Aziz Ansari is the next big thing: Forbes
After breastfeeding, bottle-feeding raises eyebrows in MakkahJuD a terror outfit, admits Pakistan
Pak special forces to crack down on JuD, other groups
Imam entangled in terrorism case leaves US
4 militants killed in attack on Dir fort
Lashkar kills three militants in FR Kohat
Three NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan
2 killed as violence erupts in Srinagar, curfew imposed
Chinese Islamic militants setting up bases in Pakistan
'Ishrat Jahan was an LeT suicide bomber': Times of India report
Hindutva Party on front foot after Headley’s Ishrat claim
Ishrat Jahan's mom seeks Chidambaram's help
UK Methodists "dare more than words" for just peace in Palestine and Israel
Mullah ‘Lame’ killed in N. Waziristan shootout
Post-curbs, Iran jets in refuelling row
Britain, Germany, UAE Refuse Fuel To Iran Jets
UK, UAE deny refusing fuel to Iranian planes
UAE airports continue to refuel Iranian planes
Terrorism funding: ‘Misuse of microfinance banking can be checked’
Punjab bans 23 outfits acting under new names
Lebanese authorities seize all Kellogg's cereals from US
Iran's Islamic hairstyle catalogue: a guide to religious hair
Afghan Sikhs: forgotten victims
Hindus brave violence to reach Indian Kashmir shrine
Curfew reimposed, Anantnag march foiled
India to US: Iran curbs will hurt us
AMU seeks help against radioactive source
Kashmir Valley under curfew, restrictions
Pak army finds Taliban difficult to root out
After Lahore, Gilani calls all-party meet on terror
Woman loses Malaysian citizenship as name in India voters' list
Attack against Islamic tenets: Muslim leaders
Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus launch customs union
SC tells Pak Govt to reopen cases against Zardari by July 12
Britain’s Islamist terrorists are home grown: Study
India, UAE work out prisoner transfer deal
Terrorists involved in Ahmedi mosque attack arrested
Pak bogged down in fight against Taliban
Engage Taliban in talks to control terrorism: Imran
Israel Won’t Apologise, Turkey Says Will Cut Ties
‘Obama’s July 2011 Deadline For Afghan Was A Mistake’
1 Soldier Killed In Pak Suicide Blast
Pak troops violate cease fire again, BSF jawan killed
Provinces back efforts to combat terror
Acquittal of Marriott attack accused challenged
Now is time to strike at Al Qaeda, affiliates: US
US wants to win a lost war in Pakistan: JI chief
59 journalists killed this year
S. Arabia to sign N-energy accord with France
Libya extradites 100 Niger prisoners
Egypts ‘apostate scholar’ dies
Saudi Arabia agrees on nuclear energy pact with France
Iran power deal seen unlikely to address Pakistan’s immediate needs
Bahrain court jails 7 men in Pakistani's death
Sanctions are biting in Iran, exiled group says
Bangladesh detains 200 after Jamaat protest violence
Kabul weighs Islamabad’s offer to train its military
Jailed Kurdish children a blight on Turkey's future
Monthlong tourism festival begins in Hail
Sarkozy, Mubarak discuss Middle East peace
Alleged Mossad spy appears before Polish court
Soldiers killed in Yemen clash with Al-Qaeda
Israel publishes list of goods banned from Gaza
Wanted Taleban commander killed
Special Report: Why the attention on Pakistan's Chashma nuclear complex?
Israel eases Gaza closure, but restrictions remain
Welcome to smart bombs Ramzy Baroud (Debate)
The need to save Kyrgyzstan
Palestinian groups urge civil rights reform
Lebanon wins if Palestinians are granted the right to work
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Indian American actor comedian Aziz Ansari
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Aziz Ansari is the next big thing: Forbes
July 06, 2010
Indian American actor comedian Aziz Ansari has been named "The Next Big Thing" among 17 stars to watch by the US business magazine Forbes.
Funny People grossed $70 million at the global box office last year, but the film introduced the world to the foul-mouthed standup comic Raaaaaaaandy, a creation of comic Aziz Ansari, 27, whose parents emigrated from Tamil Nadu.
The gig earned him a three-picture deal with Apatow and GE's Universal Pictures. With his partner Jason Woliner, Ansari is working on a movie about Raaaaaaaandy as well as a road trip film about two motivational speakers, Forbes reported.
In addition to his film development work, Ansari co-stars on the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation where he plays wannabe ladies man Tom Haverford.
The show has struggled with ratings but has helped grow Ansari's fan base. He recently hosted the MTV Movie Awards, holding his own with performers like Tom Cruise and Sandra Bullock.
Ansari is a big proponent of the web. He has 260,000 followers on Twitter and he uses his website, Aziz is Bored, to show videos he's made, including several from the MTV Movie Awards, promote his concert tours and link to his favourite music videos.
Ansari looks at social media as "an interesting way to kind of connect with your audience".
"It's weird because now, if you like a celebrity you can know so much about them through social media, like what TV shows and music they like, things like that," he told Forbes.
He and a frequent collaborator, Jason Woliner, are writing some movies to do with producer Judd Apatow, he said. "Jason will direct and I will star in them. We are in the early stages of writing them, but the goal is to shoot one of them on my next hiatus from Parks and Recreation."
Others in the stars to watch list include teenage singer Justin Bieber, multiple Grammy award winning "Kings of Leon" group, "Twilight" star Taylor Lautner and Zoe Saldana, who portrayed Neytiri in James Cameron's epic "Avatar".
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Aziz-Ansari-is-the-next-big-thing-Forbes/H1-Article1-568045.aspx
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After breastfeeding, bottle-feeding raises eyebrows in Makkah
By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA
Jul 6, 2010
MAKKAH: The Health Affairs Department in Makkah has approved a two-month training program on bottle-feeding that will see female representatives of two artificial milk companies deliver lectures at government health centers in the Holy City.
The program has, however, raised eyebrows with critics saying it violates a royal decree governing alternatives to breastfeeding.
“The claim to raise awareness about health is only a ploy under which the representatives of the milk companies will promote bottle-feeding,” said Dr. Zaynab Abu Razizah, a consultant in family medicine and coordinator of the breast-feeding program at primary health centers in Makkah. She added that all artificial milk companies are forbidden from entering hospitals and clinics, which are also forbidden from cooperating with them in any way.
Abu Razizah said the decision to allow representatives of artificial milk companies to carry out awareness programs in health institutions is against a decision issued by the Council of Ministers, a circular issued by the Ministry of Health and international codes of conduct.
“The informal agreement signed by the Department of Health Affairs in Makkah with these two milk companies is in violation of all circulars we have earlier issued preventing such firms and their representatives from entering health establishments. These courses will ultimately promote artificial milk and bottle-feeding over breast-feeding,” she added.
“What would make an official abandon his responsibility, break laws and regulations, undermine people’s health, openly announce his support of artificial milk companies and open health center doors to these companies to promote their products?” she said.
Abu Razizah said she has defied the director of the Training and Education Center at the Primary Health Care Department who insisted on allowing a female representative of an artificial milk company to deliver a lecture about bottle-feeding during a special training course on breastfeeding. “I kicked her out and as a reward the director of the center canceled all our programs and activities for the rest of the year,” she said.
She said she has reported these violations to officials but no action has been taken against the director. “Ironically, a few days after the incident, the same man wrote in local newspapers calling for the application of international norms on breast-feeding and asked for violators to be punished.”
She stressed that the health awareness program approved by the Department of Health Affairs in Makkah and which permits representatives of artificial milk companies to deliver lectures on bottle-feeding is against the rules. “They allege that these companies spread health awareness through their daily presence in health centers. It’s like putting honey in poison. There should not be any exceptions to laws and rules,” she said.
