Lucknow: Women beat maulvis for issuing 'talaqnama'
Taliban attack major NATO base in Afghanistan‘Punjabi Taliban’ among 10 killed in S Waziristan drone strike
8 militants killed in gunbattle at Afghan airport
Arab actress on trial for drunk driving
Sharia-based policies could ‘disintegrate’ Indonesia: Nahdlatul Ulama
UK Muslim Leader claims that Islam is NOT a ‘Religion of Peace’
Madrassa dog raid rumour jolts Kabul
Christian Council worried: Radical Hindu groups dominate Orissa’s schools
Indonesia: Christians ask for interfaith forum amid tensions
Extremist Conference in Chicago
Ghana's unique African-Hindu temple
Over 180 suicide cases in one year, NA informed
Haj, Umrah generate SR30bn annually
8 journalists wounded in Somalia
Afghan war a waste of human life, says captured US soldier
13 persons held in in Indian state for promoting enmity
ISI links with Taliban would not be surprising: Petraeus
10 Indians on trial deny murder charges
Communal Violence Bill hits roadblock
Barack Obama meets Saudi King Abdullah at White House
Protests spread to south Kashmir, 3 teens killed in firing in Anantnag
Top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders arrested
Fake degree scandal rocks Pak politics, some lawmakers may lose seat
Imran asks govt to hold free, fair polls
Army general among 12 killed in Iraq
Saudi justice system fair, says Al-Eissa
Dhaka 172th costliest city, global study
Political steps needed, Army chief tells TOI
Indian Kashmir locked down in bid to stem protests
Re-entry fuels demand for Jaswant's book in Pak
Somalia Official Says Aim Remains Peace and Security
Hindutva party slams state govts for appeasing Muslims
Hamas Embraces Iraqi Journalist Muntazar Al-Zaidi
Yemen sentences eight to death for drug smuggling
Afghan gold rush: Tenders on way, India asks envoy to send report
Zardari to visit China during joint military excercise; nuke deal likely
Head of Israel fleet raid probe threatens to resign: TV report
No Palestinian state by 2012, says Israel
One sitting with Krishna will yield nothing dramatic: Qureshi
11000 Afghan bound NATO containers with goods worth 220 bln go missing' in Pak
Kashmir CM appeals for peace in Kashmir
Trust but verify, says PM on ties with Pak
Iran to go ahead on nuclear fuel swap talks
Back from Pak but wife’s married his brother
Rotting in mental home as govt doesn’t care
Ravaged minds & broken hearts
UAE 'taking action' to maintain nuclear security
This is the time to decide against govt: Nawaz
Pakistan key to Afghan reconciliation: Petraeus
Kashmiris will decide the fate of Kashmir, says Qureshi
UK keen to expand trade ties with Pakistan: Hague
King, Obama urge bold peace move
King Abdullah vows to stabilize global oil market
348 Jeddah buildings declared dangerous
Egypt reaches out to Bedouins after Sinai clashes
Hamas spy finds home in California, seeks asylum
Israel planning attacks on Iran
Restraint in Kashmir
3 counterfeiters arrested in Riyadh
India has legitimate interest in Afghan: Petraeus
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Smoke rises from a NATO airfield in Jalalabad, Afghanistan
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Lucknow: Women beat maulvis for issuing 'talaqnama'
Manjari Mishra
Jun 30, 2010
LUCKNOW: For a woman who had taken law into her hands an hour ago, Nishat Fatima looked unrepentant and happy. Nishat along with two other women had barged into Sultanul Madaris, a Shariat court in old Lucknow, on Tuesday to ‘teach wayward maulanas a lesson of their lives’.
Their grouse, the maulvis — Maulana Moosa Rizvi, Maulana Asghar and Maulana Sadiq — were bribed by their husbands for issuing a one-sided divorce decree. "Beating up these guys was such a relief I just can’t tell (...dil ko kitna sukoon mila hai in logon ko peet kar... bataa nahin sakti hoon)," Nishat told TOI.
The middle-aged housewife, married to a Nainital property dealer Ali Kamal, was shocked to learn from her neighbours that Ali bought a ‘talaqnama’ and was remarried to his two years’ girlfriend. "I made inquiries and found out it indeed was true. A ‘talaqnama’ was issued from Sultanul Madaris this very month and my husband paid them Rs 2,500," she claimed.
Since there can be no divorce among Shias unless the wife is given an opportunity to plead her case, Nishat was livid and decided to settle scores with the maulvis.
"These men occupy an exalted position. One does not expect them to cheat. I would call upon other women who suffer silently to come out and raise their voice before it is too late," she said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Women-beat-maulvis-for-issuing-talaqnama/articleshow/6108536.cms
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Taliban attack major NATO base in Afghanistan
June 30, 2010,
Kabul: Gunmen set off a car bomb and fired rocket propelled grenades at one of the biggest NATO bases in Afghanistan on Wednesday in an attack claimed by the hardline Islamist Taliban.
Several of the attackers were killed in the strike on the Jalalabad base in eastern Afghanistan, but there were no casualties among NATO or civilian staff, said a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
"Jalalabad airfield is under attack," said Lieutenant-Commander Iain Baxter. "It is still going on."
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed claimed the attack in a telephone call.
Baxter said however that the attackers were unable to penetrate the base.
"The attackers used a car bomb, RPG and small arms fire. They detonated the car bomb but it did not reach the perimeter," he said.
Jalalabad is one of NATO's largest bases in Afghanistan, after Kandahar in the south and Bagram in the suburbs of Kabul, which have both been attacked by insurgents in recent months.
Concerns about the progress of the US-led war have mounted following the sacking of NATO commander US General Stanley McChrystal for insubordination and an increasing death toll among foreign troops.
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‘Punjabi Taliban’ among 10 killed in S Waziristan drone strike
30 Jun, 2010
PESHAWAR: A US drone fired two missiles on a compound used by the Punjabi Taliban in South Waziristan on Tuesday, killing at least ten insurgents, including an al Qaeda foreign fighter.
