Somali Islamists al-Shabab 'execute two young women'
Indonesia: Tsunami death toll rises to 343 as more bodies found
Seven killed in US drone attack in North Waziristan
Man arrested in plot to attack Washington Metro stations
Kausarbi was killed in ATS office, not in farm house: counsel tells High Court
More RSS leaders to be interrogated?
Osama Bin Laden warns France against burqa law
‘Taliban able to withstand US onslaughts due to safe havens in Pak’
Mohammed Is Top Name In British Region
Man arrested in plot to attack Washington Metro stations
US 'loses control' over 50 N-missiles for 45 mins
Afghans foresee victory against Taliban
Three killed, nine injured in Quetta blast
'Muslim origin' Obama skipping Golden Temple visit out of fear: American Sikhs
New Saudi social website
Ras Al-Khaimah ruler Sheikh Saqr dies at 91
India-Malaysia ties on fast track
Army to lodge protest against Pak for ceasefire violations
US sanctions 37 'front companies' for Iran's shipping firm
'US not afraid of Headley revelations'
Discrimination, not Islam behind violent youths: FRA
Ties with India, Pak not a 'zero sum' game: US
Saudi woman jailed for disobeying father freed: Reports
Pillai again on 26/11: Raises Headley, gets a US response
Headley spat shadow over Obama visit
Russians back in Kabul after 20 yrs
Police van blown up in Quetta
Wedding hall roof collapse kills 65 in Afghanistan
UN bodies urge Pakistan to prevent ‘victimisation’
Islamic Jihad activist killed by Israeli tank shell in Gaza Strip
Danish navy destroys pirate boat off Somalia
Stable Iraq key to security: Abdallah
Death of Saqr is an ordeal, says Khalifa
Shaikh Saud is new RAK Ruler Sebugwaawo Ismail
CID called upon to crack more financial crimes Amira Agarib
Sharjah book fair making waves, says publisher Lily B. Libo-on
Israel to begin building barrier with Egypt
Clashes as nationalists march in Israeli Arab town
US not tracking spending on Afghan projects, audit says
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Fighters from al-Shabab control much of southern and central Somalia
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Fatwa Terror: Talaq joke may cost youth his marriage
Oct 28, 2010
Saharanpur (U.P.): A talaq joke to his wife on the Internet may cost an e-savvy youth his marriage.
The man, a resident of Qatar, spelt talaq thrice while chatting with his wife, but little did he know that his humorous intention could nullify his marriage in reality.
The Islamic seminary, Darul Uloom Deoband, has ruled that saying talaq thrice, even casually, is valid as per the Shariyat (Islamic Law) and the marriage will stand nullified. The nationality or the identity of the youth has not been revealed. The fatwa was given by the Deoband's fatwa section, Darul Ifta, in reply to a query posted by the youth.
In his query he had stated that while chatting with his wife over the Internet he jokingly spelled talaq thrice. Claiming to have little knowledge of Islam, the youth said that he didn't know how talaq was taken, adding that he was happily married and wanted to live with his wife.
Darul Ifta had replied to him that once talaq is spelled thrice it amounted to divorce and that his wife was “haraam” for him. It does not matter whether he had enough knowledge of Islam or not. Under such circumstances, the youth is neither allowed to take his wife nor to marry her again, and that she would be required to go through ‘halalah,' if she wanted to return to her husband.
“Halalah” is a practice under which the woman has to marry another man and divorce him before she can marry her previous husband again.The wife would be required to complete the ‘ iddat' (three months time) period after which she would be allowed to marry another man. In case she divorced her second husband, she would have to go through the ‘ iddat' period again before she could re-marry her former husband, it stated. During ‘ iddat' a woman is supposed to stay away from celebrations and socialising. “When you gave three talaqs, all the three took place. It does not matter whether the woman gives talaq or not. Your wife became ‘haraam' for you, whether you are aware of the commandment or not,” the fatwa read. Senior mufti of Darul Uloom Waqf Arif Kasmi said that under the ‘Shariyat' talaq, even if given in a lighter vein, amounts to divorce. — PTI
http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/28/stories/2010102865822200.htm
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Somali Islamists al-Shabab 'execute two young women'
20 Oct 2010
Two young women have been publicly executed by Somali Islamist group al-Shabab, reports say.
They were shot dead by firing squad in a square in the central city of Beledweyne.
The pair, who were aged 15 and 18, were sentenced to death on Wednesday after being accused of spying, AP reports.
Somalia has had no functioning government since 1991. The al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab and its allies control much of the country's south.
The two young women were named by AP as 18-year-old Ayan Mohamed Jama, and Huriyo Ibrahim, 15.
Al-Shabab militiamen walked through the town's streets, telling residents about the executions by loudspeaker and ordering everyone to attend, reports the agency.
The militia group's regional commander, Sheikh Yusuf Ali Ugas, said the two had been found guilty of spying and being what he described as "enemies of Islam".
But a woman who saw the execution, Sadia Osman, said one of the young women had said she was innocent of the charges, AP reports.