Abu Razizah also said it is a violation of the rules for the directors of health centers to cooperate with representatives of milk companies despite the presence of qualified and accredited experts in breast-feeding at these centers.
She said officials at the Department of Health Affairs have ignored her calls to abrogate the agreement.
According to statistics, the number of mothers who breast-feed their children reached 40,000 last year. “This is the result of six years of hard work which has been abandoned overnight by the agreement,” she said.
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article79547.ece
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JuD a terror outfit, admits Pakistan
July 06, 2010
Declaring JuD as a terror outfit, Pakistani authorities have formed special task forces to crack down on 16 radical groups, including the Lashker-e-Taiba, in the wake of the suicide attack on the Data Darbar shrine.
The Home Department of Punjab has set up the task forces comprising officials of the CID, Special Branch and Anti-Terrorism Squad in several districts of the province, said a report by BBC Urdu.
The groups against which action will be taken include the JuD, LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba, and Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi, among others.
Nine of the groups belong to the hardline Deobandi sect, three are Shia organisations while three are influenced by the ideology of Ahl-e-Hadith.
The other groups on the list are Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Jafriya Pakistan, Millat-e-Islamiya Pakistan, Khudamul Islam, Islami Tehrik Pakistan, Hizb-ut-Tehrir, Jamiat-ul-Ansar, Jamiat-ul-Furqan, Khair-un-Naas International Trust, Islamic Students Movement and Balochistan Liberation Army.
The BLA is a Baloch nationalist group and the ISM is a radical students' organisation.
However, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan is not among the groups to be targeted by the task forces.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said the Taliban and al Qaeda are working with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba in parts of the country, especially Punjab.
The Sunni Tehrik also has been placed under observation by the Home Department.
About 4,000 people are currently under surveillance under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act for alleged links with extremist groups.
They have to inform police stations in their areas about their movements.
The task forces have been advised to establish close contact with intelligence officers in the districts to exchange information on the 17 organisations that will be the focus of the crackdown.
An official of the Punjab Home Department told BBC Urdu that orders had been issued to launch crackdowns on the hideouts of these groups and arrest those connected with them immediately.
The task forces have also been asked to trace those who are financing these groups and their other sources of funding so that action can be taken under the Anti-Terrorist Act.
The task forces led by district police chiefs will report to the Punjab Home Department.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/JuD-a-terror-outfit-admits-Pakistan/H1-Article1-568048.aspx
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Pak special forces to crack down on JuD, other groups
Rezaul H Laskar
Pakistani authorities have formed special task forces to crack down on 17 radical groups, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, in the wake of the suicide attack on the Data Darbar shrine.
The Home Department of Punjab has set up the task forces comprising officials of the Crime Investigation Department, Special Branch and Anti-Terrorism Squad in several districts of the province, said a report by BBC Urdu.
The groups against which action will be taken include the JuD, LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e- Sahaba, and Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi, among others.
Nine of the groups belong to the hardline Deobandi sect, three are Shia organisations while three are influenced by the ideology of Ahl-e-Hadith.
The other groups on the list are Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Jafriya Pakistan, Millat-e-Islamiya Pakistan, Khudamul Islam, Islami Tehrik Pakistan, Hizb-ut-Tehrir, Jamiat-ul-Ansar, Jamiat-ul-Furqan, Khair-un-Naas International Trust, Islamic Students Movement and Balochistan Liberation Army.
The BLA is a Baloch nationalist group and the ISM is a radical students’ organisation. However, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan is not among the groups to be targeted by the task forces.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said the Taliban and al Qaeda are working with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba in parts of the country, especially Punjab. The Sunni Tehrik also has been placed under observation by the Home Department.
About 4,000 people are currently under surveillance under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act for alleged links with extremist groups.
They have to inform police stations in their areas about their movements.
The task forces have been advised to establish close contact with intelligence officers in the districts to exchange information on the 17 organisations that will be the focus of the crackdown.
An official of the Punjab Home Department told BBC Urdu that orders had been issued to launch crackdowns on the hideouts of these groups and arrest those connected with them immediately.
The task forces have also been asked to trace those who are financing these groups and their other sources of funding so that action can be taken under the Anti-Terrorist Act. The task forces led by district police chiefs will report to the Punjab Home Department.
Pressure is mounting on the Punjab Government to crack down on militant groups in the province in the wake of the attack on Data Darbar shrine in which 45 people were killed.
Several leading Sunni groups have also demanded that provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah should be sacked for his alleged links with the Sipah-e-Sahaba.
The Punjab Government and Interior Minister Rehman Malik have engaged in a war of words over the sharing of intelligence on possible terrorist attacks.
Malik has insisted that a “clear and specific” warning was issued to the Punjab Government that terrorists could target mosques or other places of worship before the suicide attack on Data Darbar.
Former PM Nawaz Sharif contended that intelligence and security agencies were not sharing information with provincial authorities.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/267251/Pak-special-forces-to-crack-down-on-JuD-other-groups.html
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4 militants killed in attack on Dir fort
By Haleem Asad
06 Jul, 2010
TIMERGARA, July, 5: Four militants in vehicles packed with explosives and rockets stormed a heavily-guarded fort in Lower Dir early on Monday morning, killing one soldier and injuring 12 others.
Two civilians suffered minor injuries when paramilitary troops returned fire after the attack on the Dir Scouts headquarters in Balambat at about 2am.
The Inter-Services Public Relations said that two explosives-laden vehicles were destroyed and four suicide attackers were killed.
Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said they had freed their associates detained in the fort.
Hafizullah, who identified himself as a spokesman for the Taliban, told journalists on phone from an unspecified place that six men had taken part in the assault -- four of them were killed and two returned safely. The fort is used as a centre where paramilitary soldiers are trained reportedly by US military personnel. In a blast in Lower Dir on Feb 3 this year, three US trainers were killed.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/4-militants-killed-in-attack-on-dir-fort-670
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Lashkar kills three militants in FR Kohat
06 Jul, 2010
KOHAT, July 5: A tribal lashkar killed three militants and injured other two others in a clash in the Anar Khel area of Frontier Region of Kohat on Monday.
A tribal elder, who wished not to be named, told Dawn they had formed half a dozen parties each comprising 40 to 50 armed tribesmen to carry out search in the hilly areas where militants had taken refuge for the last several years.
On Monday, they launched an operation and killed three militants.
The action was taken in the wake of the killing of a tribal elder and his two family members in an explosion on Sunday morning.
GHALANAI: A volunteer of a peace committee was killed and two paramilitary soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion in the Koang area near the Afghan border in the Mohmand Agency on Monday.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/lashkar-kills-three-militants-in-fr-kohat-670
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Three NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan
06 July, 2010
KABUL—Three NATO soldiers have been killed fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, two of them in a bomb attack in the relatively peaceful west of the country, the military said Monday. A third soldier was killed on patrol in the south, where the nearly nine-year war is at its fiercest, on American Independence Day, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.
It later announced two soldiers died in western Afghanistan on Monday following an improvised explosive device (IED) attack. Such bombs are a high-profile Taliban weapon and responsible for the overwhelming majority of deaths of both troops and civilians in the war. The nationalities of the soldiers were not given.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0710/06/FrontPage/index.php?id=14
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2 killed as violence erupts in Srinagar, curfew imposed
Jul 6, 2010
SRINAGAR: After days of calm, fresh violence erupted in Srinagar leaving two persons dead following which indefinite curfew was clamped in the city on Tuesday.
One person was killed when security personnel allegedly opened fire at a stone-pelting mob protesting the death of a man after falling into a drain during a demonstration in Batmaloo area of the city.
A 25-year-old woman was killed by a stray bullet in the same area when security forces fired in air to disperse a mob which went on a rampage and attacked a police building, police said.
