Maududi’s books banned in Bangladesh
Wajahat Habibullah appointed member of World Bank's info appeals boardIndia-Pakistan talks have not collapsed: Nirupama Rao
Mosque vandalized in France
Iranian scientist a CIA mole, says NYT
Militants kill 16 passengers in northwest Pakistan
Several injured in two low-intensity blasts in Lahore
15 ‘militants’ killed in Orakzai
Turning to the East, Turkey prospers
Turkey denies shift toward the East
Phone call records nail minister in Gujarat fake encounter case
Jundallah claims Iran mosque blasts
Iran blames US and UK for mosque suicide bombing
UAE condemns Iran bombing
Bomb blast kills 10 in Tirah valley
Krishna’s conduct in Pak admirable: Cong
India 'should call off Pakistan talks': Opposition
Terrorism issue first, insisted India
Agra again: Qureshi kills peace talks
Qureshi does not deserve to be foreign minister: BJP
Media slams Indo-Pak shadow-boxing for peace
Shah Mehmood Qureshi: Wrecker-in-chief almost became PM
Pakistan, India should learn from Europe: Altaf
Pak wriggling out of talks under pressure from army?
J&K fake encounter: Col, Major among 11 chargesheeted
Dialogue should continue: Altaf
Govt Says Aware Of Hindu Terror
Shiv Sainiks attack Zee 24 office in Kolhapur
Congress wants NIA to probe RSS terror links
Jailed Al Qama not 26/11 handler?
UAE a ‘great place’ to do business: Merck Serono
Jamaat will be banned if ’72 charter revived: Suranjit
5m Muslims threaten to quit Facebook
All-party JS committee to change constitution: PM
Indian court says Hindu gods can’t trade in shares
UK envoy: Release of Lockerbie bomber was mistake
Saudi vacationers in Syria urged not to frequent unsafe regions
Kingdom abundant in artifacts: Sultan
Now terror suspects can challenge UN blacklisting
India, Pakistan have no other option but to talk: Kasuri
10 killed in Khyber market blast
Turkey unveils drone capable of flying for 24 hours
Iraqis tortured by UK troops seek inquiry
Taliban blow up two ‘spies’ near Miramshah
Pak Troops Violate Truce At Six Posts
Sufiya’s bail clause eased
Pak ceasefire violation mockery of peace talks
Mild Pillai far removed from hate figure portrayed by Pak
Indo-Pak talks: Congress advocates tough line
US declines to go public on ISI's role in 26/11
'Build mosque outside Ayodhya'
E-governance may render muaqibs redundant
Chelsea Clinton may convert to Judaism?
Balochistan remains shut for 3rd day over Habib Jalib’s murder
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Wajahat Habibullah
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Maulana Maududi’s books banned in Bangladesh
17 Jul, 2010
DHAKA, July 16: The Bangladeshi government has ordered mosques and libraries across the country to remove all books written by Syed Abul Ala Maududi, the founder of Jamaat-i-Islami.
According to BBC, the chief of the government-funded Islamic Foundation said the books by Maulana Maududi encouraged “militancy and terrorism”.
Books by Maulana Maududi, who died in 1979, are essential reading for supporters of the Jamaat-i-Islami.
Born in India, the Pakistani scholar is considered to be a prominent theorist of Islam in modern South Asian history. But Bangladeshi officials say his writings promote radicalism and his ideological goal was to capture power in the name of Islam.
“His writings are against the peaceful ideology of Islam. So, it is not correct to keep books of Mr Maududi in mosques,” Islamic Foundation director-general Shamim Mohammad Afjal told the BBC.
The government has now ordered nearly 24,000 libraries attached to mosques to remove his books immediately.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/maududis-books-banned-in-bangladesh-770
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CIC chief appointed member of World Bank's info appeals board
Himanshi Dhawan
Jul 17, 2010
Chief information commissioner (CIC) Wajahat Habibullah has been appointed as a member of World Bank's access to information appeals board as on July 1, 2010 but will formally "take charge" only at a much later stage.
Habibullah, who has been at the helm of affairs in the implementation of the RTI in India, retires on September 29 this year after completing five years as the CIC chief.
As an independent expert on the board, Habibullah along with two others will be responsible for reviewing cases at the second stage of appeal after requestors have exhausted the first option of approaching the access to information committee.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CIC-chief-appointed-member-of-World-Banks-info-appeals-board/articleshow/6178717.cms
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India-Pakistan talks have not collapsed: Nirupama Rao
Jul 17, 2010
Amid the caustic exchanges between India and Pakistan a day after their foreign ministers met, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao Friday stressed that the India-Pakistan talks had not "collapsed" and the dialogue process between them "must go on".
Rao told CNN-IBN news channel that Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's critical remarks about External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna had come as "a real surprise" for India.
"The comments (by Qureshi) came as a surprise, there was no real reason for the comments," the foreign secretary said.
Qureshi at a press conference in Islamabad took potshots at Krishna and launched a broadside against India's what he called "selective focus on terror". He even said the "Indian foreign minister received foreign policy directions from New Delhi repeatedly during our meeting".
Rao also said that the "dialogue process must go on," adding "yesterday's meeting has not ended in collapse", referring to Thursday's marathon talks between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan.
Asked how she maintained that the talks had not collapsed, Rao said that both sides had held talks, but did not make any announcements. "We did talk but did not announce anything."
Asked if there had been expectations from the talks, she said: "There were some expectations, and we have a clear set of doables. Pakistan came to the talks with slightly different expectations. They wanted the entire spectrum discussed. We are not against resumption of dialogue, it has to start in a graduated way."
Rao said India was very clear on "how the process should go forward". "It is for Pakistan to introspect", adding "we need to be dispassionate".
http://www.dailypioneer.com/269794/India-Pakistan-talks-have-not-collapsed-Nirupama-Rao.html
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Mosque vandalized in France
Jul 17, 2010
Normandy—The police opened an investigation on Thursday after vandals left swastikas and anti-Islam slogans on a mosque in northern France. The slogans, like “Islam out of Europe” and “neither Islam nor Burqas,” along with swastikas and Celtic crosses, were found Wednesday on the wall of a partly constructed mosque in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, a suburb of Caen, Normandy.