One eyewitness described how people in the crowd were shocked by the sight of the killings.
"One of the women who saw the execution today collapsed and lost consciousness after she saw the cruel way the girls were shot," Da'ud Ahmed said.
Somalia's UN-backed government authority only controls parts of Mogadishu and a few other areas, although it has been gaining ground from al-Shabab in recent weeks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11643718
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Indonesia: Tsunami death toll rises to 343 as more bodies found
Oct 28, 2010
MENTAWAI ISLANDS: An official said on Thursday the death toll from a tsunami off western Indonesia has risen to 343 as more bodies are found in a search of the remote islands that were hardest-hit.
Ferry Faisal, of the West Sumatra provincial disaster management agency, raised the official toll Thursday to 343 from 311 earlier in the day. He says 338 people are still missing.
Rescuers fear the numbers could climb higher, suspecting many of the missing may have been swept away to sea.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Indonesia-Tsunami-death-toll-rises-to-343-as-more-bodies-found/articleshow/6828643.cms#ixzz13eXzcV8d
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Seven killed in US drone attack in North Waziristan
Oct 28 2010
PESHAWAR: A US drone attack on a house in North Waziristan Thursday killed seven people, more causalities are feared, security officials said.
Two missiles were fired at a house in Ditta Khel, killing seven people also making it the third attack in North Waziristan within 24 hours, DawnNews reported.
The covert US drone campaign stepped up strikes in Pakistan’s tribal belt on the Afghan border last month over intelligence claims of a Mumbai-style terror plot to launch attacks on European cities.
Around 35 such attacks since September 3 have killed more than 185 people, according to an AFP toll. Around 150 drone strikes since August 2008 have killed more than 1,200.
The United States considers Pakistan’s tribal belt an al Qaeda headquarters, and Western officials say the drone campaign is seen as integral to US-led efforts to beat back a nine-year Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. —Agencies
http://public.dawn.com/2010/10/28/seven-killed-in-us-drone-attack-in-north-waziristan.html
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Man arrested in plot to attack Washington Metro stations
Oct 28, 2010
WASHINGTON: A Virginia man who believed he was trying to help al-Qaida plan bombings at Washington area Metrorail stations was arrested on Wednesday, the Justice Department said.
Farooque Ahmed, 34, of Ashburn, was taken into custody early in the morning, the department said in a statement.
"Officials emphasized that at no time was the public in danger during this investigation and that the FBI was aware of Ahmed's activities from before the alleged attempt began and closely monitored his activities until his arrest," it said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Man-arrested-in-Washington-subway-stations-bombing-plot/articleshow/6824672.cms#ixzz13cvWS339
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Kausarbi was killed in ATS office, not in farm house: counsel tells High Court
Manas Dasgupta
AHMEDABAD: Justice R. H. Shukla on Wednesday reserved orders till Friday on the bail application of the former Minister, Amit Shah, after the Gujarat High Court was told that Sohrabuddin's wife Kausarbi was killed not in a farm house but in the office of the Anti-Terrorist Squad here and with the knowledge of the Minister.
Mukul Sinha, advocate for Rubabuddin, the slain gangster's younger brother, narrated the events that preceded Kausarbi's murder, which, he said, had been pieced together by following the locations of the mobile phones held by the persons involved in the crime. All investigating agencies so far declared that she had been “missing” and that she had “disappeared in mysterious circumstances.”
According to Dr Sinha, the couple, after having been picked up from a Hyderabad-Sangli bus in Andhra Pradesh, were brought to Ahmedabad by an ATS team on November 23, 2005, and were kept in the Disha farm house on the outskirts of Gandhinagar.
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/28/stories/2010102864091100.htm
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More RSS leaders to be interrogated?
Oct 28, 2010
JAIPUR: A day after Rajasthan ATS said it was going to interrogate RSS executive council member Indresh Kumar, state home minister Shanti Dhariwal told reporters that some other officebearers of the organisation, too, were in the scanner. ''The ATS has enough evidence to question Indresh Kumar. Besides, few more names have cropped up in the course of investigation. It's now for the agencies to decide when to interrogate them,'' Dhariwal told reporters on Wednesday.
He did not reveal the names of other RSS leaders.
Meanwhile, ATS has attached a few pages of Sunil Joshi's diary in the Ajmer blasts case chargesheet. Joshi, once an RSS pracharak, is alleged to have triggered the blast that killed three people and injured around 30. He was murdered by unknown assailants near Dewas in Madhya Pradesh about two months after the dargah blast, but the police recovered two of his diaries. The ATS is probing some other top RSS leaders' links with Jai Vande Mataram, the organisation in focus for the terror attack.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/More-RSS-leaders-to-be-interrogated/articleshow/6826378.cms#ixzz13cuuJ3K0
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Osama Bin Laden warns France against burqa law
Oct 28 2010
Dubai : Al-qaida chief Osama bin Laden, in a new audio tape, has warned France that five of its abducted citizens in Niger could be killed if it did not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan and a new law that banned the burqua.