The protests had begun in the area late last night when a group of men started throwing stones at a security contingent. The protesters were chased by security personnel and one of them identified as Muzaffar Ahmad fell in the drain. His body was later fished out.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/2-killed-as-violence-erupts-in-Srinagar-curfew-imposed/articleshow/6135431.cms
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Chinese Islamic militants setting up bases in Pakistan
06 July, 2010
An increasing number of militants of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement fighting for separation of China’s Muslim majority Xinjiang province were “fleeing to Pakistan and settling down there for future plots,” a state-run newspaper reported on Sunday.
“According to latest reports, the ETIM has been in close collaboration with the Taliban and Osama bin Laden,” the China Daily said in its lead story on the first anniversary of the bloody riots in Xinjiang capital Urumqi in which an estimated 200 people were killed.
It said an ETIM leader is also reported to be hiding in Pakistan and there are also reports of a “Chinese battalion” made up of about 320 ETIM members in the Taliban forces.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/267249/Chinese-Islamic-militants-setting-up-bases-in-Pakistan.html
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'Ishrat Jahan was an LeT suicide bomber': Times of India report
06 July, 2010
Bearing out the version of Gujarat Police, American-born Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist David Headley has claimed before NIA sleuths that Ishrat Jahan, a Mumbai girl killed in a police encounter in Ahmedabad, was a suicide bomber of the outfit.
Official sources said that Headley shared this information with the four-member team comprising officials from National Investigation Agency and Law Department during their visit to Chicago in the US.
The girl, whose death had sparked a major controversy, was alleged to be a member of Lashker's suicide squad who had been inducted by top LeT operative Muzamil.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/267166/Ishrat-Jahan-was-an-LeT-suicide-bomber.html
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Hindutva Party on front foot after Headley’s Ishrat claim
Rathin Das | Ahmedabad
US-based Pakistani terrorist David Headley’s reported claim that Mumbra girl Ishrat Jahan, killed in an encounter near here in June 2004, was a Lashker-e-Tayyeeba (LeT) suicide bomber, has come as a morale booster for the State BJP.
The news comes at a time when the final hearing on petitions demanding a CBI probe into the allegedly fake encounter is scheduled to come up next week in the Gujarat High Court.
Sources quoting the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which had recently quizzed Headley in US, have said that Ishrat was recruited by LeT commander Muzzammil for operations in India.
Ever since, Ishrat, her friend Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai and two Pakistan-based accomplices — Amzad Ali and Jishan Johar — were gunned down on the outskirts of the city on June 15, 2004, the Gujarat Police has been accused of staging a fake encounter with the motive of getting into Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s good books.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/267385/BJP-on-front-foot-after-Headley%E2%80%99s-Ishrat-claim.html
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Ishrat Jahan's mom seeks Chidambaram's help
Jul 6, 2010
Mumbra: The TOI report on Ishrat Jahan's Lashkar-e-Taiba links stirred a fresh controversy on Monday, with the slain 19-year-old Mumbra girl's mother seeking a clarification from Union home minister P Chidambaram on the issue.
Ishrat's mother, Shamima Kausar (51), without going into the details of the LeT charge, reiterated that her daughter was killed in cold blood in a staged gun battle by the Gujarat Police in 2004. "The news is an attempt to prejudice Gujarat HC, which is looking into my appeal for a CBI probe in Ishrat's death. Already a magisterial inquiry in Gujarat has declared the encounter as fake and proved her innocence. I'll approach the union home minister and ask him to come clean on this issue,'' Kausar told TOI.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Ishrat-Jahans-mom-seeks-Chidambarams-help/articleshow/6132205.cms
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UK Methodists "dare more than words" for just peace in Palestine and
Israel
06 July, 2010
The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has congratulated the United Kingdom's National Methodist Conference “important and forward looking resolutions by your church around the question of a just peace for Palestine and Israel.” The conference, which met on 24 June to 1 July in Portsmouth, has received a report entitled “Justice for Palestine and Israel” and voted on 11 resolutions pertaining to it. These include a request to the Methodist Faith and Order Committee to “undertake further work on the theological issues, including Christian Zionism, raised in the report that are needed to guide and support the approach of the Methodist Church to the
Israeli/Palestinian situation”.
On a more practical ground, the Conference called on the Methodist people “to support and engage with [the] boycott of Israeli goods” emanating from illegal settlements as their response to a call of the WCC in 2009 supported by Palestinian Christians in the "Kairos document" and a growing number of Jewish organizations, both inside Israel and worldwide. Full report at:
(From the World Council of Churches, 2 July 2010).
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Mullah ‘Lame’ killed in N. Waziristan shootout
06 Jul, 2010
PESHAWAR, July 5: A militant killed on Sunday in an exchange of fire with security forces at a Miramshah checkpost in North Waziristan has been identified as ‘commander’ Amirullah alias Mullah Gud.
He carried Rs20 million price on his head.
A press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations here on Monday said the man was on the government’s wanted list for his militant activities.
Mullah ‘Gud’ (meaning the limping Mullah) belonged to the Taliban stronghold of Makeen in South Waziristan.
He was accused of being involved in attacks on security forces, kidnapping for ransom and other anti-state activities.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/mullah-lame-killed-in-n.-waziristan-shootout-670
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Post-curbs, Iran jets in refuelling row
Jul 6, 2010
TEHRAN: TEHRAN: Airports in Britain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates have refused to refuel Iranian passenger planes since Washington imposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran last week, ISNA news agency said on Monday.
IRNA, the official state news agency, said in a separate report that Kuwaiti airports have also turned down fuel for Iranian passenger planes. “Since last week, after the passing of the unilateral law by America and the sanctions against Iran, airports in England, Germany, the UAE have refused to give fuel to Iranian planes,” ISNA quoted Mehdi Aliyari, secretary of Iranian Airlines Union, as saying.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Post-curbs-Iran-jets-in-refuelling-row/articleshow/6132631.cms
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Britain, Germany, UAE Refuse Fuel To Iran Jets
Jul 06th, 2010
Airports in Britain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates have refused to offer fuel to Iranian passenger jets after unilateral sanctions imposed by Washington, ISNA news agency said on Monday.
IRNA, the official state news agency, said in a separate report that Kuwaiti airports have also declined to offer fuel to Iranian passenger planes. “Since last week, after the passing of the unilateral law by America and the sanctions against Iran, airports in England, Germany, the UAE have refused to give fuel to Iranian planes,” ISNA quoted Mehdi Aliyari, secretary of Iranian Airlines Union, as saying.
On Thursday, US President Barack Obama signed into law the toughest ever US sanctions on Iran, which he said would strike at Tehran’s capacity to finance its nuclear programme and deepen its isolation.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/britain-germany-uae-refuse-fuel-iran-jets-616
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UK, UAE deny refusing fuel to Iranian planes
July 06, 2010
TEHRAN: An Iranian official said that airports in Britain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates had started to refuse to refuel passenger planes from Iran but the reports were denied in all three countries on Monday.
“Since last week, after the passing of the unilateral law by America and the sanctions against Iran, airports in England, Germany, the UAE have refused to give fuel to Iranian planes,” said Mehdi Aliyari, secretary of the Iranian Airlines Union, quoted by ISNA news agency.
Aliyari said their refusal has so far impacted Iran Air, the national carrier, and a leading private airline, Mahan Air, as both operate several flights to Europe.
Heshmatollah Falahat-Pisheh, an MP and member of the Iranian parliament’s committee on foreign policy and national security, warned of retaliatory action by Tehran, especially towards the United Arab Emirates.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=249184
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UAE airports continue to refuel Iranian planes Allan Jacob & Martin Croucher
6 July 2010
UAE airport authorities on Monday denied reports they had stopped refuelling Iranian passenger flights after Washington imposed sanctions on Tehran last week.