The French immigration minister, Eric Besson, said the act “showed not only tremendous cowardice but also extreme stupidity.” A prosecutor said the vandalism had taken place on Tuesday night, a few hours after the lower house of Parliament voted to approve a ban on the wearing of veils, such as burqas, that cover the face in public places.—Agencies
http://dailymailnews.com/0710/17/FrontPage/index.php?id=9
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Iranian scientist a CIA mole, says NYT
17 Jul, 2010
NEW YORK, July 16: The Iranian scientist claiming to have been kidnapped and tortured by the United States was a CIA mole who spied on Iran’s nuclear programme for several years, American officials were quoted as saying by the New York Times on Friday.
In a exclusive report the paper said Shahram Amiri, the scientist, was a vital source whose “significant, original” intelligence allowed his US minders to build up a comprehensive assessment of Iran’s clandestine nuclear capabilities.
It said that Iranian might also doubt Mr Amiri’s version. It pointed out that Iran’s foreign minister gave the first official hints of Iranian doubts about his story on Thursday. “We first have to see what has happened in these two years and then we will determine if he’s a hero or not,” the BBC quoted the Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, as saying to a French news agency. “Iran must determine if his claims about being kidnapped were correct or not.”
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/iranian-scientist-a-cia-mole,-says-nyt-770
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Several injured in two low-intensity blasts in Lahore
Jul 17, 2010
LAHORE: Two low intensity blasts went off in separate areas of this eastern Pakistani city today, injuring several persons, officials said.
The first explosion occurred shortly after 4 pm at an internet cafe near a cinema hall in the Garhi Shahu area.
State-run rescue service spokesman Fahim Jahanzeb told PTI at least two persons were injured by the blast.
The explosion caused widespread damage to the internet cafe. The second blast occurred minutes later at a juice shop in Begum Kot, located about 15 km from Garhi Shahu area.
Police claimed a battery had exploded in a shop. Rescue workers rushed the injured in Garhi Shahu, a congested residential area, to nearby hospitals. Authorities also evacuated the area.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Several-injured-in-two-low-intensity-blasts-in-Lahore/articleshow/6181108.cms
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Militants kill 16 passengers in northwest Pakistan
Jul 17, 2010
PARACHINAR: Militants armed with assault rifles ambushed a convoy of civilian vehicles killing 16 people Saturday in northwestern Pakistan, the scene of extensive military operations targeting Islamist insurgents.
Several people were also wounded in Saturday's attack in Char Khel village in the troubled tribal region of Kurram. The travelers were heading to the main northwestern city of Peshawar in vehicles when they were ambushed.
Kurram has witnessed scores of such attacks, robberies and kidnappings for ransom in the past three years.
Military offensives have left Pakistan's army tied up in most of the tribal belt, as well as in the Swat Valley, also in the country's northwest. Even after major operations have ended in some of these areas, militant activity has continued.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Militants-kill-16-passengers-in-northwest-Pakistan/articleshow/6179795.cms
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15 ‘militants’ killed in Orakzai
17 Jul, 2010
KALAYA, July 16: Fifteen suspected militants were killed and 10 others injured as jets pounded militant hideouts in Orakzai on Friday.
The jetfighters targeted militant positions in different areas of the Orakzai Agency, including Akhun Kot, Barmela, and Ghottak Kalley.
In the Hangu district, eight people including policemen were injured in a roadside bomb explosion near the Bagto Chowk.
The bomb was set off through remote control when a police van was passing through the area.
Hawaldar Azizullah, sepoys Abdul Hafiz, Sadiqullah and Mohammad Razaq, driver Yasin Khan and three unidentified women were injured in the blast.
Police cordoned off the area soon after the incident and started search operation, arresting 34 suspects including two Afghan nationals. Police also recovered arms and explosives.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/15-militants-killed-in-orakzai-770
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Turkey denies shift toward the East
By SUZAN FRASER
Jul 16, 2010
ANKARA, Turkey: A government minister on Thursday rejected claims that Turkey is turning its back on the West, insisting that his country's Islamic-oriented government is seeking trade partnerships around the world.
Zafer Caglayan, the minister who oversees foreign trade, told The Associated Press in an interview that his upcoming trip to the United States to boost trade is evidence that Turkey is committed to close ties with its ally.
The minister said trade between the two countries is far below its potential and that he will work to "triple and even quadruple" it during the next few years.
"We are old allies and have deep, friendly and brethren ties. But when we look at our trade figures, I hesitate to term our ties as a 'model partnership,"' Caglayan said.
"Turkey has a tiny share in the overall US trade volume.
Our trade just does not match up to our friendship." "There is no question of any shift in orientation," the minister said. "Turkey has made it a principle to trade with all regions of the world." The minister was speaking before his weeklong trip to four US states — Illinois, California, Georgia and Texas — designed to work out a strategy to develop trade ties based on individual needs of states. Caglayan departs Turkey on Saturday.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article85053.ece
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Turning to the East, Turkey prospers
July 5, 2010
For decades, Turkey has been told it was not ready to join the European Union — that it was too backward economically to qualify for membership in the now 27-nation club.
That argument may no longer hold.
Today, Turkey is a fast-rising economic power, with a core of internationally competitive companies turning the youthful nation into an entrepreneurial hub, tapping cash-rich export markets in Russia and the Middle East while attracting billions of investment dollars in return.
For many in aging and debt-weary Europe, which will be lucky to eke out a little more than 1 percent growth this year, Turkey’s economic renaissance — last week it reported a stunning 11.4 percent expansion for the first quarter, second only to China — poses a completely new question: who needs the other one more — Europe or Turkey?
“The old powers are losing power, both economically and intellectually,” said Vural Ak, 42, the founder and chief executive of Intercity, the largest car leasing company in Turkey. “And Turkey is now strong enough to stand by itself.”
Full report at:
The New York Times
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Phone call records nail minister in Gujarat fake encounter case
17 Jul. 10
The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) net is closing in on Gujarat’s minister of state for home Amit Shah, prime accused in the murder of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauserbi. The agency has phone records to prove that Shah spoke 31 times to NK Amin, an assistant commissioner of police in Ahmedabad’s Crime Branch, between November 22 and November 29, 2005, a source close to the
Amin is in jail for allegedly killing Kauserbi at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on November 29, 2005, three days after a joint team of the Gujarat and Rajasthan Police gunned down Sohrabuddin in a staged encounter, allegedly at the behest of Shah and a business lobby from which he (Sohrabuddin) was extorting money.