In a tape broadcast by the Al-Jazeera network on Wednesday, a man purporting to be bin Laden, called on the people of France to stop "intervening in the affairs of Muslims in North and West Africa".
"The only way to safeguard your nation and maintain your security is to withdraw your forces from (George W) Bush's despicable war," he said in an apparent reference the Afghanistan.
"If you unjustly thought that it is your right to prevent free Muslim women from wearing the face veil, is it not our right to expel your invading men and cut their necks?," he says, referring to the recently passed French legislation barring women from covering their faces in public.
"To the French people, I say that the formula is simple and clear: As you kill, you will be killed; as you imprison us, you will be imprisoned; as you threaten our security, we will threaten yours, and the one who started the oppression is the one to be blamed," he says.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/703417/
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‘Taliban able to withstand US onslaughts due to safe havens in Pak’
October 28, 2010
Lalit K Jha | Washington
Taliban and the Haqqani network have been able to withstand the American military onslaught largely because they have access to safe havens in Pakistan.
A crackdown by Pakistan’s military on these sanctuaries would have greater impact than any other option available to top American commanders in Afghanistan, Washington Post reported quoting top US officials. But, the paper said, a move by Islamabad against these groups is considered unlikely at least by US Administration’s timetable as the Pakistan Government long standing connections to the Haqqani network and the Taliban.
The Post said that Washington has sought to compensate this by ramping up raids by special forces and military air patrols on the Afghan side of the border and by sharply increasing CIA drone strikes in Pakistan.
Over the past two months, the US spy agency has nearly doubled drone strikes in an intense campaign aimed at crippling the Taliban, to put meaningful pressure on its leaders to seek peace.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/292760/%E2%80%98Taliban-able-to-withstand-US-onslaughts-due-to-safe-havens-in-Pak%E2%80%99.html
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Mohammed Is Top Name In British Region
Oct 28th, 2010
London, Oct. 27: Jack, the most popular boys’ name for 14 years, has been displaced by Oliver in England and Wales. The popularity of Mohammed is growing with increase in the Muslim population in the UK. It is the name most often given in the West Midlands, according to the data published by the Office for National Statistics.
“The popularity of the name Mohammed showed large regional variation: the name was within the top 10 in three English regions.
“It is number one in the West Midlands, number four in London and number five in Yorkshire and the Humber. However, it dropped to number 145 in the South West,” the research by the ONS on the baby names in 2009 revealed.
http://www.asianage.com/international/mohammed-top-name-british-region-171
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US 'loses control' over 50 N-missiles for 45 mins
Oct 28, 2010
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has been briefed about a suspected hardware glitch that took 50 of America's 450 nuclear inter-continental missiles (ICBMs) off-line for about 45 minutes, US officials said.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this appeared to be very similar to two previous incidents, both of which occurred more than a decade ago. The latest incident took place on Saturday morning at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, one of three bases hosting the US arsenal of Minuteman III ICBMs. The other two are in the US states of North Dakota and Montana.
"We think it has happened before. How often or whether this is the biggest ever, I don't know. That's why we're looking into it," the official said. No computer virus or outside actors were believed to be behind the glitch and the missiles could have been launched, if necessary, by activating back-up systems, the official added. "We have no indication that this was intentional," the official said, dismissing the chances it was the result of a cyber attack or sabotage.
One of the five launch control centers responsible for the 50 missiles operated by the 319th Missile Squadron apparently tripped up communications signals between the missiles and the centers. The official blamed a hardware problem investigators have broadly identified but are still trying to pin down. It took 45 minutes for the first launch control center to re-initiate contact with the missiles.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-loses-control-over-50-N-missiles-for-45-mins/articleshow/6826392.cms#ixzz13cvZn1lg
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Afghans foresee victory against Taliban
By Nasrat Shoib
KANDAHAR: Afghanistan said on Wednesday that a major military operation against the Taliban in their southern heartland was coming to an end, claiming that victory was in sight.
The insurgency is fiercest in the southern province of Kandahar, where thousands of US-led troops and Afghan forces have stepped up operations since the spring in a bid to reclaim the Taliban stronghold.
Gen Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the Afghan defence ministry spokesman, said that the assault was set to be wrapped up “in weeks.”
“The Kandahar operation is in its last stages,” Azimi told a news conference in Kabul, saying that the rebels had
fled most areas without fighting.
Asked whether the Taliban were defeated in the area, he said: “Well, when an area is cleaned of the enemy, it means they’re defeated.” He refused to give details, saying a full report of the operation including casualties will be released at the end of the offensive.
The Taliban said earlier this month on its website that military operations against them in the south have had little impact on their capabilities.
The insurgency is now at its most lethal, killing at least 603 foreign troops so far this year and thousands of Afghan civilians since the 2001 US-led invasion brought down their harsh Islamist regime.
More than 150,000 international forces are stationed in the troubled nation, where US President Barack Obama has said he wants to start drawing down American forces next July.
Full report at: http://public.dawn.com/2010/10/28/afghans-foresee-victory-against-taliban.html
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Three killed, nine injured in Quetta blast
28 Oct. 10
LAHORE: At least three people were killed and nine were wounded in a bomb blast near a police vehicle on the Sariab Road in Quetta, a private TV channel reported on Wednesday.
