Delhi: Youth claiming to have placed bomb at Jama Masjid arrested
Data Darbar attacks widely condemnedOne suicide attacker identified
Pakistani Taliban condemns Lahore strike, denies involvement
Banned outfits behind attacks, says Malik
Lahore shuts in mourning; call for countrywide strike
Ajmer dargah mourns attack on Data Darbar
Mosque attacks becoming a trend in 'divided' Pak
Terrorists don’t respect religious values, says US
Lahore attack a sinister attempt to destabilise Pak: Hillary Clinton
At root is fanaticism, not Islam
Pakistan studying list given by India on handlers of 26/11
Theology School To Train Muslims, Jews
Over 800,000 Saudis waiting for govt jobs
Taleban attack kills many in Afghanistan
Vajpayee's office amended Padma list on Kalam objections
King Abdullah upbeat on economic prospects
Saudi Arabia: Rising crime rate- Who is to blame?
Saudi pavilion at Shanghai Expo draws record crowds
Harry Potter actress' gets death threats for relationship with Hindu Boy
Peace abode that Ghazni built in 11th C
No change in Afghanistan strategy: NATO chief
Mid-term election no solution to problems: Gilani
Israel refuses to apologise for attacking flotilla
Occupiers set Palestinian property on fire
Hundreds defy curfew to protest in Kashmir
Curfew in Valley to foil separatists' march
Jordan’s nuclear deal held up by US curbs
Somali clashes leave 21 dead
Afghan war, corruption dismay US Congress
Only 23% have health cover in Al-Safa
Saudi Press: Degrees don’t matter
Iran moves radar to Syria: US official
Pakistan urges world not to interfere in Afghan affairs
Pakistan can’t continue terror war on its own: PM
Slain ISI man’s son seeks case against TV anchor
Iran frees Nobel winner Ebadi’s aide
Security forces used excessive force in raid on Abbas’s house: Amnesty
Bangladesh govt starts removing Hindus from madrassah committees
Kin of PDP leaders instigating stone-pelting: Omar Abdullah
Toughest U.S. sanctions on Iran
Newspaper offices in Kashmir sealed for misleading reports
Beleaguered Kashmir CM urges joint effort
Muslim parents in UK think learning music is un-Islamic
Pakistanis blame US after shrine attack kills 42
USAID attacked in Afghan, 4 killed
Turkish airstrike hits rebels in Iraq
LeT takes aim at Games sites
Parliamentary panel wants anti-terror policy changed
3 brothers among six killed in Balochistan
Tourists back in Swat
Turkish jets bomb Kurdish rebels in Iraq
UN warns of violence between Hezbollah and Israel
Govt will make Balochistan an ‘economic giant’: Raisani
NATO’s door still open for Ukraine: Clinton
Kurd conflict comes back to haunt Turkey before polls
‘10 Rwanda genocide suspects still sought by UN’
Weak private hiring shows tepid recovery
PA spurns Israeli invitation
‘Curbs don’t ban S-300 missiles’
Jordon: Hassan Turabi freed
Swine flu shot must for Haj pilgrims
Lebanon’s Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah hospitalised
New Afghan war commander facing uphill battle
Israel is spying because it can't wage war - top Hizbullah MP
An American-Taliban dialogue is difficult, but not impossible
Muslims can be tolerant
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Jama Masjid, Delhi
------
Delhi: Youth claiming to have placed bomb at Jama Masjid arrested
New Age Islam News Bureau
New Delhi: A youth named Vishal studying in the Banaras Hindu University was arrested by the Delhi police on Thursday night. He had called the police control room from his mobile phone to claim that he had planted a bomb in the Jama Masjid. The 22 year-old youth reportedly belongs to Khai Kheri in Muzaffar Nagar district. According to Jama Secretariat, the youth was found teasing women in the evening and the staff of Jama Masjid had forced him out of the place. Later they had informed the police that a man was roaming the area suspiciously. The police swung into action and found the youth in a hotel. His mobile number was the same as the number from which the police control room had received the call. He was taken into custody. According to reports, the youth first called the police control room at 7 in the evening and a second time later in the night. During interrogation, he told the police that he had placed the bomb at Gate no. 2. The bomg disposal squad was called at 1.30 am. The local police with the help of Jama Masjid administration conducted a search and found a bag but there was nothing in it. The police has taken the youth in custody.The IB, the Special Branch and the local police are investigating the matter.
It shoud be noted that earlier on June 8, the police had received a call regarding the presence of a bomb at the Jama Masjid. The police had arrested a youth named Rajesh who is now in jail.
It should be remembered that two bombs had exploded on April 14 (Friday), 2006. Prior to the explosions, the police had received anonymous calls about the bombs at the Jama Masjid which later proved to be true. Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited the place.
In the meantime, Shahi Imam Syed Ahmad Bukhari has expressed serious concern over inadequate security arrangements at Jama Masjid and adjoining areas and has expressed apprehension that the subversive forces involved in Makkah Masjid and Ajmer blasts might carry out similar operations there. Talking to the UNI, Imam Bukhari said that he had already written a letter to the Home Minister P Chidambaram on May 11 expressing concern over lack of adequate security arrangements at the entries to the Jama Masjid.
------
Data Darbar attacks widely condemned
03 Jul, 2010
BAHAWALPUR, July 2: Religious parties staged a joint rally on Friday to protest twin suicide attacks at Data Darbar in Lahore on Thursday night.
The rally was taken out after Friday prayers from Masjid Searani on Multan Road. The participants, carrying placards and banners, raised slogans against the government for its failure to check such attacks.
Addressing the protesters at Milad Chowk, Sunni council chief Sheikh Dilshad Qureshi, Sunni majlis chief Fayyaz Owaisi and others demanded that the terror suspects be arrested immediately.
In their separate messages, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Punjab amir Dr Syed Waseam Akhtar and Punjab Prisons Minister Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar also condemned the suicide attacks.
Dr Waseam said the incident indicated the inefficiency of the Punjab government, while Channar said the government equally shared the sufferings of those whose kin lost lives in this tragedy.
TOBA TEK SINGH: Political and religious leaders condemned the twin suicide attacks in Lahore.
In separate statements, Jamaat Ahle Sunnat (JAS) leaders Maulana Muneem Siddiqi, Hafiz Shamsuzzaman Qadri, Allama Hameeduddin Rizvi and Mufti Abdul Manan, PML-N leader Chaudhry Amjad Ali Javed, PTI leaders Ghiasuddin Janbaz and Dr Waheed Akbar and JI district amir Dr Maqbool Ahmad said the elements involved in this incident were, in fact, stooges of foreign forces and they were being used to spread sectarianism in the country.
Meanwhile, the Gojra Anjuman-i-Tajiran and the JAS decided on Friday to observe a complete strike in Gojra on Saturday (today) to condemn the suicide attacks.
GUJRANWALA: Activists of various political parties, including JUP, Sunni Tehrik, JAS, Anjuman Tulaba Islam and Tanzeemul Islam, staged rallies after Friday prayers to protest the suicide attacks.
The protesters were carrying banners and placards and chanting slogans against terrorism. They called the incident a conspiracy to spread sectarianism.
The participants marched on different roads to reach GT Road where a big demonstration was held.
The rallies were also taken out in Kamoki, Eimenabad, Ghakkhar, Rahwali, Wazirabad, Qila Dedar Singh and Alipur Chattha.
They demanded that network of terrorists be busted and foolproof security be ensured at all holy places including shrines.