The phone calls stopped after Kauserbi’s murder.
Meanwhile, two close associates of the minister have confessed to the CBI that Shah — who has been the state’s home
Full report at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Phone-call-records-nail-minister-in-Gujarat-fake-encounter-case/Article1-573499.aspx
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Jundallah claims Iran mosque blasts
17 Jul, 2010
Tehran: A militant group said it carried out a double suicide bombing against a mosque in southeast Iran to avenge the execution of its leader, as Iranian authorities said on Friday the death toll rose to 27 people, including members of the elite Revolutionary Guard.
The group, Jundallah, has repeatedly succeeded in carrying out deadly strikes on the Guard, the country’s most powerful military force — including an October suicide bombing that killed more than 40 people. The new attack was a sign that the group is able to carry out devastating bombings even after Iran hanged its leader Abdulmalik Rigi and his brother earlier this year.
Worshippers were attending religious ceremonies when the first blast went off at the entrance of the mosque in the provincial capital Zahedan. The male bomber was disguised as a woman, local lawmaker Hossein Ali Shahriari told the ISNA news agency.
Inside the mosque, a cleric was reading from the Quran in front of lines of faithful sitting cross-legged on the floor when the building suddenly shook from the blast and screams were heard from outside, according to footage taken at the time and aired on Iranian state TV.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/jundallah-claims-iran-blasts-770
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Iran blames US and UK for mosque suicide bombing
By NASSER KARIMI
Jul 17, 2010
TEHRAN: Iranian officials on Friday said they were holding the United States and Britain responsible for Thursday's double suicide bombing of a mosque in southeast Iran, even as US officials condemned the attack.
"The murder of innocent civilians in their place of worship is an intolerable offense, and those who carried it out must be held accountable," US President Barack Obama said in a statement.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denounced the bombing in the “strongest possible terms” and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
The Sunni insurgent group Jundallah earlier claimed responsibility for the attack on the Zahedan Grand Mosque, in which 27 worshippers were killed and about 100 were wounded, including members of the elite Revolutionary Guard.
Jundallah said the attack was to avenge the loss of their leader Abdolmalek Rigi, who was executed by Iranian authorities last month.
But Gen. Hossein Salami, deputy head of the Revolutionary Guard, told people at the Friday prayers in Tehran that the victims “were martyred by hands of mercenaries of the US and UK.”
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article85444.ece
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UAE condemns Iran bombing
17 Jul. 10
The UAE has vehemently condemned the criminal act which targeted a mosque in Iran’s southeastern city of Zahedan yesterday which killed and injured scores of people.
“The UAE condemns in the strongest terms this terrorist act and affirms its full solidarity and stand with Iran in its efforts to face these criminal acts,” UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a statement today.
Shaikh Abdullah offered heart-felt condolences to the families and relatives of the innocent victims and wished speedy recovery of those wounded in the explosion. - WAM
It stressed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations “is criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of its motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.”
Jundallah said it carried out the bombings to avenge the hanging of its veteran leader Abdolmalek Rigi.
Tehran has long charged that the group has received backing from Washington as part of its efforts to undermine the Islamic Republic.
Jundallah claims to be fighting for the interests of Sistan-Baluchestan province’s large ethnic Baluch community, who unlike most Iranians, mainly follow the Sunni branch of Islam.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/July/middleeast_July284.xml§ion=middleeast
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Bomb blast kills 10 in Tirah valley
17 Jul. 10
KHYBER AGENCY—At least ten-persons died and 20-others were injured in a bomb-blast in ‘Meharban-Kilay Bazaar’ of Tirah valley, Khyber Agency here early on Friday. According to details, the bomb was planted that exploded with severe bang in ‘Meharban-Kilay Bazaar of Tirah valley, Khyber Agency, as a result eight persons died on the scene and 20-others get injuries, that were shifted to nearby hospitals in the area.
Eyewitnesses said that the intensity of the blast was so severe that it demolished numbers of houses and shops in the area. Among the victims of the blast women and children were also included, officials said. After the blast, law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and initiated search operation in the area to avert any further untoward incident in the area.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani condemning the blast directed the authorities concerned to facilitate the victims of the blast with best medical treatments and resolved that the government wouldn’t flinch out from its stance to crush the scourge of militants from the area. A bomb blast in a weekly bazaar killed eight people and wounded 14 in Pakistan’s tribal region of Khyber on the Afghan border on Friday, a senior government official said. The blast occurred in Meharban Kaley, a village some 70 km (40 miles) southwest of region’s main town of Landikotal. “The device was apparently planted somewhere in a shop. We have removed eight bodies from the rubble,” Rehan Khattak, a government official in the region, told Reuters.
Full report at:
http://dailymailnews.com/0710/17/FrontPage/index.php?id=10
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Krishna’s conduct in Pak admirable: Cong
17 Jul. 10
After Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s incisive attack on External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, the Congress threw its weight behind Krishna for his “admirable” conduct on foreign soil and voiced disappointment over Pakistan’s negative “tone and tenor”.
The Congress took strong exception to Qureshi’s statement equating Home Secretary GK Pillai’s remarks with anti-India hate speeches of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed. Terming this attempt as “ridiculous”, Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said, “There is no question of comparing a known terrorist with the Home Secretary.”
On Thursday night, at the joint Press conference after the talks, Qureshi was asked why Saeed was not being reined in. He had shot back, “I agree that both sides need to create an enabling environment and not let the climate of engagement be vitiated by negative propaganda. But, I want to know to what extent did the Indian Home Secretary’s statement on the eve of this dialogue help? We both (Ministers) are of the opinion that it (Pillai’s remarks) was uncalled for.”
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/269688/Krishna%E2%80%99s-conduct-in-Pak-admirable-Cong.html
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India 'should call off Pakistan talks': Opposition
Jul 16, 2010
NEW DELHI: India's main opposition demanded the government pull out of faltering peace talks with Pakistan on Friday and said a meeting between foreign ministers from the countries had achieved nothing.
India's Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi met Thursday for the third high-level talks between the countries in a six-month thaw in relations.
New Delhi broke off peace talks with Islamabad after the 2008 Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead. India blamed militants based in Pakistan for the atrocity.