According to sources, some unidentified assailants targeted the vehicle with a hand grenade, which resulted in the explosion, killing one policeman and two bystanders. Around nine people were also injured including two children and policemen. The deceased policeman had been the driver of the vehicle, which was attacked. The injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital, where an emergency was declared.
Police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) troops cordoned off the area and started investigations, the channel reported. Separately, Quetta police chief Hamid Shakeel said that the nature of the explosive device was still under investigation. The blast had also destroyed the police van carrying other police officers.
Full report at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\10\28\story_28-10-2010_pg1_3
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'Muslim origin' Obama skipping Golden Temple visit out of fear: American Sikhs
Oct 28, 2010
WASHINGTON: The American Sikh community has said that President Barack Obama is not visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar because he harbours fears of negative image fallout with him being partially Muslim by birth.
Refusing to buy the White House explanation that India is a huge country and that it would not be possible for the president to take on too many events during his four-day visit from November 6 to 9, American Sikhs said they could not accept such a view.
"I'm not really buying it. I think the administration has been struggling with the false accusation that the president is Muslim. It is not out of the realm of possibility that these fears drove the cancellation. The administration is going to have to figure out how to make this up to the Sikh American community and the Sikh community worldwide," Politico quoted Sapreet Kaur, the executive director of the Sikh Coalition, as saying in a statement.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/indians-abroad/Muslim-origin-Obama-skipping-Golden-Temple-visit-out-of-fear-American-Sikhs/articleshow/6828613.cms#ixzz13eXsCtvk
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New Saudi social website
28 October 2010
JEDDAH - A group of young male and female media persons have launched a social website and media academy called ‘Shabab Net Academy’ to encourage communication between people and provide media training.
The 10 founders are Rewashid Al Sahafi, Al Anoud Al Taimi, Sabri Bajasir, Rozana Al Yami, Yousif Hafez, Abdullah Al Yahyia, Alaa Ahmad, Nasser Bin Hussein, Muhammad Al Saiedi and Khaled Falata.
Speaking about how the website was started, Falata said, “It was just a dream. We dreamt together of this idea and eventually our dream came true with the launch of our website Shabab Net. In the near future Jeddah will witness the birth of the first-ever specialised media academy which will serve as a window for communication among the youth.”
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/October/middleeast_October449.xml§ion=middleeast
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Ras Al-Khaimah ruler Sheikh Saqr dies at 91
By K.T. ABDURABB
Oct 28, 2010
RAS AL-KHAIMAH: Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, who ruled Ras Al-Khaimah since 1948, died Wednesday at the age of 91. Sheikh Saqr had been receiving treatment in a hospital in Abu Dhabi since June. His funeral took place after afternoon prayers. He was one of the rulers who remained in power for more than 60 years.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, sent messages of condolences to UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on the death of Sheikh Saqr.
Sheikh Saqr was born in Ras Al-Khaimah city in 1919, where he was brought up under the care of his father, Sheikh Mohammad bin Salim, who ruled the emirate from 1917 to 1919.
He became the ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah, one of the seven emirates in the UAE, on Feb. 12, 1948.
His 54-year-old son and crown prince, Sheikh Saud, was named the new ruler, the state news agency WAM reported, and the Supreme Council, made up of the rulers of the UAE's seven emirates, offered him their "full support". Sheikh Saud was chosen as crown prince seven years ago.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article171614.ece
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India-Malaysia ties on fast track
Sandeep Dikshit
KUALA LUMPUR: India and Malaysia on Wednesday decided on elements that would be given form and content in the coming months for providing a strategic orientation to their relationship.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Malaysian counterpart Md. Najib decided to explore the possibilities of collaboration in the defence sector, enhanced cooperation in infrastructure development, between Petronas of Malaysia and ONGC Videsh and forging of closer linkages in the financial sector to ensure a strategic partnership “as soon as possible.”
The Prime Ministers noted that the main enabler of a closer bilateral relationship would be the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement whose text has been frozen. Dr. Singh said he and Mr. Najib agreed to complete the formalities by January 31. They expected it to come into force by the agreed date of July 1, 2011.
“There were seven rounds of negotiations in seven months. It shows the great interest by both Prime Ministers in the CECA,” said senior officials.
The day also saw the launch of a Malaysia-India CEOs forum that would provide further impetus to the CECA. As Mr. Najib noted, the bilateral trade that would recover to the 2008 figure of $10 billion this year, could touch $15 billion by 2015.
Full report at: http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/28/stories/2010102866070100.htm
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Army to lodge protest against Pak for ceasefire violations
October 28, 2010
The Indian Army will Thursday register a protest with the Pakistan Army over the recurring ceasefire violations on the Line of Control, an official said.
This would be the second time in the past four days that the Indian Army would lodge protest with the Pakistan Army in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir.
The protest comes in the wake of Wednesday's firing of rockets, mortars and heavy machine gunfire at Indian posts in the sector by Pakistani troops.
