid, cricketer Javed Miandad's son whom she married in
2005, reveals in the profile that she went to school in Clifton, an upmarket
area in Karachi where the Bhuttos too have a home. Indian security agencies have
been insisting Dawood lives in Clifton.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
---------
MECCA MASJID CASE REOPENED, HINDU OUTFIT ROLE
SUSPECTED
Jun 12th, 2010
After three years of a wild goose chase, the CBI has decided to
reopen its investi- gation into the Mecca Masjid blast following a suspicion
that militant Hindu outfit Abhinav Bharat could have been behind the
attack.
Fourteen people lost their lives in the blast and its after- math.
Five people were killed in the explosion and nine in police firing at protesters
who pelted stones at police person- nel after coming out of the mosque in May
2007.
The probe had `turned cold' after the Central Bureau of Investigation
got no leads in the case.
The CBI has now drawn links between the blast in Hyderabad and the
bomb attack in Ajmer in October 2007.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
---------
Pak SC presses govt to reopen Zardari cases
Rezaul H Laskar
Jun 12th, 2010
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Friday directed the Law Ministry to
prepare a fresh proposal for the Prime Minister regarding the implementation of
its verdict annulling a graft amnesty that benefited President Asif Ali
Zardari.
A five-member bench issued the directive during the hear- ing of a
suo moto case over the government's failure to imple- ment the verdict on the
National Reconciliation Ordinance.
Since it struck down the amnesty last year, the court has been
pressing the government to reopen graft cases against Zardari in
Switzerland.
Earlier, the court expressed grave concern over the gov- ernment's
attitude of not imple- menting its verdict.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
---------
Iran protest movement in disarray
Jun 12th, 2010
When office clerks, housewives, students and other urban Iranians
took to the streets a year ago to protest what they said was massive election
fraud by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, they hailed the birth of a leaderless
popular movement that embodied their aspirations for a more open
society.
“We are all together“ became a favourite slogan of the Green
Movement, which sprang to life last year after Ahmadinejad was proclaimed the
landslide winner of the June 12 presidential election.
Defeated opposition candi- dates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi
Karroubi, who quickly turned into figureheads, said it was not they, but
ordinary Iranians, who were leading the massive anti-government demonstrations
that followed the vote. There was no agen- da other than a demand for new
elections; no goal other than the departure of
Ahmadinejad.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
---------
Dissident Islamic guards
Jun 12th, 2010
Six months ago Muhammed Hussein Torkaman was a young Revolutionary
Guard in Iran, working in the security team attached to the supreme leader
Ayatollah Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
As part of this inner security force, the Sar-Allah, or Avengers of
God, he was also responsible, he says, for the leaders' personal safety during
the protests after the presidential elections, which were widely viewed as
having been stolen by Ahmadinejad.
He witnessed increasing dissent within the
guards.
Torkaman, 24, is in hiding in a small, nondescript flat in a
backwater in central Turkey, where he is seeking asylum with his wife and
two-year-old son. His extraordinary account of the depravities of the Iranian
government and its crushing of dissent forms the backbone of a film by Guardian
Films and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
---------
Kashmir biggest hurdle in relations between India, Pak:
Mirwaiz
Jun 12, 2010
Srinagar: Kashmir remained the biggest hurdle in relations between
India and Pakistan and it should top the agenda of any talks between the two
countries,moderate Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said on
Friday.
"Biggest hurdle in the relations between India and Pakistan is
Kashmir issue," he said addressing a Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid in old
city.
"Confidence building (between the two countries) is dependent on
Kashmir issue, and hence it should top the agenda of the talks", he
said.
In his speech, the Mirwaiz referred to the alleged fake encounter in
Machhil in which three youths were killed allegedly by army on April 30
last.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kashmir-biggest-hurdle-in-relations-between-india-pak-mirwaiz/632612/
---------
Moscow gets tough with Tehran
Jun 12, 2010
MOSCOW: Russia hardened its stance against Iran in its nuclear row on
Friday. It said the new UN sanctions prevent Moscow from delivering S-300
air-defense missiles to Tehran, a reversal of the position announced by Russia's
Foreign Ministry the day before. It also said the sanctions ruled out Iran's
membership in a Central Asian regional security bloc.
The Kremlin statement on the missiles was sure to please Israel and
the United States, which have long urged Russia not to supply the powerful
defense system. Russia signed a deal to sell the missiles in 2007, but has
delayed their delivery.
