Pak to demolish 87-yr-old temple
Quraishi set to be 1st Muslim CEC of India
Kayani gets 3-year extension as Pak Army Chief
39 Taliban militants killed in Pak tribal region
Polygamy makes for unhappy families: Malaysian study
North Afghan women retreat behind veil in fear of Taliban
Sixteen ‘militants’ killed in Orakzai blitz
Mentally ill woman spends 14 years in detention
‘Any terror attack on US from Pak will have grim fallout’
New video shows Times Square bomb suspect meeting Taliban leader
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) signs MoU with Agnice Fire Protection
Lashkar is as much a threat as Taliban: Holbrooke
Saudis complain of unhelpful diplomatic missions abroad
Abbas warns Fatah to get organized or die
SC records Pak hand in killing of Mirwaiz Sr
REVIEW OF BANGLADESH CONSTITUTION: Move aims to stop power transfer
BNP can still join special committee: Sajeda
Kyrgyz police detain ex-president's brother
Dr Adib to be nominated for Nobel, says Zardari
Pak needs to bring Mumbai attack culprits to justice: US
Demoralized & helpless, J&K cops refuse field duty
Social activist honored with Nishat-e-Deccan
Gaza children bounce balls in Guinness record bid
Dubai Fashion Fiesta kicks off on a glamorous note
Iraqi minister says 4 al-Qaida inmates escape jail
Musharraf vows to return to Pakistan soon
Four more held for prof attack
Osama in Af Pak: US
US slaps sanctions against Taliban, Haqqani network
Al Qaeda prisoners escape from Iraqi jail
Britain's Clegg says Iraq invasion was "illegal"
Krishna gave them handle, Pak says thanks
Kayani gets 3-year extension as Pak Army Chief
Five Yemeni soldiers killed in Qaeda-style ambush: Official
NC wants political prisoners freed
Israeli shelling kills 2 Gaza militants, wounds 6
Car bomb kills 15 in village north of Baghdad
US national arrested for trying to join al- Qaeda linked terror group
US fears another 26/ 11 can trigger Indo- Pak war
How X-mas bomber fell through US intelligence gaps
India has a major role in Afghanistan: U.S.
Kashmir's bizarre new “normal”
‘CCS was briefed on Headley interrogation'
U.S. to train Indonesian Army division
‘US Will Work With Pak On Civil Nuclear Energy’
Fears Of A New Tora Bora In Somalia
Aid ships from Lebanon won't reach Gaza: Israel
New video shows Mullah Fazlullah
‘Fake degree holders should face the music’
Turkey to keep Kurd children out of jail
Rocket attack kills three in Baghdad Green Zone
Pak-UK universities launch dual degree programme
Bangladeshi mother reunited with miracle twins
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Temple in Rawalpindi, Pakistan
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Pak to demolish 87-yr-old temple
July 23, 2010
Despite strong protest by Pakistan’s Hindu community, an 87-year-old pre-partition Hindu temple in Pakistan’s garrison town of Rawalpindi is facing demolition.
According to Jagmohan Kumar, the head of the Hindu community in Rawalpindi, the temple was being used by Hindus and Sikhs to perform last rituals of their dear ones.
According to the plaque fixed on the building, Lala Tansukh Rai, the Raees-e-Azam Rawalpindi, had constructed the temple in memory of his wife. “The ‘Shamshan Ghat’ is not only used by the locals but by the foreign missions of China and the Buddhist community as well”, Kumar said.
“The land for ‘Shamshan Ghat’ was allocated to the Hindus during the first tenure of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto when Kishan Chand Parwani was the federal minister for minorities in her cabinet. The temple is now being demolished while the open area is being maintained for the community”, he added.
According to Kumar, the original area of the ‘Shamshan Ghat’ land was 277 kanals and there were several temples along the Tipu Road and Nullah Leh. “Some of these temples were demolished before the partition while many were razed to ground after the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992 in India. There were several temples in the adjacent localities of Raja Bazaar in Rawalpindi where there are now residential apartments”.
Jagmohan asked how the Muslims would feel if there mosques were demolished for residential purpose.
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_pak-to-demolish-87-yr-old-temple_1412526
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Quraishi set to be 1st Muslim CEC of India
July 23, 2010
New Delhi: The seniormost election commissioner,S Y Quraishi,is all set to become the countrys first Muslim Chief Election Commissioner on July 30.He will have a term of nearly two years.
Quraishis elevation to the top post was a certainty when he joined the commission in 2006 for a six-year term.Governments of all political hues have been following the seniority principle by elevating the senior-most EC as the CEC.
Simultaneously,various names are doing the rounds for the appointment of third election commissioner.
A man of letters and an authority on HIV/ AIDS,Quraishi is Delhiborn who went to the prestigious St Stephens College.A mild-mannered bureaucrat of the 1971 batch Haryana cadre,Quraishi is known for speaking his mind on important issues.
Times of India
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Kayani gets 3-year extension as Pak Army Chief
Jul 23 2010
Islamabad : Pakistan's powerful army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was given a three-year extension of service by the government to ensure continuity in counter-terrorism operations, ending months of speculation over his continuance.
The 58-year-old Kayani, who replaced former President Pervez Musharraf as army chief in 2007, was to retire on November 28.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced the government's decision to extend his tenure during a televised address to the nation tonight.
"In the best interests of the country, I have decided in my capacity as Prime Minister to give Gen Kayani an extension of three years from November 29, 2010 while relaxing the existing policy and after consulting President Asif Ali Zardari," Gilani said.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kayani-gets-3year-extension-as-pak-army-chief/650690/
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39 Taliban militants killed in Pak tribal region
July 23, 2010
At least 39 Taliban militants were killed and 17 others injured today in air and ground offensives by Pakistani security forces in the restive northwestern Orakzai tribal region.