According to intelligence officials, the missiles struck the house, which was near Wana, the main town in South Waziristan.
The house was known to be frequented by al Qaeda members and was being used by the Punjabi Taliban, intelligence officials said. Four militants were also wounded in the attack, the officials added. This is the first drone strike in South Waziristan since July 2009.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\30\story_30-6-2010_pg1_4
8 militants killed in gunbattle at Afghan airport
30 Jun. 10
Eight militants were killed in a gunbattle after a suicide car bombing on Wednesday at the entrance to an airport outside the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, airport authorities said.
After the car bombing, a group of militants, using light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, battled international forces for 30 minutes, according to information provided by the media office at the airport.
The Taliban claimed responsibility. In a text message to The Associated Press in Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said six suicide attackers killed 32 foreign and Afghan security forces at the airport, about 125 kilometers (78 miles) east of the Afghan capital.
The militant group frequently exaggerates its claims. Ghafor Khan, a spokesman for the provincial police chief in Nangarhar province, said that during the fighting, international forces blocked access to the area and helicopters patrolled overhead. The airport is situated on a main road on the outskirts of the city that leads to the Pakistani border.
NATO said there had been an incident at the airport, but said it could not immediately provide details.
Elsewhere in the east, US and Afghan forces battled hundreds of militants from an al-Qaida-linked group for a third day on Tuesday in Kunar province, the US military said. Two US soldiers were killed on Sunday in the first day of the operation.
The attack in Kunar was directed against insurgents believed responsible for the roadside bombing that killed five American service members in the area on June 7, a US statement said. The militants were believed to be members of the Haqqani group, a faction of the Taliban based in Pakistan that has close ties to al-Qaida. About 600 US and Afghan troops are taking part in the operation, the US statement said.
On Tuesday in Kabul, an Afghan man working for the United Nations was shot and killed in his vehicle near a busy traffic circle. The Afghan UN employee who died was driving a white pickup truck with the blue UN logo painted on the side. Another Afghan member of the UN staff, who was in the vehicle, was not wounded, the UN said.
The morning shooting occurred amid heavy traffic near Massoud circle, an intersection near the US Embassy and an American military base. Two windows on the truck were shattered and blood was spattered inside the car.
"The circumstances of the shooting are not yet clear," a statement released by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said. "United Nations security teams are working with Afghan security institutions to assist investigations." UN officials extended condolences to the victim, who has not been identified.
"The United Nations condemns violence against any of its personnel under any circumstances," the UN statement said. "Those responsible for this killing should be brought to justice without delay."
Mirajudin, who was at the scene of the shooting moments after it happened, said he and the passenger helped pull the driver out. "I saw that the driver was shot in his eye," said Mirajudin, who still had blood smeared on his arms. "He was bleeding from the eye and from the nose. I helped him, and we put him in an ambulance."
http://www.hindustantimes.com/8-militants-killed-in-gunbattle-at-Afghan-airport/H1-Article1-565295.aspx
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Arab actress on trial for drunk driving
30 Jun, 2010
Dubai, Jun 30 (UNI) A well known Emirati actress has blamed stress and work pressure in making Ramadan TV serials to explain her involvement in a drink-driving accident.
The 40-year-old TV star confessed before a Dubai court yesterday that she consumed alcohol but sought leniency as she had four children to take care of.
The Dubai Traffic Court of First Instance had fined her Dh20,000 and jailed her for one month, in addition to revoking her driving licence for one year, the Gulf News said.
Her lawyer argued that she had consumed liquor outisde the country. The accident damaged two vehicles but did not cause any fatalities.
The verdict is expected next month.
http://www.uniindia.com/
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Sharia-based policies could ‘disintegrate’ Indonesia: NU
Dicky Christanto and Hasyim Widiarto,
06/30/2010
“If we support one movement advocating religious-based policies, others will want them too,”
Nahdlatul Ulama secretary-general Iqbal Sulam said Tuesday.
For example, a movement could arise advocating Hindu bylaws in predominantly Hindu Bali, he said. While Muslims seek to abide by Islamic teachings, making them into law “would do more harm than good,” Iqbal said.
He was responding to calls for sharia-based bylaws in Bekasi, an industrial city east of Jakarta, which last week hosted a congress of a number of local Islamic groups.
Sharia bylaws are only legal in Aceh province, as one of the conditions of its special autonomy following the 2005 international agreement that ended decades of war.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/06/30/shariabased-policies-could-%E2%80%98disintegrate%E2%80%99-indonesia-nu.html
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UK Muslim Leader claims that Islam is NOT a ‘Religion of Peace’
June 28th, 2010
Here’s an interview with UK Muslim leader Anjem Choudary who says basic Islamic teachings from the Quran shaped his pro-jihad message. Hear what he says in his own words about Islam not being just another religion but an ideology that is all encompassing and worth fighting and dying for.
He applauds the 9-11 terrorists and considers ‘Jihad’ against Christians and Jews as mainstream and authorized by the Quran. He is hoping to overthrow the British government and replace it with one based upon Sharia law. Well worth 6 1/2 minutes.
Response: For some reason in the West, our political correctness has run amuck and doesn’t allow the media or the political establishment to consider the real character and teachings of Islam. Most of us are hoping for some kind of moderate form which really doesn’t exist in any official way even though there are moderate individual Muslims living in our midst.
Full report at:
http://apologetica.us/2010/06/28/uk-muslim-leader-admits-that-islam-is-not-a-religion-of-peace/
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Madrassa dog raid rumour jolts Kabul
Jun 30, 2010
KABUL: Afghan police clashed on Tuesday with dozens of stone-throwing protesters who gathered at a religious school on the outskirts of the capital to complain about arrests by foreign forces.
Witnesses saw police firing rounds into the air and on the ground to disperse the protesters, and also what appeared to be three lifeless bodies being carried away by a police vehicle. Khalil Dastyar, deputy police chief of Kabul, said that 5 protesters and 15 policemen had been wounded in the clashes.