The UN Security Council resolution passed Wednesday bans Iran from
developing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, investing
in nuclear-related activities and buying certain types of heavy
weapons.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article64712.ece
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Abdullah, Sultan condole with Oman over cyclone
deaths
Jun 12, 2010
JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah sent a cable
of condolences to Oman’s Sultan Qaboos on the deaths of people and other losses
occurred when Cyclone Phet swept several parts of the
sultanate.
Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and
aviation also condoled the deaths and calamities in Oman, the Saudi Press Agency
reported on Sunday.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article64722.ece
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Taif woman seeks NSHR help to reunite with
children
By MD HUMAIDAN
Jun 12, 2010
JEDDAH: The Taif branch of the National Society for Human Rights
(NSHR) is currently studying how it can help a woman in Taif establish her right
to visit her six children who live with her ex-husband.
The woman’s case was brought to the attention of the NSHR by a
Jeddah-based satellite television channel recently.
The woman’s six children have been living with their father away in a
village in Jazan after she was separated from the man six years
ago.
The woman’s complaint, forwarded to NSHR by the television, charged
that her husband did not do anything to get their children’s identity documents
processed. Without identity papers the children cannot go to school or even to
hospitals.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article64652.ece
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Israel must act if it wants forgiveness —
Turkey
Jun 12, 2010
PARIS: Israel must make amends to be forgiven for a commando assault
on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, including apologising for the attack and paying
compensation, Turkish President Abdullah Gul told the French daily Le
Monde.
Gul added that if Israel made no move to heal the rift, then Turkey
could even decide to break diplomatic relations.
In an interview published on Friday, Gul said the Israeli attack at
the end of May, which killed nine activists, was a "crime" which might have been
carried out by the likes of Al-Qaeda rather than a sovereign
state.
"It seems impossible to me to forgive or forget, unless there are
some initiatives which could change the situation," Gul was quoted as saying by
Le Monde.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article64740.ece
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In tweet, Turkey's president condemns YouTube
ban
Jun 12, 2010
ANKARA: Turkey's President Abdullah Gul has used his Twitter page to
condemn his country's ban on YouTube and some Google
services.
"I know there are lots of complaints about bans on YouTube and
Google," Gul said in a tweet posted on June 10.
"I am definitely against them being closed down. I have ordered
responsible institutions for a solution. I asked for a change in regulations on
merit."
Human rights groups and media watchdog associations have long urged
Turkey, a European Union candidate, to reform its restrictive Internet
laws.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article64738.ece
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Russia’s unique present to Islamic world
Jun 12, 2010
In 2006, the Moscow Mint of the Ministry of Finance of Russia, cast
the only and exact copy of the manuscript dated to the 8th century “The Qur’an
of Uthman.”
The copy represents 163 plates made of Au 999 gold. It took the
Moscow Mint a year and a half to make the copy.
Then in a Jan. 25, 2007, press conference in Moscow, Professor D.V.
Frolov, head of the Arab philology department of the Moscow State University,
revealed the masterpiece of a manuscript to the world.
He said: “An eternal text perpetuated in the most precious metal is a
miracle of the jeweler’s art and a sample of the highest skill of the Russian
craftsmen. It will now be saved forever. This manuscript is very important for
science. It represents an early stage of the text composition including the fact
that ways of “handwriting” differ from modern writing.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/russian_supplement/article64654.ece
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Yemeni boy leaves juvenile home thanks to Arab News
report
By MUHAMMAD HUMAIDAN
Jun 11, 2010
JEDDAH: A 16-year-old Yemeni boy who was sent to a juvenile detention
center in Jeddah 18 months ago has been released after generous members of the
public helped raise SR300,000 to secure his release.
The youngster, called Ali, was jailed until he paid blood money to
the family of a boy whose eye he gouged out during a fight. Arab News published
Ali’s story in April and asked philanthropists to help raise cash for his
release.
“The judge told me to go home to my mother after the money was paid
to the other boy’s family,” said an ecstatic Ali. “I am out now. Thank you very
much. I have been reunited with my mother and I am now living peacefully with
her and my other siblings,” he added.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article64608.ece
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Killers of US diplomat escape from Sudanese
prison
Jun 12, 2010
KHARTOUM, Sudan: Four men sentenced to death for killing a US
diplomat two years ago in the Sudanese capital escaped from the national prison
through an old sewage pipe, the country's police chief said
Friday.