A clash between troops and Taliban in Sarki Khel area of Orakzai left 24 militants dead and 11 injured, officials said.
Fifteen more militants were killed and six others injured when helicopter gun ships targeted militant positions in Khadezai and Gundaki areas of the tribal region.
Three militant hideouts were destroyed in the air strikes, the officials said.
The Pakistani military claims that it has killed over 1,000 militants during air and ground attacks in Orakzai in recent months, though the figure cannot be independently verified as journalists have no access to the region.
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_39-taliban-militants-killed-in-pak-tribal-region_1413223
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Polygamy makes for unhappy families: Malaysian study
23 July 2010
Men in polygamous relationships find it difficult to meet the needs of all their wives and children, and the result is unhappy and cash-strapped families, according to a landmark Malaysian study.
Polygamy is legal for Muslims, who make up more than 60 percent of Malaysia's population, allowing Muslim men to take up to four wives.
But activists and women's groups say polygamy is cruel and has deviated from its original purpose in Islam, which was to protect widows and orphans.
A study by advocacy group Sisters in Islam (SIS) found that the majority of first wives and children in polygamous families were unhappy with the arrangement.
Husbands and junior wives gave a more positive response, according to the study which backed activists' views that first wives are often forgotten after a man creates a new family.
"The husbands are the most advantaged in terms of fulfilling his desire and satisfaction in life. He has access to more than one sexual partner every day or night while the wives take turn," the study said.
According to preliminary data, more than 90 percent of the 523 children in households interviewed vowed not to enter into polygamy themselves, and two-thirds of first wives were against the practice.
"Generally, it is due to the fact that their right to demand (time and money) from their husband has decreased because their father now has another family," SIS researcher Syarifatul Adibah Mohamad Jodi told AFP.
"Despite some women saying they are not happy in the marriage, they have to accept it and they are resigned to it. They are in a vulnerable position -- financially or emotionally," she said.
SIS estimates that up to five percent of marriages in Malaysia are polygamous, a figure that has risen as rules limiting multiple marriage have been watered down over the years.
However, husbands were not entirely happy with the situation, either. Many of those surveyed said they found it "most difficult to fulfill the needs of the first wife and their children".
The study, which involved extensive interviews with 1,235 individuals from polygamous families, will be formally published next year.
SIS hopes it will trigger a change in legislation that allows the practice to flourish in Malaysia.
Adibah said that reforms should include ensuring that first wives are not cut off financially and that their consent is required before their husband enters into a second marriage.
Critics of polygamy say that such laws, where they exist, are frequently ignored in Malaysia.
Polygamy is illegal for non-Muslims in the multi-ethnic nation, which is also home to large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
http://news.ph.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4235287
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North Afghan women retreat behind veil in fear of Taliban
By Lynne O’Donnell
23 Jul, 2010
Human rights groups are concerned that plans by the Afghan government to make peace with the Taliban could lead to an erosion of women’s liberties
Women living in Afghanistan’s safest region are retreating behind the veil amid fears they are being stalked by a resurgent Taliban determined to trample their rights.
Human rights groups are concerned that plans by the Afghan government to make peace with the Taliban could lead to an erosion of women’s liberties. On Tuesday, about 80 international representatives, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, gathered in Kabul to endorse President Hamid Karzai’s programme of reconciliation and reintegration with the Taliban leadership.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\23\story_23-7-2010_pg20_9
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Sixteen ‘militants’ killed in Orakzai blitz
23 Jul, 2010
KALAYA: Sixteen suspected militants were killed and 10 others were wounded when gunship helicopters attacked insurgent hideouts in the Orakzai tribal region, DawnNews reported.
The targeted hideouts were situated in upper Orakzai's Ghundakai and Lapti areas.
Three insurgent hideouts were also destroyed in the action.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-orakzai-blitz-16-killed-qs-02
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Mentally ill woman spends 14 years in detention
23 Jul, 2010
LAHORE, July 22: The Lahore High Court ordered on Thursday that a mentally ill woman who had been under detention without trial for 14 years be immediately released. She faced blasphemy charges but police never presented any evidence against her in the court.
Zaibun Nisa was arrested after registration of a case on Oct 26, 1996, in Sihala against ‘unknown people’ on the complaint of local cleric Qari Hafeez.
Initially she was kept in Rawalpindi’s Adayala jail, then brought to the Kot Lakhpat prison in Lahore and later admitted to a mental hospital.
Local lawyer Aftab Ahmad Bajwa filed a petition for her release, saying she had been implicated in the case only to defuse public pressure.
He said it had been established that the woman was mentally ill and the magistrate concerned had also declared her insane.
Additional Advocate-General Hanif Khatana said no evidence had been placed on record against the woman and medical reports confirmed that she was mentally ill.
The complainant failed to satisfy the court why the woman had been implicated in the case.
LHC Chief Justice Khwaja Mohammad Sharif said a comprehensive inquiry should be held by a high-level committee before registering such cases and arresting the accused.
He observed that the treatment meted out to the woman was an insult to humanity and the government and social organisations should help such people.
Agencies add: Despite “no evidence” being found against 60-year-old Zaibun Nisa, she had been left to languish in the prison section of a mental asylum since 1996, the court said, while ordering her immediate release.
“At her arrest, her medical examination was carried out and doctors had certified that she was mentally ill but still she was languishing in jail,” her lawyer said.