Some residents said US forces had caused outrage on Monday night when dog handlers entered a religious school in Qalacha, on the outskirts of Kabul, and detained several people. Dastyar said that report was a rumour and only Afghan police had been involved in the operation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Madrassa-dog-raid-rumour-jolts-Kabul/articleshow/6108181.cms
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Christian Council worried: Radical Hindu groups dominate Orissa’s schools
June 26, 2010 at 12:10 pm
BHUBANESWAR – Radical Hindu groups in the Indian state of Orissa may have stolen a march on Christians by developing a large network of schools in rural areas of the state neglected by the Church, an education expert fears.
Since 1978, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS, national volunteer corps) has built a network of 793 schools in the eastern state with a faculty of 12,000 teachers, local reports say.
“The RSS has spearheaded the movement, successfully penetrating into the educational systems of both the grassroots and centralized regulatory commissions,” Angana Chatterji is a professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, USA.
“A whole new generation is being grown indoctrinated in Hindutva (Hindu ideology). It is a devious strategy to teach hate to the young,” the paper claims, with as many as 55 of the top 100 10th grade students now coming from these schools.
“The RSS made it clear that the schools, called Shishu Mandirs, together with the Ekal Vidyalayas (single-teacher primary schools in villages), were set up to counter the influence of the schools run by the Church,” John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council, said.
Full report at:
http://www.churchnewssite.com/portal/?p=20242
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Indonesia: Christians ask for interfaith forum amid tensions
Hasyim Widhiarto
Christian leaders and activists in Bekasi have called on local Muslim groups in the area to engage in talks to resolve inter-religious tensions that have recently threatened to boil over.
Albert Siagian, the secretary-general for the Christian Youth Movement of Indonesia, said recent disputes between Muslims and Christians were rooted in a lack of mutual understanding and tolerance between the groups.
“Many Muslims, for example, will perhaps question why Christians include singing as their rituals or why they are allowed to hold mass at their houses,” said Albert, who lives in Harapan Jaya.
Albert said the small disputes that have recently broken out could worsen if local religious leaders failed to bridge their differences.
Rapid development in residential and industrial estates has turned Bekasi, a satellite town that lies to the east of Jakarta, into a culturally and religiously diverse city.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/06/30/christians-ask-interfaith-forum-amid-tensions.html
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Extremist Conference in Chicago
June 30, 2010
Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic extremist group working for uniting the world under Sharia law, is scheduled to hold its second annual conference on July 11 at the Chicago Marriott Oak Brook. The theme of the event is, “Emerging World Order: How the Khilafah Will Shape the World.” The organization has chosen the home of President Obama, the leader of the free world, to pursue its anti-democratic agenda by taking advantage of the freedoms it seeks to vanquish.
“HT recruiters use religious language to pull the confused Muslim youth to their side in an effort to undermine American democracy. The danger of this conference is that it legitimizes HT as a mainstream organization and allows it to further spread its hate-filled message that divides Muslims and non-Muslims,” Zeyno Baran, a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, told FrontPage.
Full report at:
http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/30/extremist-conference-in-chicago/print/
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Ghana's unique African-Hindu temple
29 June 2010
By Rajesh Joshi
The air is filled with the sweet smell of incense burning in a corner of the huge hall.
Wrapped in shiny bright clothes, idols of Hindu gods and goddesses smile benevolently from the elevated platform.
Sitting on the white marble floor a group of more than 50 men, women and children sing devotional Hindi songs.
Nothing extraordinary about this scene, except that the temple is in Ghana and the devotees are all indigenous Africans.
The tall cone-shaped temple emerges out of the crowded neighbourhood of Orkordi on the outskirts of the capital Accra. It can be easily identified - the holy Sanskrit word 'Om' shines on its top.
Full report at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/10401741.stm
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Over 180 suicide cases in one year, NA informed
By Amir Wasim
30 Jun, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Human Rights Mumtaz Alam Gilani informed the National Assembly on Tuesday that over 180 incidents of suicide had been reported in different parts of the country over the past year.
He was responding to a call-attention notice of PML-N members Barjees Tahir and Rohale Asghar on the private members’ day.
In the notice, the PML-N leaders criticised the government for its failure to curb price hike and alleviate poverty which they said were forcing a large number of people to commit suicide.
The minister said that 113 cases of suicide had been reported from Punjab and 56 from Sindh over the past year. In Balochistan and Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, he said, the number of suicide cases was about 20.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/06-over-180-suicide-cases-in-one-year,-na-informed-060-rs-05
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Haj, Umrah generate SR30bn annually
By YOUSUF MUHAMMAD
Jun 29, 2010
MADINAH: The Kingdom annually earns over SR30 billion from Haj and Umrah, a figure that could be doubled if the two seasons were professionally managed, said Abdul Ghani Hammad Al-Ansari, a member of the Haj and Umrah Committee at the Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“This figure is confined to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and could be increased through good management,” said Al-Ansari.
He added that the income generated in Makkah is much more than what is generated in Madinah because of Makkah’s proximity to Jeddah's King Abdul Aziz International Airport.
“If the airport in Madinah were able to function at full capacity and receive more international flights, the figures for the two cities could be closer,” he said.
Al-Ansari added that international tourist and Umrah companies are dominating the market and controlling prices. “Local Umrah companies are just a bridge for the international ones,” he said.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article75635.ece
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8 journalists wounded in Somalia
Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) -- Eight journalists were wounded Tuesday in an attack at a police school in Abdiasis district of northern Mogadishu, the National Union of Somali Journalists said in a news release.
The victims were covering a news conference held by a spokesman for Al Shabaab in the training facility at a base that had been taken over Monday by the al Qaeda-linked group, it said.
Four of the wounded journalists have been identified as: Muse Mohamoud Jisow, Ilyas Ahmed Abukar, Abdinasir Idle, and Abdirisak Elmi Jama, the news release said.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06/29/somalia.journalists.wounded/index.html?hpt=T2&fbid=lat-07YT6wN
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Afghan war a waste of human life, says captured US soldier
30 Jun, 2010
KABUL, June 29: An American serviceman who was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan one year ago has berated Washingtons political and military establishment for plunging his country into a war which “isn’t worth the waste of human life that has cost both the Afghanistan and the US
After Bowe Bergdahl, 24, went missing in southeastern Paktika province on June 30 last year, the Taliban has issued three videos of him visibly shaken, pleading for the US government to win his release.