OKARA: Various Sunni organisations including JAS and JUP took out a rally from Jamia Masjid Ghosia after Juma prayer.
Participants chanted slogans against the terrorists. Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Rafi Raza, Soofi Muhammad Latif Naqashbandi, Shahzad Anjam Ansari, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir, Faizan Gujjar, Qari Ashiq Husain and Mulana Muhammad Iqbal Chishti condemned the incident and called it an attempt to provoke sectarianism in country.
They also urged the government to ensure security in the province.
The protesters set ablaze old tyres and threw traffic out of gear for some time.
Hazrat Karmanwala Sharif shrine caretaker Syed Mir Tayyab Ali Shah Bokhari has also condemned the terror acts.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/data-darbar-attacks-widely-condemned-370
--------
One suicide attacker identified
03 Jul. 10
One of the suicide attackers who blew himself up at the Data Darbar shrine was on Friday identified as a resident of a Pakistani village located on the outskirts of Lahore.
Police said Rafiq alias Usman, aged about 20, was a resident of Hadyara village, which is located on the outskirts of Lahore and close to the border with India.
“His family has identified him,” a police officer told PTI.The officer said Rafiq’s elder brother was serving in the army. “We are collecting other details about Rafiq. He was a student at a seminary and we are investigating whether he had gone to Waziristan for training,” the officer said.
Operatives of intelligences agencies took members of Rafiq’s family and his neighbours at Hadyara into custody.
Geo News channel quoted its sources as saying that Rafiq was the suicide bomber who blew himself up in the basement of the Data Darbar shrine late last night.
Rafiq’s brothers Sharif and Latif recognised him in footage taken from CCTV cameras at Data Darbar, Geo News reported. The brothers also told police that Usman had visited Waziristan in the recent past.
At his last meeting with his family, Usman had said he was going on a “mission”, the channel reported.
Meanwhile, police have taken over two dozen suspects into custody from different parts of Lahore during a search operation.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/266592/One-suicide-attacker-identified.html
--------
TTP condemns Lahore strike, denies involvement
Saturday, 03 Jul, 2010
MIRAMSHAH: The Taliban on Friday denied any involvement in a twin suicide bombing on Data Ganj Bakhsh shrine in Lahore which killed 42 people and wounded 175 others.
“We are not responsible for these attacks, this is a conspiracy by foreign secret agencies, you know we do not attack public places,” Azam Tariq, a spokesman for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.
“We condemn this brutal act. Our target is very clear and we only attack police, army and other security personnel,” he added.
No one has claimed responsibility for Thursday night’s attack.
The TTP, a key architect of a bombing campaign that has killed more than 3,400 people across Pakistan in three years, grabbed the global spotlight after the United States accused the group over a failed car bomb plot in New York in May.—AFP
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/06-ttp-condemns-lahore-strike%2C-denies-involvement-370-rs-06
------
Banned outfits behind attacks, says Malik
Saturday, 03 Jul, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior A. Rehman Malik said on Friday that banned organisations Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Al Qaeda were carrying out terrorist attacks to destabilise the country.
Inaugurating the building of a police station, he condemned the terrorist attack on Data Ganj Bakhsh shrine and said terrorists had no religion and they were enemies of the humanity. He said that since security forces defeated militants in Swat and Malakand the terrorists had turned their attention to settled areas of Punjab and other provinces.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/06-banned-outfits-behind-attacks%2C-says-malik-370-rs-05
------
Lahore shuts in mourning; call for countrywide strike
By Amjad Mahmood and Zulqarnain Tahir
Saturday, 03 Jul, 2010
LAHORE: Lahore woke up with a mix of outrage and resilience on Friday over the previous night’s attacks on the Data Darbar that left over 40 people dead.
Widespread demonstrations and a shutdown in major commercial centres captured the feeling of a battered city: the strike on its heart was one too many.
Demonstrations were also held in towns and cities across the country. Law enforcement agencies carried out swoops in Lahore and other major towns in Punjab, taking into custody 30 suspects.
The Sunni Ittehad Council, a conglomerate of over 20 groups, gave a call for countrywide strike for Saturday. Several professional and trade bodies, including the PML-N traders’ wing, declared their support to the call.
Leaders of all political and religious parties and seminaries were at one in condemning the bombings.
Students belonging to seminaries took to the streets after Friday prayers, blocking a number of roads and burning tyres.
Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/06-lahore-shuts-in-mourning-call-for-countrywide-strike-today-30-suspects-nabbed-across-punjab-370-rs-04
--------
Ajmer dargah mourns attack
Jul 3, 2010
JAIPUR: The suicide attack in Lahore reverberated among the Khadim community in Ajmer.
The Lahore shrine has a deep historical and spiritual connection with the 12th century shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer. "The Lahore shrine has a chilla (a seat of prayer) where Khwaja prayed for 40 days before he left for Ajmer via Multan and Delhi," said Syed Sarwar Chishty, Gaddi Nasheen, Dargah Ajmer who has visited Lahore shrine thrice. He said he had called the shrine authorities and offered condolences. He blamed the Taliban for the attack.
http://toivideos.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Ajmer-dargah-mourns-attack/articleshow/6121861.cms
------
Mosque attacks becoming a trend in 'divided' Pak
Subodh Varma
Jul 3, 2010
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, formerly known as North West Frontier Province, shopkeepers sell a range of local soaps like anywhere else in the world. But the names of these soaps are chillingly different – Kalashnikov soap and washing powder, Pistol soap, Barood soap, Aakhri Goli soap and Talwaar soap. A local resident says that manufacturers are using such brand names to indicate that their product will wash out stains from clothes just like the guns and ammunition wipe out their enemies, according to a Pakistani news report.
This is a small indicator of the way violence and death have become commonplace in Pakistan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the neighboring Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are of course the worst-hit regions but terrorist violence is now a regular feature in Punjab, the heartland of Pakistan too.
Full report at: http://toivideos.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World-Pakistan/Mosque-attacks-becoming-a-trend-in-divided-Pak/articleshow/6121964.cms
------
Terrorists don’t respect religious values, says US
Saturday, 03 Jul, 2010
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday that those who attacked Data Darbar in Lahore respected neither human dignity nor the fundamental religious values of the Pakistani society.
In a statement issued in Washington, the secretary said she was shocked and saddened by the attack, which claimed the lives of dozens of innocent Pakistanis.
“The extremists have shown that they respect neither human dignity nor the fundamental religious values of Pakistani society,” she said.
“Violating the sanctity of this revered shrine is a particularly sinister attempt to destabilise Pakistan and to intimidate its people.”
Secretary Clinton hoped the attackers would not succeed in achieving their objective because the Pakistani public had refused to be cowed down by such violence.
“We condemn this brutal crime and reaffirm our commitment to support the Pakistani people in their efforts to defend their democracy from the violent extremists who seek to destroy it,” she said.
Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/21-terrorists-dont-respect-religious-values%2C-says-us-370-sk-01
------
Lahore attack a sinister attempt to destabilise Pak: Hillary Clinton
Jul 3, 2010
WASHINGTON: Strongly condemning the terror attacks on highly venerated Sufi shrine of Data Darbar in Lahore that killed 45 people and wounded 180, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today said the act was a sinister attempt to destabilise Pakistan.
"The extremists have shown that they respect neither human dignity nor the fundamental religious values of Pakistani society," Clinton said in a statement.