Dubai Airports clarified that the sanctions would not affect flights of Iran Air, the national airline of that country, and Mahan Air, a private carrier.
“Dubai Airports confirms that Iranian airlines operating in and out of Dubai International continue to be refuelled,” a Dubai Airports spokeman, said.
The capital’s airport authority also denied accusations that Iranian passenger jets had been banned. Reuters quoting a spokeswoman for Abu Dhabi Airports Company said that there had been no change in policy over Iranian jets refuelling in the capital.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/July/theuae_July125.xml§ion=theuae
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Terrorism funding: ‘Misuse of microfinance banking can be checked’
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
KARACHI: The misuse of microfinance banking facilities for funding terrorism can be checked by monitoring the frequency and size of transactions, said Robert A Annibale, Global Director Citi Microfinance and Community Development on Monday.
Addressing a press conference, he said that the use of new tools for cash transfer posed threats of terror funding. “But this can be checked by monitoring frequency and size of transactions, cellular companies’ data and some other things.”
He said that Pakistan had one of the ideal banking regulations in the world. He lauded the initiatives of SBP on the microfinance banking in the country. Annibale said that the microfinance banking was moving ahead despite challenges that emerged owing to the global financial crisis.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=249031
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Punjab bans 23 outfits acting under new names
06 Jul, 2010
LAHORE: The Punjab government has banned 23 militant organisations operating under new names after having been outlawed and directed police to keep a strict vigil on 1,690 office-bearers and workers of the outfits after including them in Schedule 4.
According to the provincial home department, Jamaatud Dawa of Hafiz Saeed has not been restricted like others, but Mr Saeed and his two associates have been barred from travelling abroad. Their accounts have been frozen and they will not be able to get arms licences.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/outfits-acting-under-new-names-banned-670
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Lebanese authorities seize all Kellogg's cereals from US
By The Daily Star
July 02, 2010
BEIRUT: The head of Lebanon’s consumers’ protection association Zuhair Berro said on Thursday that Kellogg’s cereals coming from the US have been confiscated in Beirut, although he added that he doesn’t know whether the products were seized in other parts of the country.
“We sent people from the association to follow up on this issue and we found out that Kellogg’s products coming from the US – which constitute 20 percent of the Kellogg’s cereals that Lebanon receives – have been pulled from the market,” Berro told The Daily Star.
The Economy and Trade Ministry said Tuesday it had seized four brands of Kellogg’s cereals after a report by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the cereals would be recalled because they have a bad smell and taste.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=3&article_id=116620#ixzz0ssfm8hd7
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Iran's Islamic hairstyle catalogue: a guide to religious hair
By Heidi Blake
06 Jul 2010
Iran's culture ministry has produced a catalogue of haircuts that comply with Iranian culture and Islamic law. Here's a guide to the rules of religious hair.
Iran government issues style guide for men's hair: An official describes appropriate hairstyles for men at an official hairstyle show in Tehran
Muslim hair
Muslim tradition requires that women should wear their hair long and conceal it beneath a hijab, which covers the head and neck. Men are forbidden for letting their hair grow long in a way that would resemble a woman’s. It is considered devout for men to emulate the prophet Mohammed by growing their beards long and trimming their moustaches.
Sikh hair
Full report at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7874274/Irans-Islamic-hair-catalogue-a-guide-to-religious-hairstyles.html
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Afghan Sikhs: forgotten victims
06 Jul 2010
They suffered under the mujahideen and the Taliban – but Afghan Sikhs still feel a strong bond with the country
Few people outside Afghanistan are aware of the Afghan Sikh community: a little-known, inconspicuous religious minority whose mass exodus from Afghanistan began with the coming to power of the mujahideen in 1992. The decision to leave Afghanistan at that particular juncture made sense. After all, the new rulers had an established reputation for religious intolerance.
The collapse of the Soviet-backed regime had left Afghan Sikhs in a vulnerable position. With their black dastar headgear and their neat but untrimmed beards, they stood out from the Muslim crowd, and became an easily identifiable target for crime and harassment.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/jul/06/afghanistan-sikhs-persecution
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Hindus brave violence to reach Indian Kashmir shrine
By Izhar Wani
SRINAGAR, India — Thousands of Hindu pilgrims are trekking along slippery trails to reach a shrine high in the mountains of Indian Kashmir despite violent protests in the Muslim-majority region.
Strikes and demonstrations have paralysed the Kashmir valley over the killing of 11 civilians in the last month by Indian police and paramilitary forces struggling to control separatist rallies.
However, the annual Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath caves in the Himalayas has still attracted tens of thousands of devotees to see the natural ice formation that is worshipped as a symbol of Shiva, the god of destruction.
By Monday, the sixth day of the two-month pilgrimage, more than 50,000 Hindus -- including scores of ash-smeared holy men -- had made the gruelling climb to the shrine, which is set 3,900 metres (12,800 feet) above sea level.
Full report at:
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.
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Curfew reimposed, Anantnag march foiled
Jul 6, 2010
SRINAGAR: Authorities imposed curfew at several places across Kashmir Valley on Monday to foil a march to south Kashmir's Anantnag town. Separatists had called for the march to express solidarity with families of three youth killed in CRPF firing there last week.
Hundreds of troops, carrying automatic rifles, patrolled empty streets, erected barricades and restricted people's movement to foil the march, a day after a nine-day curfew was lifted from Srinagar and other major towns.
Cops used loudspeakers to make announcements asking people to stay indoors.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Curfew-reimposed-Anantnag-march-foiled/articleshow/6132209.cms
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India to US: Iran curbs will hurt us
Indrani Bagchi
Jul 6, 2010
NEW DELHI: India is pressing the reset button on its relations with Iran. In a significant comment, India ticked off the US for its recent sanctions against Iran, which it said would directly affect Indian companies and India's "energy security".
In a speech at an India-Iran strategic dialogue here, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said, "We are justifiably concerned that the extra-territorial nature of certain unilateral sanctions recently imposed by individual countries, with their restrictions on investment by third countries in Iran's energy sector, can have a direct and adverse impact on Indian companies and more importantly, on our energy security and our attempts to meet the development needs of our people."
India imports 18 million tonnes of oil from Iran out of a total of 140 million tonnes annually. According to sources, India's investment in Iran's energy sector is around $100 million. Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India-to-US-Iran-curbs-will-hurt-us/articleshow/6131955.cms
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AMU seeks help against radioactive source
Jul 5, 2010
ALIGARH: The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has asked the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to take measures for securing the campus and its vicinity against a radioactive source lying locked in its physics department for several decades, an official said on Monday.
"Experts of the AERB's safety division would soon visit the campus to survey and screen all the radioactive sources that are stored in the university or being used for treatment and research purposes," AMU spokesman Rahat Abrar told reporters.
According to university officials, the radioactive source is probably radium or beryllium and was brought in the varsity in the 1940s.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/AMU-seeks-help-against-radioactive-source/articleshow/6131798.cms
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Kashmir Valley under curfew, restrictions
Jul 5, 2010
SRINAGAR: Most parts of the Kashmir Valley were on Monday under curfew or strict restrictions to scuttle a separatist march to Anantnag town to protest the recent killing of three teenagers there.
Police vehicles fitted with loudspeakers made announcements in various localities late Sunday, asking residents to stay indoors as curfew had been imposed in the summer capital.
Authorities moved heavy police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) reinforcements into the Old City and uptown areas early on Monday to enforce curfew restrictions.