In the latest video which appeared to have been crudely edited in parts, Bowe Bergdahl looked lean but fit. He said he was being well treated and allowed to move around and exercise.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/afghan-war-a-waste-of-human-life,-says-captured-us-soldier-060
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ISI links with Taliban would not be surprising: Petraeus
30 June 2010
Washington: A top American military commander headed for Afghanistan on Tuesday said he would not be surprised by links between Pakistan's spy agency ISI and Islamist extremist organisations, who have established a safe haven in Pakistan's restive tribal region.
"Let's remember that we funded the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to build these organisations when they were the Mujahideen and helping to expel the Soviets from Afghanistan. And so certainly residual links would not be a surprise," General David Petraeus, Commander of the US Central Command, told US lawmakers.
Full report at:
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/isi-links-with-taliban-would-not-be-surprising-petraeus-34667
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13 persons held in MP for promoting enmity
Shajapur (MP), Jun 29 (PTI) Thirteen persons hailing from Uttar Pradesh were today arrested on charges of sedition and promoting enmity between groups and cell phones containing inflammatory speeches of militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Maulana Masood Azhar were seized, police said.
They were apprehended following a raid at one Majid Khan's place near Laxminagar, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ramji Shrivastava told reporters.
These men were whipping up communal feeling under the grab of selling blankets, he said, adding they hailed from Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat districts.
They were booked under IPC Sections 153 (a) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and 153 (b) (Imputations, assertions, prejudicial to national integration), Shrivastava said.
Eleven mobile phones were recovered from the accused and these are being examined, he said.
The cell phones contained among other things recordings of Maulana Masood Azhar, police said.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/752314_13-persons-held-in-MP-for-promoting-enmity-
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10 Indians on trial deny murder charges
Dubai, Jun 30 (UNI) Eleven men - ten Indians and one Pakistani have denied the charges of premeditated murder of an unidentified bootlegging rival, tossing him up in the air to confirm his death and burying him in the desert.
In a similar case in March this year 17 Indians were sentenced to death by a Sharjah court for the murder of a Pakistani after a fight between rival gangs trading illicit liquor. The Indians in this case has gone on appeal and the Indian consulate is helping them out after the verdict created outrage in India.
Full report at: http://www.uniindia.com/
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Communal Violence Bill hits roadblock
New Delhi, Jun 28 (UNI) The Communal Violence Bill, which was to be introduced by the Union government in Parliament in the coming monsoon session, has hit a roadblock. The Bill that could give the Centre power to interfere in any state to prevent incidents of communal violence without the consent of the state overnment has been opposed by a number of state governments on the ground that it will disturb the federal structure of the Constitution since law and order
is a state subject, sources said.
Besides, a suggestion given by the civil society that incidents of communal violence should be monitored by an autonomous body called national commission to be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge was not acceptable to the Union
government.
http://www.uniindia.com/
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Barack Obama meets Saudi King Abdullah at White House
Jun 30, 2010
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama urged bold action to secure the Palestinian homeland" on Tuesday as he welcomed Saudi King Abdullah to the White House for the first time since taking office.
Obama said the two leaders also discussed Iraq, Iran's nuclear challenge and Pakistan and Afghanistan, while the king dispensed warm personal praise for his host, though there were few in-depth details of the private talks.
"We discussed the Middle East peace process and the importance of moving forward in a significant and bold way in securing a Palestinian homeland that can live side by side with a secure and prosperous Israeli state," Obama said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Barack-Obama-meets-Saudi-King-Abdullah-at-White-House/articleshow/6108603.cms
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Protests spread to south Kashmir, 3 teens killed in firing in Anantnag
Muzamil Jaleel
Jun 30 2010
Srinagar : Three teenage boys were killed after police and CRPF fired at protesters in Anantnag today, taking the civilian death toll in the last 18 days in the Valley to 11. The anger and protests have spread to south Kashmir, and today’s deaths provoked widespread violence that left two government buildings, a police post and scores of government vehicles in flames.
At Safakadal in Srinagar city, the CRPF allegedly fired on an ambulance, smashing the windshield. Driver Ghulam Mohammad and doctor Mohammad Yaqoob had a close shave. At Sangam on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, the CRPF allegedly stopped another ambulance carrying some wounded demonstrators to Srinagar, and beat up the driver.
“It is disgusting. They have started firing at our ambulances,” said Dr Waseem Qureshi, Medical Superintendent of SMHS Hospital . “How will we bring the injured to hospital?”
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/protests-spread-to-south-kashmir-3-teens-killed-in-firing-in-anantnag/640345/
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Top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders arrested
HAROON HABIB
Jun 30 2010
Top Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, including its chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and secretary-general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, were arrested on Tuesday .
Both Nizami and Mojaheed were senior Ministers in the previous Khaleda Zia government's Cabinet (2001-2006) and key leaders of the opposition BNP-led four-party alliance.
Nizami was detained when he emerged from a Dhaka conference, prompting scuffles between supporters and police, witnesses said. No one was injured.
Police later cordoned off Jamaat's central office, they said.
Police also arrested the party's vice-president, Delwar Husain Sayedee. All three were detained on charges of hurting religious sentiments. They are also war crimes suspects for their role during the country's independence war against Pakistan.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate ordered the arrests, including that of the party's Dhaka city unit chief Rafiqul Islam Khan, as they had failed to comply with summonses asking them to appear on Tuesday.
Full report at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article492229.ece
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Fake degree scandal rocks Pak politics, some lawmakers may lose seat
Jun 30, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Scores of Pakistani lawmakers may lose their seats for allegedly lying about their academic credentials, a growing scandal that adds to the woes of the US-backed leadership as it struggles with Islamist militancy and a weak economy.