India's main opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party, has been opposed to the new attempts at dialogue from the start and senior leaders called them "talks for the sake of talks."
"India should call off the talks now," leader of the parliamentary party, Sushma Swaraj, told the Times Now newschannel. "The government should rethink, they should not engage in a dialogue if Pakistan continues this attitude."
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India-should-call-off-Pakistan-talks-Opposition/articleshow/6176836.cms
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Terrorism issue first, insisted India
Sandeep Dikshit
Jul 16, 2010
NEW DELHI: Differences over the pace at which outstanding issues such as Siachen and Kashmir would be taken up undermined Thursday's Foreign Minister-level talks with Pakistan, but officials from both sides denied that the acrimony displayed in Islamabad meant the process of engagement suffered a setback or even broken down.
While Pakistan wanted all outstanding issues, ranging from Siachen to terrorism, addressed in a time-bound manner, India felt the terror issue must first be comprehensively addressed to inject a degree of normality to the situation, highly placed sources said. They termed Pakistan's expectations of a full-fledged dialogue unrealistic.
Rejecting the suggestion of a deadlock during the Foreign Minister-level talks, India said it had put forward proposals to improve bilateral ties and contribute to confidence building in several areas , the sources said.
Full report at:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/17/stories/2010071760970100.htm
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Agra again: Qureshi kills peace talks
Rajeev Deshpande
Jul 17, 2010
NEW DELHI: A day after an extraordinary slanging match in Islamabad, the India-Pakistan peace process was in shreds, having suffered a huge setback, with Islamabad virtually reneging on a painstakingly drawn-up engagement sequence aimed at normalizing ties.
The finger-pointing between the two sides continued on Friday, keeping ties on the boil as Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi carried on with his belligerence displayed at Thursday's press conference in Islamabad that he addressed with his Indian counterpart, S M Krishna.
Picking up from where he left off, Qureshi lashed out at India for being "selective" and "not fully prepared" and reversing gears at the last minute. He even got personal with Krishna, alleging that the minister lacked the mandate and was being tutored on phone all through the negotiations.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Agra-again-Qureshi-kills-peace-talks/articleshow/6178381.cms
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Qureshi does not deserve to be foreign minister: BJP
Jul 16, 2010
NEW DELHI: Calling India-Pakistan talks a "non-starter", BJP leader and former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha Friday lashed out at Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's hostile remarks, saying he did not deserve his job.
"The talks have been a non-starter," Sinha told Times Now, a day after the talks between India and Pakistan deadlocked on the issue of terror.
"I can bet Pakistan will never catch Hafiz Saeed because he is a part of the ISI," Sinha said while referring to Pakistan's vacillation over taking action against Saeed, the suspected mastermind of the Mumbai attacks.
Sinha slammed Qureshi's remarks to the press in Islamabad where he accused India of being selective in focusing on terror and took a dig at Krishna, insinuating he was taking calls from New Delhi during their talks Thursday night.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Qureshi-does-not-deserve-to-be-foreign-minister-BJP/articleshow/6176395.cms
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Media slams Indo-Pak shadow-boxing for peace
Omer Farooq Khan
Jul 17, 2010
ISLAMABAD: The foreign minister-level talks between India and Pakistan failed to break new ground, but sections within the media here spoke of the sole achievement out of S M Krishna's meeting with Shah Mehmood Qureshi: that the two foreign ministers had agreed to meet again in December this year.
One of Pakistan's leading English language dailies, The Dawn, had a front-page lead headlined, ‘Shadow boxing for peace: No common ground found'. The report said, "Hope and despair both reigned supreme on Thursday as Pakistan and India failed to agree on anything but that they would continue to talk."
Quoting a source present at the meeting, the story attributed the deadlock to the "inflexibility of the Krishna-led Indian delegation that refused to discuss issues of concern to Pakistan. Their (the Indian side's) excuse was that they did not have the mandate to do so," it said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Media-slams-Indo-Pak-shadow-boxing-for-peace/articleshow/6178434.cms
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Shah Mehmood Qureshi: Wrecker-in-chief almost became PM
Jul 17, 2010
On November 26, 2008, when LeT terrorists were ravaging Mumbai, Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was on a bilateral visit to India. His swagger and affectation shone in sharp relief when two days later Qureshi addressed the media in Delhi. Halfway through the interaction, his phone rang. It was foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Qureshi merely announced it to the waiting media and continued his conversation of platitudes. Except Mukherjee was erupting in anger. As Mukherjee read out the riot act to him, Qureshi beat a hasty retreat into a nearby room.
Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi today stands accused of wrecking the peace process by triggering a spat during a joint briefing with S M Krishna.
But in Pakistan, he has been known as one of the better politicians. For one, the 54-year-old foreign minister boasts of pedigree. His father, Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi, who comes from an influential feudal family in Multan, was governor of Punjab during Gen Zia-ul Haq’s rule in the 1980s.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Shah-Mehmood-Qureshi-Wrecker-in-chief-almost-became-PM/articleshow/6178486.cms
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Pakistan, India should learn from Europe: Altaf
Jul 17, 2010
KARACHI: Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said Friday that Pakistan and India should take lessons from Europe, which indulged in infighting for a long time and finally realised that fight was not a solution to any dispute as friends could be changed but not neighbours.
Speaking at the inauguration of the MQM’s media centre at the party’s headquarters Nine-Zero, the MQM chief said, “Diplomatic talks should be continued for a peaceful resolution of disputes between both countries.”
“We should accept each other as neighbours, as well as discuss the core issues for their settlement,” he opined, adding, “We appreciate bilateral talks between the two countries even though they concluded without any positive outcome, but they should continue.”
The exchange of delegations between the two countries could help develop cordial relations, he pointed out.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\17\story_17-7-2010_pg7_23
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Pak wriggling out of talks under pressure from army?
Rajeev Deshpande
Jul 17, 2010
NEW DELHI: The Congress leadership chose the "action-on-26/11 first" approach with Pakistan because it is loath to be seen as having forgotten the Mumbai attacks. It will not acquiesce in any attempt to change the order when Islamabad refuses to accept concrete evidence on ISI and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed.
For Pakistan to suddenly try jumpstarting talks on Kashmir raises questions about its motives. Is it trying to wriggle out of the peace process under pressure from its army which is keen to push its Kashmir card again, while looking for an excuse not to take action against LeT and stop cooperating in the offensive against its other strategic asset, the Taliban, in Afghanistan?