“Nobody, not even her relatives, pursued the case. She was sent to jail and then forgotten by everyone,” Mr Bajwa said.
“What kind of a country is this where a person is being held without trial for 14 years. It can’t be tolerated,” the lawyer quoted the judge as saying.
He said Zaibun Nisa would be put in a shelter for homeless people until her family was found.
Complainant Qari Hafeez told reporters he had not specified anyone by name in his submission and that police had arrested the woman of their own accord.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/mentally-ill-woman-spends-14-years-in-detention-370
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‘Any terror attack on US from Pak will have grim fallout’
S Rajagopalan
July 23, 2010
Despite all the sweet talk in Islamabad during her recent visit, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made it clear that any future terrorist attack on the US with its origins in Pakistan would have “a very devastating impact on our relationship”.
Doing some plain speaking during an interview with BBC, Clinton said “there are still additional steps that we are asking and expecting the Pakistanis to take”, adding: “But there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that should an attack on the United States be traced to Pakistan, it would be a very devastating impact on our relationship.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/270950/%E2%80%98Any-terror-attack-on-US-from-Pak-will-have-grim-fallout%E2%80%99.html
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New video shows Times Square bomb suspect meeting Taliban leader
Jul 23, 2010
NEW YORK: Faisal Shahzad, the man behind the failed Times Square bombing plot, is seen in a new video footage along with Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, with the two shaking hands and hugging each other.
The Pakistani American had following his arrest claimed that he had met Mehsud and a host of other radical leaders but investigators had then said they were yet to verify his claims.
The video that has now emerged shows a man who appears to be Shahzad shaking hands with Mehsud and then embracing him.
The footage, which is on the Sky News website, features an audio track of Shahzad saying, "Today, along with the leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Hakimullah Mehsud and under the command of Amir al-Mumineen Mullah Mohammed Omar Mujahid (may Allah protect him), we are planning to wage an attack on your side, inshallah".
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/New-video-shows-Times-Square-bomb-suspect-meeting-Taliban-leader/articleshow/6204616.cms
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Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) signs MoU with Agnice Fire Protection
23 July 2010
Aligarh, 23rd July: The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ameer Ahamed, Chairman of Agnice Fire Protection Limited, Chennai for construction of a new institutional complex for Faculty of Management studies and Research at AMU campus.
The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Faculty of Management Studies and Research Complex is intended to be a preferred center of excellence for management education in India as well as a center for human resources development for the university faculty, non-teaching staff and students in general as a finishing school to enhance their skill to match with the international standards.
Full report at:
http://www.c2clive.com/latestnewsdetail.php?id=1924
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Lashkar is as much a threat as Taliban: Holbrooke
July 23, 2010
The US sees the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) as a “co-equal threat“ as the Taliban, said US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke on Thursday.
The US raises its concerns about the LeT with the Pakistani military “all the time,“ he added.
On a brief visit to New Delhi, during which he met PM Manmohan Singh, Holbrooke said the US saw the LeT as “terribly dangerous“ and placed the outfit on par with groups like Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
The LeT has the same goals as the other terrorist groups, he said. It wants to provoke conflict between Delhi and Islamabad. It targets US and Western troops in Afghanistan.
“We have seen these groups coming together in the past three or four years because of the pressure they are under,“ said Holbrooke.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
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Saudis complain of unhelpful diplomatic missions abroad
Jul 23, 2010
ALKHOBAR: It is likely that a large number of Saudi families who have already left the Kingdom or planning to leave shortly for their annual summer vacation abroad will need to contact the Saudi diplomatic missions in the countries they are visiting if they are in need of assistance for whatever reason.
However, several citizens have complained about the bad experiences they have had with certain Saudi embassies abroad, Al-Riyadh daily reports. Fortunately, they appear to be in the minority.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has since stressed the need for offering the best possible consular and diplomatic services to Saudi citizens visiting foreign countries.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article88531.ece
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Abbas warns Fatah to get organized or die
Jul 23, 2010
RAMALLAH, West Bank: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned the Fatah party he leads that its days are numbered unless it puts its house in order.
His remarks underscore the troubles facing a party in decline since the death of Yasser Arafat, its co-founder, in 2004. The movement's weaknesses have contributed to the rise of the Islamist group Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip for three years.
Abbas, who replaced Arafat, attacked the party over its failure to agree on nominations for local elections that had been scheduled for July but had to be canceled because Fatah could not agree on who would run.
"We must hold ourselves to account over what happened," Abbas told a meeting of the Fatah Revolutionary Council on Tuesday, according to an official who attended.
"If what happened is allowed to pass, I tell you that this movement must say goodbye," he quoted Abbas as saying, in remarks which were omitted from a broadcast version of the speech.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article88345.ece
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SC records Pak hand in killing of Mirwaiz Sr
July 23, 2010
New Delhi: At a time when Pakistan is seeking evidence from India to prove its hand in fuelling militancy in J&K,the Supreme Court has recorded Islamabads hand in the killing of Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq by militants from Jamat-e-Islami and Hizbul Mujahideen in 1990 in Srinagar.
While upholding the conviction and life sentence to Mohammad Ayub Dar for the murder,a bench comprising Justices V S Sirpurkar and M K Sharma said Dars confession was clear about the training in use of firearms he and his accomplices received in Pakistan during his visit there in 1989.
While Dar was carrying a German pistol,his associates Inayat had a French pistol and Bilal was armed with a Chinese pistol.Bilal was the one who shot dead Mirwaiz while the others gave cover.TNN
Times of India
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REVIEW OF BANGLADESH CONSTITUTION: Move aims to stop power transfer
July 23, 2010
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday said that the main objective of her initiative to amend the constitution was to restore the people’s power through constitutional continuity.