"Violating the sanctity of this revered shrine is a particularly sinister attempt to destabilise Pakistan and to intimidate its people. The attackers will not succeed, as the Pakistani public refuses to be cowed by such violence," Clinton said.
Full report at: http://toivideos.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World-US/Lahore-attack-a-sinister-attempt-to-destabilise-Pak-Hillary-Clinton/articleshow/6122067.cms
------
At root is fanaticism, not Islam
July 3, 2010
THE SUICIDE bombings at a Sufi Muslim shrine Thursday in the Pakistani city of Lahore, which killed at least 42 people and injured dozens more, hold a useful lesson for Americans trying to comprehend the meaning of Islamist terrorism.
Above all, the slaughter of worshippers at Lahore’s Data Darbar shrine needs to be seen as the act of sectarian fanaticism it was. Sufi Muslims were murdered for following a faith that other, puritanical Muslims condemn as heresy. Sufis, long the majority among Pakistani Muslims, are denounced by Wahhabi fundamentalists for worshipping saints, including music in their rituals, and giving women an equal place in religious life.
Full report at: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2010/07/03/at_root_is_fanaticism_not_islam/
------
Pakistan studying list given by India on handlers of 26/11
Jul 3, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani investigators are looking into a list of six individuals, including three former army officers, named by India for acting as controllers and handlers of the terrorists who carried out the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The names of several of these six individuals had cropped up during investigations by Indian and American law enforcement agencies but they have so far not officially been made part of Pakistan's probe into the Mumbai incident, diplomatic and other sources said.
During his recent meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik, home minister P Chidambaram sought action against the six individuals, identified as Sajid Mir, Major Abdur Rehman, Brigadier Riaz, Abu Qafa, Abu Al-Qama and Abu Hamza, the sources said.
The Indian side provided detailed information on these individuals, including photos, physical descriptions and intelligence reports on locations at which they were earlier based.
In some instances, this information included details provided to Indian interrogators by Pakistani-American national David Headley alias Dawood Gilani, the sources said.
Action against these individuals would be seen as an indicator of Pakistan's resolve to bring to justice all those who were behind the Mumbai attacks, including financiers, handlers and controllers, the sources said.
The Indian side also told its Pakistani counterparts that investigators could obtain voice samples of the individuals and match them with recordings of conversations between the Mumbai attackers and their Pakistan-based handlers.
The Pakistani side claimed the suspects could refuse to provide voice samples on the ground that these would be "self-incriminatory" but the Indian side said investigators could get a court order to obtain voice samples.
Besides, the Indian side also pointed out that obtaining voice samples were part of modern investigation techniques akin to obtaining fingerprints and DNA samples.
Pakistani official sources acknowledged that India had expressed its dissatisfaction at the investigation into the Mumbai attacks and the slow pace of the trial of seven suspects, including Lashker-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency.
The Indian side also informed the Pakistanis that except for Lakhvi and LeT communications expert Zarar Shah, the other five men arrested by the FIA were minor players in the Mumbai carnage, the sources said.
One of the seven suspects currently on trial in Pakistan - Mazhar Iqbal - uses the alias Abu al-Qama but the Abu Al-Qama named in the new list of six individuals is believed to be a different person who acted as a handler.
Sajid Mir, a former army official and LeT's head of international operations, was David Headley's handler.
Mir is wanted by authorities in the US and Australia. Major Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed alias Pasha retired from the army in 2007.
He too was in touch with Headley. Abdur Rehman was detained by the Pakistan army in September 2009 but released later.
Abu Qafa, Abu Al-Qama and Abu Hamza are considered to be aliases of persons who controlled and handled the Mumbai attackers, the sources said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistan-studying-list-given-by-India-on-handlers-of-26/11/articleshow/6124919.cms
------
THEOLOGY SCHOOL TO TRAIN MUSLIMS, JEWS
July 3, 2010
The Claremont School of Theology, which has functioned as a Methodist theological school in California since its founding in 1885, has announced a program to train religious leaders in Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions.
"We envision a model of theological education in which students are educated rigorously and intensively in their own religious traditions and in contact with the other religious traditions that are thriving throughout our society," the school said in a statement unveiling the University Project.
"We aim to instill our students with a strong sense of their own religious identities and the integrity of the religious traditions that they represent, while simultaneously teaching them to recognize the legitimacy and integrity of the other religious traditions which they will encounter at Claremont and the world beyond," the school said.
Full report at: http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/BPnews.asp?ID=33282
------
Over 800,000 Saudis waiting for govt jobs
Jul 3, 2010
JEDDAH: More than 800,000 Saudi men and women with various qualifications are waiting to be employed by the government, local Arabic daily Al-Madinah reported Friday, quoting an official source at the Ministry of Civil Service.
The official said those on the waiting list consisted of 315,000 women teachers with various specialties while the rest were graduates of elementary, intermediate and secondary schools. “Some of them have diplomas, university degrees, master’s and even Ph.Ds,” he said.
He said the opening of applications for men and women in all specializations will enable his ministry to create a database for those wishing for government jobs according to their potentials and in complete transparency.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article77499.ece
------
Taleban attack kills many in Afghanistan
By GUL RAHIM
Jul 2, 2010
KUNDUZ: Three foreigners were among several killed as bombers and gunmen stormed a US aid organization in Afghanistan Friday in an attack claimed by the Taleban, President Hamid Karzai said.
He said 20 other people were injured in the predawn attack on the compound of aid contractor Development Alternatives Inc (DAI) by a militant gang which included at least two who blew themselves up. The attack in the northern city of Kunduz was “the work of the foreign mercenaries who do not want the people of Afghanistan to achieve a better life,” Karzai said. Six “terrorists” were involved, Karzai said, adding that the attack “aims to prevent the reconstruction and economic development of Afghanistan.”
Kunduz provincial police chief Mohammad Rezaq Yaqobi said: “One Afghan guard and one Afghan policeman were also killed.”
Full report at: ttp://arabnews.com/world/article77455.ece
------
Vajpayee's office amended Padma list on Kalam objections
Vidya Subrahmaniam
NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister's Office headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee was forced to make last-minute amendments to the 2004 list of Padma awardees following objections raised by President Abdul Kalam in a letter to Mr. Vajpayee dated January 22, 2004.
This has come to light following the release of documents pertaining to that period by the current President's Secretariat. The documents — which were released in response to an appeal filed with the Central Information Commission (CIC) by RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal — include Mr. Kalam's letter as well as file notings relating to action taken on the letter.
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/03/stories/2010070364071400.htm
------
King Abdullah upbeat on economic prospects
Jul 2, 2010
WASHINGTON: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has said that the Saudi economy would remain strong as long as the Kingdom holds large quantities of petrol and other natural resources.
King Abdullah expressed his hope that the Kingdom’s petroleum resources would last long.
“Once while we were in a meeting of the Council of Ministers, I told them, ‘May God give it long life.' They were curious and asked me, ‘What is that?’ I told them, ‘petrol’,” the king said while receiving a group of Saudi students pursuing higher studies in US universities.
“When exploration for underground resources first started, I ordered ending all kinds of exploration because of the existence of oil,” he said. “As long as oil is there, other underground resources should be left for future generations. Your country is rich with natural resources.”
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article77517.ece
------
Saudi Arabia: Rising crime rate: Who is to blame?
By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA
Jul 3, 2010
MAKKAH: Recent headlines in local media that have highlighted gory crimes have raised the question — why has crime increased in our Muslim society?