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pak-wriggling-out-of-talks-under-pressure-from-army/articleshow/6178437.cms
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J&K fake encounter: Col, Major among 11 chargesheeted
M Saleem Pandit
Jul 17, 2010
SRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir police have filed chargesheets against 11 people including an Army colonel and two majors in connection with the alleged fake encounter in which three young civilians were killed at Machil in Kupwara district in April this year. The chargesheet filed in the court of chief judicial magistrate at Sopore in Baramulla district named Colonel D K Pathania, Major Maurya, Major Upinder Kumar, apart from subedar Sadbeer Singh, hawaldar Bir Singh, sepoys, Chandra Bhan, Nagendra Singh and Narendra Singh, Territorial Army's Abbas Hussain Shah and two civilians Basharat Lone and Abdul Hamid Bhat.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JK-fake-encounter-Col-Major-among-11-chargesheeted/articleshow/6178751.cms
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Dialogue should continue: Altaf
17 Jul, 2010
KARACHI, July 16: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has observed that although talks this week between Pakistan and India did not end on an optimistic note, negotiations between the two countries should continue.
In the context of the meeting of the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in Islamabad on Thursday, Mr Hussain underlined the need for talks on the basis of equality and asked the two countries to accept their existence in real terms.
He was speaking from London over phone at the inauguration ceremony of the new building of the MQM’s media wing here on Friday.
Mr Hussain said that war was not the solution to the problems of the two countries and it was in their own interest to improve bilateral relations.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/dialogue-should-continue-altaf-770
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Govt Says Aware Of Hindu Terror
Jul 17th, 2010
The home ministry is “aware” of the presence of Hindu terror outfits and is looking into such cases. The Centre has written to the Madhya Pradesh government to transfer the probe involving one long-time former RSS pracharak, Sunil Joshi, who was recently murdered, to the CBI. Joshi is alleged to have planted bombs in 2007 at the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and the Ajmer Sharif dargah.
Joshi, who was sacked from the RSS for his radical views, was associated with Abhinav Bharat, an outfit accused of involvement in terror activities. Governm-ent sources said the home ministry is keeping a tab on cases involving extremist Hindu outfits. “The MP government had completed its investigation but we are awaiting the response of the state government to hand over the case to CBI,” an official said.
Full report at:
http://www.asianage.com/india/govt-says-aware-hindu-terror-516
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Shiv Sainiks attack Zee 24 office in Kolhapur
Jul 17th, 2010
MUMBAI: Shiv Sainiks attacked the Zee 24 hours television office in Kolhapur late night on Friday and destroyed furniture apart from injuring the correspondents during a live telecast of a debate on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. Mansoor Syed of the Karnataka-based Seema Rakshak Vedika was on the show along with Diwakar Raote, Sena leader, in Mumbai. The first segment was over when about 40 Sainiks attacked the office and beat up an associate of Mr. Mansoor Syed and attacked Deepak Shinde, bureau chief.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/17/stories/2010071760480100.htm
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Congress wants NIA to probe RSS terror links
Jul 17, 2010
NEW DELHI: Congress on Friday demanded that National Investigation Agency probe the suspected RSS role in a series of blasts over the past few years. "The NIA must do the investigation while the home ministry should coordinate," party general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters. He said with more facts coming to light and more names tumbling out, the issue of Hindutva terror had acquired an altogether new dimension.
His party colleague Jayanthi Natarajan said the involvement of senior RSS leaders in acts of terror was "shocking". She said there was an urgent need to get to the bottom of the matter and unearth the truth. "Such activity has the power to destabilise our entire society, our country and political system," she said.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Congress-wants-NIA-to-probe-RSS-terror-links/articleshow/6178752.cms
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Jailed Al Qama not 26/11 handler?
Vishwa Mohan
Jul 17, 2010
NEW DELHI: American jihadi David Coleman Headley not only unveiled the direct roles of Pakistan’s ISI and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed in the 26/11 terror attack but also gave crucial details about three accused — Sajid Mir, Abu Al Qama and Abu Kahfa — while recognizing their voices when Indian interrogators played records before him of conversations between them and the terrorists during the strikes.
Headley told the team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) which questioned him in Chicago in June that Mir, Al Qama and Kahfa were the ones guiding the fidayeen during the attacks at Nariman House, Taj and Oberoi hotels respectively.
Details and descriptions given by Headley also substantiated Indian investigators’ claims that the Abu Al Qama who is in a Pakistani jail in connection with 26/11 is not the actual Abu Al Qama India has been looking for.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jailed-Al-Qama-not-26/11-handler/articleshow/6178467.cms
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UAE a ‘great place’ to do business: Merck Serono
Alvin R. Cabral
17 July 2010
DUBAI — Pharmaceutical company Merck Serono strongly believes in the potential of the UAE market to further enhance its business, its top official for the Middle East said.
Citing “excellent infrastructure, central geographic location, existing human capital, commercial environment and support from administrative and health authorities,” Karim Smaira, Merck Serono’s chief executive officer for the Middle East, is confident that the country’s pharmaceutical industry has nowhere to go but upwards.
“We believe that the UAE is a great place to do business,” Smaira said in an e-mailed statement to Khaleej Times. “We build upon the strength of the UAE as a diverse and multi-cultural market place mirroring our ambition to create a workplace where nationalities and genders work together.”
Geneva-based Merck Serono had global revenues of $9.48 billion in last year. The company’s pharmaceutical sales in the Middle East hit $130.2 million in 2009, which rose to $151.7 million in 2010.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/biz/inside.asp?xfile=/data/business/2010/July/business_July301.xml§ion=business
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Jamaat will be banned if ’72 charter revived: Suranjit
17 July 2010
Awami League lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta says reverting to the original constitution of 1972 will lead to ban on the politics of Jamaat-e-Islami, the weapons and financial supplier and biggest patron of the banned Islamist outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh.
He also revealed that the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday urged for speedy formation of a constitutional commission to revert to the original charter of the nation.
Suranjit was speaking at a seminar titled ‘War crimes trial and banning Jamaat’s politics’ organised by Bangabandhu Academy at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity auditorium on Friday.