"We will lodge a protest," an army officer told IANS.
"This would be done at a flag meeting in Krishna Ghati sector at the level of local commanders," he added.
Earlier, the Indian Army had lodged a similar protest Monday after an Indian soldier was killed in Pakistani firing Sunday.
Full report at: http://www.dailypioneer.com/292805/Army-to-lodge-protest-against-Pak-for-ceasefire-violations.html
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US sanctions 37 'front companies' for Iran's shipping firm
Oct 28 2010
Washington : US has slapped sanctions on as many as 37 "front companies" in Europe and five Iranians for allegedly being involved in Iran's shipping company.
The action targets Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL)'s complex network of shipping and holding companies and executives and further exposes Iran's use of its national maritime carrier to advance its illicit weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programme and to carry military cargoes, the US Department of Treasury said in a statement.
"We will continue to expose the elaborate structures and tactics Iran uses to shield its shipping line from international scrutiny so that it can continue to facilitate illicit commerce," Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey said.
"This pattern of obfuscation is leading the private sector around the world to refuse business with Iran rather than risk becoming involved in its nuclear and missile programs," Levey said.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/703729/
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'US not afraid of Headley revelations'
Vishwa Mohan & Sachin Parashar
Oct 28, 2010
NEW DELHI: India and the US on Wednesday continued sparring on the issue of sharing information on David Headley prior to the Mumbai terror attacks. The emerging irritation over an area where India and US have had no differences is not the best augury for the Obama visit, and indicates a divergence of views. The US believes it has been more than forthcoming in helping India on 26/11 while the home ministry clearly feels it should have been told of Headley's Lashkar identity.
Pillai said information on Headley could have helped Indian authorities nab the Pakistan-born US citizen when he visited India after the attack, in March 2009. US authorities finally held Headley on October 9, 2009, when he was boarding a flight at Chicago.
Responding to queries on the US authorities reportedly failing to act on information from one of Headley's wives, Roemer said India had been given "unprecedented" access to Headley and that the US was not afraid of what he might reveal.
Full report at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-not-afraid-of-Headley-revelations/articleshow/6826345.cms#ixzz13cv1Jgow
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Discrimination, not Islam behind violent youths: FRA
Oct 28 2010
Vienna: Young Muslims are no more likely to be violent than non-Muslims, a report by the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) found on Wednesday, citing discrimination however as a key differentiating factor.
In a survey of 3,000 Muslim and non-Muslim youths in Britain, France and Spain, FRA found that young people across the board were more likely to turn to violence if they had suffered discrimination.
"Young people who are discriminated against and feel socially marginalised, and those who have been a victim of violence are more likely to use violence towards others," noted FRA director Morten Kjaerum.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/703386/
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Ties with India, Pak not a 'zero sum' game: US
Oct 28 2010
Washington: Maintaining that it is for India and Pakistan to decide on the pace and scope of their bilateral ties, the Obama Administration has said that its relationship with New Delhi and Islamabad is not a "zero sum" game.
"The President (Barack Obama) believes that the US relationship with India and the US relationship with Pakistan does not take place within any kind of zero sum dynamic," Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication Ben Rhodes told reporters.
It is often, however, been viewed that way in the past, that if the US become closer to one it's at the expense of the other, he noted.
"And we've tried to send the signal that it's the opposite with this administration; that, in fact, actually you see that borne out in the fact that we had a very successful strategic dialogue here, with the Pakistanis in town last week, discussing greater security cooperation in governance and economic issues," Rhodes said.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/703727/
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Saudi woman jailed for disobeying father freed: Reports
Oct 27 2010
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) : A Saudi woman jailed for disobeying her father has been freed after more than six months in prison, Saudi media reported said.
Samar Badawi, who was thrown in prison without formal charge or trial by a Jeddah judge, was released yesterday on the order of the governor of the Mecca region, Prince Khalid al-Faisal, the reports said.
Badawi's release came after a concerted campaign by human rights activists inside and outside Saudi Arabia for King Abdullah to intervene in the case, which they said was an example of the abuses of the country's rigid guardian system for women.
Under the system, a Saudi woman must have the permission of her official "mahram" or male guardian – her father, husband, brother or son -- for matters such as travel, work and marriage.
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/702745/
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Pillai again on 26/11: Raises Headley, gets a US response
Oct 28 2010
In remarks that could cast a shadow on the forthcoming visit of US President Barack Obama to India, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said today that India was “disappointed” that the US had not shared information on revelations made by David Headley in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
“They (US) did not share Headley’s name. If they had done so, at least after the horrific Mumbai attacks, Headley could have been nabbed as he travelled to India in March 2009,” Pillai said.
In a swift reaction, US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer asserted that this was not the case. “The US shared intelligence on a regular and consistent basis with the government of India prior to the Mumbai attacks. We have also shared information with the government of India after the Mumbai attacks. Now, it’s historic and unprecedented in nature. It is saving lives on a daily basis,” Roemer claimed.