What began as accusations against a handful of lawmakers has mushroomed into formal legal challenges against up to 160 elected officials - more than 10 per cent of the country's federal and provincial legislators. Many are said to have claimed fake degrees to meet a previous requirement for holding office.
The Supreme Court has ordered the Elections Commission to vet the credentials of nearly all of the some 1,100 federal and provincial lawmakers. If enough lawmakers are found ineligible, there are rumblings that a midterm election may be needed.
The scandal has drawn some frustrated reactions from lawmakers besieged by an aggressive media.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Fake-degree-scandal-rocks-Pak-politics-some-lawmakers-may-lose-seat/articleshow/6108530.cms
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Imran asks govt to hold free, fair polls
June 30, 2010
MINGORA: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday asked the government to hold free and fair elections in the country as more than 120 fake degree holders sitting in the parliament had committed forgery.
Addressing a press conference here, he demanded of the government to arrest the assassins of the local party leader, Sher Khan, who was shot dead by unknown persons a couple of months ago. He flayed the government for its inability to check lawlessness, unemployment, price-hike and corruption in the country.
Both the Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz were busy in “loot and plunder” of the national assets, he said. “The politicians and capitalists are using the tax money collected from the people on their luxuries,” he said.
Imran Khan alleged that former president Pervez Musharraf was a criminal who killed Akbar Bugti and students of the Lal Masjid besides abrogating the Constitution twice and yet the government was not taking action against him. He asked the government to do away with the checkpoints in Swat and take steps for handing over the responsibilities to the civil administration. The PTI chairman later offered ‘fateha’ for the departed soul of Sher Khan while visiting his family in Mingora along with a large number of party workers.
http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=248052
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Army general among 12 killed in Iraq
30 Jun, 2010
BAGHDAD: A series of bombings and shootings around Iraq on Tuesday claimed 12 lives, including those of four policemen, an Iraqi army general and a nine-year-old girl, Iraqi officials said.
The attacks underline the continued threat to government employees and members of the security forces, who are often targeted by insurgents trying to destabilize the country. The four policemen were killed when an explosives-laden car detonated next to a police patrol in the town of Beiji, 250 kilometers north of Baghdad, said Iraqi police officials. A civilian in a nearby vehicle was also killed and at least seven civilians were wounded in the attack.
A brigadier general with the Iraqi army was killed when a bomb attached to his car exploded in Kazimiyah in northern Baghdad, police and hospital officials said. In Diyala province, gunmen shot dead four members of a family, including a 9-year-old girl, as the family was walking near their house in the town of Khalis, 80 kilometers north of Baghdad, said local police officials.
An official with the Baghdad provincial council, Qahtan Abdul-Hussein, died when a bomb attached to his vehicle went off Tuesday morning as he was driving through a security checkpoint in Hurriyah district in northern Baghdad, the provincial council said in a press release.
In a separate attack in Beiji, police said gunmen opened fire on an oil truck traveling on a highway just outside the city, killing its driver.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\30\story_30-6-2010_pg7_28
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Saudi justice system fair, says Al-Eissa
By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR
Jun 29, 2010
JEDDAH: Justice Minister Muhammad Al-Eissa highlighted the fairness of the Saudi judicial system at the opening of a scientific program on crimes related to terrorism and state security in Riyadh on Tuesday.
“The right to litigation is granted equally to all citizens and residents in the Kingdom,” he said at the opening, adding that Saudi judges issue their rulings on the basis of the Qur’an and Sunnah. “Terror-related and state security cases are handled by ordinary judges in Saudi courts,” he said.
He said the counseling program for militants and terror suspects in the Kingdom is supervised by Shariah scholars. “This is a reply to those who question our curriculum and say it should be revised,” he added.
Al-Eissa said the curriculum in Saudi schools and universities has been instrumental in promoting moderation and clear vision. “The curriculum is based on the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah,” he said.
He cited some Qur’anic verses and Sayings of the Last Prophet (peace be upon him) that call for dealing with people nicely and inviting people to the path of God with wisdom and good advice.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article75666.ece
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Dhaka 172th costliest city, global study
Dhaka is the world’s 172th costliest city for expatriates out of 214 cities surveyed by a global consultant, Mercer, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Luanda in Angola is the world’s most expensive city while Karachi in Pakistan became the world’s least expensive city taking 214th position, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey 2010 from Mercer.
Tokyo is second and another African city, Ndjamena in Chad, took third place followed by Moscow and Geneva, according to a Mercer press release sent to New Age on Tuesday.
The survey found that Luanda is three times as costly as Karachi.
Although Dhaka became 172th costliest city, India’s Bangalore was positioned at 190th position. New Delhi is India’s most expensive city taking 85th position followed by Mumbai, 89th.
Pakistan’s Islamabad at 212th position followed by Karachi at 214th are the region’s two least expensive cities
Full report at:
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jun/30/inat.html
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Political steps needed, Army chief tells TOI
Rajat Pandit
Jun 30, 2010
NEW DELHI: With the Kashmir Valley engulfed in fresh turmoil, the Army feels that bold and far-sighted political steps are urgently needed to consolidate hard-earned gains in the battle against militancy in the strife-torn state.
In an exclusive interview to TOI, Army chief Gen V K Singh said, "I feel there is a great requirement for political initiatives which take all the people forward together. Militarily, we have brought the overall internal security situation in J&K firmly under control."
"Now, the need is to handle things politically. The J&K police, too, needs to become more active," he added, indicating it was high time concrete steps were taken to build on military gains with similar civilian successes.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Political-steps-needed-Army-chief-tells-TOI/articleshow/6108316.cms
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Indian Kashmir locked down in bid to stem protests
By Izhar Wani
SRINAGAR, India — Thousands of Indian troops enforced a strict curfew in parts of Kashmir Wednesday in a bid to stem three weeks of deadly protests that have claimed 11 lives and led to soaring tensions.