The stories behind the headlines also feature the trivialities that led to the crime, and that poses another question — Is this phenomenon becoming inherent in our society?
When a simple dispute between a husband and his wife leads to a murder, when a son beats up his mother to death and cremates the body in desert, when a father attacks his teenage daughters without fear or shame, then there is something really wrong in the society we live in.
Many citizens have expressed dismay and shock at the rise in crime and they are also baffled at the manner and the rate of killings. They also feel that the rise in crime is indicative of the loss of values and lack of tolerance, and something needs to be done to arrest this trend.
Full report at: ttp://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article77498.ece
------
Saudi pavilion at Shanghai Expo draws record crowds
By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR
Jul 3, 2010
JEDDAH: More than 30,000 people visit Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010 every day to learn about Islam, its holy places in Makkah and Madinah and the Kingdom’s remarkable progress in various sectors, according to a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Friday.
Saudi Arabia’s pavilion is among the top 10 at the international event, which was opened on May 1. The tent city of Mina is one of the 55 city projects that have been selected from 226 nominations from across the world for exhibition at the expo. A three-dimensional satellite photo of Saudi Arabia welcomes the visitors at the entrance of the pavilion, which has the shape of a boat and was designed by Saudi and Chinese architects.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article77502.ece
------
Harry Potter actress' family charged over kill threats for relationship with Hindu Boy
2 July 2010
The father and brother of an actress who starred in Harry Potter have been charged with threatening to kill her at her home in Manchester.
Afshan Azad, 22, was cast as Padma Patil, a classmate of the child wizard in the film series.
Abdul Azad, 54, and his son Ashraf, 28, are alleged to have threatened her at her Longsight home. The 28-year-old is also accused of assaulting his sister.
Both men appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
The case was adjourned until July 12 for committal proceedings to Manchester Crown Court.
Miss Azad first appeared as her character - the identical twin sister of Parvati Patil - in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
She will also feature in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the final film in the saga.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/10480610.stm
------
Peace abode that Ghazni built in 11th C
Jul 3, 2010
LAHORE: People from all over Pakistan come to the city of Lahore to pray at a centuries-old Islamic shrine for peace that has become the latest target of a bloody wave of militant bomb attacks. The shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Syed Ali bin Usman Hajweri is one of Pakistan’s biggest and is revered by all Islamic sects in the country and even by non-Muslim lovers of Sufism and mysticism.
Popularly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh, the shrine was first built by emperor Sultan Ibrahim Ghazni who ruled the subcontinent India from 1059-1099, according to the provincial government, and now attracts thousands of men, women and children each day.
Full report at: http://toivideos.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World-Pakistan/Peace-abode-that-Ghazni-built-in-11th-C/articleshow/6121949.cms
------
No change in Afghanistan strategy: NATO chief
Jul 3, 2010
LIBSON: The change of top commander in Afghanistan will not bring a change in strategy of NATO-led forces fighting the Taliban insurgency, alliance secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said today.
He was speaking following the appointment of US General David Petraeus as top Afghan war commander in place of General Stanley McChrystal, fired by President Barack Obama for disparaging remarks about administration officials.
"It has been a change of command but it will not be a change of strategy," Rasmussen said at a press conference in Lisbon with Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado.
I can assure the Afghan people that we'll stay as long as it takes to secure their country," he added, noting that Petraeus had given a similar message.
Full report at: http://toivideos.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World-South-Asia/No-change-in-Afghanistan-strategy-NATO-chief/articleshow/6122076.cms
------
Mid-term election no solution to problems: Gilani
Saturday, 03 Jul, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Friday that mid-term elections were no solution to problems the country was facing and all issues would be resolved by the end of his government’s five-year term.
“All democratic governments face challenges and we too are facing challenges but our way of dealing with them is positive and we are taking along all political forces,” the prime minister said during a meeting with journalists at the Prime Minister’s House.
Mr Gilani said the government was working in accordance with the Constitution and some political forces which were not in parliament were talking about mid-term polls and they were now taking part in bye-elections although they did not participate in the general elections.
Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/midterm-election-no-solution-to-problems-gilani-370
------
Israel refuses to apologise for attacking flotilla
03 Jul, 2010
JERUSALEM, July 2: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday ruled out any apology from his country for a deadly commando raid on a Turkish Gaza-bound aid ship in May that killed nine Turks.
“Israel cannot apologise because its soldiers had to defend themselves to avoid being lynched by a crowd,” Netanyahu said in an interview broadcast on public television.
We regret the loss of life,” Netanyahu said.
Asked if Israel would be willing to pay compensation to the families of the victims, he said: “We have not discussed that.” On May 31, Israeli special forces stormed a flotilla of six ships carrying aid for blockaded Gaza, killing nine Turks on board one of the vessels and sparking international outrage and straining ties with Ankara.
Israel has defended itself saying it had to stop vessels from travelling to Gaza since they could be carrying weapons for Hamas, an Islamist movement committed to the destruction of Israel which controls that Palestinian territory.
Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/israel-refuses-to-apologise-for-attacking-flotilla-370
------
Occupiers set Palestinian property on fire
By MOHAMMED MAR’I
Jul 2, 2010
RAMALLAH: Jewish occupiers set on fire two vehicles belonging to Palestinians in Hebron early Friday.
Palestinian security sources in the city said that occupiers from the settlement of Tel Rumeida, in the center of Hebron, “poured gasoline on the cars, set them ablaze and fled the scene.” The sources added that one of the cars belongs to Hana’ Abu Haikal.
Hebron, home to approximately 170,000 Palestinians and 600 Jewish occupiers, is a hot zone where occupiers and Palestinian residents have clashed on numerous occasions.
The occupiers have vandalized mosques and destroyed Palestinian property in several West Bank locations as part of their “price tag” policy following the Israeli government decision to freeze constriction in settlements for 10 months.
Full report at: ttp://arabnews.com/middleeast/article77449.ece
------
Hundreds defy curfew to protest in Kashmir
By AIJAZ HUSSAIN
Jul 2, 2010
SRINAGAR: Hundreds of people defied an indefinite curfew imposed on the main city in Indian Kashmir on Friday, triggering clashes with police as they tried to protest New Delhi’s rule in the violence-torn region. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The skirmishes began as protesters, who were trying to march, butted up against police and paramilitary soldiers trying to disperse them. The demonstrators threw rocks, and the authorities fired warning shots and tear gas, said a police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity citing department policy.
Protests against Indian rule in the Himalayan region have grown increasingly strident in recent weeks, and government forces have been accused of killing at least 11 people in the demonstrations.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article77457.ece
-----
Curfew in Valley to foil separatists' march
Jul 3, 2010
SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Sensing trouble, authorities clamped curfew in the entire Kashmir Valley on Friday to foil separatists' proposed march to Eidgah which could have trigerred fresh violence. Hurriyat Conference led by hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani had given the Eidgah march call.
"We imposed curfew in the Valley to avoid possible confrontation between people and security forces/police,'' a senior police officer said adding, "Strict instructions have also been given to security forces to exercise utmost restraint.''
Since early morning police vehicles made announcements through loudspeakers about curfew being imposed across the valley. Eidgah ground was sealed by police and paramilitary forces with barbed wires. Armoured vehicles were placed around it to prevent people from assembling there.
Full report at: http://toivideos.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Curfew-in-Valley-to-foil-separatists-march/articleshow/6120976.cms
------
Jordan’s nuclear deal held up by US curbs
July 03, 2010
AMMAN: Washington’s refusal to let Jordan exploit its own uranium deposits to make nuclear fuel has held up nuclear cooperation talks and the two sides are a long way from any deal, sources close to the negotiations said on Friday.