‘We want to ensure that power is transferred through ballots, not through bullet,’ the prime minister said justifying her move to review the constitution which was repeatedly amended by military rulers in the past.
Hasina was delivering her valedictory speech in the parliament on prorogation of the budget session.
The government on Wednesday formed a 15-member panel of lawmakers to review constitutional amendments in line with a court ruling that scrapped the fifth amendment to the constitution.
Full report at: Bangladesh news
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BNP can still join special committee: Sajeda
July 23, 2010
Doors are still open for the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to send a representative to the special parliamentary committee instituted to review the constitution, the chairman of the committee, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, said on Thursday.
‘It is up to the BNP to decide whether to join or not to join the committee. But it is still possible to take them in the committee. The leader of the house has the authority to expand the committee through the parliament if BNP is willing to
send someone,’ Sajeda said at a news briefing at the parliament media centre on Thursday.
The first meeting of the committee will be held at 11:00am on July 29 in the parliament complex to work out modalities for the committee to prepare a report in the parliament after reviewing the constitution, she said.
Law minister Shafique Ahmed will be specially invited to attend the meeting, Sajeda, also deputy leader of the house, said.
Full report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jul/23/front.html
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Kyrgyz police detain ex-president's brother
Jul 23, 2010
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan: Police in Kyrgyzstan have detained a brother of deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, authorities said Thursday, the latest effort to tighten control over the country's tense south and dismantle the former leader's entourage.
Hopes for sustained peace were further bolstered when the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe announced it would send an international police force to the southern region of the Central Asian nation.
Akhmat Bakiyev was captured Wednesday night in a special operation outside the family's political stronghold in the southern city of Jalalabad, which was ravaged last month by a wave of violence against ethnic Uzbeks.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article88510.ece
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Dr Adib to be nominated for Nobel, says Zardari
By Shamim-ur-Rahman
23 Jul, 2010
KARACHI, July 22: President Asif Ali Zardari announced here on Thursday the government would nominate prominent surgeon Dr Adibul Hassan Rizvi for Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his services in the field of organ transplant.
He was speaking at the ‘gift of life’ certificate signing ceremony at the Bilawal House, organised by the health ministry in collaboration with the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) and the Human Organ Transplantation Association.
The president donated all his organs for deserving patients.
Besides Dr Rizvi, prominent social worker Abdus Sattar Edhi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, federal and provincial ministers and World Health Organisation (WHO) officials attended the ceremony.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/dr-adib-to-be-nominated-for-nobel,-says-zardari-370
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Pak needs to bring Mumbai attack culprits to justice: US
Jul 23, 2010
WASHINGTON: The US has said it is important for Pakistan to investigate the Mumbai terror attack and bring to justice those responsible for it for its own and the entire region's benefit.
State department spokesman P J Crowley told reporters at his daily news briefing that the US would continue to discuss with Pakistan the need to probe the 26/11 carnage that killed 166 people.
"There are things, clearly, that Pakistan must do. Certainly, continuing to investigate and bring to justice those who are responsible for the Mumbai attack is an important element," Crowley said.
India has blamed Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba for masterminding the attack, and the lone Pakistani gunman captured alive following the raid has been awarded a death sentence by a court.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mumbai-attack-probe-a-must-do-thing-for-Pak-US/articleshow/6204107.cms
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Demoralized & helpless,J&K cops refuse field duty
M Saleem Pandit
July 23, 2010
Srinagar: Caught between mob fury and politics,J&K police seems to have disintegrated into a demoralized force with several of its officers refusing field postings,saying their hands were tied due to instructions against the use of force against stone-pelters.
Sources said the demoralization came to fore on Monday when Baramulla SSP Sheikh Mehmood deserted his force at the first sign of trouble feigning a heart ailment.The officer left the town after the situation seemed to be going out of control after two youth Faizan Bhuroo (13) and Fayaz Ahmad Khanday (30) were killed and 25 others injured in police action.Mehmood was transferred along with another dozen officers the same day and posted as SSP traffic,Kashmir.Former CID SSP Ghulam Hassan Bhat declined to take over and instead preferred attachment to the police headquarters.
Full report at: Times of India
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Social activist honored with Nishat-e-Deccan
By AIJAZ AHMED KHAN
Jul 23, 2010
JEDDAH: Sharief Aslam, a littérateur and social activist, was honored recently with the Nishat-e-Deccan (Pleasure of Deccan) title by the All Andhra Pradesh United Organizations for his services to the community.
For over 50 years, 30 of them in Jeddah, Aslam has been promoting humanitarian, literary, cultural, social and educational activities among the expatriate community in general and Andhra Pradesh community in particular.
He is popular among the Urdu-speaking communities in the city. Displaying a special verve for humor, Aslam is much sought after by the community to participate in cultural events. He invariably regales all with his light punches and asides on social and educational ills.
An anchor of exceptional abilities in Urdu language, Aslam was one of the four conveners of 400th Anniversary of Hyderabad Deccan celebrations in Jeddah in 1989.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article88532.ece
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Gaza children bounce balls in Guinness record bid
23 July 2010
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — More than 7,000 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip simultaneously dribbled basketballs for five minutes on Thursday in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, Gaza’s top U.N. aid official said.
The event took place on a bombed-out airport runway near the southern Gaza town of Rafah. It was part of the U.N.’s summer camps for about 250,000 Gaza children.