Six people have been killed in the last four days alone during demonstrations against the killing of Kashmiris by Indian security forces which began with the death of a schoolboy earlier this month.
Each killing has sparked a new cycle of violence and state chief minister Omar Abdullah appealed Tuesday for calm and for people to stay in their homes, adding that widespread curfews would allow tempers to cool.
Northern Sopore town was locked down for the fifth day running and neighbourhoods are also under curfew in the Kashmiri summer capital Srinagar and other towns in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley.
Full report at:
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.
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Re-entry fuels demand for Jaswant's book in Pak
Vishwa Mohan
Jun 30, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Jaswant Singh's return to BJP has renewed interest here in his book on Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Though the book -- `Jinnah: India-Partition, Independence' -- had always been a best-seller in different stores, the author's `return' is viewed as BJP's endorsement of his views on the Quaid-e-Azam.
"You guys must have read Singh's book which described our Quaid-e-Azam as an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity. My friends told me about the book. I would also like to read it as it will give me an insight as to what one of your respected leaders thinks about Jinnah," said Tahir Naseer Malik.
Holding Singh's book in his hand, Malik, who visited one of the biggest bookstores -- Saeed Book Bank -- here, said: "I did not read it earlier as I was waiting for its Urdu edition. I heard that Singh who was expelled from his party is now back in the BJP. It seems the `Hindu party' does not mind what Singh wrote."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Re-entry-fuels-demand-for-Jaswants-book-in-Pak/articleshow/6107843.cms
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Somalia Official Says Aim Remains Peace and Security
Peter Clottey 29 June 2010
An official of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government told VOA the European Union sponsored training of the country’s police force is progressing steadily despite stiff opposition from hard-line insurgent groups.
Government spokesman Abdi Kadir Walayo said President Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed’s administration is still determined to wrestle power from hard-line Islamic insurgent groups and to restore peace and stability.
“For the last 20 years, the whole Somali government infrastructure has been shattered and the police force and other law enforcement agencies were also part of that infrastructure. And, the present administration was trying to train and put back the infrastructure and law enforcement agencies,” he said.
Full report at:
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Somalia-Official-Says-Aim-Remains-Peace-and-Security--97438794.html
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Hindutva party slams state govts for appeasing Muslims
Jun 29 2010
Ambala : VHP General Secretary Pravin Togadia today accused Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments of appeasing Muslims by offering reservation to them in jobs.
"A large number of Hindus are also unemployed, they should also be given priority in jobs, but the governments of Andhra and West Bengal are appeasing the Muslims," Togadia told reporters here.
Criticizing the J&K government, he alleged that a tax of Rs 2000 had been imposed on the vehicles going to Amarnath shrine while the union government had been providing subsidies to Muslims for Haj.
Asserting that this disparity would not be tolerated, he said a nationwide agitation would be launched against the "anti-Hindu decision".
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/640070/
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Hamas Embraces Iraqi Journalist Muntazar Al-Zaidi
16/06/2010
Hamas offered on Monday to provide financial aid and a Palestinian bride to Muntazar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former US President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad in 2008 protesting the US occupation of Iraq.
Hamas’s offer came after Zaidi complained that Arabs and Muslims have failed to fulfill their promises to help him financially after his release from prison, reports said.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/newsfull.php?newid=382449
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Yemen sentences eight to death for drug smuggling
Jun 29, 2010
ADEN, Yemen: A Yemeni court sentenced five Yemeni and three African men to death on Tuesday for smuggling 1.7 tons of drugs into the Arabian Peninsula country, the state news agency Saba reported.
In a separate case, the court in the southeastern province of Hadramout handed jail terms of 12 years each against six Somalis convicted of piracy, the agency said.
The three Africans sentenced to death were from Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia, Saba added, without saying what kind of drugs they had smuggled.
Yemen has stepped up security measures as it faces Shiite rebels in the north, separatists in the south and a resurgent wing of Al-Qaeda, which in December claimed responsibility for a failed attempt to bomb a US-bound airliner.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article75707.ece
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Afghan gold rush: Tenders on way, India asks envoy to send report
Shubhajit Roy
Jun 30 2010
New Delhi : India's Ambassador to Kabul Jayant Prasad has been asked to prepare an assessment report on the mining opportunities in Afghanistan, following a US study that the war-torn country could have reserves worth US $1 trillion. With China already in the race for the mineral stakes, New Delhi doesn’t want to be left behind.
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is learnt to have instructed Prasad to prepare a detailed SWOT (Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threat) analysis last week, before she left for Islamabad for the SAARC meet.
The Geological Survey of India is also hosting Afghan geologists and officials in Jaipur next month, where the subject is expected to come up.
Afghanistan reportedly wants Indian companies to tap five key minerals: coal, iron ore, copper, cobalt and gold.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/afghan-gold-rush-tenders-on-way-india-asks-envoy-to-send-report/640332/
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Zardari to visit China during joint military excercise; nuke deal likely
Saibal Dasgupta
Jun 29, 2010
BEIJING: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is visiting Beijing during the joint military exercise between China and his country on the Muslim dominated border region of Ningxia early next month. During the visit, Zardari is likely to push Chinese leaders to take a final decision on the propose sale of nuclear power reactors.
Going by remarks by the Chinese foreign ministry on Tuesday, he is pretty close to achieving his goal while offering to help China curb Uighur separatists in the China-Pakistan border region. Beijing is simultaneously wooing the Pakistani government and wooing fundamentalists forces like Jamat-e-Islami for this purpose.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said his country's civilian nuclear cooperation with Pakistan is not aimed at any third country. Sino-Pakistan cooperation is in line with international non-proliferation regime, he said. But Qin did not reply a question on whether Beijing was likely to discuss the matter with India.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Zardari-to-visit-China-during-joint-military-excercise-nuke-deal-likely/articleshow/6106663.cms
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Head of Israel fleet raid probe threatens to resign: TV report
Jun 30, 2010
JERUSALEM: The head of an Israeli commission set up to investigate a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla threatened to resign unless the probe is given wider powers, Israeli TV said on Tuesday.