Road intersections were blocked with wire coils and barricades to halt pedestrian and vehicular movement.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Kashmir-Valley-under-curfew-restrictions/articleshow/6130282.cms
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Pak army finds Taliban difficult to root out
Jul 6, 2010
NEW YORK: Pakistan is finding Taliban a tough enemy to beat, with militants using classic guerrilla tactics like sniper fire, roadside bombs and ambushes to their advantage in the fight with security forces, according to a media report.
The army is finding it difficult to hold onto its old victories in Swat Valley and South Waziristan as insurgents have resurfaced in those areas and the counter-insurgency operations are proving to be expensive, the New York Times reported.
The paper said the Pakistan army was chasing the extremists from one area to another, and the lack of civilian authority over functioning of the military did not allow for the consolidation of gains.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-army-finds-Taliban-difficult-to-root-out/articleshow/6132602.cms
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After Lahore, Gilani calls all-party meet on terror
Jul 6, 2010
Pakistani leaders called for a landmark national conference to develop a strategy to counter the Islamist militant threat after a twin suicide attack at a shrine in Lahore.
"We would like to convene a national conference to formulate a national policy on terrorism," said PM Yousuf Raza Gilani. He said that after being "hit hard" in northwest Pakistan, "terrorists are on the run and seeking refuge in the urban areas."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/After-Lahore-Gilani-calls-all-party-meet-on-terror-/articleshow/6132615.cms
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Woman loses Malaysian citizenship as name in India voters' list
Jul 5, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysia-born woman has become stateless after her citizenship was cancelled on the ground that her name appeared in a voter registration list in India.
Mageswari Koothan, 52, said she had never registered as a voter nor voted in India. She cannot get a job here, nor can she return to India to be with her family.
She has appealed for intervention by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to end eight years of misery.
"While the government has revoked my citizenship, India's home ministry stamped my passport for overstaying and granted me a one-way exit to leave the country in 2004," The Star newspaper quoted her as saying on Monday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Woman-loses-Malaysian-citizenship-as-name-in-India-voters-list/articleshow/6129896.cms
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Attack against Islamic tenets: Muslim leaders
Jul 6, 2010
New Delhi: Several Muslim organisations have condemned the violent attack on and chopping off of the hand of T.J. Joseph, a professor in Kerala's Ernakulam district by some miscreants on the pretext of avenging blasphemy.
In a joint statement, they said: “We feel that law was taking its due course against the professor for his misdeed and he was already suspended from his college for a year due to his insult to the Prophet of Islam …”
The signatories are Manzoor Alam, secretary-general, All India Milli Council; Mohammad Jafar, Naib Ameer, Jamaat e Islami Hind and acting president, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat; Zafarul-Islam Khan, former president, All India Muslim Majlis e Mushawarat and Editor of The Milli Gazette; Niaz Farouqui, secretary, Jamiat Ulama e Hind; Navaid Hamid, general secretary, Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians and member of the National Integration Council.
Full report at:
ttp://www.hindu.com/2010/07/06/stories/2010070661721300.htm
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Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus launch customs union
Vladimir Radyuhin
MOSCOW: After years of discussions Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have launched a customs union as a first step towards forming a broader EU-type economic alliance of former Soviet states.
Meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan on Monday, the leaders of the three nations signed a declaration stating that the customs union comes into effect on July 6. The meeting was held on the sidelines of a summit of the Eurasian Economic Community (Eurasec).
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the three ex-Soviet states would now move on to a monetary union.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/06/stories/2010070654301700.htm
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SC tells Pak Govt to reopen cases against Zardari by July 12
Rezaul H Laskar
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Monday set a July 12 deadline for the Government to take steps to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari in Switzerland, saying it was giving the authorities ‘one more chance’ to address the issue.
A five-member bench of the apex court directed the Law Ministry to prepare within a week a fresh proposal for Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani regarding the reopening of the corruption cases, which were scrapped under a controversial graft amnesty, against Zardari over alleged laundering of $60 million.
If the Ministry failed to do so, Law Secretary Masood Chishti would have to appear in the court to provide an explanation, the bench said.
The court gave its directive after Attorney General Anwarul Haq informed the bench that the Law Ministry was yet to implement an order issued on June 11.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/267253/SC-tells-Pak-Govt-to-reopen-cases-against-Zardari-by-July-12.html
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Britain’s Islamist terrorists are home grown: Study
Nandini Jawli | London
A comprehensive survey has found that the majority of Islamist terrorists in the UK are British-born with links to Al Qaeda.
The survey also found almost half of offenders had their origins in South Asia, including 28 per cent of Pakistani origin.
The Centre for Social Cohesion studied all terror plots uncovered over the past 10 years. It compiled profiles of 124 individuals convicted of Islamic terrorism offences since 1999 in the UK. The survey found that 69 per cent of offences were perpetrated by individuals holding British nationality.
Six of the eight plots — 75 per cent — involved individuals, who had trained in Pakistan and four of the leaders of those plots were directly linked to one or more Pakistani-based terrorist groups.
The report, released on Monday, comes as Britain prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the July 7, 2005 bombings.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/267252/Britain%E2%80%99s-Islamist-terrorists-are-home-grown-Study.html
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India, UAE work out prisoner transfer deal
Dubai
India and the UAE are working on an agreement to allow transfer of prisoners between the two nations to serve their sentence terms in their home country.
The agreement will enable Indian convicts in the UAE to serve their sentences in their home country, and the UAE will bear their daily expenses, India’s ambassador to the UAE, M K Lokesh said.
Once the agreement is signed, the legal department in the UAE Embassy in India will follow up on the cases of prisoners who are transferred to Indian jails.
“Convicted Indians can request to serve their jail terms in India. This is done on humanitarian grounds. The request can be made either by the Indian or the UAE government, or by the prisoners,” Lokesh said.
ttp://www.dailypioneer.com/267250/India-UAE-work-out-prisoner-transfer-deal.html
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Terrorists involved in Ahmedi mosque attack arrested
M Zulqernain | Lahore
Pakistani police on Monday claimed to have made a ‘big’ breakthrough in the campaign against militants, saying they had arrested 13 ‘terrorists’ believed to have been involved in major attacks, including those on mosques of the minority Ahmedi sect and the Jinnah Hospital.
The suspects were arrested from Shahdara and Muridke, located near Lahore, a senior official of the Crime Investigation Department said.
They revealed during interrogation that they had planned to carry out attacks at 18 places in Lahore, he said.
Police seized 23,000 kg of explosives, dozens of anti-aircraft guns, grenades, machine guns, 12 rocket launchers, thousands of rounds of ammunition and police uniforms from the suspects, the official said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/267242/Terrorists-involved-in-Ahmedi-mosque-attack-arrested.html
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Pak bogged down in fight against Taliban
PTI | New York
Pakistan is finding Taliban a tough enemy to beat, with militants using classic guerrilla tactics like sniper fire, roadside bombs and ambushes to their advantage in the fight with security forces, according to a media report.
The army is finding it difficult to hold onto its old victories in Swat Valley and South Waziristan as insurgents have resurfaced in those areas and the counter-insurgency operations are proving to be expensive, the New York Times reported .
“True victory remains elusive,” it said, noting that several Pakistani soldiers were getting wounded everyday in the battle against the insurgents.
The paper said the Pakistan army was chasing the extremists from one area to another, and the lack of civilian authority over functioning of the military did not allow for the consolidation of gains.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/267241/Pak-bogged-down-in-fight-against-Taliban.html
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Engage Taliban in talks to control terrorism: Imran
PTI | Lahore
Following the footsteps of former Premier Nawaz Sharif, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has said that he believes terrorism in Pakistan cannot be controlled without engaging the Taliban in talks. “Terrorism cannot be stopped by force. Therefore, the (Taliban) should be engaged in talks to overcome the menace,” Khan told the media on Sunday after visiting the Data Darbar shrine that was targeted by suicide bombers last week. He argued, “Washington is initiating peace talks with the Taliban and Islamabad should not hesitate to follow suit”. He claimed there was a conspiracy to ignite sectarian clashes and other countries, including India, were taking advantage of opportunities to destabilise Pakistan.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/267238/Engage-Taliban-in-talks-to-control-terrorism-Imran.html
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Israel Won’t Apologise, Turkey Says Will Cut Ties
Ibon Villelabeitia
Jul 06th, 2010
Turkey will cut ties with Israel unless it receives an apology over a deadly Is-raeli raid on a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza, the Tu-rkish foreign minister said, but Israel on Monday said it had no intention of doing so.