The U.N. and Gaza’s militant Islamic Hamas rulers hold rival summer camps that compete for the hearts and minds of Gaza’s next generation. Almost half of Gaza’s 1.5 million residents are children under 15.
Organizers say the U.N. camps try to instill hope in a better future through fun and games, while Hamas’ camps teach anti-Israeli doctrine and military-style marching, along with horseback riding, swimming and Islam. Hamas says about 100,000 children will attend its camps this year.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/July/middleeast_July411.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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Dubai Fashion Fiesta kicks off on a glamorous note Davina Raisinghani
23 July 2010
A wide section of the city’s fashionable faction hit the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre late last night to catch the start of the three-day Dubai Fashion Fiesta.
Showcasing exclusive previews of their latest creations were designers Furne One of innovative local brand Amato Couture, the Australian-based Aakshaye of Panache Woman and Archana Kochhar, who had fabricated an elegant showstopper to be modelled on the ramp by Indian actress?Celina Jaitley.
“Its an amazing gown perfect for the modern-day diva,” enthused Kochhar about the final gown from her set of occassion-based garments for women. “My collection is all about feminine grace and Celina represents its romantic spirit.” However, as glamorously decked out guests and inevitably frazzled designers made their way through the crowded venue, Jaitley, who was scheduled to put in an appearance on the red carpet prior to the show, remained missing in action.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/July/theuae_July566.xml§ion=theuae&col=
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Iraqi minister says 4 al-Qaida inmates escape jail
23 July 2010
BAGHDAD — Four al-Qaida-linked detainees have escaped from a Baghdad area prison that was handed over by the U.S. to Iraqi authorities a week ago, Iraq’s justice minister said Thursday.
Dara Noureddin said the four, awaiting trial on terrorism charges, escaped from the prison formerly known as Camp Cropper.
The escape could be a major embarrassment for Iraq, which took over control of the prison from U.S. forces on July 15.
The handover of the facility marked a milestone for Iraq’s push to regain full sovereignty as the U.S. pulls out the last of its combat forces by the end of next month.
The U.S. military could not immediately be reached for comment.
Noureddin did not name the men who escaped, but said they had been arrested by U.S. forces in 2008 in western Iraq.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/July/middleeast_July408.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
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Musharraf vows to return to Pakistan soon
23 July 2010
DUBAI — Former Pakistan president Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf is addressing a series of meetings in Dubai and holding consultations with his aides ahead of the launch of his political party, All Pakistan Muslim League, and his planned return to Pakistan.
The latest such meeting was held at a hotel in Dubai on Wednesday in which Musharraf pledged he was ready to pay any price and bear any sacrifice for the people of Pakistan.
He also pledged to make an important announcement at an appropriate time. “People in Pakistan and abroad want me to return to Pakistan to set things right. I will return to Pakistan soon, at a right time, to serve the people. I enjoy the confidence of the people,” said the former president.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/July/international_July983.xml§ion=international&col=
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Four more held for prof attack
VR Jayaraj
July 23, 2010
Kerala Police on Thursday arrested four more functionaries of the Islamist Popular Front of India as accused in the case pertaining to the July 4 attack on a college professor. With this, the number of arrested accused in the case went up to 13. The arrest of the four NDF functionaries followed the interrogation of Yunus, fourth accused, who was arrested on Wednesday.
Those arrested on Thursday were Latheef of Aluva, Shiyas, Muhammadali, both from Kothamangalam, and Moideenkutty of Valanchery in Muslim-majority Malappuram district.
Latheef is said to be the man in charge of the Popular Front unit in Kalamassery off Kochi, Shiyas a divisional secretary and Muhammadali and Moideenkutty were functionaries in their areas.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/271104/Four-more-held-for-prof-attack.html
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Osama in Af Pak: US
July 23, 2010
Insisting that some elements in the Pakistani government know the whereabouts of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, US has said that the information should be shared with it. Washington also warned that a terrorist attack on US soil would devastate bilateral ties with Pakistan.
“I think what the Secretary (of State) was saying was that it's our belief that somewhere within the (Pakistani) government there is this kind of knowledge, and we would hope that if that knowledge is available we can find out and take appropriate action,“ State Department spokesman P J Crowley told reporters at his daily news conference.
Crowley said Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in an interview during her trip to Pakistan did not suggest that the highest level authorities in Pakistan have specific knowledge of where Ladin is.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
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US slaps sanctions against Taliban, Haqqani network
Jul 23, 2010
WASHINGTON: In a move against the Haqqani network, the US has slapped financial sanctions against three top Taliban leaders, including Nasiruddin Haqqani, a brother of key Taliban leader Sirajudin Haqqani.
The sanctions announced by the Department of Treasury, besides Nasiruddin also target Gul Agha Ishakzai, a top aide of the outlawed organisation's chief Mullah Omar and Amir Abdullah, former treasurer to senior Taliban leader Mullah Baradar.
The move could be a big setback to Pakistan army which has been cozying up to President Hamid Karzai to involve the Haqqani faction in the proposed new set-up in Afghanistan, post US and NATO withdrawal from the country.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/US-slaps-sanctions-against-Taliban-Haqqani-network/articleshow/6204680.cms
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Al Qaeda prisoners escape from Iraqi jail
23 Jul, 2010
BAGHDAD, July 22: Four Al Qaeda-linked detainees have escaped from a Baghdad area prison that was handed over by the U.S. to Iraqi authorities a week ago, Iraq’s justice minister said on Thursday.
Dara Noureddin said the four, awaiting trial on terrorism charges, escaped from the prison formerly known as Camp Cropper.