He said, ‘Anyone can practise politics keeping in line with the country’s legislation as their own democratic right. However, those who publicly acclaim democracy and cultivate terrorism in the back cannot pursue politics.’
Full report at:
www.newagebd.com
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5m Muslims threaten to quit Facebook
17 July 2010
Angry over the removal of certain Islamic pages from Facebook, more than 2.5 million Muslim users are likely to quit the social networking website, according to a media report.
Following the removal of four extremely popular Islamic pages from the website, the Muslim community has expressed anger and a template letter that has been pasted into numerous Facebook pages accused the website’s founder Mark Zuckerberg of ‘ignoring the feelings of more than 2.5 million Muslims’, the Daily Mail reported.
The letter reads: ‘Although you have attended the world’s best communication skills courses you have been most successful in growing great hatred and hostility between you and Muslims around the world, but seriously this time you have caused an almost unrepairable damage.’
Full report at:
www.newagebd.com
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All-party JS committee to change constitution: PM
17 July 2010
The prime minster, Sheikh Hasina, on Friday said the government would form an all-party parliamentary committee in two to four days for amending the constitution.
‘The government will amend the constitution in order to uphold the Supreme Court verdict which has declared illegal the fifth amendment to the constitution,’ said Hasina while addressing a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at her official residence Ganabhaban.
She said that the process for amendment to the constitution would start during the current session of the parliament.
The opposition lawmakers have been skipping the session after making a brief appearance in the parliament on June 2, the day the budget session began.
Full report at: Newagebd.com
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Indian court says Hindu gods can’t trade in shares
17 July 2010
MUMBAI — An Indian court has ruled that Hindu gods cannot deal in stocks and shares, reports said Saturday, after an application for trading accounts to be set up in their names.
Two judges at the Bombay High Court on Friday rejected a petition from a private religious trust to open accounts in the names of five deities, including the revered elephant-headed god, Ganesha.
“Trading in shares on the stock market requires certain skills and expertise and to expect this from deities would not be proper,” judges P.B. Majumdar and Rajendra Sawant said, according to Indian newspapers.
The trust, owned by the former royal family of Sangli, in western Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, brought the case after successfully securing income tax cards and savings accounts for the deities.
But National Securities Depository Limited (NDSL) rejected the trust’s application for permission to open trading accounts, arguing that it would be difficult to take action against the gods in the event of irregularities.
“Gods and goddesses are meant to be worshipped in temples, not dragged into commercial activities like share trading,” the judges said.
Ganesha, also known as Lord Ganpati, is one of the most popular and well-known gods of the Hindu pantheon and is worshipped widely in Mumbai and Maharashtra.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2010/July/international_July668.xml§ion=international
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UK envoy: Release of Lockerbie bomber was mistake
Jul 16, 2010
LONDON: Britain's ambassador to the US says the decision to release the only man convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing was a mistake.
Ambassador Nigel Sheinwald says his government "deeply regrets" the anguish that Abdel Baset Al-Megrahi's release caused the families of the bombings' victims on both sides of the Atlantic.
But in an open letter to US Sen. John Kerry published Friday, Sheinwald defended oil company BP from claims that it pressed to have Al-Megrahi released.
Kerry and others have revived the controversy over the 2007 deal which awarded BP a major oil exploration contract — and raised the prospect that Al-Megrahi would be freed.
The senators have called for an investigation into BP's lobbying for the pact.
http://arabnews.com/world/article85275.ece
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Saudi vacationers in Syria urged not to frequent unsafe regions
Jul 17, 2010
RIYADH: Following recent attacks on Saudi holidaymakers in neighboring Arab countries, members of the public have called on the authorities to do more to protect Saudis abroad.
A Saudi lawyer, Bataa Al-Shamri, was hospitalized after being shot in Syria where he had gone to spend his summer vacation recently. Likewise, another Saudi was seriously wounded in a similar attack in Syria a month ago. The young man later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in the Kingdom.
Incidents such as these, even though they may be infrequent, have sparked a new debate in the Kingdom with people discussing which locations are safe for Saudi holidaymakers. The authorities have also cautioned citizens to be selective when traveling and avoid unsafe destinations, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article85424.ece
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Kingdom abundant in artifacts: Sultan
By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR
Jul 17, 2010
JEDDAH: Artifacts displayed at “Roads to Arabia” exhibition in the Louvre Museum in Paris represented only a small portion of historically important relics excavated in the Kingdom in recent years, said Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, on Friday.
“What is presented at the Louvre represents only one percent of antiques excavated in the Kingdom, or less than that,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the SCTA chief as saying. “We are planning to conduct excavations in more historical sites this year with the help of national and foreign teams,” he said.
A large number of important antiquities have been found during recent excavations, Prince Sultan said. “These antiquities are important and large in numbers compared to the ones discovered in the past five years. We’ll announce them shortly,” he said.
About 350 artifacts are on show at the Louvre, including pre-Islamic stele and ancient objects from after the rise of Islam.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article85515.ece
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Now terror suspects can challenge UN blacklisting
17 Jul. 10
UNITED NATIONS—The newly-appointed Ombudsperson of the UN Security Council’s Al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee has pledged that she would make her office independent and accessible to blacklisted individuals seeking redress. Kimberly Prost, who will review requests to get off the consolidated list, appeared before reporters at UN Headquarters in New York Thursday, for the first time since her last month’s appointment for the highly sensitive position with the controversial list, which was established in 1999.
Prost said she would welcome submissions from anyone who wants to be taken off the list, and that she saw her job a “good faith, serious effort” by a U.N. sanctions committee to answer the “serious concerns” raised about due process regarding the list.
“My aim is to turn that objective into a reality over the coming weeks and months,” Prost said. While the role of Ombudsperson would not involve making recommendations to the Committee, she expressed confidence that it would appropriately consider her assessments. She said she would seek out all sources of relevant information in order to ensure impartiality, and work objectively and independently to build trust in the Office among petitioners. All cases would be given equal weight, she emphasized, adding that the Office would have a stand-alone website, public email address and simple, straightforward submission procedures for petitioners.
Accompanying Prost was Thomas Mayr-Harting . Austria’s UN ambassador and Chair of the 1267 Committee, who said that he and the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon believed Prost was the most qualified person in the world for the job.