Yaakov Tirkel, a retired Supreme Court judge, told Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman that he would leave the post if his demands were not met, the private Channel Two network reported.
He called for "the independent public commission," whose work officially started on Monday, to become a government commission of inquiry with the power to recommend sanctions against political and military leaders.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Head-of-Israel-fleet-raid-probe-threatens-to-resign-TV-report/articleshow/6108662.cms
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No Palestinian state by 2012, says Israel
Jun 30, 2010
JERUSALEM: Israel's hard-line foreign minister said on Tuesday that there was ``no chance'' a Palestinian state would be established by 2012 -- a message that threatened to cloud the latest visit by President Barack Obama's Mideast envoy.
The comments by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman drew swift Palestinian condemnations and could put Israel at odds with the international community, which has set a 2012 target for brokering a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/No-Palestinian-state-by-2012-says-Israel/articleshow/6108228.cms
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One sitting with Krishna will yield nothing dramatic: Qureshi
Jun 30 2010
Islamabad : As he prepares to meet External Affairs Minister S M Krishna next month, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said 'nothing dramatic' should be expected from "one sitting" and emphasised that the dialogue process should be made "irreversible".
Qureshi, who along with Krishna has been tasked to bridge the trust deficit, said mutual suspicions were the main reason for the trust gap and the two countries should work to remove those.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/one-sitting-with-krishna-will-yield-nothing-dramatic-qureshi/640001/
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11,000 Afghan bound NATO containers with goods worth 220 bln go missing' in Pak
In what appears to be one of the biggest frauds in Pakistan's history, more than 11,000 containers of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) containing goods worth over a whopping 220 billion rupees have gone 'missing.'
The containers, which were used to transport prohibited and non-prohibited goods for the NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan, have mysteriously disappeared over the past two years owing to the prevalent massive corruption in the Customs department.
Full report at: http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-136244.html
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Kashmir CM appeals for peace in Kashmir
Jun 30 2010
With the situation in Kashmir valley escalating, J and K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday made an emotional appeal for peace vowing to ensure return of normalcy soon and slammed anti-national and vested interests for instigating violence.
Breaking his silence since violence broke out last Friday , Abdullah also sent a tough message declaring "wherever curfew has been imposed it will be enforced strictly."
"The cycle of violence has to stop," the Chief Minister told reporters on a day when violence spread to Anantnag in South Kashmir in which three youths who were part of a stone-pelting protesting mob died in firing allegedly by the CRPF.
Full report at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kashmir-on-the-edge-as-omar-appeals-for-peace/125595-37-64.html
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Trust but verify, says PM on ties with Pak
Jun 30 2010
In the wake of Home Ministerial talks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday pinned "some hope" on developing peaceful ties with Pakistan but made it clear that while moving to develop trust, India would "verify" how anti-India terror groups are dealt with.
Reflecting a guarded approach of his Government, Singh said only time will tell how events would unfold in the context of relations with Pakistan.
"The Home Minister (P Chidambaram) was in Pakistan last week. You must have read what he has stated. I think there is some hope," Singh told reporters accompanying him on his way back home after attending the G-20 Summit in Toronto.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/265840/Trust-but-verify-says-PM-on-ties-with-Pak.html
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Iran to go ahead on nuclear fuel swap talks
ATUL ANEJA
Jun 30 2010
Iran has clarified that it does not plan to interrupt its dialogue with the West on the proposed nuclear fuel deal but talks on its uranium enrichment programme have been stalled for another two months.
On Tuesday, Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran was preparing its response to questions that have been raised by the United States, Russia and France, also called the Vienna group, about an agreement on a nuclear swap that Tehran had reached with Turkey and Brazil last month.
Iran, Turkey and Brazil had on May 17 signed the Tehran Declaration, under which Iran is to transfer 1,200 kg of its domestically produced stocks of lightly enriched uranium to Turkey. In return, it would receive 20-per-cent-enriched uranium fuel for use in a Tehran based medical reactor that is engaged in producing nuclear medicine.
Full report at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article492236.ece
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BACK FROM PAK BUT WIFE’S Married His Brother
By Piyush Srivastava
Jun 30 2010
A WEEK after he was released from a Pakistani prison — he is currently lodged at the Institute of Mental Health in Amritsar — he betrays a mind ravaged by chronic torture in Pakistan.
“ My wife takes care of my daughter,” the 32- year- old man mumbles when asked about his family in Uttar Pradesh, but fails to recall the names of the two.
He need not because Phool Kunwari ( 30) has ceased to be his wife.
Village elders at Laxmipur- Padrahawa in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district married her off to his younger brother Rajeshwar in 2005 after the family came to know Shambhu was jailed in Pakistan on charges of spying.
The family believed he would never return home.
Rajesh and Phool have a three- month- old son from their marriage.
Now, the whole village is at a loss about what to do next.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Rotting in mental home as govt doesn’t care
Vikas Kahol
Jun 30 2010
NINETEEN mentally ill prisoners were released from Pakistani jails three years ago. But their confinement has not ended yet, all because of government apathy.
These prisoners lost their mental balance, apparently after being tortured in prisons across the border.
When they returned to India, they were lodged at the Institute of Mental Health in Amritsar as they couldn’t recall the names of their family members, let alone their address.
Despite repeated requests from district authorities in Amritsar, the Union Home Ministry took no steps to locate the families of these persons.
So, three years later, they continue to rot in the home for the mentally disabled.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Ravaged minds & broken hearts
Jun 30 2010
“ Kamlesh Yadav instructed me to go to Pakistan.” He does not remember who Yadav is. And then all of a sudden, he exclaims, “ Rahat used to torture me.” A moment’s silence. Then, “ I lost my piece of land. I paid Rs 36 lakh but they would not release it.” Very little, if any, that Raj speaks makes sense or is coherent. And this is all that he speaks. He knows or remembers nothing else. Except one thing, that is: “ When will you release me from here?” Arvinder Kumar, an official at the institute says the inmates are so affected by their stay in Pakistan that they give different names each time we ask. “ One of them said the police rechristened him,” he says.