An accord on nuclear cooperation with the United States would help Jordan launch a civilian nuclear programme and meet a target of generating 30 per cent of its energy needs through nuclear power by 2030.
But the Jordanian sources said in the last year of talks Washington refused to allow Jordan to produce its own nuclear fuel, a right which the close US ally insists it is entitled to as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“Although there is increased understanding of our view, the gap remains wide, but we are in ongoing talks. We still have a long way ahead of us before reaching an accord,” said one source familiar with the latest round of discussions last month.
Full report at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=248607
------
Somali clashes leave 21 dead
Jul 2, 2010
MOGADISHU: At least 21 people were killed and 42 wounded in fighting in Somalia, a human rights group said on Thursday.
Fighting between clans left 14 people dead and 24 injured in the village of Huldonyale in central Somalia, the Mogadishu-based Elman rights group said.
Government troops alongside African Union peacekeepers exchanged shells in Mogadishu with Al-Shabaab rebels, who are waging an Islamist insurgency against the Western-backed government. Seven people were killed and 18 wounded.
The clan fighting was believed to be a continuation of clashes over pasture and water.
"This clash has been recurring for months. It seems there is no sign of a cease-fire agreement between these two neighboring clans," Ali Yasin Gedi, the vice chairman of Elman, told Reuters.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article77052.ece
------
Afghan war, corruption dismay US Congress
Saturday, 03 Jul, 2010
WASHINGTON, July 2: Gen David Petraeus, who arrived in Kabul on Friday to take command of US and Nato forces, received two negative signals from home, a $4 billion cut in US assistance and a message from as many as 162 congressmen that they are unhappy with the war.
“We can do better. Our soldiers deserve better. Let’s do right by our soldiers. Military spending bill should be about military spending and nothing else,” said Congressman Mike Pence, who heads the House Republican Conference, while objecting to the administration’s request for more money.
The House of Representatives approved funds on Thursday to pay for President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan troop increase but also voted to signal growing unhappiness with the war among his fellow Democrats.
Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/afghan-war%2C-corruption-dismay-us-congress-370
------
Only 23% have health cover in Al-Safa
By MUHAMMAD HUMAIDAN
Jul 3, 2010
JEDDAH: A health survey from Jeddah’s Health Affairs Department has revealed that less than a quarter of residents in a northern city district are covered by health insurance.
The study, released by Jeddah Health Affairs on Friday says 23 percent of those living in the Al-Safa district are insured. The survey revealed up to three percent of residents in the area are disabled and that only 28 percent of the women breast-feed their children while the rest use a bottle.
According to the Jeddah municipality’s official website, there are officially 56,000 people living in Al-Safa district, although the Society of Residential Districts’ Secretary Hassan Al-Zahrani estimates this figure is closer to 600,000.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article77503.ece
------
Saudi Press: Degrees don’t matter
By HAYA ABDUL AZIZ AL-MANIE
Khaled returned home after completing his higher studies abroad. He was focused on securing a good job back in the Kingdom.
He is now the holder of a master’s degree obtained from one of the universities in the United States after he was sent abroad as part of the king’s scholarship program.
Soon after reaching home, Khaled started leading a secluded life, immersing himself in the world of his certificates. He attempted to visualize his plans and programs, yet he had taken no practical steps to make them a reality.
Hence, his mother suggested to him that the first thing he could do was to seek a life partner.
He tried to convince her that he would marry only after getting a job. However, she was adamant that he got married, as she was certain it would be very easy for him to get any job because of his qualifications.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article77520.ece
------
Iran moves radar to Syria: US official
3 July 2010
Iran has moved radar to Syria that could provide early-warning against a possible surprise Israeli air attack against Tehran’s nuclear sites, a US defense official said on Friday.
The radar transfer was first reported in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday and prompted the State Department to voice concerns about cooperation between Syria and Iran.
The sophisticated radar were deployed in Syria last year, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told .
The move could bolster Iran’s position amid long-running speculation that Israel might stage a bombing raid against Tehran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.
Information from new radar also could potentially help the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah with its missile arsenal and air defenses.
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/July/middleeast_July43.xml§ion=middleeast
------
Pakistan urges world not to interfere in Afghan affairs
3 July 2010
UNITED NATIONS: While reaffirming its commitment to strengthening its friendly ties with Afghanistan, Pakistan on Friday urged the international community to stay engaged in the war-torn country without interfering in the country’s internal affairs.
“Long-term objectives of peace, stability and development in Afghanistan can only be realised by respecting its sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity,” Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon told the UN Security Council. At the same time, peace and economic development was contingent upon a stable (Afghan) government, enjoying support of the majority people, he said.
Participating in a debate at the 15-nation council on the Afghan situation, Haroon said the communiqué issued by a peace jirga last month was an enabling document to formulate a national strategy for sustainable peace.
Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\03\story_3-7-2010_pg1_7
-------
Pakistan can’t continue terror war on its own: PM
July 03, 2010
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said Pakistan has conveyed to the United States that it cannot continue the war on terror on its own and needs active assistance from the civilised world to make it resulted-oriented.
“We have made it clear to Washington that the era of ‘do more’ has gone now and that we want trade not aid,” the prime minister said in his monthly address to the nation on the state-run radio.
He said the international community is now acknowledging the crucial role being played by Pakistan in the fight against terrorism. He said Pakistan is urging the US to ensure that the commitments made from the forum of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FODP) are fulfilled.
The prime minister said Pakistan respects independence and sovereignty of Afghanistan and is actively cooperating in its reconstruction. “We want that the Afghan soil is not used against Pakistan and the international community fulfils its responsibility with regard to repatriation of three million Afghan refugees,” he said.
Full report at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=248627
------
Slain ISI man’s son seeks case against TV anchor
By Mudassir Raja
03 Jul, 2010
RAWALPINDI, July 2: The son of Khalid Khawaja, a former ISI official, has urged the Lahore High Court to order registration of a criminal case against an anchor of a private television channel for the murder of his father.
Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik, of the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench, on Friday took up the petition of Usama Khalid and directed the law officer representing the federal government to appear in court on July 12.
The petitioner challenged the June 12 order of an additional district and sessions judge rejecting his plea to register the murder case.
Khalid Usama has made the SHO and a sub-inspector of Islamabad’s Shalimar police station respondents in the petition filed with the Lahore High Court, contending that the district and sessions judge dismissed his petition after the Shalimar police had told him they lacked jurisdiction as the murder of Khalid Khawaja was not committed in their area.
Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/slain-isi-mans-son-seeks-case-against-tv-anchor-370
------
Iran frees Nobel winner Ebadi’s aide
3 July 2010
Tehran has freed from jail an aide to Nobel peace winner Shirin Ebadi who was arrested before the anniversary of Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election, an opposition website reported.
“I spoke to her just now. She told me she is out of the (prison) gate,” Kaleme.com, the website of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, quoted Narges Mohammadi’s husband Taghi Rahmani as saying.
Narges Mohammadi’s arrest had been reported by the Defenders of Human Rights Center, which is chaired by Ebadi, on June 11, a day before the first anniversary of the presidential poll.
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/July/middleeast_July28.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
------
Security forces used excessive force in raid on Abbas’s house: Amnesty
3 July 2010
Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Friday accused Bangladeshi security forces used excessive force during a raid on the house of an opposition politician and asked the government to investigate into the matter.