The escape could be a major embarrassment for Iraq, which took over control of the prison from US forces on July 15.
The handover of the facility marked a milestone for Iraq’s push to regain full sovereignty as the U.S. pulls out the last of its combat forces by the end of next month.
The U.S. military could not immediately be reached for comment.
Noureddin did not name the men who escaped, but said they had been arrested by US forces in 2008 in western Iraq.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/al-qaeda-prisoners-escape-from-iraqi-jail-370
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Britain's Clegg says Iraq invasion was "illegal"
Jul 23, 2010
LONDON: Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg described the 2003 invasion of Iraq as illegal on Wednesday, putting the new coalition government under pressure to clarity its position on the war.
The Liberal Democrat leader was speaking in parliament while deputising for Prime Minister David Cameron who was on a visit to the United States.
Cameron, like most of his Conservative Party -- the senior coalition partners -- supported Britain's involvement in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq under the previous Labour government.
A spokeswoman for the prime minister said the Lib Dem leader was only expressing his view. She could not say what the coalition's exact position on the matter was.
Clegg's remark was intended as a jibe against Jack Straw, who was foreign secretary during the invasion.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/world/article88412.ece
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Krishna gave them handle,Pak says thanks
July 23, 2010
New Delhi: The fear that Pakistan will seize upon the criticism of Union home secretary G K Pillai to dodge blame for the failure of the Islamabad talks has come true.
On Thursday,Pakistans internal security minister Rehman Malik praised PM Manmohan Singh and home minister P Chidambaram for restraining their aides from criticizing Pakistan.
We appreciate Indias PM (Manmohan Singh) and home minister (P Chidambaram) for advising their aides not to give negative statements against Pakistan.Thanks for creating positivity, Malik wrote on his twitter account a day after foreign minister S M Krishna surprised many by criticizing Pillai in public.
Full report at: Times of India
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Five Yemeni soldiers killed in Qaeda-style ambush: Official
July 23, 2010
Sanaa : Suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen today ambushed a Yemeni army patrol in the east of the country, killing five soldiers and wounding one, a security official told AFP.
“Five soldiers were killed and the sixth was injured in ... Shebwa in an armed attack by suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He could not immediately give further details.
The killings, in Shebwa province, follow attacks last week by suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen on the intelligence and security service headquarters in the south Yemen town of Zinjibar in which three policemen were killed and 11 hurt.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/five-yemeni-soldiers-killed-in-qaedastyle-ambush-official/650335/
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NC wants political prisoners freed
Khursheed Wani
July 23, 2010
The National Conference has added its own sweetener to the newest political initiative proposed by the Centre to engage Kashmiri separatists in dialogue. The party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) on Thursday demanded the release of political prisoners and pleaded for political resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir issue.
The CWC met at the residence of its chief and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah. During the seven-hour brainstorming session, the party adopted a seven-point resolution, starting with “total backing to the young and dynamic Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his Government.”
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Abdullah said the party reiterated its stand that the Kashmir issue was primarily a political problem that needs to be resolved through peaceful political means.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/271019/NC-wants-political-prisoners-freed.html
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Israeli shelling kills 2 Gaza militants, wounds 6
Jul 23, 2010
GAZA: Israeli shellfire killed two Palestinian militants and wounded six people, including a 10-year-old girl, in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Palestinian medical workers and an official with a militant group said.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said soldiers opened fire on militants suspected of preparing to fire a rocket at them. A security source said the troops fired a tank shell.
Officials with a militant group active in Gaza said the dead men, one of whom was pronounced dead soon after the incident and the other of whom died later, were both among their members.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article88344.ece
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Car bomb kills 15 in village north of Baghdad
Jul 23, 2010
BAGHDAD: A car bomb outside a Shiite mosque in a village north of Baghdad killed 15 people Wednesday, the third deadly attack in the region in as many days, while a US soldier was killed in a separate bombing in the same province, Iraqi officials and the US military said.
The blast in a shopping area in the village of Abu Sayda also left 21 wounded, Ghalib Al-Karkhi, a police spokesman in Diyala province said. Diyala was once an insurgent stronghold, and the three consecutive days of violence there underscores the fragile nature of Iraq's security as insurgents persist in trying re-ignite sectarian bloodshed.
A hospital official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media confirmed the casualty figures.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article88327.ece
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US national arrested for trying to join al- Qaeda linked terror group
July 23, 2010
A MAN who posted an online warning to the creators of the American sitcom South Park that they risked death for mocking Prophet Muhammad was arrested on Wednesday.
Zachary A. Chesser was charged with “ offering himself” as a fighter to a Somali terror group linked to the al- Qaeda.
Chesser, 20, told FBI agents that he twice tried to travel to Somalia to join al- Shabab as a fighter. On the most recent attempt, earlier this month, Chesser brought his infant son with him as he tried to board a flight from New York to Uganda so he would look less suspicious, according to an FBI affidavit.
Chesser was barred from the July 10 flight and told by the US transportation security administration that he was on the no- fly list, according to the affidavit.
Full report at: Mail Today
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US fears another 26/ 11 can trigger Indo- Pak war
July 23, 2010
THE top military officer of the US said on Thursday he feared a repeat of a Mumbaistyle attack in India by terror outfits across the border could trigger an Indo- Pak war.