The fugitives crawled through the pipe, which leads from the prison
to a main street, on Thursday night, said police Lt. Gen. Mohammed Abdul-Rahim
Al-Tayeb.
"The federal police are investigating the matter and searching for
the fugitives," Al-Tayeb said in a statement carried by the state news
agency.
Al-Tayeb said the fugitives exchanged fire with security personnel
manning a checkpoint on the outskirts of the capital. In their pursuit, police
arrested the driver of a car transporting the convicts, but the four men were
not recaptured, he said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article64729.ece
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Police arrests Taliban planning Karachi attacks
12 Jun, 2010
KARACHI: Police said they had arrested two Taliban militants on
Friday who were planning “terror attacks” in Karachi.
The two members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were arrested
during a police raid in the Baldia area, senior police official Omar Shahid told
AFP.
“The police are interrogating the two men, Inamullah Mehsud, a
resident of North Waziristan tribal region, and his local facilitator
Sajjadullah Mehsud,”Shahid said.
Pistols, explosives and bomb-making accessories had been recovered in
the raid, he said.
The men were planning to bring a suicide bomber to the city from
North Waziristan, but “the arrests foiled their attempts to strike terror in
Karachi,” Shahid said.
A local intelligence official also confirmed Friday's
arrests.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/metropolitan/12-police+arrests+taliban+planning+karachi+attacks--bi-05
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Govt not abusing Punjab in the name of Taliban:
Kaira
11 Jun, 2010
LAHORE: Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira on Friday said that if
the Punjab government would eliminate the militant hideouts in South Punjab, the
federal government would not need to conduct an operation in the
area.
While talking to media persons at the Lahore airport, Kaira said that
it was wrong to think that they were abusing Punjab because of Punjabi
Taliban.
He said that Chudhary Nisar had criticized the government on the
issue of pay increase while being exasperated, and it had nothing to do with the
PML-N policy.
Kaira said that in coalition government allies often took opposite
stances from each other and that no one was leaving the
government.
He said everyone including the government, opposition and the people
were demanding the arrest of the culprits involved in the assassination of
former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/12-govt+not+abusing+punjab+in+the+name+of+taliban-kaira--bi-01
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Two Taliban held in Karachi
12 Jun, 2010
KARACHI, June 11: Police said they had arrested two Taliban militants
on Friday who were planning “terror attacks” in the financial hub.
The two members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were arrested
during a police raid in the Baldia area, senior police official Omar Shahid
said.
“The police are interrogating the two men, Inamullah Mehsud, a
resident of North Waziristan tribal region, and his local facilitator
Sajjadullah Mehsud,” he said.
Pistols, explosives and bomb-making accessories had been recovered in
the raid, he said.
The men were planning to bring a suicide bomber to the city from
North Waziristan, but “the arrests foiled their attempts to strike terror in
Karachi,” Shahid said.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/two-taliban-held-in-karachi-260
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3 women kidnapped, girl killed
12 Jun, 2010
SUKKUR, June 11: A teenage girl was killed and three women were
kidnapped from Raja Khan Jakhrani village near Jacobabad night.
Armed people barged into the house of Mohammad Sachal Jamali and
opened fire, killing Noor Khatoon, 15, daughter of Mohammad Nawaz Jamali, on the
spot.
Later, they kidnapped Naziran, wife of Mohammad Sachal; Hanifan, wife
of Mohammad Nawaz; and Benazir, wife of Imtiaz Jamali, in a double cabin pickup.
In the morning, the police took the body to a local hospital for
autopsy and, on the complaint of Mohammad Sachal, registered a case against 12
people, including Tooh, Mohammad Nawaz, Muhabat, Khadim Ali, Mohammad Alam,
Malook alias Wichoo, all Chandio by caste.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/3-women-kidnapped,-girl-killed-260
---------
Obama criticised Israel is doomed, says
Ahmadinejad
12 Jun, 2010
SHANGHAI, June 11: Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday
Israel was ‘doomed’ and singled out US President Barack Obama for scorn, blaming
Washington for orchestrating new nuclear sanctions against Tehran.
Speaking during a visit to the World Expo in Shanghai, Ahmadinejad
denounced the UN Security Council's sanctions resolution adopted on Wednesday
with Chinese and Russian backing as ‘worthless paper’.