It was the first time Ankara has explicitly threatened to cut ties with Israel, having previously said it was reviewing relations with the Jewish state.
The public exchange between the two once close US regional allies followed talks last week by Turkish and Israeli officials aimed at mending fences. Instead, their positions appeared to have hardened. “Israel has three paths ahead: It either apologises, or accepts the findings from an international commission investigating the raid, or Turkey will cut off ties,” Turkey’s foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu told Monday’s edition of Hurriyet.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/israel-won%E2%80%99t-apologise-turkey-says-will-cut-ties-617
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‘Obama’s July 2011 Deadline For Afghan Was A Mistake’
Jul 06th, 2010
Lalit K. Jha
US President Barack Obama’s decision to set a deadline for drawdown of troops from Afghanistan was a mistake as it sent out wrong signals to the people on the ground — both allies and enemies — an influential Senator has said.
Senator Joe Lieberman, on a trip to the war-torn country, however said Mr Obama’s motive while announcing a timeline was to send out a message that US troops would not stay in the country forever. “On balance, I think it was a mistake, because it sent a message to the Afghans, to the Taliban, to people in the neighbourhood that we’re going to leave, regardless. And that’s not the fact,” Mr Lieberman told the Fox News.
At the same time, Mr Lieberman noted that he understands why Mr Obama made such an announcement.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/%E2%80%98obama%E2%80%99s-july-2011-deadline-afghan-was-mistake%E2%80%99-
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1 Soldier Killed In Pak Suicide Blast
Jul 06th, 2010
SHERIN ZADA
A suicide car bomber shot at guards and detonated his explosives at the gate of a paramilitary base in north-western Pakistan before dawn Monday, killing one soldier and wounding at least seven other people, said security officials.
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a telephone call. Hafeez Ullah, who identified himself as a local Taliban commander, said the goal was to free Taliban militants imprisoned at the base. The bomber first tried to force his way onto the base in Lower Dir district by shooting at troops and policemen guarding the gate, said Major Suleman Khan, a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier Corps.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/1-soldier-killed-pak-suicide-blast-609
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Pak troops violate cease fire again, BSF jawan killed
Jammu, July 06, 2010
Violating the ceasefire yet again, Pakistani troops fired at a forward Indian border outpost along the border in Jammu this morning, killing a BSF jawan.
Pakistani troops fired at the Chak Sagwari border outpost in Paragwal sector, 20 kms from Jammu, around 6:15 am, BSF officials said.
BSF jawan Sultan Ali was killed in the firing.
Indian troops guarding the border retaliated and the firing ended at around 6:30 am.
There have been many ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops this year.
Pakistani troops had last violated the ceasefire on June 21 when they fired at a forward outpost along the International Border (IB) in Jammu where the BSF foiled an infiltration bid by militants.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pak-troops-violate-cease-fire-again-BSF-jawan-killed/H1-Article1-568044.aspx
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Provinces back efforts to combat terror
By Ahmad Hassan
06 Jul, 2010
ISLAMABAD, July 5: Expressing concern over the fresh wave of terrorism in Punjab, a high-level meeting presided over by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and attended by chief ministers of three provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan supported the call for a national conference of all political parties to discuss ways of combating militancy in the country.
The meeting had a one-point agenda -- the law and order situation in the aftermath of Thursday’s attacks on Data Darbar.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain attended the meeting in place of the chief minister.
The prime minister accepted a proposal made by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Saturday to convene the conference to hammer out an improved strategy to combat terrorism.
However, no tentative date for the conference was given by Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira who, along with Interior Minister Rehman Malik, briefed newsmen at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat -- the venue of the meeting.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/provinces-back-efforts-to-combat-terror-670
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Acquittal of Marriott attack accused challenged
By Mudassir Raja
06 Jul, 2010
RAWALPINDI: The federal government filed an appeal on Monday in the Lahore High Court against the acquittal of four men in the Marriot hotel suicide attack case. The federal government has requested the court to direct the trial court to decide the case only after hearing arguments of the prosecution.
ATC-I Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan, in his May 5 verdict, had acquitted Dr Mohammad Usman, Rana Ilyas, Tehseenullah Jan and Mohammad Hameed Afzal, citing lack of evidence and witnesses against the accused.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/16-acquittal-of-marriott-attack-accused-challenged-670-hs-06
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Now is time to strike at Al Qaeda, affiliates: US
By Anwar Iqbal
06 Jul, 2010
WASHINGTON: The United States is sending a high-level delegation to Islamabad this week to convince Pakistani authorities that now is the time to uproot Al Qaeda when it is weakened.
Daniel Benjamin, coordinator for counter-terrorism at the White House, will lead the delegation, which will include senior officials of the Department of Homeland Security.
The United States and Pakistan are expected to form a counter-terrorism working group after the meeting, to promote greater cooperation between the two countries.
The United States wants Pakistan to increase pressure on various militant groups that work with Al Qaeda.
“We cannot allow Al Qaeda or other transnational extremist elements to once again establish sanctuaries from which they can launch attacks on our homeland or on our allies,” says Gen David Petraeus, the new US commander for Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/now-is-time-to-strike-at-al-qaeda%2C-affiliates-us-670
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US wants to win a lost war in Pakistan: JI chief
06 Jul, 2010
HYDERABAD, July 5: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Syed Munawwar Hassan said on Monday that the US has lost war in Afghanistan and now wants to win it in Pakistan.
He urged government to implement resolution adopted by parliament on terrorism before calling another All Parties Conference (APC) proposed by Mian Nawaz Sharif.
Talking to journalists at Markaz Tabligh-i-Islami in Makki Shah, he said that the military operation in South Waziristan and the impending one in North Waziristan would lead to more terrorist activities.
He denounced Data Darbar suicide bombings and said it reflected that the government had failed to protect life and property of people which was the primary responsibility of the state.
He alleged that Blackwater and US marines were involved in this twin suicide bombings.
He said that the chief of army staff had set four goals when operation in Swat was launched against militancy and none of these goals could be achieved. “The army chief should place an audited report of the operation before nation whether terrorism was done away with or it has reached GHQ”, he said. The JI chief said that entire country had become a safe haven for terrorists.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/us-wants-to-win-a-lost-war-in-pakistan-ji-chief-670
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59 journalists killed this year
06 Jul, 2010
GENEVA, July 5: Fifty-nine journalists have been killed because of their work in the first six months of this year, up from 53 for the same period last year, the Press Emblem Campaign said on Monday.
The highest toll was in Mexico, where nine were killed in the six months to June because organised crime was “hunting journalists”, the Geneva-based non-government organisation said in a statement.
The other most dangerous countries for the media were Honduras, where eight journalists were killed, Pakistan (six), Nigeria (four) and the Philippines (four).
PEC secretary general Blaise Lempen said in the statement that journalists “are extremely exposed in countries which witness internal problems”.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/59-journalists-killed-this-year-670
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S. Arabia to sign N-energy accord with France
06 Jul, 2010
RIYADH: The Saudi cabinet agreed on Monday to sign a nuclear cooperation accord with France, which could open the way for French help in developing nuclear power in the oil-rich kingdom. The agreement is “for the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” the cabinet announced after its weekly meeting in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.