A legal expert with wide-ranging international experience in counter-terrorism, human rights and sanctions regimes, she had served as a Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia since 2006.—Agencies
http://dailymailnews.com/0710/17/FrontPage/inde.php?id=7
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India, Pakistan have no other option but to talk: Kasuri
17 Jul. 10
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India have no other option but to talk to resolve their outstanding issues, former foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said on Friday.
Talking to a private TV channel, he said, “I have the belief that we should go beyond political differences on national issues.” The entire process covering the issues of Kashmir, Sir Creek, Siachin, people-to-people contact, economic affairs and trade, which was moving on during our period, was suspended after the Mumbai attacks. This is the first high-level bilateral meeting in Islamabad and its importance cannot be denied, he added.
Kasuri said India was aware that the Kashmiri youths “are on the street with stones in their hands, and it would certainly not wish to worsen the situation”. Pakistan is not suffering from terrorism alone, “India too faces attacks from different insurgents particularly Maoists, almost every other day,” he said. “If the two countries do not realise the severity of the situation, and other countries exploit their fault lines, they will get destabilised which would be unfortunate,” he added. app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\17\story_17-7-2010_pg7_10
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10 killed in Khyber market blast
17 Jul. 10
JAMRUD/HANGU: Ten people, including children, were killed and 14 others injured when a bomb planted inside a shop went off in a market in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency on Friday, administration officials and residents said. “Ten people have been killed, including three children. Fourteen people were wounded in the blast,” senior district official Shafeerullah Khan said. Intelligence officials also confirmed the toll, saying three shops and four cars were destroyed. The commander of Lashkar-e-Islam was among those killed in the explosion, the residents said, adding that six people among those injured belonged to the same group.“The timed device appeared to have been planted by a rival militia,” the residents told Daily Times by phone. Meanwhile, in Hangu district, a remote-controlled bomb targeted a police vehicle, injuring four policemen and five civilians, District Police Officer Abdur Rashid Khan told reporters. He said the blast took place near Baghto Chowk on Tall Road. staff report/agencies
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\17\story_17-7-2010_pg1_4
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Turkey unveils drone capable of flying for 24 hours
By Selcan Hacaoglu
17 Jul, 2010
ANKARA, July 16: Turkey on Friday unveiled its first drone aeroplane, a surveillance craft able to fly for 24-hour stretches over the rugged mountains where Kurdish rebels are waging a deadly insurgency.
Turkey’s eagerness to produce it own military technology mirrors its increasingly robust and independent diplomacy in the region. Producing its own drone fleet would allow Turkey to sever an important link with Israel, which has provided Turkey with drones even amid rising tensions over the Gaza Strip. While the success of the Turkish-made drone is far from assured, Turkish engineers said they were confident it would become part of the country’s arsenal.
Ozcan Ertem, head of the project, said an armed version of the Anka, or Phoenix, was possible but not in the works for now.
Some 43 countries have now developed unmanned aerial vehicles, which have proved to be extremely effective in gathering intelligence and, in US hands, staging attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/turkey-unveils-drone-capable-of-flying-for-24-hours-770
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Iraqis tortured by UK troops seek inquiry
17 Jul, 2010
LONDON, July 16: More than 100 Iraqis who claim they were tortured and abused by British forces after the invasion of Iraq won a key legal battle in London on Friday in their bid to force a public inquiry.
Lawyers for the Iraqis said they had “incontrovertible” evidence the detainees were subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment by British soldiers that included hooding, electric shocks and sexual abuse.
Judges Christopher May and Debra Silber ruled the 102 Iraqis should be allowed to bring a High Court action to try to force an inquiry into their allegations against the Ministry of Defence.
“The claimant’s case is sufficiently persuasive for permission purposes,” the judges said at London’s High Court.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/iraqis-tortured-by-uk-troops-seek-inquiry-770
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Taliban blow up two ‘spies’ near Miramshah
17 Jul, 2010
MIRAMSHAH, July 16: Taliban militants in tribal belt on Friday executed two men by strapping explosives to their bodies, security officials said. The public execution took place in a village near Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan which sits on the Afghan border, after the men were accused of spying for the US.
“Taliban militants strapped explosive material to their bodies and blew them up publicly,” a local administrative official said.
It is the second such incident in the same village. In a similar execution on May 21 Taliban blew up two men, according to security officials.—AFP
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/taliban-blow-up-two-spies-near-miramshah-770
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Pak Troops Violate Truce At Six Posts
Jul 17th, 2010
SHUCHISMITA
Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked hea-vy firing on at least six Indian posts in Poonch and Jammu districts late Thur-sday night. Heavy Pakistani rocket and mortar fire was reported in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district, targeting at least four Indian posts Thursday night. The Indian side retaliated with small-arms fire. The
exchange of fire continued till early Friday morning.
In R.S. Pura sector, the post of Kharkhola was targeted on Thursday night. Sources claimed only five rounds were fired here.
http://www.asianage.com/india/pak-troops-violate-truce-six-posts-517
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Sufiya’s bail clause eased
17 Jul. 10
The Special CBI Court (NIA court) in Kochi on Friday relaxed for three days the bail condition of Sufiya, wife of PDP chairman Abdul Nasser Madani, that she should not leave the Ernakulam district. The relaxation was granted on her plea that she wanted to visit her father-in-law, hospitalised in Thiruvananthapuram, following cerebral haemorrhage. The court had eased the same condition for three days on June 29 to let her meet her husband, 31st accused in the Bangalore bombings case, in Kollam.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/269669/Sufiya%E2%80%99s-bail-clause-eased.html
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Pak ceasefire violation mockery of peace talks
Mohit Kandhari , Jammu
Within hours after Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a virtual face-off on the dialogue table over a variety of contentious issues, including Mumbai terror attack and constant rise in infiltration, the Pakistani Army brazenly violated ceasefire norms and targeted several forward Indian posts along the line of control in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch on Thursday night.
The ceasefire violation from the Pakistani side came close on the heels of start of joint Press conference by the Foreign Ministers in Islamabad, where both the sides indulged in open ‘war of words’ before parting ways.
In all, five Indian forward posts namely Kirpan, Kranti, Ghora, Nangi Tekri were targeted by the Pakistani Army using heavy and light machine guns. More than 20 rockets and 20 mortars were also fired from the Pakistani side of the border to provoke India’s response in Poonch between 8.40 pm and 11.30 pm, official sources said.