The organisation also called on the authorities to order security forces to comply with their obligations to exercise restraints and avoid use of excessive force as the country faces a series of clashes during protests.
Citing statements of victims, the organisation said the Rapid Action Battalion had carried out a violent attack on the people who gathered peacefully inside the house of Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Mirza Abbas, also former mayor of Dhaka, on Sunday when the BNP was enforcing a general strike.
Full report at: www.newagebd.com
------
Bangladesh Govt starts removing Hindus from madrassah committees
Siddiqur Rahman Khan
The government has started removing the Hindus from non-government madrassah management committees, in keeping with an earlier decision, to fend off propaganda that the government was patronising non-Muslims in such institutions.
Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office and the education ministry told New Age the government had made the decision in keeping with the recommendations of intelligence agencies and some ruling party lawmakers.
Full report at: www.newagebd.com
------
Kin of PDP leaders instigating stone-pelting: Omar Abdullah
Jul 2, 2010
SRINAGAR: Accusing main opposition PDP of being involved in instigating stone-pelting, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today warned "perpetuators, instigators and facilitators" of violence that they would be sternly dealt with.
Terming this as one of the testing times of his chief ministership, 40-year-old Omar said he had his fingers crossed and was making every attempt administratively and politically to prevent any further loss of life.
"To the perpetuators, instigators and facilitators of violence and disorder and to those who are indulging in petty political machinations to disturb peace, my message is clear that my government and I will not only expose them but also deal with them sternly.
Full report at:
http://toivideos.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Kin-of-PDP-leaders-instigating-stone-pelting-Omar-Abdullah/articleshow/6120875.cms
------
Toughest U.S. sanctions on Iran
Narayan Lakshman
Jul 03rd, 2010
Washington: U.S. President Barack Obama has signed into force the “toughest sanctions against Iran ever passed by the United States Congress”, under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act.
The sanctions, imposed in addition to those adopted under the UN Security Council Resolution 1929 passed last month, will make it “harder for the Iranian government to purchase refined petroleum and the goods, services and materials to modernize Iran's oil and natural gas sector”, according to a statement by Mr. Obama. He said the sanctions would also target the Revolutionary Guards and banks that supported Iran's alleged nuclear programme.
Mr. Obama said the U.S. was “striking at the heart of the Iranian government's ability to fund and develop its nuclear programme”.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/03/stories/2010070365441900.htm
------
Newspaper offices in Kashmir sealed for misleading reports
Mohit Kandhari , Jammu
Jul 03rd, 2010
In a late night swoop on three local newspaper offices, the Jammu & Kashmir Government on Thursday sealed them, along with their printing units, after they published reports ‘aimed at hurting the communal fabric in the State’.
All three publications — Early Times, The Shadow and Glimpses of Future — had carried news reports claiming that a Shivala temple in Anantnag was attacked by protesters in Kashmir and that Amarnath pilgrims were stoned in the Valley.
Taking strong note of misleading news items published in local dailies at a time when parts of the Valley were already on the boil, District Magistrate (Jammu) MK Dwivedi late on Thursday night cracked down on and sealed the offices to send across a tough message to vested interests.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/266590/Newspaper-offices-sealed-for-misleading-reports.html
------
Beleaguered Kashmir CM urges joint effort
Jul 03rd, 2010
In an image makeover effort, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday urged joint efforts for the resolution of Kashmir issue reiterating that the aspirations of the people cannot be assuaged by development, good governance and economic packages alone but with addressing the political aspect of the problem.
He sought to strike an emotional chord with the people of Kashmir, saying Kashmiris were “part of my flesh and blood” and “death of youngsters has saddened me most”.
Omar’s image has received a serious dent following the recent killing of 11 teenagers at the hands of police and paramilitaries. Observers say that the killings in Omar regime belied his promises that he would bring about change for the youth of Kashmir. Omar is completing first quarter of his six-year rule on July 5.
“It is unfortunate that certain elements are hell bent on disturbing the peace and quiet and causing discomfort to the people of Jammu & Kashmir. My Government & I will fight these forces politically and administratively and shall not let their nefarious designs succeed,” Omar said in a statement on Friday.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/266585/Beleaguered-Omar-urges-joint-effort.html
------
Muslim parents in UK think learning music is un-Islamic
Nandini Jawli
Jul 03rd, 2010
Muslim pupils in Britain are being withdrawn from music lessons because their families believe learning an instrument is anti-Islamic. The move comes despite the subject being a compulsory part of the national curriculum.
One education expert said up to half of Muslim pupils were withdrawn from music lessons during Ramadan. While parents have legal rights to withdraw children from religious and sex education classes, no automatic right exists to pull them out of lessons such as music.
The Muslim Council of Britain said music lessons were likely to be unacceptable to around ten per cent of the Muslim population in Britain. This could equate to hundreds of Muslim children being withdrawn from the lessons, the MCB said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/266610/Muslim-parents-in-UK-think-learning-music-is-un-Islamic.html
------
Pakistanis blame US after shrine attack kills 42
Jul 03rd, 2010
A pair of suicide bombings that killed 42 at a popular Sufi shrine in Pakistan’s east stirred outrage among many in this terror-scarred nation on Friday. Several blamed the US presence in Afghanistan for spurring the attacks, while some faulted a minority sect that itself was viciously targeted just weeks before.The bombings of Lahore’s Data Darbar shrine, the burial site of a famous Sufi saint, struck at the heart of the moderate Islam most Pakistanis still practice. The assault wounded 180 people and again demonstrated the potent nature of militant groups that are linked to but operate far from the northwest tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/266595/Pakistanis-blame-US-after-shrine-attack-kills-42.html
------
USAID attacked in Afghan, 4 killed
Jul 03rd, 2010
AMIR SHAH
Six suicide bombers attacked a USAID compound on Friday in northern Afghanistan, killing at least four people and wounding several others, officials said.
Two of the dead were foreigners.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which began about 3.30 am when a suicide car bomber detonated a sports utility vehicle at the compound’s entrance.
An Afghan security guard was killed in the blast, said General Abdul Razaq Yaqoubi, chief of the police in Kunduz province.
Five other attackers then stormed a building used by Development Alternatives Inc. —a Washington-based global consulting company — that has a contract with the United States Agency for International Aid, or USAID, to work on governance and community development in the area.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/usaid-attacked-afghan-4-killed-167
------
Turkish airstrike hits rebels in Iraq
Jul 03rd, 2010
Clashes between Turkish troops and Kurdish rebels in southeast Turkey intensified on Friday after Turkish planes bombed Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq. More than 10,000 soldiers, backed by helicopter gunships, clashed with the rebels near the Iraq border in Sirnak and Hakkari provinces, and troop reinforcements were sent in from regional military bases to help the offensive.
“Separatist terrorist organisation targets were hit by Turkish armed forces planes last night in northern Iraq, notably in the Qandil mountain and Hakurk region,” the Army said.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/turkish-airstrike-hits-rebels-iraq-160
------
LeT takes aim at Games sites
Jul 03rd, 2010
US think- tank Stratfor warns of apossible terror attack
IT APPEARS the 26/ 11 attacks in Mumbai were not brazen enough for the belligerent Pakistan- based terrorist groups.
Now, a leading American thinktank has raised concerns over possible terror attacks during the Commonwealth Games scheduled to begin on October 3.