The pact was first proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in talks with King Abdullah in June 2007 in Paris, and the French side submitted a draft when Sarkozy visited Riyadh in January 2008. No details of the pact were released, and there was no indication of when Riyadh and Paris would formally sign the agreement.
The Saudi cabinet on Monday also agreed on a draft bilateral tax treaty with France, and on a third pact on cooperation between the Saudi Institute of Public Administration and France’s elite Ecole Nationale d’Administration, or ENA.—AFP
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/s.-arabia-to-sign-nenergy-accord-with-france-670
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Libya extradites 100 Niger prisoners
06 Jul, 2010
TRIPOLI: More than 100 Niger nationals jailed in Libya were extradited to their home country on Monday, with another 150 due to follow later the same day, the official JANA news agency reported.
A total of 111 prisoners left for Niamey aboard a plane carrying the interior and justice ministers of Niger who were on a visit to Tripoli, the agency said. It quoted a senior Libyan justice ministry official as saying another 150 prisoners would be extradited later in the day from the southern city of Sebha to serve out remaining prison terms in their home country.
The transfer of prisoners is in line with a judicial agreement signed by the two countries in May 2008, the agency said.
The Libyan official said other such transfers would follow.
Niamey also said Tripoli had postponed the executions of 22 Nigeriens who are on death row.—AFP
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/libya-extradites-100-niger-prisoners-670
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Egypts ‘apostate scholar’ dies
06 Jul, 2010
CAIRO, July 5: Nasr Abu Zayd, an Egyptian expert on holy Quran who was declared an apostate for challenging mainstream views, died of an unidentified illness in a Cairo hospital on Monday. He was aged 66.
Abu Zayd held a liberal, critical approach to Islamic teachings that angered some conservatives in his homeland in the 1990s, a decade when President Hosni Mubarak’s government was combating an uprising by militants.
Abu Zayd critiqued the use of religion to exert political power. He argued the Quran was both a literary and religious text.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/egypts-apostate-scholar-dies-670
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Saudi Arabia agrees on nuclear energy pact with France
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
RIYADH: The Saudi cabinet agreed on Monday to sign a nuclear cooperation accord with France, which could open the way for French help in developing nuclear power in the oil-rich kingdom.
The agreement is “for the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” the cabinet announced after its weekly meeting in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.
The pact was first proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in talks with King Abdullah in June 2007 in Paris, and the French side submitted a draft when Sarkozy visited Riyadh in January 2008.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=249182
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Iran power deal seen unlikely to address Pakistan’s immediate needs
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
By Umer Bhatti
LAHORE: A plan to import 1,000MW electricity from Iran is unlikely to address Pakistan’s immediate energy crisis as the whole process will take at least five years to materialise under the normal security conditions, government officials said on Monday.
According to Ministry of Water & Power officials the feasibility studies on both sides of the border have been completed, but the main issue of tariff adjustment remains undecided. Keeping in view the record of tariff adjustment issues between the two countries, fixing electricity rates would remain a tricky affair.
The ministry sources said that for the transfer of this 1,000MW of power, a 350Kms long Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=249029
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Bahrain court jails 7 men in Pakistani's death
Jul 6, 2010
MANAMA, Bahrain: Bahrain's top court has sentenced seven Shiite men convicted of killing a Pakistani man during a protest last year to life in prison, and acquitted three others.
Mohammed Sheik Riyadh, a Pakistani who was living in Bahrain, died after his vehicle caught fire during a protest by Bahraini Shiites in March 2009.
Shiites account for about 70 percent of the population of the Sunni-ruled oil-rich country, which has 530,000 citizens. Economic disparities between the ruling elite and the poorer majority have contributed to feelings of marginalization among Shiites.
Defense lawyers said they would appeal Monday's verdict, citing shortcomings in the court's procedures.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article79692.ece
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Sanctions are biting in Iran, exiled group says
By LUKE BAKER
Jul 6, 2010
BRUSSELS: Sanctions imposed on Iran over the past four years are having a direct impact on its nuclear program and causing widespread bank liquidity problems, according to an exiled Iranian opposition group.
Citing intelligence gathered in Iran in the last four months, The National Council of Resistance of Iran, a Paris-based group that says it has many followers in Iran, said Tehran was struggling to get equipment for its Natanz enrichment facility.
Iran is also short of fuel for domestic use and has run into liquidity constraints at several banks, it said.
The NCRI report, compiled in June, identifies problems in several crucial areas, despite President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's dismissal last week of the fourth round of UN sanctions, imposed last month, as "pathetic."
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article79685.ece
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Bangladesh detains 200 after Jamaat protest violence
Jul 5, 2010
DHAKA: Bangladesh police said on Monday they had detained 200 activists of the biggest Islamist party for staging violent protests after three top party leaders were arrested on charges ranging from obstructing police to sedition.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article79286.ece
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Kabul weighs Islamabad’s offer to train its military
By AZHAR MASOOD
Jul 5, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan is weighing an offer from neighboring Pakistan to train its army personnel, said a top Pakistani official.
Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj. Gen. Atthar Abbas told Arab News on Sunday, “Kabul is seriously considering Pakistan’s offer to train Afghan troops at various Pakistan Army’s training centers.
“We hope to receive a formal request from the Afghan government soon ì Initially, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaque Pervez Kayani had put forward Pakistan’s offer to President Hamid Karzai.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article79488.ece
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Jailed Kurdish children a blight on Turkey's future
By IBON VILLELABEITIA
Jul 6, 2010
YUKSEKOVA, Turkey: Metin, a 16-year-old Kurdish boy with a shy smile and small, vivacious eyes is already a veteran of Turkey's prisons for terrorist suspects.
On his way to school one morning last year Metin, who was 15 at the time, was detained by police in this bleak town in Turkey's impoverished southeast, and accused him of being a member of the PKK Kurdish separatist rebel group.
Metin waited 5 months for a trial in a crowded high-security prison where he shared a bed with two or three other child inmates. He was then released by a judge, only to be detained months later, this time accused of taking part in a protest.
"They showed me a picture of somebody throwing stones but it wasn't me. I have never taken part in a protest," Metin said.
"The conditions were very bad. It was freezing cold in winter and in summer we couldn't take showers. Police were rough and pressured us to confess we were supporters of the PKK."
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article79693.ece
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Monthlong tourism festival begins in Hail
By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI
Jul 6, 2010
JEDDAH: Deputy Governor of Hail Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saad announced on Monday the launch of the Hail Summer Tourist Festival, which is to run under the slogan “Welcome the Guest and the Summer.”
The monthlong festival has been organized by Qalb Al-Aalam (Heart of the World) Company in partnership with Mobily. The prince also witnessed the signing of a partnership contract, launched the festival’s site on the Internet and said tourist festivals will help boost the national economy.
Activities relating to the festival will begin on Wednesday in four different locations in Hail.
Prince Abdul Aziz lauded the role being played by private companies in encouraging domestic tourism and said Mobily has positively contributed to the success of three previous Hail festivals.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article79529.ece
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Sarkozy, Mubarak discuss Middle East peace
Jul 6, 2010
PARIS: Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt have discussed how they can work together to promote peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.
France and Egypt share the presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean, which brings together the 27-nation European Union and 16 partner countries across the southern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Sarkozy's office says the men spoke Monday at the French presidential palace about how they could use their co-presidency to promote initiatives for Mideast peace. The organization's next summit is scheduled for November in Barcelona.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article79690.ece
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Alleged Mossad spy appears before Polish court
Jul 6, 2010
WARSAW, Poland: An Israeli citizen and alleged Mossad agent has appeared at a Polish court that will decide whether to extradite him to Germany.