The Home Secretary said: “You could say we were disappointed that the name of Headley was not shared, if not pre-26/11 at least post-26/11, so that at least when he came subsequently to India, we could have nabbed him here.”
Full report at: http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/703518/
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Headley spat shadow over Obama visit
By Aman Sharma & Dipanjan Roy Chaudhary in New Delhi
TEN days before US President Barack Obama’s India visit, home secretary G. K. Pillai opened a diplomatic can of worms on Wednesday saying Washington never shared specific information regarding 26/ 11 conspirator David Coleman Headley with India.
Had the US shared his name, Pillai said, Headley would have been arrested during any of his nine visits to India between 2006 and 2009, and the 26/ 11 terror attack could have been averted.
Pillai said India was “ disappointed” the US did not provide Headley’s name. Headley visited India eight times before November 26, 2008. He audaciously visited India again in March 2009. Headley’s visits were reconnaissance missions for the 26/ 11 attack; he made videos of 50 targets for the Lashkar- e- Tayyeba ( LeT) and Pakistan’s spy agency Inter- Services Intelligence ( ISI). These videos are reportedly still with the terror group, making the possibility of more attacks real.
The Pakistani- American Headley was, according to several US media reports, an agent for the US Drug Enforcement Agency ( DEA). Sources said he may have worked for the CIA, too. But he had apparently turned rogue and was working for the LeT. So, did the US not share Headley’s name with India because he was their source? Pillai said the US has never acknowledged Headley was their source. “ As far as we are concerned, Headley is an LeT operative,” he said.
US ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer did not respond to the specific point raised by Pillai on sharing Headley’s name with India before his arrest in the US on October 3, 2009.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Russians back in Kabul after 20 yrs
Oct 28 2010
Moscow has agreed to help train the Afghan army and anti- narcotics troops — at the request of the same Western countries who helped remove Russia from the country in the late 1980s.
But Mikhail Gorbachev warned Nato that victory in Afghanistan “ impossible”. The former leader of the Soviet Union, who pulled Russian troops out of Afghanistan in 1989, said President Barack Obama right to start withdrawing US forces from the country next year.
But he warned failure to do so would result in the Americans suffering another defeat on the same scale as Vietnam.
“ Victory is impossible in Afghanistan,” Gorbachev said. “ Obama is right to pull the troops out. No matter how difficult it will be.” Russia has also agreed in principle to supply Nato with helicopters for use in Afghanistan and has already sold five Mi- 17 helicopters to coalition member Poland, reported The Independent . The first two are to be delivered by the end of the year.
Nato officials on Wednesday said the US and Russia were working on a package that could see Moscow providing more than 20 helicopters to Afghan forces, thereby hastening the coalition’s exit from Afghanistan.
Full report at: Mail Today
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Police van blown up in Quetta
By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Oct 27: A police van was blown up in Sariab area here on Wednesday, leaving a constable and a passerby dead and 11 people injured.
Sources in Edhi Foundation, however, reported three deaths. Five of the injured are reported to be in serious condition.
A senior police officer told Dawn that the police van was on a routine patrol when the bomb placed near the Munir Mengal chowk exploded.
The home-made device with about 3kgs of explosives was detonated by remote control when the police van was passing through the area.
Soon after the blast security personnel rushed to the area and took the injured to the civil hospital and Bolan Medical College Hospital.
The deceased were identified as constable Sadaqat Ali and Noor Ahmed who lived in an area along the Arbab Karam Khan road.
Full report at: http://public.dawn.com/2010/10/28/police-van-blown-up-in-quett.html
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Wedding hall roof collapse kills 65 in Afghanistan
28 Oct. 10
KABUL, Oct 27: A roof collapsed on Wednesday during a wedding in a remote area in northern Afghanistan, killing 65 people, nearly all women and children, said police.Most of the dead were women celebrating the wedding on the top floor of a mud brick house packed with guests, said Jawad Bashart, spokesman of the Baghlan provincial police. Only one adult male was killed.
He added that 12 children were among the dead and another 40 people were wounded at the wedding which took place in the remote Jelga district. Women and men traditionally have separate celebrations at weddings.
“This is a very tragic incident,” said provincial Governor Abdul Majid. He said an exact death toll was difficult to establish because of conflicting reports and the remoteness of the area.
Full report at: http://public.dawn.com/2010/10/28/wedding-hall-roof-collapse-kills-65-in-afghanistan-2.html
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UN bodies urge Pakistan to prevent ‘victimisation’
28 Oct. 10
GENEVA: Three UN human rights bodies on Wednesday called on Pakistan to ensure that women, minorities and disabled were spared “further victimisation” during the recovery from devastating floods.
“The floods have disproportionately affected them,” they said in a joint statement. “Members of minority communities, Afghan refugees, women, children and persons with disabilities, particularly those living in rural areas, were already among the most vulnerable in Pakistani society.”