Chairman of the US joint chiefs of the staff Admiral Mike Mullen, who reached the Capital late on Friday on a two- day visit to India, said: “ I worry a great deal about a repeat attack or something like that.” Mullen said the 26/ 11 attack demonstrated that a small group of terrorists could have a strategic impact and “ possibly take India and Pakistan to war”. “ One of the things that struck me then, and is still of great concern, was how 10 terrorists could drive two nuclear- armed nations closer to conflict,” he said on board his special plane, according to Pentagon. “ It didn’t bring them to the brink ( of war) but it brought them closer to it.” “ There is the possibility of some kind of miscalculation in response to an attack such as the one in Mumbai,” he added.
Full report at: Mail Today
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How X-mas bomber fell through US intelligence gaps
Dana Priest & William Arking
July 23, 2010
Last fall, word emerged something was amiss inside Yemen. In response, President Barack Obama signed an order sending dozens of secret commandos to that country to target and kill the leaders of an Al Qaeda affiliate.
In Yemen, the commandos set up a joint operations center packed with hard drives, forensic kits and communications gear. They exchanged thousands of intercepts, agent reports, photographic evidence and real-time video surveillance with dozens of US agencies.
That was the system as it was intended.
But when the information reached the National Counterterrorism Center in Washington for analysis, it arrivedburiedwithinthe5,000 pieces of general terroristrelateddatareviewedeachday.
Full report at: Hindustan Times
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India has a major role in Afghanistan: U.S.
Sandeep Dikshit
July 23, 2010
U.S. Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke (right) and U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer outside the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi on Thursday after a meeting.
NEW DELHI: While acknowledging Pakistan's position as a “concerned, legitimate partner” in Afghanistan, the United States on Thursday assured India that it also had a major role to play “in search for solutions” in the strife-torn country.
Visiting India after a hiatus, Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke agreed with India's perception of fusing of terrorist organisations in the region and ruled out a role for the Haqqani network in the search for peace in Afghanistan.
Speaking to journalists, Mr. Holbrooke pointed out that Afghanistan was not a zero sum game between India and Pakistan and felt better ties between both countries would help to dispel that impression. “Pakistan is not going to take over Afghanistan, nor is the Taliban. But every country in the region has to be part of the solution.”
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/23/stories/2010072362921400.htm
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Kashmir's bizarre new “normal”
Praveen Swami
July 23, 2010
NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: Fifteen days after troops drove through Srinagar, seeking to impose order in the wake of weeks of urban rioting that claimed 15 lives, Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital is discovering a new rhythm for normal life: a “normal” made up of shuttered shops, schools without students, and streets sealed off by razor-sharp rolls of wire.
It isn't the Army, though, that's enforcing the new normal. Last week, incarcerated Islamist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's Tehreek-i-Hurriyat issued the latest in a series of protest calendars — calendars demanding, in essence, that Kashmir's residents impose a curfew upon themselves. The calendar lays out a schedule for shut-downs, sit-ins and street protests stretching from Monday to Friday. From dawn to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, Kashmir's people may shop, or do whatever else pleases them. Sunday is a day of rest.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/23/stories/2010072362871400.htm
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‘CCS was briefed on Headley interrogation'
Vinay Kumar
July 23, 2010
NEW DELHI: Contrary to reports that the Home Ministry did not keep the External Affairs Ministry informed of the details of interrogation of Lashkar operative David Coleman Headley, government sources on Thursday sought to put the record straight, pointing out that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had been briefed on the issue by Home Minister P. Chidambaram in the presence of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.
Even as the blame game between the two key Ministries for the ‘unsuccessful' India-Pakistan Foreign Minister-level talks began with Mr. Krishna taking exception to Home Secretary G.K. Pillai's statement on the disclosures made by Headley that allegedly impacted the atmosphere during the talks, the Home Ministry is learnt to be making a move to hold discussions with the External Affairs Ministry to iron out their ‘differences.'
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/23/stories/2010072362901400.htm
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U.S. to train Indonesian Army division
P. S. Suryanarayana
July 23, 2010
SINGAPORE: The United States on Thursday announced a new “programme of security cooperation” with the Indonesian Army's Special Forces division. U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who met Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta, later said Washington's re-engagement with this unit would be a “gradual, limited” move at this stage.
U.S. cooperation with the Indonesian military was snapped in the 1990s over many issues, including the suspicions about violations of human rights by the Special Forces in East Timor before its independence from Jakarta. And, while the two countries normalised their military ties in recent months, with the signing of a defence framework agreement in June, the Special Forces were left out of its ambit at that time.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/23/stories/2010072363131600.htm
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‘US Will Work With Pak On Civil Nuclear Energy’
Jul 23rd, 2010
July 22: The US has promised to work with Pakistan on the civil nuclear energy front and try to overcome the “obstacles” that come in the way, as it seeks clarifications from Beijing over its atomic agreement with Islamabad.
“In our dialogue with the Pakistani government, we have clearly said we will work with them on civil nuclear energy,” Ms Clinton told a group of Pakistani journalists in Islamabad on July 19, according to the transcripts made available by the state department.
Pakistan has been demanding a civilian nuclear deal with the US on the lines of the one it has with India. China and Pakistan have an agreement under which the former would supply two additional nuclear reactors to the latter, and the US has sought additional clarifications over the deal as it goes to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/%E2%80%98us-will-work-pak-civil-nuclear-energy%E2%80%99-627
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Fears Of A New Tora Bora In Somalia
Jul 23rd, 2010
July 22: A notorious warlord and arms dealer is training Islamist fighters in the remote mountains of northern Somalia and setting up what local officials fear could become a new Tora Bora. Mohammed Said Atom, one of a handful of men singled out by the United Nations Security Council as violating an arms embargo on Somalia, has established bases in the Sanaag mountains straddling Puntland and Somaliland, a senior security official said.