According to a recent threat assessment conducted by Strategic Forecasting Inc. or Stratfor — a Texas- based think- tank, the Commonwealth Games presents an enticing target for antagonistic militant outfits such as the Pakistan- based Lashkar- e- Tayyeba.
The vice- president of Stratfor’s tactical intelligence division, Scott Stewart, replied in the affirmative when asked whether the sporting event faces any terror threat.
“ Yes. Two days after the February 13, 2010, blast in Pune, Ilyas Kashmiri ( a wanted al- Qaeda terrorist) threatened the Field Hockey World Cup, the Indian Premier League cricket competition and the Commonwealth Games,” Stewart said.
In support of his claims, the analyst quoted a declaration transmitted by Kashmiri via Asia Times Online on February 13, which threatened to “ continue attacks all across India until the Indian army leaves Kashmir”. In his message, Kashmiri had also warned the world against sending its athletes to the upcoming global sporting spectacles to be held in India this year.
Full report at: Mail today
------
Parliamentary panel wants anti-terror policy changed
By Ahmad Hassan
03 Jul, 2010
ISLAMABAD: The 17-member Parliamentary Committee on National Security urged the government on Friday to change its strategy for combating terrorism. The committee chairman Mian Raza Rabbani told reporters after a meeting of the committee at the Parliament’s House: “When the United States and Afghanistan were reviewing and revising their strategy to combat terror, it is incumbent upon Pakistan also to change its policy for regional peace.”
He, however, added: “We can only submit our proposals and it is up to the government to implement or reject these.”
He said the government should change its political and military strategy as a frontline state in the war against terror. The committee was preparing its recommendations and would submit a report to the government, he added.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/06-parliamentary-panel-wants-antiterror-policy-changed-370-rs-08
------
3 brothers among six killed in Balochistan
03 Jul, 2010
QUETTA, July 2: Six people, three brothers among them, were killed and three others injured in separate incidents in two districts on Friday.
Sources said that two groups of Kakar tribe clashed with each other in Kan Mehtarzai area of Qila Saifullah district over a land dispute.
The fighting in which rockets and machine-guns were used continued for two hours during which four people, three brothers among them, were killed and three others injured.
The injured were admitted to the Qila Saifullah civil hospital.
The situation was tense and the local administration deployed levies and Frontier Corps personnel to the area to avert further clashes.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/3-brothers-among-six-killed-in-balochistan-370
------
Tourists back in Swat
By Ali Hazrat Bacha
Saturday, 03 Jul, 2010
MINGORA, July 2: People from various areas of the country, particularly Punjab and Karachi, have started visiting the lush green Swat valley, and enjoy the respite while here from heat and pollution prevalent in their native areas.
In Swat, tourism season usually starts from June soon after school vacations almost across the country and reaches its peak level at the end of August. About 400 hotels provide accommodation to the tourists. The season is also a source of income for the local people.
The tourism activity has resumed after a gap of three years due to the lawlessness created by militancy, which also resulted in joblessness for the local people on large-scale.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/tourists-back-in-swat-370
------
UN warns of violence between Hezbollah and Israel
Saturday, 03 Jul, 2010
BEIRUT, July 2: The United Nations has warned of renewed violence between Lebanese group Hezbollah and its arch foe Israel following accusations the party had received sophisticated missiles.
“Amidst allegations of continued arms transfers to Hezbollah... a perceptible increase in tension between the parties was recorded,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a report.
“This raised the spectre of a miscalculation by either party leading to a resumption of hostilities, with potentially devastating consequences for Lebanon and the region,” read the 13th report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/un-warns-of-violence-between-hezbollah-and-israel-370
------
Govt will make Balochistan an ‘economic giant’: Raisani
Jul 03rd, 2010
QUETTA: The Balochistan government is making all-out efforts for making the province an ‘economic giant’, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani said on Friday.
The Balochistan chief minister made these remarks while meeting World Bank’s senior adviser for South Asia and Pakistan John W Wall at the Balochistan House. Raisani said that the provincial government was ready to face all the economic challenges which were confronting Balochistan. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader informed the World Bank official that Balochistan has vast mineral resources and if they were utilised properly, the country’s economy could prosper. Raisani said that three sectors of the economy, which were education, provision of clean water and utilisation of the mineral resources were the top priorities of the provincial government.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\03\story_3-7-2010_pg7_28
------
NATO’s door still open for Ukraine: Clinton
Jul 03rd, 2010
KIEV—The door to NATO membership remains open for Ukraine, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Kiev Friday, after its parliament abandoned the previous administration’s bid to join the alliance.
Clinton is the highest ranking US official to visit Ukraine since the election of president of Viktor Yanukovych, who has scrapped his predecessor’s staunchly pro-Western stance in favour of closer ties with Russia. As well as Ukraine, Clinton is to visit several other ex-Communist countries in Russia’s backyard on a major tour against the background of the discovery of an alleged Cold War-style Russian spy ring in the United States.
“Ukraine is a sovereign and independent country that has the right to choose its own alliances and NATO’s door remains open,” Clinton said at a meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart Kostyantyn Gryshchenko. “But it’s up to Ukraine to decide whether or not you wish to pursue that or any other course for your own security interest,” she added. The Ukrainian authorities led by Yanukovych have abandoned the aim of his pro-Western predecessor Viktor Yushchenko to join NATO, with Yanukovych pledging to pursue a policy of neutrality.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0710/03/FrontPage/index.php?id=9
------
Kurd conflict comes back to haunt Turkey before polls
Jul 03rd, 2010
CUKURCA—Helicopter gunships clatter above the plunging ravines on the Turkish-Iraqi frontier, scouring the mountainsides for Kurdish rebel fighters. On the twisting roads, military vehicles run the risk of roadside bombs or ambush as they ferry troops to checkpoints and border posts.
Sometimes Turkish forces go further, launching airstrikes against militant bases in northern Iraq, or ordering troops to cross the border in hot pursuit of guerrilla raiding parties. On Thursday night, warplanes struck rebels in the mountains.
Barely a year after Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan announced a new deal between the state and its Kurdish minority, hopes of an end to Turkey’s decades-long conflict have been wrecked by an upsurge in violence in the Kurdish southeast.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0710/03/FrontPage/index.php?id=11
------
‘10 Rwanda genocide suspects still sought by UN’
Saturday, July 03, 2010
ARUSHA, Tanzania: After the arrest on Wednesday in Uganda of Jean-Bosco Uwinkindi, the UN court for Rwanda is still seeking 10 Rwandan genocide suspects, the best known of them being Felicien Kabuga.
Accused of having bought the machetes used to hack the country’s minority Tutsis to pieces in 1994, Kabuga is still based in Kenya, according to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Kabuga is the father-in-law of Augustin Ngirabatware, the former planning minister currently on trial at the ICTR.
Also on the list is former defence minister Augustin Bizimana. He was a member of the party of the Hutu president Juvenal Habyarimana, whose assassination on 6 April 1994 triggered the genocide in which some 800,000 people, mainly Tutsis were killed.
Accused of being one of the masterminds of the genocide, Bizimana, a trained agronomist, is in hiding in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to sources at the ICTR.
The third big fish still on the run is Major Protais Mpiranya, who was under Habyarimana the commander of the presidential guard, the elite military unit the most active in the massacres.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=248609
------
Weak private hiring shows tepid recovery
By LUCIA MUTIKANI , REUTERS
Jul 3, 2010
WASHINGTON: US private payrolls rose only modestly in June and overall employment fell for the first time this year as thousands of temporary census jobs ended, showing the economic recovery failing to pick up steam.