The statement called on Pakistanis authorities “to strengthen the human rights-based approach of their efforts, in order to prevent further victimisation of the most vulnerable population.” In the flood-hit Khyber Pakhtunkwa, scene of fighting between militants and government forces, women and especially girls have been denied access to basic health and education, according to the UN. The Committee on Children’s Rights, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and the Committee on the Rights of the Disabled underlined that 85 percent of those displaced by the floods are women and children, including half-a-million pregnant women. They suffer with the destruction of health centres and need protection from sexual and physical abuse, while women and girls need help to overcome “any constraints” they face in reaching aid and basic services “including cultural barriers,” the UN rights bodies said.
Full report at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/28-10-2010/World/12462.htm
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Islamic Jihad activist killed by Israeli tank shell in Gaza Strip
28 Oct. 10
UMM AL-FAHM, Israel/ GAZA CITY : Israeli police and stone-throwing Arabs clashed in northern Israel on Wednesday as a group of extreme right-wing Israelis tried to march through the Arab Israeli town of Umm al-Fahm.
Hundreds of police clad in riot gear fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse angry Arab youths, many with scarves wrapped around their faces, who burned tyres and hurled stones in protest ahead of an extremist rally in their town.
Tensions were high as around 20 Israeli demonstrators from a group called “Our Land of Israel” turned up for a march calling for a ban on the radical wing of the Israeli Islamic Movement, which is led by preacher Sheikh Raed Salah.
“Death to terrorists!” they shouted, waving banners reading: “Make the Islamic Movement illegal,” and “Death to Raed Salah,” although they were prevented from marching by police who hemmed them in with three coaches, an AFP correspondent at the scene said. Police said they arrested 10 Arab Israelis for stone throwing during the clashes, which also saw two Arab Israeli MPs injured.
Hanin Zuabi, a deputy with the left-wing Arab nationalist party Balad, sustained injuries to her back and neck after being hit by a stun grenade, party leader Jamal Zakhalka said.
Full report at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/28-10-2010/World/12511.htm
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Danish navy destroys pirate boat off Somalia
Oct 28, 2010
COPENHAGEN: A Danish warship boarded a pirate supply vessel off the coast of Somalia, captured six suspected pirates and then sank the ship, Denmark’s navy said on Wednesday.
The suspects were later freed on the coast, a Danish naval command spokesman said.
“They had not committed anything criminal at sea — they were just on the wrong boat, with the wrong gear at the wrong time,” spokesman Kenneth Nielsen said. “They had equipment on board that could be used in piracy.”
The boat was seized on Tuesday by the navy’s Esbern Snarre vessel during a NATO patrol along Somalia’s east coast, the naval command said in a statement.
Piracy is rife off the coast of Somalia in east Africa, disrupting shipping lanes between Europe and Asia, putting crews and vessels in danger and jacking up insurance rates for shipowners.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/world/article171605.ece
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Stable Iraq key to security: Abdallah
Oct 28, 2010
AMMAN/BAGHDAD: Jordan's King Abdallah on Wednesday said Iraq's stability is key to regional security, stressing support for its reconciliation efforts, at talks with former Iraqi Premier Iyad Allawi.
"Jordan fully backs reconciliation efforts in Iraq, whose stability and security is key to regional security," a palace statement quoted the king as telling Allawi.
The king said, "It's important to form an Iraqi government that reflects the aspirations of the Iraqi people, ensures a better future and safeguards national unity."
Allawi's Iraqiya political bloc earned 91 seats in Iraq's March 7 elections, two seats ahead of the State of Law alliance of incumbent Iraqi Premier Nuri Al-Maliki, in the battle for control of the 325-member Council of Representatives.
The two parties have been locked in a battle for control of the council, shuffling through potential coalitions that could win them power.
Full report at: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article171645.ece
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Death of Saqr is an ordeal, says Khalifa
28 October 2010
ABU DHABI — The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, considers the death of His Highness Shaikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, one of the founding fathers of the UAE state, as a grave distress.
“With the passing away of Shaikh Saqr today, we lost the founding fathers of our federal state may the Almighty Allah shower his mercy on their souls,” the President said in a statement of condolences and sympathy on the demise of Shaikh Saqr.
“On this sad day we remember what the late Shaikh Saqr offered to his homeland as he worked relentlessly with the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and fellow Members of the UAE Supreme Council and Rulers of Emirates to serve the interests of our dear country and protect the state from any potential threat or risk.
“His vision matched that of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the Rulers of Emirates for the need of a joint action to achieve local development and confront foreign dangers in the region. Shaikh Saqr was among the first who welcomed the call for establishing a federation of emirates in the region.
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/October/theuae_October725.xml§ion=theuae
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Shaikh Saud is new RAK Ruler Sebugwaawo Ismail
27 October 2010
RAS AL KHAIMAH — His Highness Shaikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, who passed away on Wednesday morning, was laid to rest amid an outpouring of grief in the afternoon.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Their Highnesses, Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of Emirates offered funeral prayers at the Shaikh Zayed Mosque, Khuzam. The late Ruler’s body was laid to rest at Al Qasimi Royal Cemetery in Al Oraidi.