The Al Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgent group has been mainly active in southern and central Somalia in recent years, focusing its military efforts on trying to topple the western-backed government in Mogadishu. But the July 11 bombings in Kampala claimed by the Shebab have signalled the group’s expanding reach, and activity by Atom’s men in Sanaag has stirred concern that the rebels were now poised to destablise the two breakaway states. Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/international/fears-new-tora-bora-somalia-635
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Aid ships from Lebanon won't reach Gaza: Israel
July 23, 2010
Israel warned the United Nations on Thursday that two ships preparing to sail from Lebanon to the Gaza Strip to bring aid to the blockaded territory would not be allowed to reach their destination.
"The stated intention of these vessels is to violate the existing naval blockade of Gaza," Israel''s U.N. Ambassador Gabriela Shalev said in a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Nigerian Ambassador Joy Ogwu, the current president of the Security Council.
Israel recently eased its blockade of the Gaza Strip in response to intense international criticism of a May 31 Israeli commando raid on a flotilla of aid ships. Nine pro-Palestinian Turkish protesters died in the confrontation.
Israel is allowing more food and other aid into Gaza via land crossings but continues to maintain the naval blockade.
Full report at:
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_aid-ships-from-lebanon-won-t-reach-gaza-israel_1413397
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New video shows Mullah Fazlullah
23 Jul, 2010
PESHAWAR: A newly released video of what appeared to be fugitive radical cleric Mullah Fazlullah shows him firing gunshots and addressing a group of suicide bombers.
Fazlullah mounted a violent two-year campaign to enforce Islamic sharia law in the northwestern district of Swat, opposing education for girls and beheading opponents until the government ordered in thousands of troops.
The 40-minute video, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, shows Fazlullah talking with a group of people whom he called suicide bombers and firing shots with a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
Shot at an unknown place and time, the video was released Thursday.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-fazlullah-video-qs-01
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‘Fake degree holders should face the music’
23 Jul, 2010
LARKANA: Sindh Assembly speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has said that whosoever has a fake degree should face the music.
Talking to members of the Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and journalists here on Wednesday, Mr Khuhro ruled out possibility of mid term elections and said PPP’s opponents were busy setting different deadlines for the fall of the government.
Answering a question about issues of fake degrees of parliamentarians, he said that whosoever had a fake degree should face the music but asked at the same time why judiciary had taken up the issue after the parliament had waived off the condition of graduation for contesting elections.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/fake-degree-holders-should-face-the-music-khuhro-370
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Turkey to keep Kurd children out of jail
23 Jul, 2010
ANKARA: Turkey’s parliament on Thursday passed a law to curb the imprisonment of Kurdish children who take part in violent protests, a practice that has further poisoned ties with the restive minority.The ruling party drafted the bill after hundreds of minors, some as young as 12, landed in prison in recent years, sparking a nationwide outcry and accusations that Ankara is not truly committed to ending the bloody conflict in the mainly Kurdish southeast.
The legislation effectively provides an amnesty for children currently in prison and makes it much harder for future offenders to be jailed, Kurdish parliament member Bengi Yildiz explained.
“About 190 children currently in jail are expected to walk free ... Also thousands of others who remain on trial will benefit from the law,” he said.
Stone-throwing children have become a fixture at Kurdish demonstrations, which routinely involve shows of support for the armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist group by Ankara over its violent 26-year campaign for self-rule.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/turkey-to-keep-kurd-children-out-of-jail-370
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Rocket attack kills three in Baghdad Green Zone
23 Jul, 2010
BAGHDAD: A rocket attack on Baghdad’s international Green Zone on Thursday killed two Ugandans and a Peruvian working for a US security contractor hired to protect US facilities in Iraq, the US embassy said.
Fifteen people, two of them American, were wounded in the attack, the embassy said in a statement. The dead and wounded all worked for the contractor Triple Canopy, a firm based in Herndon, Virginia, founded by US special forces veterans. Its guards man security checkpoints for the embassy and US military facilities in Iraq. “This cruel and senseless attack will not deter the US from carrying out its goal of working with the Iraqi government and people to build a democratic future,” the embassy said.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\23\story_23-7-2010_pg7_18
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Pak-UK universities launch dual degree programme
23 Jul, 2010
ISLAMABAD: COMSATS in collaboration with Lancaster University UK here on Thursday launched Dual Degree Programme (DDP) enabling the willing students to obtain a degree simultaneously from high ranking international and national university.
The DDP was launched at a local hotel. This landmark agreement between COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) and Lancaster University (LU) UK would allow 250 Pakistani students to earn an international degree from a high-ranking UK University in addition to their own degree from CIIT.
Initially, the DDP is being launched from Fall 2010 in the disciplines of Management Sciences, Computer Science and Electrical (Telecom) Engineering. However, plans are underway to include other disciplines as well. In this regard CIIT has announced opening of admissions for Fall 2010.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\23\story_23-7-2010_pg11_1
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Bangladeshi mother reunited with miracle twins
23 Jul, 2010
MELBOURNE: A Bangladeshi woman whose conjoined twin daughters were parted in a marathon surgery in Australia would remain a key part of their lives, their guardian said, recounting the family’s joyous reunion.
Trishna and Krishna, born with their skulls and brains fused, were separated in a complex 32-hour operation last December after being rescued from a Dhaka orphanage by Australian aid workers convinced they faced death.
Their survival through the risky surgery was hailed as a miracle around the world.
The girls’ mother, Lovely Mallick, had given them up shortly after birth in the hope they would receive medical care.
Full report at:
10:05 PM
Sultan Shahin
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