This is sixth ceasefire violation reported in the last 15 days and second in the same sector in the last 10 days. Firing was also reported along the International border in RS Pura sector in Jammu, official sources said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/269673/Pak-ceasefire-violation-mockery-of-peace-talks.html
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Mild Pillai far removed from hate figure portrayed by Pak
Jul 17, 2010
Union home secretary G K Pillai — whose comment about Pakistan ISI’s direct role in 26/11 led to Pakistani foreign minister S M Qureshi’s jibe at him — is a mild-mannered, efficient and accessible IAS officer who has held several important positions in Kerala as well as at the Centre before moving to the coveted post in North Block.
The 1972 batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre was the Union commerce secretary before joining the home ministry as its secretary in June last year.
It was, however, his second stint with the home ministry. Earlier, he served the ministry as one of its joint secretaries responsible for the insurgency-hit north-east. He was also principal secretary to then Kerala chief minister A K Antony (who is currently the defence minister) before becoming special secretary and subsequently secretary in the commerce ministry.
Sixty-year-old Pillai comes from a family of bureaucrats. His father as well as grandfather were civil servants. His wife Sudha Pillai (also an IAS of the 1972 batch) is currently a member-secretary in the Planning Commission, yet another important post in the government of India.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mild-Pillai-far-removed-from-hate-figure-portrayed-by-Pak-/articleshow/6178460.cms
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Indo-Pak talks: Congress advocates tough line
Jul 17, 2010
NEW DELHI: As the government comes under pressure from Pakistan to broaden the scope of bilateral talks to include J&K, Congress remains averse to widening the engagement beyond what it calls the "core issue" of Pakistan.
A day after Pakistan's attempt to put J&K on the negotiating table without meeting India's demand for action against 26/11 perpetrators, the party made it clear that it did not favour any concession to Pakistan.
The tough stance not to allow for a wider dialogue like the one that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had with his Pakistani counterpart at Sharm-el Sheikh, puts a question mark on the fate of talks as Pakistan has made plain its unease with a limited "terror-first" format of talks.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Indo-Pak-talks-Congress-advocates-tough-line-/articleshow/6178782.cms
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US declines to go public on ISI's role in 26/11
Chidanand Rajghatta
Jul 17, 2010
WASHINGTON: With Secretary of State Hillary Clinton topping off high-level visits to Islamabad by US and Indian officials in an effort to get Pakistan to forswear terrorism, American officials have adopted a cautious tone on role of its troubled ally in terrorism, declining to publicly confirm ISI's hand in the 26/11 carnage while implicitly holding it responsible.
Even as the heat generated by exchanges between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan after their Thursday meeting is still glowing, Clinton will land at an unspecified time (because of security fears) this week in Islamabad to try and accomplish what SM Krishna could not – persuade Pakistan to give up terrorism to achieve strategic objectives. She will follow-up on Af-Pak envoy Richard Holbrooke's effort of using the aid carrot to wean Pakistan away from terrorism.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/US-declines-to-go-public-on-ISIs-role-in-26/11/articleshow/6178449.cms
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'Build mosque outside Ayodhya'
Manjari Mishra
Jul 17, 2010
LUCKNOW: No mosque in Ayodhya, and no mosque named after a "foreign invader" anywhere in the country: The three-day meeting of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), held in the temple town after a gap of 18 years, concluded on an overtly belligerent note.
The saffron camp denied any link with the judgement in the 60-year-old Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title suit expected any time after July. However, the timing as well as the venue — Karsevak Puram housing the stone blocks for a new temple — is being interpreted as a last-ditch effort at whipping up the temple mania to gain the lost ground.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Build-mosque-outside-Ayodhya/articleshow/6178773.cms
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Amiri was CIA agent in Iran for yrs: US
David E Sanger & Mark Mazzetti
Jul 17, 2010
The Iranian scientist who American officials say defected to the United States, only to return to Tehran on Thursday, had been an informant for the Central Intelligence Agency inside Iran for several years, providing information about the country’s nuclear program, according to United States officials.
The scientist, Shahram Amiri, described to American intelligence officers details of how a university in Tehran became the covert headquarters for the country’s nuclear efforts, the officials confirmed. While still in Iran, he was also one of the sources for a much-disputed National Intelligence Estimate on Iran’s suspected weapons program, published in 2007, the officials said. For several years, Amiri provided what one official described as “significant, original” information about secret aspects of his country’s nuclear program, according to the Americans.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/US/Amiri-was-CIA-agent-in-Iran-for-yrs-US/articleshow/6178291.cms
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E-governance may render muaqibs redundant
By DIANA AL-JASSEM
Jul 17, 2010
JEDDAH: The future of muaqibs, who are administrators hired to complete government work for residents, is uncertain as many departments are now using the Internet as the primary platform for many of their services.
Muaqibs in the past were hired to complete paperwork for people who do not have the time or cannot stand in long lines to get their documents stamped.
They charge between SR200 to SR500 per application depending on the service.
A person in most cases does not need to hire a muaqib to fill out an application as it is easily done through the Internet.
In the past, people used to stand in long lines inside the Traffic Department in order to pay a fine before renewing their driving license.
Full report at:
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article85452.ece
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Chelsea Clinton may convert to Judaism?
By Masood Haider
17 Jul, 2010
NEW YORK: The media in US is full of speculation whether or not Chelsea Clinton would convert to Judaism since she is marrying Marc Mezvinsky, a Jewish banker on July 31.
Details of the wedding of the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton are under wraps though according to press accounts it take place at the Astor estate in Rhinebeck, NY, with 500 invitees ranging from President Barack Obama to Steven Spielberg but that hasn’t dampened mass attention and speculation about conversion.
Full report at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/international/chelsea-clinton-may-convert-to-judaism-770
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Balochistan remains shut for 3rd day over Habib Jalib’s murder
By Mohammad Zafar
QUETTA: A complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike was observed across Balochistan on Friday to condemn the assassination of Habib Jalib, BNP-Mengal general secretary, who was killed by unidentified assassins on Wednesday.
A majority of shopping and business centres across the province remained closed, including those in the provincial metropolis, for the third consecutive day. Most of the highways, including the RCD Highway, also remained closed for traffic as protesters put up barricades to block the flow of traffic.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\07\17\story_17-7-2010_pg1_3
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Sultan Shahin
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