The inmates did not know what hit them when reporters flocked the institute wanting to speak to them. They mostly gave a blank look, or uttered a word or two if the reporters persisted with their questions.
Full report at: Mail Today
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UAE 'taking action' to maintain nuclear security
June 30, 2010
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates is "taking action" to maintain nuclear security, its envoy to the atomic watchdog said on Tuesday after a reported UAE crackdown on Iranian firms dealing in dangerous materials.
The UAE was "taking action to ensure that nuclear security is maintained and also countering any potential threats that would be utilised for any non-peaceful purposes," said Hamad al-Kaabi, the ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Full report at: http://www.thenews.jang.com.pk/6-30-2010/67567.htm
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This is the time to decide against govt: Nawaz
June 30, 2010
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has said that the campaign against the judiciary should come to an end because conspiracies to destabilise the institutions would never be in the national interest.
Talking to reporters at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat here on Tuesday, he asked the government to mend its ways. Nawaz expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s style of handling issues, saying the country was not moving towards improvement, and it was high time that ‘some decisions’ were made against the government. He said they would not become silent spectators.
Full report at: http://thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=29744
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Pakistan key to Afghan reconciliation: Petraeus
By Anwar Iqbal
30 Jun, 2010
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s involvement in a reconciliation agreement in Afghanistan is essential and the United States needs to further this developing partnership between the two neighbouring countries, Gen David Petraeus told his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
But the new US commander for Afghanistan also told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Afghan President Hamid Karzai had denied reports that he recently met a top leader of anti-Kabul network, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
“Pakistani involvement in some form of reconciliation agreement, I think that that is essential,” Gen Petraeus told the committee’s chairman Senator Carl Levin.
Senator Levin wanted the general to comment on recent media reports that Pakistani officials had approached the Karzai government with a proposal that includes delivering the Haqqani network, which US believes runs a major part of the insurgency in Afghanistan and is an ally of Al Qaeda, into a power-sharing arrangement.
Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/06-pakistan-key-to-afghan-reconciliation-petraeus-060-rs-
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Kashmiris will decide the fate of Kashmir, says Qureshi
30 Jun, 2010
MULTAN: Speaking to media representatives in Multan on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the Kashmir issue would be resolved according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Regarding the possibility of a civil nuclear agreement between Pakistan and China, Qureshi said no one had any objection on the matter.
Qureshi expressed that terrorism was not only Pakistan and India’s concern but also of the world at large. He said the menace could not be eradiated through blame games and joint efforts and strategies were vital for its elimination.
He said Pakistan was herself a victim of terrorism and now the international community had realised the sacrifices given by the country in the fight against terror.
Full report at: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/kashmiris-will-decide-the-fate-of-kashmir-says-qureshi-jd-05
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UK keen to expand trade ties with Pakistan: Hague
30 Jun, 2010
* UK foreign secretary says Confederation of British Industry to look into various business areas for investment
LONDON: Terming his last week’s visit to Pakistan as “positive and substantial”, the British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK was keen to expand business and commercial ties with the country, which has a range of opportunities for British entrepreneurs.
Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\30\story_30-6-2010_pg7_4
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King, Obama urge bold peace move
By BARBARA FERGUSON
Jun 29, 2010
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah have agreed on the need to press for Middle East peace in a "significant and bold way," including the creation of a Palestinian homeland.
The two leaders briefly addressed reporters after finishing a private meeting and lunch. Obama said he and the king covered Afghanistan and Pakistan, efforts to combat extremism and Iran's attempts to obtain nuclear weapon capability.
The president praised what he called a strong, strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia, which is a key player in the Middle East. Obama told the king he appreciated his friendship and counsel. King Abdullah said Obama is respected around the world as an "honorable man."
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article75728.ece
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King Abdullah vows to stabilize global oil market
Jun 30, 2010
TORONTO: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has highlighted Saudi Arabia's efforts to stabilize international oil market. "The Kingdom has increased its production capacity to 12.5 million barrels per day," he said.
Addressing the G20 summit here on Sunday, the Saudi leader called upon consumer countries to establish effective financial and commodity markets to avoid fluctuations in oil prices. "The fluctuation in oil prices which the world witnessed in 2008 and 2009, caused damage to the producing as well as consuming countries," he said.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article75736.ece
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348 Jeddah buildings declared dangerous
By SULTAN AL-TAMIMI
Jun 29, 2010
JEDDAH: The Municipality of Jeddah issued warnings to the owners of 348 dilapidated buildings that are prone to falling at any moment. It urged the occupants to vacate the buildings immediately. The municipality asked the owners and inhabitants of these building to visit its committee overseeing uninhabitable buildings.
Khalid Zaini, coordinator for the committee overseeing uninhabitable buildings, said notifications have been sent to building surveyors to ascertain whether the 348 buildings should be demolished or repaired.
He added that the majority of these buildings are located in the western and eastern Baghdadiyah districts of the city.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article75629.ece
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3 counterfeiters arrested in Riyadh
By MD RASOOLDEEN
Jun 29, 2010
RIYADH: Police arrested three men and seized a number of items used to forge government documents at a photocopy shop in the Malaz district of Riyadh.
The three men — two Arabs and an expatriate — were involved in forging iqamas, driving licenses, car registration certificates, health certificates and other government documents.
Police arrested the gang following tip offs from local residents. The arrest of the gang’s leader led to the arrest of the other two men.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article75672.ece
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India has legitimate interest in Afghan: Petraeus
Jun 30, 2010
Washington: Strongly refuting the Pakistani claim that India has no role in Afghanistan, new US Commander General David Petraeus has said that New Delhi has a legitimate interest in the region.
"India has legitimate interests in this region," Gen Petraeus said in response to a question at his confirmation hearing for the US and NATO in Afghanistan before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The Senate Armed Services Committee later in the day confirmed him by a voice vote. His nomination now goes to the full Senate for confirmation.
Full report at: http://www.zeenews.com/news637563.html
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