The detained man, Uri Brodsky, entered Warsaw's district court Monday wearing a dark blue rain jacket with a hood pulled over his head. Escorted by anti-terror officers, Brodsky covered his face with his hands.
Court spokesman Wojciech Malek said it wasn't clear if the court would rule on his possible extradition Monday or at a later date.
Brodsky is suspected of helping forge a German passport used by one member of an Israeli Mossad spy agency hit squad allegedly behind the January killing of a Hamas leader, Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh, in Dubai.
The Israeli was detained in Poland in June on an arrest warrant issued by Germany.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article79249.ece
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Soldiers killed in Yemen clash with Al-Qaeda
By MOHAMMED GHOBARI
Jul 6, 2010
SANAA: Two soldiers were killed and three wounded in clashes with Al-Qaeda militants in eastern Yemen on Monday, a day after Shiite rebels killed a man in the north, officials said.
A group of militants accused of belonging to Al-Qaeda bombed the soldiers while attempting to escape a siege in eastern Hadramout province, a local official said.
Two Al-Qaeda suspects were captured and two others remain at large, the Yemeni Defense Ministry said on its website.
In the north, a man was killed on Sunday for opposing the Houthi rebels, the Interior Ministry said on its website. A rebel spokesman told Reuters a 70-year-old man was killed in a family dispute that was not political.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article79687.ece
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Israel publishes list of goods banned from Gaza
By JOSEPH NASR
Jul 6, 2010
JERUSALEM: Israel published on Monday a list of goods — mainly weapons and materials that can be used to make them — that it will not let into the Gaza Strip under a policy to ease its blockade of the Palestinian territory.
The list was published 15 days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on June 20 that he would ease the blockade and hours before he flew to Washington for talks on Tuesday with US President Barack Obama.
The United Nations welcomed the plan to liberalize rules on the import of goods to the Gaza Strip but urged Israel to lift a ban on exports from the Palestinian territory to improve the economy there.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article79686.ece
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Wanted Taleban commander killed
Jul 6, 2010
PESHAWAR: Pakistan said on Monday that a Taleban commander with a $234,000 price on his head had been killed in a shootout with soldiers in the country’s notorious North Waziristan region.
The military said Ameerullah Mehsud was one of the top commanders in the Pakistani Taleban, the group blamed for some of the deadliest bomb attacks of a three-year campaign that has killed more than 3,400 people.
He also went by the alias of Qari Gud, which means “the man who limps,” and Mazloomyar, which means “friend of the oppressed” in the Pashtu language.
Mehsud was shot dead at a security checkpoint in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, where Pakistani commanders have felt under increasing US pressure to launch a decisive campaign against Islamist strongholds.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article79484.ece
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Special Report: Why the attention on Pakistan's Chashma nuclear complex?
Jul 5, 2010
BEIJING: Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari visits China from Tuesday, following mounting signs that Chinese companies are moving ahead with plans to build two reactors at the Chashma nuclear complex in Punjab province.
Here is an explanation about those plans and why some other governments are concerned.
What is the Chashma Complex?
Chashma in Pakistan's Punjab province is the site of a nuclear power complex built using Chinese expertise and designs. One 300 megawatt pressurized water reactor began commercial operation in 2000, and Chinese companies are building another one likely to be finished in 2011 or 2012.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article79500.ece
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Israel eases Gaza closure, but restrictions remain
6 July 2010
Israel is easing its blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza to allow in virtually all consumer goods, items from household cleaners to timber that had been barred from import for years.
But because Israel will continue to ban most travel and exports and restrict the import of desperately needed construction materials, the new rules are unlikely to restore the territory’s devastated economy or allow rebuilding of all that was destroyed in last year’s war.
The White House welcomed the changes that were announced on Monday as Prime Minister Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Washington for a meeting with President Barack Obama. International Mideast envoy Tony Blair said Israel’s measures “should have a dramatic influence on the daily lives of the people of Gaza and on the private sector.”
The new blockade rules come in response to an outcry following a deadly Israeli raid on a blockade-busting flotilla at the end of May.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/July/middleeast_July88.xml§ion=middleeast
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Imam entangled in terrorism case leaves US
6 July 2010
The imam entangled in the investigation into a suicide bomb plot against New York City subway stations left the US on Monday on court orders after admitting he lied to the FBI.
Among his final words on U.S. soil, his lawyer says, were “God bless America.”
Ahmad Wais Afzali and his wife Fatima took off on a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight to Jeddah and then will go on to Mecca, where Fatima got a job teaching English, said the lawyer, Ron Kuby. Afzali, who was born in Afghanistan but spent most of his life in Queens, isn’t sure what he’s going to do there, Kuby said. Most of his family lives in Virginia, including two children from a previous marriage.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/July/international_July205.xml§ion=international
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Welcome to smart bombs Ramzy Baroud (Debate)
6 July 2010
Cluster bombs are in the news again, thanks to a recent report from Amnesty International. The human rights agency has confirmed that 35 women and children were killed following the latest US attacks on an alleged al-Qaeda hideout in Yemen.
Initially, there were attempts to bury the story, and Yemen officially denied that civilians were killed as a result of the December 17 attack in southern Yemen. However, it has been impossible to conceal what is now considered the largest loss of life in one single US attack in the country. If the civilian casualties were indeed a miscalculation on the part of the US military, there should no longer be any doubt about the fact that cluster munitions are far too dangerous a weapon to be utilised in war. And they certainly have no place whatsoever in civilian areas. The human casualties are too large to justify. Yemen is not alone. Gaza, Lebanon and Afghanistan are also stark examples of the untold loss and suffering caused by ?cluster bombs.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=/data/opinion/2010/July/opinion_July38.xml§ion=opinion
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The need to save Kyrgyzstan
anat Saudabayev
6 July 2010
The international community faces an acute test of its political will in Kyrgyzstan. This small Central Asian country with a population of 5.3 million people is now in a deep political, economic and social crisis.
As the tragic events of last month have shown, relations between the majority Kyrgyz population and some of the country’s minorities have started to fracture in the south leaving the interim government struggling to regain control and maintain a ?functioning state.
Some people may ask: Why does the situation in Kyrgyzstan matter? For many of them it is probably, as Neville Chamberlain said famously of Czechoslovakia, a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing. In fact, Kyrgyzstan is one of the main conduits for opium and heroin smuggling from Afghanistan to Russia and Europe.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=/data/opinion/2010/July/opinion_July37.xml§ion=opinion
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Palestinian groups urge civil rights reform
By Simona Sikimic and Robert Cusack
July 06, 2010
BEIRUT: A group of democratic Palestinian organizations joined forces Monday in a bid to pressurize the government into passing civil rights amendments to laws restricting the right to work and own property.
The restrictions are currently being discussed by a joint justice and administration sub-commission, headed by MP Robert Ghanem, which is expected to pass on its recommendations in time for a national parliamentary debate.
Gathering outside of the UN headquarters in Downtown Beirut – the site of last month’s big pro-Palestinian protest – Palestinian groups issued a memorandum calling for the right to work and own property, as well as for the increase in camp size and the reconstruction of Nahr al-Bared.
Full report at: www.dailystar.com.lb
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Lebanon wins if Palestinians are granted the right to work
By Franklin Lamb
July 06, 2010
“These are humanitarian, social and ethical duties, and the Lebanese state must assume the responsibility of providing them to our Palestinian brothers and sisters. Lebanon will not dodge these duties, which must be crystal-clear, and not be subject to any misinterpretation. The international community has to bear also the responsibility that our Palestinian guests will have the right to go back to their homeland: Palestine, with Jerusalem as their capital,” Premier Saad Hariri during the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee (LPDC) meeting at the Grand Serail, June 29, 2010
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=116755#ixzz0
7:25 AM
Sultan Shahin
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