Saud a visionary like father
His Highness Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, who became a Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah on Wednesday, is the fourth son of the late Shaikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. Shaikh Saud was born in Ras Al Khaimah on February 10, 1956. Growing up with his parents, he completed both his primary and secondary education in Ras Al Khaimah, before studying at Michigan State University in the United States, where he gained a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science. Read More
His Highness Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, succeeds his father as Ruler of the emirate.
In a telephone call, the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offered heart-felt condolences to Shaikh Saud. Shaikh Khalifa wished him success in his mission as Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.
The Ruler’s Courts in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Qaiwain also extended their condolences.
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/October/theuae_October723.xml§ion=theuae
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CID called upon to crack more financial crimes Amira Agarib
28 October 2010
Issuing of dud cheques and financial irregularities topped the list of cases handled by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Dubai Police in the third quarter of this year.
Cases of adultery, drug abuse and human trafficking were the other common cases, Brigadier Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Director of the CID, said.
Of the 112 financial crimes solved by the department, the majority were cases of bounced cheques with a total worth of over Dh22 million during this period. There were at least 16 cases of non-fulfilment of financial obligations.
The department also solved three cases of adultery, two cases of drug trafficking and one of manslaughter.
In all, the department arrested 116 people and solved 299 criminal and traffic cases in the third quarter, Brigadier Al Mansouri told Khaleej Times.
Nationals topped the list of the arrested people at 50, followed by Indians at 29 and citizens of GCC countries at 28. Among those arrested during the third quarter also include 25 Pakistanis, 13 Iranians, nine other Asian nationals and three Africans.
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/October/theuae_October728.xml§ion=theuae
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Sharjah book fair making waves, says publisher Lily B. Libo-on
28 October 2010
SHARJAH — The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) has turned into a unique melting pot of small and huge publishing houses as well as foreign and local authors and book lovers.
This was the impression of Peter Weidhaas, an international publisher and expert in organising book fairs across the globe, who told Khaleej Times that the ongoing fair has created waves among the literary world with the rare involvement of the government and the royal family. Weidhaas, a German book lover and writer, said the book fair in Sharjah was among the rarest as most others focus on the business gains, not on the cultural impact of the event. “I have been organising international book fairs for 32 years across major cities in the world. Governments are not so much involved in the cultural side of the book fair. But, in this emirate, the royal family is not only of book lovers but also is involved in publishing books about their lives and their people.”
“The Shaikh is a man of books and is promoting them positively in this place. You cannot find this in many places. But, you find many of them in business.” Visiting Sharjah and the UAE for the first time, Weidhaas is surprised to find both big and small publishing houses and unknown and popular authors as he went around the exhibit hall.
Full report at: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2010/October/theuae_October715.xml§ion=theuae
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Israel to begin building barrier with Egypt
27 October 2010
JERUSALEM — The Israeli government says construction of a barrier along its porous southern border with Egypt will begin next month.
Israeli Cabinet Secretary Tzvi Hauser said Wednesday that a security committee has given the green light for construction.
The barrier is meant to prevent Islamic militants, drug dealers, African migrants and other asylum seekers from entering Israel from Egypt.
There has been an influx of Africans seeking refuge in Israel in recent years. Many enter via the scantily guarded border. Israel says at least 1,000 people enter the country illegally from Egypt each month.
A Palestinian militant sneaked into Egypt from Gaza, then infiltrated Israel where he carried out a suicide bombing in 2007, killing three people
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/October/middleeast_October448.xml§ion=middleeast
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Clashes as nationalists march in Israeli Arab town
27 October 201
Israeli police have clashed with Arab demonstrators in the northern town of Umm al-Fahm, where Israeli right-wing activists staged a protest march.
Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to try to disperse the protesters.
The Jewish activists are followers of a far-right movement, Kach, which believes Arabs should be expelled from Israel and the West Bank.
Dozens of people were wounded when clashes erupted during a similar march last year.
Tensions were running high in Umm al-Fahm after the Supreme Court authorised the march by the right-wing Israeli group through the mainly Israeli Arab town.
The activists say they want Israeli authorities to outlaw the Islamic Movement, whose jailed leader Sheikh Raed Salah comes from the town.
The movement, whose stated aim is to advocate Islam among Arab Israelis, offers education and social services and promotes a Palestinian nationalistic stance. Its northern supporters are generally more hardline than those in the south.
But the right-wing Israeli activists accuse the group of having links to Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Full report at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11634259
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US not tracking spending on Afghan projects, audit says
28 October 2010
The US government has spent about $55bn on rebuilding in Afghanistan since 2001 but cannot easily show how the money was spent, a government watchdog says.
The special inspector general's office for Afghanistan reconstruction talked of a "confusing labyrinth" of spending.
It said some 7,000 contractors received $17.7bn from 2007-09 but data prior to 2007 was too poor to be analysed.
It is the first comprehensive audit of US spending in Afghanistan since US-led troops ousted the Taliban in 2001.
According to the report, US government agencies are not tracking Afghan contracts in a shared database and cannot easily show where the money went.
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul says record-keeping has been so poor that most of the money has not been properly recorded.
Full report at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11641964
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicWorldNews_1.aspx?ArticleID=3591
12:14 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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