The firebrand leader accused global nuclear powers of “monopolising”
atomic technology and said the new sanctions would “have no effect” — reserving
most of his tough rhetoric for the United States, not his ally Beijing.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/obama-criticised-israel-is-doomed,-says-ahmadinejad-260
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The one word which makes all the difference
By Usman Manzoor
June 12, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Where General Ziaul Haq is known for his ‘Islamic
provisions’ that he inserted in the Constitution of Pakistan at the same time
his un-Islamic omission of a word from the Objectives Resolution has gone
unheard until it was discussed in the Supreme Court on June
8.
The recent proceedings of the Supreme Court regarding alteration in
the Objectives Resolution by General Ziaul Haq has given rise to many questions
that why only one word was changed in the Objectives Resolution while no
religion in the world stops any person from freely confessing and practicing his
religion. This word has been once again put in the Objectives resolution in the
18th Amendment.
Veteran religious scholar, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman says that Islam
ensures that minorities own and practice their religions freely. He said
minorities can even preach their religion to the followers of their religions
according to Islam and no one can be dragged into Muslim-hood through force.
Full report at:
http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=244618
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‘Iran arrests Nobel winner Ebadi’s aide’
June 12, 2010
TEHRAN: An aide to Iranian Nobel peace winner Shirin Ebadi has been
arrested before the anniversary of Iran’s disputed presidential election,
Ebadi’s rights groups said on Friday. “Narges Mohammadi was arrested at her home
last night,” the Defenders of Human Rights Centre said. Mohammadi, a mother of
two, is a close aide to Ebadi and is the spokeswoman of the rights group, which
is a vocal critic of the Iranian regime’s treatment of dissidents and regularly
reports on rights ‘abuses.’ Ebadi left Iran on the eve of the June 12, 2009
poll, which gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term amid widespread
allegations by his opponents of fraud. That sparked street protests, which
rocked the Islamic republic last summer and winter. Security forces cracked down
heavily, with dozens of protesters killed, hundreds arrested and scores of
prominent reformists, journalists and rights campaigners put on trial – with
many receiving stiff jail sentences.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\12\story_12-6-2010_pg20_7
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15 die in US drone attack in Pak
Jun 12, 2010
ISLAMABAD: The toll in a US drone attack in northwest Pakistan has
risen to 15, after 11 people succumbed to their injuries in a hospital, a media
report said.
Four people died on the spot and several were injured when missiles
hit a house in North Waziristan's Datta Khel area on Friday.
This was the second drone attack in the area in two days. On
Thursday, three people were killed in a similar attack.
The US has intensified drone attacks against militants in North
Waziristan in recent months.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/15-die-in-US-drone-attack-in-Pak/articleshow/6041037.cms
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ANC advocates inclusion of Kashmiris in Indo-Pak
dialogue
Jun 12, 2010
SRINAGAR: Jammu & Kashmir Awami National Conference (ANC) on
Saturday advocated inclusion of Kashmiri people in the Indo-Pak dialogue, as
they are the principal sufferers and need to have a say in the process.
"Until the facilitation of the people of Kashmir from both the sides
of the LOC takes place and unless they are included in the Indo-Pak dialogue,
the dialogue would be incomplete," said ANC senior Vice-President Muzaffar Shah.
Referring to the memorandum submitted by ANC to the PM during his
recent visit to the state, Shah said, "We made it clear to the PM that without
active participation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, no exercise will be
fruitful."
Shah criticised functioning of the state government and alleged it of
being "non-functional, paralysed and out of gear".
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ANC-advocates-inclusion-of-Kashmiris-in-Indo-Pak-dialogue/articleshow/6041336.cms
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Fighter jets kill 10 militants in Orakzai
12 Jun, 2010
PARACHINAR: Fighter jets destroyed several militant hide-outs in
northwest Pakistan’s Orakzai tribal region, killing 10 insurgents, a local
official said.
Samiullah Khan, a local administrator, said the strikes Saturday
targeted remnants of the Pakistani Taliban in the tribal region, where the army
declared victory last week over the militants.
He said some militants were also wounded in the
attacks.
Pakistan launched an operation in Orakzai in mid-March against
militants who fled last year from an army offensive in the South Waziristan
tribal region.
The government says it has killed scores of militants in the
operation, but the remoteness of the area makes it impossible to independently
confirm its claims.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-orakzai-fighter-jets-qs-07
3:03 AM
Sultan Shahin
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