Although private hiring was well below levels needed to bring down unemployment on a sustained basis, analysts said the report from the Labor Department on Friday was not consistent with an economy on the brink of another recession.
"We are still on track for a fairly moderate recovery," said Julia Coronado, an economist at BNP Paribas in New York. "There have been some concerns that maybe we are heading for a double-dip. The report eases those concerns in the sense that we are still creating private sector jobs."
Private hiring rose by 83,000 after adding only 33,000 jobs in May. Total nonfarm employment actually dropped 125,000 - the largest decline since October - as the government laid off 225,000 temporary census workers.
The unemployment rate fell to 9.5 percent, the lowest level since July 2009, from 9.7 percent in May, but only because a flood of jobless workers gave up their employment search.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/economy/article77528.ece
------
PA spurns Israeli invitation
By MOHAMMED MAR'I ARAB NEWS
Jul 1, 2010
RAMALLAH, West Bank: The Palestinian Authority on Thursday rejected the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for a meeting in Jerusalem.
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, described Netanyahu's invitation as "nothing more than propaganda . . . Netanyahu's invitation is meant to cover his practices in Jerusalem."
Netanyahu extended the invitation after a meeting with visiting US Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell on Wednesday.
The US administration, which failed to bring the Palestinian Authority and Israel to direct peace negotiations that stopped in December 2008, managed to convince the two sides to start first with the four-month indirect proximity talks, focusing on issues of settlements, borders and security, and then go for direct talks.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article77043.ece
------
‘Curbs don’t ban S-300 missiles’
Jul 1, 2010
Iran ‘more determined’ than ever to develop its atomic program
DAMASCUS: A senior Iranian official says new UN sanctions would not prevent Russia from delivering sophisticated air defense missiles to Iran as agreed under a 2007 contract.
Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the contract for delivery of the powerful S-300 air defense missiles to Iran was concluded before the UN Security Council approved new sanctions earlier this month and therefore had “nothing to do” with the resolution.
Speaking to reporters in Damascus Thursday, Larijani said there were some “fluctuations” in Russia's position toward Iran. He said UN sanctions would affect his country “very little.” The new sanctions concern Iran's nuclear program.
Russia signed a deal to sell the missiles in 2007 but has delayed their delivery.
Meanwhile, Iran has written to the 15 members of the UN Security Council insisting that new sanctions will not affect its nuclear program, the state news agency said on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in the letters Iran "considers that the adoption of such (UN) resolutions will not affect its utterly peaceful nuclear program," the IRNA news agency reported.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article76917.ece
-------
Jordon: Hassan Turabi freed
Jul 1, 2010
KHARTOUM: A Sudanese opposition leader said Thursday his 45-day detention and the shuttering of his party newspaper are proof that the country's historic elections haven't changed the regime's "oppressive" ways.
Hassan Turabi was arrested in May after sharply criticizing Sudan's historic multiparty elections, saying they were marred by "shameful" fraud.
President Omar Al-Bashir easily won another 5-year term in these elections, and his party tightened its grip on power.
Rights groups have said the elections failed to meet international standards, and emboldened a regime crackdown on opponents.
"For the moment, I am free," said the 77-year-old Turabi, who was released Thursday. He was the brains behind the coup that brought Al-Bashir to power in 1989, but the two have since had a falling out and for the past 10 years he has often been under some form of detention.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article76930.ece
------
Swine flu shot must for Haj pilgrims
By MD HUMAIDAN
Jul 3, 2010
JEDDAH: Taking vaccination against swine flu and meningitis is still a condition to receive Umrah visas, a number of pilgrims arriving at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah told Arab News.
The swine-flu vaccine requirement is being maintained despite the global retreat of the virus. With the waning threat of a major epidemic, vaccine stocks are no longer being built up. This week the United States began destroying a quarter of its vaccine stock (40 million doses) that has expired.
However, the Saudi Health Ministry has said it is continuing to take all precautions against the disease. Indeed, the virus is still out there. Mumbai registered about 100 cases of the A/H1N1 in June.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article77522.ece
------
Lebanon’s Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah hospitalised
2 July 2010
BEIRUT - Lebanon’s top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, 75, was hospitalised in Beirut for internal bleeding on Friday, hospital officials said.
“Doctors are monitoring him closely in the intensive care unit and they said he is stable, but they still cannot make a prognosis,” one official told AFP on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the press.
The grand ayatollah rose in the ranks of Lebanon’s Shiite community decades ago and was considered the spiritual guide of militant group Hezbollah when it was founded in 1982 with the support of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard.
Full report at:
www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/July/middleeast_July37.xml§ion=middleeast
------
New Afghan war commander facing uphill battle
3 July 2010
KABUL - US General David Petraeus makes his public debut on Saturday as commander of the Afghan war, celebrating US Independence Day in one of the most heavily guarded places in the country.
The four-star general, who arrived in the Afghan capital on Friday, faces a tough task to bring peace and secure a face-saving exit for allied troops fighting the Taliban, observers say.
Replacing the sacked US General Stanley McChrystal, Petraeus has said the war in Afghanistan — now well into its ninth year — is likely to get tougher before significant improvements are seen.
He arrives as deaths of US and NATO soldiers are touching record highs in intensified fighting, along with questions about the wisdom of committing such huge resources in manpower and money to what could yet be a lost cause.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/July/international_July116.xml§ion=international
------
Israel is spying because it can't wage war - top Hizbullah MP
By Elias Sakr
BEIRUT: Israel is attempting to infiltrate Lebanon’s domestic front because it’s incapable of launching a costly war, Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc leader Mohammad Raad said on Friday.
Raad made the remarks following the most recent discovery of a suspected Israeli spy, who was working at the mobile phone company Alfa.
“The focus of the Israeli enemy to infiltrate our domestic front … which aims to buy it time, since it currently lacks military readiness to launch a war, which would be very expensive and put its very [existence] at risk,” Raad said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=116676#ixzz0sbLwSUct
------
An American-Taliban dialogue is difficult, but not impossible
By David Ignatius
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Even as the United States and the Taliban continue to pound each other on the battlefield, the two adversaries appear to be conducting parallel internal debates about what an eventual political reconciliation might involve.
Each side wants to bargain from a position of maximum strength, and for the foreseeable future that means trying to inflict maximum pain.
Each seems to be betting that the staying power of the other is limited – by domestic politics, regional dynamics and the cost of the conflict in money and blood. The main advantage of the Taliban, arguably, is that their fighters are a permanent part of the landscape.
US military commanders see signs that their aggressive “capture or kill” operations have rocked the Taliban – and pushed some of the insurgents to consider negotiations with President Hamid Karzai.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=5&article_id=116588#ixzz0sbR3Ht48
------
Muslims can be tolerant
07/03/2010
This is a comment on a demand by Muslim groups to apply sharia law in Bekasi, West Java. There are a lot of violence and barbaric practices like slavery and mistreating women in any older religious text.
The question is the interpretation and how literally those religious groups follow those texts.
That's why there are many moderate Muslim in Indonesia and around the world that are peace loving and will be a great neighbor for anyone. The problem is those aggressive hard-line Muslims with a narrow mind and limited understanding of the world, and insists on having their ways applied to their city, their state, without any regard of their neighbors and countrymen with different view or beliefs.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/03/muslim-can-be-tolerant.html
4:01 AM
Sultan Shahin
0 comments:
Post a Comment